Hey Lauren!
ok lets start off with question number 1,
normally people should get there band tightend about 3 times , but everyone is diffrent and that isnt always the case, I had to go in a couple times because I got the bad case of the flu a year and a half into surgury causing me to have to unfill the band because i was sooo sick and couldnt get anything down, but as soon as i got better I got it refilled. you just have to wait till you find your sweet spot.
fills in mexico are done very well and all they do is incert a needle into your port threw your stomach (its not bad at all you can barely feel it).
at my point when i was 13 i wasnt really worried about loose skin i just wanted to be skinny, but fortunatly i nipped it in the butt because i really do not have loose skin at all, i think the younger you are your body snaps back faster.
At first i was imbarrassed when i told my friends and stuff, but then i just learned to embrace it.
and trust me its not the easy way out atall, the lap band is just a tool to use that actually works. but your still doing it by yourself
you got to know this is going to be a lifestyle,
you eat to live, NOT live to eat.
i can see why you would feel that way, but girl its a beautiful thing!