ladylove_forever

I have been heavy since I was a little girl.  I heard about the lap band on a commercial. Once I reached 200 lbs, I began to panic.  I didn't know what I was going to do.  And the more I panicked the more I put on weight. It got to a point I stopped weighing myself because I would become so terribly depressed I would just eat so much more.  I also knew the less I focused solely on my weight the less I would obsess about it.  When I got to around 230 (dr. made me weight in) I started to try to figure out I could get the surgury.  I then heard about getting the lap band in Mexico.  I was so intrigued. I wasn't scared of mexico. Heck surgury can go wrong in the USA so if it was meant to go bad it is going to go bad in any country. 

I didn't have good credit at the time so I asked my mother to co-sign for a loan for the band down in Tijuanna, Mexico.  I had my surgury date set for December 16, 2008. The only thing left was for us to sign papers. Then at the last minute my mother backed out because of some loan specification.  I was absolutly devestated.  I was so destraught I didn't know what I was to do.This ultimately happened for the best.  It was just unbeknownsed at the time. A couple of weeks later , my fiance had talked to someone who mentioned that my medicaid would cover the proceedure now, but there was just alot of red tape and processes.  I didn't care anything I had to do I was going to do it.  I call the girl he had spoken to and she gave me the number to the doctors office.  I was extremely excited because I was told that Medicaid only covered the Gastric Bypass and I was too scared to do that, so when I heard they finally paid for the lap band when I called the doctor I was even more amazed.  It was finally true. My dream was coming true.  But I didn't realize just how much red tape had to be cut before surgury would actually get scheduled.I had to go to a semenar and to a shrink evaluation, among three tons of paper work , only to have medicaid deny the office because of it not having a certain certification at the hospital they performed the surguries.  SO after I completed the investigation they required of me,  They did set a date: January 7, 2009.  It was great.  But then the medicaid office did the denying of the office, and then my surgury date came and passed again. I was so frustrated.  I once again had to wait.  And there was nothing I could do. But finally at the end of march I got a call from my dr. office, and she said they finally got the letter to perform the surgury under the right criteria.  I was so relieved. But the worse wasn't over yet, I still had to redue certain medical tests, and resubmit my case to the medicaid board.  It was the end of march on a Thursday, when I got the message on my voice mail from the woman at the DR.s office. and it was scary because she sounded so down about calling.  My heart pounded my hands were sweaty and My stomach was in knots.  I was so scared to call her back,  because I was so scared she was going to shut all my hopes down. So I finally call, and she gets on the phone, but before she tells me what was going on she put me on hold for what felt like a life time. She came back on with that same somber tone. Then all of the sudden after saying a few statements, she busted out saying. THEY APPROVED YOU < YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SURGURY>  I was so exstatic, I screamed and after I got off the phone I cried for joy and called everyone I knew.  My surgury was scheduled for APril the 17th. I got lucky the doctor didn't put me on the high protein diet like he had before when the previous date was set.  come the day of the surgury, I was so scared I didn't know If i could go through with it.  I was too too too scared.  And I knew it was going to change my whole life forever. I was afraid I would find a way to sabatoge my own self and make the band not work for me.  But I went and the last thing I remember before going under was the cold operating room and then this panic that didn't want to seise . But it did and then I woke up.  It was over, I couldn't believe it, I had waited years for the surgury and I finally got it.  I was  so happy.  I finally had the help I needed to loose all the weight I had put on especially in the past few years. The only thing that has gotten in my way is that I have to pay for the fills, which is only 200 dollars. But I am a student who qualified for medicaid in the first place, how do they expect me to pay for that?  But I manage.  I was sore and it was hard to get up. But with the pain meds , it was just enough to make me feel better.  IT took a week before I could go back to school. Longer than anticipated but it was ok.  I went to dr. for post op 6 days later, and had lost 9lBS> I was in shock.  I hadn't lost nine pounds in I don;t know how long.  I have been displeased with the rate of my weight loss. But finally after the second fill I am getting some restriction.  It is the middle of August, and I have lost around 30 lbs.  First time in my life I have ever lost that much weight.  I have changed the way I eat.  Plus I can't eat the carbs up like I used to because , bread is almost totally out of the question. I pray someone reads my story and realizes everyone has there struggles, and it isn't as easy as expected, but if you work with the band it will work for you.  And remember to be patient,

IF it only takes a year to take off your excess baggage, then be happy. It won't happen over night, but a year is a lot shorter than being fat  the rest of your years. 

I finally have peopel telling me  how beautiful I am and I have only lost 30 lbs!!!! I can't wait to see their faces after 50-75 lbs.  I haven't been hit on for along time until last weekend. and I almost fell off my chair. I just didn't know what to do.Please everyone, use patience and commitment with your band and it will be the one thing that changes your life forever.