Gastric Lap Band Surgery For Weight Loss

Part I - Roberta's Story

Dear OBGYN.netters,

Today we are starting a new series on OBGYN.net about treatments for non-ob/gyn conditions that some women will choose to have in their lifetime. Roberta Speyer, owner and publisher of OBGYN.net, traveled to Frankfurt, Germany in December for a treatment for obesity that is not FDA-approved in the United States. This surgery as well as other topics will be highlighted in the months to come.

We start this series with an interview between Roberta and Mark Smith MD. This is more than an interview, this is a gut wrenching sharing of deep personal feelings about what it feels like to be overweight from the eyes, ears and heart of someone that has spent their entire life overweight. Roberta is my sister, so I can tell you what she is sharing is what she felt for most of her life. She has shared some of this with me at different times while we have been talking, but when I read this and hear her words, all at once, it is so much more horrible to think people really are treated this way. She writes these words, "Being overweight is something that people judge you on before you even have a chance to open your mouth. You walk into a room and you have to come back from being behind the eight ball just to get the point where other people are, before you even begin speaking. "

This series will cover interviews with the surgeon Dr. Weiner and video of the surgery itself, which is done laparoscopically, so there are far fewer complications. It will be a five-part series and follow-up in the next few months. One thing I can share with you is "It is working!" Roberta looks Great, feels good and is happier. You can't ask for more than that. This is not for everyone and she would be the first person to tell you that; but it is working for her and she will be a healthier person for it.

We are going to do an ongoing series on Special Topics including Breast Reduction, done on a friend of mine who had suffered for years with back problems, and how to really quit smoking (ME), and how to go about it if you are serious. I would like to invite all of you to send in ideas for future articles or interviews. Email me at barbara.nesbitt@obgyn.net and we will take it from there. This is all about us and there are many things going on in our lives that we can explore and learn about together.

Barbara

Barbara Nesbitt
Editor, OBGYN.net

At this time, three years post-op, Roberta is satisfied with the outcome of her surgery and hopes you have found her story helpful in your search for answers. Please direct any questions about LAP BAND surgery to your personal physician, or email the product makers directly at: http://www.inamed.com/contact/bio_patient.cgi.  Due to time restraints Roberta Speyer and the OBGYN.net team cannot respond to personal emails. 

See Professor Rudolf Weiner's website about Weight Loss Surgery to see if this option is right for you. Visit www.profweiner.com.