confused and needs help please

[Dharma 0]

hello

i'm brand new to this forum which i found accidentally but looks like a fantastic community.

i have been overweight all my life and after much consideration, research and doubt, I finally decided to have the gastric banding. Three years ago I was accepted for the lap band in Belgium - I was delighted because at the time my BMI was only 32 and this was deemed unacceptable for lap band surgery in the UK where I live. However, my then husband did not allow me to go thru with the surgery insisting that I should loose weight the 'natural' way (he sent me to a hypnotherapist); although he had already witnessed several attempts and failures with drastic diets, medication etc.

I was really upset because I truly felt the band was my last option to get a normal life.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, today my soon-to-be-ex-husband has no longer control over me and I would love to have the band fitted. The problem is that due to the heartache I did loose some weight and now my BMI fluctuates between 29.3 and 31.2.

Sadly, the surgeon that accepted me 3 years ago received some bad press because he was performing surgery on patients with BMI less then 35 or borderline 30 and he no longer can elect me for surgery. I am devastated!! I desperately need the band and now cannot have it.

Does anyone have experience of lap band fitted to people with BMI 30 or less? can you recommend a good surgeon that would be able to perform this?

I am really desperate to change my life and get out of this lifelong awful succession of weight loss failures. Please help if you have any info.

thank you !!

Dharma

[MacMadame 81]

Welcome to LapBandTalk, Dharma!

I'm not familiar with doctors in your area. Here in the United States, doctors are given a hard time if they band people under 35 BMI though there are some who will if you have a lot of co-morbidities.

You might want to ask around in the section for people from other countries. We have one for Ireland and the UK and then another for "Other" which would include Europe:

Elsewhere Local Lap-Band Support - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

[Angie1985 0]

Hi there,

Congrats on getting out of what sounds like a bad relationship.

I was wondering, since your bmi is quite low for someone getting banded - have you ever thought of the Gastric Balloon? I'm in Canada, obviously you wouldn't come here for your surgery but my clinic does it and seems to have some good info on it... From what I've read it's done quite a few places in Europe.

here, check it out HERE

hope this helps!

angie