I was so excited a few weeks back about getting the lap band. Insurance is paying for it. :tongue: But I started to read the post under lap band removal and all the people who say it does not work after 3-4 years and the erosoin of the band and how they had to have it removed and never wish they did. My friend said her neighbor got the band a year ago and has only lost 40 pounds. I can do that on WW. I am really freakin out if this is the right thing. I have been overweight on the up and down roller coaster of dieting for almost 20 years. Anyone else go thru this?

My advice is don't cancel. If you follow the steps correctly, dont eat until your doctor tells you post-op and you should be fine. Of course everyone is different. My surgery is 12/3 and I can not wait for it. If you focus on the risks and not the rewards you are only looking at the glass half empty. you have to think positive and you will be fine. I wish you luck and hope you don't cancel. By looking at your ticker you only have 80lbs to lose.....go after that goal with a clear and positive mind.

Please don't cancel. I had the surgery a year ago and I have lost 92 lbs. Everyone body is different and everyone don't follow the rules. Do what your doctor says and you will be fine.

I hope you don't cancel. I weighed about the same as you 215 at surgery. I had surgery in January this year. I now weigh 150 I would never have been able to lose that much on ww even if I did You always gain the weight back. Think of the BIG picture. Its a little work but you can do it. Good Luck .

My friend said her neighbor got the band a year ago and has only lost 40 pounds. I can do that on WW.

but with the band - you have a tool to assist you NOT gaining that weight back.

your starting weight & amount to lose is similar to mine - it can be done. yes they're hurdles / plateaus / complications - it's a leap of faith in any WLS that it will have great results - you play a large part in that success.

it's normal to feel a bit scared - take a deep breath, yes there are complications ... but i've read 10 times the more success stories.

good luck to you!!

Thank you all for your words of encouragement. I need to do this. I have been thinking about it all morning. I am never gonna get thin and stay there without it, or I would have already. I want to be around for my kids. I am tired of being that "fat girl". I am so glad we have this website to be able to reach out to others that are going thru the same things.

THANK YOU!~

another piece of advice is to stay away from the negative threads on this website about band removal.....not knocking them but why read them until needed. They are there for good information when you need it. I always read the positive ones. I love the NSV(Non scale victories) thread. Also the before and after pic thread. Stay towards the positive and dont let the negative creep in.

good luck you will do fine!!

Way to go Wanna! Keep the postitive attitude! I'm also pre-band, and my feeling is if we can stick to other diets and lose big amounts (like WW) than we can do this. Those that failed didn't follow all the rules or had unforseen complications. We're going to do great! Best wishes...

another piece of advice is to stay away from the negative threads on this website about band removal.....not knocking them but why read them until needed. They are there for good information when you need it. I always read the positive ones. I love the NSV(Non scale victories) thread. Also the before and after pic thread. Stay towards the positive and dont let the negative creep in.

good luck you will do fine!!

I was getting ready to say the same thing. I accidently went and posted on a negative thread not to long ago not realizing it's purpose for being there was to complain about the band. Oh brother! I went through some mess on that thread. That was a mistake that I will not repeat again.

My advice if you're that close to not having the surgery than maybe you should address your concerns or ask more question. I feel if you go into this with a negative attitude you'll make it hard on yourself. It's like you're setting the Lap Band up for faliure. I wouldn't listen to the negative threads on here but what I would do is make sure you have educated yourself on the pros and cons of being a bandster and that you make sure that your ready to face both the positive and negative possibilities. :tongue: I wish you much luck.

Sure, there are going to be the bad stories, but statistically the odds are in your favor. On the day of surgery I was contemplating whether or not they'd be mad if I changed back into my clothes and walked out. LOL I was all IV'd up and being wheeled into surgery and SO just wanting to tell them to stop. But I'm REALLY glad that I didn't. It's so much fun to be able to lose weight and it STAYS off. I've had my ups and downs, but never in the past have I been able to stay down in weight as long as I have. I usually end up quitting and gaining back EVERYTHING and more.

If that lady only lost 40 lbs in a year, then that's because she didn't do much to work with the band, IMO. Follow your surgeon's instructions to a "T" and your odds increase exponentially that things will go well. Good luck! Let us know how you do.

We all get scared right before surgery, it's normal.

My best advise, is to go look through the Before & After pictures thread.

I knew the risks of surgery going in, but I did NOT go into complications thread until post-band.

Just like every surgery there is an amount of risk & complications & failure rates. If it was 100% perfect, no one would ever question it.

But for every bad story, there's plenty of good ones.

Go look at the encouraging stories right now.

I am so glad I got my band, and so glad I didn't back out (although, my reason for wanting to back out was because I did NOT want a catheter).

I totally agree with the other posters...negativity brings on more negativity...I'm not saying that those people who are complaining don't have reason to and I'm not saying that you shouldn't prepare yourself for both the positive AND the negative effects of LB....I think we ALL have to be educated on the good and possible "bad"...however, you have to look at the LB as a life saving device and go into surgery with a positive attitude! For me, its pretty simple...we run risks in our lives everyday...I've been risking getting diabetes, high blood pressue, heart problems, liver damage, etc. everyday for the past 10 years by being obese! I'm hopeful that the LB is the tool that will help prevent those risks, AND help me get rid of my sleep apnea... which, by the way, was a risk I didn't escape!

Best of luck to you....please let us know how you do!

Reading all of the terrible threads about removal, although good for getting a full view of potential problems, is also a good way to scare yourself silly. Statistics show that you will lose a significant portion of your excess weight on average, and complication rates are very low (but if you look at threads only related to complications it is going to appear to be almost 100%).

Are you willing to follow the bandster rules? Are you ready to make a change in your life? If so, success can be yours.

Take it from someone who started at the cusp of morbid obesity who is now only a couple more pounds from a normal BMI in less than a year. The band can absolutely, positively reshape your life if you are ready to commit.

I also had my doubts and never told anyone about the surgery other than my husband . . . out of fear that even surgery would not help. I love, love, love my band and it is the best think I have ever done for myself.

I really hope you follow through and can help ease other peoples concerns about banding in the near future. Best of luck with your decision.

As you can see I am 4 years out from surgery and due to have a revision and hialtal hernia repair. I am steadily gaining weight since being unfilled. This has proven to me that I have no control and need this band!!! I wa size 4 and loving life and feeling great. If something were to happen like me so what?? get it fixed. Your journey will be great. Come to the boards and get info but remember there are some peopel on here who post things that would scare anyone away from the banding surgery. Some people have major issues and things they will not admit on here either so worry about you and do the right thing and follow the doctors advice. You will be in skinny summer clothes before you know it!!! I know how you feel facing tomorrow I was there and I will be next Friday but it works and is a great tool. I will be thinking of you and looking forward to hearing from you as a new bandster!!! Congrats on embarking on a new healthier you!!! I would always keep my band and if I need another surgery down the road so be it...It works and has changed my life

I am right there with you. While I really want it and I'm completely committed to the band lifestyle -- I'm scared of the surgery and possible complications.

I sent you a private message.

Thanks everyone for such positive feedback. I can't even begin to image being 75 to 100 lbs lighter in a year. Right now that seems the equivalent if you guys wrote that I will be staring in a major Hollywood blockbuster and climbing Everest!

I understand what you are going through - I'm leaving in a few hours for the hospital - my surgery is this afternoon. I have been going through this journey since January and am so nervous that the day is finally here. I stopped reading the negative posts because they were also scaring me. But I'm ready and willing to take this chance and start a new journey in my life. Good luck to you!