I have talked a little bit about this in another thread that I started in the 200+ sub folder, but i'm not sure how many of you frequent that particular sub folder, so I thought I might get more input by asking a few questions here. Please, if you can answer any of these of give me some advice, I would really appreciate it.

First of all, my surgery date has been scheduled for May 4th, so just under 3 weeks away. This has unexpectedly sent me into a panic mode where i feel like a death row inmate who has to eat everything in sight before i'm not able to eat it again. I do realize that at some point, I will be able to eat things, but just not as much, or not as fast, and I'll have to chew, and hopefully the band will take cravings away and stop the hunger monster from getting to me. Here are a few of my concerns:

1.Drinking: in the summer, it gets hot here in NYC. I get parched. One of my best loved and favorite activities is just getting a big cold bottle of Water and absolutely downing that sucker in one gulp. I am realizing that this isn't going to be possible to do after the band and it is literally scaring the crap out of me. How do you learn not to gulp big huge glasses of water?

2. do you ever get over that feeling of just wanting to take a huge bite of something? because i'm a super fat foodie type person, one of my greatest joys is just taking a huge bite of something and feeling the grease just ooze and run. (sorry if that's gross, but it's true. a huge greasy cheese burger is just the best thing ever to take a huge bite of) How do you reconcile yourself to the fact that you can never do that again?

3. What will happen to me in 20 or so years? i guess the band will stay in forever, but are there people out there who have had the band for 10 years and still have it? or have you had to have it replaced? am i going to be looking at re-banding surgeries for the rest of my life?

I am excited about the possibilities of being ...not so fat (i'll never be skinny), but i am trying to really figure out if this is something that is going to do me more harm than good. Sorry if these questions seem stupid, I am just really scared of what the future holds, and the prospect of really having to change my habits for the rest of my life when I haven't been able to do it on diets in the past, is so daunting. Am i being irrational?

I drink water pretty quickly. I don't think you should worry about that. You can't gulp a lot of water when you eat but if you're working out or something and can drink you can still drink it at a decent pace. Well at least that's my experience. As for chomping down a huge bite of food, I don't think you will miss that. I still eat hamburger but I just put it on the plate and eat a small bite at a time. I find that I'm savoring my food and really enjoying each bite longer than scarfing a bite down as fast as I can (which I used to do). I actually watch my husband eat like that next to me and can't get over how he eats like he's never going to eat again. It's actually a little annoying to me. But husband do that. They can be annoying. LOL. I don't know about the how long the band can stay in. I thought it could be in for life as long as there or no problems but then watched Dr. Oz and got scared like it had to be replaced every 10 years or so. Even if that is the case I don't regret getting it. I've lost 30lbs in 6 weeks pre/post op and feel pretty good. I can eat a lot of things I didn't think I would be able to again. And the stuff I worried I'd miss I just don't even care about anymore. Good luck to you!

To answer your questions...first and foremost you need to understand that the band WILL NOT take your cravings away. It can help you eat smaller portions but it won't control what you eat (unless there are foods you can't eat with your band...everyone is different but I could eat anything if I wanted to).

1. Again, it depends on your band...I can't gulp Water but I also don't take tiny sips either. Trust me, it will only take a time or two of gulping and either being in pain or having it all come back up to cure you of that.

2. Yes, I would love to take a huge bite of something but the reality is that by taking big bites you will get stuck and possibly PB. The pain of being stuck on a big bite was enough to convince me not to do that again.

3. As far as long term life with the band goes, I'm not planning on having to have mine taken out and if I do then I will just deal with it then.

The basic message here is that you need to make sure you are willing to make the lifestyle changes necessary to be successful with the band before you go through with the surgery. It will be hard work...you have to eat the right food, eat the right portions and deal with your cravings - the band doesn't do all of the work for you.

It's good to know that i can drink a lot of Water quickly if i'm exercising. That really was a HUGE concern.

as for having it replaced every 10 or so years...that's like 16,000 per surgery right? I hope my insurance at that time will pay for such a thing. I guess I'd better start saving up money now huh?

thanks vicky. i have been playing with the idea in my head that if i just NEED to take a big bite of something, then i'll take a big bite of it and spit it out. the swallowing of it isn't what gives me the satisfaction, it's the chomping the huge bite of it.

and cravings...the only thing i ever crave is carbs, soooooo i'm gonna have to learn to do without them for a very long while. yes, can you tell i am still trying to wrap my brain around it all? it's so overwhelming.

It can be a bit overwhelming...I, too, crave carbs. I ended up deciding to cut them way back (I shoot for 40 grams a day and I don't eat bread, Pasta, etc). I have found that I'm losing better this way and I don't crave carbs as much.

Good luck!

I was told the lifespan of the band is 8 years of CONTINUOUS eating/digestion in tests (and we do not continually eat so in reality the band can be lifetime device unless it fails). There's no rule about having it replaced every 10 or even 20 years. My guess though is that in another 10 or 20 years insurance will only have beter coverage as health benefits are seen more and more. We can surely hope so!

I can drink Water pretty quickly between meals, but it's common to have issues with very cold fluids.

As someone said the urge to take huge bites will go away after you get stuck once or twice.

I just got banded a few weeks ago (I am in the mushie stage) and I had all the same thoughts you did about not having the foods I want. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I had the regrets after my surgery. After going through the liquid stage and into mushies, I find my self not really caring about food most of the time. I crave pizza and then I think, go eat a yogurt or Protein shake if your hungry and suddenly I'm not hungry anymore. It's a very surreal experience, but I think everyone has said it best, once you have a bad experience by eating too much too fast you will learn from it, like the Pavlovian effect.

As for Water, I gulp it all the time. I haven't had anything but water and tea since my surgery. No more sodas (I drank like 3 a day) and I'm ok with it. I think it should be catagorized as Lap Band Zen.

It's weird to me that i am regretting the surgery before i actually have it.

thanks vicky. i have been playing with the idea in my head that if i just NEED to take a big bite of something, then i'll take a big bite of it and spit it out. the swallowing of it isn't what gives me the satisfaction, it's the chomping the huge bite .

If you feel like you have to take a big bite, you can do what I do with a sushi roll...I put the whole piece in my mouth and then chew it and swallow it in stages (if that makes sense). I love California Rolls and I haven't had any trouble eating a few pieces of one (I can't eat an entire roll) using this method.

Hello!! First off where in NYC?!?! I'm a NYC girl myself.

I think everyone has pretty much summed up what I was going to say. I still gulp Water because there are a few times where I get really thirsty and just need it to be quenched. Right now I have no restriction and starting to slowly introduce solids back into my diet and although I do crave carbs sometimes, I just pretty much tell myself that I didn't spend a year and a half fighting to be banded to mess it up. I wish you the best of luck and hope it all goes well for you!!!

I understand exactly how you feel!!! I have been eating non-stop. its affecting my attitude totally. I hope that everyone who has relied is right. I am banded on Tuesday - the 19th of april. I am hoping that loosing the weight will be enough to make me feel okay about not getting to enjoy all the same foods or at least as much of them

I too am getting my surgery on May 4th, but in NJ. I can't answer all of your questions but i can def answer question three. The lapband is 100% reversable, say if for any reason 5-10yrs down the road you feel like you are at a good place with everything, it CAN be removed.

I have talked a little bit about this in another thread that I started in the 200+ sub folder, but i'm not sure how many of you frequent that particular sub folder, so I thought I might get more input by asking a few questions here. Please, if you can answer any of these of give me some advice, I would really appreciate it.

First of all, my surgery date has been scheduled for May 4th, so just under 3 weeks away. This has unexpectedly sent me into a panic mode where i feel like a death row inmate who has to eat everything in sight before i'm not able to eat it again. I do realize that at some point, I will be able to eat things, but just not as much, or not as fast, and I'll have to chew, and hopefully the band will take cravings away and stop the hunger monster from getting to me. Here are a few of my concerns:

1.Drinking: in the summer, it gets hot here in NYC. I get parched. One of my best loved and favorite activities is just getting a big cold bottle of Water and absolutely downing that sucker in one gulp. I am realizing that this isn't going to be possible to do after the band and it is literally scaring the crap out of me. How do you learn not to gulp big huge glasses of water?

2. do you ever get over that feeling of just wanting to take a huge bite of something? because i'm a super fat foodie type person, one of my greatest joys is just taking a huge bite of something and feeling the grease just ooze and run. (sorry if that's gross, but it's true. a huge greasy cheese burger is just the best thing ever to take a huge bite of) How do you reconcile yourself to the fact that you can never do that again?

3. What will happen to me in 20 or so years? i guess the band will stay in forever, but are there people out there who have had the band for 10 years and still have it? or have you had to have it replaced? am i going to be looking at re-banding surgeries for the rest of my life?

I am excited about the possibilities of being ...not so fat (i'll never be skinny), but i am trying to really figure out if this is something that is going to do me more harm than good. Sorry if these questions seem stupid, I am just really scared of what the future holds, and the prospect of really having to change my habits for the rest of my life when I haven't been able to do it on diets in the past, is so daunting. Am i being irrational?

Well it's all been said ! So I'll leave my view from what use to be a Detroit Girl. Your in one city, and I was from another. Regardless I know what you are talking about..

Water I GULP it ! My first surgeon had me bottoms up a huge glass, and it better go down. Because if it started coming up. He new you were a tad to tight.

I drank it like that in front of my new P A. I thought she was going to have a Heart Attack... She told me no ! don't do that ! So for her it was sips. even though I explained his thinking. She was still saying no.

So,,, if I'm real thirsty, I chug water ! Just not Ice Cold,,,, because it makes your throat close up. So before you are off and running, first experiment and walk. You know what I mean.?

Now FAT BURGERS! You can eat some once in a while, but grill them, make them good, but with less s**t on them (NO OFFENCE) You can have Ketchup, Mustard, Lettuce, Tomatoes, cheese..... Now if you switch to Turkey burgers, and season them, They are good ! You can have beef, but not all the time. Turkey Ground and cooked with is very good. It picks up the flavor. like Chili, Spaghetti Sauce, Meatballs, Meatloaf just to give you a idea. All is not lost my friend, It is just beginning, and it is good.

You can only eat so much anyway, So don't plan on indulging all the time. (IT DON'T WORK THAT WAY!)

And last, don't forget. The day will come when you are having what they call "your last supper" Trust me,, it's not the end of the world. It is the beginning of a new life for you.. After a few fills, and you begin to lose the Hunger Beast. You will care less about eating. That is the TRUTH ! One step at a time.

Will your band need replacement down the road? I'm sure it will someday, and your surgeon will fix it.

This is not that hard to figure out. Ask your surgeon if you ever need repairs in the future? Will he be the one to fix you up?

I hope this helps some. Because I just touched on some of your questions. You will learn as you are banded about how this all works.

Good Health to you NEW YORK ! I hope some of these answers from all these people have helped.

Hello!! First off where in NYC?!?! I'm a NYC girl myself.

hey guys, sorry it took me sooo long to get back to you all. i had jury duty for a couple of days, and I literally just got home from a meeting, sooooooooo it's been a very long, long day. thank you all so much for your honest answers. they are really, very helpful and i am feeling more and more confident with each answer that comes. really, i am. for instance, i haven't cried at all today, so that is a very big deal.

Hi Elizabeth! I live in manhattan and I work in midtown, thought i'm not originally from here...but June is my 10 year anniversary in the city so i will be able to officially call myself a new yorker.

I'm a New Yorker too! lol I'm from the Bronx.. I work for the Emmm Tee Yaay so I'm all over the city. Congrats on Jury Duty too.. a nice lil change of pace. Tho.. being held there late is definitely the pits.