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Hi there Slim, Welcome to the forum. You'll get lots of support here and answers to any questions that you may have from people that have had different experiences of the band. You're bound to be a bit apprehensive - change can be stressful. But you are both about to go on a great weight loss journey. I think it's great that both of you are together on this. The pre-op diet was no problem to me. It needed doing so it was done. Simple as that. I remember having lots of different Soups, which was great. It's a year today since my pre-op. Perhaps you would like to give more information about yourself? Where are you, ages, that sort of thing.

OK, only 6000 miles away. It's a small world:lol: Before you go to the GP, get organised with information and questions. Write down all the diets that you mentioned earlier. Any other weight loss moves you've made - eg weight loss tablets. Co-morbidities that you have - very important. Diet issues - do you keep a food diary? Weight records over a period of time are useful. I am a NHS patient here in the UK, meaning I didn't have to satisfy the requirements of an insurance company, just of my local Trust. I understand that your insurance companies require all sorts of information before they agree to pay for the operation. Be very thorough. Sorry I won't be able to help you with specific issues regarding insurance approval as I don't have experience of that. Anything else though, just ask away.

Hello Harli, Welcome to the forum. You will meet a lot of people here who are keen to support and advise you. There are sometimes problems with the lapband as there are with any procedure, but they are minimised by good education, preparation and post op care. Have you talked to your GP about the band? Can you tell us where you are please?

Today is 52 weeks since pre-op. Latest weight loss is: 63.9kgs/140.58 pounds/10.04 stones. BMI: 22.1 Body weight lost: 46.3% Feeling good, two pounds to go to revised target.

Mine was no problem. BMI 41.2, no diabetic condition. Band on NHS. We all know it's a lottery. Some PCTs will do it, some won't. I was lucky. The ones that don't offer the operation after you meet the requirements need exposing. They think they're saving money, but in the long run they aren't.

Good luck with your operation. It's the start of an exciting time for you and I'm sure that everything will be fine. Let us know how you get on.

Dr Ahmed did my second operation. Very good guy, very calm and professional. Didn't know that about bypass. Thought they had started them. Still, it represents an expansion in their services that will appeal to some people when it comes. I'm glad that I had the band and would do it again, even if the bypass had been offered. Certainly my general health has improved as I've lost the weight - blood pressure, sleep apneoa, aching joints. A huge reason to justify the weight loss surgery in itself.

At my first fill, it was discovered that the tube between port and band had become detached. I had a second operation to replace the tube and port (which was resited). One night stay in hospital, very straightforward.

My goals have changed over time. First one was to get to BMI 24.9. Then it was 80kgs. Now I want to get to 161 pounds. Can't really explain why they've changed, they just have. I think that the reason may be that I gave myself a year to lose the weight, so I'll fill a year up and see where it takes me. I just hope to maintain that weight when I get there.

I remember the pain! It was bad for about two weeks after the operation, then went quite quickly. You don't have to put up with pain. See your doctor for pain relief, especially if it affects your sleep, which of course is vital for your body to repair.

Hi Anniegirl, It's never too late to start a new life. Just go for it, work hard at your weight loss and look forward to an exciting future. Good luck on your journey.

You are doing fantastically. We all plateau, at times when you least expect it. That's the nature of the beast. We are doing all the right things so keep it up. I'm certain that your mental health is closely aligned with your physical health. That being said, sure your emotions can play a part in weight loss. You will experience more plateaus on your weight loss journey. That's a gimme. Try to remain positive throughout, even though that's difficult at times. Make your exercise sustainable. In other words, can you do it when the weather is against you? Just go for it and look forward to a fantastic new life.

Hi Linda, Welcome to the forum. You'll find lots of people here to give you advice and support. It's hard to say whether or not your band is working properly, as really only you can judge if the restriction is there. However, there is lots you can do. Are you exercising regularly? What about portion control? Can you give a few more details - how much fill have you got in what size band? How much weight do you want to lose? Sorry about the number of questions, just trying to help. Some people, myself included, only needed one fill to get good restriction. Some others need more fills. Try not to be disappointed, but keep a positive outlook, even in the tough times. It's not easy I know, but it does help.

Just thought you would like to know that the next two support group meetings are on October 29th and November 26th, starting at 7.00pm at Devonshire House, Derby Royal Infirmary. Good chance to ask questions of the team and meet others who have either had the band operation or are preparing for it.

Hi, I use old 'Mr Motivator' videos. The exercises are about 15 minutes each and are great fun. Just Google it for information and use eBay. I also got my exercise bike on eBay for next to no money. Brilliant!

Best of luck to both of you for your operations. It's a really exciting time for you and the future can be very positive. Thinking of you on Wednesday.

I exercise 6 days a week. About 15 minutes conditioning work on specific areas, then about one hour cycling. Love it. You've got to enjoy your exercise and not see it as a chore. I started doing 4 minutes a day, and slowly built it up. Now, I'm 'functionally fit' as I call it, meaning that everyday activities are easy. I'm never going to be an athelete - that wasn't the aim. One exercise that I find harder than most is swimming, even though I have two pools within 5 miles. Me and swimming don't mix. I can swim, but never really enjoyed it. Find sports/exercise that you look forward to doing.

Yep, I was going to have mine in the Nuffield, but because I had Sleep Apneoa they backed out. Like no overweight person has SA eh? They didn't have the emergency facilities, so they said, and would have to take me to the City in a blue light ambulance if anything went wrong. Useless. I had a blazing row with them. Paul Leeder did my first operation. Very good guy, very friendly and professional. Good luck with your operation.

Hi there, I'm just down the road in Rainworth, Mansfield. I was banded in Derby at the City Hospital. Is that where you are going?

They saw the leaking fluid on the live xray images. The NHS paid for the replacement.

I had my tubing and port replaced after fluid leaked during a fill. Easy operation, one night in hospital. Not looked back since.

Not everywhere. Derby PCT don't operate that way. It looks as if some do though, and that's a disgrace. Operating at BMI 50+ is more dangerous, so why do they not follow the guidelines? That'll be money and league tables won't it?

Hi April410, Thanks for your post. Good to hear from you. You have done so much already towards your weight loss in terms of preparation, which is great. Let's talk about motivation. I'll tell you what motivated me. I couldn't get up the stairs without being out of breath. Ordinary things were a real bind - even putting on my own socks was difficult. But more than anything else, I was scared. I could see my life just drifting away. I am mortal, and this is where I met my mortality. I knew I had to do something, not just tinker at the edges. I had to be radical. That's where the lapband came in. The pre-op diet isn't a sexy thing. It's a necessary step to take for the surgery to have more of a chance to be successful. Sometimes, I just had to grind it out. Grit my teeth and ask myself 'how much do I want this?' I realised I wanted it a lot. That's what kept up the motivation then. When I started to lose the weight, I started to see NSVs. Clothes fitted better, then not at all. I needed a new smaller belt. Then someone would ask 'have you lost weight?'. Then, I could exercise a little longer. All of these steps kept me motivated. In the next two months, you can start doing exercise. Slowly at first - just do a minute each day for a few days. Then two minutes and so on. You don't have to starve yourself, just eat sensible foods and get rid of the junk. Eat slower - take your time to enjoy your food. The disappointment in not getting your surgery earlier is over. Look to the future and try to attain a positive outlook. Look forward to a new exciting future that weight loss can help bring. Above all, enjoy the experience. Don't look for negativity or ask 'what happens if' questions. The next period of your life is set to be one of great achievement and people will be so proud of you. Just make sure that no one is more proud of you - than you. Please keep in touch, either email, PM or this forum. Best of luck for your journey - you can and will do it I'm sure.

Hi Keri, Well as a nurse you are ahead of the game in many ways. That's good. As for being nervous, there are so many 'what if' questions. There is no way to answer them ahead of time. The chances of complications post band operation are very low. I can really only talk about myself here. I had to have a second operation because my port and tube needed replacement. It was no big deal at all. One night in hospital and a very quick recovery. I was very unlucky but hey, that's the situation I faced. Try not to focus on what might go wrong, rather on what will go right. Being around food is no problem for me, because all the food in the house is healthy. The aim=lose weight. The method=band+self discipline. Learn to say no to food. Do you exercise at all? (I've just come in from my bike ride - about 9-10 miles). Losing weight can be hard, hard work. It's a challenge. Rise to it and be excited:smile:

Well done Chris. I too have been able to get rid of my CPAP machine due to my weight loss. After four years of using it, I'm now just about used to not having it. This is one of the benefits of weight loss that is so important. My blood pressure used to be sky high, not any more. It's really liberating to have these health issues cleared up.