Hi Everyone

First of all I would like to say what a god send finding this site has been to me. I have been a member for a while just reading and finding out as much as I can.

I want to do something about my weight problem but like many others on this forum, it simply is not just about weight and food. I'm a compulsive eater who has calmed down alot over the last few months. I am starting to try and LIVE, to not put my life on hold until I am slim and i have come quite far with it but I am struggling with my body image and becoming at peace with it. After not daring to look in a full length mirror for years, during the summer months of last year I tried soooooo hard to get used to my body and just appreciate it for what it is but it is so incredibaly difficult when you are so large. So I was thinking this operation might help.

I know very well that this IS NOT the easy way out out but I feel that it will help me control what and how much I put in my mouth.

I am not worried about losing my favourite foods but what I am concerned about is losing my hair. I would rather be fat with hair than slim and bold!!!!! There are obviously health concerns attached to my decision but at the moment I can't think past the possible hair loss. It scares the hell out of me!

Can anyone reassure me?

X Katie

hi katie what i can say to you is that i have been banded for 6 years and it has been pretty great i have had my days where i have stressed about my band but that is just me i can still eat what i like but in moderation which is a good thing i enjoy going out to dinner and partys and i get by just fine to me it has been life changing i feel great and i really enjoy life. I havent had any problems with my hair but we are all different as i speak i am being naughty but its sunday and i am having a piece of pie and i dont feel guilty as i want to enjoy life so if you get the band which i highly recomend embrace it and keep enjoying life regards tanya:)

Katie- I am also getting it done Jan 31st. I have weighed all my options

looked into the negative & positives of the surgery & the positives won.

I am sad that I have let myself get into this mess & I want to continue

the life I have left in contentment with myself. I am tired,grouchy,irritable,

and find myself becoming more reclusive as the weight packs on. Usually

I am an outgoing, happy person. Mentally & physically I think this is the best option for me

Hi Katie,

We are the same age!! woohoo - I do not have the band -yet- but i am scheduled next month and let me tell you... I am really happy and excited about it! I feel like i have made the right decision especially after attending the info sessions.

I have been struggling with my weight since i was born! I weighed 10lbs 1oz - lol .. And i swear, It's just something i have lived with my entire life. I am ready to finally get it under control and do the things that i just do not have the energy for anymore and even new things i could never do because of my size.

My friend/co-worker has the band and she looks great. AND she did not lose ANY hair. I even asked her if she had hair loss and she gave me a strange look, lol. When i told her people on the forum, a lot of people mentioned losing their hair.. She said she never lost any of hers.

Even if you lose -some- .. It will grow back. You won't stay bald or anything. lol

I also know 3 people who had the gastric bypass and one woman, her hair is kinda frayed ... The other 2 look fine, I did not notice any hair loss on them.

Trust me, I was really upset after reading the hair loss thread. But i'm sort of getting over it now, lol.

From what I've heard, the key to not losing your hair, is making sure you get enough Protein.

The other thing that I would think would work, if you're worried about losing your hair, is taking pre-natal Vitamins. I've heard that it works wonders with hair and nails. I wonder if this is because of the extra folic acid?

Hi Katie!!!

Welcome to LBT. Take a deep calming breath... ok. Feel better

Not everybody loses their hair. I know that I have't lost any appreciable amount at all. Some people have some temporarty hair loss about 6 mos out from surgery - but it is not ALL your hair - just more than normal.

I haven't even experience that. I might have lost a little more than normal in months 6 & 7 - but honestly, it wasn't noticable to anybody but me, and I was looking for it.

I think some folks here have it worse than others because they lose weight really fast - and that shocks the system, hence a little more hair loss than I experienced. If you take it very slowly, not only do you get to live a very normal life, but you get to keep your hair.

Don't freak out, now. Honestly, even if you lose a TON of hair, they have made great strides in the wig-making industry... seriously - get yourself a little fall to add to the volume and go for the band.

There are a ton of threads on hair loss. There are hundreds of suggestions to help slow or stop the process. Personally, I would rather be bald and wearing a wig than fat for the rest of my unnaturally short life.

Hugs and good luck!

Hi Katie, I haven't loss any of my hair. Hope your decision is the right one for you. Good luck.

Hi Katieo

I agree with you on the hair issue. I have been worried about it also. I decided to start taking hair, skin and nails from GNC. I ordered it from drugstore.com. A great site. Not expensive either. I figure it would not hurt to get started on this ahead of time. My first consult is next week and I will let you know what they say about this supplement. I think the Protein is the key though.

Good luck with your decision!

It does take time. I have been researching this for proably a year now, but this site has really made me feel 100 times more comfortable with my decision. The way I look at it is that the technology is there, it's safe and I'm going to take the help that is offered to me at this point!

Hi ya katie...I had my lapband over a year ago now and I have as much a head full of hair as I always did. Think positive, chances are you will be a lucky one too.

Keep us posted

becky

Katieo,

Even if you do lose your hair, don't worry -- it's almost always treatable. My hair started thinning about 6 years ago, and it was awful. I suffer from hypothyroidism, and I was losing handfuls every day. Well, I tried Rogaine, and believe me, it is a miracle drug. I used it consistently for 1 year and after the first 3 months, my hair stopped falling out. By month 4, it was regrowing. After a year, I decided to stop because I thought my thyroid condition was improving. Within 6 months, I started losing hair again. I went back on Rogaine and have used it consistently since then. My hair is now as thick and as full as it was when I was a teenager. And I've had no side effects from using it.

I'm scheduled to be banded on 1/17 and have lots of concerns, too. But thanks to Rogaine, I'm not concerned about potential hair loss.