Hi, I'm new here. I am still in the process of "going through the process". I am finished with most of it and am waiting for insurance approval.

My number one question for all of you that have been through this is......Is it worth it? Would you do it again? Are you sorry you did it? As you can probably tell, I fluctuate between being excited about having this done and thinking, "what the HECK am I doing?" Will I forever regret doing something this extreme? ....and then I think to myself...."Why don't you just shut your mouth and stop eating?" Of course I have had this attitude for 20+ years now and am at an all time high of 276 lbs, so obviously THAT hasn't worked for me. It's not that I CAN'T lose weight, I just can't KEEP it off.

I guess I am ultimately looking for some encouragement here.

Looking forward to your replies. Thanks in advance.:confused:

In a word YES!!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat, it has only been two months and I am thrilled with the results, and I am feeling healthier each and every day. It gets easier as I go along, I know what to eat, and I choose the healthiest things to put into my mouth, four months ago, that would not have been the case.

Now when tempted by the bad stuff, I turn away not even wanting it. I know that purging my body of the refined flour and sugars was the best things I could have ever done for my body. My IBS has disappeared, I no longer take ACIPHEX for my GERD, and I am doing wonderful.

I work out 6 days a week, and have become addicted to the exercise, which is far better than addicted to food....LOL

No question the best decision I have ever made just for myself!!

I guess I am what you would call a long termer... YES I would do it again. I love it and even though I have not yet reached goal...mostly because it is easier to just live with the 20 I have left to loose... I absolutly think it was the right choice for me.

Of course I'd do it again, I just wouldn't wait so long and wonder why I didn't do it sooner. I love what the band has brought to my life. A better, healthier lifestyle; being able to wear stylish clothes and not having to look like a grandma (I'm may be 50; but very youthful spirit); fewer aches and pains; (none related to being heavy - just normal aging). I would encourage everyone who's considering being banded to just DO IT. Quit doubting yourself. JUST DO IT!!! YOu will not have any regrets as long as you do what the doctor tells you.

That I didn't do it 5 years ago when I first started researching it!

i have no regrets. i thank god and my doctor for my band. i will say there have been some scary moments, some acid reflux, and unfill emergencies. overall i say it has all been worth it. i did not have to deal with insurance. luckily i am able to afford self pay;)

No regrets here. Well, only that I didn't do it sooner!

I am also preop and going through the necessary steps to get insurance approval. I know what you mean KRlongfellow, I also keep pondering the what ifs. Beating myself down becouse i was not able to keep the weight off in the past. However the other day I chacked my blood pressure and it was high as usual and i take two types of medications for it already. I know its my weight (270 and 5'6) so i am definitly going to do it for my health...and it is relatively safe and reversable so hang in there :laugh:

I have not looked back. I love the band, it teaches me something new everyday. I was banded on 2-5-07 at 311. Now I am 222 and love the new healthy me. You just have the jitters. Good luck and keep us updated.

factory girl, how much weight did you lose pre op? wow! Less than a month out and already over 80 pounds. Good for you.

I thought about posting my answer to the question "Are you glad you did it?" once for every pound lost......but that take typing "YES" way more times than I wanna do!!!

I LOVE my band!

Kat

it's been a year that i've been banded. I was on liquids for 6 days preop. Short notice and the dr said that was fine. So in a year i've lost 89 pounds and very greatful to God for that. I'm getting my life back. 311-222 pounds now.....woooo.whooooooo

Congratulations on your new band! The answer is yes, of course I would do it again in a heartbeat. Just like many of the others on here, I wish that I would have done it sooner instead of waiting, dieting losing weight, gained it back, etc. Finally this is helping me to put a "safety" so I don't fall back in my old ways. I love it!

I'm absolutely THRILLED that I did it and wouldn't hesitate to do it again or to recommend it to anyone!! And it doesn't "feel" DRASTIC at all once you've done it.

I sometimes get impatient -- I want the weight to fall off faster, but, I have to remember it took years to put it on AND since I've been on a perpetual diet for the last 20 years, I wasn't consuming mass quantities of calories to begin with, so it's not a huge reduction in calories, just a slight, but consistent one.