Lap Band: Stories

I wish! I was self-pay for both procedures. Thank God for my dad, who paid for the lap-band and then seven years later, co-signed for the care credit so I could have my mommy makeover. Thank you!

Hi there momboys4,

We have a Weight Loss Surgery page, which has a Lap Band guide that I think you may find useful. Take a look at it and hopefully it will answer some of your questions!

 

Totally depends on you, everyone is different. I personally lost 18 pounds before my surgery even happened, thanks to the liquid diet I had been on for three weeks prior. I think I lost about 60 pounds altogether in the first eight months or so. I hovered around 70 pounds down for several years until finally I lost an additional 30 pounds in the last three years or so. It's been 7 years and I'm still 10-15 pounds from goal. For me, I got so close to my goal weight and became so healthy, the goal itself stopped being so important. I think I realized that ultimately, being healthy was the real goal, and I've achieved that.

The surgery and recovery was easy. I was back to work the next week. The only issue I had was the clear liquid diet I was required to be on afterward. I found that I wasn't getting enough calories and it was making me weak and dizzy. They let me start on full liquids early because of this and everything was fine. An on-going problem was pb'ing (productive burping) and that is strictly a result of over-eating, and causes the lap-band version of vomiting. If you don't overeat, you don't have this problem. By year 7 (about 6 months ago) I started having heart burn that wouldn't go away. I hadn't seen anyone at the lap band center in years so I finally decided to go in. They took all of the saline out of my band (which I needed to do anyway as I was about to have a tummy tuck) and within 12 hours or so, the problem was gone. So this probably means my band had slipped and by taking the fill out, it was able to slip back in place. I have not gone back in for a fill and I don't plan to. I have no restriction now and I don't feel that I really need it as I have developed good habits and can lose weight without the help of my band. I am at about 150 pounds and within 10 pounds of my goal.

I sure will. I hve about 3 weeks 2 go and i am so looking forward to it:)

Thanks Debbie! I'm so happy to hear you're doing this for yourself. It's a life changing thing, taking control of our health in the way. I wouldn't take it back for the world and now I'm one week post-op from a tummy tuck and breast lift/augmentation. I'm truly a whole new and improved me. I wish you the very best of luck and strongly encourage you to start a profile on obesityhelp.com too if you haven't already.

Thank you. No I have not done so but I will definite start one.

Thank you!

Absolutely! I'm on it.

Oh wow, you look awesome! Not that you looked horrible before, but you can definitely see all the hard work you've put in to it! Congratulations!

wellllll... I think I looked horrible before! Haha! Especially that close up of my face!

Nonsense! You looked fine before hand, but you definitely look happier in the after shots!

Thanks :)