Age: 49

Height: 5'7

Starting Weight: 324 lbs.

BMI: 29

Current Weight: 186 lbs.

Goal Weight: 179 lbs.

While I was recovering from elbow surgery I was watching daytime tv and saw a commercial for LapBand.  It was the first time I'd ever heard about it.  That was in January 2007.  I looked it up online and found a local surgeon (Dr. Adam Glasgow - fabulous) and called to attend the information seminar.  They were full for January and February, so I got in for the March 2007 information seminar.  I knew the LapBand was for me.  I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Adam Glasgow for April 2007.  I went through the preliminaries and was banded on July 26, 2007.  The week of my first appointment with Dr. Glasgow I weighed in at 324.  I lost 38 pounds pre-op because I just couldn't stand it anymore and I was so ready for a change.  Surgery day weighed 287.  Surgery was fairly easy, just had an issue with the anesthesia and nausea and dry heaves.  First few weeks after banding were a bit hard because I was grieving for my old foods.  I exercised six out of seven days per week, averaging 5 to 7 miles per day.  Had only a couple of fills before feeling restriction.  I have the older LapBAnd that holds only 4cc's.  A year after my first appointment with Dr. Glasgow I hit 199.  I'd lost 125 pounds in one year!  It's been very slow coming off since then, but I'm happy at 175 to 185 pounds.  As long as I can fit into my size 12 jeans I'm happy.  In May 2009 I completed my weight loss surgeries by having my excess skin cut off of my belly.  My tummy tuck has made all the difference to how I feel about my body.  I still don't like looking in the mirror when I'm not dressed, but at least my belly doesn't rest on my lap anymore.  Someone recently told me I have the tummy of an 18 year old! I'd have to say though that there were three very significant things that have made my life better since being banded.  The first is that my feet don't hurt anymore.  They used to ache all day, every day.  The second thing that made my life better was the day I hit 199 lbs. my Daughter told me that she was so glad that I lost the weight because now she could stop worrying about my weight problem.  The third thing is that while I'm almost 50 years old I feel like I'm 15 years younger than I felt before my surgery.  I kind of skipped through my thirties and most of my forties because I had gotten so heavy.  Now I feel like I'm in my early thirties again.  I have so much energy and enthusiasm for life again.I wish the best to all of the bandsters and hope that they feel as good as I do after they lose most of their weight.