Considering lapband... Help me in my decision? :)

[dustout]

Hello,

I'm 23, male, about 5'10 and 280 pounds. I've always been overweight and have had minimal success dieting. I tend to lose some and bounce back up until I get to 299 before I panic and start losing again. Recently I was diagnosed with M.S. and high blood pressure so I need to lose weight. I once tried Phentermine but I felt super hyper and had anxiety and was emotional and felt kind of mentally crazy while on it so I got off of it. I'm considering lapband. I need to lose a ton of weight and doing it on my own is so slow and I seem to always bounce back up no matter how motivated I feel. I think lapband will help give me a jumpstart and keep me motivated to continue. I also think I have sleep apnea although I haven't gone to the doctor about this.

So what's holding me back? Well a few things.

1. I've never had surgery so I'm a bit scared of that. Surgery seems SO extreme to lose weight. I feel like I should have the control to lose this weight myself. I know there's nothing wrong with doing this to lose weight and be healthier. It's just hard to shake that feeling and the fear of stuff going inside of me. It's just weird. I'm kind of uncomfortable with the thought.... but wow... help in losing this weight would be amazing. How was the actual surgery? How was the pain? Did you recover quickly? Scarring? Any complications? Anything I should keep in mind?

2. It's hard for me to imagine not being so overweight. I've been single all of my life so far since I'm so self conscious of myself. About 5 years ago I got down to 230 pounds and WOW I felt like a million bucks and gained so much confidence. I gained it back though and that kind of fell away. I'm doing okay in life but I think losing a ton of weight would help me get a better view on life. I want to do more and enjoy life more but I feel like I'm being held back. I want to run a block without worrying if someone is looking and see my fat bouncing around. It sounds silly to be so self conscious I guess but that's how I am. Strangely enough even though I want these things, thinking of myself being like 170 pounds, is unimaginable! I can't remember weighing that little. I guess I feel like I've gotten used to being how I am. How have others coped with this? Is it just so great to lose the weight that this problem goes away? I'm probably just overthinking this aspect.

3. I hear a lot about the extra chewing and the small portions. One thing that I wonder: Are you still able to enjoy food? Cutting back and eating healthier is great. But I worry that this will hamper the process of eating so much that I will be missing out on enjoying eating anymore, which everyone is supposed to enjoy. Is it as simple as eating less, chewing more, and watching what you eat? Also, how do you deal with restaurants? Do you find they often have something you can eat or do you get doggy bags if you go? Being in college, late night restaurant trips are bound to happen.

4. I have to get a doctor to referr me for insurance to cover me. Has anyone had to deal with that? I have a fear that he will think I just need to try dieting harder and push this off. He is the doctor that prescribed me phentermine before that didn't work out for me. However, next year I won't have insurance. I need to get this process started this summer so I can get it done before school starts back up or early in the semester. Any advice for this or dealings with it?

5. Not a reason, but a question. How long did it take from the point of start to finish. As in seeing the lapband doctor to having surgery? If I get this, I have to squeeze it in before or early in the next semester of college. I'm a bit worried about if the timing will work. The place that does it couldn't give me a precise timeline due to things like doctor issues, insurance, etc, etc.

Sorry for all the questions... I am so wanting to do this but at the same time since I don't know anyone who has had it, it's been hard to get answers to these key things. I figured you guys would have great answers to these things as many of you can probably relate to much of this. Thanks in advance!

[katjab]

Hello,

I'm 23, male, about 6'10 and 280 pounds. I've always been overweight and have had minimal success dieting. I tend to lose some and bounce back up until I get to 299 before I panic and start losing again. Recently I was diagnosed with M.S. and high blood pressure so I need to lose weight. I once tried Phentermine but I felt super hyper and had anxiety and was emotional and felt kind of mentally crazy while on it so I got off of it. I'm considering lapband. I need to lose a ton of weight and doing it on my own is so slow and I seem to always bounce back up no matter how motivated I feel. I think lapband will help give me a jumpstart and keep me motivated to continue. I also think I have sleep apnea although I haven't gone to the doctor about this.

So what's holding me back? Well a few things.

1. I've never had surgery so I'm a bit scared of that. Surgery seems SO extreme to lose weight. I feel like I should have the control to lose this weight myself. I know there's nothing wrong with doing this to lose weight and be healthier. It's just hard to shake that feeling and the fear of stuff going inside of me. It's just weird. I'm kind of uncomfortable with the thought.... but wow... help in losing this weight would be amazing. How was the actual surgery? How was the pain? Did you recover quickly? Scarring? Any complications? Anything I should keep in mind?

2. It's hard for me to imagine not being so overweight. I've been single all of my life so far since I'm so self conscious of myself. About 5 years ago I got down to 230 pounds and WOW I felt like a million bucks and gained so much confidence. I gained it back though and that kind of fell away. I'm doing okay in life but I think losing a ton of weight would help me get a better view on life. I want to do more and enjoy life more but I feel like I'm being held back. I want to run a block without worrying if someone is looking and see my fat bouncing around. It sounds silly to be so self conscious I guess but that's how I am. Strangely enough even though I want these things, thinking of myself being like 170 pounds, is unimaginable! I can't remember weighing that little. I guess I feel like I've gotten used to being how I am. How have others coped with this? Is it just so great to lose the weight that this problem goes away? I'm probably just overthinking this aspect.

3. I hear a lot about the extra chewing and the small portions. One thing that I wonder: Are you still able to enjoy food? Cutting back and eating healthier is great. But I worry that this will hamper the process of eating so much that I will be missing out on enjoying eating anymore, which everyone is supposed to enjoy. Is it as simple as eating less, chewing more, and watching what you eat? Also, how do you deal with restaurants? Do you find they often have something you can eat or do you get doggy bags if you go? Being in college, late night restaurant trips are bound to happen.

4. I have to get a doctor to referr me for insurance to cover me. Has anyone had to deal with that? I have a fear that he will think I just need to try dieting harder and push this off. He is the doctor that prescribed me phentermine before that didn't work out for me. However, next year I won't have insurance. I need to get this process started this summer so I can get it done before school starts back up or early in the semester. Any advice for this or dealings with it?

5. Not a reason, but a question. How long did it take from the point of start to finish. As in seeing the lapband doctor to having surgery? If I get this, I have to squeeze it in before or early in the next semester of college. I'm a bit worried about if the timing will work. The place that does it couldn't give me a precise timeline due to things like doctor issues, insurance, etc, etc.

Sorry for all the questions... I am so wanting to do this but at the same time since I don't know anyone who has had it, it's been hard to get answers to these key things. I figured you guys would have great answers to these things as many of you can probably relate to much of this. Thanks in advance!

IF you are thinking about it, that's a good start. Food is not the same. You learn that you don't get the emontional enjoyment out of food that you used to but we sometimes eat the wrong foods and we get bloated, gas, stuffed feeling, etc. We are all food addicts that fall off the wagon sometimes!!

I always thought of bypass as to drastic but the lapband is removable if you have problems. I was banded in Oct 2006, have lost 60 pounds and would not it again in a heartbeat. You just have to change your attitude about enjoying food. Food and sleep are things our body needs and we usually give it too much!! Go for it!!!

[Clynn]

To answer your questions:

1) Since the surgery is done laproscopically you'll bounce right back. The nurses had me on my feet and walking around minutes after coming out of the OR. I took pain meds twice to help me sleep, and didn't even feel the need to bring them home with me. Mrs Ortiz said youth was on my side as far as recovery, and you are three years younger than me so you'll bounce right back. Scarring is minimal. There are five incisions, four small ones for instruments and one that started out three or four inches long. As I've lost weight those scars have gotten smaller. The four small ones now look like minor acne scars and the larger one is about an inch long. I'm told as time goes on they'll diminish more as the body continues to heal.

2) As the weight comes off your confidence will skyrocket. People who know me tell me my walk has changed since the surgery and it is all down to me being more confident and knowing that my $8500 butt looks fabulous! Once you gain this confidence doubt will fall away, and if it doesn't you can always come talk to us about it.

3) This is going to be a difficult answer to explain but I'll do my best. Food tastes different now. Some foods like doughnuts, pasta, and bread tastes like styrofoam while other foods like steak and bell peppers have become more flavorful and delicious. I think part of it has to do with the fact that there's less room for me to put food after I eat it so I'm gravitating towards foods with more flavor per square inch. I spoke to my doctor about this and he told me that from what the medical community is starting to learn about obesity is that there is actually a chemical change in the body that occurs alongside excess weight gain. Now that I'm loosing the weight the chemicals in my body are adjusting and that's influencing what kind of foods I like. I still love food and delicious food is still wonderful, it's just that I classify different foods as delicious now.

4) Most of the people on this forum go to Dr Ortiz and are self pay either because insurance won't cover it or they don't want to jump through the insurance hoops. My advice here is to get a doctor you have a history with and have a conversation with them about it. They will be able to get the insurance ball rolling or refer you to someone who can.

5) The time from start to finish will be determined by your insurance. Some self-pay patients for Dr Ortiz can make their appointment and have their surgery within days. Some patients who go through insurance have several hoops to jump through and it can be months. One girl's insurance company made her diet six months before they would ok the surgery. The official explanation was that they wanted to make sure dieting would not work but I think they just wanted to get her to loose enough weight to not qualify anymore. They band's greatest power is not helping people loose weight but helping people keep it off. Once you get your referral you'll have a better idea of how long the process will be.

Whew! Ok, I don't think I left anything out. Good luck to you.

[RogerF]

Dustout,

Are you 6'10 or 5'10?

At 6'10, even at 280 you're just considered overweight and would not qualify for LapBand, even in Mexico. If you can afford it, by going self-pay you can avoid many of the insurance requirements that even if you are covered, may take years to get through the process.

If 5'10, it would make a lot more sense and you're about where I started this process. If that is the case, I wish I would have known about this at 23 and benefitted from not spending the next 23 years losing and gaining (and gaining more each time). At 46, I'm lighter, stronger, and much healthier than I was in high school. Recognizing the issues now and deciding what is right for you is a big step.

Good luck to you, Roger

[peanuts]

Dustout,

Are you 6'10 or 5'10?

At 6'10, even at 280 you're just considered overweight and would not qualify for LapBand, even in Mexico. If you can afford it, by going self-pay you can avoid many of the insurance requirements that even if you are covered, may take years to get through the process.

If 5'10, it would make a lot more sense and you're about where I started this process. If that is the case, I wish I would have known about this at 23 and benefitted from not spending the next 23 years losing and gaining (and gaining more each time). At 46, I'm lighter, stronger, and much healthier than I was in high school. Recognizing the issues now and deciding what is right for you is a big step.

Good luck to you, Roger

[dustout]

Oops! Height fixed. I'm 5'10". Thank you for the replies so far. It is immensely helpful to hear these responses!

I remembered one more concern I had. Saggy skin. I've heard some about it but not a whole lot. Is there inches and inches of saggy skin everywhere, or does it tighten up some? Is there anything that helps the skin tighten after losing the weight so quickly? My mom thinks that if I lose 100 pounds in a year I would have to get like a body lift to look normal. In before and after pictures I don't really notice this problem on people too much. Most of my excess weight is on my abdomen area as probably a lot of guys here have/had so maybe the sagging hides well under clothing.

I'm getting excited thinking about having to worry about what happens from becoming so thin!

[Clynn]

You're young enough that sagging skin won't be as big a worry as if you were older. I'm surprised how much I've firmed up and lifting weights seems to help my problem areas. Course you won't know for sure until you get there. I'm thinking that as the lap band becomes more and more popular the aftercare surgeries will also gain popularity and come down in price.

[dustout]

I've decided I'm going to move forward to the next step on this and move towards getting banded. While thinking about it this past week I decided I would eat healthier until either way. Well, I've already been screwing up and eating too much. This reminded me that while I can be motivated and improve things, I need help in doing this and that if I could get rid of this weight on my own I wouldn't be stuck hovering at 280 for so many years.

Thank you so much guys! I will hang around here and probably document my process on this and another lapband forum. I'm excited although scared.

[macy]

Hello,

I'm 23, male, about 5'10 and 280 pounds. I've always been overweight and have had minimal success dieting. I tend to lose some and bounce back up until I get to 299 before I panic and start losing again. Recently I was diagnosed with M.S. and high blood pressure so I need to lose weight. I once tried Phentermine but I felt super hyper and had anxiety and was emotional and felt kind of mentally crazy while on it so I got off of it. I'm considering lapband. I need to lose a ton of weight and doing it on my own is so slow and I seem to always bounce back up no matter how motivated I feel. I think lapband will help give me a jumpstart and keep me motivated to continue. I also think I have sleep apnea although I haven't gone to the doctor about this.

So what's holding me back? Well a few things.

1. I've never had surgery so I'm a bit scared of that. Surgery seems SO extreme to lose weight. I feel like I should have the control to lose this weight myself. I know there's nothing wrong with doing this to lose weight and be healthier. It's just hard to shake that feeling and the fear of stuff going inside of me. It's just weird. I'm kind of uncomfortable with the thought.... but wow... help in losing this weight would be amazing. How was the actual surgery? How was the pain? Did you recover quickly? Scarring? Any complications? Anything I should keep in mind?

2. It's hard for me to imagine not being so overweight. I've been single all of my life so far since I'm so self conscious of myself. About 5 years ago I got down to 230 pounds and WOW I felt like a million bucks and gained so much confidence. I gained it back though and that kind of fell away. I'm doing okay in life but I think losing a ton of weight would help me get a better view on life. I want to do more and enjoy life more but I feel like I'm being held back. I want to run a block without worrying if someone is looking and see my fat bouncing around. It sounds silly to be so self conscious I guess but that's how I am. Strangely enough even though I want these things, thinking of myself being like 170 pounds, is unimaginable! I can't remember weighing that little. I guess I feel like I've gotten used to being how I am. How have others coped with this? Is it just so great to lose the weight that this problem goes away? I'm probably just overthinking this aspect.

3. I hear a lot about the extra chewing and the small portions. One thing that I wonder: Are you still able to enjoy food? Cutting back and eating healthier is great. But I worry that this will hamper the process of eating so much that I will be missing out on enjoying eating anymore, which everyone is supposed to enjoy. Is it as simple as eating less, chewing more, and watching what you eat? Also, how do you deal with restaurants? Do you find they often have something you can eat or do you get doggy bags if you go? Being in college, late night restaurant trips are bound to happen.

4. I have to get a doctor to referr me for insurance to cover me. Has anyone had to deal with that? I have a fear that he will think I just need to try dieting harder and push this off. He is the doctor that prescribed me phentermine before that didn't work out for me. However, next year I won't have insurance. I need to get this process started this summer so I can get it done before school starts back up or early in the semester. Any advice for this or dealings with it?

5. Not a reason, but a question. How long did it take from the point of start to finish. As in seeing the lapband doctor to having surgery? If I get this, I have to squeeze it in before or early in the next semester of college. I'm a bit worried about if the timing will work. The place that does it couldn't give me a precise timeline due to things like doctor issues, insurance, etc, etc.

Sorry for all the questions... I am so wanting to do this but at the same time since I don't know anyone who has had it, it's been hard to get answers to these key things. I figured you guys would have great answers to these things as many of you can probably relate to much of this. Thanks in advance!

[macy]

hello,i am very nervous also,i am due to have my band put on in aug.very nervous,why do people throw up so much,i thought just the ones that had the other surgery did that.where do you find fills. i am from new york and am having it done in syracuse and have not found anyone that has the surgery from that area.so that makes me alittle nervous also.any help please macy

[tmckee]

hello,i am very nervous also,i am due to have my band put on in aug.very nervous,why do people throw up so much,i thought just the ones that had the other surgery did that.where do you find fills. i am from new york and am having it done in syracuse and have not found anyone that has the surgery from that area.so that makes me alittle nervous also.any help please macy

Hi Macy,

What is it, specifically, that you are afraid of? The surgery, as we have all agreed, is a breeze. No pain, little discomfort and up and at 'em immediately afterward. I was banded July 3rd and I have not thrown up once. There's bloating from the surgery for a short while (I swear by Gas-X strips) but I have not been sick. There is a company called Fill Centers of US

that have sites all over the country. Unfortunately for me they don't have any in Wisconsin. Also, you could check with doctors who specialize in bariatrics and see if they are willing to do fills. I haven't had one yet but I've read that it's important that they use x-ray or floroscopy rather than doing them 'blind'. It's normal to be afraid of the unknown. But,

as you can tell by all the testimonials, this is pretty simple stuff. You're worth it!