Hey everyone! I am excited to be a part of this community as I am very active in forums all over the net.

I am a 23 year old college student at Winona State University, MN. I am in my 5th year, completing a BSN Nursing degree with a minor in Psychology. I will be graduating in May and will be working in a hospital in the Twin Cities.

A little hx of me... I was a swimmer from kindergarten until 8th grade. When puberty hit during my 7th-8th grade years, I could not get over my large size and could not feel comfortable in a speedo. I quit swimming and joined football from 9th to 12th. During my junior year in high school, I was at my largest weight... 320 lbs (I am 6'2"). Because of this, my senior year I worked hard and hard with a Body for Life program my coach recommended to me. For the three years I worked hard with the BFL program (from senior year in high school to my second year in college), I lost 80 lbs.! I was at the happiest point in my entire life... 240 lbs., met a beautiful girl, changed my major to Nursing (I wassss computer science), and felt that I could conquer anything in this world! I even got a chest liposuction to make my chest tighter/form-fitting and I looked great!

Things quickly turned around. Our bodies loooove homeostasis and so when I reached my low weight, my body did not want to stay there. I started gaining weight slowly but surely. It was a process that took another 2 years (to where I am at now), but I am now 321 lbs. again. During this weight gain period, I have done everything under the sun to stop the weight loss and reverse it. Instead, I only slowed the progression at times, but my body kept gaining and gaining.

This summer I discussed with my family doctor about my options. He mentioned gastric bypass and I about jumped out of my seat. I left not ever thinking I would get surgery at such a young age to lose weight that I had already loss before. But because I have tried everything, I looked into what options I had. I did not want a "cure" or a "last resort", but something that would WORK for me... and also is not so drastic as to cut and re-shape my stomach (the bypass).

Hence, I discovered the LAP-BAND. I have since done a lot of research on it and feel that this may be my best option to aid in my weight loss efforts. My family hx includes everything... heart disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, etc. etc. I already have hypertension (on Lisinopril when I was 22) and mild sleep apnea (dx 2 weeks ago and am using a C-PAP). My father is on a heart transplant waiting list and is in very poor health in his 50's. My relatives are all extremely obese with already five of them having a gastric bypass already, and unfortunately many more who could use that sort of surgery. I know I will have heart disease and will die at a young age if I do not fix my problem now. Being in the health care field, I have seen people in poor health and I know I want to do everything in my power to prevent being sick at an early age.

When I talked above about how happy I was at 240 lbs., it was truly the best days of my life. I miss that time. My girlfriend and I have been struggling a great deal in our relationship because of my weight. My activity level is horrible, our intimacy is shallow, and I can't do many of the things I used to do with her. We had broken up once before, but I do not want to let it happen again. She is extremely supportive of me getting this surgery and hopes that my struggles and our struggles together will be solved.

I hope this forum will be a great way to tell my story and document my journey through my weight loss. I've already got the wheels rolling and getting all the pre-op stuff out of the way. I am hoping to get my surgery scheduled in March, during my spring break. I would be sacrificing a free Washington D.C trip for this life-changing event.

I will be doing my surgery at HealthEast (in St. Joseph's hospital in St. Paul) and am choosing to do it with Dr. Michael Schwartz.

I hope to hear many responses from people who are understanding and can help me in any way through this process.

Thank you everyone! I look forward to the future!

-Jason

WOW!!!!!!!! For such a pup.. you really sound like you have your head on straight, and I KNOW you will soon bee one of the MANY LBT success stories!

I can't wait to see your progress.

Welcome to LBT Jason! Thanks for sharing your story!

Jason,

You definitely came to the right place. Congratulations on your decision to go with the Lap Band. It's not a easy decision and it's not right for everybody... but, it has the power to HELP you change your life.

Just remember that it's YOU doing the changing. The band is just a tool that will help you in your journey - a tool that most of us here cannot live without. It will help you make the right decisions with what foods to eat but it won't help you exercise. It will help make you feel good about yourself... but it's you doing the work and don't forget that. With every pound you lose don't forget how far along you're coming.

Smile and know that the 240 lb blissful days aren't so far away.

Happy New Year!

Jason, congratulations for getting it all figured out at such a young age. I commend you for your courage! I wish I had the courage to have the surgery 3 years ago when I first discovered it. I love my band and there is not a single day that goes by that I am not thankful for the changes it has helped me make. Please keep us updated on your progress and welcome to LBT!

Jason, congratualtions on making your decision. It will be life changing. We have a lot in common with the athletics. It was the peak performance time of my life. Having an active exercise routine will be very important. The band is a great tool. I truly hope you can lose your weight and keep it off this time. It will be life changing. Congrats on your nursing degree and job. Best of luck to you with your girlfriend. It is wonderful that she is supportive. Keep us updated.

Hi Jason, welcome to the nursing profession. You are so right to want to get control of things now...I love my patients and I know how hard it is for them, thus my decision to get the lapband since nothing else was working, and my weight continued to creep up with every new diet. You bring up an interesting point that some prebanders need to know. The lap band isn't only a tool to help you lose weight, but it also helps prevent or reverse some of the comorbidities that come with the weight gain. I have had my lap band now for 3 and 1/2 weeks, so am still new at this...but I am happy with my decision. I have healed quickly and am getting ready to take a long walk in the park...I think this will be a good tool for you to help you take back control of your life.

welcome! I am also a young bandster, i'm 24, always a chubby girl, but after 2 children i'm at my heaviest. I'm a new bandster less than 2 weeks now, but don't regret it at all!

Being an "old" bander - over 40 - I can tell you that I WISH there had been this option when I was a girl. My life would have been quite different, I think. It certainly would have been more active!

I wish you the best of luck in getting your band, Jason.

Keep researching and hang out here with us. We will help as much as we can.

Hugs!!

Being even an older bandster than ReneBean (!)...I whole heartedly support your decision to do this as a preventative measure to the health problems facing you in the future. Being proactive beats being reactive!

Personally I did not have any serious weight issues until my 30's...but how I wish I could have done this then, and had back the years I spent inactive and privately ashamed of how I had let myself go...but I am doing it now, and loving it! I am back to actually wanting to DO things. Exercise is something I enjoy, as opposed to avoid.

It sounds like you are doing all the proper research, and have a good handle on the work you will be required to do with the band!

If you have any questions we will be happy to help. You have come across a site, full of helpful people, with lots of band knowledge---welcome!

Kat

hi jason!

i, too, am a nursing student and wanting to be healthier! thank you for your story-i laughed when i saw 'homeostasis'---my body loves that word! i also lost about 70lbs with weight watchers, and my weight came back with a vengence! i just want to be healthy for me, my kids, and my patients! how serious can a person take me when i'm telling them to lose weight when i'm a moose myself? i'm from the stillwater minnesota area, and am very familiar with st. josephs hospital (my daughter was born there)! i now live in wisconsin (dells area).good luck to you and your journey----keep in touch! hopefully we both get our bands during spring break-that's my goal too!

Wow Jason! welcome to LBT & Thanks for shareing...I am looking forward to the next installment! Best wishes

becky

Jason, You are wise beyond your years. I was in the same boat as you at your age, but surgery was not an option. Now I am 32 and having the lap band done, but what I would not give to have those years of my life back without the weight.

Andrew

Jason, Congrats on making up your mind at such a young age! I am just excited that we have this option to lose weight and not have to do the gast. bypass. I am 27 and I felt young to be doing it but I got banded on the 26th and I am so greatful for it.

Good Luck with your surgury and girlfriend!

Keep us posted!

Congratulations on your decision Jason. I'm 42.5 years old and wish I could of done this years ago. It's great that you're thinking about not only your health now but, the future. Your family history certainly warrants the thought process you've given this and sounds like you're well on your way to being a healthier, livelier, more energenic you! Welcome to LBT!

Thanks so much for the responses everybody! I feel a lot more welcomed here.

I see most of the replies were from females, with the exception of I think one male. My Doctor was surprised that I actually came in because the majority are middle-aged women that come in. He then joked that it's either the woman that comes, or the boyfriend/husband that the woman makes go there.

Serious and Chubbola... I am with you on concerns being a nurse and telling my patients how to be healthy, but to feel that I am unhealthy myself. I just don't feel right tellng my 275 lb. patient that he needs to lose weight to help with his disease, but here I am 320 lbs. and taking care of them. I am curious, what type of nurses are you/want to be? If all goes well with this, I may want to use my experience and be a gastric nurse of some type. I've always had a fascination for cardiac/ICU stuff, mostly because of my dad's health being on the transplant list. Hopefully, I will eventually become a professor and aid in turning around the nursing shortage. But who knows! Maybe after losing the weight again, I may have some other high aspirations (mountain climber maybe? :rolleyes)

So is it recommended I do a journal on here to chart my progress? Does anyone read it or get anything out of it? What else can I do to chart and aid in my own progress?

Does anyone have before/after pictures or know a site they could share that would give my family and friends better ideas on what to expect from me?

I will start scouring the other forum pages and start my posts there soon. Figured these may be introductory questions .

Thanks again everyone!

-Jason