Here it is, August, 2006.  My pcp suggested that I might consider Lap Band.  She told me she had a friend that was doing the surgeries lap and it might be something for me to consider.  The only contact I had ever had with WLS was my 500 lb. brother and his gastric bypass was done open and I was not interested.  I went to a local hospital for a seminar and saw the lap band.  Not for me, I don't even like acrylic nails because they make me claustrophobic!  I did not like the idea of a port, a fill, slippage, etc.  I mentioned it to my neighbor who has recently lost a lot of weight.  She had told me that she was "just eating more protein, less carbs, etc.".  After I told her about my seminar, she kind of smiled and said she had surgery last April but didn't tell anyone inexcept her husband ~not even her kids.  She helped me by providing all the information about Barix Clinics which are national and where she had her RNY.  I went there~they are huge~I qualified and they got insurance approval after several months.  When they called me with my surgery date of Dec. 27th I kind of freaked.  I thought RNY was my only option and I was having problems with the idea of moving my intestines, malabsorbtion, and the idea of "dumping" scared me~I had seen my brother "dump" and it is not pretty!  Barix had given me OH website when I first went there but I had never checked it out.  O.K. so I had lurked there a couple of times on the Main Board and had read nothing but problems!  When I got my date I posted my first post on the Main Board asking if anyone was happy they had had this surgery as all I was reading was problems!!   And, I was freaking about having a date.  I got great replies back about being sure and really checking things out first.  I started to move around OH and found the vertical sleeve forum.  Everythind I read about it sounded like the answer to my prayers!  It could be done lap, they didn't move my intestines,  no malabsorption, no dumping!  What?  They permanently remove 90% of my stomach?  Now that is another story!