annie's mom

Hello to all,

To all those thinking about, considering and deciding on the Lap - Band I woudl like to share with you my beautiful 21 year old daugher's story.

In March of 2006 my then 19 year old daugher desperately wanted to lose weight (she weighed approx. 260 lbs.) so we consulted with Dr. "S" here in Maryland. Dr. "S" has a great reputation and tells you exactly like it is. With that being said my husband, daughter and myself went to see him together. We are a very tight, close knit family and for Annie to be successful we knew it would have to be a family effort.
Dr. "S" told us the lap- Band is a great tool but NOT if you are a sweet eater. If you are a bulk eater than the Band is probably the best way to go IF you don't want to have bypass. AS a family we just couldn't fathom Annie at only 19 (I know there are many 19 year olds out there who have had bypass and I in no way want you to think I am dictating - only sharing my views and as a mother at that) having such a radical and serious procedure so she went the route of the Lap- Band.
..And she was very successful...for a while. In the first 6 months Annie lost over 50 lbs. and then discovered how to "cheat" the band. Sugars,sweet drinks and sweets go down very, very easy ...no indigestion, heatburn or blockages. You see Annie is a terrible sweet eater just like her mom ....
So then started the progression of "the fills". One fill didn't seem tight enough and then the next fill was so tight Annie couldn't eat anything ..Last Thansgiving was the worse and she had to go see "Pat" , who is Dr. "S" asst. to have everything taken out of the band. Trying to constanly find the "sweet spot" ( the point at which you have enough restriction to lose weight) is a challenge ....

So fast forward to now and Annie has gained back about 25 lbs. After almsot 2 years she is still trying to find her 'sweet spot" ..with going up and down the scale of c.c.'s, back and forth to Hopkins for the fills, and unfills.

I on the other hand am "in the process" of getting my approval for bypass by finishing out by 6 months of supervised diet. At first my husband was not at all for the gastric bypass and was very scared for me. Now he is more understanding and every single consult and evaluation he has been there with me.

I tell this story because I want people to know what all their options are.
What's right for you might not be right for me ....It is a personal and family decision...

Currently Annie has a fairly good fill with minimal restriction. She is doing Weight Watchers along with me to try to learn better eating habits and make better choices ...

Stay tune for more updates on Annie and myself as mother and daughter continue on the "journey"...

Susan