Hi I'm Joanne, 56 years old. Married 2x.. mother of 3 amd Grandmother of 6.

I have been heavy all of my adult life...starting right after my first child.  I would try to lose on other diets, lose 20 then gain back 30-40.  I got so tied of this up and down way of life.  But when I saw my older sister roll off the rocking recliner chair that made me look at myself even closer. A friend of mine had the Lap banding done and I saw her changing. So without anyone knowing I got information from her and started looking into this.  Whe I made my own mind up then I told my husband, Lenny, what I wanted to do.  I was excited and he told me he would help me in anyway he could.  That's why I called Dr.Darren Tishler's office.  My first visit was in December.  I got on the scale 277.  OMG!!! I have never been that big...scale must be broken!  Wrong!!! Time to face the truth.  Dr. Tishler was so nice and calming. He answered all my questions and treated me like a person. Then I stopped eating potatoes because I could eat a whole pot of them myself.  I also stopped drinking soda, after that visit.  But when he told me to drink water!! That was like a curse.  I HATE WATER!!!  But since I'm going to do this I will do it..My insurance went through the first time and that shocked me because I was suppose to do 6 - 1 hour monthly visits and I only did 4...but they did!! I lost 30 lbs. before surgery.   My surgery was 2 days after my 56th birthday...April 30th....Ihave lost 18 lbs.  since  the surgery, because I had 2 hernias taken out too.(knew I had 1 but not the other,) I  am feeling like a new woman already. I do something I thought I would never do  walk, walk walk.  The only thing I had a problem with was one night I turned over on my stomach in my sleep and the next day I HURT!!!   I am fine now.  I would love to hear from anyone, I promise to answer all e-mails.