Considering Lap-Band.

Hello everyone, my name is Asia and I recently have to decided to begin my journey of WLS. I am 18 years old and i’ll come out and be bluntly honest. I am 360lbs, and 5’11. I hate my body and never really gave much effort to change it. After consideration and delving into my family’s history I came to find out diabetes runs in the family. I need to change this. My goal weight is 200lbs. In all honesty my ‘normal’ weight is supposed to be 171lbs which I don’t see happening. I want to do this for me. I want to be able to wear a bikini, or even feel comfortable wearing a skirt in the summer. I want to be a cosmetologist and with that comes beauty. I know if I hit my goal I will be more confident and i’ll strive to do the best work possible. But back on track, obesity runs in my family. My mother before her gastric bypass was 400lbs, But where to start? I eat roughly 3 meals a day, excessive snacking, and soda. How I love soda. I’m trying to teatter off of it but its hard when its always available. Then I need to get out there, do things. Not coop myself up in my house and eat and play videogames. But I'm on Obesity Help to get a bit of insight, to get support. Anything helps at this point im just not sure where to start? 

You already started..by thinking about it, by signing on and by typing this post!  Congrats on the start of your journey. I'm post op lap band. I had it six years ago, when the choice was band or gastric bypass. Not sure that I would have picked it, now, now there is the sleeve and DS along with gastric bypass.   The band seems to have fallen out of favor to the sleeve. My 20 year old daughter had the gastric sleeve in June and is doing great. She has diabetes already, type 1 and also insulin resistant. She also loves her computer and videogames, but now is becoming more active and is liking exercise!!!  As she loses weight, she is more and more excited to get to a healthy weight and more and more confident...she is walking with a new "swag"...lol   She got off soda(already on diet soda due to diabetes) and loves something called "Mio" that she just adds to water. You will need to be off of soda on any procedure as it is pretty much excluded in any procedure.  All this being said, you need to research, research and research. Go on each site, bypass, sleeve, ds, revision, see sites on FB and google as much info as you can about results and complications. If you read on each site each day, you will get an idea of how people are doing, how they are feeling and what their experiences are.  Then find a really good and experienced surgeon in your area or on your insurance and get into his/her support groups, information sessions or whatever they offer. Finding a surgeon with a great comprehensive plan with dietary, support, insurance and all the different aspects of bariatric surgery will help in the long run. Maybe your primary care doctor can recommend someone they use. How about your Mom as a source of info in sharing her experience. Have you tried any of the diet programs out their, first, like Weigh****chers, they have a very good plan before going the bariatric surgery route? Hope that helps. Anyone on OH understands, we have all been there, some are back(like me) with a gain or problem and revision, so there is a lot to absorb and learn, but it is a huge step so try to learn all you can...my daughter waited a year doing research and going to support groups and information sessions before she made her decision. It is ultimately up to you how you do, the changes you have to make in your diet and activity level. I wish you the best of luck on  your journey.

With a BMI of 50 a band is very unlikely to get you to goal and even if you did get to goal it is even less unlikely to keep you there.  Most bands are removed in the first 2-6 years, statistically.  The problem is most ins co's are going to a once in a lifetime WLS regardless of who paid for the first surgery.  So when you eventually do need a revision, and you will, you will be on your own to pay for it.

When you are a 50 BMI you have developed metabolic problems that a band can't fix.  I would seriously be looking at DS as a good option.

http://www.DSFacts.com

I had a band placed in 2008 and was very successful losing 116 lbs in the first year.  I loved the band and it worked great for me, however I sadly had to have it removed in May due to complications with a dilated pouch/esophagus. I take ownership for the complication because in year 3 I started pushing the boundaries and consistently over ate.  I'm not a band hater but i am a compulsive over-eater and eventhough I did therapy for 2 years I chose not to apply what I learned about controlling emotional eating and also developed an addiction to sugar and candy because it goes right through the band.  

I agree with the other poster.  Research fully the other surgery types.  Don't choose the band solely because it's less invasive.  Choose the surgery that you feel will work best for your personality.  The Sleeve is a great restrictive surgery (helps control portion size) and the RNY provides malabsorbtion (for at least the first year) which is why the WL tends to be faster.  

Which ever surgery you choose, do this for yourself!  My only regret is that I waited until I was 45 to have surgery!  I am in the fashion industry and fully understand the pressure to look a certain way.  But I warn you, losing weight does not take away the issues that made you over-eat in the first place.  Do yourself a favor and make a promise to get therapy and stick with it throughout your WL journey.  Learning new eating behaviors, learning to NOT turn to food to cover up emotions, learning to love yourself because you are a beautiful child of God (fat or thin) is key to success.  Everyone here will tell you that losing weight does not guarentee happiness but it sure helps you feel better about yourself and gives you an opportunity to see just how much obesity has impacted your life.

BTW, you are beautiful!

Lisa O.

I had the band placed 2/09 as I was borderline diabetic and my Grandma, Mom and now sister 18 months older are diabetic.  I started the process at 279 and was 257 when banded.  They set my goal at 215 to be considered a success.  So in the states of the lapband I was a roaring success at 205 and obese.

I had medical problems from the band and had it removed 9/12.  I was sleeved 1/13 and am doing really well with it.  I lost the regain from the band and am now 35 pound lower than with the band and am no longer obese!  My daughter had a bmi just over 50 and was sleeved 2.5 years ago and did great and is still holding her own.  She is working out now with her girlfriends, something she couldn't do at 325.  She does have a pop addiction and WLS doesn't help that.  She stopped for two years than a guy introduced her to Dr. Pepper and she is back hooked.

Research all the WLS, RNY, VSG and DS!  Choice the one best for you and don't buy into the band is less invasive and reversible, it is removable but not reversible as it causes permanent damage.  Good luck!

Hey there, Asia! I'm 5'11" too! Here's to us tall girls!

WLS is the best thing I've ever done for myself, but you have to be ready for it. I've had the lap band and the sleeve, and the sleeve is the hands down winner. Do your research and if WLS is right for you, I would recommend picking a procedure with a higher success rate than the lap band. You deserve to be a healthy weight, so stack the deck in your favor.

Alrighty, thank you :)

Hi Asia...
You have taken the first step.  With that being said, PLEASE just as everyone has suggested, look into all the surgeries.
You say you have not really tried in the past, have you honestly tried diets?  I mean put your heart and soul into a diet.  Add walking or swimming and you have exercise.  
With that said, I have nothing against WLS, I had a band placed in 2007, lost almost 90 pounds the first year.  THEN the band decided to change it's tune and I started having problems.  I had a hiatal hernia and they removed all the fluid from the band, that was in July 2008.  I had massive gallbladder attacks shortly after that and had to have my gallbladder removed Oct 2008.  

I was still empty and started vomiting when I tried to eat anything.  The doctor refused to take the band out and I couldn't find any doctor that would take it out since they did not put it in.  My doctor had moved to another state, so that was out of the question.  Since placing my band in 2007, he has moved 8 times in 5 different states.

3-1/2 years after having my band emptied and having complications with it on a daily basis, my band slipped.  Within 72 hours, I was rushed into emergency surgery where I almost died because the band had twisted my stomach and cut all oxygen off from it causing necrosis and gangrene.

I am not saying that the Lap Band doesn't work for anyone, I am just saying that the statistics are wrong.  There are thousands of people that have severe problems.

There is no surgery that will work for everyone, you just have to decide which if any you want to try.
At your size, I have to agree that the Lap Band is not for you.  60% of all that get the lap band end up having more surgeries, not losing all the weight they want, and a lot even end up heavier than when they started. As someone else said, do your research everywhere.  fb is a good one just look for failed lap band groups...

Oh im so sorry to hear that. :( Thank you for the info though. im going to look more into it for sure.

Thank you everyone for your support. As of now I am doing a diet, and exercise in attempt of losing weight. I hope to lose 100lbs by next year! Its just a matter of staying commited. :)