Hi Guys!

long story short on me, im new here, im 5'5 243-5ish.... so according to the lapband website, my BMI is a 40, which means technically i would qualify. Im curious if thats the only test the doctors do, or if they test muscle mass? I am really interested in getting the surgery done, but i (read: my Jewish/Italian mother) am very concerned about a couple things, and i want to make sure that its the best course for me to take. (As my mother put it, she would rather spend the 12K on a tummy tuck and a breast lift AFTER i lose the weight on me, ratehr then on a surgery...never mind you in 22 years that hasnt worked.) While i am really interested, i could really use some helpful info from people who arent getting paid to answer in certain ways.

1. How much did the surgery cost you? I know this is supposed to vary between 12-25, but im curious after all is said and done what is costs you.

2. as i said before, im italian and jewish...so i need to know that i can atleast eat a little bit of those foods sometimes...ive already gone the eating disorder route, and i really dont feel like depriving myself anymore.... The lapband website says that people with a sweet tooth dont tend to do well with Lapbands, any opinions?

3. the port site....does this mean that you have an open tube somewhere on your body for the rest of your life???? i must be mistaken here somewhere... how does the port site work? how long does it need to be in your body, and is it buried beneath skin, or just poking out somehow? i cant imagine that being safe...

4. after all is said and done, was it worth all the BS????????

any help would really be great...my mom basically said that if i gave losing weight one more time a "big try" that if i didnt lose anything, she would help me. I dont think she really understands that 10lbs does not a new person make....oy! help!

Thanks guys!

Nicole:help:

How ironic that I should be the first one to answer, being in Australia, it works differently and cost etc, well, its a lot easier and cheaper here.

But the port - yes it remains in your body but there is nothing visible or open anywhere, its quite safe. I'm normal weight now and I can feel it easily but you cant see it. It doesnt get in the way, doesnt hurt after its healed, its fine.

It was totally worth it, I'd do it 100 times over.

One big try - dont even waste your time. I finally got through to my family who said EXACTLY the same thing. I said "if I were sitting here today telling you I was having an operation to fix my ankle (which was giving me huge grief) you wouldnt blink an eye or worry about the anaesthetic or panic that I was going to die in surgery and the ankle would take LONGER than the lap band - this is no different, something in me does not work the way it should and I'm having surgery to fix it". OK, it wasnt instant blessing, but it made sense, I had to really impress the fact that I just plain didnt have a proper stop signal to quit eating and it could be fixed.

Of course, to hear my mother talk now you'd think it was all HER idea!

I believe my surgery was like 18 or so, but not quite sure on that, insurance covered most of it

Its amazing what some people can and cant handle..I know plenty of people who cant handle sweets..I can eat anything sweet I want..thankfully I dont like sweets that much. As for Pasta I cant eat it right after Ive been filled, but afterwards I can, I do easier on like angel hair than anyother type, but this is what I prefer to eat, so it may be mental. As for bread, as long as its in small bites, Im fine. I have now however gotten out of the habit of eating these things as much. I come from a big pasta eating family, and I really dont feel deprived. I might have a small bite or so, but Im fine.

I would do my surgery again even if I had severe pain from the surgery, which all I had was soreness and threw up for the first month...basically Id do this again no matter what. My mother offered me the same thing, but a tummy tuck and boob lift isnt going to fix my problems with food. I was fat bc I overate, and regardless of how much fat you sucked out of me, I would still have a eating problem. This band has made it so that I feel healthy and happy and now do things without noticeing that were impossible for me. Ive started to fix my food intake with choices that count and not empty calories. While I know this surgery isnt for everyone, I know it was for me. I have seriously never been this happy before.

As for the port, I have four..i think 4 scars all under an inch on my stomach..thats it, nothing outside the body. I wonder if maybe you are confused with a type of pain medication that they give some people. I had it, It was this tube that went to theport site to a ball taped to my stomache that stayed in for two days for pain, and you take it out yourself.

What I would suggest is that you contact a Bariatric Center near you that specializes in Lap Band surgery.

The first step is to attend a seminar where every one of your 1000 questions will be answered--by a professional--including the cost factor. I even suggest that you take your mother to this seminar--that way she can be totally 'in the know' about your potential future.

Without the surgery, we all know what we face in the way of health issues: diabetes, heart disease, and kidney failure are just a few.

I have to second the contacting a dr and going to a seminar. I got many of my questions answered this way. The band is just a tool that can assist you in weight loss by limiting your food intake. The rest of it is up to the person. You will need to follow a new way of eating, not necessarily a diet plan. I could eat anything but choose what I will eat. Also, as already stated, the port is under the skin, so no one can see it. Keep on asking questions as they come up. We have all gone thru the process and should be able to help. good luck.....Dave

Sometimes insurance will cover the cost of the surgery. Mine didn't and it was worth EVERY cent! $14000 for the surgery and about $300 for the fills afterward done under flouroscopy at the hospital. Had to go to the hospital for the first 4 fills then I had lost enough that my surgeon felt comfortable doing it in his office by just feeling for the port. It is just under the skin somewhere in the abdomen depending where your doc likes to put it. Mine is just above my naval. The fills in the office are $100 and if I don't have a fill during a follow up visit to the office it is $75.

My surgery was in April of this year and I have just hit 53 lbs lost! FEEL GREAT! I, too, tried dieting for most of my life and just couldn't lose. This is not a magic fix. You must change the way you eat. The big advantage to having the band is that it gives you that feeling of fullness after only a small amt of food and it is easier to push the plate away!

I think it is unanimous among us that you would find it most helpful to go to a seminar where you can see photos and the actual lapband device and have a doctor answer your questions. It has changed my life! I hope you will consider going through with it! It is a great tool to have!

If you go to Obesity Help - Weight Loss, Surgery, Support Groups, Forums, Surgical Procedures You can find Drs that do it and how to contact them and everything you ever wanted to know about the band and links to all sorts of helpful places. Also places to order protien and other good stuff.

Sharon

I have to agree with the majority...go to a seminar. All my questions were answered there. Or on this site.

I also purchased a book called Fighting Weight by Khaliah Ali it is her story with weight and her whole process of the lapband from beginning to after weightloss.

I learned alot from that book.

I am half italian as well and my mother offerred the same TT, Lipo and breast job...but I want to go for the alternative life long journey...plus I told her once I loose it with the band and keep it off for 6 months which i have never been able to do...I always lost but ended up gaining right back

Once I keep it off the 6 months...she will be paying for my TT, although my insurance company covers it if I loose over 100 lbs.

Im curious if thats the only test the doctors do, or if they test muscle mass? Tests? A 'history' and should be enough.

1. How much did the surgery cost you? I know this is supposed to vary between 12-25, but im curious after all is said and done what is costs you.

$7,000 + $218 +$299 +80 +155

What does that total? 7k for the band going in, the rest were fills and fluro.

Spending more than that...hey, just donate your money to me rather than your doc.

2. The lapband website says that people with a sweet tooth dont tend to do well with Lapbands, any opinions?

Yep, I have an opinion. I'm addicted to food. And over the course of being banded, I have lost my sweet tooth for Pepsi, taco bell, and McDonalds. But, I still love Olive Garden and pizza Hut.

If I don't get a grip... I could gain my weight back.

3. the port site....does this mean that you have an open tube somewhere on your body for the rest of your life????

No, it's under the skin...kinda like your vein. You can have blood drawn or a shot, right? But that doesn't mean your vein is poking out. Same with the port. It's under tissue and can have a needle go into it. Kinda like what they do to you in a physical, laying down they mush your abdomen and feel your kidneys and innards... just like that the doc can mush til the port is located.

how does the port site work?

Hopefully the previous answer went over that.

how long does it need to be in your body, and is it buried beneath skin, or just poking out somehow?

Need? There is no need...but if you want adjustments...it's required.

i cant imagine that being safe... just like implants, hip replacement, a pace maker.... all inside and safe

4. after all is said and done, was it worth all the BS????????

I am an anti-BS person. Plain and simple and short and to the point. I don't buy into all the hype so many put on the band. It's an appliance for weight loss and there...that's all I have to say about that.

You've got a great mom!

Thanks so much for answering some of my questions! I met my therapist today who saw me all through the eating disorder, and she said that she totally supported me an thought it was a great idea. We are bringing my mom in to talk about it, so hopefully soon! I will see when the next seminar i can go to is, and how to get started from there. I am sure i will need to use insurance, so im nervous that that will be a very difficult process... I am glad that no one said they would not have done it had they had the opportunity....thats always comforting I wanted to stress that i wasn't saying that my mother didnt care, or was a bad mom or anything, i just think that she hasnt dealt with her own body issues, and so i guess she doesn't believe that i could have possibly dealt with mine....lord only knows! im sure i will have more questions, so hopefully you will all be around to answer

Thanks!

Nicole:ranger: