Hi there,

I am new here and am just begining the steps to get banded. A little about me, I am 25yrs and have been overweight my whole life. Right now I am 5'8 and weigh 294 lbs but I am pretty active and healthy. I have tried everything under the sun to loose weight and nothing seems to work for me. I do work out and go to the gym and I try to eat healthy and natural but the weight just doesn't want to come off. My last go around with a diet recently was on Weight Watchers. Now I thought it was a really good program however, like the other diets I have tried, it didn't work for me. I am at a point in my life where I am ready for a giant change and I think this is the right thing for me.

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share some things with me. I was wondering, what made other people come to the decision to have the surgery? What are the factors that led up to it and if you have had it done already, how are you coping afterwards?

I now have appts set up with 3 different surgeons to see which one is right for me. Anyone from MN? I am seeing Dr Ikramuddin, Dr Lederer and Dr Wetherille. I am really nervous but still looking forward to getting the procedure done.

Also how did you guys break the news to your family and friends? I am a little scared that they are going to look down on me.

Hi there... I like you have been over weight my whole life... Lost it all gained it back plus more each time. I hated that!

I lost a whole bunch of weight in 2004 but then I ended up way more than when I started, I said I would NEVER have a surgery... I was scared... But, that was the gastric bypass.

Last October my brother that is 3 years older than me.. he is over weight now but wasn't when he was younger like me, well he had a massive heart attack... He almost died. they gave him a 10% chance to even make it because his heart was so weak & damaged. He made it!

Well from that day on I thought I need to do something or I am going to end up like him or worse! I have been fat since birth!

Then there are the people that give you the looks or talk about you... lets not forget about booths in restaurants, you no longer fit in them anymore, let alone rides at the amusement park...

I thought this life is not fun anymore, you get out of breath walking up steps, you cant fit in a seat anymore, you get the looks, you get the whispers and to top it all off you are so unhealthy!

So I said I am going to find out about the lap bad... I am so happy I did it! I am just beginning this new journey, but so far I am loving it!

I only told my Husband, Daughter, & 3 of my best friends.

The rest I told I had my gall bladder out.

My parents would not understand as they have never been there for me... as a matter of fact they would call me a walrus, etc... And, that was when I was no where near fat. I am 5'10"... and when I was a walrus I was 145 -155 pounds and a size 10... but because I was not a size 2 like my little sister who is only 5'6" that put the label of walrus on me, how sick! And to think that is my very own parents, so ya see why I did not tell them???

I do not need their negative comments... At this time in my life it is about me and all of the positive energy and comments I can get!!

So good luck in your search! Do not let anyone bring you down or talk you out of making a healthy decision to aid you through the rest of your life.

Well, ditto for me too. I have been overweight whole life. This is the heaviest I have ever been. I have done every diet known to man-kind (woman-kind, lol), lost it, found it,lol. But in all seriousness I have plenty of reasons for this surgery (date is nov 26th).

Reasons:

1. fly comfortably, able to wear the seabelt without having a welt around my belly, because I am too embarassed to accept the extender.

2. cross legs like my skinny friends

3. shop in stores other than lane bryant, avenue, and "big-girl" sections at the department stores.

4. wear all the clothes in my closet, and not just the few shirts I feel comfortable in, over and over and over:faint:

5. have my husband wrap his arms comfortably around my body, and not be thinking "is he touching my back-fat?"

6. be free when being intimate

7. quit adjusting bra, pulling at shirt away from body

8. no worries when going into a restaurant and fitting in the booths, chairs.

9. being able to wear my seatbelt in my truck,,,,,I can't wear comfortable right now

10. being able to exercise and actually enjoy it.

Well I guess that is enough for now,,,,,I know I have more reasons, just tired at the moment.

Hope this helps.

Just wanted to write a little update.

I am moving along on the road to being banded. I went for my seminar last night and I mailed in all of my paperwork today. Hopefully I will be getting a call from my dr's office to schedule my appointments soon! YAY :clap2:

You sound like you were reading from my thoughts.The seatbelts, the amusement park rides,worrying about my husband toughing my back fat.I am soooo ready for this surgery.If I could only get the ball rolling faster. I am waiting for my doc to give me the script for my CPAP. Through this journey I have found that I have sleep apnea. The surgeon wants me to be on the machine a few weeks before I can even schedule the surgery.I am still hoping for a date around x=mas. Time is running out.

What made me decide to get the surgery was my age im 20 year's old i read that most people was smaller when they where younger well im not older yet an i been big my whole life. Never had a real boyfriend every1 want's to be just "Friend's" i didnt even have a date to the senior prom i have to take my cousin who was a freshman (Thank god he looks older) I not saying i did it jus for the attention of men but.... I want to be able to have fun jus like other girls my age an not alway be the third will or the "Fat Friend" who has to tag along. Im 9 day's post op an loving every pound i lose.

What made me decide to get the surgery was my age im 20 year's old i read that most people was smaller when they where younger well im not older yet an i been big my whole life. Never had a real boyfriend every1 want's to be just "Friend's" i didnt even have a date to the senior prom i have to take my cousin who was a freshman (Thank god he looks older) I not saying i did it jus for the attention of men but.... I want to be able to have fun jus like other girls my age an not alway be the third will or the "Fat Friend" who has to tag along. Im 9 day's post op an loving every pound i lose.

I hear ya on that! I am glad you are doing well and it's always nice to see that you are aren't the only one going through these issues. Congrats on your loss!:biggrin1:

Thanks alot.