Hi Everyone,

I could really use some input, if you'd be willing to share your thoughts.

On Friday (6/24), I had my first appointment with Dr. Hoehn (in the Kansas City area). Was really looking forward to getting a surgery date maybe as early as August, when he told me he had a cancellation for (gulp) this Wednesday (6/29)!

I was instantly thrown into a half ecstatic state/half panic, thinking maybe this all had gone too quickly, especially since insurance won't cover and we're self paying ($16K).

My questions:

--I never seem to hear anyone regret the surgery--why not?

--If I'm 5'3" and 210 lbs, I obviously love to eat. Will I ever get to eat yummy food again? Maybe after the weight is off?

--My weight gain hasn't been due to extreme overeating/bingeing... more of a sedentary life style. Does this mean I might not lose weight with the band? Maybe I should just hit the gym HARD (for once) instead of going through with the surgery?

Panic... panic.... thanks, everyone!

Lisa

Whoa, I just re read the dates, Honey if you arent ready, plase change the surgery date... and research some more, I dont know your Dr, but in one way this is a BIG RED FLAG, to run, this is a life altering experience, and he shouldnt give it to you just like that, People are supposed to have a Psych eval to see if they are ready or can handle this etc. Handle the changes that will happen etc.. Please do more checking into this and your Dr.......

Jenn

If I were you, I think I would wait. It's not like the 29th is the ONLY opportunity you're going to have. Use the time to get the answers to your questions, at least. I know it's exciting to contemplate getting banded and starting your weightloss journey, but please give yourself the time you need to be sure that this is going to be the right thing for YOU.

Good luck!

Pansy

icrh, i am having the band july 22, with dr kaniewski in lenexa at the minimally invasive surg. center. i am very impressed with the place and the dr. i too am a self pay and i want to rush into it, but they are carefull and have preop ed. and testing (labs and EKG and EGD...) before they will preform surg. i feel i have been educated well and i am really at the point that i am out of questions. here is their website, i hope it helps. www.isaobesity.com

their seminars are also very well presented and informative.

Jen

sorry that link is wrong here is the right one. http://www.lsaobesity.com/

Take the plunge. Come on in... the water is fine.... Don't mind that warm spot near me though

so are you doing it?mine was a bit like urs-called the surgeon on a thursday and had the surgery the following wed-was scary-it was in mexico and I too was a self pay but here I am and since April 27th Im down 24 pounds.

i CAN eat a lot of the foods i love,but mostly i choose not to,or have very little of them.strangly my tastes have changed-now i crave fish and pickles and wheat thins!LOL

surgery is such a big thing that when i had it done i VOWED to change my life and eat healthy and lose weight,so its not like another one of my diets that i KNOW im going to fail,you know? Its a huge lifestyle change and you have to be ready,and if you think you are then go for it,but if not wait another month-the lap bad will always be there-but you have to make sure your ready for it.

Good luck with either of your decisions!I wish you the best of luck!

Im also feeling very nervous...and wondering if anyone REALLY knows for sure if this is the right move until they do it. I know personally, that I will regret it forever if I dont give it a try. Thats why I think reversability is so important.

Lanie-

Keep researching and reading this board- as you can see everyone is pretty open and we all share even persoanl issues/questions-

I was a research-a-holic and the the more I read the better I felt about my surgery

The folks on this board have been my little band of angels-

DeLarla, Penni, Alex, Zoe, La Madam, Jack, Vinesqueen, Dylansmom, Vera, Kathy, Julie Dizz, Princess and Pea, Jamie, harleynana, chicagoboy, and too many to name (I can see their little wings flapping right now)

I LOVE MY BAND!!!!

If you aren't ready, you aren't ready. But I was in a total panic just before my banding. From what I can tell, if you aren't sent into a panic, there is something wrong with you. I couldn't be happier though.

You will be able to eat yummy foods. Why do you think you wouldn't be able to? Be prepaired though, what you used to love, you may find that you don't actually like it because you have to sit there and chew it to nothing. You may find that foods that were not high on your list now get bumped because you experience more complexity in the taste of the food.

Hello, my name is Crystal, and I'm a foodie...

Im also feeling very nervous...and wondering if anyone REALLY knows for sure if this is the right move until they do it. I know personally, that I will regret it forever if I dont give it a try. Thats why I think reversability is so important.

I think that you just answered your own question. You have every right to be nervous...I know I was... but I also said the same thing to my self that you just did. How will I know till I try?? Then it was like all of the sudden I was still scared but I knew what I had to do.... I GOT BANDED and I'm down 36 pounds since March and I love my band and I'm so glad I got this done. I have hope again that I will reach my weight loss goal and feel good again... And I know that you will do the same. But you and only you can make this desicion ... and this desicion may very well be in the top most important desicions that you will ever make in a life time... no wonder your nervous. You give it some more thought and reasearch and make sure this is what you want and if you continue to feel nervous and feel that you really want to try it... GO FOR IT!!!! good luck and rememeber no one can make this desicion but you... FOLLOW YOUR HEART!!!!

Hello,

I Have Never Been On The Computer Before: But I Just Wanted You To Know I Had My Band Put In Place 2 Weeks Ago And Every Single Day Gets Better I Was Nervous Also But So Far So Good. I Am Already On Solid Foods And Your Body Will Tell You What It Does Or Does Not Want. Good Luck And Say A Little Prayer. You Will Know When Your Ready.

My questions:

--I never seem to hear anyone regret the surgery--why not?

--If I'm 5'3" and 210 lbs, I obviously love to eat. Will I ever get to eat yummy food again? Maybe after the weight is off?

--My weight gain hasn't been due to extreme overeating/bingeing... more of a sedentary life style. Does this mean I might not lose weight with the band? Maybe I should just hit the gym HARD (for once) instead of going through with the surgery?

Lisa

Okay, I've re-read your post. As for your first question, I don't know why you never hear anyone regret it. For most of us, it is the very best thing we've done. So what's to regret? The band doesn't work for some people. Some folks will not follow the rules, others have structural issues that are beyond their control. But for the folks that the band doesnt' work, well, they can have it removed if there are problems. Everything goes back to normal, unless you haven't taken care of yourself and ignored serious signs out of vanity. I've heard lots of statistics bandied about, but since I haven't seen the actual data, all of those statistics are meaningless.

Wll, I suspect if you are like most people, you got here becuase of the yummy food in the first place, right? You might be able to eat cake, and then again, you may not, it is entirely up to your band. And you just might find that your idea of yummy will change after you have to sit with something in your mouth chewing it to bits. Tiny little bits.

I'm not a binger, I don't even understand binging. I suspect I can't even spell it, that's how much I don't understand that concept. As for being sedentary, you have two choices, you can eat less, or you can be more active. Or you can do both. Okay, so that is three choices. There is nothing wrong with saying, I think I'll give myself 6 months at the gym before I get the band. The band isn't going anywhere.

The band is not going to make the pounds fall off. It won't make you prettier, or smarter or more popular. It is a tool, and you are going to be the same person you were before you got the band. If/when you loose weight all your problems are still going to be there, especially the ones that led you to gain weight in the first place.

I am new to this lap band procdure also. I have my first consultation Aug. 2. I am also 5'3" and I weigh 218. I feel sometimes if I would just buckle down and eat the right stuff and exercise more I could lose 30/40 lbs. This would not make me thin but I would look and feel better and I could live with that. I am really afraid of operations and I have a wonderful husband and 4 great daughters and I fear that if something happened to me in the operating room or if I became sick a lot afterwards this would not be fair to them. I keep reading all these posts and still have not decided to keep the appointment. I don't want to exchange me weight problems with other problems. Jodi

Lisa - If I didn't know better, I swear you were talking about me. Self pay, 5'3", sedentary lifestyle.... and I've been freaking out too. I'm just over a week away from my surgery and have been all over the net reading, researching, trying to find someone or someplace that said they HATED the band, it's the worst thing ever. But I couldn't find ONE not even ONE person that regretted it or was dissatisfied in anyway. Vinesqueen (Crystal - I think) THANK YOU so much for your response. It's true that I WANT to believe that band is going to FIX ALL MY PROBLEMS...I won't have grey hair anymore, my stretch marks will magically disappear, no more zits, and there will be peace on earth. WOW that sounds great don't it. Vinesqueen - Thank you so much for actually putting everything into perspective. (Although, I am hoping to be prettier.)