Dear fellow travelers,

I am getting banded in Madison WI this coming Wednesday! I am excited and nervous and absolutely humbled by what Im about to do. Any advice from you veterans? Anything I should take to the hospital? Tips and tricks for those first few days? Im sure there is no way to really prepare physically and mentally.....kind of like having your first child! Just do it and go with the flow. Id love to hear from some of you soon:)

Welcome to LBT!

There are lots of threads about what to bring to the hosp, what to stock up on before you go etc.

The main thing I would say is slip on shoes and something pull over to wear, if traveling far then bring 2 pillows one for your head the other for between you and the seat belt.

See you in band land

Hey Julesings!

I'm from Oshkosh WI... Welcome to LBT!

Wow... you must be sooooooooooo excited!!!! You'll find a lot of support waiting for you at LBT when you get back! THe things that I really used at the hospital...

My own pillow... slippers... chapstick... very loose clothing especially anything around the waist... bottled Water for the trip home... have liquid tylenol on hand at home... popsicles (sugar free)... tea... Gas-X... crystal light... sf Jello... heating pad if you have shoulder pain from post-op gas. that's all I can think of at the moment... Good luck and pop in to let us know how you are feeling when you get a chance.

THe best thing that you can do during those first few days is walk... walk... walk...walk and avoid drinking with a straw as they are thought to create extra air in the stomach and more discomfort.

In heading in for mine one day ahead of you......a few butterflies ...but certainly excited.

Hope all goes smoothly for you and see ya in da 'recovering phase!

warm wishes,

diane : )

Hi, congrats on making the decision to change your life with the band. Darcy gave you a great list of the same things I would have suggested! The only thing I would add is a small fan if you have room. My SIL and I were banded the same day, and she suffers from severe hot flashes so always travels with a small osciallating fan. Well as wonderful as the hospital was, it seemed it had 2 temperature settings...Way to HOT and way to COLD!! I burned up, but was hesitant to ask for the A/C to be turned on because I knew in minutes it would be freezing!!! Meanwhile in the room next door she was fine with her little fan! Best of luck to you! I hope you have as uneventful of a surgery and recovery as I have so far!!!

Kat