ashiashley

Not being able to have a baby after three years and 8 failed treatments. I was either going to do IVF or Lapband this summer and I decided I owed it to myself and my future family to try and be healthy first. So lapband it was

in feb, this year, at my pcd, i weighed the most i ever had in my life.
in march, my grand daughter was born
those two things helped me make this easy decision to get the band/plication.

I am 58 and have been fighting weight gains since age15. I have tried many different diets, WW,Nutrisystem, hypnosis as well as accupuncture. 6 years ago with the help of TOPS (Take off pounds sensibly) and my local YMCA I took off and kept off over 100 pounds. My BP and blood sugar returned to normal and I had so much more energy. Then my Mom died 3 years ago and 40 pounds crept back on. My usual weight loss strategies didn't work despite my best efforts. So last December I went to a WL seminar. Because of other surgeries I have already had the band was my only option. I decided to start the process and the fight with my insurance company I barely qualified based on my BMI and they wanted me to lose 10 percent which would have put me below the required BMI. So with the help of letters from 5 different doctors I was approved and was banded June 5th. It wasa great decision for me and I feel I am back in control. I really like it giving up body parts that can't be returned. I already live without a colon so know what that process is about.......no turning back

Spending some time with an old high school friend. She did not say anything. but I know she was thinking about how much weight I had gained.

Like some have already stated, I'm a big yo-yo, up then down and then start all over. Since the daeth of my wife in 2002, I have constantly gained then lost, but I don't consider this depression that caused for me to gain weight. I did on my own.
Then early this year, my sister who works for Allergan, brought home a proto-type lapband that her company makes with plenty of reading material about the process of Lapband and some of Allergan's findings. I was sold and now I'm waiting for my band date of Aug. 6.

I had to stop anbd think about this I heard about lap band when it first came out but was not well informed. I have done every diet from weight watchers and Jenny Craig Atkins South beach pills Patches shots. and hypnosis gym memberships and I Alway gained it back .
I had emergency Gall Bladder surgery and jokingly said hey while you are in there why not throw on a LapBand . The Dr. said I sure will in 6 monthes when I came out I said really are you serious and he said as serious as a heart ATTACK AND HE WASN'T SMILING.
So I did what BCBS needed and a 1 year supervised diet and then they made me wait 90 days after that to approve me. And I decided that this was the LAST TIME ever that I would fail andI was done spending one more penny on weight loss gimmicks. If I was willing to have them open my body and put a band in me it was going to work case closed.
I used to be embarassed to see my reflection and never loked from the head down now I sometimes don't recognize myself in a reflection. This is the best thing I have ever done just for me .

I have been up & down my whole life. Lost 100 lbs twice & gained it back. (Kept it off for 5 years last time). Knew I had a permanent problem & needed a permanent solution. But, felt most comfortable with Lapband as opposed to more invasive procedures.
Lots of research, good surgeon & aftercare & making the commitment to change my way of eating & exercise FOREVER. I was self pay & have a lot invested. This is it for me.
So far, 93 down since Sept & 30ish to goal. Life on all levels is exponentially better. Wishing you all the best whatever you choose.

I just finally realized that I had dedicated the last 20 years of my life fighting fat, it was time for a more permanent solution. Time to move on, just like a bad marriage. The first day of the rest of my live begins August 23rd!

I'm a little afraid to post this because I know some people may not agree, but maybe it will help you out so here goes...
I don't think I've tried as hard as I could have with dieting. I've done Slimfast a few times, with great results but I fall off of the bandwagon after less than a month every time. I did the South Beach diet once for a week but it had me feeling so horrible I could barely even walk, so that was a no go. That's pretty much the extent of my dieting attempts. 95% of the time, I'm not even attempting a diet. For some reason, in my head I'm not that big. I have no health problems to speak of so maybe that's why I let myself think that way but it's really not true.
I'm 5'00 and weighed 240 at my highest. I can't buy clothes anywhere, (clothing industries haven't figured out that short fat girls exist yet), can't walk half a flight of stairs without wanting to stop for a break, my poor dog wasn't getting walked nearly enough, I had to stop wearing heals because my knees/ankles started hurting me so bad, and recently I've been having trouble getting in and out of my truck. I used to love going to Six Flags, but since I gained all this weight, I can't even ride a roller coaster without feeling dizzy and miserable, not to mention I can't take all the walking. Last summer, I turned down a trip to one of my favorite Water parks because I just couldn't stand the thought of seeing me in anything remotely resembling swimwear. And I STILL think I'm not 'all that fat'.
So one day I was driving along and heard an ad on the radio for a weight loss clinic, called that night and set up an appointment. I didn't know what a lap band WAS before I went, but I started going and making the monthly supervised dieting appointments anyway. Please don't get me wrong, I don't advocate having surgery without fully understanding what you're getting yourself into, and that was never something I intended on doing. I had to do six months of dieting, so I knew I had time to fully research what I was getting in to. Every time I went in for an appointment, I had a list of questions, and that list got smaller and smaller every month as I got those questions answered and did my own independent research. I knew by about month two that this is what I wanted, and I felt totally confident in my understanding of the procedure. Sure I still have questions pop up, but who can really call themself an expert unless they're actually banded?
Anyway, for me it wasn't it wasn't really any certain event(s) that prodded me into this. It was the revaluation that lapbands exist in the first place. A couple times I've wondered if I could diet without the band, but then I remember that my willpower isn't as great as I try to tell myself it is. The only reason I'm doing okay on my diet now is because it's in preparation for the surgery (I'm going under on the 2nd). More than anything, I'm 27 years old now. I didn't want to give up on the band, decide to diet, fail miserably and then come back looking to be banded again. How old would I be then when I did get banded? 30? 40? So I've pushed those thoughts aside and I am committed to being banded. I want to be at my goal weight by my 30th birthday, but as long as I'm losing steadily at any pace I'll be happy.
Jeez I love to ramble. Anyway, good luck on your journey!!

For me there was a lot of things leading up to my decision. Mainly the fact I didnt have the energy to play with my kids. I seen an add for a seminar and decided to join it. I left knowing I wanted to do this. Made the call and got the process rolling. I had to do a 6 month diet and the whole time I was second guessing myself. I am beyond thrilled that I went through with it and put my all into it. Have not regretted a day of it!
Best of luck to you!

First, doing tons and tons of research is smart! Going into this or any WLS surgery must be done with an educated decision. So, keep asking questions and researching
For me, it was an accumulation of events. I knew I had to do something. I watched my kids' grandmother die when she was only 55 years old. She was a morbidly obese chain smoker who died of congestive heart failure. I too was a morbidly obese chain smoker and her death terrified me because I knew if I didn't make drastic changes, that would one day be me. I quit smoking over a year ago and then started getting serious about researching WLS.
I also happen to have Multiple Sclerosis. I can't cure the MS, but I figured I could take a lot better care of the rest of me so I'd at least have a fighting chance against this crappy disease. Having MS is bad enough, the last thing I needed was to have a bunch of obesity related (preventable) illnesses like Diabetes and high blood pressure, too.
Originally I was scheduled for Gastric Bypass, but at the last minute, I canceled. I just couldn't justify rerouting perfectly healthy organs irreversibly without first trying something far less drastic and reversible. So, I started researching Lap-Band and I knew it was the one for me.
I had surgery 6 1/2 months ago and have lost 122 pounds so far. I can't begin to tell you how much losing this weight has drastically improved my quality of life. I still have a lot to lose but I know I'll eventually get there. For me, getting the Lap-Band was the best decision I've ever made for myself.

I am just as guilty as the next about feeling chained to the scale sometimes. I know that I am a slow and steady wins the race type of weight loss patient. I exercise at least 5x a week to help things along, record my food journal, watch portion sizes, don't drink my calories, etc. Sooooo...when the scale slows down, it is frustrating to see just ounces when I want pounds. However, a few weeks ago I decided to go get a few new outfits to reward myself for working so hard.I was so pumped!! No more plus size! For the first time in over 13 years, I didn't have to pay $2 extra!!! As exciting as that was, I also picked up a few clearance fitness tops and shorts that I found on clearance. There was a couple that were 12/14 tops that I went ahead and got even though I couldn't wear them yet. A girl can't pass up a good deal! Well, today I decided to try it them on before my workout! Success!!! In just that short time, even though the scale didn't show much of a change, my body definitely has!!! WooWoo!!!!Since March I have dropped from a 24 pants to a 16/18 and my tops from 22 to a 12/14! Such a great feeling!!!!

I am so excited about my band and the life changes it is helping me make. I hope you have the same success and happiness - sounds like you have the right attitude for it. Don't worry about the downers, just look at the good side. There can always be something go wrong but there an always be something go right too - just take it as it comes. My one big fear was that I'd die during surgery and when I told my doc he laughed and said don't worry - and now I'm a few weeks out and here I still am. I like glass half full attitude - it's a great way to live!

I'm a lot like you. If someone says I can't, then I will. Haha! I really do want this. I am excited to see if Cigna will allow for my regular MD's weigh ins. That would be fantastic. I am hoping it all happens quick for me! I tend to see the glass as always half full instead of half empty so I can only see good things from here. :-)

Hi everyone! My name is Marci and I am 41 years old. I have been overweight for about 15 years now. I need to take off about 90 pounds. Tried to get insurance approved for Lap Band surgery back in 2006/2007 and was denied. I have continued to gain weight since then and have also been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our insurance has since changed to Cigna and after speaking with them it looks like I will be able to easily get approved.
The surgeons office called today and told me I have to go through 3 months of weight management. They thought that since I have checked in with my regular MD every month since my diabetes diagnosis and weighed in, that Cigna might approve that as the 3 months of weight management. (crossing my fingers on that one!)
There is so much info online that I waiver back and forth with my decision to have this surgery. I want it. I want it really bad. I should have done it 10 years ago. I have wasted a good 10 years of life being fat!! Statistically it seems this surgery is very safe. I always seem to go back to the things I read online about the people who haven't been successful and have had this problem or that problem. I know this is just a tool.
Everyone here is so positive. I think I just need to stay in this forum and stop reading all over the Internet. My surgeon is actually the surgeon who trains all the other surgeons in the state of Florida so I am sure I am in good hands.

The word about mine is slowly getting out. I have several friends who know, but I don't tell them outright. They have asked what is going on and I direct them to my blog where I wrote about my debate on telling friends or not and that I didn't want to have to throat punch anyone who was negative. So...they can see what I am doing, think their own thoughts and make an educated decision on whether to tell me if they think it is a bad idea. Lucky for them, they've all been supportive.