Banding the Librarian

Hi everyone,

My name is Michael and I was banded by Dr Terry Simpson on Dec. 21, 2010 (almost 1 month).

I have type 2 diabetes, insomnia, osteoarthritis (diagnosed before being overweight), diverticulitis, depression, asthma and probably a few others I'm forgetting.

At my heaviest, while in a depressing, go no-where job where there was constant abuse and frustration I was almost 300 lbs. About 4 yrs ago I stopped chasing money and decided to follow my childhood dream and become a Librarian. I don't make much money and I'm almost bankrupt now but my quality of life and how I see myself as a person and useful member of society (helping people rather than trying to find new ways for them to buy things they don't need) is much better. I think I was using food as a way to end it all. Now as a Librarian, I have a more positive outlook on life and want to stick around longer. I tried for several years "diets" and things but my current age of 43, with poor health and air quality hat is consistently getting worse, I finally had to face the fact that I can't do this alone. I did make a little progress but kept falling backwards. I didn't want gastric bypass because it's not safe enough and I know people who have had more problems after that surgery. As a Librarian I spent a couple years on research and decided after several recent studies that, for me, it was now or never as my doctors told me I probably would be around much longer. With childhood obesity at it's current level and continuously rising I also felt that as a Youth Services Librarian I wasn't setting a very good example for the kids.

I started my post-surgery eating plan on November 19th, 1 month before the surgery, so I consider that to be the date when my "official" journey began. It's been 56 days since I started my journey at 261 lbs. As of today (1/13/11) I've lost a total of 21 lbs (8 before surgery, which the surgeon said did help, and 13 since my surgery a few weeks ago) and am 26% of the way to my target weight of 180 lbs.

I already feel better emotionally, and a bit better physically.

I've have been video blogging about my journey for about 4 months -- http://mikeslearning2.blogpot.com

I hope to meet some more lapbanders and I'm here if anyone has any questions about the process or thoughts I went through to get here.

Thanks!

Michael