KBOMB - if I had to do it all over again I would have jumped at the opportunity when I was 17. You are still young enough to lose the weight without worrying about the extra skin.
My mother also had GB surgery, although hers was done over 15 years ago and no hers was not a smooth process. I had the banding done on August 27th 2007 and I have been extremely pleased with the results. Dr. Ortiz was my surgeon, the trip was smooth, and the care down at OCC was amazing. No doubt in my mind in a heart beat I would do it all over again. I have lost 14lbs since the surgery, waiting for my first fill, with a total weight loss of 34lbs. There is always the battle with the mental hunger everyday but you would have that with the GB surgery in my opinion that is the hardest part of the whole process. Battling the demons that make you eat in the first place, the band is nothing more than a tool that will help you control how much you eat. I would take my own children to Dr. Ortiz if they battle childhood obesity that is how much I believe in the procedure and my surgeon.
kiedas26