Thinking about having surgery

[missyann]

I am a 29 year old female and I go for my first doctors appointment next Monday to start discussing the possibility of having the lap band surgery. I am currently 362 pounds. Typing that number and seeing it on screen doesn't even seem real to me. It's a weird thing, I have always been overweight and I know this but I have never really considered myself to be morbidly obese. Lately however I am getting to the point where simply moving around can be painful or too much work and I play out fast. I think it's really time to do this but I still have sooo many concerns and reservations. So many questions as to whether or not this is right for me.

Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own?

After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it?

Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band?

Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while?

What are the side effects?

How fast will I lose weight and how much?

What else do I need to know?!

[LaWanda]

I am a 29 year old female and I go for my first doctors appointment next Monday to start discussing the possibility of having the lap band surgery. I am currently 362 pounds. Typing that number and seeing it on screen doesn't even seem real to me. It's a weird thing, I have always been overweight and I know this but I have never really considered myself to be morbidly obese. Lately however I am getting to the point where simply moving around can be painful or too much work and I play out fast. I think it's really time to do this but I still have sooo many concerns and reservations. So many questions as to whether or not this is right for me.

Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own?

After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it?

Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band?

Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while?

What are the side effects?

How fast will I lose weight and how much?

What else do I need to know?!

I was banded on 1-6-09

I am soooo happy I did it , all the self disappointment is gone <' />

FINALLY did something for myself to get rid of the weight and feel better health wise, and emotionally.

I was always upset that I did not ever do anything about my weight except eat to make myself feel better which we all know only feeds the neg. circle created.

Hope if you choose to have the surgery you will find the happiness I have found in my decision.

Finally, =D> , hooray for me, I took the first step to DOING something about it, instead of just wanting to.

The surgery is a breeze, I went shopping the next day, without pain pills. Sore yes, in pain, no, not for me.

Best of luck in your decision, for me... it is the best thing I have done for myself.

The OCC was fantastic, everyone was freaking out that I was going to Tijuana, MX - the OCC IS INCREDIABLE - COULD NOT BE HAPPIER

Do not doubt the OCC, they are in my opinion the best

LaWanda

[jhawkchick75]

Congrats on your decision to research it. It is the best decision I ever made and I don't regret it for a moment! Here are a few responses to your questions:

Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own?

This is completely up to you. If you go in educated and feeling confident in your decision then you will be fine. But it is just like any other weight loss, you have to WANT to do it for it to work. It is not a magic pill and takes work and dedication. I feel confident in my decision and nobody can change my mind of that.

After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it?

If I push on my stomach I can feel mine.

Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band?

After you are healed, there isn't much you can't do. Just no major ab workouts.

Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while?

Totally different from person to person. Drinking lots of water and exercising helps, but nothing will completely fix loose skin unfortunately and many folks have plastic surgery afterwards.

What are the side effects?

Again different for everyone. I can belch and fart with the best of them now and of course many foods I can't eat anymore. I also get one large hiccup about 30 seconds after I am done eating. So all kinds of odd things.

How fast will I lose weight and how much?

Again very hard to say. Just depends on how much you have to lose and how dedicated you are to the band. Also depends on your fills and how aggressive your doctor is.

What else do I need to know?!

I encourage you to read through all these posts - go back quite a ways. You will learn a lot. Good luck!

[BandDiva]

I am a 29 year old female and I go for my first doctors appointment next Monday to start discussing the possibility of having the lap band surgery. I am currently 362 pounds. Typing that number and seeing it on screen doesn't even seem real to me. It's a weird thing, I have always been overweight and I know this but I have never really considered myself to be morbidly obese. Lately however I am getting to the point where simply moving around can be painful or too much work and I play out fast. I think it's really time to do this but I still have sooo many concerns and reservations. So many questions as to whether or not this is right for me.

Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own?

After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it?

Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band?

Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while?

What are the side effects?

How fast will I lose weight and how much?

What else do I need to know?!

I would tell you that it is the best thing I have ever done for myself! I finally feel like I am in control! I only wish I would have done it sooner. Feel free to read my blog, you might find something interesting about my journey over the past 3 months. Good luck to you!

[tnm75]

I am a 29 year old female and I go for my first doctors appointment next Monday to start discussing the possibility of having the lap band surgery. I am currently 362 pounds. Typing that number and seeing it on screen doesn't even seem real to me. It's a weird thing, I have always been overweight and I know this but I have never really considered myself to be morbidly obese. Lately however I am getting to the point where simply moving around can be painful or too much work and I play out fast. I think it's really time to do this but I still have sooo many concerns and reservations. So many questions as to whether or not this is right for me.

Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own?

After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it?

Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band?

Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while?

What are the side effects?

How fast will I lose weight and how much?

What else do I need to know?!

Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own? The band is not a fix all... it's a tool. You will have to put a conscience effort into changing your life style in order to be successful. Empowered!

After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it? I have been banded nearly six weeks. I cannot feel my port. I have tried to "find" it, but I've had no luck!

Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band? You can do anything! Much more than we can do at a high weight!

Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while? Possibly... and, most likely.

What are the side effects? I haven't had "side effects." You will have to learn to listen to your body. Am I full? Is my body tolerating what I'm eating? You will have to commit to get in your nutritional requirements.

How fast will I lose weight and how much? This all depends on you! I lost 20 pounds pre-op and 15 pounds post-op. When I started on solids I gained 7 pounds. I wasn't making the best food choices. However, I have finally lost that 7 pounds and I'm heading for my first fill this week.

What else do I need to know?! It's a lifelong commitment. Only you can determine if now is the time for you to change your life. Like you, my weight was over 300 pounds. For me, that was enough to stir something inside of me. Although I'm still learning, this is by far the best decision that I've made for a healthier me.