buenas....

vic92075 · May 8, 2006

so i'm new here and i wanted to introduce myself and say hello to everyone.

i have only looked around this forum maybe a couple of times but this last time i read some posts and more and more it has me motivated to make a change in my life.

if there is a thread where it can answer or guide me with all my questions and what not, please direct me there.

anyways....here is my story:

well i'm a 30 year old man and i have been dealing with problem with weight for as far back as i can remember. as a younger kid i was always involved in sports (swimming, soccer & tennis) and have done well in all of them. i do have another brother and 2 sisters that were never involved in sports like i was and of course none of them had weight problems (my luck!). i swam and played soccer til i was about 17 and haven't really played much tennis at all for about 3 or years. luckily while in highschool and college i did a fair bit of lifting so really i don't look my weight. people always guess about 50 to 70lbs off. even this last trip to the doctor (allergy related visit), i got on the scale the scale couldn't weigh me since it only went up to 350 and apparently i had broken that mark. she looked at me and was like...i would of never guessed that. you look good. i guess it would be attributed to my large muscle and bone structure from lifting and having an large back and of course...dressing well.

anyways, that's just a quick summary. i have always been a heavier than average person but i don't feel any control. i don't feel i eat horribly but maybe i do. obviously since i've gained all this weight and i'm not very happy with the way i look. i want to get back into sports, i want to feel healthier and i want to really learn how to eat right. my gf of over 2 years has been helpful. she has helped me with portion size and now whenever we go out to eat, instead of each ordering an entree, we just simply split one and mainly drink only Water. the food we eat, i'll admit is not always healthy but from what i've been told, most of the reason people tend to gain is because of portion size and lack of exercise. as for the exercise part, i just on a treadmill maybe once a week since the motivation isn't there. since the weather is warming up, i plan to get out more and be out there with our dog.

sorry if this is getting long but i have so much i want to know and i know in order for me to get help, i need to share some information.

so here are my questions:

1. what are the different procedures (details) and which is the latest and most successful (safest aswell)?

2. what types of insurance cover any of these procedures or insurance companies that would assist with this process?

3. i hear alot of good about lap-band. i have read that this is a quick procedure and that people haven't experience much pain if any during this surgery, is this true?

4. what will i be able to eat? and drink? i have heard no alcohol, popcorn and don't remember what else. i guess also, what won't i be able to eat? from right after the surgery til well past your surgery date.

5. i hope this doesn't sound crazy but i went to a seminar once and they told people they couldn't drink through straws anymore since you tend to consume fluids too fast this way, any truth to this?

6. i keep reading these measurements of .3 or .25, things like that, what do these mean? are people talking about the adjustments of the lap-band? if so, does this mean you'd go back in for surgery?

well i hope i haven't bored too many people here.

i am really interested on your feedback and i figured who better to ask then the people who have been through these procedures and know first hand of things i can expect if i were to follow through and make this life change.

thanks for reading and i hope to hear from many of you.

take care,

vic

barbara465 · May 8, 2006

Vic,

There is so much information on this website and others. I would first suggest you do some internet searches on lapband, etc. so you can get some general information. There is www.obesityhelp.com that describes most of the procedures. Most of us on this site believe in the lapband because it does not surgically change any of our body parts, its reversible if there is an emergency, and its the safest of all of the weight loss surgeries.

I would also suggest you attend one of the seminars in your area about lapbands. They will describe the entire process, what the lapband looks like, what fills are (.5, 2.5, etc you referrenced), and what you can expect.

The lapband is a tool and you must work with to change your eating habits. The weight loss is slower than with other means, but its a lifelong committment.

Hope this helps. Anyone on here will be happy to help answer your questions, but you will find it easier to start looking through some of the threads to get information.

Alexandra · May 8, 2006

Hi Vic,

Welcome to LBT! You've asked a lot of questions and you'll easily find answers to most of them just by poking around and reading a little here on the site. But I will answer your question about adjustments and whether that means more surgery. The answer is NO: adjustments are done by a surgeon or technician adding or removing Fluid in the band via the port, which is imbedded under the abdominal skin. It's accessed by a syringe, and only local anaesthetic is used (sometimes not even that). Painless and quick!!

Banded Babe · May 8, 2006

Vic,

You have mail!

vic92075 · May 8, 2006

you guys, thanks for the input and the link.

i have been doing some research on this for sometime but there were just a few things i wanted answered and of course wanted to know some personal experiences.

so far it looks good.

now just to start trying to find people in my area to speak with and find out if insurance would cover this or not. the question is...what is the price range for the lap band procedure? i'm in northern va, right outside of dc. any local help??

thanks everyone :biggrin1: