The Beginning

I've decided to keep a blog documenting my journey and life after having adjustable gastric banding. Gastric banding is a restrictive, adjustable band that is placed on the upper portion of the stomach. The placement of the band coincides with the nerves in the stomach that register satiety. When a normal stomach receives food, it fills from the bottom up, and once the top is reached, the nerves tell the brain that it's full and it's time to stop eating. The band restricts the stomach at the top, allowing one to fill the stomach from the top down. The band allows about 1/2 cup capacity for your new stomach, and this restriction in capacity allows you to feel fuller faster, and also longer.

After months and months of research, seminars, watching a "live" webcast of the surgery, and reading others' blogs of their experiences, I decided to go for it. I was unable to get my insurance to pay for it. I was fortunate to have the resources available to me to self-pay.

I received my band on November 15, 2007. I had my band "installed" at North West Weight Loss Center in Everett, WA. My Dr. was Dr. Robert Michaelson. If you are interested in getting a LapBand, and live near Washington state, this clinic is the one to choose. This procedure is ALL they do. They are specialists. Everyone employed at this clinic has a LapBand and that is a huge resource available to you as a patient. They have ALL been through the things you are going through, the unique strangeness that is the LapBand, and all the ups and downs in the process of healing, living and succeeding with it.

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Now that I have provided you with a background of what my blog is about, I can go ahead and close this post.