A new me on april 15 =)

[hannahj914 0]

HEY GUYS MY NAME IS HANNAH. AND I WILL BE GETTING MY LAP-BAND ON APRIL AFTER A LONG BUT WONDERFUL STRESSFUL PROCESS. I AM 18 YR OLD IVE BEEN BIG SINCE I WAS ABOUT 12 BUT NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ANYTHING ABOUT IT...UNTIL MY 11TH GRADE YR IN HIGH SCHOOL (LAST YR) I WENT TO MALL WITH MY FRIENDS AND I COULDNT SHOP IN ANY OF THE STORES THEY COULD THAT BROKE MY HEART...IT LOOK LIKE THEY WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN AND I WAS AN OUTCAST LONG STORY SHORT THIS SIZE STARTED TO CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS HEALTH PROBLEMS ETC.SO ONE DAY ME AND MY MOM WERE TALKING AND I BROUGHT UP LAP BAND AT 1ST SHE SAID NO..BUT I SHOWED HER THE PROS AND LIL CONS AND SHE WAS READY TO GO FOR IT I AM NOW APART OF THE MORGAN STANLEY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF NEW YORK-PRESBYTERAIN AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER FOR ADOLESCENT BARIATRIC SURGERY =) WITH THIS PROGRAM ITS A STUDY APPOVED BY THE FDA TO GIVE TEENS AGES 14-17 LAP BAND TO IMPROVE THERE LIVES WITH THIS STUDY YOU MOST OF THE BEST DOCTORS IN NEW YORK CITY Jeffrey Zitsman, MD (THE LAP BAND MAN LOL) JANET SCHAUBEN MD (NUTRITION) ILENE FENNOY MD ( ENDOCRINOLOGIST) TO NAME A FEW THESES PEOPLE HELP SHAPE YOU FOR A LONG AWAITED SURGERY DATE..I HAVE BEEN APART OF THIS PROGRAM SINCE JAN/2008 AND I MY DATE IS APRIL 15..THE DAY THATS GONNA START MY LIFE...THE REASON I AM PUTTING THIS UP HERE IS BECAUSE MY DAD DOESNT WANT ME TO GET LAP BAND BUT I AM 18 YRS OLD AND THE SURPPORT OF MY MOM I AM GOING TO DO IT...DO YOU ANYWAY I CAN GET TO EM...HES NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH HIS BODY ONLY ME AND MY MOM ...

[SusanMTaylor 0]

Hi, Hannah!!! Good for you!!! You are so young and you have so much of your life ahead of you - I can't tell you how many regrets I have about my weight over the years (I've been heavy since the age of 15 - and I'm 45 now!!) - How many events I didn't go to because I let my feelings about being heavy get in the way? How many cute outfits I bought with the best of intentions to lose the weight to get into them one day? How many experiences overall that I didn't let myself enjoy because I was overweight?

You have a chance to enjoy all of the experiences that a teenager should enjoy! The Prom, Spring Breaks, dating, making new friends - All of this awaits you!! I wish that this surgery was available to me many years ago! I wouldn't feel like I wasted so many years of my life thinking about my weight and letting it be an obstacle for so many experiences!

Your post drew my attention because I just got approved from my insurance company and my surgery date is April 14th - one day before yours!!

Best wishes, Hannah!!

Susan in Virginia