Winona

I have a health savings account (HSA) and have almost saved enough in it to pay most of the cost. Otherwise, we are dipping into savings. I think we are lucky because we don't have to wait and jump through some of the hoops the insurance folks do.

This site is great! I am getting a lot of help just cruisin' around in here. Thanks especially to restlessMonkey who responded to my first little anxious note! I too was asking for encouragement-- and I too think I just need a little more research time, go back to the introduction seminar again, I am going to the Banding support group next week, etc. I ordered "the books" from Amazon and await their arrival. Meanwhile I have this site to help out. Really wonderful. Today I feel I am 93% on board with doing it - and now it is a matter of finances. I don't have that kind of insurance and will be a cash pay patient. The upside of that is that I can have surgery as soon as my testing is complete - about a month, they say. A PS. I seem a little lost as to how/where to post anything - is there a simplified "how-to" anywhere? Sometimes I want to respond or post somewhere and can't figure out how to do it. This, for an example, is as much a "test" as a true response. Thanks again all you banders for sharing and caring-especially us newbies!!

Hi All- I am just now considering lapband surgery. I was on HMR program about a year ago - Protein drinks for four straight months (and it actually got easy after about a week - not dealing with food AT ALL was kind of a relief) so I wonder how this will be. Once I went back to "food", and stopped exercising 3 hours a day 5 days a week (weekend I only did 2 hour work-outs) I have put on almost all of the 100+ pounds I lost on HMR and really need to do something. I am going to an lapband orientation meeting again to ask more questions and will be cruising around this site to learn more. I am most afraid of the social aspect of it... have to eat out in my line of work a lot. When I did HMR I just never ate out - stopped cooking for my husband and just removed myself from the food world. The surgeons assistant (who is banded) told me that she just can't ever eat bread again - and the other woman in the office can't eat meats at all. Yipes. Feels a little "final" for me - but so is dying early due to obesity. Also - does anyone else feel shameful that you have to go to this to deal with extra weight? Some friends just don't quite get it and think I should just "diet" that weight back off again and that I am going the "easy" route-- or the "too extreme" route. Sigh. I can see why some people don't tell that many people. Welcome all your thoughts and support! Winona 5'5 and 258lbs