I'm so excited for surgery but starting to get nervous too. What should I expect??

This is one question I can answer! :laugh: I got banded on May 13, 2010. I was terrified!!! When I first got there, they type and crossed matched me (in case I would need a blood transfusion which I didnt). They also made me give a urine specimen. They started an IV and hung Lactated Ringers. I then got a shot of Heparin which didnt hurt AT ALL ( I was scared tho). I talked to the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. A nurse then came in and said she'd be with me all the way, gave me something through my IV. She said after this medicine, I probably wouldn't remember anything...she was right! I woke up in my room. I have five small incisions that have steri strips on them (butterfly sutures). They had me on IV fluids and a Morphine pump for pain. I must add I woke up with a Foley Catheter, but they didn't put that in till I was asleep. I had some abdominal pain from the gas, but walking really helped. I stayed one night in the hospital and came home. I have been on clear liquids for one week. I have not felt hungry or anything...a little weak which is probably expected. Tomorrow I go to a full liquid diet. According to my scale, I have lost ten pounds. :thumbup: You are going to do fine! I wish you lots of luck! I have only been on this site for one day and I have found that it is really helpful!

Yeah this is my first day on the site too. I haven't told many people that I am doing this so it really limits the people I can talk to about it. I have found it really helpful and its nice to find a new group of people that knows what I'm going through.

I know what you mean about trying to talk to other ppl about having the Lap Band. It's hard for some of my friends to understand why I did it. I am very happy I did. I am new to having it, but I think it is going to help me. Please keep me posted on how your surgery goes. You are going to be scared, that is normal, but it's going to be okay. The first couple of days are the hardest, but they aren't too bad.

I'm really not nervous about the surgery part of it. I've had a few surgeries so they are pretty routine now. I am worried about after. Are u hungry at all? That's what my mom is worried about. She thinks it will be really easy for me as long as I'm not hungry. The few people I have told have been really great about it and really excited for me but my hesitation in telling people is that when I start to lose weight they wont think its "real" because I had surgery. People dont understand how hard it actually is. Its hard enough without all the judgment.

yo2118 I know exactly what you mean. When I told ppl that I was getting the Lap Band a few of them would ask me why I was taking the "easy" way out. Idk about you, but I have tried and tried to lose other ways and have failed. The Lap Band is just a tool to help get the weight off. The weight won't just fall off...you have to work with it. You still have to watch what you're putting into your body. Every pound you lose is a pound you lost on your own...the band doesn't lose the weight for you.

As for feeling hungry...I haven't really been hungry at all. I just started full liquids today and had four ounces of yogurt...that was plenty! I will say though that I never realized how many food commercials were on TV! lol I have been told that getting fills regularly when you starting feeling hungry more often is a must! Right now for me, seeing the scale go downward is so much motivation. I don't think you'll feel hungry with the band. That's also why I got it, to control my portions.

I'm so glad to hear you aren't hungry. I have read so many things about people saying that they are hungry so it makes me a little nervous. But this isn't supposed to take away hunger all together, just makes you hungry like a normal person and prevent snacking. If I get hungry every 5 or so hours than thats fine cause I can eat my little meal and be done with it...like normal people lol. The controlling of the portions is whats really going to help me too! How much weight have you lost so far? Thats another thing i'm curious about is how much will come off right away.

I am going into this totally positive and that this is going to change my life for good! If I have that attitude this will work! I have my last pre-op appt tomorrow with my surgeon just to ask questions I have a whole list of them lol! 4 more days...

You won't remember much about the surgery:sleep:!! You'll do great. My sister in law wasn't hungrey at all. and had to make herself eat. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes!!!

Well here is my story...

I had my surgery monday the 17th. I woke up at 445 and off to the hospital at 5:20. Got there at 5:55 walked into the office and started filling out paper work. I started getting nervous and felt like throwing up! I havent been nervous up till this point.

At about 6:15 two nurses came out and got me. They told me no one was allowed to come back with me, so to say good bye to my mom and she will see me after surgery. I really didn't like this and neither did my mom.

They gave me a HUGE gown to put on, a hair net, and booties, and a cup to pee in. I was in the bathroom for 20 mintues and I couldn't go. So they sat me down in this chair that reclined and asked me questions and gave me a shot in the thigh. This did not hurt at all. Nothing as bad as some people made it seem. They then started my IV... got it in the first try.. i was so happy.

So then I just sat there for awhile waiting for my dr to get there and I still needed to pee!! The anesthesiologist came in and talked to me and asked if I had any questions. It was time for me to try and pee again. Another 15 min later.. NOTHING! So they made me sign a piece of paper saying I wasnt pregnant and there wasnt ne way that I could be.

I then talked to my surgeon and I walked off to the OR. I layed down and as they were getting ready my surgeon, nurse, and anesthesiologist were just talking to me, trying to keep me calm.

I was then told that i was going to feel some pressure in my hand and at the time that I was about to kill him I would be asleep. Wow was he right! This stuff hurt! Ive been put asleep three times and it was nothing like this. But soon enough I was asleep.

Next thing I know im waking up in the recovery room saying "im cold, im cold, im cold" as i am shivering. They put a warming blanket on me and told me surgery went well. My nurse told me to just take a little nap. I refused to do that though, I couldn't wait to get out of there and back to my own bed.

About 45 minutes later they asked if I was ready to get up and go sit in the chair that I was in before. I agreed right away. They let me go to the washroom, because in order to be released I had to pee. I did right away! I was nervous I wasnt going to be able to because I was having issues before.

I then sat in my recliner chair and had to drink 8oz of Water before they released me. I was sipping it very slowly because I was scared it was going to have to come back up! At about 10:30 I finished, they took my IV out and helped me get dressed, rolled me out to my moms car at 10:45 and I was off to my own house.

I didn't need any pain medicine when I was in recovering and havent tooken anything but tylenol before I go to bed. The worst pain for me would prolly be the shoulder gas pain and where my port is, its tender and it feels like its ripping my insides. I feel that I cant even stand up straight!