Hi

Just joining site. I am attending an informational meeting on LapBand on Friday. I am 38 year old, 5 ft 1 in. 215 pounds. I have tried Diet Workshop, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. I had a hysterectomy five years ago and it has been a struggle to lose weight. I gained 50 pounds just since surgery. I have struggled with my weight which seems like forever. I have always had a bad body image even when I was in my teens without a weight problem. Since having children (5) I have struggled with my weight. Two of my children were born stillborn so pregnancy was not a good time in my life. All of my weight settles into my stomach area and I must get asked a few times a month if I am expecting. Very embarrassing and emotional especially where that wasn't a great time in my life. I am active. My children are 14, 11, and 7. I think I am fighting genetics with this also. I don't have significant health issues. I do have fibromyalgia which is very painful and complicated by weight gain. I did have gestational diabetes with one of my pregnancies. Unfortunately not a great deal of this weight is from my pregnancies. A few pounds here and there from pregnancies. I am over 80 pounds over weight. My question is the safety of surgery? Is this surgery available to someone who is not 100 pounds overweight? What are the health risk? How is the recovery? I would like to hear positive and negative experiences. Thanks

I am 5'4 1/2" and I weighed 225 going into my pre-op diet. Right now I'm at 155 and I'm in a size 10. I've lost 70.5 pounds. I want to lose 20 more pounds to get into my healthy BMI range, so that puts me at 90 pounds if I reach goal.

The surgery is actually safer for those with less than 100 pounds to lose. It was the single greatest thing I've ever done for myself.

I too had a terrible time losing, made my doc check my thyroid I don't know how many times, and tried every excuse in the book, including that I had 2 c-sections and a hysterectomy, family history, etc. The bottom line is calories in vs. calories out. I had to change that to lose weight.

There are so many health benefits to losing weight.

Go for it! You won't regret it.

i only needed to lose around 80-85 pounds... so i'm a lower BMI with no comorbities. i just couldn't stick to a diet/exercise plan and a binge eater. shoot, i couldn't even stick to the pre-op liquid diet.

i've never had children or had any surgeries prior to this so in my head things were going to be easy after surgery. i brought books to read, my hair dryer and curling Iron, makeup, pajamas and a cute outfit to wear home since i planned on staying overnight in the hospital.

needless to say, i never opened the book. i didn't take a shower so i didn't need my hairdryer/curling iron. i never got out of my hospital gown so there was no need for pajamas. and i wore the same sweats i wore when i went in for surgery.

i'm not going to lie... it hurt worse than i expected.. especially the first 2 days trying to get in and out of bed. i had to call in for a refill of my pain meds and i had to take 6 days off work (not including the weekend) instead of just the 5.

i haven't been the "model" lapband patient. i've eaten too fast. i've eaten things i shouldn't have. i let myself be overfilled for too long even though i was throwing up after almost every meal. sure i lost a lot of weight those 2 months but i really risked my band slipping. thank God it didn't!

to me, the surgery was the easy part. it's the rest of my life that will be difficult. not eating more than 1/2 cup of food even though your taste buds demand more. no longer being able to eat certain foods ever again. i can't tolerate bread anymore... pizza included. it's hard reprogramming your body not to drink while you eat... i still reach for that nonexistant glass that should be there.

BUT... i'm down 40 pounds. i just got to go buy a brand new wardrobe in a size i never thought i'd ever fit into again. i get compliments DAILY. i'm actually running and training for a 5k race! even my family can't believe that one lol.

so this journey has it's up and it's downs.... it's up to YOU to decide if you can commit to it.

I had my surgery at 6 am on Tuesday was on my way home by 11 am and back to work on Thursday. Most of my friends and family were against it, not anymore. Best thing I could have done.