Okay, I don't believe in karma (necessarily) or luck, but I do believe in God and that we can be guided by Him to do the right things. That's all I'm gonna say because I don't want this to turn into a religious thread.

However, has anybody else besides me feel like they were led to this somehow? I had never even heard of Lap Band or that type of weight loss system before about five days ago. I saw an ad in a magazine at the very end and went, HMMM, wow, I want to find out more about this! All I ever really knew about was bypass and other severe surgeries, and that was a HUGE no way for me.

Okay, so I see this ad. I want to find out if my insurance covers such a process, and I go rooting through a box I have some of my papers in and find it. There was a supplemental sheet tucked into the book with contact numbers for different departments at my insurance company, and it was tucked in THE very page that discussed this operation.

Within two days I was at a seminar; and though I liked what I heard (and I had also joined here and read a lot), I didn't like the doc. Besides not liking him, he's not in my plan. BUT, his father IS. And I've heard some great stuff about him. I have my initial consult with him on Tuesday!

Besides that, get this: Has anybody, once they decided this is what they want (or think they want) to do gone through this? I have noticed that in less than a week, my stomach gets full quicker automatically! I'm not eating NEAR as much as usual, and in that week I've lost 6 pounds without doing anything else.

Does this sound weird?

I don't think it's weird. I share your beliefs and think things happen for a reason. I went to a seminar 1 1/2 years ago and left feeling like I couldn't and shouldn't have LB. Time passes and more weight comes on and a friend just makes an unusual comment at supper one night. She was with me at the seminar and was really against me doing this. After the comment I asked her if she had changed her mind and she said she had heard so many good things that she had changed her thinking. That was all it took and within a month I was scheduled for surgery.... Someone or something had a hand in that by my way of thinking.... And I'm thankful.... Good luck to you.... there are so many good times to come... I can hardly wait.......... Julie

I, too, believe just like you do...I do feel that this was meant to be for me. I had to do the six month doctor supervised diet and everything went like clock work down to the doctor's office submitting the paperwork to the insurance company and being approved two days later. After surgery I was in no pain, just a tad bit sore and I have done great.

I also had thought about WLS before but only knew about gastric bypass. But then one day I found out about LB and the rest is history.

I agree, I saw the commercials on TV and started to read up on it and well one thing led to another. I know I can eat junk even with the band but I choose not to.....why waste all that time and effort and pain to just go back to the way I was. Oh an occasional treat is fine, but nothing crazy. I feel very calm and happy about this all. So maybe it was divine intervention. I sure hope so.

I also believe that I was led to this surgery. God opened up all the doors for me to walk right through. I was the best thing that I have done for myself in a long time, so no, I do not think that what's happened to you is weird.

Doesn't sound weird at all. As I've "walked" through the struggles of weight loss, I haven't found anything that truly worked for me. When I saw/heard about Lap Band, I began checking, and slowly but surely, I felt that I was led, or that the doors were opened, for this to happen for me. My sister-in-law happened upon it the same way, and she is also in the process of getting approvals and finding the right people to be on her team. It truly is a team effort, I believe, held together by the common thread of God working through everyone's hands and hearts. And yes, for some reason, when it's the right thing to do, it's often easier to start falling into line, doing the right thing (like eating the right stuff and not overeating). Enjoy the ride, the anticipation, and the TEAM!

I don't know if one is "led" or if one is simply more "receptive" because one is ready to hear the message. Either way, if one is considering the surgery, then it's definitely time to do something to make the necessary changes in your life to regain control of your health and ultimately your life.

Honestly, it sounds like good marketing to me. ;o)

I know it had to be Divine Intervention for me because nothing else has worked and I was led to this right after my son-in-law passed away. I have had a few struggles in the past few months with some plateauing but some my fault too. I am so happy I had this surgery!!

Brenda

I'm with all of you!

I kept seeing the "Lion" ad <eyes rolling> and that got me to thinking about it. Got online with their website in January. Eventually found this site.

Talked to my PCP thinking he'd be against it. He'd always been on me to try again to lose the weight. Surprisingly, he thought it was a good idea for me to go to seminar, said they'd talk more about bypass, so be aware, and they'd send me "out" for the surgery.

Went to seminar and signed up for classes that night. Found Kaiser was doing the surgeries but I'd have to go to the bay area, 3 /12 hrs away. Started getting a little discouraged with the logistics of going back and forth 3 1/2 hours for all of my appts and surgery. But wasn't going to give up. I figured that one way or another, this was for me and I needed to do this.

By summer it was looking like I wouldn't be able to have surgery until the following spring with the waiting list in the bay area. Then, middle of summer, I find out Kaiser was bringing a new surgeon to Fresno, an hour from me and where all our major appts are! Heard he was hoping to start doing bands at the end of the year. Figured I'd wait for him instead of trying to get in sooner, farther away.

Come end of July, they called me to have surgery the next week! Freaked me out! Couldn't do it that soon. (I have a 2yr old I had to make arrangements for and a firefighter DH who (during fire season!) had to try to get time off!)

They called me back for a surgery date in August that I could do! Day of surgery, never having had surgery before, and I was NOT nervous or scared. THAT is the hand of GOD! I've felt calm about the whole thing. Doors being opened that allowed me to be able to do the surgery closer to home and a good 6-10 months sooner than I thought it would happen!

So, yes, I feel this was for me.

Wasa, I don't understand your comment.

<eyes rolling="">Wasa, I don't understand your comment. :crying:</eyes>

The OP said that she saw an ad in a magazine for the band and that got her interested in the band. That is what advertising folks are paid to do, put their product in front of you and make it look appealing so you will want one for yourself.

OP believes it was a higher power and I believe the marketing people for bands did a good job of introducing her to the band.

That could be, WASA. I had never heard of it before, and I don't have cable like many here who got slightly more immersed in it. I saw a simple ad (wish I would have kept it now) and it made me want to research more. That's how I found this site and started reading about it. There wasn't a whole lot of marketing to the ad, so I dunno... maybe for me it was divine intervention. :crying:

The OP said that she saw an ad in a magazine for the band and that got her interested in the band. That is what advertising folks are paid to do, put their product in front of you and make it look appealing so you will want one for yourself.

OP believes it was a higher power and I believe the marketing people for bands did a good job of introducing her to the band.

Oh, NOW I get it! Thanks!

That could be, WASA. I had never heard of it before, and I don't have cable like many here who got slightly more immersed in it. I saw a simple ad (wish I would have kept it now) and it made me want to research more. That's how I found this site and started reading about it. There wasn't a whole lot of marketing to the ad, so I dunno... maybe for me it was divine intervention. :crying:

Yep, the marketing dept did their job well. It worked for me too.

That could be, WASA. I had never heard of it before, and I don't have cable like many here who got slightly more immersed in it. I saw a simple ad (wish I would have kept it now) and it made me want to research more. That's how I found this site and started reading about it. There wasn't a whole lot of marketing to the ad, so I dunno... maybe for me it was divine intervention. :crying:

Beth... you don't need cable to deal with marketing techniques.

You read a potential solution and you want a fix bad enough to do anything.

I feel like I was led to this. I've told other people that, too. I had a weight related incident during a routine surgery a year ago. When I went in for my follow up, my ob/gyn sat me down and talked to me about the Lap Band. Before that, I'd researched gastric bypass and wasn't comfortable with it, but I had never heard of the Lap Band. I figured there was no way my insurance would pay for it--they won't even cover birth control. The next day, I called the insurance company and a very nice representative sent me to their website for all of the information and surprise! they covered it at 80%. The very next week, there was a seminar with the surgeon my gyn had recommended. I went to it and felt very comfortable with him right away. I usually don't like doctors at all, but something about him made me like him. I saw him a month later, went through the pre-op testing, and everything was sent to insurance in late January. I was approved the same day insurance received my information. When I got my letter, the date on it was the same date I was hoping for. I had a couple of snags in the process, one with my gyn being out of the country for a couple of weeks when I needed a letter from him for insurance, and then when my relief person at work quit a week before my surgery date.

I've also had an incredibly easy post-op experience and the band has truly been the answer to my prayers. Nothing else ever worked--I could diet and never lose more than 5-10 lbs before it stopped and I'd gain even more. I was ALWAYS hungry. It seemed like my body didn't know how to be full. Now I'm 7 months out and have lost a little over 100 lbs. I'm very happy this I made this decision.