Hi Everyone,

My Name is Tracey, I am 37 (I think) and I am considering the lapband. I live in London and would be realllllly grateful for the lo down on where to get it done and for the best price.

I have an opportunity to have a fantastic TV career but keep turning it down because I feel like a beach whale and as you know the camera adds 14lbs. Fed up with putting my life on hold because of my size, I have lost 80 lbs with lighter life but eventually put it alllll and more back on. This is last chance city and it's just time. I know you all understand when you get so fed up with yourself you want to break ever mirror. I am 18 stones and enough is enough. Feed up with being the preety faced bubbly funny one.

The sexy diva is ready to come out!!!

Please help give me the wisdom and I would be over the moon to here from any londoners who I could actually speak with as it a little confusing.

This is what I am looking for:

Information that can help me make the right choice

Information on the hospital group

A london Bandster who can offer support

Details of best surgeon in london or abroad

Support Package info (what are fills???)

Pricing

Thanks guys and keep on losing

hi tracey, not going to be much use to you as i dont know London that well, Im from the UK, & want to welcome you to the site,

I hear a lot of people go to Belgium to have the surgery as its alot cheaper than the UK, i think its about £7000-10,000 here & about £3,500 in Belgium, good luck in your choices, read as muc as you can where ever you can before you commit yourself..

even go to your GP for support, they can often guide you in the right direction

Hi there,

Thank you so much for getting back to me. Well done on your weight loss you must feel great. Can you tell me more about your op, how you felt with the liquids etc and what support you received from your hospital.

Also do you know where in belguim people were going to?

Thanks hun,

sorry Tracey i dont know where they are going to in Belgium, i know people on here hve gone there so im sure someone will tell you

I had to do the liquid diet (clear soups) for 4 weeks, was boring after 3 weeks, but stuck with it,

i was up & walking aout 2 hours after my op, no pain, just slight discomfort, slept very well every night, took no pain killers,

I had my op on the NHS, waited 5 months, i get all fills free, fills is were they fill your band to make it tighter,restricts you from eating lots, but please remember its only a Tool you still have to make healthier food choices & exercise to get the most from your band,

It takes about 6 weeks to fully recover, then i joined a gym & i swim 3 times a week, eat 3 meals a day & drink lots of fluids, i used to be able to drink 1 & 1/2 bottles of wine in night, now i manage 2 small glasses & im merry (not drunk)

Do as much homework as you can on here, internet, local support groups, GP, etc, the band isnt for everyone, their are criterias you have to meet, all surgeons are different, only the one you go with will tell you what you have to meet to qualify for the surgery

good luck

Hi Tracey

Good on you for taking a positive step and joining up to find out more. I too was apprehensive about the journey - and I started investigating it more than two years ago - but decided I was too scared and I was being lazy and should give it 'one last go' on my own. Needless to say, I am back here again, scheduled for surgery on the 2nd of April.

The cost of the surgery will vary, as will the overnight stay or not, depending on where you have it. Same as any insurance issues - you will have to research that with the doc you choose, however these things will not; the band is a tool to help you lose weight. It is ideal for people who eat big portions but not ideal for emotional eaters I have read as if food is your only solace you will find a way to eat "around" the band (eg with foods that slide through and you can keep eating and eating - mcdonalds sundaes etc! (yum!). It is restrictive and you will go from eating an entree, main and dessert to eating an entree. Some doctors say that you cannot drink when you are eating - mine says that you can - but you will defeat the purpose of the band for that meal - eg it will go through quickly - like a mcdonald's sundae. The idea of the band is two fold, one it restricts the amount you eat, and two, it resets the pathways between your tummy and your brain that are constantly screaming IM HUNGRY!!!!!! (the latter is apparently not a widely subscribed to theory in America according to my doc but I am not sure).

You will have to chew 20 times on every mouthful and it must be small.

All of this freaked me out - which is why I decided it wasn't for me 2yrs ago, however now, being fat, single and probably dead in the next 20 years freaks me out a lot more, as I know that I cannot do this without the help of the band.

Start with the FAQ section on this forum, read the before/after posts with pictures and get inspriation, read the threads about people who didn't have success with the band too, and weight up your odds. Like the band, we are only here as a tool (an information one!) to help you to decide what is best for you. If you have any specific questions please don't hesitate to ask us. Best of luck. Linglingxx