Hello All,

After much prayer, success and failure, I am seriously considering getting the band. I must admit that I am all over the place emotionally though!! Some days I am ready to have done right then and there and other times I am terrified hoping I am making the right decision. My wife is fully on board and continues to encourage me which really helps to calm the raging waters inside my head. I have been reading the threads on the forum and must say that you all are great resources for honest information.:thumbup: I am having trouble with landing on one side or the other though. I am praying I can come to the place where I am sure this is the road I want to take.

I have tried in the past and have lost the weight only to see it come back in less than half the time it took to get it off. I want to be healthier not only for myself, but for my wife and 4 children. They deserve better than what I sometimes give (although they say that I am a great husband and father) simply because I don't have the energy to give more. I know this is not the end-all solution, but from many posts I have read, it definitely helps you control your portion size. Any advice on how to deal with the emotional part of the process is very much appreciated. Also, was anybody else out there uncertain about going through with it and if so what did you do to help with the back and forth roller coaster of emotions? Thanks everyone!

Chris_Houston, TX

Of course it's normal to be scared, it's a HUGE decision, and not one to be entered into lightly!

The lap band is not for everyone... psychologically is a whole other issue (which can be detected before banding), but the band does not work for all. It's a risk you have to take. But I suggest weighing the pros & cons.

For me, I was crippled at 22 and I could try this and if it failed I'd try something else, but if I sat and did nothing, my quality of life was deteriorating rapidly.

3 years out, I'm not completely happy with my band (great weight loss, 2 surgeries to fix broken band--all out of pocket, weight regain, some weight reloss).. but it got me to a happier quality of life even though I'm not where I "hoped" to be.