Hello from a Newbie

I posted this over at the Lap Band forum but also wanted to post here to be with my  peeps.

My name's Peter and I've been browsing this site for a few days now.  I recently made a decision to have WLS after years and years of dieting and gaining.  Over the last 30 years, I must have gained and lost at least 600 pounds.  So I finally decided enough is enough and am going for the Lap Band.

I went in for a consult this past week and they already gave me a surgery date of 3/22 which most likely will get pushed up to late February.  My insurance company approved it immediately with no major requirements.  I was really surprised by that.

In fact everything has happened so fast, that I'm kind of in shock.  I'm nervous about what my life will be like after the surgery and how my relationship to food will change.

Anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself and say hi. Cheers!

hi peter ! nyc here welcome aboard just relax you will love your new life ! although that pic you have up you look hot already dont see no need for lapband you look great but i guess you know better anyway its really no biggie you will adjust to everything just do what your doc says lol ok ciao for now paul

Hello Peter.  I was in the same boat.  I had my lap band surgery in Atlanta on 12/16/09.  I also had a hiatal hernia (which was repaired while the doctor performed surgery).  It is the best decision I've ever made.  To date, I've lost 31 lbs and get my first fill tomorrow from 14cc down to 10cc.  I am looking forward to the continued weight loss.  I also agree that your profile pic is very handsome.  Best of luck.  If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them.
Mark in Atlanta

Thanks for the well wishes.  Some of my family is not supportive about it.  They just don't understand what it's like. And at this point in my life, I am doing the surgery for my health.  As I've gotten older, health issues have started to pop up - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea. 

Thanks for the compliments about my pic but that picture is almost a year old, at the end of my last attempt at losing weight.  In the year since that pic was taken, I've gained 55 pounds.  And even in that pic, I wasn't at goal weight so....

Hey Peter. Welcome to the best site on the boards. Gotta hang with your peeps bud!!Lap band board is a huge learning place for me also and I visit it regularly. I started there over a month before my surgery and it made alot of difference in how I walked into the surgery and prepared myself for my recovery. Like you, I had gained and lost enough of me to have little mes running around the world on every continent. Good for you for making the decision and reaching out.

That is great news! I remember when I was at your stage and the thoughts that went through my mind. Take it easy. Life will be very good from what I can tell from the people I have encountered over the past 2 years. I actively blogged during my surgery and recovery periods. Feel free to check out my blog. You will see how I went through a lot of stage and emotions over the first 18 months. Here is the link to my blog entries about bariatric surgery.  Start with the oldest posts to get a historical perspective. http://jokiescafe.blogspot.com/search/label/Bariatric