i want to be free!

[Guest jayla]

hi im jayla

im 22 years old i have 2 kids and married.

Right now i am STRONGLY wanting this procedure but i am so SCARED! i have incurace and im a goverment employee and they say they would approve me but i dont have a doctor in my area.

can some one please let me know how this surgery is and if any one has had any serious problems. i really need this my life seems to be going down due to my weight.(currently 315 and im only 5'4 WOOW!):cool:

please lend me a helping hand in this HARD decsion.

thanx alot

jayla

[donali 57]

Hi Jayla -

We all want to be free! And the band is a great tool. I just caution you to be aware that in spite of how it may feel, your weight is NOT the source of all your problems - it's just the scape goat. So even when you get to be "skinny," you will still have to deal with whatever life dishes out to you. Think of all those celebrities who have good looks, great bodies, and lots of money, but that does not keep them from getting divorced, going bankrupt, being thrown in jail, or OD'ing on drugs.

Okay - now that reality check is out of the way... :cool:

The band is a wonderful tool. It takes work, and PATIENCE. Patience is probably the #1 thing most lacking with people who have been banded. Most feel as though they are losing weight too slowly. Be aware that if you get banded, this is a lifelong journey, and it will PROBABLY take you a good 2 years to reach your goal. Maybe longer, maybe shorter, depending on how you work it. But it will not do everything for you.

There are a number of possible complications - most of them are more irritating than anything else. The things I see most commonly from what I read:

1. Most people experience the "stuck" feeling occasionally throughout their banded life - where they ate too fast, or didn't chew well enough. This is very uncomfortable, and can be somewhat painful, but is temporary (usually) and is controlable by you for the most part.

2. Many develop reflux a couple of years out.

3. Chances that you'll have to have a port repair/reposition at some point is pretty high.

4. Quite a few have problems with food not staying down because they are either filled too tight, or are not chewing enough or eating slowly enough (PB = productive burp).

5. PBing is also the number 1 cause of esophagitis, which is generally treated by removing the fill until you are healed. During this time of little to no restriction, many struggle not to regain weight.

The above are the most common negative side effects, but are more annoying than anything else.

Other possibilities that happen, but are less common:

6. Frequent PBing is the number 1 cause of band slippage, which requires surgery to repair, and sometimes results in the loss of the band for at least a period of time, sometimes permanently.

7. Erosion (where the band is absorbed into the stomach cavity) is also a possibility, and requires surgery to fix. Again, the fix may result in the loss of the band for at least a period of time, sometimes permanently.

MOST people only experience the annoying problems 1-4, and some experience NO adverse affects.

The benefits of being banded, for me, far outweigh the negatives. I am one who will have to have my port repositioned. I am 9 months out, and I have only PB'd 3 times. I have gotten temporarily "stuck" maybe 20 times. I do not (yet) experience any reflux, and have had no problems with esophagitis. I have lost 61 pounds virtually effortlessly, as I do not diet, and my exercise is very hit and miss.

Many people have much better result than I, because they work harder at it. I, however, am comfortable knowing that whatever I have lost is gone forever as long as I keep my band and my restriction, because I am not doing anything special that I may stop doing later. I am just living my life in what is a normal way for me, the way I expect to live it forever. AND I AM LOSING WEIGHT!!!! How miraculous is that?

It is true that I mostly eat high quality, nutritious foods. I have the occasional pizza and sweets, but they are by no means staples in my everyday food choices.

Would I get banded again? In a heartbeat!!

Do I have any regrets? Only that I didn't do this years ago.

Do I feel better than I can ever remember? Absolutely.

Would I recommend this to anyone else? Without reservation. However, you do need to be aware of the possible downside, so I have tried to give you a balanced viewpoint.

Hope this helps.

[Guest LINDA W.]

Hi Jayla,

When I first researched the band, I went to www.obesityhelp.com and clicked on "find a bariatric surgeon."

First click on your state and it will bring up the doctors and the type of surgeries they do. Of course you want to look for lap band.

There is a lot to lap band I didn't realize, such as the surgery, fills and such. However I am learning. I was banded on Sept. 22, 2003 and after the first week of surgery, I began to feel so much better. It is the best decision I ever made, I feel.

I go on Oct. 31st for my first fill.

Don't give up. There are doctors who do the lap band procedure in your state.

Good luck and God Bless you. He will.

Linda W.

highest weight in Jan. 2003 was 359.

Weighed in at the hospital at 312. Now I am at 296. I did Atkins prior and am still do the low carb. For me it works.