hi, my name is Harli and im looking to get control of my weight. im 27 years old, 280 pounds and a vegetarian. my mum was recently diagnosed with diabetes and a heart problem and she recently lost her father (my grandfather) to heart and lung issues. there is a history of obesity and diabetes in my family and i really dont want to end up going down that road although i know im not far from it.

ive tried Alli, Atkins, Weight Watchers, generalized calorie counting and more and i really feel like ive run out of options.

i have terrible knee problems. dislocations seem to be a common issue for my poor knees so working out is difficult and painful.

ive done some research on the Lap Band and im hoping it will help me to reach my weight loss goals so that i can live a more active, happy lifestyle.

but to be honest, all this talk of band slippage scares the heck out of me! is slippage really common??

Hello Harli,

Welcome to the forum. You will meet a lot of people here who are keen to support and advise you.

There are sometimes problems with the lapband as there are with any procedure, but they are minimised by good education, preparation and post op care. Have you talked to your GP about the band? Can you tell us where you are please?

Hello Harli,

Welcome to the forum. You will meet a lot of people here who are keen to support and advise you.

There are sometimes problems with the lapband as there are with any procedure, but they are minimised by good education, preparation and post op care. Have you talked to your GP about the band? Can you tell us where you are please?

i KNEW i was forgetting something! im in California. the SF bay area. my hubby is in the Air Force.

im in the process of making an appointment with my GP actually but its so hard to get thru to anyone. their phones are apparently very busy. i hope i can get thru soon.

OK, only 6000 miles away. It's a small world:lol:

Before you go to the GP, get organised with information and questions. Write down all the diets that you mentioned earlier. Any other weight loss moves you've made - eg weight loss tablets. Co-morbidities that you have - very important. Diet issues - do you keep a food diary? Weight records over a period of time are useful.

I am a NHS patient here in the UK, meaning I didn't have to satisfy the requirements of an insurance company, just of my local Trust. I understand that your insurance companies require all sorts of information before they agree to pay for the operation. Be very thorough.

Sorry I won't be able to help you with specific issues regarding insurance approval as I don't have experience of that. Anything else though, just ask away.