When I hit 47, I started to feel really creaky. Some days I'd have to roll out of bed because I was so stiff. Then I got plantar fasciitis. Finally, my blood pressure went over the magic number and I'm now on blood pressure medicine.

I am hoping that a lot of this will go away if I lose weight, but I've been over 200 lb. before and not had these problems. At first, I figured it was just a function of getting older. But now I'm wondering if it's a mixture. Maybe as I get older, my body is less able to handle the excess weight?

I worry that I'll get a band and lose the weight and then not have some of these issue resolve after all.

What have other people who are actually banded found? How much of your healthy problems were entirely due to weight and how many are due to age?

The weight should help quite a bit. I've been able to greatly reduce the amount of perscription meds I'm on. I was taking blood pressure medicines twice a day and now am only taking one at a lower dose. I also was able to stop taking lasix and I lowered my dose of chlorestrol meds. I hope to be able to completely drop my bp and chlorestrol with more weight loss.

I lost 51 points on my cholestoral level. My levels had be creeping up for the last couple of years. I had my surgery on December 17th and about two weeks ago had blood work and my cholestoral when down 51 points. I didn't take meds before because I told my doctor and wanted to try lowering it by dieting to no avail. But with the surgery, I had success.

My blood pressure meds have been cut in half, and next time I go to the PCP for blood work we'll think about cutting or eliminating my cholestoral meds . . . with my weight loss I've been able to leave the cane I was using back in May in my car permanently . . .and my knee, hip and back have been oh so much better! Before the surgery I was having trouble just standing up and sitting down . . . no fun. I think the weight loss has definitely helped all these issues . . . YEA!

When I hit 47, I started to feel really creaky. Some days I'd have to roll out of bed because I was so stiff. Then I got plantar fasciitis. Finally, my blood pressure went over the magic number and I'm now on blood pressure medicine.

I am hoping that a lot of this will go away if I lose weight, but I've been over 200 lb. before and not had these problems. At first, I figured it was just a function of getting older. But now I'm wondering if it's a mixture. Maybe as I get older, my body is less able to handle the excess weight?

I worry that I'll get a band and lose the weight and then not have some of these issue resolve after all.

What have other people who are actually banded found? How much of your healthy problems were entirely due to weight and how many are due to age?

I am 43... and was experiencing a lot of the same issues you have, except the blood pressure (mine is low). The plantar fasciitis was getting so bad that I could barely walk.... and even that was SUPER painful. I was also getting charlie horses almost every night in my calves... waking me in excruciating pain.

Since being banded, I have not had even one charlie horse (YAY!), and the plantar fasciitis must be gone too because I can walk for HOURS without pain, even getting out of bed in the morning is painless (physically, anyway).

This is when I noticed the difference:

One day my daughter and I were out shopping at a strip center, and she asked if we could go to another store at the opposite end of the parking lot, and I said okay... and just started walking in that direction without even thinking about it, until she asked me why we had left the car at the other end (in the past, I would always drive to each store, and park as close as I could because walking was painful).

It was that day that I realized the band truly was making a difference in my health.

Now, I do not spend 20 minutes driving around the parking lot waiting for a closer parking space... I just park and walk... I actually try to park as far away as I can (unless it is raining)... lol

Thanks, guys!

the weight should help. I was 38 when I got banded, but i was beginning to feel VERY old, foot problems, back problems etc. Losing all the weight has reduced those problems markedly - but they're not cured, my back is shot from 3 pregnancies and my foot/heel is always going to be a problem to me. But I can manage it now, and I feel totally reenergised - all the sluggishness and lethargy that I felt is completely gone.