Hi there Everyone!

I have just decided to get the band after thinking about it for years. I just can't go on another diet where I will gain all of the weight back. I am 38 years old and have a life to live that hopefully will include doing sports with my family, (outside of my house!), swimming in front of others without shame and playing with my kids. I just had my sleep study last night, so am groggy and relatively unpleasant right now, but that will pass eventually! I have my psyche eval on Weds and then my nutrition and initial consult on Jan 15th. I am moving to Puerto Rico, so I wanted to get the surgery done before I leave for there. Thank you all for continuing to post on this site. Information is my best cure for worry. I look forward to being a big loser with the rest of you. :tongue2:

Congrats on your decision! Those were some of the same reasons I had lapband as well. Of course I wasn't moving to beautiful Puerto Rico lol. Oh, just a thought. I have read about folks getting their band in one country and trying to get fills and follow up in another and having problems. Have you already found someone in Puerto Rico that will take over your care?

p.s. I remember my sleep study...that gunk they put in your hair took me at least 3 showers and alot of scrubbing to get out. Blah! I hated that part lol

Good Luck and many successes!

Cheryl

Congratulations, my surgery is tomorrow 01/07/2009 @ 12:00 P.M. I can definitely relate to your reason for wanting to have the surgery. I'm 32 and I want to live as long as possible. My family has a history of diabetes and I really want to avoid any risk factors which currently at my weight I have a huge risk factor. I know that as I age and have this weight that diabetes is just right around the corner.

Good luck and God bless you,

Janet....

I pray your surgery went well. I just got the results of my sleep study. I didn't even understand why I had to get the thing done, and it turns out that I actually have mild sleep apnea. I stop breathing about 11 times an hour for roughly 25 seconds a time. My longest was 34 seconds! I didn't even know that I did it! They said I have to go back again next week. YUCK!! Maybe after I am banded and lose weight, I won't have that problem anymore. I guess the next appointment is for a cpap machine or something. My DH said that he wasn't sure he wanted to share a room with Darth Vader! Oh great! I took an AWESOME nap this afternoon and feel a lot better tonight. I have my psyche exam tomorrow. I guess there isn't testing, just an expensive interview. ($250). I will try to submit to insurance after the fact.

Thanks, My surgery did go well Thank God and thank you for adding me to your prayer. I'm a little sore and have some gas. I'm not even thinking about food. Please pray that last until this liquid diet is over. I'm sorry to hear you have been diagnoised with mild sleep apnea but at least you know what you have and can be treated. This is also good modivation to keep you moving forward with the Lap band surgery.

Hello All!

I am barely in the process if trying to get information on this procedure. I have scheduled an appointment for next week to go to the introduction seminar. I'm nervous, I'm scared....mostly because I feel like I won't be taken seriously. I'm 5"2 and weigh 221lbs. My BMI is about a 39 and I'm nervous that my insurance company won't even take a look at my profile because I don't meet the required 40 BMI. anyway i just wanted to meet others, and look for tips and encouragements.

I am at at 41.5 or something and am also quite short. I think if you go back to when you were a kid and then note down all of your serious attempts to lose weight and how much you lost, you can use this as part of your "evidence" to support your claim. If you are pre-diabetic or have sleep apnea, these are co-morbidities and they will often approve people who aren't over BMI 40. Or, if you are close, eat your last few doughnuts, drink a bunch of water and wear heavy clothes to your first surgeon visit. You might get above 40 that way and then there shouldn't be any complaining from the ins. Company. Good luck. I'd love to hear what happens. Keep in touch.