Hey my names mike I'm 18 . I've bad struggles with my weight my whole life. There was a point in time when I was a freshmen I was very athletic and built but I got injured in football and it all went down hill from there ! I met my girlfriend in 2011 when I was 310 and now 2 years later I'm 411 ... I really want to lose weight but I don't have a strong mind ! My girlfriend supports me 100% ! I feel like I hold her back from living bc Im not as mobile like other teenagers. I lost my football scholarships I never had a job and don't know how to drive . My weight holds me back from living young and having dependence . I would love to get this surgery done . I just would like to know how bad the scarring is ? Or if there's any pains if so how bad :/ please any info will help thank you

First off, Mike, congratulations on the first step to becoming a healthier you. Admitting your weight is holding you back in life is a very hard thing to do, and I know I was in denial for a very long time before getting where you are. You have come to the right place for support and knowledge about the weight loss surgery journey. To answer your question, I have very minimal scarring...5 incision scars on my belly less than an inch long each and they have faded drastically since my surgery 6 months ago. As far as pain goes, I was sore for about a week after surgery, like I had done too many sit-ups and a little pain from the gas they pumped into my stomach during surgery but no pain that was intolerable. As a matter of fact, I told the hospital to hold off on the morphine once I was up after surgery and haven't taken so much as a Tylenol since that day. The best advise I could give you is to go to support group meetings in your area, do your research, learn all that you can and then make an informed decision about what path is right for you! Good luck!

First off' date=' Mike, congratulations on the first step to becoming a healthier you. Admitting your weight is holding you back in life is a very hard thing to do, and I know I was in denial for a very long time before getting where you are. You have come to the right place for support and knowledge about the weight loss surgery journey. To answer your question, I have very minimal scarring...5 incision scars on my belly less than an inch long each and they have faded drastically since my surgery 6 months ago. As far as pain goes, I was sore for about a week after surgery, like I had done too many sit-ups and a little pain from the gas they pumped into my stomach during surgery but no pain that was intolerable. As a matter of fact, I told the hospital to hold off on the morphine once I was up after surgery and haven't taken so much as a Tylenol since that day. The best advise I could give you is to go to support group meetings in your area, do your research, learn all that you can and then make an informed decision about what path is right for you! Good luck![/quote']

Thank you for the reply ! And really I thought the scarring would be worse. That really helps a lot knowing that . I hope my surgery goes as successful as yours!

Mike I am 2 and 1/2 years post op, i cannot actually see my scars from the lapband, i would describe them as just like a bad acne scar, its keyhole surgery and the scars on the outside even if they were bigger are nothing to the scarring going on inside your body because of how heavy you are.

I started off at 400 lbs myself, i never thought i would do this, but i have, i only wish this operation had been around when i was your age, grab life with both hands and make it happen, life will pass you by if you dont ... good luck and i really hope this works out for you.

Mike you are on the right path. I too have had weight issues all my life. Now, at 66 I had the lap band. I knew was nearing 300 pounds and really wanted to live another 10 to 20 years. Go to support groups for surgeries. Lap band or any other gastric surgery you can find. I would also suggest a a 12 step program called Overeaters Anonymous. You will find that the surgery is not the end of it. You have to deal with life on life's terms and just having the surgery won't get the weight off until you deal with other things in your life. Over the years I have done it all from fad diets to weigh and pays, and OA has helped me the most. I did lose weight in OA but I needed the structure that the lap band is giving me. I have been banded since 2 19 13 and have lost about 35 pounds. Good luck on your journey which may at times seem like a roller coaster ride, but those too can be fun.

Hi Mike,

Welcome to LBT!! Next Tuesday is my 1 year surgery anniversary and I have to tell you it is the best thing I ever could have done for myself. It was by far the easiest surgery I have ever had in my life. I had two days of some gas cramping which is very normal. I was walking the hospital hall two hours after surgery with a lovely Nurse. As for the scarring mine are barely visible but even if they were it would still be worth it.

My advice to you would be to attend a seminar and learn all you can about it.

Jim

Hey Mike,

The scaring and pain is minimal compared to the wonderful feeling of HAPPINESS of weight loss and being healthy. The whole process can be scary but it is worth it all. Do your research and ask your surgeon a lot of questions. My only regret is that I DID NOT DO IT SOONER!!!!!! Best regards.

Hi Mike, I'm glad you are reaching out and asking questions. One thing you should understand when you have the lap band is how to eat with the band. It's not the same. It takes some getting used to and you will have many learning experiences as you begin your journey. I was banded in January and am down 41 lbs and couldn't be happier. Good luck to you!

Good for you, looking into what could change your life. This can and at your age, I would think if all medical clearances are performed, you will rock the world out of your band! Your concern regarding the scars is not a concern. I actually got my band in 2008 and you can not even tell I had surgery hardly. I also had my gall bladder out the following year and that is also so faded it's hard to see. When it was prominent, my husband used to laugh and say, only my wife could wrestle an alligator and win! Keep in mind, there are things for making the scars fade. The surgery was very easy and, honestly, none of my friends even know I have the band. My eating habits don't stand out and I still socialize at dinners all the time. I actually attend all sorts of luncheons for work (I'm a doctor), also, and no one has ever commented on my eating. I did have a few other medical issues that caused me to unfill the band for a while and, as expected, I gained back 40 pounds. I'm now refilled, completely health, and on my way again to losing that 40 pounds. That tells me the lapband works because within a week and half of a fill, I'm down another 6 pounds. Good luck with whatever decision you make, you deserve not to miss out on the things you mentioned so think it through and make a good decision!

Wow thank you everybody for all the encouragement! Ever since I gained weight nobody wants anything to do with me I walk down the halls in school and my old team mates don't say hi ! I want to do it for myself but I also want to do it to prove people wrong ! It's going to be hard for me to adjust to the diet I can imagine haha but like you guys said its definitely worth it

Hey my names mike I'm 18 . I've bad struggles with my weight my whole life. There was a point in time when I was a freshmen I was very athletic and built but I got injured in football and it all went down hill from there ! I met my girlfriend in 2011 when I was 310 and now 2 years later I'm 411 ... I really want to lose weight but I don't have a strong mind ! My girlfriend supports me 100% ! I feel like I hold her back from living bc Im not as mobile like other teenagers. I lost my football scholarships I never had a job and don't know how to drive . My weight holds me back from living young and having dependence . I would love to get this surgery done . I just would like to know how bad the scarring is ? Or if there's any pains if so how bad :/ please any info will help thank you

Mike: We will be waiting to hear of your progress. Have you been through all the testing and set a surgery date?

It's going to be hard for me to adjust to the diet I can imagine haha but like you guys said its definitely worth it

Mike, I have been fat all my life, I struggled to stay under the 230 weight limit for wrestling heavy weight as a freshman in High School. I would lose weight, the gain it back, lose weight than gain it back. The diet is not as hard as you may think, the hard part is dealing with the head hunger. None of us got where we are by only eating when we were physically hungry, you are going to have to do something that most of us have found very hard, when you eat, you are going to have to start examining why you want to eat. There is a saying, "If physical hunger is not the question, than food is not the answer" You are going to have to find other answers. This forum is a wonderful resource and support group, but ultimately, you are going to be the one who does the heavy hauling.

BTW, There are risks and complications inherent with any surgery, the band has far fewer than other forms of WLS, but it also has a correspondingly lower average excess weight loss result. I am 58 years old, and wish the surgery had been around when I was younger, but I'm happy it is here now. Good luck on your research.

From the sound of it you have a large frame like myself so I encourage you to do two things

1) familiarize yourself with the post band lifestyle that means develop an exercise habit, start counting calories, and practice eating slowly and only when hungry. The more you do this beforehand the easier it will be to benefit from the band. The band does not make these habits easier it just makes them more effective.

2) research realistic goals for yourself. BMI and weight are not always the best measures of success. If you have a large frame I would encourage you to focus on things like waist size, range of motion, and stamina for benchmarks to gauge your success since your weight may plateau multiple times during your weight loss journey and it's important to see forward progress.

Frederic is correct, regarding setting realistic goals.

Some will lose fast and some lose slow in any case I know that without the lap band I more than likely be over 400 lbs with an overabundance of medical issues.

Take care

Hi Mike. I was just wondering if you had the surgery yet and how things are going for you?