WHAT IS A LAP BAND

Five years ago I was facing the onset of diabetes, hypertension and increased breathing difficulties. I was 45 years old and afraid of what my being over weight was doing to my body. My asthma attacks were becoming more frequent. I was up all hours of the night because I needed to urinate and my blood pressure was elevated more often than not. I began an exercise regimen at a local gym for women. "Curves" was gonna be my easy solution to a difficult problem. Why not, it was easier than changing all my bad eating habits and I could proudly say I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week. After two years in the gym I had lost two dress sizes. I was down from a 24 to a 22 and then to a 20. I was strong, I was fitter, and my body was firmer. I was also the same weight and the same age my Grandmother was when she became aware of her sugar levels being borderline diabetic. So I knew what I was facing.

Then a friend of mine talked about why she wasn't going to have a gastric bypass. That is a somewhat more dangerous and intensive procedure where your stomach is surgically reduced and your bowel is reattached. Let me clarify what I mean when I say more dangerous. The gastric bypass is a longer and more intensive procedure. The lap band is done laproscopically. I will explain what that means and you will see it clearly in the video.

I began looking into it under the guise of looking for her. After all she weighed over 400 pounds and she was under five feet tall. I am almost 5'10" and I weighed under 300. My ideal weight was 160-175, hers was 120-130 pounds. I looked great at 200 pounds so I could convince myself that I looked great even a few pounds heavier. Those weight charts were for Caucasian women after all. Anyway in my culture being a big woman was an asset and considered very sexy. African Americans value a strong sexy female. But do we discuss the health aspects.

So I was really looking at her options I told myself. But as we discussed it I found out that she had decided against the lap band because it was too rigorous and demanding. As I looked further into the lap band procedure I found what I had been looking for to assist me in acheiving my goals.

The lap band is a device that is wrapped around your stomach to decrease it's size. It alIows you to eat less and still obtain needed nutrients. The band reduces your hunger. It is reguIated by the amount of saline solution that it contains. It can be made tighter or looser depending on your needs.There is a permanent port by which the saline is injected or deleted. The procedure is considered permanent but in an emergency the device can be removed.

I chose to have a lap band done to assist me in losing weight. It's not a miracle cure. You have to do the work. The video will show you how the band is placed. Since the procedure is done laparoscopically you are back on your feet the same day. Once your stomach is decreased in size you need to have a life long, new and healthier eating plan in place. My goal was to lose 50 pounds and I lost 60 pounds. Most of the individuals in the support group meetings I attended were looking to or had lost over 100 pounds. At the informational seminar I attended the speaker had lost almost 300 pounds and maintained the weight loss for more than 3 years.

After I was in recovery I put 10 pounds back on because I felt I looked bad. But I am happy with my weight loss. I achieved my goal and I am keeping my weight off. It is still a daily struggle. A food addiction is unlike any other. You have to eat to survive. You don't need drugs or alcohol to survive. You have to learn healthy attitudes about food and change your habits forever. I still struggle and mess up. But even if I gain a few pounds I know what to do and why it happened. Exercise is no longer an option for me, it's a daily must in some form or another. And vegetables, fruit and water are not my enemies, they make me feel better. I am healthier and happier because of it. For me this wasn't about poor body image. This surgery was a means to improve my health and I was able to do that.

Check out my next HUB titled "To Lap band or Not to Lap band"