Jason Can Do it!

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself to share my story. I've been thinking about Lap Band surgery for 8 years since a friend did it in 2004 (with awesome success to this day). I have always struggled with being overweight, but the last few years in particular it's been harder and harder to take off. My weight has gone from 220's to 230's to 240's and suddenly I'm in the 250's and it's all snuck up on me. Both of my parents are severely overweight with many medical problems (diabetes, HBP, clotting issues, joint issues, etc) and I see my future right in front of my eyes every time I see them. I'm going to be 39, have HBP, a BMI of 36.5 and I don't want what clearly lies ahead of me. So I'm finally taking this step after 20+ years of struggling with the same 50-75 pounds that I don't need, and very seriously considering Lap Band for the last year. My GP of 15 years is also a gastro doc and has watched my up's and down's, knows my family history and is highly supportive which is very motivating. I've gone so far for my initial consult, blood work, ultrasound, psych eval, nutrition consults. This week I'm doing a stress test and UGI. I have my support groups scheduled and future weigh ins on the books. For Aetna, I'm told I can do a 3-month medically supervised weight loss and with my borderline-but-above-35 BMI combined with HBP, the doctor thinks I should get approved. Does anyone have similar stats and Aetna... any tips or experiences to share? I'm excited, nervous, impatient and can't stop thinking about it now. I need to take control now before it's too late and look forward to spending time here with you all. I've been on the site for months and finally just registered to start posting and chiming in. Your stories are all so interesting and inspiring, nice to meet you all! Jason