Oh I forgot to add. okay I started at 250 lbs. right now I'm 115lbs. I'm kind of going underweight. Other than that issue there are no other health concerns. My labs are perfectly normal. I did have some hair loss in the 3rd month post op but that all grew back. The only problem now is the extra skin on the arms, legs, and stomach then the fact my breast are um sagging and resemble popped baloons.

'nother bandster here. I'm 22, and on days when I felt particularly depressed I would do research on WLS. I read people's online journals, and experiences, etc (although I never came across this board somehow). Then I would say to myself that I wasn't big enough for something that drastic, not to mention not having the money, so I'd shelf the idea. The only one I'd read about really at that point was the RNY, probably because I was putting in Gastric Bypass as my search options because I didn't know about anything else at the time. I have no idea what site I was on at the time, but I found something on the band. I went nuts finding out everything I could on it, thinking that this was seriously something I could consider doing, but I don't have any money, so I shelved that too. Then in May of last year, my mom and I were talking about someone we know who had the bypass, and I said "I was reading about this new one they are doing..." and I explained briefly what I'd learned. So she says "why don't you go ahead and have that done? I'll pay for it." So I did more research, filled out a form for a surgeon in Mexico, and had it done just over a month later. So, for me it wasn't the band vs something else, it was nothing vs the band. I think that the other surgeries have done alot of good for alot of people, but the band was definately the one for me. Sarah

MM..........Congrats on your weight loss. that is so awesome. don't let anyone even your doctor discourage you! keep up the good work. as far as those 8 pounds you have to lose tell your doctor that he should know that 10 lbs is considered water weight! i think you have done great if i could lose that b 4 weight loss surgery then why am i having the wls to begin with. all i can say is you go girl. you are an angel in my book already. they have people whom have had wls who have not lost that so keep up the good work girl. if your doing well now just wait until you have wls. God knows what we all need in life. Seek him and all will go well thats what i did. Nikki lynn dicapo

i hear ya on having to lose weight before surgery. The first surgeon i had wanted me to lose 150 lbs before surgery, i actually lost 100lbs it cost me around $2000, i did one of them pre packaged shakes and meal replacement things, but i went back after i literally couldnt do the diet anymore to see if he would operate on me, and he said no, so i looked for a new doc and found one that would do me. So in a nutshell, if you cant lose the last bit of weight, and your doc will not operate on ya, i would start looking for another doc before you start gaining what you lost back :X

I am struggling like crazy to quit smoking! I have to be smoke-free 30 days before my surgery, which is still about 2 months off, but I figure the sooner I quit the better. Any tips? This is sooooo hard!