Meowmie

I've been overweight since I hit puberty - years of yo-yo dieting, binging, fasting, always ending  with the same result, weighing more than I did when I started.  My highest weight was 325,  in 1994 I was 265 and had gastric bypass.  Only lost about 25 lbs and didn't have hardly any restriction but did not gain like I had in prior years.  I actually stayed within the same 5-10 lbs for about 10 years - which I had never done before.   Then I started gaining again - boy talk about feeling like a failure! Had checked into revision surgery several times, first doctor told me I was a two-strike loser because I hadn't lost much and I had started gaining, - that was good for the low-self esteem.  After an EGD, The second doctor said I had large pouch with large stoma and it could be fixed, but that I lived too far away from a major medical center in case of complications.  I basically gave up, all the way back to 290.  In Nov 2009, while I was having rotator cuff surgery - my mother went to the cafeteria and she started talking to Dr Bagnato (she never meets a stranger) about her wls (she lost 100+ lbs) and my struggle and if lap-band could  done over a bypass?  He told her to have me come talk to him.  I was scared to risk another rejection, but I finally got the nerve to call for an appointment in March.  Dr Bagnato and his staff are wonderful!  Scheduled another EGD so he could see what my stomach was like, as well as faxed a letter to my insurance.  My insurance approval came back within two days, so after the EGD, we discussed options and decided on lap-band.   He requires following 'Sugar Busters' pre-op, so I began cutting out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and stopped drinking diet coke.  I was banded on 6 May and was 273 on my post-op appt on 13 May.  I  feel like I have been given another chance at life,  thank you Dr Bagnato!