Kellster

Yeah I'm so glad this is here! It's nice to know that extra skin happens to us younger folks, because at least now I'm prepared for it. I have a big tummy so I'm expecting some loose skin, especially in the lower tummy. But I love working out and will follow every tip to the T! Repeat question though - did anyone get any info about the silicon supplements? I have fine hair anyway so it'd be good to start those supplements before I get banded and prepare my skin... I'll ask my doc when I go in for my monthly visit, but just thought I'd ask again on here. But man - I'd rather have some saggy skin and be able to fit into a rollercoaster seat comfortably!

It's great to hear from some folks in my age range! I just turned 28 and I feel quite young on this site. I'm excited to move forward toward surgery, and I'm super excited that I'm doing it now and not waiting til later. Just imagine what the rest of our lives are going to be like after losing weight and getting healthy!!

Howdy - There might be a support group at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. I am at the beginning of my LB journey and my doctor works with the Bariatric Group at Huntington so I'm sure that's where I'll end up! I was contemplating Cedars Sinai but we shall see... In any case to answer your question, I think they have a support group @ Huntington, but I'm not sure when. If you find out let me know!!

I would definitely do Cobra so you can keep the approval and insurance coverage. It's expensive to do Cobra but I'm sure it's a lot less than paying for the LB yourself!!

Hey all - has anyone had surgery at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena? My doctor is in the Physicians Associates medical group and they work with Huntington, which is right down the street and would be a lot easier in regard to upkeep and support groups. I was considering Cedars-Sinai but it's not exactly close... My doctor was excited that I was considering LB and told me she has had some patients who did LB and had tremendous success. Anyway - just looking for experiences/advice/information.

Just as a statistics-lover, I wanted to find out how many people got banded via private pay or were covered by insurance?

Hi Dionna, yes I sure am a Texans fan woohoo! I'm born n raised in Cali but am NOT a fan of the Raiders or the Rams (I'm from LA area) and didn't want to jump on the Charger bandwagon. I can't wait until post-band when I can buy a women's-size jersey for the first time ever!

In all of the discussions and conversations and recommendations I have seen, they all point to one simple key to success - following the rules your doctor gives you. There are so many questions I have now, and I'm sure I will have more and more the closer I get to getting banded, and especially afterward. I'm glad we have this support forum to bounce things off of one another and see what's out there. Thank you, Love, for sharing your experience. I think there are some unfortunate individual situations where there are complications or little weight-loss, but those seem to be the exception, not the rule. All I know is, I want this as a tool to help me actually get the weight off - for GOOD! And during my weight loss I want to address how I got to be overweight, the mental/emotional reasons, and how I can learn and grow in order to keep it off forever. And you can bet that I'm gonna be following whatever rules my doc gives me... going through surgery is not easy, and I don't want to take any chances!

You know, I think for some of our friends that may not be as supportive, they may feel as though they are losing their security blanket. I have been lucky so far because I have shared with my immediate family and close friends and 98% of them have been overjoyed for me. One friend hasn't known me very long so doesn't quite understand my frustration and struggle with weight, so I forgive her hesitation there. But there is one of my friends who is severly overweight, more so than me, and she is very resistant to it right now. I talked about this with our mutual friends and they mentioned that it was likely because she was afraid that I would get to a healthy weight and she would be left as the only fat friend, without her "security blanket" of me as the other fat friend. With you heading toward your healthy weight, she might be left out there being overweight without any friend to cushion the judgement and frustration she has with her own weight. In any case - it is your own personal choice, and you may have to have that conversation with her (and others) to say thank you for your concern, but I have decided to move forward with this and would appreciate your support. Sometimes just calling them out and laying it on the table makes it all better. Good luck!

Well it's been a little more than two weeks since I had the seed of Lap-Band planted in my head. I have an appointment with my doctor this Thursday to discuss my options, and I am optimistic! I've talked with my friends and family and they all support me. I want to go to a seminar somewhere but I haven't found one that is actually still going so I thought I'd hop online and see what I can find (this site is amazing!). I'm 5'10'', a week away from 28, around 340 lbs (haven't checked in awhile but I've been maintaining), BMI of 48, and ready to make a change. I'm nervous about the procedure to get insurance coverage, and I hope my doctor goes along with my idea. I'm worried about any complications, but the risk is worth it. I'm also a bit freaked out about the saggy-skin issue, but I've heard that I should be able to recover fine. I've done some research and all I can say is that so far - the pros FAR outweigh (no pun intended) the cons. Can't wait to keep updating this site with my progress toward a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body!