I have went to the seminar, turned in my paperwork and have read a ton of information on the lapband procedure. My heart is really into having this done, but my head keeps asking "Is it really worth it?"

I read about the "stuck" feeling, throwing up, some not losing weight, slippage, chance of death, etc and it keeps making me lean towards not having the procedure done. For those of you who have had it done, please help me understand if it is really worth it or not? Thanks and good luck to each of you!!!:help:

I have went to the seminar, turned in my paperwork and have read a ton of information on the lapband procedure. My heart is really into having this done, but my head keeps asking "Is it really worth it?"

I read about the "stuck" feeling, throwing up, some not losing weight, slippage, chance of death, etc and it keeps making me lean towards not having the procedure done. For those of you who have had it done, please help me understand if it is really worth it or not? Thanks and good luck to each of you!!!:help:

For me, yes. I've had mine for about a year and a half, and while I had hoped to have lost more by now, I'm still THRILLED with my band. It kept me at about the same weight while working through some emotional food issues, and was right there ready to work again when I was ready.

I thought a lot about the risks, but then weighed them against what I was already dealing with from being overweight. Seemed like a pretty good gamble to me.

i have had my band only a month and i lost 32 pounds already. and i love it i dont regret it one bit. If you think about it all surgeries have risks. but this surgery compared to bypass is a breeze its less invasive. less to no death risks. yes there have been complications associated with this surgery but you have them with every surgery. and its reversible if there are complications compared to the by pass. you can do it and it will be well worth it. road to health is on its way for you. jump on up the band wagon express is here!!!

YES!

YESYESYESYES!

.........................

I would not take back the life I use to live if money was added.

I can walk and breath. I can stand up and the pain is so much less. I have ENERGY. I have HOPE.

RISKS: Anytime you have surgery there is a risk. When you have your wisdom teeth extracted there is a risk. It's just part of the process and to not inform you of risks is irresponsible. But I compare this to driving a car. When you buy a car there are risks. The brakes can go bad, someone could rear-end you, you can run out of gas...YOU are responsible for driving the car carefully and taking care of the breaks and adding the gas. Same with the band. You are responsible for following the lifestyle that having a Lap-Band inside you requires. Don't gulp large amounts of food, don't blender Cookies and ice cream with chocolate syrup and drink it and expect to lose weight. But people do this and then complain they aren't losing weight. Maybe they think because it is liquid it doesn't have calories... but I'm rambling.

The band is one of the best things that came into my life. I do not regret EVER having it done. I am a changed person for it and I am changed for the better. You must do what you believe is right for you. Moreso than anything else. You are in charge of your body.

Best of luck to you!!

I thought same as you, I really thought this is going to cost a lot of money, why cant I just lose it my self??? I cant have children at the mo because of my weight and I really thought that would have made me lose the weight but NO.

So I went ahead with it, and I feel great and I am writing this after just being sick from my dinner and I am a real wimp.

I would do it all again tomo if I had to it rfeally is the besat thing I have ever had done, and I feel proud of myself for doing it.

I am only less than a week post op and I already know it was the best choice for ME. we are all different and there is no one size fits all. I can already tell that it is going to restrict me from sitting in my living room alone and eat a whole pizza, or chicken or all the other crap i used to stuff my body with. Now, i will have to control what I put in my body as I only have so much room to play with, i already feel better, other than some mild discomfort where the port is. Life is only going to get better. good luck with your decision:)

For me YES.

Welcome! I thought I was crazy at times before my surgery day. What am I about to do?

How often will I get sick?

Can I ever have pizza again?

How about a bloomin onion? (which was part of my last supper)

What will the port feel like and look like?

What if I don't lose? what if I'm a failure?

2 years and almost 4 months later I can tell you that I am so glad that I did this! I had a problem with my band 4 months to the day after we found out I had a leak in the band. This is super rare! A month later I had the whole surgery over again.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! I feel so strongly about the band that I have recently started working for a company where I talk to people considering having the band.

Do I still fear something will go wrong? You bet I do! But the way I look at it is that I have had a major non lifethreatening problem and even with that, I will continue to live healthier and help others too.

Good luck to you. What your feeling is normal I promise! GO FOR IT!

I have went to the seminar, turned in my paperwork and have read a ton of information on the lapband procedure. My heart is really into having this done, but my head keeps asking "Is it really worth it?"

I read about the "stuck" feeling, throwing up, some not losing weight, slippage, chance of death, etc and it keeps making me lean towards not having the procedure done. For those of you who have had it done, please help me understand if it is really worth it or not? Thanks and good luck to each of you!!!:help:

I soooo agree!!! I have had my seminar and am in the process of having all of my tests done, and after reading so many of these posts, I am having second thoughts as well.

First off, I am pre-surgery so I can't speak to that. But I can say that I have been there. I thought for 2 1/2 years about getting the lapband. I read everything I could find and spent hours stalking on this board and others before ever posting anything. I called Inamed more than once. I scheduled surgery last summer, chickened out and canceled it. I scheduled it again, decided I wanted a different surgeon, canceled and then scheduled with a new one. I tend to overthink everything, but this is life-changing.

I look at it this way. In the 2 1/2 years since I first learned about the band, I have only gotten fatter. I have failed on a few more diet attempts. I am more uncomfortable than I have ever been. I can't physically do basic things that I used to be able to do. I am reaching the point where my weight will begin to impede my life in a very serious way. I am lucky that I do not yet suffer from diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, but my knees are starting to feel the pressure of being over 100 pounds overweight. I am told it is not considered safe for me to get pregnant.

Obviously, diets have not worked for me, and I have been dieting for 20 years. Yes, there are risks to getting the surgery. But there are also risks to being this overweight. There are risks to doing anything. And as compared to bypass, which I did consider, I am far more comfortable with the risks of lapband.

Yes, there are people who have complications, which can happen with any surgery. There are people who do not do the research, do not know how their band works, do not follow their doctor's instructions. It is a tool and you have to know how to use it for it to work for you.

I am not trying to talk you into it -- this is a very personal choice. You shouldn't let what somebody says on a forum sway you one way or the other. I just know that I wished I'd done it sooner, before I saw "300 pounds" on my scale. Before I couldn't fit comfortably into some restaurant booths anymore. That's just my take on it. I wish you the best of luck with your decision and know that there are plenty of supporters here.

I have went to the seminar, turned in my paperwork and have read a ton of information on the lapband procedure. My heart is really into having this done, but my head keeps asking "Is it really worth it?"

I read about the "stuck" feeling, throwing up, some not losing weight, slippage, chance of death, etc and it keeps making me lean towards not having the procedure done. For those of you who have had it done, please help me understand if it is really worth it or not? Thanks and good luck to each of you!!!:help:

I have went to the seminar, turned in my paperwork and have read a ton of information on the lapband procedure. My heart is really into having this done, but my head keeps asking "Is it really worth it?"

I read about the "stuck" feeling, throwing up, some not losing weight, slippage, chance of death, etc and it keeps making me lean towards not having the procedure done. For those of you who have had it done, please help me understand if it is really worth it or not? Thanks and good luck to each of you!!!:help:

For me it has been worth it. I would do it again in a minute. The pb's, throwing up, etc...are uncomfortable, but not often. It may seem like a lot because when it happens we get on the forum and post it, well after you read it a couple hundred of times you think that is all we do...not true. I normally have problems when I eat to fast, the bites are too big, or try a food for the second time that I was not successful before to see if it is actually a food I can't do or if I was eating too fast, bites too big...

There is always a risk for surgery...for anyone, big, small, whatever...I guess it is kind of like childbirth, it hurts like you know what, but when you see and hold that sweet one, you forget the labor and the pain. I may have a problem every now and again, but when I step on that scale, I know it has been worth the effort and I forget about the discomforts I may have had. It is a change in lifestyle, and change is always hard. At first it will be hard, like any change...dealing with head hunger, bandster H***, grief of losing food, anger sometimes that I am full as a tick, but I want to keep on eating, relearning my band limitations every time I get a fill, it all depends on how bad you want it and what you are willing to do. I know you will make the right decision for you and that is what is important! :decision:

I have went to the seminar, turned in my paperwork and have read a ton of information on the lapband procedure. My heart is really into having this done, but my head keeps asking "Is it really worth it?"

I read about the "stuck" feeling, throwing up, some not losing weight, slippage, chance of death, etc and it keeps making me lean towards not having the procedure done. For those of you who have had it done, please help me understand if it is really worth it or not? Thanks and good luck to each of you!!!:help:

I would definetly have to say YES!! I have lost over 30lbs since Oct. and I can breath easier, my blood pressure has gone down, I can walk without pain in my knees and feet. I am happier. and today I bought new clothes in the JRs dept.:whoo: Not the plus size dept. So YES it is worth it....

I am six days post band and I agree with everyone who posted. I felt guilty I was taking money we could use for the entire family and using it for myself. My husband said forget that...that is what we worked for and if it makes you life better DO IT!!. I did and I don't feel guilty anymore. One fear down.

I felt what if I die on the operating table. Dr. Garth Davis and his nurse and the people at the hospital said I would be fine.l My family felt assured I would be fine and I was. I cried when they put my IV in. I was scared. Girl that gaved me a shot and honestly five second later I was sleeping GOOD.

I was sore but never have really hurt yet, except for a couple of hours after surgery, just sore. I am no wonder woman, I am really a baby when it comes to pain but I didn't even have the use the liquid Tylonol I bought let alone the liquid Vicodin. I have been passing gas like crazy but that's ok I just do as many as I can and as big as I can. I kept waititng on the infamous shoulder pain. It came on day five. Ouch. Every now and then I would just go Ouch or ow ow ow. I had it about five times. None today - day six.

I am weak today - not getting enough Protein I think and maybe my blood pressure med needs to be adjusted. I hope my Dr. tells me I can have mushy tonight. I am planning on going back to work tomorrow. It will be one week post surgery.

Big Medicine stared last night on Discovery and I can tell you I am so blessed Dr. Garth Davis did my surgery. I see him today at 4:30 and will let ya'll know what he says about me six days out. I need him to pat me on the back for my confidence. My husband tells me how proud he is of me for taking this step. It is a life change and most everyone that has posted gave it deep thought. Honestly the decision would have seen somewhat easier if my insurances had covered it. Both have exclusions for weight loss surgery (but we will be glad to cover your heart attack or stroke). Total BS but that's another story.

Get your surgery and just worry a little. Rest after surgery.

I am 2 months post -op and have never thrown up,I had two fills and I'm doing great!

If the food feels stuck, get up and walk around or chew on papaya enzyme pills. They taste good too.

I think everyone goes through these same feelings, I must have changed my mind at least 5 times or more since I began the whole process back in Sept. and believe me the first night out of surgery and the day after I was mourning my lost friend, FOOD!

15 days out of surgery I have no regrets, already I have forgotten I had surgery and am eating healthy and less than half of what I use to consume.

I am no longer eating out of control, like there is no tommorrow, I am no longer stuffed with food and laying around thinking about what else I can eat.

I feel blessed and honored to have the lapband. Oh and did I tell you I'm losing weight. I think I lost another 8 pds but will not not change my ticker until my official weigh in Jan. 30th

Good luck on your journey.

SC

I'm really glad to read this thread. I've been in the process of trying to get the band since September and found out two days ago that my surgery will be on 22 Feb 08. As I've read the forums here I've started to wonder if I should really do the band, or go for the GB. I've got to do something before my health gets REALLY bad and I'm more comfortable with the risks associated with the band as opposed to GB, but after reading lots of posts, I've wondered "does it really work?" It's good to read about those out there who are really happy with the band, thanks for sharing!