Hi all!

I'm in New Jersey, and am 235 at 5'6 and 42 years old. Asthma,

fibromyalgia, high cholestral, Trigl. etc. Polycystic ovary

syndrome.

I am considering the Lap Band as I can't control my portions and the weight and health issues are getting worse. I would never take the risk of RNY, but getting the Lap Band is also scaring the beejebus out of me.

I wanted to come to a board that would be more objective than

those singing the praises of the thing (it's okay to do that too, if it warrants it! :-))

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Leener

Maria, thank you so much, your reply is really appreciated by me. Yes, I am very serious about this and don't look at it as a new diet to try. It's very serious business to me.

I also have Polycystic ovary disease, which not only put me on a fast rain to diabetes, but also put 100 lbs, on me, gave me thick chin hair and hair loss on my scalp.

My main fear is the erosion issue, and the risks associated with that, and the damage to the stomach or death if it does. Plus, it seems like bandsters have to undergo more surgeries and that carries a risk too.

But I am at high risk with this weight on. It's a tough decision.

p.s. Also infection, I don't have the best immune system die to Fibromyalgia.

Vinesqueen, your a fellow PCOSer too, right? Thanks for your post. I'm looking forward to getting rid of a lot of the crappola that I have when I lose the weight, because I know it's either causing it, or making it worse.

But isn't anyone afriad of the long term stuff?

And this sounds like a CRAZY question, but due to the high maintenance of a LBer, what if there was a war or natural disaster (like Katrina) in the next 20 years that made medical care difficult for us to get?

Weird question I know.

You can see how freaked I am. :-p

Hey all, thank you so very much for your posts. Sleepyjean, thank you for your post as it struck home.

I'm glad. I rewrote that a couple different ways because I really didn't want to offend you, but then I decided to stop fussing with it and leave it alone. I'm glad you took it in the spirit that it was meant. I practically had an emotional breakdown after I found this site posted a couple of times. For me, obesity has been very lonely. It's been a lifetime of feeling different from everyone else. So to come here and realize that there is not one feeling I've felt, not one experience I've had, that hasn't been felt and experienced by most of the people here...okay, I cried like a baby. :laugh

Hopefully you will come to see that too and begin to feel more comfortable with the whole banding thing so it's less frightening. ((hugs))

That's what I'm hoping too,because I need help too.

Thanks. :-)

Leenerbups, I have been reading, reading, and re-reading for several months and have learned answers to several questions. Just read, these people are awsome, supportive, painfully honest, and know their stuff. I also am not a "band member" yet and know your fears, you have voiced what I feel. Just read. I'm waiting for insurance approval but with or w/o, I will be banded! My BMI is 40, no major health problems, and 46 years old. My feelings are for me to do something now before it is too late for me. Good luck and your on my prayer list.

PJ

Welcome! I'm newly banded, 12/28. I'm going to share my experience so I hope it'll help a bit.

My dad weighed 450 lbs from as far back as I can remember. He has every health problem in the book. When I was growing up I'd watch how much my dad would eat and I'd imitate. It was so easy, when I started gaining weight, I reached 260 my senior year in highschool and went off to college. In highschool, though I was fat, I was well liked and very successful. It was so very different in college. I started starving myself and lost 80lbs! I kept that off (with binging/purging/starving) until the past five years when my weight crept back up. When I hit 299 last year I didn't really believe it and didn't do anything to change my weight. My father had a lapband placed in Oct. 04 and had success, but he had it removed 6 months later because of erosion. I don't remember him following the diet, but I know with his severe diabetes he wouldn't ever heal from the port placements (and replacements).

I started a new job in June 04 and we were all heavy so all we did was eat--literally. When the scale tipped 300 I couldn't believe in less than 5 years I had gained 130 lbs. That was the end, I decided it was time to do something. I decided on the lap band.

Personally, I did not want the fertility problems, diabetes, aches and pains that come with being overweight. I did not like that I feel my weight is holding me back in my profession. I did not like myself.

I was scared the night before surgery as my mom, fiance' and I were in the store buying all the liquids to prepare. I can't believe I stood and cried. Mourning food. Thinking I'd never have pizza again or pasta. Then I thought, pizza and pasta won't look good in a size 10. That night I prayed and prayed and amazingly the next morning I had no nerves. I was home in less than 6 hours.

Needless to say I'm about to be on day 6. I'm going back to work tomorrow. I've loaded up the MP3 player my FI got me for Christmas and getting ready to hit the gym by the weekend. I'm really trying to listen to myself to see when I'm hungry.

I wish you the best of luck in making your decision. I am so happy that I did this, and will take it one day at a time.

Busywoman thank you so much for the prayer, I could use it. It also helps to know my qiestions or fears are not alone. Sometimes I read how easy and unafriad people are and wonder if there is something wrong with me.

Sarahbride, I'm so glad your surgery went so well. Keep me updated on how you do.

Actually, my immune system is not that great, I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, so I am worried about infection too. And I know infection is the cause of erosion, let along surgery complications.

My biggest fears are surgery complications and erosion and infection.

Leenerbups,

I'd have a long talk with your surgeon and make a healthy choice together. My father was 450, severe heart and lung problems, severe diabetes and they still did the band. It was either lose or die...his band did erode, but he also had several port infections--which some may attribute to erosion. There's no real known reason for erosion.

There's lots of scary things on here--when I found this site my eyes were like saucers when I was done reading--"erosions, slippage, vomiting!". But remember that though are tons of members, it represents a small number of people who are banded (and have no problems or are not on a discussion board to discuss). With that being said, we will all support you, but remember that no one here is a doctor (that I know of) and we can only talk about our experiences.

I would strongly strongly urge you talking to your surgeon and your physician who treat the CFS and fibromyalgia. Make a decision based on the long term health benefits. It make take a little more TLC along the way--but they will be your best guides.

Prayers and hugs headed your way!!

Good idea, I will have further discussions with my doctors.

If nothing else, this thread can serve as support for people like me who have fears associated with surgery or the band, and i hope it helps!

Good luck to you. Let us all know how it goes. Happy Tuesdays (as happy as they can be!!):Bunny