Hello. I'm just starting on my journey toward the LapBand. Just had my initial consultation with the doctor, and have started scheduling all the required doctors visits. I am really apprehensive. I'm 58 years old and 250 pounds. My kids are against it, saying I could lose this on my own. Fifty pounds would make such a difference in my arthritis and blood pressure.

Hello. I'm just starting on my journey toward the LapBand. Just had my initial consultation with the doctor, and have started scheduling all the required doctors visits. I am really apprehensive. I'm 58 years old and 250 pounds. My kids are against it, saying I could lose this on my own. Fifty pounds would make such a difference in my arthritis and blood pressure.

Hey there,

Don't let others make you feel bad about doing something for you. I understand the guilt from others but have decided that it's my body. I watched my mother hurt every time she took a step or got up and down - for so many years. I know that she would have enjoyed life so much more if she just would have felt better. So, because of her love for me, I know she would want me to be without pain. I lost her when she was only 58 - your age exactly - so young!! Now here I am staring 50 right in the face (next month) and I don't want to die like she did - in constant pain.

My doctor feels that losing the weight (291) would give me the jump start to helping me feel like moving again. I have my initial appointment in a little more than a week. I hope everything goes smooth. If you need any encouragement, just give me a post and we will chat some more.

God has blessed me with this life - it's my responsibility to make the best of it!!

Blessings,

Jaleena in NC

Hello. I'm just starting on my journey toward the LapBand. Just had my initial consultation with the doctor, and have started scheduling all the required doctors visits. I am really apprehensive. I'm 58 years old and 250 pounds. My kids are against it, saying I could lose this on my own. Fifty pounds would make such a difference in my arthritis and blood pressure.

Hello and welcome. Just remember it is your body and your life, so in the end it is your decision. I hear from people all the time "oh you can't do it yourself?" or "so you're taking the easy way out" and I tell them, if I could have lost the weight myself, I would have, and it's not "easy", maybe easier, but the weight is not magically going to fall off with the band. I don't know if your family members struggle with weight, but I find that most people that don't are the ones that like to make us feel like failures for not being able to do it ourselves. I try not to dwell on the negative things, I have no support from my family, all my support comes from my bestfriends, my boyfriend and his family.

My boyfriends mother got banded in May, she's doing well, very slowly losing but she's feeling better, looking better and getting around much better. She is 65 yrs old and also has arthritis (which the weight loss is helping). She had high blood pressure and was off her meds for it in less than a month after surgery. So losing definitely helps with those ailments.

I'm 30 years old and I've been on a diet for at least 15 years, yo-yoing and making myself crazy trying to be "normal", I never strived for "skinny" just "normal" and could never quite get there. Now that I'm getting a little older, dropping any weight is seeming to be more impossible, and my health was starting to suffer because of it. I just got my band on Dec 13th, so I don't know how well it will work for me, but I know I made a good decision for right now, I'm feeling better already and I've lost 13lbs. Good luck to you and remember whatever choice you make should be for you and no one else.

Hi there,

I am just starting as well,I am 100% behind the young lady that said ,Dont let anyone deside for you or you will be in a rut for the rest of your short life,I am 44 and I have 2 girls one is 11 and the other is 20 ,I don't want to leave and let my oldest take care of my youngest,this scares me to but death scares me more,you have found plenty of friends when you started posting and I am one of them,so I say its your life not your kids life so if you want to extend your time here on this earth,I say DO IT,who would you benifit being sick,of course not your self or your kids,so come on and join the wagon for better health,I have my 1st appointment on Jan 10th and I am so excited,that excitment comes with a price,you have to work for it.....I am ready to work for it myself...and I need the encurragement of a friend.....you cheer me and I'll cheer you...camille01

Hello. I'm just starting on my journey toward the LapBand. Just had my initial consultation with the doctor, and have started scheduling all the required doctors visits. I am really apprehensive. I'm 58 years old and 250 pounds. My kids are against it, saying I could lose this on my own. Fifty pounds would make such a difference in my arthritis and blood pressure.

I was 350lbs when I was banded and was on 3 different types of blood pressure meds! I was 25 years old when I first started looking into the suregery! I was scared to death. I ened up being hospitialized because of retaing fluid and my blood pressure! I was told that they were not sure but it looked like I might have congestive heart failure. That is when I made my mind up that I had to do something! I had the surgery and a year later lost 100 lbs. and ended getting pregnant. I have had my band refilled and I am starting over but I do not regret it at all! I would do it again in a heart beat! I have battled weight issues my entire life and this is the best thing I have ever done! While I was pregnant and after my pregnancy my band was not full and I realized how much it helped. I had forgotten what being hungry was. I have had two fills since my pregnancy and I have already lost 20 lbs and feel so much better!

Thank you for your reply. It is nice to have someone else at the same point, just starting out. Alot of what I have been reading is scary. But I am ready to make a change. I have no idea if I will even get approved for insurance. I never gave it a thought before reading these messages. I thought the biggest hurdle was convincing myself that this was the way to go.

Hi there,

I am just starting as well,I am 100% behind the young lady that said ,Dont let anyone deside for you or you will be in a rut for the rest of your short life,I am 44 and I have 2 girls one is 11 and the other is 20 ,I don't want to leave and let my oldest take care of my youngest,this scares me to but death scares me more,you have found plenty of friends when you started posting and I am one of them,so I say its your life not your kids life so if you want to extend your time here on this earth,I say DO IT,who would you benifit being sick,of course not your self or your kids,so come on and join the wagon for better health,I have my 1st appointment on Jan 10th and I am so excited,that excitment comes with a price,you have to work for it.....I am ready to work for it myself...and I need the encurragement of a friend.....you cheer me and I'll cheer you...camille01

Jaleena,

Wow. What a scary thought about your mother being my age. That alone should give me the determination to follow thru with this.

I like your thoughts about God blessing you with this life. He has given me many blessings, and I am thankful for them every day.

Hey there,

Don't let others make you feel bad about doing something for you. I understand the guilt from others but have decided that it's my body. I watched my mother hurt every time she took a step or got up and down - for so many years. I know that she would have enjoyed life so much more if she just would have felt better. So, because of her love for me, I know she would want me to be without pain. I lost her when she was only 58 - your age exactly - so young!! Now here I am staring 50 right in the face (next month) and I don't want to die like she did - in constant pain.

My doctor feels that losing the weight (291) would give me the jump start to helping me feel like moving again. I have my initial appointment in a little more than a week. I hope everything goes smooth. If you need any encouragement, just give me a post and we will chat some more.

God has blessed me with this life - it's my responsibility to make the best of it!!

Blessings,

Jaleena in NC