Hey, the name is Joe. I'm 6'4"1/2 (yes i'm VERY tall) and i weigh around 402lbs. I used to be 430 but im glad i was able to lose some weight but that was awhile though. Im currently looking to this surgery due to the fact that its harder for me to run at times cause of my feet and that the doctor said i may have developed asthma although my breathing has been fine. If there is anyone who has gone through the surgery that i can talk to PLEASE email me at joe_60618@yahoo.com or AIM AOL : AiAnimator

i would really would like to hear from someone about it. Thanks!

hey joe, how old r u? There are a lot of people here who will talk to u, u should go threw all the member list and see if u can find someone around ur age and PM them. I always get excited when I meet someone here in a similar situation.

hey, im 19 years old! yeh im pretty heavy but also very tall. Being a guy its also hard cause im always getting called names but that was high school and now im in college but ugh want to have surgery to better my life. I can tell u the stories of how i wasnt able to go on carnival rides after waiting almost 2 hours for the hulk ride at orlando. Or breaking my friend's bed..( he was asking for it) or breaking a toilet seat here and there. Ive done lots of pill diets and i know that i would rather take a risk of surgery than doing pills. I am learning a LOT about the surgery and i REALIZE i have to make a drastic change. I die to be thinner so i can do sports , or learn to ride a bike or even do things that normal younger kids had that i didn't. I want to take the change and hope to go to one of the seminars next month or so.

Sounds as if your heart is in the right place. If you want it Joe.... go for it!

Vinesqueen had asthma before surgery and she is doing great not using her meds anymore at all I think!

Hi Collegejoe!

MOST of the people here have already been banded or are about to be, so you've come to the right place. Good luck with your research and ask away!!

Hi Joe! I'm not sure if anyone else your age is here or not. I know that there have been some younger posters here in their early 20's, so they're not too much older than you!

I too have been heavy since I was very young, and feel I missed out on some things in earlier life as well. I feel your pain and would like to encourage you to continue researching this.

I had tried so many diets and exercises pre-banding, and nothing seemed to work very long term for me. This surgery has literally saved my life (I even had a doctor tell me so!) and I am so grateful that I was able to have it.

Good luck in whatever you decide, and please feel free to ask any and all questions that you might have.

Best Wishes, ~Kelly

Hi Joe! Welcome! There is a lot of information here just for reading. Good luck with your journey!

Joe- I have a neice who is 20 and is also looking into the surgery. She is like 5' and I don't even want to guess her weight, but she is too short for it! I think you have come to the right place. This is less invasive surgery and all you need is the conviction to change you life style. The band helps so much with the portion part of food. You learn real quick when you have to stop eating. I haven't had my long, but would not change it for minute! Good luck

Hi, Joe! I just turned 24, but I was 22 when I had the surgery. If you're willing to put a little bit of work into it, it's definitely worth it. I feel a million times better now than I did 95 lbs. ago. It's amazing how much more confident and less self-conscious I feel now that I'm not carrying around all that extra weight.

Hi, yes i am willing to make drastic changes. It's really weird cause i always told my mom even before this that i really didnt like food that much and i wish that it would not have to be a part of my life cause there is other stuff i would like to be doing besides eating. My mother is going to see with the whole seminar cause she may be interested too. I say there are a lot of older people here that had it BUT me being younger u know how it was to die inside. btw i have a great funny personality so that kinda made up for it but i still felt left out. I mean i can save on food and clothing costs. Like if im eating at mcdonalds like a quarter pounder and fries i think to myself, i know this is good tasting, but i know its not healthy ... i wish i didnt have to eat so much. I really hope insurance covers this or even i can be some sort of "guinea pig" for some doc that is researching. I of course looked at lipo when i was younger and i was like meh, then gastric bypass surgery and that scared me although that seemed reasonable THEN i hear about this lap band and how its irrversible. With gastric ur stomach is permanently stapled and u can't change it but with lap band its like the same eating habits with less risk. I know that i can pb, nausea all that good stuff :-P. It's like it would also be able not have to worry about plane trips cause i havent been on a train in years and would be embarrassed if i was ever forced to pay for 2 seats. The real next plane trip im ever taking is in 2 years. When i turn 21 on august 15 in 2006 and it would be awesome. The other thing too is that i wouldnt be embarrassed to go to my 5 year school reunion. Just to let u know i'm not doing this strictly for other people but for myself. I mean i admit being the weight i am im able to do somethings other overweight kids can't but its like i recently injured my foot exercising and its bad cause it seems every few years i manage to break my feet. Anyway im still looking into this. THen my mother would always tell me about hanging skin and im like mom my skin already hangs cause im so tall my weight is a little proportional so it stretches it but it hangs anyway. I would have hanging skin than hanging fat if you know what i mean. And another thing is that im surprised how cheap it is cause it being anyway from 10,000-17,000 depending is a lot less than my guess of 35,000. So its like why not?! I think my mom's insurance should cover it because im getting it not only because im younger but a lot heavier than most overweight teens out there. So i thank you for being here and listening to what i have to say. I have school and i have to get ready and i wont be back till after 9pm so when i do look for me ill definitely post here when i get back

Hi Joe,

I too grew up heavy and was teased terribly all thru the school years. Graduating was the best thing to ever happen to me (after the band of course). Life changes after graduation. I moved out of the small town I grew up in, got a job, met new people etc. Adults (or college students) seem to be past most of the most blatant hurtful name calling. I was just reflecting on all of this yesterday... I won't go back to a high school reunion until I'm skinny and they have to ask who I am.

By the time I got my band I was 30 years old, barely 5'4" and weighed 362 lbs. Yikes!!! I didn't have any problems yet from my weight besides the tiredness and feeling cumbersome and thank God, I think I have avoided those problems now. I'm just shy of one year of having my band and I'm down almost 90 lbs, my blood pressure has dropped like a rock (it was never dangerously high but now its much lower) and I feel more energy daily. Nothing is better than fitting into smaller clothes and doing things you wouldn't have considered doing before (like climbing onto things, jogging, etc). I too have broken my fair share of objects in my life because of my weight. I will never forget as a joke a bunch of prissy girls invited me to a birthday party and insisted I get on a particular bed. Ends up they knew the bed was weak and of course it collapsed. Of course that got spread around the whole school. I think I was in 6th grade at that time. A few years ago I got these lovely antique chairs to go with my dining table and didn't consider the thinness of the legs and of course that collapsed under my great weight. I also always cringed whenever I had to fly because I never knew if I would even fit in the air plane seats much less need an extender. Those days are over. I'm not anywhere close to goal yet but already feeling a great relief from the pressure my body was under. Best wishes, Teresa

Joe, Some insurances cover it and some don't. Unfortunately mine did not and I was forced to borrow the money and go to Mexico. A lot of people on this forum have gone to Mexico and have had good experiences including myself. Definitely try your insurance but don't count your chickens until they're hatched. I think the banding should be even cheaper. My surgeon told me it is only typically a 20-30 minute procedure. Considering the bypass is often a 7-10 hour procedure I don't know why the banding is so costly in the U.S. It is between $6,000-10,000 in Mexico.

Welcome Joe! Sounds like you are on the right path! Keep researching, there is SO much info here, just about any question you can get answered just by reading! But that doesn't mean you shouldn't post, too! Have a great day in class and we'll look for your post tonight. Again, welcome!!

Joe-the skin hanging thing may not be as big as problem as you think. The surgeon I have has me doing some strengh training to get your body toned and skin back in shape. He said that would hopefully lessen the hanging? You may actually be at an advantage with your age and tallness. Good luck on you decision!

Hi Joe. I'm probably older than your mother, but believe me I (like most of the people here) remember exactly what it's like to be a fat teenager, and if the band were available when I was your age I would have gone for it without hesitation. You're doing the right thing by learning as much as you can. Keep reading and going to seminars. You're a smart guy who realizes how his weight is affecting his life, and if you want to make a change, you can do it -- and we'll be here to support you.

BTW, by any chance does the 60618 in your e-mail address refer to your zip code? If so, you should know there are a lot of Chicagoans on this site, including me; we're at all different stages of banding, but I know any of us would be happy to answer further questions.

Hi Joe,

I too am thinking about the surgery...actually, I have a consultation with Dr. P on Wednesday....I can't wait.

Joe, I have been heavy all my life and it was especially hard as a teenager. Now at 46 I am so unhealthy due to the years and years of stress on my body due to my weight. If you are ready for a major change (not just your body, but in your head) then I say do a lot of research, make a decision and improve your quality of life NOW....

Good Luck, Joe....

Margo