I booked my surgery with Dr. Kuri (Mexico) last week and today I made the flight arrangements.

I hope I don't regret this.

The postings on erosion and infection have me scared to death.

The postings that say "It was a breeze" and people posting good steady wgt loss - with decreased appetite - makeing it possible for them to eat like a "normal" person - those are the postings that I find myself clinging to. I pray that I'm one of them.

Otherwise I'm about to screw-up a perfectly healthy (albiet fat) body.

Go for it..

The band is changing my life, making me healthier and happier.

I would do it again in a second. You won't regret it!

"Ditto" to what Angie said. I had a great experience with Dr. Kuri. He did a great job and I have had no complications. It took me a couple of weeks before I felt "much better" but other than that it has been great. It definitely makes eating too much impossible (after a fill). For me, before I had a fill I could eat exactly as before the band - absolutely no restriction at all. But after my first fill, definitely a difference. So don't worry if you don't feel restriction at first, it will come...

I'm two weeks out, and other than a strange gas experience this weekend (which resolved itself) I'm doing great and loving it. No PB's, no barfing, none of the nightmares we've read about. So far, the only weird foods for me have been pb&j and grits. Neither of which I should have been eating, so bad on me. I love my band!!! You will too!

I certainly understand your concern, especially as you are quickly approaching your surgery date. I'm glad you paid attention to both the good stories and the unfortunate stories as well. That's life, sadly there is always bad that goes along with good. Though it's difficult for us to admit, we do not have control of the universe and there are certain things that are totally out of our control.

You've certainly done your homework and weighed all of the pros and cons. You know yourself better than anyone else and have made the decision to do this. That's the best any of us can do, that and pray that we have made the right decision.

In February I will have been banded for 4 years with zero complications. I consider complications as those things we have no control over, such as band slippage, erosion, infections. We have no way of knowing whether or not any of those things will happen to any of us, it's a chance we have been willing to take. Things like PB's, vomitting, constipation are all things we do have control over, it's a learning process we go through and even after this long, I am still learning and will probably continue to learn until the day I die, hopefully around 150ish :-]

The most difficult part of this whole process for me has been facing the emotional issues, but they are worth going through and overcoming. I see it as a kind of insurance policy against my gaining my weight back.

I wish you the very best of luck and will keep you in my prayers that everything goes according to textbook and that you fly through your recooperation and start a new and wonderful life.

Cindy

imalene, I clung to the good stuff, too. It helps. What I found, however, is my own story emerging from the surgery saga. Especially flying out to San Diego to see Kuri. Nothing can prepare you for how you will do and be, but I can promise you will lean on the support of this board. No matter what happens and how it unfolds for you, you will have the info you need here.

Looking back, and now reading all of the erosion stories, I suppose I'd rather have an eroded band and lose it at this point (187 pounds), than to have done nothing and still weight over 220. If I could lose another 25 pounds...half of my excess weight at this point...and maintain it I'd be satisfied. It's a risk. You never know how it will go for you. could be fine, could be not so fine. Struggling to lose through the decade of my 40's was unthinkable. Now I struggle to lose, but ever so slowly, I win!!! I love my band. You will too. Even if it isn't a perfect band story.

Keep us posted. Get a good hug from Dr Kuri. He really is a sweet man.

Will you ask him about all of the mexican erosion stories while you are there and let us know what he says?

That helps you to know what to expect. Because you will have some of both. My wife and I went from Chicago to mexico 15 months ago. It was a great Hosipital and Doctor. We would do it again today, but that is not to say everything is easy. It is like any weight loss. You have to work at it. The first month it does the work for you. After that you really have to work with the band. It has been life changing and for the best.