Hello ALL *newbie here* my name is Tamika and I'm having my first information meeting for lapband! I'm excited to take this next step to a more healthy life for me and for my kids! I would like to know how long is the whole process?? From the time you went in for the information meeting to surgery?? Also how long did it take until you could exercise again?? Btw..I've been in this group lurking and I must say you all are such an INSPIRATION TO ME..

Hey lead time to surgery depends on what hoops yr ins co make u jump through everyone's is different but my process started last wk of January in a seminar like u r going to... I had surgery april 3rd... I was back in the gym daily at two wks.. some days I could not stay long but I went and tried now I clock more than 10 hrs a wk cardio not including strength...just don't try to much to soon and hurt yourself... I blogged my whole process start to now at http//:lapbanddiva2013@blogspot.com..I recapped ea appt from shrinks to sleep study ect... so if u want to check it out and see what all u have to look foward too.. I am thrilled w my experience thus far!

My first consult was Dec 11, 2012 and I had my surgery March 20, 2013. I spent the three months checking off the list of pre-op requirements (psych evaluations, sleep study, endoscopy, dietician, and eating what I thought I'd never be able to eat again. (That part was a mistake, of course. Don't do like me.)

As previously stated, it all depends on your insurance requirements. I've heard some people taking close to a year to get their surgery. For me, it was only 3 weeks from my seminar until my surgery date.

@parisshel

This may be a stupid question..lol.. but how was that a mistake??

Well for me let's see. I had already had some testing done in March 2010 because I wasn't feeling well. That's when I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. Was only given medicine to help. I wanna say some time in either late October to early November I attended a weight loss seminar must have been November because I remember like two weeks later November 23 the day before Thanksgiving, they scheduled me to come in to do my pre-op measurements and give me a diet to follow. I didn't have to do all that psych eval stuff that others had to do. I could have scheduled my surgery sooner than I did but because I'm an educator I like to take advantage of the days we are off so I scheduled my surgery for the week before Christmas. However, my father became very ill in August of 2010 and died Nov. 11 so I guess with all that stress plus I was going to school finishing my doctorate, that hernia became worse to the point I could barely do the diet so I ended up having the surgery on Friday, December 17 which was the last day of school for Christmas break. So I had the whole two weeks to recover before going back to work. I'm glad I did that because I didn't have any problems in the New Year. Insurance does have a lot to do with how things go.

For me started in October 2012 with preop testing ( EGD , upper gi, psych eval, lab, mammo, letters from primary and rheumatologist, seminar, echo, EKG and precert to insurance) surgery finally was may 29 2013. It was so worth the wait and insurance headaches. I have lost 36 pounds and only 6 1/2 weeks postop ! Was back to work in a week and exercising in 2 weeks. Goodluck to u!!!!

Seminar early oct 2012, surgery late April, so about six months jumping through aforementioned hoops from Aetna and dr requirements

Was at gym 3 weeks after surgery