Hello Everyone!

My name is Andriea I'm 27, married to the most wonderful man for 5 years who is serving in the Air Force and we have 2 beautiful little girls. I recently after a battle with Tricare for almost 2 years was finally approved to have lap-band surgery! I received the wonderful news on Thursday and was told I would be receiving a call tomorrow to set up my surgery date! I have to say I am thrilled and looking forward to a fresh new start and finally having something that will help me to achieve my weight loss goals and keep the weight off! I have struggled with my weight for almost 17 years. Emotionally and physically I'm exhausted and after talking to a wonderful friend decided I needed to make a change in my life. My family has a long line of issues from Diabetes, Cardiovascular issues, cancer, etc. I am 27 years old and I need to do something to get this weight off and keep it off so I can not only prevent a lot of these concerns but also be healthy for my husband and 2 little girls. They are my world and I don't want to cut my life and time with them short. So here I am getting ready to embark on my journey with the lap-band! Any advice you can give me is very much welcomed! How did your surgery go? What can I look forward to once I have the band?

Looking forward to meeting you all and chatting with you soon!

Andriea

Welcome to lapbandtalk. I am five days post-op. Please read your information from the doctor/clinic that you are attending. Also, I would definitely recommend attending seminars if they are available.

Good luck.

Make sure to read, read, read about everything Lapband- from good to bad, what to expect after surgery, fills, pre-op/post-op diet, bandster hell, etc.

Personally, I am surprised by how many people get this surgery and then come on here and ask questions about things they should have known or expect to start dropping a lot of weight ASAP!

I was banded Jan 9th of this year. My surgery was honestly a breeze! i was up and walking around 5 hours after surgery. I was in some discomfort..not gas pain like i know alot of people get but it was more due to the surgery itself. Once you get it you can look forward to being on your way to a new healthier you! its crazy i never realized how much i liked going to the gym when i was 50 pounds heavier and now i am addicted lol...i defanitly suggest you eat your favorite meal before the 2 week liquid diet... it for sure messes with you not being able to eat its a whole psychological thing well it was for me atleast but it wasnt unbearable..good luck and welcome

I am with stephyander! the more you know about what to expect the better. I don't like to have just a little information. you can learn a lot here and ask any question that might come up while you wait for your surgery.

Thanks everyone so much for your comments and advice! I definitely have been doing a lot of research on the band over the last 2-3 years when I decided to go for it. I have been to a seminar as it is required by my surgeon to do so, seen a psychiatrist, met with a dietitian, and completed 7 1/2 months of nutritional counseling. I even went to youtube and watched a full surgery :-) I am also happy to say that I have two of the most wonderful friends in the world who I have received lots of advice from as they have gotten the lap band and have kept me pretty informed every step of the way and have answered any questions I have had. I asked them literally to give me the good, bad and the ugly before and after surgery LOL

I do have some more questions and I wanted to join a forum where I could meet others who have gone through the surgery and see what their experiences were and also to get advice as well! I understand that everyone has different experiences and I want to hear about them! A few questions I have right now are: 1.What is your diet like after surgery? 2. How long was your recovery? 3. I'm a little concerned that my doctor isn't having me do the fasting before surgery. Do you think this is a bad thing? I'm thinking about doing slim fast to help myself out but wanted to ask you all your thoughts!!!

I really do appreciate you all so much! Thank you tons for the advice!

Andriea

Hi your diet after surgery depends on your surgeon i was on clear liquids diet for 3 days post surgery..then i went on a liquid diet for 1 week...then pureed for 2 weeks..then soft for food for 2 weeks and then regular food..Now i can eat anything high and protein, low in sugar and carbs...i get full so much faster than before. The recovery was not bad i was up and walking the day of my surgery.. i feel like the worst day was either the 2 or 3 day after surgery. it wasnt too bad though just a little painful when i would try to switch positions and i was just exhausted! any other questions just ask! good luck!

Kerin

Hey Andriea, I'm new here too. Like you I've been looking at the surgery for a couple of years. I recently had the doctor check and my insurance will pay if I do 3 months of Dr. supervised weight loss, so I'm on month one of that. In the mean time I am reading everything I can find, both good and bad. I'm excited and scared at the same time, but I know it is what I need to do. Good luck on your journey!!!!!

Thank you Kerin! I was wondering how everything would go after surgery! I'm really looking forward to starting on my new adventure! Banding is Thursday!!!! I am ready to tackle the recovery and start fresh and begin a life where I am healthier!

Tomosia I wish you the best of luck! That 3 months will go by very quick! I had to do 6 months of nutritional counseling with a physician! It flew by! I'm really excited for you! Keep me posted on how everything goes! Here for you!!!!