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Congratulations on your choice to a new you!! Its natural to be a little nervous, anxious, and excited. Just be sure to tell the nurses and doctors about your mother having problems waking up from anesthesia. Im sure they will be watching you closely, and will do everything in their power to get you awake without problems. you are young, your lungs are young, so it probably wont be a problem for you. Good luck to you, and let us know how things go when you are up to it.

Hi Vickie- and welcome to the forum. Best of luck on your new journey!

Welcome to the world of bands! Hope you have a speedy recovery, and Bless you for taking care of your Mom. Just remember, you have to take care of you as well. Make time for yourself as well too. You will be the better and healthier person in all aspects. Good luck!!

Congratulations on your new band and your new journey!! Welcome to the board.

Hi Christine and welcome to the board. Congratulations on your new journey. You are 2 weeks post op, I would think that full liquids would be ok now, creamy Soups (strained of course), oatmeal, Protein shakes. Hope this helps. Good luck!!:biggrin1:

Hello to you Gret, welcome to the board, and much congratulations on your upcoming surgery!!:clap2: :clap2: Wishing you well thru this next phase of your journey. Keep us posted on your journey.

Tracy: Congrats on your surgery date! The time will be here before you know it. Wishing you the best!

An Endoscopy and UGI are 2 different things. An endoscopy is where the doc goes down your esophagus with a light and camera to to look for any problems. An UGI is a test thats done under a special type of xray called Fluoro. you have to drink barium, then the doc can follow the barium down your esophagus into your stomach, searching for leaks, obstructions, narrowing of the esophagus. Things that might hinder the food from going down. The endoscopy gives a more detailed up close and personal look at your insides, but more invasive, and the UGI is more generalized. Neither are much fun, but tolerable, and over rather fast. You will do just fine. Think of it as just another stepping stone to reaching your goal of surgery and weight loss. Good luck!!

I am a RN, a critical care RN, with bariatric nursing experience as well. So I am doing and have done ALOT of research, and I know that the band is the right thing for me. Maybe she was just testing me, I dont know, but she just gave me another reason to request another PCP. I havent really liked her since I started seeing her a year ago. She was going on and on about how several of her patients had the RNY surgery and how great they were doing. BLAH BLAH BLAH. Anyway, thanks for all the supportive comments.

For any of you who are interested-I found this Lap Band Patient Handbook online. Its the "bible" of Lap band patients Im told. http://www.allerganandinamed.com/products/obesity/us/patient/lapband/information.html#booklet You will need adobe acrobat reader. It has alot of great info in it.

Thanks. I was thinking the same thing. Screw her. I was just surprised that someone in her position was so negative. I love your name by the way!! Its great!

Dotofoz: congrats on your approval and your date! Now the new journey really begins!:clap2:

I went to my PCP today for a pre op check up for some eye surgery Im having next week, and mentioned to her that Im seriously considering Lap Band WLS. She asked why the band, and not bypass. I told her my reasons, she started to tell me that she hadnt read or heard of many good results from the band, just really started bashing the band. I told her that I needed this surgery if for no other reasons but to have a tool to make my self more accountable, and to help me get to a point that i havent been able to get to on my own. Now the best part, she then stated "WELL WHY NOT JUST DO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, EXERCISE AND DIET". ARGHHHHHHHH :) After I had just told her i had tried every diet under the sun, and then some . Im just hoping now that I dont have to get a referral from her. Just had to vent.

Congrats to all you non smokers!! Ive not heard of this chantix. Is it like wellbutrin? I cant take wellbutrin cause it makes me have nightmares. The pill worked great the week I took it, but the nightmares were horrible! Im assuming the chantix is prescription? Im definitely gonna check into it. Thank you all for the encouragement. I can stop smoking, and I can lose weight!

:clap2: Congratulations on your journey to a more healthy you. Enjoy each and every day.

:clap2: Congrats on your new journey! The "on Q thingy" that you spoke of is a wonderful device. It cuts down on the number of pain pills one has to take. It is being used more and more in surgery patients, especially Laparascopic surgery. Im a nurse, and really just started seeing these being used often about 4 yrs ago. The first time I saw one in my patient, I had to call the surgeon and ask him what it was. He said "oh, didnt you get the memo?" smart a** dr's. Im gonna request one when i get banded. The "on Q" thingy is great!

The UGI is just a test to rule out any problems in your upper gi tract. They look for any erosions in the esophagus, any ulcers that may be bleeding or not, any kind of tears, malformations of the GI tract. The heartburn in itself wont keep you from getting banded, but not treating the heartburn can lead to ulcers, gastric erosions, etc. So dont worry about the test itself, its just a precautionary thing. Good luck.

A question for anyone who smoked prior to being banded. I know most surgeons want/require smokers to stop smoking at least 8 weeks prior to surgery. How did you stop? What tools did you use? was losing the cigarettes as hard as changing the eating habits? I am a smoker, and even though im still several months out from surgery, the thoughts of giving up my cigarettes scares me more than the food changes. I enjoy smoking, but I know I need to quit. I think what scares me most is the thought of failure. Of not being able to stop. what a horrible addiction!! Thanks for any info.

:clap2: Good luck and congratulations on your new journey. You will be on the "losing" side before you know it. You will be in my thoughts on your surgery day!!

Thank you for your reply SweethingMN- Congratulations on your success so far. Im going to Park Nicollett's info meeting tonight. Ive heard and read really good reviews about their program. Im really surprised at how fast you got thru all the hoops. what insurance do you have, if you dont mind me asking. and what surgeon did your band? thanks again, and heres wishing you continued great success.

Hi everyone! Im a newbie here, and would like to, first, congratulate you all on your choice to begin this new journey to a new and healthy you. I, too, am beginning that journey. Im in Minnesota, just starting the process. Im going to my 2nd info meeting tonight. I have definitely decided on the Lap Band, just havent chosen a surgery group yet. This forum is a great source of info and support. Thank you all and good luck with your journey! Any others from Minnesota ??