Add me to the list of lap band regrets. $15,000 self-pay and 2 1/2 years later and I have gained back all of the weight I lost except 15 lbs. I checked in with my surgeon about a year ago and was told that I must have stretched my pouch....WRONG...the flouroscope showed it was the size it was supposed to be. Fill me? No, Dr. won't fill me anymore and I rarely, and I mean rarely, have restriction. In terms of feeling full, when I do feel full, it lasts maybe an hour. Did the office offer me any tips, insight help...not at all. Sent me on my way and told me to try harder. I think once they realized I wouldn't help their success statistics and since I wasn't going to put any more money in their pockets, they weren't interested in me anymore. I am considering RNY or DS, but convincing my father (a colon surgeon) will be the hardest part of all. If you're a grazer the band is probably not for you. If you eat only a few very large meals a day and never graze, you'll probably have better luck. I'm happy for the successful bandsters...and I will admit, jealous of them too

I think all of us as food addicts go through a time of feeling loss and mourning in the first few weeks after surgery. My worst day was about 2 weeks after my surgery and my mother (who was taking care of my som) brought him home with Burger King. As soon as they walked in the door I could smell it I seriously wanted to kill her I insantly started to cry uncontrolably and started yelling how dare she bring that stuff in to my home. Now i think it was funny the way I reacted almost as if she had smuggled in some crack or something into my house.But at the time I was very hurt. I cried most evryday for the first few weeks and I am not the kind of person who cries unless it is serious. I Got over it once I could eat more normal food. Sad to say but I think chilli saved me. it was like the best thing I had ever tasted abd my nut. recamended it as a pureed food. I hope all is well with you and as you lose your focus will turn to that and how good that feels instead of what you can't have. Susan -125 lbs in 6 months

Hello Karen, My apologies for not responding sooner. I was on vacation! woohoo! I am in the pre op testing stage right now, I have tests until 7-27-2006, at that point, once completed, we will schedule my RNY ....You and I are probably in the same time frame. My doc went over each type of surgery and what would work for me. We met for about 2 hours and discussed all the aspects of the surgery, I also had to attend a pre op class for about 2 hours with my hubby. with me, it is about weighing the pros and cons and doing alot of investigation, and all that good stuff. Please feel free to contact me, I would be more than happy to talk with you, share ideas, and support one another through this process! Hugs... Jen

Thanks for the skinny part, but guess what, I purposely hid behind a friend for that pic and that was last year in August when I weighed 260. I think the hair, makeup and black shirt conceal a lot for me. Until I had surgery, every shirt in my closet was black. My husband teased me a lot about my favorite black shirt.

Katrina, It is great that you are starting researhing as much about the lap band and how it works prior to getting surgery. Remember ALL surgeons are different with each patient in terms of a pre op diet, some surgeons don't require a pre op diet, but MOST do, and this is to shrink the liver to make surgery easier for the patient and the surgeon. But if your surgeon does ask for a pre op diet, it can vary from a liquid diet to just a low carb high protein diet, it just varies on how much the surgeon is asking you to lose prior to surgery. I have heard some surgeons ask higher BMI patients to lose between 20-30 pounds before surgery, and some lower BMI patients only have to lose between 10-15 pounds. But if your surgeon ask just do the best you can, remember this will be the toughest part, once you are banded and properly restricted you will no longer fill hunger again, unless your band loosens up and then you will require additional fills to keep hunger at bay and your band tight and snug to keep your portions small, remember MOST don't have much will power in the beginnging, but the band is SO worth it....you can do it! Good Luck! Naomi 326/228/180