So what is this "Lap-Band" thing?

As promised I give you part 2!

Where am I going for surgery? Malley Surgical Weight Loss Center  in the Kansas City area. Go to their site and look around if you are interested in learning more.

Who is my surgeon? Dr. Nicole Fearing. She is super nice BTW!

For my 6 month supervised diet I am seeing Karen Gage, APRN. (P.S. she's so wonderful... I LOVE my visits with her!)

I know a lot of you out there have only heard of the Lap-Band but aren't really familiar with EXACTLY what it is. I will give you a quick rundown, but their website has wonderful information.

Let me just start by addressing some negative ideas about the Lap-Band that I have encountered (and admittedly used to think myself!)

* "CHEATER! Lap-Band is the easy way out...the magic pill."

----You couldn't be more wrong.... The Lap-Band is anything but easy (I don't know first hand yet but from my appointments and other banders, I get it lol) The Lap-Band is simply a tool for weight loss, just like anything else anyone else does (weight watchers, atkins, pills, shakes etc...) Just like any other tool, when used incorrectly it doesn't work.

* "The Lap-Band keeps you from eating all the bad foods."

-----Wrong again! Most people who are banded can still basically eat whatever they want. The Lap-Band does not make healthy food choices for you, that's still up to you.

* "So once you get the Lap-Band, you will lose all your weight really quick."

-----Everybody now... WRONG! The lap band will only help you lose up to 60% of your excess body fat. The rest is completely up to how hard you are willing to work.

I could go on, but we'll save some for another day! :)

Now what does this thing look like?

Crazy huh? The loop, cushiony looking thing is what wraps around your stomach. The little thing at the other end is the port which is right under your skin. This is where they insert saline to give you a "fill".

Here's where they wrap her around your stomach.

The point of the Lap-Band is to basically make a small pouch stomach and they fill it with saline to create a very small opening. The Dr. described it to me as a funnel. You get full quickly because all the food sits in that little pouch. You feel full longer because it takes a while for the food to filter down through the funnel and into your stomach and intestines. (remember I'm making a long story short here...just giving basic info.) 

This stays in you forever, unless you have some sort of problem. It's adjustable so they can put in or take out saline to accommodate changes in your life/body.  

Now you get the idea of the journey I''m about to take. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Also click on the links above if you want to read more about it.