PearlsGirl

I have been interested in the lap band for the last 5 years.  I found this website and learned that my own HMO offers the surgery.  I made an appointment with my physician and asked him if I could get into the program.  Armed with this communities personal experiences, I was able to get a referral for the "Information" class Kaiser offers as a first step.  I just found out yesterday that my doctor has given me the referral for the Orientation class.  I'm very excited to be on my way.  I knew from reading posts that I needed to complete all my scheduled check-ups including the pap and the mammogram.  I feel confident with the process having read many threads on this website.  I am so thankful to have this place to interact and learn about the challenges I face ahead.  I am 285lbs now, have difficulty performing everyday tasks due to pain I feel from the weight.  My doctor was less than happy to give me the referral, he would like me to lose weight and get healthy on my own.  It's hard to explain to a thin person what I'm going through.  I'm constantly injuring myself trying to do everyday tasks.  Combined with my arthritis, I'm losing ground all the time.  There are times when I feel much older that my age.  I can't play with my son the way I would like to.  He's 30lbs and I can only hold him when I'm sitting down.  He needs an active mother.  My husband does a lot of the caretaking, and as a consequence of that, he is my son's goto person.  I want to participate in all areas of my son's life, and I want to live a long healthy life.  With things as such, it feels like I'm on a downhill spiral, and I can't see the solution on the horizon.  My weight has become so prohibitive lately, I know the only way to get past the pain of activity is to make a huge step.  I'm so thankful for this website, and I hope to get my doctor on board.  Thank you for this place to learn and share.  I don't know if I could have made this step without you.