Hello all, I am new to this website and I am going to be having lapband surgery the end of September. I am very excited about doing this. I would like some of you to please give me any and all advice that you can think of. I need all the help I can get to get ready for my new life. Thank you so very much for posting your ups and downs it makes this journey a lot easier.

I would say that there are three regularly occurring post-op posts that you should be aware of as you prepare. Being aware will help you deal with the psychological aspect of the band.

1. Be aware: You may experience a lot of discomfort after surgery that is pain related. People vary so much on this and of course everyone hopes to be one of the "bounce right back" folks, but be prepared to be in a lot of discomfort for up to a week or even more. It is NORMAL to be depressed and/or regret having the surgery immediately post-op.

2. Be aware: It is very likely that your weight loss will stall or even reverse during the first weeks to month after surgery. This is counter-intuitive to people, because they just had weight loss surgery AND they are on a liquid diet and not eating. But it is NORMAL to plateau or even gain Water weight while your body is recovering from the stress of surgery. Try not to despair. If you keep at it, you will begin to lose weight soon enough.

3. Be aware: A lot of people feel very hungry and ready to eat eat eat almost immediately after surgery. For a lot of people, the band alone doesn't do anything for weeks to month until it is filled. This is what people refer to as Bandster Hell. A smaller subset of people do feel a reduction in hunger right away-- but if you don't go in automatically expecting you'll be a lucky one, then you won't be as baffled and disappointed if you aren't. It is NORMAL to feel hungry and frustrated until you reach the appropriate fill for your body, and that may take weeks to months.

Knowing these things and expecting them will help tremendously with your emotional reaction to the band. If any of these things happen to you, you are in good and prolific company. Don't despair! Figure out before your surgery how you might cope with them when they come up and odds are, they won't be a problem for you. Knowledge is the key.

That said, also know this-- this surgery has very good odds of changing your life for the better. It is not FAST. It takes time, and for some people, it may take years to shed the excess weight-- slowly but steadily. I would never have believed in September that I would be where I'm at today; that a woman who could barely walk without major pain because of plantar faciitis is now pain free and running on a treadmill. Every bit of pain and anxiety and frustration has been FAR outweighed by all of the amazing ways my life has changed because of better health.

I would say that there are three regularly occurring post-op posts that you should be aware of as you prepare. Being aware will help you deal with the psychological aspect of the band.

1. Be aware: You may experience a lot of discomfort after surgery that is pain related. People vary so much on this and of course everyone hopes to be one of the "bounce right back" folks, but be prepared to be in a lot of discomfort for up to a week or even more. It is NORMAL to be depressed and/or regret having the surgery immediately post-op.

2. Be aware: It is very likely that your weight loss will stall or even reverse during the first weeks to month after surgery. This is counter-intuitive to people, because they just had weight loss surgery AND they are on a liquid diet and not eating. But it is NORMAL to plateau or even gain Water weight while your body is recovering from the stress of surgery. Try not to despair. If you keep at it, you will begin to lose weight soon enough.

3. Be aware: A lot of people feel very hungry and ready to eat eat eat almost immediately after surgery. For a lot of people, the band alone doesn't do anything for weeks to month until it is filled. This is what people refer to as Bandster Hell. A smaller subset of people do feel a reduction in hunger right away-- but if you don't go in automatically expecting you'll be a lucky one, then you won't be as baffled and disappointed if you aren't. It is NORMAL to feel hungry and frustrated until you reach the appropriate fill for your body, and that may take weeks to months.

Knowing these things and expecting them will help tremendously with your emotional reaction to the band. If any of these things happen to you, you are in good and prolific company. Don't despair! Figure out before your surgery how you might cope with them when they come up and odds are, they won't be a problem for you. Knowledge is the key.

That said, also know this-- this surgery has very good odds of changing your life for the better. It is not FAST. It takes time, and for some people, it may take years to shed the excess weight-- slowly but steadily. I would never have believed in September that I would be where I'm at today; that a woman who could barely walk without major pain because of plantar faciitis is now pain free and running on a treadmill. Every bit of pain and anxiety and frustration has been FAR outweighed by all of the amazing ways my life has changed because of better health.

Thank you so much for responding to my post. This information helps alot... the more I read on here the more excited I am getting about having this surgery. I really think I need to go ahead and join a gym or get a good excerise program down that way it isn't as hard to start after surgery. if you think of anything else i need to know please feel free to send me a message.