Hi,

I am new to the forum, a bit nervous after reading some of these posts.

I am reconsidering now, has anyone had a smooth experience? Or am I just reading the wrong posts?

I only have to lose 70lbs, self pay and 55. Should I be doing this? Yikes!!!

Any comfort out there?

I too am self pay in Mexico next Monday, July 14th. I only have about 50 lbs. to lose. Might seem silly that I am going through this for only 50 lbs., but I have struggled with being "plump" my entire life and I NEED this tool to help me feel comfortable in my own skin. Also, I went through iVitro fertilization about 2 years ago (it failed), but since then, I have really ballooned up and the weight will not budge. I personally know 3 people that have had the surgery, my mother-in-law, my aunt, and a friend. All 3 of them have had it done in Mexico and none of them have had any problems other than severe gas right after surgery which subsided within a week or so.

My mother-in-law came to visit me about 6 weeks ago, and I could not believe how great she looked. AND how much her personality had changed, I have never seen her so happy and so full of energy. When she told my hubby and I that she was getting this done, we she was crazy because she only had about 40 lbs. to lose. But WOW what a difference this had made for her life! That's when I decided I want to do this to. I want to smile on the inside.

Follow your heart, but don't be afraid of the unknown!! Yes, there are some people on this site that are struggling, but there are far more success stories and people who say "I wish I would have done this sooner".

Good luck to you and let us know what you decide.

hey chicky no worries, their are plenty of people who had good experience with the lapband. i am 10 days out not doing to shabby myself. Don't know how much i lost, i refuse to weigh myself cause i don't want to do the up and down rollercoster of i lost and ohh im not losing LOL. You'll be just fine, stay strong!!

I had no problems! I can't take any serious pain relievers so mine was liquid Tylenol. I was pretty sore but that was ok because it reminded me of what I was willing to go thru for my health.

GOOD LUCK!

Two weeks in. Very simple and painfree process. Back at work two days later. Just coming off "anything up a straw' liquids and moving on to more dense liquids like thick lump free soups. I've had no problems, no nausea, I don't feel hungry, my breathlessness has gone, I'm sleeping like a baby and I've lost about 12 pounds since banding. Really glad I did it!

Banded less than a week, I can't believe how good it has gone! I feel great. No scales for me either, I want to be surprised when I go in for post op appt.

I'm following doctors orders to a T.

Jeneal--

No regrets here--not for one moment! Be prepared to make changes for your health, but it works! Use this board for support. There are nice people here who want you to be successful.

Banded May 13, 2008--down 39 lbs. Almost to size 14!

Hi I am thinking about having the lap band surgery done because I have a pseudotumor cerebri. My BMI is around 37 so I don't know if they will even do on me. Do you guys have any advice, I am going to a seminar Thursday at Emory to find out if I have a chance to have it done.

8 days out for me and no major issues so far. I had some pain on days one and two, but felt a lot better by day three and other than some gassiness, life is good. I'm on purees and have very little hunger and the allure of unhealthy foods has diminished a lot. At surgery I had 95 pounds to lose to goal... and I've already lost 8 of them. :biggrin:

I'm feeling really good about my decision!

If anyone has been approved for surgery with a low bmi i would love to here from them. I want the surgery but I am not sure if I can get it since my bmi is around37. I do have some medical problems from being over weight so I'm hopping they will let me do it.:biggrin:

I had no problems. I had so little pain after surgery that I didn't take the pain meds I was given. I was a little sore and couldn't sleep on my left side for a week or two, and had trouble getting up out of a chair--anything that used my abdominal muscles--for a week or so.

I lost 19 lb pre op to make the surgery easier. I stayed strictly on my post op diet of clear liquids for a week then full liquids for two weeks after that. I have lost weight pretty steadily since then, except for a plateau of about 8 weeks a couple of months ago, which I overcame by being more careful about the amount and type of food I ate and upping my exercise. I'm 6 lb from goal now, 9 months after surgery.

I cannot stress enough the importance of avoiding solid food for 3 weeks or more post surgery. Don't mess this up long term just because you feel fine; the band has to have time to heal in place around your stomach for it to work properly. You risk slippage by eating before it has healed.

The long term successes don't post here that much, I think, because they get so tired of arguing with the ones who say, "I feel fine so I don't have to follow my doctor's orders." Following a diet is hard for us all, but it isn't forever and it may save you a world of hurt down the road. You can do it.

The second error I see a lot of people falling into is getting too much of a fill so they are too restricted. This can also lead to long term damage from reflux and frequent pbing, or regurgitating food because it cannot pass through the band stoma.

Not every instance of slippage and difficulties are due to patient noncompliance, but I feel those occurrences are greatly reduced by following accepted guidelines for post op diet and getting proper fills. This does take some work and it isn't a slam dunk, but the band has helped me lose the extra weight I have struggled with for nearly 50 years.

My BMI was listed at 35 (my doctor actually mismeasured my height and gave me an extra inch) and my insurance approved me due to elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, as well as chronic acid reflux and joint problems. I had the surgery in Mexico and my insurance reimbursed me 90%.