Has anyone in IA had the lap band and can give me their story

I want to have this surgery and I understand Dr. Glass**** in CF maybe starting to do it this summer. Anyone else heard that? I checked into midland clinics in sioux city but the drive and time away would be really impossible for me. Just really looking for sucess stories and problems others have encountered so I can prepare myself.

Hi Karen, I am going to Dr. Glas**** and I to was recommended to have the lap-band but was told he will not be doing them until late fall or maybe longer until he finds another surgeon to help out. I don't want to wait that long. My daughter has a tenative date of April 15th. I will ask when she goes to see him and let you know if you'd like. It can be a fairly short process to get surgery or like me, a very, very long process. I have been doing this crap since Dec. 02 and JUST got the pre-testing done with the psych. thing the 7th of April so we'll see. Welcome to the board, hang out, the people here are very knowledgeable and helpful. They are great folks to get to know.~~~~~~~~~~Tina

Ok... just remember you wanted to know of people that had problems k? lol I had a vertical banded gastroplasty, which is quite similar to the lap band. I had this surgery 7-8 years ago. i lost 62 lbs and over the next 7 yrs gained it all back. i had a revision to the RNY gastric bypass on july 10th of this last year (8 months ago) and i have lost 101 lbs and feel GREAT! I am soo very happy, healthy, and and...it's almost undescribable the difference in the surgeries. with the band, you are constricted on the intake of food into the little pouch, while the rest of your stomach is SCREAMING in hunger...i started drinking with my food, and eating soft high calorie food and mushy carbs to get the food through my band and into my stomach to stop those hunger pains. It was terrible. I vomited from getting so hunger and not chewing well enough. I ended up rupturing my staple line, but would have gained back the weight reguardless as i wasn't constricted as far as what i could eat. Now the fear of dumping, and the no no - shame on you for breaking the rules- stomach cramps from the eating of too fatty foods keeps me in line and has changed my whole diet and outlook on eating. I haven't even TRIED sugar, because i dont WANT to know if i dum*****t on it! I really would discourage the lap band for anyone strongly. The feeling of failure i felt when i spent TONS of my families money and all the risks and worries i gave them only to have the surgery fail...well...it was very painful emotionally for me...and almost broke up my marriage, not because of how my husband felt, he was soo supportive and still is...but because of how much of a failure I FELT LIKE. Feel free to email me or call me i can share as much as you'd like to know about my experience. I just dont want any one else to go through the hell i did. ~Dawn Phillips [email protected]

I had the lap band surgery in Sioux City with Dr. Mike Wolpert. I was one of the first ones that he did. At that time there were no requirements for psych evals, etc. Basically, I saw him once (January 2003), got my insurance approval on Feb. 27, 2003, then saw him again on March 1, and had surgery on March 17, 2003. I really like Dr. Mike, and I think he would be willing to work with you, taking your distance into consideration. The follow up visits may be the biggest hassle, but Dr. Mike does not do fills unless your weight loss really slows. If you have questions, just email me!