New to the Board but Old to Being Overweight

Hi. I am new to the board,& am interested in the Lapband.I live in Hays, Kansas and have lived in this area for the majority of my life. I am so tired of being overweight, and having health troubles due to it. I have been overweight now for most of my life, but it has been about 14 yrs. now, that I cannot get below 200... and at this time, I am over 300 pounds. That is alot when you are only 63 inches tall... they don't let you claim the 1/2 inch here hahah. I have a 24 yr. old son who is disabled, who I am the primary caregiver & I do the best I can taking care of him... it is really hurting me though. My lower back has severe arthritis from all the yrs. of lifting & carrying him, & my left knee is hurting for over a month now, my right shoulder hurting for a few wks. now. He has been in the hospital 8 times this yr.,prior to Jan. 2004 he was never hospitalized EVER. He sleeps for 75% of the day, on 75% of the wee****ep getting turned in for neglect because he is not waking up to eat & drink, and he won't wake up. The ones who turn me in say I am purposely not feeding him or giving him drink. How can I feed him and give him drink when he won't wake up? He eats very well when he is awake. We have an appointment with a surgeon next week to talk to about a feeding tube. The feeding tube will not save his life though, it will just prolong the suffering he is going through. Please... don't think I am a horrid person for not wanting a feeding tube in him... I have weighed all the options.. at this point we will consider one... but I will not commit to yes at this point in time. I'm told he is in the stages of dying. We also have a very active 3 yr. old daughter who has rheumatoid arthritis.I would like to be able to play with her, and run with her, without feeling like a truck ha**** me. My husband battles severe depression. He has not been able to work for a year now. It is very trying to see him go through what he is going through also. I have tried diet after diet after diet, the same thing...either gain or lose some and gain it back. I cannot do this anymore... I am thinking of putting my son into a medically fragile group home, so I can use the time to regain my health... I really need some support... I definitely believe in God, would not have gotten trhough what I have without God... we got evicted in Nov. 2004, because we asked the landlord to make repairs to the home we rent... we are suppose to be out by Friday, and I don't know where we are going yet, waiting on HUD approval... I did get my disability on my back after 2 yr. battle. I get to hurting so bad,... well many of you know how it is... I just pray I can get approved to have this surgery... I truly think my life depends on it... I really love reading the changes WLS has given to others... you all have blessed me. God bless you all.

Good Morning to you Well now, you have alot on your plate.. not to be out of line here.. what I do mean is, you have alot to face.. the first very important step you have taken for yourself is to research the options of weight loss surgery.. had mine done and am so glad to be on this losing side.. made for a wonderful and actually terrific Christmas and Anniversary, this year.. even drove my own car for the first time in 5 years.. So you see, you will have alot to look forward to, also.. Good luck to you as you continue to research this terrific lifesaving option.. do what is right for you. Wishing you the best in this new year.. May God richly bless you. Please stay here on the board and keep in touch.. reaching out to others, really helps us face our daily battles. Feel free to contact any of us at any time. Hugs, Fran

THANKS FRAN~Life's been a *****aotic... trying to move into a new house, no one shows up..becuz it is last minute when we find out we got the house, no Uhaul trucks within 4 county area... I am not sure if I want to do the weight loss surgery... the amount of food one gets to eat is more than I eat now, and I am not losing... & then there are the side effects. I just wonder if I can make it through the pain of exercising, & just eating healthy, whether I could lose the weight. I don't want to die from WLS. Finding out more comorbids. was a depressing thing... as if I didn't have enough, found out the prob. with my legs, is due to lymphedema. It has been going on for 5 yrs. now. Found out I don't have many friends either... no one wants to help us move... it's just 4 months since we did... getting evicted cuz the landlords don't want to fix anything, really sux. For all my weight, I have to keep moving...even when it hurts so bad I can hardly lift my feet...cuz no one else is gonna do it for me. Doesn't look like the Kansas board is as busy as the main one... and then I emailed several ladies in my area, seeing if any would start talking to me... and not one did. Well, got stuff to do, even though I would love to just lay down and sleep... it is not an option. Thx for the hugs~ they're returned!

HAPPY NEW YEAR Well here we are with a whole new year ahead of us.. thank heavens for this.. love having a new start to things... so you have moved eh.. well we did that too in October and had no one to help us do the actual loading and unloading.. had to use a pick up truck to move beds and appliances and freezer as well as so darn many boxes.. a good reason to downsize.. ha ha ha ha but we did it and are so darn happy to be all settled in here.. new home makes for a new outlook on life.. So you have new co-morbidities eh.. h m m m m had those and am so darn grateful to be back to being healthy again.. this is so terrific.. keep researching and asking questions.. at first this surgery scared me to pieces but now am so glad this was right for me.. Take your time and just keep pausing till you are sure of what YOU want. Good luck in your new home and feel free to keep in touch. Hugs to you, Fran

We're just moving what we can this weekend, had to rent a passenger van, no u-hauls in a 4 county area! No one helping, really can feel the weight, the pains. The house we are moving into is smaller, a reason to downsize! Sad thing is, we just moved into this house in August! The landlords already started showing it this morning, with no kind of forewarning whatsoever that they were coming over. Which surgery did you have? I am only interested in the lapband one, do not want to be cut on any more than possible. We hope to be out of here by Tuesday, thank God above that we have help tomorrow. We will have to pay him, but it's someone else to help with the heavy things. It's doing a number on me just doing boxes!Will be without internet for awhile, have to do up a work order, and get it installed in the new place. Same goes with our phone. We didn't know for sure where we would be going until Thursday after 5, and by then it was too late to call any businesses and get anything arranged. hugs back~ and God bless you Fran.

Wowwee.. you do have alot to do my new friend... this is not an easy thing to do either.. wish we were closer, would help you pack and unpack.. that was my job here..couldn't carry anything heavy but boy oh boy, I can sure pack a "mean" box.. tee hee hee hee Had the laproscopic Roux-en-y.. did not ever think I would have that done but sure am glad I did and wowee, no scars.. at this point, can not even find where the tiny cuts were done.. happy happy happy.. diabetes is well under control... hip and knee replacements are not paining like they were... blood pressure under control.. cholesterol under control.... etc etc etc.. joint disease is not as bad as it was.. so darn happy now... took 18 different kinds of meds but now take only one tiny pill for diabetes.. no more insulin.. anyway, that is what wonderfully happened to me.. everyone is different and you have to do what is good for you and what you feel comfortable with. Now you take care and keep in touch. Hugs... Fran