If you had it to do over would you get the lap band or would you go with something else like the sleeve maybe. I'm doing my research on the lap band I just have so many question like can you feel the band.does it bother you while doing any activitys playing with kids , exercise,sex just any everyday activity. Do you have any regrets??

Only regret I have is not doing it sooner!

I dont feel the band at all. I do feel the port esp now that I not longer have any fat covering it. It doesnt hender me from doing anything. I exercise with the best of them. If the kids get to playing rough and hit my port, that does sting a bit. At this point, I go through every day life not even thinking about it being there.

Good luck on your journey!

Hmm, I'm kinda interested in the responses to this question.

I would do it over in a heartbeat!! I cannot feel my band but I can feel my port. So far I can do anything now that I could do before except eat as much. In fact I can do more now because I have lost some weight and I get around better. I have arthritis in my left knee bit it has not bothered me for the last couple of months. My only regret was waiting so long to do it.

Your first couple of weeks of post op you will have some limitations such as not lifting anything over 10 pounds including kids!! I had my Cat jump on me in my sleep and that sent me through the roof. I was just only 4 days post op. I slept with a pillow over my belly for two weeks.

What about getting use to not being able to eat as much or not being able to take big bites or big gulps of drink , does it just take time to get use to ?

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Hands down, best decision I've ever made for myself. I feel better and am happier than I've been in many, many years.

I am 4 months post op and can take "gulps". Now it's just Water, Sobe 0, Vitamin Water 0, or Crystal Light instead of Coke Zero. The first few days post op I kept my drinks to 1-2 oz at a time and gradually increased them over the next few weeks.

My eyes are still bigger than my stomach, I'm still working on that. Sometimes I take larger bites than I should but as long as I chew, chew, chew, I'm fine.

What about getting use to not being able to eat as much or not being able to take big bites or big gulps of drink , does it just take time to get use to ?

I have no problem taking big gulps of any drink just as long as I am not eating anything at the time. Everyone is built different though so while I can do that you may not. Every Surgeon has their guidelines they ask patients to follow. One rule is not to drink while eating and wait until at least an hour after eating before drinking anything. Now the eating part is something you have to learn and being 4 months post op I can tell you I am still learning. You have chew very very slow and small bites. If you eat to fast you can cause something as minor as burping to something more painful like a stuck episode. Stuck episode is when the food will not pass through the band and it just sits there until it either passes or you vomit. It feels almost like the food is just sitting at the top of your throat. It can be very painful so you learn quickly but it does take practice.

Recovering from my band removal and now waiting 6 months for a RNY, I have to say I would have started with a sleeve not a band. Too many problems the last several years.

The only thing that scares me about the sleeve is removing part of your stomach

The only thing that scares me about the sleeve is removing part of your stomach

Oddly, neither that or the rerouting of parts for bypass bother me! I just didn't think I needed something so drastic not drastic ended up causing me years of problems and a grand total of 3 surgeries (assuming I do get the bypass in Feb)

So you got the band taken out and now your getting the bypass

So you got the band taken out and now your getting the bypass

Yes, my band slipped this summer and 2 weeks ago I had urgent surgery to remove it. We intended to do bypass at the time but once my doc got inside there was so much damage and inflammation from the band and the slip that he felt my body needed a 6 month period to heal in order to do the revision with minimal risk of complication. Band in Dec2009. Lost 70 + lbs, BMI pre-surg 50 with hypertension,mild GERD, and mild fatty liver. Band removed August 1, 2012, BMI-36, hypertension removed, no meds in 2 years. Tentatively scheduled for RNY February 11, 2013.....now I wait, and heal. And try not to regain.

Can you feel the band Physically, no. I can feel my port, but that's normal-ish. When I take a big bite and don't chew well enough, my band reminds me it's there.

Does it bother you while doing any activitys playing with kids , exercise,sex just any everyday activity. The only thing that bothers me is how much energy I have after losing 50 lbs (so far!) Seriously though, I don't think it limits any of my activities. I was interested in taking some Krav Maga classes but my surgeon advised against putting myself in situations where I may get a direct blow to the abdomen/port area because it could potentially damage the port, although he said it was very unlikely. Sex is better I think, but mainly because I'm more confident in how I look.

Do you have any regrets?? My only regret is not doing it sooner. I've been overweight since I was 13, and will be 29 in a few weeks. I wish I could have done this in my early 20's instead of crash dieting. I'm totally in love with my new lifestyle. Living healthy feels empowering.

I'd do this again in a heartbeat. Getting the band has given me my life back.

First off. Good luck to Christiemr, I hope it all works out. Secondly, I'm only 3 days out. So if you asked me on day 1 post op. no, lol, it's not easy. Minor or major-surgery is certainly a process. But now on day 3 - yes...id do it again. Thus far;)