patty1957

Ten months ago I weighed 302. Yes, 302. I was so blue.
My life was small and getting worse. Obesity was my lifelong curse.
I had a dream. A dream to live. It asked for all my strength to give.
I mustered strength and all my will. Every requirement I would fill.
I got my LapBand and then began
My new life of not "can't", but "can".
I can, I said, and walked a mile. You've never seen a bigger smile.
I can, I said, and rode a horse. "The hour trail?" I said, "Of course!"
A trip to Italy, climbing hills. My new endurance gave me chills.
A bubble bath is a luxury that once was for everyone else but me.
An airplane ride with a regular belt. I can't describe how good that felt.
The movie seats used to squish my hips. Now the room I have brings a grin to my lips.
My larger clothes become someone's prize as I donate them for a smaller size.
My dozen meds have gone away. One pill and a Vitamin today.
Arthritis pain controlled me so. I am so glad to see that go.
A hundred pounds have waved goodbye. There really is no better high.
Fifty more to get to goal. Not stopping now. I'm on a roll!
So if you're starting out, don't fear. This all can be in your new year!
Have faith, believe, work hard, and give
Yourself the best of gifts -- to LIVE!

I can't help you in terms of percentages of complications but what I can tell you is that your concerns about the unknown are very common. I was terrified pre-surgery. I couldn't imagine what my life was going to be like without the comfort of food. Well, turns out my life improved so much that overeating was something I didn't want to do even though I could have.
It took work, and it's still a temptation to eat poorly or eat too much but when you start to see the success, it gets a whole lot easier to be compliant. I went on a cruise in July and was so happy to be able to walk the ship comfortably and get off at all the ports and go on excursions that I was able to walk away from all that food pretty darn easily. I lost a pound that week. Who loses weight on a cruise? I do. And so will you once you find some success and see how the band works.
Good luck to you and keep us posted.

Hi Candace. My high weight was 267. Because I'm only a little over five feet tall, this meant I had a BMI of more than 50. Morbidly obese is what I was. I got the lapband in January of 2013 and pre-op I lost 17 lbs. The day of surgery, I was 250 lbs. and today I'm 128. I'm in the normal BMI range but these are just numbers.
The important thing is that I lost the weight I needed to and got the hip replacements I had to have. I went from constant, debilitating pain to almost no pain and being able to move around like a normal person again. I've gone from simply existing to living again. I've said it many times on this forum....I have truly been reborn. I have a life again and it's all good.
Don't let a high starting weight deter you. Don't let the past failures deter you. If you do as your doctor tells you, you will succeed. As my signature says, 'Compliant bandsters are successful bandsters'. Many of those who responded to you are just as successful as I have been so here's to your future success. Wishing you all the best.

I'm in the preop holding area waiting to go back to the OR. Lost 14.6 since I started the preop diet on 9-3-14 and my BS down to 103 from 176. See you on the postop side.