My reasons would include better over all health now and to prevent ill health in the future. I am 52 and have children that are 6 years old and younger. I'll have trouble keeping up with them in the years to come if I maintain my current weight.

I do have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure but they are well controlled through medication so I am not worried about them. I have severe sleep apnea but I use a CPAP machine. In short, the present circumstances do not compel me to move forward with the procedure.

What compelled you to get off the fence and get banded?

Charles

My main reasons were my son, my diabetes, and my high blood pressure. My diabetes and high blood pressure were also controlled with medication. But regardless of good control, both diseases put you at a much increased risk of heart disease and other complications. And both diseases usually get worse with age and rarely get better unless you lose weight. Plus years of meds can be hard on your liver and kidneys.

Since getting my lapband in April, I've been able to cut my insulin down to a quarter of what I had been taking, and have been able to cut out once of my blood pressure meds.

I'm 31 and was unhappy with life. Luckily I hadn't developed diabetes or high blood pressure. With a BMI at the time of 41 and being over a hundred pounds over weight for more than ten years - I was well on my way. I'm the mother of two small girls.

I had been watching them grow up for their entire lives. I wasn't participating and being the mom I wanted to be. I couldn't run and play chase, hide and seek, board games on the floor, walk around the block or even go to the beach. Everything I did made me tired. I was depressed and slept all of the time. I was sick of it! My kids were missing out and so was I.

I'd dieted for years and would lose weight, only to gain it back and then some (I lost 50 pounds in 2004 with WW). I wasn't the kind of wife I wanted to be for my husband. I didn't feel worthy and my self-esteem was in the tiolet. I no longer enjoyed being intimate because I hated the way I looked.

There are so many things that impacted my decision to have WLS. My family is at the top. I also wanted to look in the mirror and be proud of what I saw.

Charles,

Each of us has out own reasons but none of them should be compelling enough for you. Obesity will kill you despite all of the medications we have to control the diseases it causes. And to me the final insult is having to order a plus size coffin when obesity claims my life. I have long list of why I chose to have surgery at age 54 but just like every way any of us have tried to lose weight we have to do it for ourselves.

I guess I'm not scared enough about my health for it to be a sufficient motivator. I don't see a fat person when I look in the mirror [unless I'm practicing my golf swing in the bathroom with little on - not a pretty picture]. And, I feel like I can take on the world when I get down close to the 300lb mark, i.e., I feel very healthy. I need something to motivate me . . . .

Charles

Hi Charles,

The idea of the LapBand was first introduced to me by a co-worker. She happened to mention to me that she was having it done in October of 2007 and I wished her luck with it. As time went on, I was seeing the great results she was having and then one day I saw a commercial for the LapBand. THAT is what really opened my mind and I started to do some research about it. I first went to my co-worker and asked her the "real deal". I knew she wouldn't "sugar-coat" anything and tell me if it was a horrible thing to do. Well, all she could say to me was great things about the LapBand and how she wished she did it sooner. I was then on a mission to see if this was for me. I then went to a seminar given by the surgeon...the same one my co-worker highly recommended. It was THEN that I decided that this was for me. It was so inspirational to see the people get up and speak of their succeses and there was a woman there who lost 235 pounds and you'd never know she had a weight problem in her life. I left there that night with hope for the first time in my life that I can finally lose this weight and keep it off. I'm 45 years old and proud to say that I'm not on any kind of meds, but I know that if I don't lost the weight, I eventually will be. The simple thing is, I just want to look in the mirror and feel good about myself....I want to smile when I see my reflection. Yes, I was starting to get some aches and pains in my knees and feet and I know that would only progress with time. I had my surgery on July 2 (almost a month ago) and I've lost 29 pounds. This includes my weight for the 1 week pre-op diet (I lost 13 pounds that first week). I feel so good mentally just knowing I'm on the road to a healthier me. This is why I decided to have LapBand surgery. Good luck to you in whatever you decide!

Lisa :thumbup:

My mother had bypass and my cousin had lap-band and both pointed me towards lap-band. I'm a 30 year old male who is caught up in corporate lifestyle with friends with families living life fuller than I. I was more concerned with my feelings of regret at the age 40 for not doing something when I was 30. Now, I'm smaller and in better shape that I was in high school and I'm kicking myself for not getting the band sooner. My life is forever changed!

Charles - although I listed my reasons above, I have a BIL who wants the surgery and insurance won't approve him. He's getting his finances in order to get it in '09.

He has three kids - ages 1-10. He has high blood pressure and diabetes and is well over 300 pounds. Earlier this year, he cut his foot while cutting grass in the yard. He ended up in the hospital for two weeks and almost lost his foot. His diabetes caused that. Yes he is on medication to control it, but just having it can have devastating consequences.

His Uncle (my husband's Uncle) died last year from being morbidly obese. He ended up being a torso. They had to cut off his arms and legs - due to infection (diabetes). He also was on medication - but continued to eat as he wanted and thought that would cure him. He was only 60 years old. He died miserable, connected to tubes and couldn't do anything for himself. That is not a image or responsiblity I want to put on my family. I'd hate that to be the last thoughts my kids had of me.

I've know several people who have had this surgery and no longer need their medications.

If taking off your shirt to practice your golfswing makes you take a look at reality, perhaps you should go shirtless 24/7. Like another poster said earlier until you are ready to take control of your life you won't be ready no matter what we say. Only you can make that decision.

This is what I have to say to that:

Don’t rush into weight loss surgery. Typically, two years pass from the time a person first thinks about having weight loss surgery to the time they make the commitment to have it done, according to James Kolenich, MD, a bariatric surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Horizon. Talk to family and friends, talk to the surgeon and people at the hospital. Approach this major decision thoughtfully.

Sorry to read about your hubby's uncle.

Charles

There were many reasons why I chose to band. I have diabetes and high blood pressure so I really wanted to be able to lose weight to get that under control. And when doing research on bariatric surgery the number of death rates for banding vs. gastric bypass was really low.

Had mine on Jan. 21 2008 by April I was off my diabetes medication Was 323 and have lost 70 pounds now being evaluated to see if I can get off my blood pressure medicine.There is nothing I can compare this with when my legs dont hurt all the time.

My BIL has been looking into this for two years. He is young (only 36) and doesn't want to die young. I researched this extensively myself before I had my surgery and spoke to doctors and people that have had it. It is not a decision to be made lightly.

You were looking for motivation and reasons to do something about your weight. All I was trying to do is give that to you. It sounds like to me you are straddling the fence (both on this post and a previous one - your "angry" post) and possibly looking for excuses on why to wait. If you aren't ready - don't do it. Period. There are a lot of people that can lose weight on their own. Perhaps you'll be included in that number.

I'd be more gun ho if my doctor pushed me a little. But he is happy with how I am responding to medication. I only take two pills a day. My blood pressure is better than average and my blood sugar level is just above normal now. The doc's take on it is that he thinks banding would make be healthier - but he is not the expert and referred me to a surgeon to discuss it further. Being a skeptic, I'll go into a talk with the surgeon thinking that he will try to sell me on the procedure - that's how they make their money. And, I am skeptical of groups. Those in attendance will be fanatical about the procedure.

I'm just dipping my toe in the pond right now and not ready to join in. I'm sure there are many that regret having the procedure but I guess that they don't post here. I need a balance unbiased perspective on things.

By all accounts lap banding is a very serious procedure and a measure of last resort against a life threatening disease. That is why I need compelling evidence.

Charles

I don't think ANY of us are rushing into getting lapband. Most of us have been researching the surgery for quite a long time. We know it's right for us and it's what we need. I myself have been researching lapband for about 3 years and decided to get it in February. I will be banded in November and I am very excited. I am only 22 and at a very high weight and I don't want to not have a life anymore. I spend too much time closed up behind walls. I'm ready to LIVEEE.

Also I don't have any life-threatening health problems from my obesity...I have some problems though like Depression, GERD, Anemia, Screwy periods, Diverticulosis, Edema, joint pain, etc. But I don't want to end up having diabeties, high blood pressure, and even worse problems. I'm nipping it in the bud before I am even more unhealthy. I am worth it, we all are.

Edited July 29, 200817 yr by Froggi

Charles - if you do some browsing on this site, you'll find plenty of people that have had problems with their bands or found out it's not for them. This isn't a band cheerleading site by no means. Go look at the "struggling" lap-band area and read up if you want to see some people that haven't had a smooth ride.

I myself had my port flip on me after surgery. I had to have it corrected before I could get a fill. It was an unforseen complication, but something that had to be delt with before I could move on.

I've found the GP (general practitioners) really don't know that much about lap band also. Most doctors, that aren't in the bariatric field, aren't educated about the band. They also get paid for prescription medications - so I don't put 100% of my faith in staying on medications all of your life because your doctor says you are responding to them. Why not be healthy enough not to have to take them at all?

My OBGYN, two family friends are included in that number. However, since I've gone back to them for checkups (both GP and OBGYN) and having lost 50 pounds since seeing them last - they are happy and are asking me questions about the band.

Edited July 29, 200817 yr by Leslie2Lose