Hiiii.

My name is Amanda, and I'm 22 years old. I am in the process of thinking, lol. I think it just "came" to me that I need to lose weight badly. I've been told by my doctors that I need to lose weight, but it really didn't sink in until about now. lol

I made an appointment with my GP for Wednesday. That's reallly all I know to do. I guess I'll talk to her about it. I really have no idea what to do, but I am slowly researching and I figure the GP is the first place I should go first. The insurance process makes me nervous. I have my parents insurance and all my father told me was that the insurance will cover 90% of it after $250. "Of it" is a little confusing since there are things that come with surgery like hospital stays and the such.

I am 5'6" and 330 pounds. I never thought I would get this big. I also thought "one day I'll go on a diet." I guess I'm kind of late. I just hope I can get some support from my family. They are not very supportive, but I hope they realize that I'm a ticking time bomb that seriously needs help and support my decisions.

Anyway, that's me in a nut shell. :biggrin:

Hi Amanda. Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. Before you decide on ANY weightloss surgery, research, research, research!! Doing your homework is essential. We're glad to have you here no matter which direction you decide to go. Good luck!

Hiiii.

My name is Amanda, and I'm 22 years old. I am in the process of thinking, lol. I think it just "came" to me that I need to lose weight badly. I've been told by my doctors that I need to lose weight, but it really didn't sink in until about now. lol

I made an appointment with my GP for Wednesday. That's reallly all I know to do. I guess I'll talk to her about it. I really have no idea what to do, but I am slowly researching and I figure the GP is the first place I should go first. The insurance process makes me nervous. I have my parents insurance and all my father told me was that the insurance will cover 90% of it after $250. "Of it" is a little confusing since there are things that come with surgery like hospital stays and the such.

I am 5'6" and 330 pounds. I never thought I would get this big. I also thought "one day I'll go on a diet." I guess I'm kind of late. I just hope I can get some support from my family. They are not very supportive, but I hope they realize that I'm a ticking time bomb that seriously needs help and support my decisions.

Anyway, that's me in a nut shell.

Hi Amanda! Welcome to the Forum!

I am also 22, 5'6" and 330lbs- what are the odds?!

I have been lurking around on here for a couple months and have found it extremely helpful. I'm in the process of waiting for insurance approval so I'm not too much further along in the process than you. The very first thing I did was talked to my PCP who referred me to a surgeon. The surgeons office then scheduled me for a seminar, and I scheduled a consultation with the surgeon. From there they helped me get scheduled to see a nutritionist and psychologist for the psych eval and the rest is history- just waiting on BCBS now :tongue2:

I have always been a little heavier than average but in the last couple years I've piled on about a hundred pounds. I've always known that I needed to lose wieght and I tried about everything out there. Finally my mom sat me down and told me that she wanted me to feel good about myself and have a long happy life. We looked into LAP-BAND® and it really seemed to click with what I'm looking for. It's not as extreme as gastric bypass but it will definitely give me a leg-up in the weight loss battle.

As far as getting support from your family I would have them read, read, read about the procedure. Show them some pamphlets and success stories and let them know that you are serious about losing weight and that you need their support. Best of luck and keep us updated!

Also realize that this is not an easy out. The lapband is a tool to aid you in your weight loss. It will only work if you work with it.

If you are not ready to change your lifestyle and work with it, you will probably fail in the long run.

Too many people don't bother understanding that until it is too late; they waste all sorts of time waiting for insurance approval; they have the lapband installed and then ask why the weight isn't magically disappearing.

I am not trying to steer you away from the surgery, just advising that you do a lot of research. You'll have plenty of time to do the research while awaiting approval.

Good luck.

* I am not a bandster yet, nor do I play one on TV.

Also realize that this is not an easy out. The LAP-BAND® is a tool to aid you in your weight loss. It will only work if you work with it.

If you are not ready to change your lifestyle and work with it, you will probably fail in the long run.

Too many people don't bother understanding that until it is too late; they waste all sorts of time waiting for insurance approval; they have the LAP-BAND® installed and then ask why the weight isn't magically disappearing.

I am not trying to steer you away from the surgery, just advising that you do a lot of research. You'll have plenty of time to do the research while awaiting approval.

Good luck.

* I am not a bandster yet, nor do I play one on TV.

This is the exact same advice I will give you. The band works great if you use it as directed. The weightloss is slow which is healthiest. You will really need to work at it though and exercise is essential. If you do, you will have great results.