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I am not sure if anyone goes on Obesityhelp.com but I posted something there and I thought I would share it with my Texas family(lapbandtalk.com). It is quite long so grab a 32oz. bottle of Water, get comfortable and start reading. I believe alot of people will relate to this testimony of mine but for my mind I had to write this. food ADDICTION JODI’S LIFE STORY (MY BATTLE WITH FOOD) THIS IS WRITTEN FOR MY MAINTENANCE I am 41 years of age and I can’t believe I finally figured out the meaning, and the importance of food. Growing up in my home, food was plentiful. During my time as a child, it was so important to eat everything on your plate because of all the starving children of the third world countries. We didn’t know how fortunate we were and how unfortunate other children were because we didn’t understand the differences. I must say though that my addiction has never been and never will be my mother’s doing. She didn’t stuff the food in my mouth. In fact, she was a very healthy cook. She always made sure we had the five food groups like we are supposed to. I ate everything under the sun behind her back. I wasn’t going to allow anyone to disrupt my favorite (unhealthy) foods. For a while though I thought it was a lot of her fault and at this time I want to apologize to her for even having those thoughts. To give you a little background on this, I remember in second grade my mother noticed I was having a weight problem. She brought me to a doctor who put me, I believe, on a diet. The only thing I can truly remember is diet sodas and skim milk. Candy was allowed during Halloween in which we broke the bank in our neighborhood. They gave out big bars, not the bite size or fun size like they do now. With that said we were allowed one piece a day. Of course I didn’t listen. I had the candy underneath my bed and enjoyed every morsel. Our Easter basket hunt my mother had panties, socks, trinkets, fruit and jelly Beans. Till this day I HATE JELLY BEANS. I can say at that time I hated her for this. It was so unfair. As of today, I was so unfair to think that of her. I love her with all my heart and can’t thank her enough for everything that she has done for me and all the care, love and understanding she has given me all of my life. Even during this time when I am struggling with my food addiction she is supporting me 100% and has always been worried about me only for health reasons. She loves me unconditionally for who I am and is not disgusted by the way I had looked. My mother has always been my rock. My husband is an unbelievable man. What he has put up with in his lifetime with me, I believe any man would have left their wife. There are many other reasons besides my weight problem but this is what I need to write about. I thank God on my knees for bringing him in my life. He is caring, loving, understanding, most of the time, and no one has more patience than him. I love him so much too and unfortunately I don’t tell him enough. I will be letting him read this and I want him to understand from this letter that I was never much for I love you, hugs and kisses. I want him to ask my family what a cold person I used to be. They know. I hated myself so much and I was so stand offish. I was just a hateful child even as an adult because of my weight issues. I realize now it was because I hated myself. I was very unhappy with myself. The more I hated, the more I ate. Who me? I eat fruits and vegetables, right? I was only getting bigger and bigger. Who in the hell was I kidding………………………………… I was just killing myself inside. Probably in my lifetime I have lost close to 1000 pounds. Up and down, up and down. I have tried Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Adkins Diet, Cabbage Soup diet, starvation diet, that was one salad a day and fried chicken on Fridays only and if I couldn’t stand the hunger I used to eat some popcorn. I even took 8 Exlax chocolates a day to get rid of my food. At that time I was losing my hair so I went to GNC to ask why I could be losing my hair. There was a doctor there and he put one finger on my upper chest area and he said, you are taking Exlax and you better get off it. I didn’t say a word to him and I turned around and left. I did stop taking them. I was fine medically for the moment but then once I got to 254 pounds I started noticing my knees hurting. I walk my dog daily and every time I went up a few steps my knees were hurting. I just dealt with it because on the outside I was just accepting myself for being obese because I truly believed there was no hope for me. I have been through the ringer with dieting, losing and gaining. I was in a lot of pain mentally though with myself. I am a pro at fake smiles. I soon was turning 41 years old, at this time my knees were burning going up those stairs to walk my dog and I thought, what am I doing to myself, I have to stop allowing this food to run my life. It is slowly killing me, I thought. I finally said to myself I have to do something about this but then I was afraid. I didn’t know what to do. One day at work, God must have spoke to my friend Jalinda because she came one day to me and told me about a weight loss procedure she knew about. It is called Lap Band. It is a Laparoscopic Banding procedure and it is a minimally invasive procedure. I thought that was perfect for me. I went to a seminar one Saturday to learn about it and that is when my new life began. I went to see Dr. Snow with the appt. that I had made from the seminar. It was two weeks after the seminar and I was over anxious to get the preliminaries over with. I wasn’t even sure if the insurance would cover this much less approve me. I was severely obese according to my BMI reading. I believe I was approved by my insurance 3 weeks later. My surgery was scheduled for November 10, 2005. Five days prior to the surgery I had to go on a liquid diet. I told my crew at work that if I am crabby, I am sorry for that. What a starvation diet this was going to be. It wasn’t bad at all probably because I was still able to drink my coffee. During that time I lost 12 pounds and that was a hell of a jump start for me to keep me motivated, even though that was just water weight I’m sure. On the day of surgery I remember Dr. Snow coming to see me before he performed the procedure. He said, with percentages possibly being wrong, it is 20% the band and 80% you’re doing. I truly took that to heart. I believe at that moment I was hooked on changing my lifestyle. I am not going to live to eat anymore. I am going to eat to live. I am on the road to becoming healthy and enjoying it too. Today is my 7 month band anniversary and I have lost a total of 103 pounds. I have 3 more pounds to go to get to my goal weight and I am excited to get there. My struggles now are not losing the weight. I have proven that to myself. I am now terrified to be able to keep it off. Maintenance has always been an issue with me. Once I get to my goal weight I have to figure out how to stop losing weight. Then I have to figure out how the scale is going to stay at 145 lbs. People have said to me that there is no way you would ever be able to gain that weight back. They don’t know about my history though so there isn’t much baring on what they said. I am a food addict. To be more specific, I am a fast food junkie. Till this day it still bothers me to smell deep fried food cooking. I used to say if I could just lick a French fry it would satisfy me but I know that I am just fooling myself. I would have grabbed the bag of fries, run into the bathroom and eat them. I am a very good closet eater and I was a pro at eating in my car. I will never do that again unless I have no choice but my food choice will be extremely different. I don’t crave that food at all but smelling it is a different story. I know that I am able to see Dr. Snow if I start falling off the band wagon. He would be able to give me an adjustment to help with restriction but I haven’t needed that so far and I would like to say that I have conquered my food addiction some day and I never would have to be restricted; if the need arises though I will run to his office to get help. Food can be very addictive. For some, it is a drug. We need to understand what food is for. We need to fuel our system to survive. It is not to be taken advantage of. I don’t understand what happened in this country and the food intake. It isn’t the amount that you put in your system that makes it better; it is the taste of the food that satisfies you. We need to listen to our stomachs that is telling us, “Hey you are stuffing me” and you have had enough. STOP EATING when your stomach is satisfied. Be thankful for what we have. There are so many starving people in our country as well as in other countries. If you are plentiful, give to the ones who really need to eat it. The restaurants put enough food on our plates to feed two people. We need to be realistic about our food intake. Take your time eating your meal and realize how lucky you are to be able to eat. I am in dire need for a lot of support now. I made a lifestyle change and I still do not trust myself. I am hoping I can make it this time. The struggle is all in my mind and not in my stomach. I still see myself as obese. Not in the sense of looking at myself but my mind. I will go to support group meetings just like an alcoholic would to AA. They are considered, I believe, an alcoholic the rest of their life and I consider myself a food addict all my life. Hopefully I am on the road to recovery but it will be a life long struggle for me. To my husband, all of my family members, Jalinda, and Dr. Robert Snow I want to Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support you have given me thus far. My journey is not finished yet though. It has only just begun…………………… With Loving Thoughts Josephine (Jodi) Darugar June 10, 2006

Hello all, I'm very happy to have found this great site and to have joined. I am a 44 yr old female from New England and my BMI is 42. I have gone through the entire Bariatric program, locally. I am now scheduled to meet with the surgeon next week and will be about 6 weeks scheduled out at that point. My problem is that I have not yet made a decision about which procedure I want to have done. Lap Band vs. Gastric bypass. I do not really want the GB b/c of all the potential complications that can arrise and the nutritional issues as well. And so for a long time I had chosen LB. Then I came across some YouTube "failed lap band" videos and started getting nervous that maybe I wouldnt be successful with that either. I read about and watched videos about people saying they lost very little weight, couldnt even keep Water down, had to carry bags with them for vomitting, and the biggest thing was that they couldnt eat "good" food. Only junk would stay down. Then there was the twisted ports and slippage too. Most of these people had their bands removed and opted for GB after all. I guess I just dont want to blow my one and only chance of getting help. I want to make the right decision while I have insurance and can get it covered. Does anyone have any info on those issues that they would share with me? And also advice on "how" to make the decision, understanding it is a totally personal choice. Sincerely, Poodles

A short history of my banding: Was banded in May of 2005. Had maybe 6 or 7 fills until I hit my sweet spot. The fill that took me from feeling pretty loose to just perfect was 0.25 cc. This was the first time I could feel my food sticking in my pouch. Life was so much easier and I was happy. This was in November. Just before Christmas, I got the flu and then a cold, back to back. With the flu, I had a fever that caused me to swell so that I could only get hot liquids down. I stuck it out though, and the trouble subsided. I was fine for a few weeks. Since then, every couple of weeks, my restriction changes for one reason or another. PMS bloating, stress, etc. I'll go from being pretty loose and open (food doesn't stick in pouch) to being too tight. I've had a couple of tiny unfills and then 1 cc taken out in April to let my stomach rest for a couple months. In the beginning of June, I started with tiny fills again. Just as I was going to schedule another fill to reach my sweet spot, I get the flu again and am tight for a couple days until my fever subsides. Since then (it's been about two weeks), I'm back to being loose, but I'm having reflux at night. Food goes down fine though. Do I just have a sensitive stomach?? Or is crazy restriction like this a sign of possible slippage. I'm going to speak with my surgeon tomorrow to figure all of this out, but I'm pretty scared right now that I possibly slipped at Christmas and have been living with it since then. I just thought the band was a "fickle b*tch" and this was something that I had to live with--at least that's the advice I was given. Now I feel like I should have been more aggressive in getting this looked at. :cry Any ideas? TickledPink -100 lb

Banded and home in the same day? While not as invasive as a RNY Bypass, you should have still remained in the hopsital overnight so that they could evaluate you by flouoscopy 24 hrs later. If you don't mind me asking, who is your doctor and where did you have the surgery performed?

Thank you for the responses. I thought I'd stop in and give you an update. Her doctor did drain the area (he got 9 or tem huge syringes full of yellow fluid out). There was another area that was not liquified, he is planning on trying again next week. She did seem to brighten up after and was moving around a lot better after that. Mom slept in her bed for the first time a few days later, and the pressure of laying on her side made the area start leaking- ALL OVER THE PLACE! It was really disgusting and she, we both, freaked out. We called the doctor and went back in to see him the next day. He's concerned. He said if it doesn't stop leaking and look much better next week, he'll need to remove the port. He'd leave the band and tubing in- remove the port for a few months then reinsert it. The thought of more surgery scares me, but mom says shes in... She's invested this much this far... I like mom's surgeon very much. He's thoughtful and checks in on her often by phone. He's was the only surgeon willing to take on mom. She 60 years old and a revision from the intestinal bypass days of the 70's. We knew she was high risk, and she is having the complications that come along with that. I'm not however impressed with the facility he practices at. She had surgery the day of that awful storm here in St. Louis, the hospital's electricity went out for 10 hours AND the generator failed for about 15 minutes. Rain poured in around the window in her room, we had to move in the dark. It was bedlam, and our nurse did not handle it well. Very stressful. The thought of another stay there is an unpleasant one. I hesitate to name mom's surgeon, mom and I both feel he's very competent. I would hate for anyone to associate her condition with his skills in the OR or otherwise. This forum, I'm sure, is frequented by his patients and colleagues. Thanks again for your replies. Rebekah

I went to the Doctors in November, it was technically for a sick visit because of my cronic headaches but we discussed my weight as being one of the problems and they weighed me at 250. They also set me an appointment with a Nutrionist that very day. At the time I did not have a PCP and just saw another General Internal Medicine Doctor. I have a physical appointment with my new PCP on 12/31 and at that time plan to tell her of my lap band plan. I know I am going to have to do a 6 month PCP diet and weigh in, but my question is...do you think that my appointment in November and my one in December will count as 2 months or do you think my one in December will be counted as number one? Or perhaps neither will count? I am just so eagar to get the ball rolling and am really hoping that at least one of these visits will count? What do you think? Oh and please tell me about your experience if you had to go through a 6 month PCP diet. THANK YOU!

Can a person become easliy dehydrated because they are restricted from drinking alot of Fluid at once? Two part answer. Part 1: I can still chug. Only once has drinking liquid ever bothered me, and it was when I was stuck - stupid me thought a drink might help. Part 2: "Drinking a lot at once" isn't really a good solution to avoiding dehydration, banded or not. Constatn hydration is a better way to go. If you go through with the surgery, your dietician or surgeon SHOULD at some point advise that you always keep a bottle of Water handy. Keep in in the car, carry one with you, etc. so that if needed you can constantly sip. The second question I have is about throwing up. I understand that throwing up can cause band slippage. But what happens when a person has the flu or gets food poisoning? There may be times when a person will throw up alot. How much can the lap band handle? There is no set amount it can handle, like vomitting twice is OK, but if you vomit 3 times your band will slip. I rarely vomit (2x in the last 20 years). Regardless, I still asked my PCP for something to help, because I know it could lead to problems, so she phones me in a Rx for a liquid anti-nausea medicine. I consider it a good prevenative to have on hand. I have read on alot of sites about how the lap band is a great tool to lose weight. I also have read that people have them removed. In general, is the lap band a temporary solution? In general it is a permanent solution. Is it meant to help you lose most of your excess weight and then removed? No. How long do people usually keep the band in? Another question that's hard to quanitfy. I know two women who have had theirs for about 6 years and counting. Most studies beyond 2001 occurred outside of the US, and since *most* of the people here live in the US, we can't help much other than to suggest you look up some medical research or contact band manufactuers to get your info. And finally, because I am 25, I expect to be very active once I lose my weight. With gastric bypass, hernias are a problem and people are not supposed to lift heavy things. Are there physical restrictions to people with the lap band? Not that I know of. Can I do sit-ups and ab-crunches without disrupting the band? Should not be a problem. The band is secured around your organ. If your organ isn't disrupted, then your band shouldn't be.

Hi Mindy. I understand your desire to get the band ASAP. As soon as I made my decision I couldn't get it fast enough. Now I know you have chosen your surgeon, but here is an idea, and please forgive me if you have already thought of this. Have you considered going to Mexico? As you probably have read, there are quite a few surgeons that are highly regarded. Some of them offer partial financing, I think maybe without cosigners. It's usually 60% of the procedure that they want up front. That's still a chunk of money to come up with but with their lower prices you may be able to do that sooner than saving for the whole deal in the US. I also agree with Susan's post about some people confusing banding with bypass. Good luck with all this. I think sometimes our obstacles can be ways for something better to come along. You know, the door closes and a window opens kind of thing? I hope so in your case.

Hi everyone! I am new to this forum and have a few questions. I am a 25 year old female and I weigh just over 300lbs. I have tried many diets including Atkins and Weight Watchers. Like many others here, I have been overweight my entire life. It seems that one of the biggest regrets of others is not having this surgery sooner. I am wasting the best years of my life right now by being overweight. I am seriously considering the lap band. I have a few questions that hopefully someone will answer. First, I am worried about the amount of fluids a person can drink. When I excersise, I tend to drink ALOT of Water. Can a person become easliy dehydrated because they are restricted from drinking alot of Fluid at once? The second question I have is about throwing up. I understand that throwing up can cause band slippage. But what happens when a person has the flu or gets food poisoning? There may be times when a person will throw up alot. How much can the lap band handle? I have read on alot of sites about how the lap band is a great tool to lose weight. I also have read that people have them removed. In general, is the lap band a temporary solution? Is it meant to help you lose most of your excess weight and then removed? How long do people usually keep the band in? And finally, because I am 25, I expect to be very active once I lose my weight. With gastric bypass, hernias are a problem and people are not supposed to lift heavy things. Are there physical restrictions to people with the lap band? Can I do sit-ups and ab-crunches without disrupting the band? I really appreciate the time people will spend responding to me. This board has already been really informative. I am on the verge of taking the step towards surgery. I am so glad to know that if I do, there are many friends out there that have already been down that path. Trisha

Hi newbie! Congratulations on considering the lap band as a way to support your weight loss dreams. Your questions about exercise and hydration, as well as situps and crunches can best be answered if you post them in the Exercise Forum or the General or Support Forums. Not many people look at this forum on a regular basis. My band has only been in since Aug.28 and I am learning as I go. As far as vomiting goes, I have gathered that a large part of the potential risk in vomiting comes in the post operative period before the area is healed and the band is fully seated. In fact, my doctor had me wear an anti-nausea patch to minimize throwing up immediately post surgery. They last for three days and I borrowed another one from my husband for an additional three days when I discovered that the smell of food cooking made me terribly nauseous. Never did throw up though! Others have mentioned having the flu after the post op period and experiencing no difficulties. Do not consider the lap band a temporary solution. It is meant to be left in without removal even after goal weight is achieved. Most of us would probably gain all the weight plus more back if our stomachs returned to full size. The only time removal is considered is when there is a serious complication and removal is the choice of last resort. The magic of the band is its adjustablity -- it can be set to maximize your weight loss when you are in that stage and adjusted as needed. If you have a serious illness or pregnancy, the fill can be removed to allow more normal eating. I've provided a link to a helpful web site with great information about the lap band which should answer some questions for you. I would also recommend attending an information seminar about the lap band surgery. Attending does not obligate you to the surgery or to that surgeon. During my seminar the doctor went out of his way to give the pros and cons of both lap band and gastric bypass so that we could make the most informed choice possible. I really appreciated the validation of my reasons for choosing lap band, and I equally appreciated being very sure why I did not feel that the gastric bypass was an option for me. So take the time you need to feel good about this big decision, but also don't dither endlessly or you really will be one of those people who regrets not having done it sooner! :- ) http://www.lapbandsolutions.com/94829E_LB_Patient_Book.pdf Take care of yourself and keep posting. We are all in this together.

I was able to attend one of my surgeons bariatric presentations to the physicians at me healthcare system, because I work closely with them for diabetes and he did say that has has put a band over bypass when the opening from the pouch to the intestines has stretched to provide restriction. I would talk to your surgeon. I know it has been done, but I don't know the details. Good luck.

I have a consultation with Dr. Geiss on 7/16 and am very excited/nervous. I've been lurking about on this board for weeks now, and it has been VERY helpful. I have an appointment with my PCP on Monday, and I know he'll be supportive and write any kind of letter I might need. I just turned 29 on 7/8, my BMI is 35.4, but I have severe degenerative disc disease, arthritis of my spine, bursitis in both hips, an ulcerative erosion in my stomach, and a strong family history of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure - my mother actually had a gastric bypass. I wanted to see if anyone out there has Oxford Liberty and has used Dr. Geiss so I can get a better idea of what I'm in for. The more research I do into the lapband, the more I know I will benefit from it. Thanks for any help/advice!

Hello! I'm having my Gastric Bypass Surgery on 7/6/2016. I'm crazy nervous Sent from my XT1080 using the BariatricPal App

Hello! My doctor has a weekly support group that is conducted at a few different locations in Northern Illinois. I got confirmation today that it is open for any bariatric patients, not just his patients. So - if any of you are interested in joining any of the meeting - come on down! Tonight will be the first meeting I will be attending. The address of the locations are at the bottom of the schedule. NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY HEALTHSYSTEM Bariatric Surgery Support Group 7–9 pm – Patient facilitated and/or discussion guided by specialist October 2008 Oct 6 Vernon Hills Colleen Diamond, Physical Therapy Student Oct 16 Glenview Colleen Diamond Oct 22 Glenview Robin Ross, Ph.D. Lap Band Group Oct 27 Highland Park Colleen Diamond November 2008 Nov 3 Vernon Hills Group Run Nov 19 Highland Park Woody Denham, M.D. Lap Band Group Nov 20 Glenview Dr. Karol Gutowski, Plastic Surgeon Nov 24 Highland Park Dr. Karol Gutowski, Plastic Surgeon December 2008 Dec 1 Vernon Hills Group Run Dec 18 Glenview Dec 22 Highland Park LOCATIONS Vernon Hills 225 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Vernon Hills (Near Kohl’s and Sam’s) Glenview 2100 Pfingsten Road, Glenview, Conference Room A on 2nd floor Highland Park 777 Park Avenue West, Highland Park, Meeting Room 1B Evanston 2650 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, Meeting Room G954 Contact Information Dr. Woody Denham – Bariatric Program Director (847) 570-4120 (office)

Ugh! So frustrating! So sorry that happened! Your doctor was just looking out for you but I cant even imagine the disappointment. Glad you have a hepatologist. Definitely a good place to start. I think 2nd opinion from another surgeon might be a good idea. And I don't want to derail you but I just wanted to pass on what little I know on the subject... My aunt had fatty liver / Cirrhosis and she proceeded with bypass (back in 2010). Her doctors advised her liver was pretty far gone at this point, so they did the bypass as a last ditch effort to get the weight off. (This is really before sleeve was widely practiced.) She was a diabetic and while she did lose weight, she didn't really follow any of the food instructions and she stayed sick. Knowing what I know now, I think she was dumping constantly. I am very sorry to say that she passed away 3 1/2 years after surgery, but I really don't think the bypass had that much to do with it. It was more that she didn't change her lifestyle so her diabetes got worse which upped her insulin and therefore made her liver worse, etc. Fast forward to this year and my mom has been very worried she would have liver issues (also diabetic) and she has asked several drs but they never did anything. Finally got a new dr and they did an ultrasound and sent her to a hepatologist who told her she had Cirrhosis. She was telling dr about her sister (my aunt) and the dr said that they used to think bypass would have a positive result on cirrhosis but now they have found that it can actually make it worse and strongly advising her not to pursue weight loss surgery. Seriously not trying to discourage you at all. Just wanted to advise what I knew since it was recent. I think seeing someone at Johns Hopkins who seems to be at the top of their game for research is a great idea. Plus if your hepatologist didn't seem that concerned about it, then maybe my mom's dr was just more conservative. Hopefully you can do some more research and others from here with similar will give some advice. Keep us updated!

Checkout Bariatric Eating - Protein, Vitamins, Gastric Bypass & Lap Band Info, Post-op recipes, and Help. There's lots of info on there . . . I've not ordered any of the products - but always like more information! Chris

Ok my insurance approved me and it covers all but 150/day copayment but now I am getting nervous about the risks. I am 5'7" and weigh 243, BMI over 40. I just started having high blood pressure (which i think is also from stress ) but other than that I am in good health. Obesity runs in my family. My maternal grandmother died early partly because of it my uncle was 600+ lbs and had gastric bypass and died two weeks later from a blood clot. My mother had gastric bypass 6 years ago and lost weight and is doing well. So long story short I wanted to do this surgery now before I get all those medical problems that come along with weight problems but now I'm wondering if I'm being naive and deep down I'm really only doing it because I'm tired of looking fat and feeling down about myself. I have two boys (11&9) and their dad is not involved so they absolutely need me to be here for them. I am torn!!!!

I agree with the addiction transference theory(ies). A friend of mine that had bypass transferred to shopping. However, I don't think it's only bypass-related. I'm sure that's why we also go through the psych eval - to make sure that we don't have a past with drug or alcohol abuse so we don't transfer to former bad addictions!

I'm in france and they only require two week liquid diet for the band. For the sleeve and bypass their prefer just a low fat diet. It's all about cleansing the liver of fat to shrink it. I'm no expert at all but as long as it's not fried chicken on the salad, I would think it ok? I could be completely wrong mind you... Sent from my SM-G920F using the BariatricPal App

I got mine 2 weeks early on the day after surgery and then got it several times over the next couple of months. Cysts and fibroids roared their ugly heads so I wound up getting a hysterectomy a few months after my bypass. Not caused by the bypass but I was feeling so happy otherwise that I didnt want to spend a couple years dealing with lady troubles. And I was done with kid having and probably not too far off from menopause anyway.

Hi everyone. This is my first post here and i just have a question. Well first of all i am scheduled for gastric bypass surgery on 10/28/15. I havent received my approval yet, my packet was sent to them today. I have staywell medicaid of florida. I was told by the coordinator on the phone at my surgeons office that they are in the middle of "negotiations" with staywell and she might have a hard time getting my approval. Has anyone gone through this or heard anything about this? I have been anxiously awaiting my surgery date for almost a year and it would be my luck that this happens now!

I got my surgery date today! I will be sleeved on November 13th. So excited, can't wait to start my journey....

It's natural to be afraid that this won't work. After all, if anything else had ever worked for us before, we wouldn't have had to have surgery. I would recommend you do NOT tell many people before you are banded. Choose some support people to share with, but otherwise don't put that pressure on yourself of everyone asking you all the time. When most people hear about WLS they assume you will start losing right away, like with gastric bypass. The band is different; many people don't lose weight at all for a few months after surgery, and that gets tough when they've told a lot of people and they are asking them all the time. If you are worried about how to face people who expect you to lose a lot of weight right away, do yourself a favor and limit the people who know to the ones who are closest to you. Once you are obviously losing weight, you can tell people who ask if you want to. But it's up to you, it's your body and it's no one else's business. There are people for whom the lap band doesn't "work". Most often it seems to be people who aren't getting good education from their doctors' offices and/or aren't following the rules. Not always, of course. The biggest confusion seems to be about restriction--a lot of people feel they should get lots of fills until they can only eat a few bites of food. The band isn't supposed to work that way. If you work closely with a GOOD doctor (and his/her team) who is good at educating you about what to expect and what to do, you should be successful. Of course there are no guarantees. Just remember that this process can be slow, but that's part of why a lot of people choose it. Healthier weight loss is slower (1-2 lb/week average) rather than losing 40 lbs a month like with some of the other procedures. Don't put pressure on yourself to be anything more than "average". Good luck to you.

Congrats on the 5K!!! I remember the feeling that I had when i ran the entire time of mine as well. You will not forget it! My next goal is to run a full half marathon without walking. I did a half marathon in March with a pretty good time of 2 hours and 40 minutes but I did it on a 5/1 schedule. I am signed up for another one in November and hope to run the whole thing!!!