At 291 lbs I feared my son would soon be embarrassed to have a severely overweight mom and maybe even start to resent me. Other sincere efforts to lose weight were not working and I knew I had to do something. I started looking into gastric bypass but was not impressed with the idea of having my insides rearranged. I chose the LAP-BAND® because it is minimally invasive and can be adjusted. The LAP-BAND® has helped me achieve my health, fitness and emotional goals. I've lost 115 lbs and truly feel my image now accurately reflects who I am. I have always been a confident person but losing the weight has provided me with a real emotional boost. With more and more people falling into the obese category every day, I want to spread the word about the outstanding benefits of the LAP-BAND® System.