My mom has been overweight ALL of her life. Not just overweight, but MO. She has very high BP and is also a severe diabetic. She NEVER has any energy - takes about 4 naps a day; and she is always in so much pain from arthritis. Im thinking that her maintenance drugs total around 10 a day!

Anyway, last spring - when I was 'investigating' WLS, she was somewhat interested herself. She said several times that she wanted to see my progress from the band, then she would decide if this surgery is for her.

Well, she's still thinking about it!

So, what I would like to know... has any of you had this many health problems, had WLS and recover well?

Im just scared I love her so much! Couldnt imagine what I would do without her!

Hey Paula: I had the following health related problems prior to being banded.

High blood pressure: The highest it got was 150/98 was on medication

High cholesterol: Pre-banding it was 250

Arthritis: Knees were so bad I could not get out of bed some mornings without help

Short of breath: I could not walk across the room without getting out of breath. Just putting on my tennis shoes was strenuous.

Back: My back would hurt at least twice a week from the weight I was carrying around. I threw it out several times and would be bedridden for a couple of days.

Sleep: Was non-existent because the fat around my neck impaired my breathing.

Heart: I was having palpitations and my heart rate was increasing and I was carrying around Nitro for the chest pains.

Diabetic: I was borderline diabetic with the last visit to my doctor pre-banding.

One month after being banded ALL not most but ALL of the above health related concerns had resolved. Everything for the past year has steadily improved. My PCP is impressed with my progress. He has taken the information I gave him about Lapbanding and is distributing it to his patients.

Encourage your mother to visit this site and read the benefits of being banded as opposed to continuing her lifestyle. I pray she gets the answers loud and clear.

HUGS

I am not very old (34) but my life sounds alot like your moms.

I have been MO since I was 18, I am in so much pain everyday and I am exhauted constantly. I would take a nap and sleep in till noon everyday IF I could sleep at all, but I dont sleep. I lay and rest. I dont sit, I lay.

I take over 12 pills a day, everyday...

I have three herniated discs in my back. I have diabeties.

I know the band is going to help all of this.

Thanks Penni and Nykee!

Her 1st scare is wondering if she will make it through the surgery... the trama to her body in having the surgery makes her worry that she will end up in a diabetic coma. Second scare is the high protien diet. She is scared that this will cause her liver/kidney problems.

She does her share of worrying... but sometimes 'worry' is just our way of sorting through everything. (sigh)

Paula, my mom is 73 and was banded last week. She's doing great. She was banded on Thursday, came home on Friday, and we went to a family outing on Saturday. Nobody even knew she had surgery. My mom is diabetic as well, hopefully that will be short lived now that she has the band. I have to admit I was surprised when the doctor agreed to do her surgery, but afterwards he told her she responded better than some of his younger patients. How old is your mom?

Pat, so glad to hear you mom was banded. How was MHBP (insurance) as far as time limit for her approval?

My mom will be 60 in September - But she moves around like she's 80!

Paula - Why don't you talk to her doctor about it and see what the Doc has to say about surgery for her. If he agrees that she could do it, then talk with her about it more.

My Mom had a kidney transplant last August due to health problems e.i. diabetes, h.p., MO. She is doing great since the transplant except keeping the weight off. Her Doc mentioned the Band and she is very seriously considering it. She can't do anything until she has her new kidney for a year, which she says gives her time to see how well it works for myself and DH. She is 69.

Paula,

I'm having just about the exact same experience with my father. He's just over 400 pounds with severe diabetes, some high BP, and he does the sleep thing too. He can't sleep lying down at night due to apnea, so he nods off anytime he's sitting for more than a few minutes. Even in the middle of a sentence, he'll fall asleep! I am happy to report that the week of my surgery, he got inspired by me and he checked himself into the hospital to get his legs fixed up. He's got terrible circulation problems in his legs due to the diabetes and both legs look like they're rotting off. It's nasty. Anyway, as soon as he gets healed, he says he'll have the surgery. I talked to Dr. Spiegel about my dad and his health problems and he said he'd have no problem with the surgery, as long as he gets his leg infections healed first. He'll have to do it at the hospital, as opposed to the day-surgery center where I had mine done, and stay the night for monitoring of his diabetes and BP, but other than that, it's not a big deal. Tell your mom that. Tell her not to wait. Tell her that getting some of the weight off will help her conditions dramatically and waiting and worrying just make them worse. Don't let her worrying be a way of stalling. I strongly feel that having this surgery will save my father's life and I will NOT let him back out. Encourage your mom to go for it.

Paula I know you love your mother and being there for her is the best gift you could ever give her. I hope what ever she decides that you and her both will regain your health and have lots of happy years together.

Thanks everyone.

I hate to encourge or discourage this surgery... I want it to be her decision totally.

For any of us that has been on every kind of diet known to man - its so very hard to mentally conceive the idea that something (WLS) can actually give permanent weightloss.

She's still thinking about it!