:scared2:My sisiter-in-law and myself went yesterday to see Dr Hajduczek at Surgulite in Torrance, CA. Our Insurance won't cover the band so we are going out of pocket. I am so scared of the surgery I don't know if I can do it. I need to. Not doing it will cause problems I know, but I can't imagine dying trying to get skinny. I am 36 and in pretty good health other that being fat. No high blood pressure, no diabeties, no heart problems. Just can't believe I can't do this on my own for free and I am opting for such a drastic measure. has anyone else felt this way and if so, how did you get thru it. This whole process is such a mind game. Just venting and thought this would be the place to do it.

thanks

:tongue2:

I didn't feel that way myself but I worried that others would think that way. I have dieted my whole life, I would lose a good amount then gain it all back and then some. I knew I couldn't be successful on my own. I could try and fool myself into believing that I would one day lose it on my own or get the surgery. Even after making the decision to get the Lap Band I worried that I would fail at this just like all the other attempts. But now I see it working and I know that this really was the answer for me...so you see it truly is a mind game for all of us. You'll sort through all of your concerns, just give it time.

Just make sure you are fully aware of the hard work that will still be ahead of you once you are banded. You still have to make changes to your eating habits as well as to your mental processes concerning food. I got the band not so much to help me lose weight, because I know I can do that, but to make sure that this is the last time I HAVE to lose this weight. Yes, the band will help with weight loss, but 95% of the effort is still going to be mine.

Research, read the posts here on the forums (both the happy and the frustrated ones), take a good look at yourself and what you are ready to do to make this work, then make your decision. Best wishes to both you and your sister-in-law!

Please, don't worry about it, the surgery is the easy part and you will be treated like a KING! I had my LapBand surgery done on the 27th of March 2008 and as of today, (5 months later) I have lost 100lbs!!!!!!. I feel great. I weigh 343 lbs and now I am down to 243. My goal is 200 lbs. When I was heavy, I did not want to look into a mirror but now I am always admiring myself in the mirror. There is one BIG PROBLEM now, I have to go out and buy new cloths, what I have does not fit me anymore, but I guess that a good problem. I want you to know one thing now, the LapBand is a tool that will help you lose the weight. Follow your doctor instructions after surgery and attend any support groups meetings. It took me about a month to adjust to the new life style but I am so happy now with my body. I had High blood preasure and diabetes but now I stop taking my BP meds and adjusted my diabetes meds to a very low dose. I hope that in the future I will be off my diabetes meds all together. Believe me, You will know that you made the right deceision. Good Luck. Robert

Edited September 5, 200817 yr by kg4cqf7
spelling

I basically felt the same way as you. I started looking into WLS about 2 years ago. At first I thought of gastric bypass but then it seemed way to drastic and scary that they would cut your insides up! Then I started looking into the Lap band. I have been going back and forth about getting, being very scared myself about surgery! I am 22 and have beend dieting since the age of 12. All the women in my family are overweight and I just can't imagine myself staying fat the rest of my life!

I was very scared up until about 2 months ago when I really started to research. This surgery is a very uncomplicated one and they do not alter your insides and it is reversible and the band can be loosened if you decided to have childern or you get sick so you can go back to a normal way of eating. The mortality rate of the surgery is less than that of a gallbladder surgery and just about the same procedure as well. Let me tell you I had my gallbladder out 5 years ago and it was not bad at all!!! I woke up from surgery and the only real pain I had is when they made me walk for a few minuetes...the next day I spent 8 hours on foot touring my college and was only a little sore.

I have not yet had the lap band but I am going to get it in Decemeber or Jan. I would get it done sooner because I am self pay as you are. But I just started a new job so i have wait a while. Also the self pay option is not that bad. Try and find a doctor that includes the first year of fills with the price. I am paying 15,200 for the whole thing and with my financing it comes out to be about 400 a month for 3 years....which is like a brand new car and a higher insurance payment, but you will be spending alot less money on food so the price will off set itself!!

Good luck and to be safe make sure to research your doctor!!! Try and pick a doctor that has at least done 100 surgeries!

:scared2:My sisiter-in-law and myself went yesterday to see Dr Hajduczek at Surgulite in Torrance, CA. Our Insurance won't cover the band so we are going out of pocket. I am so scared of the surgery I don't know if I can do it. I need to. Not doing it will cause problems I know, but I can't imagine dying trying to get skinny. I am 36 and in pretty good health other that being fat. No high blood pressure, no diabeties, no heart problems. Just can't believe I can't do this on my own for free and I am opting for such a drastic measure. has anyone else felt this way and if so, how did you get thru it. This whole process is such a mind game. Just venting and thought this would be the place to do it.

thanks

:tongue2:

I think many of us have been in your shoes. I am 38 and had this conversation with my grandma recently. She said, "Honey, you know if you just ate less and worked out more, you'd be fine." Okay, after 30 years of that speech, and attempting and failing and constantly disappointing myself, I decided I needed a tool to help me. The band isn't a "quick fix," it is simply a tool to help you and me and others in a fight against obesity and health related complications. I have been so angry at myself for not being able to lose weight for long periods of time. It seems so easy. Eat less, exercise more...but it isn't. If it were easy, you and I would have done it by now. Think about this, we live in a society where everything is centered around food. After I had the band last week, I was watching TV during my recovery and realized that every second commercial was food related. We can go out at any time of the day or night and get food, we are encouraged to "supersize" it and then condemned for the results. We go to dinner where the portions are 3-4 times what is normal and we eat. And food is good, it makes us feel good. After I got the band one of my first realizations was, "OH CRAP! what am I going to do when my first crisis arises and I can't eat an entire pizza?":scared2:

And then I resort to my support group, here, my family and my friends. I have had to learn different techinques to solving my own issues. And lemme tell you, the desire to wander into the kitchen and grab something when I am bored, tired and/or lonely still exists. The thought of wondering if I could puree cheese sticks or could I just try to stuff down a little bit of a Snickers McFlurry still exists. And being afraid I will screw this up and fail at even this still exists. But from what I have read here in the past week, I am optimistic. The folks here are good, they have all gone through the same thing and they get it.

For 30 years I tried this on my own. I am smart, well educated, professionally employed. I have a Master's degree in social work, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, you'd if it were about smarts and will power I'd have done it by now. Food is the one addiction that you can't give up. You don't get to throw away the pizza and say, "I'm never going to eat again." Not only is food in your face constantly, but you need it to live.

I know in my case, I needed help. And this is the tool I need. I need that measure to tell me to STOP! Because honestly, if given most anything, I won't stop. Don't you remember growing up when your parents made you finish your plate because some there were some poor starving children somewhere that would kill or die for your moose flank and borsht...ugh.

Okay...off my soap box now. I just wanted you to know, it's really okay to get help. I did and although it has only been a 5 month commitment and a week post band, I would never look back.

Good luck,

Chris:redface:

Compared to the bypass, the band has a way lower death rate. I highly doubt you would die from the surgery. The lap band is not as drastic as the bypass either. Most doctors won't even make you stay in the hospital over night. I was also a perfectly healthy person besides the fact that I was overweight. Had i not had the surgery, I would have grown up and eventually had many health problems.

Like they all say, just make sure you do your research and make sure you are committed. If you are not committed, you will feel worse about yourself than you already do. I personally have done every diet known to man and just couldn't do it. This is the first thing that has let me reach my full potential. Don't think of the band as drastic. Think of it as a tool. i would call the bypass drastic. no offense to anyone.

Good luck!

thanks for the words of advise. I know it should be fine. I just can't believe I have had to resort to surgery to lose weight. What do othera have that allow them to lose weight or just ot be fat? Crazy stuff. Anyway, I am taking your words and pondering. thanks again

thanks for you advise. I guess I need to get my mind around it all. I could have it done 9-23-08 if I would just make the phone call to make the appointment. I can't bring myself to pick up that damn phone. But thanks and I am taking your words and pondering what to do. thanks again and good luck to you. Keep in touch and let me know how your doing with your "new car"!

You are so right about everything you said. Everything. I just wonder what others have in them to lose the weight naturalty or just not be fat in the first place that I lack. To have to resort to surgery when other do it for free just drives me crazy. But I know I need it. I hope you are doing well and please keep in touch with your progress. I wish you the best in your journey!

Hey get those other people out of your head. My full blood sister can eat 12 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and lose 3 pounds. Its just the way the world is. I am thankful I was fat first or I would probably have been a stuck up bitch. Everything happens for a reason. Stop letting your head get in the way and listen to your heart. If it's meant to be you will know. I always know when something is the right thing to do because I am hesitant. Making excuses is your sub-conceince taking the easy way out. The hard thing to do, is usually always the right thing to do. Make yourself a pros and cons list and than ask your heart what it is that you want. :] It'll come to you.

Dear Scared to be Banded: I'm scared too but I sent my deposit in and made my appointment for Oct. 21st. Part of the reason is that it's in Mexico but the doctors are suppose to do more lapbands than anyplace in the world so I'm going to go for it. I'm tired of all this pain of being too heavy with all the health problems that I have, but yes I'm scared--I think that is normal!!!

Dear Scared to be Banded: I'm scared too but I sent my deposit in and made my appointment for Oct. 21st. Part of the reason is that it's in Mexico but the doctors are suppose to do more lapbands than anyplace in the world so I'm going to go for it. I'm tired of all this pain of being too heavy with all the health problems that I have, but yes I'm scared--I think that is normal!!!

Thats great that you jumped right in. I think thats what i need to do. Just make the damn appointment. I think I will on Monday. If I do, I will be banded in just two short weeks. Scary but good. Thanks for your advise. :shades_smile:

WOW...you sound like me....I am getting ready for surgery this week on Friday.... I am scared. I am on my clear liquid diet right now. It is hard.!!!!!!! I am going to do it though..... I am 37 years old...!!!! No major health problems....but getting there....

Angel,

We have all felt this way. Why can't I just do it myself? What is wrong with me that I just can't lose the weight with diet and exercise? But if you are like many of us you have done all the diets exercised until the cows come home and nothing ever happens. And just so you are aware before you get banded diet and exercise don't stop just because of the band it just helps a lot! :thumbup:

Also since you are a self-pay (so was I, went to Mexico) I thought I would share something with you that I just found out yesterday at my first and only successful fill. I moved to Pittsburgh about a month ago so I had to find a Dr. in PA., I chose Dr. Amjad Ali @ Hamot Bariatric Center and might I just say he is Awesome!!! Check him out on Obesity Help.com Anyway I paid about $12,500 total for travel and surgery in Mexico but Dr. Ali only charges $14,000 for the surgery and you get free fills for a yr. I know PA is a long way from CA but if you are self-pay it might be something to think about.

Good luck with your journey to a healthier you and don't be so hard on yourself this could help a lot. Feel free to write anytime if you need any support.

Heather

I am in the exact same boat. No health problems...just fat! But I have a husband and 2 kids and I want to be around for them. Plus I LOVE to travel and with each pound it is harder and harder. We are having to pay out of pocket too (yikes). But it will be worth it...I know it will. Any discomfort will ease quickly and you will be healthier in the long run!