I have always been heavy. Even when I was a child. Every picture I have ever seen I was fat. I think it really struck me when my primary (in Missouri) marked my chart as "morbidly obese" in 2008 or 2009. I never realized just how heavy I was until then. At my largest I was 254 pounds. In 2010 I managed to drop 35 to 40 pounds but then fell off the wagon and put most of it back on. I have since fluctuated from 249 to 236 and every where in-between. I decided to pursue WLS. My primary at that time (in Georgia) referred me to a specialist that could do the lap band. I researched and went to my appointments and the classes they required. When we started doing my medical workup I had to go for an upper endoscopy because of my history of reflux. I was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus (damage to lining from years of acid creeping up) and there was evidence of it trying to turn to cancer. I was sent to a Gastroenterologist and more biopsies were taken two more times. I moved to Jacksonville shortly after and continued receiving care at the Mayo Clinic. They did another set of biopsies of my esophagus and determined that I had pre-cancerous changes in a few spots and treatment was performed. During all of this they also discovered a hiatal hernia. Repair was never discussed, just placed me on Omeprazole to keep my acid in check. We recently moved back to Missouri and I have resumed care with my original primary and she gave me referral to the Bariatric surgeon to get my hernia repaired and my WLS using the VGS. I go on July 25th for my consult appointment and to hopefully get the ball rolling on this. I can not wait for the end results. It is going to be a long journey but well worth it.

Good luck!

Was the Barrett's diagnosed before or after the band?