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How did you find out about the Band?



How did you hear about the band?  

1 member has voted

  1. 1. How did you hear about the band?

    • Advertising by the Doctor/clinic
      22
    • Someone who had it or knew someone who did
      50
    • Research on the internet
      46
    • Referal from another Doctor
      11
    • Other
      36


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I never really looked to deaply into weight loss surgery since my insurance doesn't cover it and besides, bypass just plain scared the steam out of me. Anyway, I got to the point where I had to do something and started searching online for solutions and found a site for someplace in Mexico. I loved the idea of not actually re-routing nature and the slower weight loss seemed healthier so I started reseaching local facilities and found a program close to home.

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I first heard about it from my SIL who works for a major insurance company, saying she was considering it. They wouldn't cover it even for her back then, which was probably 2003. Then last year a friend here had it done in Mexico, which perked my interest again, and I began researching in serious then, knowing if my insurance denied me, there were other options.. I was afraid to get my hopes up. In the end they did deny me twice, and I elected to go self pay in MX as opposed to a year or longer battle, which is what I was afraid of. Best thing I ever did just for me:) .

Kat

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It was about three or four years ago. I was watching Discovery health or one of those channels that have the shows that highlight different people having weight loss surgery. I think it showed two having lap-band and two with RNY. The Rny chick was trying on a leather jacket after she lost a lot of weight and was riding a Harley. The only thing I remember about the Lap was the girl eating cream Soup at a table with her boyfriend, then standing in front of a mirror trying on clothes in a dept. store amazed at how much she has lost. Oh, yeah!! and her first fill. If anyone can tell me the name of this show, I would Love it!!! ( I think it was Al Rokers surgeon who was on the show--I think the surgeon was an Indian woman)

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Sharon Osbourne was on telly over here in the UK and they asked her how she'd lost her weight and when she said "I had a band put around my tummy" that was the deciding factor for me as i had been thinking about it for a year or so . It was almost like a sign.!!!!!

Gaynor:D

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My DH was working for Ethicon-Endo Surgery (Johnson & Johnson) and they had purchased the Swedish band and were doing testing & such in their labs. He came home and told me about and I thought he was crazy. I didn't understand. Well, I did the research on my own and here I am....banded and loving it!!!

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I went to meet with my surgeon for a consult to have RNY and he went over the risks for both RNY and Lap-Band. When he said that at the end of three years most post op RNY and Banders have lost about the same amount of weight. The decsion was easy to make. The recovery was much easier and living with the band has been going pretty well too---happy with weight loss

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I heard about it from my DH. It had gotten to the point where his weight was coming between us. I was seriously considering divorce if he didn't have some sort of surgical intervention.

His offical high weight was 596 pounds, but we both know that he was wellover 600 at some point. He couldn't walk through a standard doorway anymore, he had to squeeze his way into rooms.

So far, he's lost over 200 pounds, fits into a size 2X sweatpants (down from 6X) but they are tight. I find that to be nothing short of a minor miricle.

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I went to meet with my surgeon for a consult to have RNY and he went over the risks for both RNY and Lap-Band. When he said that at the end of three years most post op RNY and Banders have lost about the same amount of weight. The decsion was easy to make. The recovery was much easier and living with the band has been going pretty well too---happy with weight loss.

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This is a great question. I'm not really sure how I heard. I think it was from research on the internet, but I also heard an acquaintance mention someone he knew who had the band. That may have opened my mind to reading about it and led to the internet search. Funny how I forgot that little tidbit!

Mslynn

:wave:

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I was looking for a photo of Bruce Springsteen on the internet. Google sent me to the website of the gay mobster on the Sopranos. (apparently there was a photo of Bruce and himself on his site some where) Buried in an interview on his site he mentions his 100lbs weight loss and said he did it with the help of the "band". That was the first I heard of it.

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I'm wondering, based on comments in another thread, how we all heard about the band?

Hi Lisa,

How come you have to wait so long to get your band in? '_'

I read about it online, and a few friends shared news links with me, as they knew I'm WAY overweight and was looking at ways to get help. :)

So many people still haven't heard about it yet, though, it's sad.

Big hugs,

Nanette

<><

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I first heard about it from my SIL who works for a major insurance company, saying she was considering it. They wouldn't cover it even for her back then, which was probably 2003. Then last year a friend here had it done in Mexico, which perked my interest again, and I began researching in serious then, knowing if my insurance denied me, there were other options.. I was afraid to get my hopes up. In the end they did deny me twice, and I elected to go self pay in MX as opposed to a year or longer battle, which is what I was afraid of. Best thing I ever did just for me:) .

Kat

WOW, Kat! I love reading your posts! :)

You only just had your first fill mid-June (are you getting those state-side?), yet look how much you've lost already. GREAT going! ^_^

Is 1.25cc a lot for a single fill? Seems like it, but I'm only guessing.

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I was looking for a photo of Bruce Springsteen on the internet. Google sent me to the website of the gay mobster on the Sopranos. (apparently there was a photo of Bruce and himself on his site some where) Buried in an interview on his site he mentions his 100lbs weight loss and said he did it with the help of the "band". That was the first I heard of it.

LOL, hi 'I'm with the band'...

Your story is a great illustration of how "God moves (works) in mysterious ways." :)

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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