<p>Happy New Year! My name is Lori and I am going to be banded at the end of this month. I am soooo excited. Ready to begin a new chapter of my life and start living!!!! I am 5 ft tall and weigh 205. Would love to make some new lap band friends and support each other through this journey. Happy New Year!<img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/whoo.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Whoo" smilieid="339" class="inlineimg" /></p>

Where in WV are you? My sister (3 years into her LB) live in Summerville. I am in Texas and am in the process - looks like Feb for the procedure, but I will know more later this week.

I live in Vienna, WV. Not sure where Summerville is...will have to check map. Who did her surgery? I'm an ER nurse and our hospital is just becomming accredited to perform the procedure. As of now I am going to be their first lap band patient. Scares the crap out of me to be the guinea pig but my insurance doesn't cover it. I agreed to be their PR girl if they waived the cost. There will be a proctor (very experienced at the lap band)overseeing the procedure. Great to meet you. We're all in this together!!! Thanks for the reply.

They just moved to WV -she had her LB done in Beaumont. She has been a great source of info. We are both about 5'1" and have started this journey above 200. She was right at 240 at the time of her surgery and is down by 75 pounds - but she has not had a fill in over a year. She is actually waiting until life is settled now that they have moved.

I am meeting with my surgeon next week and will weigh in at 230.

Good luck with the guinea pig thing. I would think being part of the "team" they will do everything they can to make sure your procedure is picture perfect. Not they won't for every other patient but being one of the own has to count for something.

Let me know how it goes with your surgeon. You have a leg-up having your sister's knowledge and experiences.