I love easy to read and understand owner’s manuals for my tech toys. They are usually complex and not geared for a quick read.  My Lapband is a high tech device that is implanted in my body. It only makes sense that I want to be knowledgeable of the use, care and feeding of my band. When Jean McMillan, a fellow bandster and Obesity Help chat buddy authored a book on adjustable gastric banding and weight loss surgery, I ordered a copy for my reference.

Jean’s book, Bandwagon, is easy to read and understand. I highly recommend that any person exploring this form of weight loss surgery purchase the book. She puts it all on the table; the good, the bad and the ugly. I know as a pre-op and newly banded patient that I searched extensively for people who have walked the walk and talked the talk as a Lapband success. Jean fits that bill and tells her story in a casual and informative manner.

As I live my long-term post-op life as a Lapband patient, I found Jean’s words pertinent to my life today. She reminds me of the basics of eating properly. Too often I find myself caught up in the moment and ignoring the 15 basic eating skills that Jean talks to in the book. She covers all the bases with topics including the side effects that can occur over time, lifestyle and attitude changes, proper nutrition, the importance of exercise, and medical issues that the banded post-op patient might encounter.

I chose to purchase this book from my interaction with Jean on the Obesity Help message boards over the past three years. She has been that presence that you look for when you log on. She offers people motivating, honest and candid feedback by raising issues that stimulate discussion. The quality and tone of Jean’s responses are always positive, inspiring and speak to the audience. These nurturing and supportive attributes come across in her book.

I urge you to order this book no matter where you are on your weight loss surgery journey. The book’s subtitle says it all, “strategies for success with the adjustable gastric band”.  Weight los surgery is not as simple as spending a few hours on the operating table and watching the weight fall away. As I often tell people, it’ a tool and like any tool you need to understand how it works, what it can do, and what limitations there are for its use. By focusing on strategies for success, you learn all of this and more.