Hey gang!

It's my first visit and post to this forum. I have been fascinated by weight loss surgery over the years. My partner had gastric bypass 14 months ago and lost 185 pounds! I've seen his progress and great results.

I talked to my doctor about this surgery. He recommended the lap band for me as opposed to the bypass. 2 years ago I had a heart attack and triple bypass. I had many complications and do not look forward to surgery. From what I can tell, lap banding is less evasive and a shorter, easier recovery.

I am not sure where I am going with this... even if I follow through. I am set to attend a gastric and lap band seminar next week. I am exploring my options. So, I'll be snooping around here in the coming weeks. Hopefully, I'll become a regular.

Hello from Ohio!

well, welcome to the forum! i find it to be soooo helpful. very encouraging and informative. my paperwork is being submitted to insurance in a few weeks, so im getting close. good luck on your journey!

Yes, a warm welcome to you! You have made the right decision--the first step should ALWAYS be to attend a local seminar where you can have all your questions answered!

These seminars are very professional and show you every aspect of what your life will be. You have special concerns and you should make them aware at the seminar.

Good luck to you...

Welcome ohbearly!

I'm also from Ohio and had my surgery Nov 1st in Cleveland. The surgery went well, and the surgeon also found and repaired a hiatal hernia at the same time. Other than dealing with the "problem" of my blood pressure dropping and trying to regulate my meds :clap2: - things are going GREAT! My increasing health issues were the #1 reason I decided to have this surgery, and I'm very excited that my BP is already improving!

You are off to a good start - attending a seminar, reading all that you can on this site, and doing other research - is the way to go! You will find that there can be quite a few pre-op tests, especially for people our age who have other medical issues. Even though the pre-op testing was sometimes a pain to schedule, I felt that each one was necessary, and also felt that any surgeon worth his salt would want as much info as possible BEFORE he cuts you open.

Best of luck to you!