Hi There,

I'm Virginia, although my original lap band surgery was Jan. 17, 2007 and have had incredible success with the band unfortunately I am one of the rarities that suffered a band slip so last week they had to go in and remove the old band and replace it with a new one. I am currently on the mend and hoping to continue on my road to my goal weight with the new band in place. At my highest weight before finding the Newstart program at St. Alexius and meeting Dr. Norbert Richardson I was an astounding 353 lbs and on my way to becoming a diabetic and possibly worse! I was diagnosed with sleep Apnea (which is what killed my mother) and in need of a knee surgery for which my doctors were telling me I needed to lose weight in order for the knee to heal properly. I did a lot of research before making the decision to have the surgery but have not had one moment since where I have had a shred of regret or second guessed my choice to do this! I have no doubt that had I continued on the path I was on I would have faced many of the same ailments that plagued my parents, grandparents, etc. such as heart disease, diabetes, breathing problems, and early death and those were things I was just not willing to accept! As a mother and grandmother I have far too much to live for!

It has been a little less than 2 yrs since my surgery and I am now down from a sz 28/30 to a sz 16, and at 204 lbs now actually can see myself reaching my goal weight! A few years ago I was feeling hopeless and doubted that I could ever feel Normal again and now Thanks to Dr. Richardson and the Newstart program I feel like a new woman! This year for the first time in more years than I can remember I was able to ride amusement park rides with my grandchildren, I have gone camping, rode four wheelers, went swimming and actually enjoyed my life for the first time in a very long time! I can tell you that the Lap Band changed my life for the better and I am so happy that I made the choice to do this not only for myself but for my family as well!

:smile2:

Edited October 10, 200817 yr by swbgal

WOW! What a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing that. It is truly life stories like yours that keep me going!

Thanks for sharing!

OMG, can't wait to be where you are.. My numbers and circumstances are similar to yours. Congratulations.. You deserve to feel so good about yourself.. Some like to say that those kind of results aren't possible with LB, but you are proof that it is possible... Thanks for sharing... Julie

Wow, you are amazing. Keep up the good work with your new band. I hope to have an amazing story next year. Thanks for sharing

Congratulations on your success. My weight wasn't quite as high as yours (I was at a group support meeting and a post-op told me I didn't look like I was heavy enough to need surgery--at 252, wearing 2X or 22-24W, with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, reflux, knee arthritis and such, I beg to differ) but I didn't want to wait. I was miserable. I hope I don't have a slippage like you did, but it appears all has turned out ok. Keep up the good work, and good luck with the rest of your journey.:smile2: