Lattedah

Hello, friends. OMG...I completely understand exactly what you mean about feeling overwhelmed. When I realized how much I had to loose, it took my breath away... I mean I knew I was at my highest weight, but... whoa. In any event, I also feel so certain that I can do this with the aid of the band (ha...or band aid). I know this is going to be a lot of work and I have a long way to go, but I feel comforted about having the band to help me. I feel like the band will be my most supportive and best friend! :biggrin: Also, this forum has become my best source of motivation and inspiration. Best of luck to all...

Hi, Jess... Congratulations! You're going to be so happy! I too am going to be banded by Dr. Eric Pinnar on March 12th. As you are aware, he is extremely experienced in this procedure and an incredible surgeon and most of all he is truly a genuinely nice person. He does make you feel very comfortable and you know you can ask him anything about the process. His office is so helpful and friendly and I love that he has 3 patients who work for him and you can ask them anything about their experience. I'm so excited for you and look forward to following up with you. We are on our way, sister! :mad:

Great, question, Hippiegirl! I'd love to know the answer to that as well and also how it worked for them and how happy they are!!! :cursing:

Runningagain! Good luck to you too... it's so exciting, isn't it. Glad to have someone like Tater to help us go through this process. Have they given you an idea of when your surgery might be? Keep us posted on your progress and I am sure going to keep you both posted!

Tater. Thank you for all the information. It helps calm my nerves hearing from someone who just went through this. You sound good... spirits and healthy. Good luck on your check-in with the Dr. and I hope you have a good weigh in. You're still on the liquids obviously, so what type of things have you been drinking this week? Thanks again, Tater, and can't wait to hear about your doctor's visit tomorrow. Talk to you soon!

Maya! Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. I know you'll be fine... You'll be home soon and resting and so excited about your new life. Thinking about you!

Hi, Tater... Wow... I'm so glad to hear you're doing so well! I'm also so glad that I can check in with you to see how you're doing and ask you all sorts of questions, if you don't mind. :smile: I'm so excited. I just got my official surgery date, March 12. I'm excited, nervous, obsessing and excited and hopefule and...phew... i'm going to stop there! :thumbup: I would Love, love, love any tips/advice, Tater. How long were you in recovery after your procedure? did you actually stay overnight? My niece is taking me to the hospital and she'll stay with me for a few days... how long did you need someone to be with you, would you say? Thanks for all advice and can't wait to hear all about your progress.

Hi, Deneicy... I understand why it would make you nervous reading some of these posts... especially before your surgery. I'm pre band too... but I find that I now look only for the encouraging posts... if you come back before your surgery, I hope you might check out the following post. I loved it, "Would you do it again..." It was wonderful and made me feel so good about my decision. Best of luck to you and no worries, you'll do great! Hope this link works, http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/would-you-do-again-51462/

Hi, KTBEEE. I'm not banded yet, but soon to be banded, however, I can tell you what my doctor has told me as well as 3 of his staff members who've had the procedure done in the last 2 - 3 years. They keep telling me that the main focus for the first 6 weeks (until your first fill) is to heal. They said, as hard as it seems, try not to focus on loosing weight...but instead let your body accept the band and heal... I hope this helps, and I know you'll be hearing from some wonderful bandsters who have been banded who will give you more experienced input... but just wanted to let you know what I've been told. Good luck to you and I'm sure you'll be loosing very soon.

Tater, that's so funny... I'm actually going to Dr. Eric Pinnar (Jr.) right next door! I hear good things about both father and son. Glad to hear you're feeling so good today. Please, let's keep in touch. I am so excited and would love to hear all about your progress/success! Take care and talk to you soon. Sheri

Tater, that's so funny, that we are having our surgeries by the Doctors Pinnar! I hear good things about both father and son. Glad to hear you're feeling so good today. Please, please let's keep in touch. I am so excited and would love to hear all about your progress/success! Take care and talk to you soon. Sheri

Hi, Tater! Congratulations on being newly banded! You DID it! Yay! :thumbup: I'm very close to being banded myself... and very nervous and excited. I love, of course, love reading posts by those like yourself who had a good experience. Which part of VA are you located and who did your surgery? I'm in Fairfax, VA, and will be banded by Dr. Pinnar in Reston. He's really great. Glad to hear you're doing so well and looking forward to hearing about your wonderful progress. Take good care and take your time in healing!

Thank you, JoJo, Patricia, Terry, et al, for your encouragement. I'll definitely keep you posted on my progress and I will be turning to you along the way... I'm just so happy! Can you tell :tongue2: Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hello, NAT. I'm also to be banded in March and so ready for this opportunity to being a new! Best of luck to both of us.

Dear Fatbutnothappy, thank you for asking this question. And, dear, courageous and wonderful Bandsters, thank you for answering this question with such honesty and gusto. It means so much to hear from you. I know your journey's have not been easy and that you have had to work hard even with the assistance of the lapband to get where you are now. I can also see how extremely happy you all are now that you've lost and are loosing your weight. Congratulations to all of you! I'm just about to be banded myself... been researching the lapband for years and now so excited and a little nervous about taking the next step. I've had moments of doubt, but mostly, I feel this enormous sense of optimism and joy as I know I am about to embark on the most important journey in my life. It has been so wonderful to see all of your responses to this and once again... Thank you ALL and continued success! :regular_smile:

Hello, Mick. Or can I call you Mr. Inspiration? :frown: I'm so glad you joined this forum, I know who I'm going to turn to when I have any moments of doubt or need some "inspiration." I'm not banded yet, but well on my way... waiting for a few more test and then the actual surgery to be scheduled. I have learned so much about lapband from my surgeon and from the very kind souls on this site. I read everything on this forum... the good posts and the bad. I want to be prepared for anything. It's those like yourself that have been successful that I love to hear from the most... not only because you achieved your goal.. but because I want to learn from your success! Thank you so much!

Welcome, Bigdaddy. I am also pre-band, but have been on this site for a few weeks and this place is great. Very friendly people who are all about supporting each other. Best of luck on your journey and looking forward to sharing the journey. Take care.

Congratulations to you, Sue and everyone on this post that have done so well... you're all inspirational especially to those of us who are just beginning the process. Hope to be banded very soon. Please do share how you did what you did! :wink2: Some of us hang on every single word you say... :tongue:

Hi, Jane. I wish you luck on your decision as it is a very personal decision you have to make. I don't know if this will help at all with your decision, but if you'll bear with me, I like to share my story thus far and pre-band. Since I was about 15, I've progessed from chubby, to overweight to heavy, to morbidly obese. Like all of us here on this forum, I've lost weight, gained more weight, cried over my weight and most recently I just simply gave up. I'm 46 years old and at my highest weight 330 lbs! I have hypertension, pre-diabetic, my back hurts after standing or walking for more than 5 minutes, and I'm pulling away from all of my friends and family. I wasn't even trying any more, I lost hope and I've always been an optimist... I've been researching lapband for almost 5 years. It sounded to good to be true, so I never fully beleived it. I considered bypass surgery for a very little while and even went to a seminar that discussed both bypass and lapband. At this particular seminar, they were pushing the bypass as the surgeon has been performing bypass surgery for over 20 years. He felt that lapband was too new and the weight loss was slow. So, he essentially poo poo'd the entire idea. I left the seminar very discouraged and I knew that I would never be able to choose the bypass, it scared me more than being fat. Still I kept researching the lapband, it seemed to make sense to me, but I was still feeling a little lost and hopeless. Recently I had a realization that I want to live and I want to live healthy (physically and mentally). However, I still know that no matter how determined I might feel, I know that am human and the amount of weight I need to loose is just too overwhelming. I can't do this alone or without an aide. I went to another seminar that focused on the lapband procedure. While this surgeon was pro lapband he also discussed the other weight los procedures and noted that, in his opinion, any weight loss surgery, even bypass and it's associated complications and risks, was still a better risk than being obese and suffering from comorbidities. For me the answer was clear. I have no doubt that I need to change my life, but I also need the tool to help me loose the weight and more importanly, keep the weight off. The bypass was still too radical for me and too scary, so I am choosing the lapband. I've begun the process and just awaiting some final medical test results and hope to be banded in the next month or so. I know this won't be an easy journey. I will have to make huge adjustments in my life and I will still have to deal with my emotional eating. The weight may not come off as fast, but slow and steady wins the race. Mostly, I know that I will have to work "with" the lapband and not "against" it. It's a wonderful option and if you are honest with yourself and do what your physician tells you, it works and with less risks than the bypass. I'm full of hope and optimism yet again. :wink2: Again, I wish you luck. And as others have said here, read and research both procedures and maybe even make a list of pros and cons for both procedures...

Hello, Bearcatgirl. Although I'm also pre-band and I just met with Dr. Pinnar today -- he's just so great -- I would love to touch base with you as we go through this process. I still have to go through the medical/psychological tests, but hope to schedule my procedure soon. I love this site and find it immensely useful. I look forward to speaking with you as we take this great step toward a happy and healthy life! :wink2:

--to be able to walk for more than 5 mins before my lower back starts hurting. --to not eventually note to myself in any group situation, that I'm bigger than EVERYONE else. --to no longer feel like a huge square with no specific contouring. --to feel pretty and sexy --to go horseback riding on the beach in Hawaii (with the love of my life --once he finds me --to ride in an airplane without asking for a seatbelt extender --to go to school for web design while I'm working full time and not be so exhausted that i can't fully function at either. --to ride a hot air balloon. --to be comfortable in a swimsuit... I so love the beach and Water that I go no matter what I look like, but oh to actually feel good about it. --to dance. --to travel to Europe --to be healthy --to live... We're really going to do all of these things, I know it. And I look forward to a new thread from all of us, checking off everything we've listed!

Hi, Diane! Thanks for you reply and welcome! I will definitely check out the NJ January chat. I love this site and all the warm and wonderful support. Congrats on your progress to date and I can't wait to talk to you as we both grow... smaller! :biggrin: Thank you, again.

Hello, VA Girls! I'm new to this site and just found the local, VA Support Group. I live in Fairfax, VA. Altough I've researched the lap band procedure for almost 5 years, I'm just starting the process to actually get the lap band. Been to two seminars and have decided to go with Dr. Eric Pinnar in Reston, VA. I have my first appointment next Wed., and have found that my insurance BCBS FEP will pay 75% of the procedure (since Dr. Pinnar is a non-particpating Office). I'm okay with that because I really like him and meet with a Dr. at Fair Oaks and they kept pushing the bypass surgery instead of lapband. Besides I'm so determined that I was prepared to self-pay instead of buying my new car! I'm so excited and feel the is the right decision. Plus, I've found this wonderful forum and just feel really blessed by the very friendly and helpful people who are here! I was curious if anyone lives near Fairfax and if anyone has seen Dr. Pinnar. Can't wait to start my life and take control. I'm so happy and excited. Hope you are all doing great and look forward to chatting with you. Take care. Sheri

Jack. Thank you. Your post brought tears to my eyes. I'm not yet banded, but well on the way. I'm determined to do this because I feel it is the best option for me in my life-long struggle of being overweight. I too want to gain control of my life and my hunger. I'm 46 years old and have dieted since I was 15. Like most of us here on this site who have struggled, I believe we know more about the losing weight than most doctors -- bariatrics excluded. I've had the ah hah moments and lost 30, 45, 50 lbs... kept the weight off for a while and then poof...the weight was back. Well, anyway, my point is that you so articulately captured exactly what this procedure means to me. So... again I say, thank you, Jack.

Hi, PTinUtha. I see we're both getting through the BCBS details. I didn't know about the fills only being covered for the first year. Darn!