I am scheduled to be banded this Thursday morning. I am so nervous. Am I doing the right thing? Is my life going to center around what I can and can not eat? I am so nervous that I can't even think of eating today. Did anyone else feel this way right before your banding?

Hi Bako, of course you are nervous! You are about to radically change your life. You are taking a major step, surgery. Your life will never be the same again, so of course you are about as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!

I thought I was going to wear a path in my industrial strength carpeting the week before my banding.

No one can tell you with honesty that this is the best thing for you, because only you can decide that for yourself. I do know that the band saved my life. I do know that so many people have awesome weightloss success with the band. We can tell you how it affected ourlives in so many positive ways, but they are our stories. And I kind of think that if so many people are able to sucsessfully lose weight or change their lives, that it just might be something positive in your life too.

Be kind to yourself, and try not to wear a path in your carpets.

Hi Vinesqueen. Thanks for your response. I appreciate the kind words.

I'm scheduled for June 6th. I start liquids on Monday. I may get nervous too when the date draws, but I'm far more afraid of staying obese than undergoing life-altering surgery. My weight is slowly killing me, and I want to live! I want to be around for my husband, and want to see grand kids someday. Any time I've felt any apprehension whatsoever, those thoughts get me through and turn me around. God bless and good luck! Let us know how you do; we care!

Hi Bakogal,

I am also very nervous about my upcoming surgery. My Dr.office called yesterday wanting to give me a date, I was caught off gaurd and said I had a few more questions for the doc which I see next week. I know weight loss is my only hope for a future, but all the life changes do freak me out quite a bit. I am thinking about you and wish you the best of luck.

I think it is totally normal to have these feelings. I remember feeling the same way. I even thought if I just try one more time, just to diet, then maybe I wouldn't have to go through all of this. But I know I would fail yet again.

Just like any serious diet that you were ever on, you will be forced to make what you eat/drink/exercise the top priority. But it doesn't last forever. As you lose weight, you begin to change your habits, and you evenually deal with food differently. For me, food is not the most important thing on my mind as time goes on.

As you start to lose the weight, you will look back and thank the heavens that you did this. But what you are feeling now is totally, totally normal...

Good luck!!! Let us know how it goes!!!

BakoGal- your nervousness is absolutely normal. You are changing your life when you get the band. But you are changing it for the better. I occupied my worried mind by doing housework the day before my surgery. It helped the time fly by and also I didn't have to come home to a messy house!

Best of luck tomorrow morning!!

:second: Kristin

I just found out today my surgery date will be June 30th. I was so excited, and then the nerves set in. Second guessing myself, and worrying about failure. I have researched as much as I can and believe this is the best option for me. But SO nervous. I am just praying about it and taking a deep breath and thinking about how much better off I will be. Now if I can get through the 2 week pre op liquid diet...oh no...:biggrin1:

Sheryl couldn't have said it better. We all have that anxiety before we get banded. Life is full of changes that we have to make everyday, and this is just another one when it comes to life with the band. You may find that a few weeks after banding, your saying" what in the world did I do to myself"? That is what I did. But, here I am 3 & 1/2 weeks out and I've loss 20.5 lbs. Am I glad I got my band? You bet!!!! My guess is you'll feel the same. I wish you the best.

Roberta

Well hang in there. I would suggest being prepared for terrible gas pain. I know everyone is different. But I have had other procedures before and this was the worse gas pain for two days I have ever had. It was miserable. I had pain for about a week, and now I am peachy fine. The other folks that had surgery the same day I did are doing fine. I just would rather expect it to be bad, and then if it isn't, it is a pleasant surprise. So far I am very excited about my little tool. We don't know what the future will hold for each of us with our bands. But we can pray it doesn't slip and it doesn't erode. Some people do fine and others don't. I think it is a miracle. We have to do lots of work with it though. I already suck on a couple cookies here and there. oops, now how did I get fat??? I will keep at it, and I will find success. Good luck to you, say your prayers. I wish you the best.

You'd b e weird if you weren't nervous! This is a big deal...not the surgery so much as the change you are making in your life. But no, you won't have to spend all your time thinking about what you can and can't eat, rxcept maybe at first. But it becomes habit just like anything else.

Wishing you the best of luck and a smooth and easy recovery!!

Emily

Nervous is normal. I was absolutely, positively sure this is what I wanted. I felt very calm. On the day before surgery, I couldn't talk coherently at work.(hope I didn't pay someone I shouldn't have :second: ). Blood pressure just before they wheeled me away was 20 points higher than normal. Yeah, nervous is normal.

Food will be important - real important at first. I am thinking that eventually it will just be part of life - normal.

Hang in there, and take the drugs!

It's funny, because I wasn't nervous for my surgery, just excited, everything happened very quickly for me. I'd done a bunch of research on it, but didn't have insurance or money so it was kind of back burner. I mentioned the band to my mom when we were talking about a coworker who'd had bypass, and she said "You should do that, I'll pay for it." I was banded one month from when she said that. It didn't leave much time to be nervous, but the night before surgery when my fiance and I were getting ready to go to sleep, I started crying hysterically. I didn't know why, but it wouldn't stop. I imagine that I didn't give myself the time to feel nervous, but it was still there and my brain had to let it all out!!

So yeah, being nervous is normal, and I'm and odd-ball.

Oh! It's thursday! So I s'pose when you see my post, it'll already be time to say "Congratulations!!"

Hope all has gone well. Check in when your up to it.

M

Hi everyone! Thanks to you for all of your positive reinforcement. Well the banding went well, minimal pain, a very tiny bit of gas, never needed any pain meds, so that is a good thing. Am still on clear liquids until Friday when I have my follow up appt with Dr., hopefully he will move me to the pureed stage. I am really tired of protein shakes and broth. I would be nice just to have a pureed veggie or some cream of wheat...but all in due time.