Hi everyone!

Was there a particular incident or emotion that helped you make the final decision to get the lap band surgery or was it just a culmination of a lot of different things that did it for you? I am in the process of approval and find myself waffling back and forth whether I am doing the right thing or not. Some days I am 100% sure and other days I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that I may actually be going through with it.

I know I need this. I am the type of person though that must do tons and tons of research and think and think and reason and discuss! Haha!

I think I am just afraid of the complications. I know it is a lifestyle change and I feel I am ready for that part of it. I'm just afraid of the unknown mostly. Does that make any sense?

yes. yes it does.

but please note any surgery can have complications. i have this surgery as i was too frightened to cut my insides. once that is done, there is no going back. the lap band can be took out if it needs to be. that being said, things can happen with any surgery. i had more pain when i had my gallbladder took out.

you get this surgery, you lose weight, feel better and hopefully control your health. seems kinda easy to me that decision to make. do this for you and you alone. if you do, not only will your daughter she her mother get well, but also, this may encourage your mom and sister

Ive been fat all my life. I married at 21. Lost enuf weight to join the Army, and spent the next 19 yrs in wedded bliss with a guy who could care less how much I weighed. Then he died at 46, 5 yrs ago. Initially I lost 30 lbs (bringing me to 170) butn. Over the next 18 mths I gainedalmost 80 lbs. The thought of being alone for the rest of my life scared me to death. I couldnt imagine putting my profile on the Big Beautiful Women daating site. So, 2 yrs after my husbnad died, I moved from VA to OR, where I didnt know a soul (just wanted to start over so I picked. OR off the map).

I had started lookint at the band before I moved but really started seriuosly considering it after moving. I had my first appt 2 mths after moving. I was banded about 4 mths after moving. About a year later and a loss of about 70 lbs, I started dating. In Dec 2011 I remarried a wonderful man who is so supportive of my band life. He reminds me to slow down when im wolfing my food, is concerned when I have reflux, and encourages me in the dressing room when a pair of 8's actually fit!

Im now down over 100 lbs. I hate to think that I would've never met my husband if I had still been obese. But its true that I didnt even have the courage to meet anyone so fat. I ask him all the time if he would still love me if I gained all the weight back. He tells me yes, but I wouldnt like myself very much. Which is troo.

Also when i bent over to tie my shoes and I was out of breath, that also made my decision!

Good luck with ur decision

Marci

Marci, my name is Marci too! How fun is that?

Thank you for your post. It made me cry in the first paragraph. I'm sorry for all you have been through and even happier to see you are happy! It's refreshing to see so many people happy with their decisions. I wish you continued success.

2 words.

THE MIRROR

Several things made up my mind. I must say it was a 2 yr process along with being a couple epeaproved 2 times with no problem. One of the things was making love with my wife it had become cumbersome and few and far in between. second was simply walking and the muscular problem associated with being FAT. And among other things I had a couple times passed out from lack of air from tyeing my shoes!! Best decision I ever made was to do LapBand!

There are several reasons for me. To start are all the medical problems that kept surfacing, HBP, pre diabetic, etc. Then there was how I felt about me. I hated looking in the mirror and would hide from the camera. I truely hated myself. I had to change. So I got the band in February, I am down 50 lbs with 40 to go. I know this is the best decision I ever made. I love myself again and that is such a wonderful thing. The icing on the cake is I am no longer pre diabetic and down to only 1 HBP med (from 3), doctor predics that I won't need any meds very shortly.

Maybe it sounds silly but meeting an old boyfriend from 40 years ago really got me thinking about seriously trying to loose weight. Last time he saw me I weighed 110 lbs. Well to say the least it was a shock (which he covered well) when he saw me a nearly 300 lbs. I went on Medifast and later Weight Watchers but just gained everything back. This spring I started having some problems which requires surgery but my doctor said that there was no way he would operate on me unless I lost 100 lbs. With my weight and Afib he said I wouldn't make it. Talk about a wake up call!

Both he and my cardiologist recommended the lapband. My husband and I went to a seminar and came home to discuss it. He is retiring this next month so funds are going to very limited but he agreed that this is something I need to do unfortunately our insurance doesn't cover WLS so this is going to be all out of pocket. I was hoping to get started in September but it looks like it will be November before I can even begin scheduling any appointments. Am I scared? I'm terrified but it is the fear of failure not the surgery. I can't fail at this because there will be no second chance.

Honey, stop waffling already ! Sounds like you've done ENOUGH research ! As far as complications go, well i ve had more "complications " with a root canal than i did the band ! i was misreable, overweight , out of shape and could not get the scale to go down more than 12 lbs even with a year of Weight Watchers ! I thought i would be obese for the rest of my life ! The kicker came when my hubby mentioned one night that his sister and her hubby were going to get Lapbands in the next few weeks ? (June 2011) I thought " Lap band ? Oh yeah, i kinda remember seeing ads in the magizines for lapbands !" But it literaly NEVER crossed my mind that I would get one ! So the inlaws answered my questions, i did ALL my research and got banded In December because I knew this was the answer to my obesity ! BEST. DECISION. EVER.

In 2005 Ihit 303 lbs blew my mind I researched the band but felt it was punking out !

Sorry i hit send accidentillay . Anyway I thought that all WLS was punking out ! So I successfully did Atkins lost 50 lbs but quit once I hit a plateau .fastforward 3 yrs 2008 back up to 291 got pregnant had a baby .6 weeks after delivery I'm aback down to 291. Then I dieted my way up to 339 lbs.I told myself I did not want to be fat at forty .I turn 40 this October 2012.Also now had a toddler boy I have to chase around .So I did more research on all the WLS options. And decided on lap band for some of the same reasons, no re routing , reversible, and the eating plan resembled Atkins the only diet I ever lost weight with.there were other things but that's the main things.:-)

I was with my father while he was in his final months and watched him fight the lung cancer that was starting to win. He had been heavy his entire adult life and was a hard worker but missed out on a lot of enjoyable experiences because he was just too tired with the extra weight. In the end, after the chemo and cancer took its toll he was as skinny as he had been since high school. He was so proud of how skinny he was, even tho it wasn't for good reasons. He started talking in wishful thinking of all the things he wanted to do before it was too late. Two weeks later I

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*damn phone... Lol

Two weeks later I was with him as he passed and I decided I was not going to wait until I got cancer, chemo, or had let anymore of life pass me by before I did something about it. Within two weeks of getting back after his passing I had an appt, went self pay and had the surgery less than a month from when he passed. I wasn't fully educated & was making an emotional decision - which I know is not the right thing to do - but I don't regret it one bit.

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I just finally realized that I had dedicated the last 20 years of my life fighting fat, it was time for a more permanent solution. Time to move on, just like a bad marriage.

I couldn't of said it better myself. I'm so excited for my surgery..I can't wait to start feeling better physically and emotionally!

Seeing some of you mentioning being out of breath when tying your shoes - that was a big one for me. It seems so petty but it's one example of something we do every day that would be easier if we weighed less. I had similar health issues - about to be diagnosed diabetic, gastroenterologist said I'd be dead in 10 years from my fatty liver. Those were pretty ugly words but they had their desired effect; I want to be around to see my kids grow up (currently 17, 15, 12 and 8) and see my grandchildren. I had done most of the programs - anyone remember the Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet that I tried in 10th grade in 1970? I had lost 45 lb on Atkins one summer but couldn't stay off the carbs after a long plateau (my dad died that year which threw me for a loop as well).

I had talked about wls for some time but my primary doc said no and my wife said no but eventually they both came around. Went to the seminar with my wife and she agreed that the lapband was the way to go so I did the 3 month program that federal BCBS requires, got approved first letter and was banded May 21, 2012.

I've lost 40 lb so far with no fill but have not lost any more the last month so I'm planning on getting my first fill today. I had restriction with no fill but don't feel it anymore and my will power won't much longer. I did OK when I felt restriction so the fill should help me get back on track. At least I haven't gained! Everyone keep up the good work. And keep up the inspirational stories too. They really help.

I couldn't play with my kids anymore like I used to. I couldn't get up and down off of the floor without wearing myself out. I had sleep apnea and had to get on a machine to sleep. I had High cholesterol and blood pressure. And I was

In the plus size clothes and just didn't recognize mysel anymore.