swbgal

Best of luck to you Debbie! It is normal to be a bit scared right now, this is a big life change but keep your eye on the big payoff at the end! Although your dream of waking up and your family not recognizing you may be a bit out there just know that down the road a bit it is very possible that people will not recognize you because of the changes the surgery will help you achieve! You are on your way to becoming a whole new you!! Think of it as "Debbie ~ The New & Improved Version! Not long ago I went to a wedding shower with my daughter for her best friend since childhood, I sat talking with the bride's mother for 10 minutes and then later she said to my daughter "Who Is That?" That was the moment I knew the surgery was a success!!

Hi There, I'm Virginia, although my original lap band surgery was Jan. 17, 2007 and have had incredible success with the band unfortunately I am one of the rarities that suffered a band slip so last week they had to go in and remove the old band and replace it with a new one. I am currently on the mend and hoping to continue on my road to my goal weight with the new band in place. At my highest weight before finding the Newstart program at St. Alexius and meeting Dr. Norbert Richardson I was an astounding 353 lbs and on my way to becoming a diabetic and possibly worse! I was diagnosed with sleep Apnea (which is what killed my mother) and in need of a knee surgery for which my doctors were telling me I needed to lose weight in order for the knee to heal properly. I did a lot of research before making the decision to have the surgery but have not had one moment since where I have had a shred of regret or second guessed my choice to do this! I have no doubt that had I continued on the path I was on I would have faced many of the same ailments that plagued my parents, grandparents, etc. such as heart disease, diabetes, breathing problems, and early death and those were things I was just not willing to accept! As a mother and grandmother I have far too much to live for! It has been a little less than 2 yrs since my surgery and I am now down from a sz 28/30 to a sz 16, and at 204 lbs now actually can see myself reaching my goal weight! A few years ago I was feeling hopeless and doubted that I could ever feel Normal again and now Thanks to Dr. Richardson and the Newstart program I feel like a new woman! This year for the first time in more years than I can remember I was able to ride amusement park rides with my grandchildren, I have gone camping, rode four wheelers, went swimming and actually enjoyed my life for the first time in a very long time! I can tell you that the Lap Band changed my life for the better and I am so happy that I made the choice to do this not only for myself but for my family as well! :smile2: