Should I bite the bullet???

[tinkerbell786]

Hello everyone. I'm new on here but I have been reading people's posts for nearly 3mths now and have been looking at people's before and after pictures...wow!! I want to be where you all are.
I am so close to booking a gastric band but I am so terrified as I'm a quite complicated case...I'll explain...
I am about 5ft 3" and I weight around 12st...gosh!! Like most people I've always been overweight, tried diets, clubs, gym etc..I lose then put on!! Before I got married,I was a size 10 but a chubby size 10..I soon became a size 12 after having my first child and after my second one...well...none of clothes for me!!....I was a size 14 and I was going towards becoming a size 16. I went to the gym and became a loose size 14 again going towards becoming a size 12 and I ended up having to stop the gym due to becoming separated from my husband...I'd lost a lot of confidence whilst in my marriage due to not having any support ascend I became a recluse. I never went out, and I completely stopped living the bubbly life I used to have before I was married. Anyway, usually people lose weight when they go through emotional stress like this but not me...I began to comfort eat instead!! I became depressed to the point of suicide but the only thing that stops me is my the thought of my children. I absolutely adore them. And since I've had them, I completely stopped living for myself and just lived for them. Anyway, due to all this comfort eating, obviously I've put on weight...size 14 and obviously feeling depressed with how big I've become. My clothes are starting to become tight and I'm going round in circles. However my problem is that although I don't eat chocolate, cakes, or even crisps...when I eat my meals, I'll just carry on eating and eating even when I'm full. My portion sizes are a problem and the fact that I won't stop and will eat even if I'm not hungry...hence,I have been thinking about the gastric band. I really want it and have been in touch with Healthier Weight in Birmingham. I can pay a deposit and have my op as soon as the 21st...I so l really want to be slimmer and have the figure and the contentment that a lot of you have after having your band fitted but I'm so so terrified. How can I make this ultimate decision of just going for it?... also if I do, do I just need to buy slim fast shakes and their soups or any soups?? Please help a if I go through with it out will only be now whilst I'm feeling slightly confident in going through with it.....Thank you all in advance xx

 

[los in it]

Hello newbie!
I like to think that whomever is performing your wls will be best placed to advise you on the types of food and amount post op plus there are plenty of "banders" on here that can offer top notch advise,im a bypasser so can't really offer any fact based advise so hold tight and someone will pop up very soon

 

[tinkerbell786]

Hello newbie!
I like to think that whomever is performing your wls will be best placed to advise you on the types of food and amount post op plus there are plenty of "banders" on here that can offer top notch advise,im a bypasser so can't really offer any fact based advise so hold tight and someone will pop up very soon

Awww thank you los. I'd such a difficult decision don't you think. A friend of mine had a band fitted quite a few years back and she was sick all the time. Couldn't drink fizzy drinks and struggled to eat chicken. She regretted it so sometimes it puts me off

 

[SUNSHINE]

Hi. Welcome I think you need advice from a surgeon. You really need to research on which op you will best benefit from. I'm a bander having revision to sleeve next week. I'm not the best to advice on bands but I know one of the successful banders will help you. Good luck

 

[los in it]

Yes it's a tough call but you really need to think is
Is this the best option for me
What do I expect it to do for me
What weight lose am I expecting
Am I prepared to fill / de fill till I get to the magical ' sweet spot' I often hear about
What are my other options
Like I said before all my above statements are based on my journey as a bypasser and reading other posts of banders some who have had the most amazing times with their band...... And 1 or 2 whom have had let's say a trying time with their band. Everyone is different and making the right choice is always going to be a toughie I truly wish you luck with this

 

[countrywench]

How much do you want to lose ?
I'm a Bander of just over 11 weeks and it's working beautifully for me so far .. I've lost 52lbs so far but I was over 25st at the time of the op ..
The band will stop you from over eating but it won't stop you from eating high calorie , high fat , and any food that this going to make you put on weight .. I'm not sure if any of the weight loss surgeries are going to do that ?
Surgery is the last grasp of a life line we have and is not to be taken lightly .. It does work , but it's not that magic wand some think it is .. You have to work extremely hard along side the surgery to lose weight ..
Your life will change so much afterwards , I'm so happy I had mine done , but there are some who regret it ..
Mindy
Xxx

 

[starryeyed]

Welcome to the forums xx

 

[Oopseydaisy]

. . .

 

[tinkerbell786]

Hello everyone. I want to say thank you to all who have replied. I wanted to let you know what i meant when i said i was a 'complicated case'. I got married over 10 years ago. I got pregnant very quickly after as I felt ready to start a family. I was still working and was on my way to work as usual. However, I ended up waking up in hospital...almost 2 weeks later!!!...I had a major car accident and sustained life threatening injuries and was given only 24hrs of survival...I had damaged all the major organs in my body including losing my baby!!
Roll on 10 years and during this time I lost a few people that I was close to and loved dearly including my beloved Dad and shortly after that I ended up separating from my husband. With thanks to God, I not only survived through my accident but I also have 2 lovely children who I absolutely adore and who I live and breathe for.
It has taken me 10 years to accept all the loss I have suffered and deal with everything to get closure. I had lost a lot of confidence and had very low self esteem and to come out of all this I have had to take time off work and have attended regular counselling sessions but I am almost there now. I am looking at changing my career and am currently studying to become a teaching assistant. I want a job where i feel rewarded and wherei feel i am doing something good for someone. I am attending a school placement as part of my course and love the children i work with. I had completed a course almost 6years ago but due to circumstances i was unable to carry onto the next level even though I was encouraged to continue by my teacher and observation teacher, however,I am now trying to fulfil my dream and am determined to succeed.
My weight issue has been ongoing since I was around 14 years old and I have struggled like a lot of you to lose and maintain hence thinking of having the gastric band. I have made my decision and have paid my deposit. I am due to have my operation on the 25th of this month....sooooo soon...however I feel with all the changes in my life,now is the time to tackle my weight once and for all. I am not guaranteed that the precedure will definitely be done as the surgeon has said if for any reason my previous surgery could cause a risk then he will abandon the operation. I will probably lose around £2500 but I will never know if I don't try. This is for my future and for my children as at the moment I suffer from intense knee pain largely due to my weight.I have gone with healthier weight as I've said before and would love to know if there is anyone else who will be having their op on the same day as me and the same place...Spire hospital Solihull. Thank you to all of you who read this post and sorry it is so long. I would love to write a diary for myself on here just so I can recap on the different changes and feelings I am and will be going through but not sure how to start one...would love some help to get me started please as I've read many peoples diaries on here and find I can relate to soo many people and they all inspire me and drive me to hopefully become successful in my new journey. Thank you to you all.I hope I can make some new friends on here to lean on for support. xxx

 

[starryeyed]

Hello everyone. I want to say thank you to all who have replied. I wanted to let you know what i meant when i said i was a 'complicated case'. I got married over 10 years ago. I got pregnant very quickly after as I felt ready to start a family. I was still working and was on my way to work as usual. However, I ended up waking up in hospital...almost 2 weeks later!!!...I had a major car accident and sustained life threatening injuries and was given only 24hrs of survival...I had damaged all the major organs in my body including losing my baby!!
Roll on 10 years and during this time I lost a few people that I was close to and loved dearly including my beloved Dad and shortly after that I ended up separating from my husband. With thanks to God, I not only survived through my accident but I also have 2 lovely children who I absolutely adore and who I live and breathe for.
It has taken me 10 years to accept all the loss I have suffered and deal with everything to get closure. I had lost a lot of confidence and had very low self esteem and to come out of all this I have had to take time off work and have attended regular counselling sessions but I am almost there now. I am looking at changing my career and am currently studying to become a teaching assistant. I want a job where i feel rewarded and wherei feel i am doing something good for someone. I am attending a school placement as part of my course and love the children i work with. I had completed a course almost 6years ago but due to circumstances i was unable to carry onto the next level even though I was encouraged to continue by my teacher and observation teacher, however,I am now trying to fulfil my dream and am determined to succeed.
My weight issue has been ongoing since I was around 14 years old and I have struggled like a lot of you to lose and maintain hence thinking of having the gastric band. I have made my decision and have paid my deposit. I am due to have my operation on the 25th of this month....sooooo soon...however I feel with all the changes in my life,now is the time to tackle my weight once and for all. I am not guaranteed that the precedure will definitely be done as the surgeon has said if for any reason my previous surgery could cause a risk then he will abandon the operation. I will probably lose around £2500 but I will never know if I don't try. This is for my future and for my children as at the moment I suffer from intense knee pain largely due to my weight.I have gone with healthier weight as I've said before and would love to know if there is anyone else who will be having their op on the same day as me and the same place...Spire hospital Solihull. Thank you to all of you who read this post and sorry it is so long. I would love to write a diary for myself on here just so I can recap on the different changes and feelings I am and will be going through but not sure how to start one...would love some help to get me started please as I've read many peoples diaries on here and find I can relate to soo many people and they all inspire me and drive me to hopefully become successful in my new journey. Thank you to you all.I hope I can make some new friends on here to lean on for support. xxx

Hi tinkerbell - wow what a story So sorry for all of your loss but you must be imensly proud of yourself for the light at the end of the tunnel. It's so nice to change to a rewarding career and i honestly wish you the best of luck with your studies. Such a perfect time to tackle your weight and do not worry in the slightest if you have any questions we are always here to help and i try to answer where i can if i have the experience. Please start a diary - i'd love to read it and keep up with your journey. Fingers crossed all is well for your band to go ahead. 10 days - how exciting xxx

 

[Tracey]

Good luck with your op and the future xxx

 

[los in it]

all the very best

 

[FeeBee]

Good luck

 

[tinkerbell786]

Hi tinkerbell - wow what a story So sorry for all of your loss but you must be imensly proud of yourself for the light at the end of the tunnel. It's so nice to change to a rewarding career and i honestly wish you the best of luck with your studies. Such a perfect time to tackle your weight and do not worry in the slightest if you have any questions we are always here to help and i try to answer where i can if i have the experience. Please start a diary - i'd love to read it and keep up with your journey. Fingers crossed all is well for your band to go ahead. 10 days - how exciting xxx

Hi starryeyed. Thank you for your response to my post. It brought tears in my eyes just having your support. It means a lot to me. I ordered my pre-op and post-op from weight to go as I thought it would be easier for me not to think about anything for the first 5 weeks but they don't have any soups or 'mushy' food for weeks 4&5 left so I have had to order 99 shakes!!! Just the thought of having that many shakes is making me ill lol. Anyway, I have my pre-assessment on Thursday. Everything is moving so fast which is good in a way as it doesn't give me any time to think or get nervous...but I know the nerves will set in next sat!!!