WNYRAO

October 19th is my date with the surgeon. I'm happy that the the date is set but also very nervous about having it done. I see this Christmas as being one of the best ever! Wish me luck! Bob

I'm going for approval with BC/BS WNY right now I should hear either today or tomorrow. I'm hoping there are no problems, the DR. didn't seem to think there would be any issues.

Thanks for the information and kind words. Just to get to this point the surgical group required quite an extensive referral from my primary as well as a letter from me explaining my previous weight loss attempts and why I thought WLS will work for me. Right now i'm leaning towards the band. I'm at 240lbs 5'3" and am tired of being miserable. I started out in 1986 with a diet where i went from 170 to 135. 30 years of yo-yo dieting has gotten me to where I am today. My wife is rather cool to the whole idea of surgery but frankly I have to do this for me. Thanks for the support! Bob

Hi all, I'm scheduled for my seminar next week. What do they discuss in these seminars? Thanks, Bob

Thanks Packersfan. I see the Band as a tool to help where others have failed. In effect I see myself going on every diet i've ever been on but the band will help to maintain the change in lifestyle. I was quite a bit more active when I was lighter and I intend to be so again. My initial paperwork is in with the surgeon. I'm waiting on what is next. Bob

Good Luck! I expected an argument from my PCP and was pleasantly surprised when he showed complete support. I'm thinking that by now many PCP's have seen the positive outcomes of patients who have been banded. Bob

Thanks for the support Packersfan. Your story, height and weight are very similar to mine. Luckily i'm just at the hypertensive and sleep apnea phase with my bloodwork slowly trending downhill. I'm hoping to arrest it before I am dianosed with the big "D". My family history is riddled with coronary issues as well, heart attack, stroke, high cholesteral, pacemakers, you name it and chances are someone in my family has had it. Is there any one thing in particular that stands out, that really helped you? Right now I am waiting to get the initial application for surgery from the surgeon. According to my PCP he has sent a few patients for this procedure who were at my BMI and it helped them tremendously. I'd just like to be able to bend over and put my shoes and socks on without pain. Bob

Thanks Cunner. I actually told him I needed to speak with him about "something" and made motions like I was strapping myself to a seat and putting a crash helmet on. In the past I had mentioned drugs and such for weight loss and was met with the "are you crazy?" look. I guess the fact that he did see at least (2) rounds of yo-yo dieting and exercise helped him to realize I needed something else. He did mention that I need to exercise more. I responded "heck yea, I know that, do you have any idea how difficult and painful exercise is with a body like mine?" I told him to imagine that he really enjoyed running, and that he did it every day regardless of weather time of day etc. I then said that if I smacked each of his big toes with a hammer he probably wouldn't be as excited about running until the pain went away. I told him to imagine that this pain is what I feel just by exercising, not very rewarding at all. Therein lies another reason for the surgery - I WAS an active person, now I have trouble tying my shoes. The closing line in your last post is where I hope to be a year from now - I have a lot to look forward too for sure. Bob

Thanks for the support. I am glad I found this forum. I also am looking at the shorter recovery time Chillin' but until I sit down with the surgeon and discuss all the options I really won't know. I can say that all of the dieting and exercise I have done over the past 30 years has led to to where I am now. After my first diet in 1986 where I dropped 35 pounds to get to 135 it was all yo-yo dieting which has got me to the 240lbs I am at now. Thanks for an idea on the time frame Amanda. With the other things going on 4 months is perfect. Cunner - I did notice few men here. Better health is better health. I have no reservations sharing my experience as I go through this with anyone. When I first approached my primary care Doc I really figured i'd have an argument - I was surprised when he looked at me, smiled and said "I agree 100%". He then asked me to write him a letter justifying why I thought I needed surgery. I detailed all of the past diets and exercise regimens I tried. He has seen all I have done for the past 15 years so the last round of dieting which was about a year ago he will sign off on as being doctor supervised. He mentioned that by reading my letter it was obvious to him I had been thinking about this for a while and it was not an overnight decision. He immediately wrote me a referral to a surgeon he trusts. Aside from the weight i'd also like to get off of the blood pressure medication as well as the CPAP. If that doesn't happen, so be it but It is something to strive for. Thanks, Bob

Hi All, I'm new here and in the early stages of researching a procedure. I do have a referral from my primary and have reached out to a local surgeon to look at my options. I am 125lbs overweight with a BMI of 41.2. I am leaning towards the lap band. I'm sure most have already been down this path. I'd appreciate hearing what your experiences were. Thanks, Bob