Hi everyone my lap band date is October 19 th I have been waiting for this for 4 yrs and now I'm really nervous. But also really excited.

Your journey will soon start like ours. Ask your questions now. Lots of smart people who will share their pre and post op feelings.

Best wishes and Keep the Faith.

Thank you I appreciate the help.

You will do fine Stephanie. I am 2 years post op. I had lost almost 60 lbs in my first year but now I gained some of it back. But you have to alter your eating and drinking habits and most of all, the protein shakes will help you out. Good Luck and Keep in touch.

Welcome and good luck in your journey. The band does work. Make sure you are well informed and mentally ready for the changes you are about to encounter. I am a firm believer in counseling and support groups. This is a life style change and the more informed and supported you are the better the out come. The band is a tool only and all the work is on you. It is not a diet but it does require changing your bad habits and developing new healthy behaviors. It can be challenging, frustrating and discouraging at times but keeping a positive attitude, holding your self accountable and believing in yourself goes a long way. Please let us know how we can support you in your journey. As stated above, you need to ask the questions now, learn from others success and mistakes. We have all had our ups and downs and have learned so much from each other. Good luck!

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. I'm worried mainly about not chewing enough and getting stuck in a public place.

Stephanie, your comment above about not getting stuck in a public place made me chuckle. I still remember my first time, I was so embarrassed. We were at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I decided to try some chicken fajitas and two bits in it got stuck. I kept trying to push it down and I could feel the pressure building up in the back of my throat, I excused myself to go to the restroom and it was busy. I was panicked, what was I going to do. I headed out the front door and went to the far end of the parking lot and throw up! I was so afraid someone saw me, I quickly went back in and sat down and started to cry at the table. That freaked my husband out and it was a long time before we did the eating out thing again. Now, I always scope out where the bath room is and carry a small bag in my purse in case this happens again. I did learn to not try and push food down with liquids it just builds up the pressure and makes a bigger mess, it also taught me not to eat chips and to chew my food. Everyone usually has one or two stuck episodes while banded, it is pretty gross and awful but you learn really fast what being stuck means and how to prevent.