Lap Band The Best Thing I have done

susieq2002 · September 21, 2005

I am 64 years old and have been over weight most of my life. The most I have weighed is 320. I had an intestinal by pass 32 years ago and got down to 178 but then slowly went back up. It was the worse surgery I have ever had. It took me along time to recover from the initial surgery and I have never recovered from the malnutrition that it caused.

I had the Lap band done on May 4th with my sister. It has been the best thing I have done. I feel better than I have for along time. One thing in my favor has been that I had the rest of my teeth pulled the week before I had the Lap band done and can not eat anything in large amounts. I have to cut up everything I eat in little tiny pieces. It has helped to take the time eating and I just don't eat as much. I also had drank Pepsi for many years up to 64 oz a day and on March 18, 2005 I stopped drinking any sodas. I am very grateful that I had stoped drinking sodas before the surgery, it has made it alot easier. I usually just have a bottle of Water close by and this has helped.

I have had one fill in July and after that I have now gone from 260 last Oct to 197 now. I have lost slowly and this makes the skin tighten up better. You do need to walk each day and this has been one of the things that has been hard for me.

Dr Ortiz is the Doctor that did my surgery in TJ and I have never had better care. They do a better work up than any of the doctors here in Utah before surgery. I have had 6 minor type surgeries since 1995 and not one time did they do a Pulmonary test. They find I have a problem with my dyaphram. this should have been found along time ago. I grew up in San Diego so I knew what TJ was like, but I had not been down there for a number of years and it has really grown. They even have a costco.< /p>

When I have the intestianal by pass I was in the hospital for over a week and then the long recovery. I had surgery on Wed and we went to Costco on Firday for our walk.

Good luck to all that have the Lap band it has really made my life better.

La_madam · September 21, 2005

Hi Susie, I met you in Dr. Ortiz's office back in July..so glad to see you hear!

Great Job on your weight loss. I'm happy to hear everything is going so good for you

AnotherMe · September 21, 2005

Hi SusieQ! Wow, what an inspiring story. Looks like you had the right idea, taking things slowly. I'm so glad you were able to triumph over your first operation, sounds like it was a very difficult ordeal.

Keep up the good work.