Tomorrow I begin my journey to hopefully get approved for WLS. I work for the state of Louisiana and the process for getting approved is a little complicated. They have created a "study" through Pennington Biomedical Research. You apply to the program and go through some basic screening up front which I did 1 year ago. Once you get through this screening you are put into a lottery drawing to move to the next stage of the study. I had my first visit last week where they did the next round of medical screening. I passed this round and now begin a 2 week liquid diet (they provide the shakes). I do this for 2 weeks and go back on January 31st and if all goes well then my case will be reviewed by the surgery review panel to determine if I am eligible for surgery. The other catch to this process is that you do not get to chose which surgery, because it is a study. It will be either the lap-band, sleeve, or bypass. If you get approved and do not like the surgery path that has been chosen you can always drop out. I am excited to see what happens next. I am nervous about starting the 2 week liquid diet, but I know it is good training for once I have the surgery. Any thoughts, words of wisdom and support are welcomed.

I am in the Heads Up program as well. Finish health 1 shakes today and go for 2nd screening tomorrow. Stay in touch.

Good luck with your adventure. All I can say is that WLS was worth all the trouble I had to go through to get it done. From my own experience watching friends go through RNY, VSG, and the Gastric Band, is that, even if approved, I would not do the Band. I've just seen and read too many accounts of the Band not working out long term. On the other hand, all 3 of my friends that had RNY are all happy with their results - one lady being over 10 years post-op.

@@staceymeaux don't listen to the band busters. There are plenty on the site that have been very successful with the band as many as there are that have not been successful with the sleeve or other surgery and vs versa.

No matter what surgery methodology they choose for you the key is to work it and work it out for your self. It is a tool, as with any good tool we can move mountains and build bridges and get us where we want to go if we just use it.

Good luck!!

Oh for crying out loud, I love my band! Whatever weight loss surgery you get, the main thing is you are choosing your own health and happiness. You are showing up for yourself. Way to go! And keep us posted as things unfold. Wild!

PS I had a two week liquid pre-op -- loved it that FOR ONCE every pound lost was one I wouldn't be seeing again. True that.

Hey lisacaron, I'm glad you had success with the Band. I've only known one person with the Band and they may have had other issues that caused the Band not to work well for them. Essentially, they learned how to eat around their band and gained everything back, plus some.

The most important thing I learned from this adventure is; I'm still the same old me, with the same food issues I had pre-surgery. And I have to take the right steps to keep from falling back into old habits.

Thanks for adding your success story lisa.

@@staceymeaux don't listen to the band busters. There are plenty on the site that have been very successful with the band as many as there are that have not been successful with the sleeve or other surgery and vs versa.

No matter what surgery methodology they choose for you the key is to work it and work it out for your self. It is a tool, as with any good tool we can move mountains and build bridges and get us where we want to go if we just use it.

Good luck!!

Here is the peoblem I have with the hoops they made you jump through. Doctors say that being obese is like having cancer in that your mortality rate goes way up, yet because it is an elective procedue we have to go through so much to get approved. They wouldnt do that with a cancer surgery they would just complete it.

Glad to hear you didnt get lost in shuffle of such a silly system. Good Luck.

so tired of the band bashing.. seriously, your choice or the programs choice is your business. I have had great success with the band, I am 68 and did not want major surgery such as removing most of my stomach or re-routing my intestines but that's not to say it would not be a good solution for you . there are complications with every type of surgery. The fear mongering about the band needs to stop. This is not a contest to see who has the best surgery. We all have to make the best decision for our own journey. Please all of you so called experts stop making negative post about the band. If you are successful with your surgery, that s wonderful, I am supportive of everyone. There are many long time bandsters on here who have had extremely successful results. I wish you the best and will pray that you will become a healthy, happy person.

@@joatsaint I understand. We all have friends or know of someone for whom the band or sleeve or bypass didn't work or failed. When the truth is that the surgery it self is not a failure it is only a tool. We have to choose to work with the tools that we have and sometimes we need a different tool sometimes you need a phillips head screw driver and not a flat head screw driver or you need a drill and not a hammer.

However if you don't try with the tools you have you don't discover that something else and/or nothing else is required.

My point is that especially to a new person who has not had surgery and who is at the mercy of the program as to which surgery she will have placing further anxiety and doubt on that person is not the best way to start.

We all have enough anxiety about our issues with food we would not be here if we didn't, so starting off in the right frame of mind is very important. It's that first year after our surgery that we find the most success with our tools as we learn them and learn to live a new life with them.

We are only as successful as we want to be. There are those here who have lost tremendous amounts of weight with the band and not one single fill, and then there are those who are like me and lose slowly and work their band to their lifestyle and not to the optimal potential.

It's up to YOU how you choose to work with your tools and how you navigate your journey we are all here to support that and each other.

Happy St. Patty's to you!!! Look for your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!!!

I am also a Heads Up Study participant I had surgery (gastric Sleeve) on October 14, 2014 by Dr. Michael Thomas. Please let me know if any other participants have any questions.