I am really glad that I found this website. It has helped me so much to face the real issues with my potential surgery. I have been researching for 2 years and I am getting banded in October. I have to say that last night my reading sent me into a panic. Here are some things that I know I can live with even if it will be hard:

1. loose skin--how much worse is that that fat, stretched out skin?

2. my abusive relationship with food. it has been a long road but the things that I have to give up are not really good for me anyway. I have done a lot of planning for this part. I am as ready as I can be for this.

3. More wrinkles, I assume some are hiding under here;-).

4. The pain of surgery and recovery.

Here are some things that I don't know if I can deal with:

1. hair loss- I have already lost so much hair from Metformin (anti-diabetic drug). I know this sounds vain but I just cannot go bald here!

2. The gas!!! I am extremely conservative about this issue. I cannot be walking around passing gas all the time for the rest of my life or even the next year. I just starting going back to school and I am horrified enough being the fat, old girl in class with a bunch of 20 year olds! I cannot be the fat, old girl who passes gas in class!!! I just cannot.

3. The obsession that seems to come with surgery. I don't want to weigh myself everyday and worry that I am able to eat and not losing enough weight. I just don't want this to define me. I realize it will from now until a while after surgery but I just don't want to obsess about it all the time.

I know this can be different for everyone but I am seriously considering cancelling the surgery because why don't I just eat less and exercise to lose weight. Yeah, I know, I have been doing that for 10 years without success and I have 3 small children who need a healthy, active mommy that will be around as long as she can be. I am just FREAKING OUT!!

CAN SOMEONE TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE??? I have a support system but not one that understands fully what I am going through.

Thanks!

Jaime

I am really glad that I found this website. It has helped me so much to face the real issues with my potential surgery. I have been researching for 2 years and I am getting banded in October. I have to say that last night my reading sent me into a panic. Here are some things that I know I can live with even if it will be hard:

1. loose skin--how much worse is that that fat, stretched out skin?

2. my abusive relationship with food. it has been a long road but the things that I have to give up are not really good for me anyway. I have done a lot of planning for this part. I am as ready as I can be for this.

3. More wrinkles, I assume some are hiding under here;-).

4. The pain of surgery and recovery.

Here are some things that I don't know if I can deal with:

1. hair loss- I have already lost so much hair from Metformin (anti-diabetic drug). I know this sounds vain but I just cannot go bald here!

2. The gas!!! I am extremely conservative about this issue. I cannot be walking around passing gas all the time for the rest of my life or even the next year. I just starting going back to school and I am horrified enough being the fat, old girl in class with a bunch of 20 year olds! I cannot be the fat, old girl who passes gas in class!!! I just cannot.

3. The obsession that seems to come with surgery. I don't want to weigh myself everyday and worry that I am able to eat and not losing enough weight. I just don't want this to define me. I realize it will from now until a while after surgery but I just don't want to obsess about it all the time.

I know this can be different for everyone but I am seriously considering cancelling the surgery because why don't I just eat less and exercise to lose weight. Yeah, I know, I have been doing that for 10 years without success and I have 3 small children who need a healthy, active mommy that will be around as long as she can be. I am just FREAKING OUT!!

CAN SOMEONE TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE??? I have a support system but not one that understands fully what I am going through.

Thanks!

Jaime

Here goes my attempt Jaime. I am 38, two kids, have been obese for 18 years or so. I thought if I was just committed enough, dieted and worked out, I would lose weight and the fact that I could not lose weight just meant I wasnt good enough at doing those things. Then my doctor diagnosed me as being depressed - and trust me, I was surprised at the diagnosis. She put me on a very low dose of prozac. Within 6 weeks, I had enough clarity about my life to realize that I hated myself the way I was. So I went to see Dr. George Fielding at NYU give a seminar. My life changed that day because he told me (and the other 300 people) that it wasn't that I was not good enough, it was that it was almost 99% physiologically IMPOSSIBLe for me to take the weight off - and actually KEEP it off. Seriously, it was like a light turned on for me. Since then, I have proceeded without a DOUBT or a pause toward my future and my own happiness.

I have not been banded that long but I will tell you that I haven't lost a hair on my head (and with preop I am at about 5 weeks of liquid and mush diet). I take my Vitamins and I eat my Protein.

I don't have any abnormal gas (now that the surgery gas has subsided). IN fact, I am very normal right now digestively speaking. I feel pretty good.

I am not obsessed with the surgery. Somewhere on here I saw a quote that says that surgery is not an event, but a step in the process. I am very focused on my diet right now, making sure I am doing it right - and very focused on my emotional health and happiness - BUT we deserve this!! It is not obsessing as much as it is caring and focusing.

The day of my surgery, lying on the tables while everyone worked to get me prepped and hooked up, the anethesiologist asked me if I had taken something that morning like a xanax - and I was like, what?? no? why? And he said he had never seen someone so calm, with such a low pulse rate at that point. I was very calm - and had not a single doubt about my decision.

Instead of reading pre-op, try reading some of the post op stuff. Or post a question or concern to the people who have been banded for more than a year, and you will see a tremendously normal, well adjusted majority.

You will make the best decision for yourself and your family! Good luck!

I am really glad that I found this website. It has helped me so much to face the real issues with my potential surgery. I have been researching for 2 years and I am getting banded in October. I have to say that last night my reading sent me into a panic. Here are some things that I know I can live with even if it will be hard:

1. loose skin--how much worse is that that fat, stretched out skin?

2. my abusive relationship with food. it has been a long road but the things that I have to give up are not really good for me anyway. I have done a lot of planning for this part. I am as ready as I can be for this.

3. More wrinkles, I assume some are hiding under here;-).

4. The pain of surgery and recovery.

Here are some things that I don't know if I can deal with:

1. hair loss- I have already lost so much hair from Metformin (anti-diabetic drug). I know this sounds vain but I just cannot go bald here!

2. The gas!!! I am extremely conservative about this issue. I cannot be walking around passing gas all the time for the rest of my life or even the next year. I just starting going back to school and I am horrified enough being the fat, old girl in class with a bunch of 20 year olds! I cannot be the fat, old girl who passes gas in class!!! I just cannot.

3. The obsession that seems to come with surgery. I don't want to weigh myself everyday and worry that I am able to eat and not losing enough weight. I just don't want this to define me. I realize it will from now until a while after surgery but I just don't want to obsess about it all the time.

I know this can be different for everyone but I am seriously considering cancelling the surgery because why don't I just eat less and exercise to lose weight. Yeah, I know, I have been doing that for 10 years without success and I have 3 small children who need a healthy, active mommy that will be around as long as she can be. I am just FREAKING OUT!!

CAN SOMEONE TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE??? I have a support system but not one that understands fully what I am going through.

Thanks!

Jaime

Hi there Jaime. My name is Dawn. Let me say the first thing that you have to do, is take a deep breath. What you are feeling is normal. EVERYONE goes through this before the surgery.

The things that you read don't necessarily happen to everyone. There are those of us that haven't had any complications, nor any of the problems that you have described. I unfortunately can not promise you that they won't happen to you, but I can tell you that it didn't happen to me. I did not lose my hair, and I did not have the major gas problem. I have heard Zinc tablets or Vitamin B12 work for the hairloss. And as for the gas, if you take Gas-X strips they work wonders also.

The food obsession unfotunately follows you after the banding. That's a bad habit that many of us learn to deal with over time. It DOES get alot easier after you are banded because you simply can not put that much food into your mouth. Over time your taste buds change too. The junk foods that I obsessed on before, I no longer have that craving for. Don't get me wrong, I do crave certain things every so often. And I give into those cravings. Such as ice cream. BUT it's ok to give in once and awhile. And I can not sit down and eat an entire 1/2 gallon of ice cream like I used to. I am luck if I can finish a small bowl now.

The lapband is a lifestyle change. It is not a cure all miracle strap. Bad habits will follow you throughout your journey but you do learn how to deal with them. The lapband is a tool that will help you to lose the weight and keep it off. It is not an easy journey but it is worth the effort. This is the best thing that I could have ever done for myself. I have lost a complete person on the outside but I have gained an even better one on the inside. It has changed my life. I have no regrets at all except that I should have gotten it done years ago. If I could do it again, I would do it in a heart beat.

Also I had the same feelings as you. I wanted to back out and diet. I told myself that if i could do this with the band then why couldn't I just cut down and diet and lose the weight on my own. After years of struggling and every yo-yo diet that I could think about. I understand now that I couldn't do it on my own. I needed the help of the lapband.

As for the support system. You might want to see if there is a local support group in your area. It does help to have others face to face that are going through what you are, as well as this site.

Now, step back of the ledge and ask yourself. Are you ready for this lifestyle change? Only you can decide if it's right for you. But if you back out, you might be questioning yourself for the rest of your life. I hope that I have helped. I wish you luck on your journey and naturally will stand by with whatever decision you make. We don't judge people. Good luck to you.

Hi Jaime! I'm only five days post-op, so I can't speak to a lot of what you are worried about, but I can reassure you that your feelings are completely normal.

Five days post-op and the gas is almost gone for me. Gas-X does work amazingly well.

My surgeon took me off Glucovance (which is a glyburide/metformin combo pill) the day after surgery and my hair loss has actually slowed down, it seems. I never made the connection until just this minute, but I did notice this morning in the shower that I lost less hair. I am getting most of my Protein in each day, too.

I plan to weigh myself once a week, and if that starts to get to be too much of a head-trip for me, I'll stop weighing all together and just weigh at the doctor's office. Like you, I don't want the lap band, my weight, my relationship with food, my size, my eating patterns, etc., to define me or really even be an issue any more. I think at first, I'll be a little obsessed, but it will subside. My surgeon and my RD says protein is the only thing I need to thing I need to count.

As to doing it yourself -- do you really believe (based on past experience) that you can take off the excess weight and keep it off? I know I couldn't have. The lap band is a tool that can help you do it. I'd do this again in a heart beat!

Good luck to you!

NOOO!!! If it were that easy then I wouldn't be so miserable now and for the last 10 years. I have been thin before and remember it well. Sometimes I think that gets in the way because I either think that I am not as big as I am or because I just expect the weight to fall off of me.

My last diet attempt, I did step class for 1 hr 2x/wk. Ran, yes actually ran, on the treadmill for 30 min 3x/wk and followed the WW plan to a T. I lost 1.5 lbs in 1 month. My body just loves this fat and wants to hold onto it!! Obviously, when you do all that and take off 1.5lbs, it makes you insane! I was crushed to say the least. But as soon as I stopped doing all that, I gained the 1.5lbs back and 4 more within a week. Ugh. So, nope, I know I cannot do this on my own anymore.

The hairloss thing is kinda funny because I have super-thick hair and to the average person, you would think I was nuts to say that it is thinning but I know it is. I actually kinda like that it has thinned out from being so thick but I don't want it to keep going. Bald, gassy and thin was not the overall look I was going for, ya know? hehe

Thanks again for all your encouragement! It really helps to talk to people in the same position.

Stay tuned......Let me know how you are doing or if you just need to talk.

Jaime

The previous responders have done a great job giving you the details. So, I'll be brief.

1. Loose skin may be a bit of an eyesore but morbid obesity is downright repulsive and unhealthy. Surgery can take care of the loose skin after you've lost the weight if it bothers you that much.

2. You can't take out a restraining order and you're not likely to find a shelter where you can hide away from food forever. You're going to have to make compromises with food so you can both live together. If it starts abusing you, get out of there and go for a walk. You can return after you've both calmed down.

3. Wrinkles? Honey, everyone gets them. Stay out of the sun and don't smoke. That will slow their progress a little.

4. Most of us feel no pain from surgery. Sure, there's a little discomfort with gas which some blow out of proportion but they are just crybabies.

I hope this helps. If not, I had fun typing it.

Good luck.

Hey, Jamie,

Sounds like you are bit over your freak out, but I wanted to respond as well.

I'm about 8.5 months out from surgery and down just over 100 lbs. I am no longer obsessed with food. I eat what I want, within reason, including all my favs. And I LOSE WEIGHT! Yes, there are some things that don't go down well (steak, scrambled eggs), but I am willing to forgo those if it means I can eat chocolate and still lose weight. Fair trade off in my mind.

I no longer have gas. I used to be a very gassy person. I rarely, indeed very rarely, have gas anymore. I guess when you aren't inhaling sugar by the ton, your body doesn't produce as much gas.

I have started just recently losing some hair. This is totally normal at this stage of the game and I've been reassured will not continue. But it didn't start until about the last week or two, so about 8 months post-op.

My skin is starting to sag. Oh well. When I have clothes on, you can't really tell. And since those clothes are quite a bit smaller than the clothes I was wearing previously, I am not complaining. DH is the only person who sees me naked, and believe me, he's not complaining either. :thumbup:

Hang in there - it is soooooooooooooooooooo worth it. And so are you!

Stay tuned......Let me know how you are doing or if you just need to talk.

Jaime

Jaime -- Just thought I'd let you know that I weighed this morning, since I'll be out of town for my official weigh-in day tomorrow. I have lost 29 pounds since I started my pre-op diet on 13 July (elsewhere I may have 17 July, but I double checked my written record just now). Surgery was Tuesday, 03 August.

Didn't you say that you have PCOS? That can make it extremely difficult to lose weight when left to our own devices. Ironically, it gets better with weight loss. Were you taking Metformin at the time you did the WW and exercise? Just curious.

1. loose skin--how much worse is that that fat, stretched out skin?

**Loose skin looks better than rolls of fat. Bless the body shaper!!

2. my abusive relationship with food. it has been a long road but the things that I have to give up are not really good for me anyway. I have done a lot of planning for this part. I am as ready as I can be for this.

**Yep. It's not all about what you're eating, but what's eating you. Every bandster battles this war.

3. More wrinkles, I assume some are hiding under here;-).

**Yep. "Fat Don't Crack", but again, cheekbones and a shapely face with a little chin dangle is acceptable to me. If not, there are plastic procedures available.

4. The pain of surgery and recovery.

**This surgery is not painful and the recovery is easy (unless it has to be done open for some reason). I was out the same day. Only took pain meds for a few days. The surgical pain is minor. There is residual pain in the left shoulder from the stretching of the diaphragm during surgery--but I would classify it as 'discomfort' and not 'pain'. Get Gas-X strips to help your body handle the gas from the CO2 they put into the abdominal cavity to inflate it. Again, this is 'discomfort' and not 'pain'--at least in my case.

Recovery is a snap--unless you have complications or co-morbidities that complicate things. Your doctor should be able to tell you realistically what to expect.

Here are some things that I don't know if I can deal with:

1. hair loss- I have already lost so much hair from Metformin (anti-diabetic drug). I know this sounds vain but I just cannot go bald here!

**Most hair loss is from poor nutrition. Get your nutrients and take your Vitamins. We carry a lot of toxins in our fat too, so as we lose, we are de-toxing from that bad fat too. I have not heard of any bandster having permanent hair loss, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Again, I don't know your exact situation. Make sure you have a good GP as well as your band doctor so you can get all these issues taken care of.

2. The gas!!! I am extremely conservative about this issue. I cannot be walking around passing gas all the time for the rest of my life or even the next year. I just starting going back to school and I am horrified enough being the fat, old girl in class with a bunch of 20 year olds! I cannot be the fat, old girl who passes gas in class!!! I just cannot.

**What gave you the idea you'd be a 'gassy gal'? That's easily controlled with food choice, Gas-X strips and Tums or Gaviscon. No problem. :thumbup:

3. The obsession that seems to come with surgery. I don't want to weigh myself everyday and worry that I am able to eat and not losing enough weight. I just don't want this to define me. I realize it will from now until a while after surgery but I just don't want to obsess about it all the time.

**Ah, the black box of doom. Well, I weigh myself and write it down on a calendar every day. Sometimes I lose, sometimes I stay the same, sometimes I gain. I think in the beginning we substitute the obsession of weighing and measuring both ourselves and our food and then we start to get comfortable. YMMV. I *still* have to keep myself accountable every day. Some folks don't weigh but guide with clothing size or measurements. You'll find something that makes you comfortable.

I know this can be different for everyone but I am seriously considering cancelling the surgery because why don't I just eat less and exercise to lose weight. Yeah, I know, I have been doing that for 10 years without success and I have 3 small children who need a healthy, active mommy that will be around as long as she can be. I am just FREAKING OUT!!

**Chilly sweetie! You'll be fine. The LAP-BAND® takes the edge off your hunger and you will no longer obsess about food. In fact, for the first time in your life, you may even forget to eat. I know, I didn't believe it until it happened to me either. This is also why it's adjustable. It's not a 'set it and forget it' device. It adjusts with us and is always there for us.

CAN SOMEONE TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE??? I have a support system but not one that understands fully what I am going through.

**Off the ledge now girlfriend!! You'll do great.

Take care and be well.

Ducati Bonnie

I am feeling much better since I wrote this but love, love, love the encouragement because I am sure another "ledge moment" is around the corner;-).

Yes, I was on Metformin 2x/day during WW. Ugh. The Metformin makes me feel weird. I never had low blood sugar symptoms until I started taking it. I am so glad my GP said I can stop after the surgery.

So we are all in agreement that loose skin is better than fat rolls! Yes, I believe so. I might have some fixer-upper surgery in the future but who knows. I can't stress over all the unknowns. Easy to say.

Bottom line, I do want to feel healthy and I have felt horrible the last few days and it is all because of my weight. I always have to wear dark denim capris instead of shorts in the 105 degree weather and I sweat like a hog! I am so over this fat!

Thanks so much to all of you and stay in touch and let me know how you all are doing.

Didn't mean to "dog" anyone about the obsession part, I just don't want to be discouraged if I gain a lb on day and freak out. I know I will keep track of my progress as well.

Oh, another thing I am interested in hearing from you...did you tell people? How far did you extend your "circle of trust"? hehe I do strongly believe that if you tell one person you might as well tell the whole world but I haven't decided on who to tell yet. Mainly people that will support me. Not my Mother;-). I also think I should tell a close friend that struggles with her weight like I do because I will feel guilty if I try to pretend that I all of sudden have super-human resistance to food.

Oh, did you all eat bad before you Pre-op diet was to start? On one hand I feel that I should start practicing my good behavior but on the other I feel like I should indulge while I still can. Guess which hand is winning????

Take care!

Jaime

Oh, another thing I am interested in hearing from you...did you tell people? How far did you extend your "circle of trust"? hehe I do strongly believe that if you tell one person you might as well tell the whole world but I haven't decided on who to tell yet. Mainly people that will support me. Not my Mother;-). I also think I should tell a close friend that struggles with her weight like I do because I will feel guilty if I try to pretend that I all of sudden have super-human resistance to food.

Oh, did you all eat bad before you Pre-op diet was to start? On one hand I feel that I should start practicing my good behavior but on the other I feel like I should indulge while I still can. Guess which hand is winning????

Take care!

Jaime

Hey Jaime! Glad to hear that you are feeling a little better about things. The reason I asked about the Metformin was that it might have been easier to lose weight if you were on Metformin. I was surprised to see that you were at the time. Oh well, we're all different!

As to who I told ... Not many people (seven people plus health profressionals?), and I'm starting to regret telling one of the people that I did tell. My mother died during my process, but I had no intention of telling her because of her attitude about my weight as I was growing up. I don't think she would have been supportive of my decision to have surgery. I did tell my always-skinny-sister and that paid off big! She has been one of my biggest supporters. In fact, she used money she inherited when Mom died to help me pay for my surgery! She is really behind me. You'll have to decide on your own who to tell and who not to. I'm comfortable letting everyone around me think I've just suddenly discovered dieting! Maybe as I get more comfortable with weight loss, I'll tell more people how I've done it.

As to last meals ... Yep! I had two! A steak dinner with all the trimmings (and the best bread!) and a sushi roll lunch. Both are foods that some people can't tolerate very well, and if I was going to never have them again, I wanted to enjoy them one last time. Some naturally thin people might think that's kind of sick, but that's where I was at! Again, you'll have to make your own decision about this ...

Good luck to you! :thumbup::thumbup:

The telling people thing is funny...in the beginning (pre-op) I didn't want to tell anyone - and now post op, I tell whoever I want - because I feel like we are REALLY BRAVE and STRONG people to make a decision like this. It shows commitment and desire in a way that my monthly pass to Weight Watchers NEVER WOULD. If you believe that obesity is a disease, then how can using a cure be wrong? It is like saying that diabetics cheat if they take medication rather than modifying their diet satisfactorily.... ok, that's my crazy opinion. Regardless, I am proud of my decision and proud of my commitment to change.

I did not have a last meal, but I did indeed eat a slice of bread the day before my surgery

Whom to tell????

My advise is tell no one. I have read too many posts here, where someone told a "TRUSTED FRIEND" only to have that "Friend" accuse them of taking the easy way out etc etc. Everyone who subsequently knows will feel obliged to give you "Good Advise" or stories of someone who knows someone who had a bad outcome.

If/since you have done your research, you know what is best for you. Try to avoid seeking support from uninformed well wishers.

Alittle story: I only told my wife, (cus i needed her to pick me up after surgery). Then from guilt, I called my elderly mother, and told her because we have an agreement not to keep heath secrets from each other, (mostly so I can keep track of her health). Well, donchya know, when I did not call her immediately after surgery, I was in recovery, she became terribly worried, and called my sister to say that "Hal is in the hospital and I don't know how he is". Well you can guess the rest. There is more unhappiness from telling people than there is from not telling. Just my not so humble opinion.

Warm Regards

Hal

I

1. loose skin--how much worse is that that fat, stretched out skin?

I have some loose skin, but not enough that my insurance will cover a tuck. So if they aren't worried about it, neither am I.

2. my abusive relationship with food. it has been a long road but the things that I have to give up are not really good for me anyway. I have done a lot of planning for this part. I am as ready as I can be for this.

Rather than just giving up foods, I learned to substitute instead. When I met goal, I began to allow some foods back into my life on a very rare basis.

3. More wrinkles, I assume some are hiding under here;-).

I don't really have an issue with any wrinkles. But then again, I'm only 31. I'll eventually get them

4. The pain of surgery and recovery.

I had my lap band done in June 2009. In January 2010 I had shoulder surgery. I'd rather have lap band 1000 more times than another shoulder surgery. Ever. I'm still recovering from that.

The pain really wasn't that bad. I was more sore than in pain. I felt as if I had done 1000 situps the day before.

Here are some things that I don't know if I can deal with:

1. hair loss- I have already lost so much hair from Metformin (anti-diabetic drug). I know this sounds vain but I just cannot go bald here!

I haven't really lost any hair. However, I wish my hair would thin out a bit. My hair is super thick!

2. The gas!!! I am extremely conservative about this issue. I cannot be walking around passing gas all the time for the rest of my life or even the next year. I just starting going back to school and I am horrified enough being the fat, old girl in class with a bunch of 20 year olds! I cannot be the fat, old girl who passes gas in class!!! I just cannot.

I do not have a gas issue.

3. The obsession that seems to come with surgery. I don't want to weigh myself everyday and worry that I am able to eat and not losing enough weight. I just don't want this to define me. I realize it will from now until a while after surgery but I just don't want to obsess about it all the time.

My doctor had me weigh every day. I didn't look at it as an obsession, but as an accountability thing. Since I have reached goal, I still kept up with the every day weight thing. However, when I found out I was pregnant, and I had 1.5cc's removed, I knocked this down to once a week. I did that so I wouldn't worry about whether I was gaining enough weight or not. I'll let the OB tell me if I am or not. So far they are happy.

I know this can be different for everyone but I am seriously considering cancelling the surgery because why don't I just eat less and exercise to lose weight. Yeah, I know, I have been doing that for 10 years without success and I have 3 small children who need a healthy, active mommy that will be around as long as she can be. I am just FREAKING OUT!!

This is an absolutely normal thing to wonder. I even wonder to this day if I could have done it on my own, but when I look back I KNOW i couldn't. How do I know? I was a pretty active person before I had the surgery. I hiked. I do landscape photography, so I had to get to those places somehow! I mowed my lawn. I told my husband I wanted to do that. I even walked around the reservoir we have here and around the neighborhood. Obviously the weight wasn't coming off. A lot of that had to do with having PCOS. My doctor even told me I wasn't going to lose the weight on my own with PCOS.

CAN SOMEONE TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE??? I have a support system but not one that understands fully what I am going through.

Nobody will fully understand what you're going through unless they go through it themselves. And it really takes a lot to get to the point where you decide you want to get lap band and make your life a much better and happier (less food filled) place. But it's such an amazing journey (even with all the ups and downs) and is worth it in the end.

I will say this though, I only told a few people I had it done. It wasn't until after I had reached goal that I became open about it. I didn't want to deal with people's negativity. I didn't want anything to bring me down!

Speaking for myself I was more afraid of having to deal with the future damage to my body due to the ravages of diabeties. I was beginning to experience nerve pain, and sleep issues and had been on insulin, shooting myself in the stomach 5-6 times a day.

I was sick and tired of managing an illness.

After 2 years with the band, 52 pounds lighter and off most of my meds I can honestly say I have no regrets.

I was overweight, now I am not. Everything from pre-surgery to now, for me, has been totally worth it.

I have had some challenges along the way, but the truth is, for me, it was more of a challenge being overweight than to learn how to become a thinner healthy person. The surgery changed my life for the better and I am so glad I went for it.

For me, the surgery was not really all that big of a deal, the hair loss was really not all that big of a deal. The immediate results for me were off insulin since the day of my surgery and down about six sizes after 14 months. My knees don't hurt, my skin is better. I don't think about food all the time like I used too, and make the effort to have the proper foods on hand and eat the lap-band way most of the time.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

Hey Jamie - I thought I would also chime in here because I find that the band, just like with anything else, needs to be approached with a totally positive attitude. It's like when someone is pregnant and they get all of these horror stories. Yea - labor hurts, but in the end it's worth it. I feel that way about my band. Here are my thoughts.

1. loose skin--how much worse is that that fat, stretched out skin?

I had fat, stretched-out skin but would rather have the loose skin. I bought some firming lotion (not saying it's going to work miracles but it might help) and I know that lifting weights helps tighten that back up, too.

2. my abusive relationship with food. it has been a long road but the things that I have to give up are not really good for me anyway. I have done a lot of planning for this part. I am as ready as I can be for this.

Girl - food and I are BFF. Especially baked goods. But, what is funny is that for some reason, I don't CRAVE these things like I used to. It's odd but on occasion I'll have something but it's not an every day must-have. I never EVER thought I would say that, but it's true. I also like to refer to what I call "transferring addictions". Whenever I would get upset before, I would turn to food. Now, I go window shopping. Looking at cute outfits that I might one day fit into stops the food abuse and knocks my butt back into gear. :w00t:

3. More wrinkles, I assume some are hiding under here;-).

We all have them. Wear them with pride. You don't want to look like Joan Rivers, right?

4. The pain of surgery and recovery.

Honestly - I did not think it was that bad. I had surgery on Monday and was back at work on Thursday. (I have an office job) Truthfully, I think the worst part is the air that they pump into your stomach but after about a week, it was all gone. It really was not as bad as I was expecting.

Here are some things that I don't know if I can deal with:

1. hair loss- I have already lost so much hair from Metformin (anti-diabetic drug). I know this sounds vain but I just cannot go bald here!

Ok - I'm with you here. I have/had thicker hair than most, but I KNOW I'm thinning right now and sort of freaked out about it. But, I upped my Protein, cut my hair (regular cuts help hair health) and added Biotin to my Vitamins I take and it's getting better. Not going to lie - I did freak. It does happen, much like what it does right after you give birth. They say it tapers off.

2. The gas!!! I am extremely conservative about this issue. I cannot be walking around passing gas all the time for the rest of my life or even the next year. I just starting going back to school and I am horrified enough being the fat, old girl in class with a bunch of 20 year olds! I cannot be the fat, old girl who passes gas in class!!! I just cannot.

This is another thing that I think has gotten WAY better for me. I don't have gas NEARLY as much as I used to. I used to always feel bloated, but now - it's a rare occurrence. Besides, that's what Gas-X is for.

3. The obsession that seems to come with surgery. I don't want to weigh myself everyday and worry that I am able to eat and not losing enough weight. I just don't want this to define me. I realize it will from now until a while after surgery but I just don't want to obsess about it all the time.

I weigh myself daily but it's because when I don't weigh myself, I don't pay attention to what I'm eating or doing, etc. I went on vacation and didn't weigh myself and couldn't wait to get back home and do it. I think it can be bad either way. You can weigh so much that you think "Well, I'm down x lbs so I can have ice cream" or you can become obsessive. It's a catch 22. I wouldn't let that deter you.

I know this can be different for everyone but I am seriously considering cancelling the surgery because why don't I just eat less and exercise to lose weight. Yeah, I know, I have been doing that for 10 years without success and I have 3 small children who need a healthy, active mommy that will be around as long as she can be. I am just FREAKING OUT!!

CAN SOMEONE TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE??? I have a support system but not one that understands fully what I am going through.

I really hope you do go through with the surgery. I have people ask me all the time how I'm doing, do I regret it, etc. I tell them it's the best thing I've ever done for myself with the exception of marrying my husband and having my kids. I don't regret it ONE bit.

I hope that helps and you have a lot of people here who will help you through this.

Ginger