Thinking about getting lapband

[Nique83 0]

Good afternoon every1.... I am a 25y/o mother of 3 children. I am considered obese by medical standards. I spoke with my primary doctor in regards to getting bariatric surgery and he is 100% supportive of me getting the procedure done. I am interested in gettting the lap band because the rate of weight loss seems healthier than that of the gastric bypass. Also its reversible and the of course the bypass isn't. There are other medical reasons why my doctor is so supportive of this surgery. I am scared of surgery but i see that its done laproscopically which is less invasive. But would any1 recommend that i get this surgery????

[bearbandit 0]

Everyone is not the same. If you are a person who wants to change their current lifestyle with a heathy one, then lapband is a good choice. Let me tell you if your mind is not in this for the long haul you will not succeed. The lapband is a tool. Nothing more. You still have to eat healthy, follow doctors orders and exercise. Keep in mind some foods you enjoy today you will not be able to eat again. This has not been to big of an issue for me so far. I am down 60 lbs and feeling great in less than 3 months. But keep in mind I followed the rules of the tool diligently. For me the choice to get the lapband was easy. Lose the weight or not see my kids grow up. I am self pay and this was the best investment I have ever done. I invested in my life. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Edited January 7, 2009 by bearbandit

[Nique83 0]

thanks 4 responding. i am ready 2 make drastic lifestyle changes in order 2 be healthier. i even talked 2 someone that i work with who has had the lapband. i am excited @ the thought that i eventually with hardwork and dedication along with the surgery i will be able 2 finally lose my weight and keep it off. i no this isn't a miracle weight loss procedure. lol. i am also going 2 get my children involved and have them eat healthier foods and limit the unhealthy foods they intake. can u tell me what procedures occur b4 the actual surgery. if thats not asking 2 much.

[ginny two 0]

Wow. You're 25 years old with three children? It sounds to me like you are probably a pretty strong person!

I chose the lapband for the same reasons that you listed, as far as being reversible, etc. It sounds like your doctor has some good reasons for you to take this step.

I can tell you what I did to decide. I went to the lapband seminar, then I signed up with the program at the hospital I chose. I had to do six months of a supervised diet for insurance company purposes. In the meantime, I read a lot of threads on this board. I read other materials about people's experiences with being banded. I thought long and hard about whether I felt that I could really commit to the lifestyle. In fact, I took an extra six months to decide. It was a year from the time that I went to the seminar and got banded. I tried really hard to lose weight on my own and couldn't do it. I thought about all the weight loss failures of my past.

I think you've made a good start by asking people on this board if they would recommend it. If you haven't already, go ahead and delve into other threads to see how people are doing. Check out the success stories and the complication stories.

I'm like bearbandit. I want to see my daughter grow up. I don't want to be in a wheelchair, either, which is where I was headed.

BTW, my fiance and daughter joke that they are losing weight on my "diet". We don't go out to eat so much and I'm buying and cooking much healthier foods. I don't want my daughter to suffer the pain that I have. She is 12 and was depressed about having to wear plus sized clothes and having a belly. Now she's starting to slim down and feel pretty good physically and mentally.

Sorry for the long post. Take care, let us know what you decide. :thumbs_up: