Hi I am considering doing a lap band. I have questions about afterwards. What is a typical meal like afterwards? I am concerned about the liquid diet recovery period I was never able to follow a liquid only diet. I need to crunch and chew, can I chew gum during this period? How did everyone handle this? I am diabetic also and was wondering how low it took for people to stop their meds or decrease them.

Hi Mojo,

I'm very new to this forum; and it really is THE BEST for gaining information. I have to say that your best course of action is to read, read, read as much as possible!!!

I like you didn't think I would ever make it with liquids. You'll do fine. Number one you won't have hardly any appetite right after surgery so the liquids are just find. Your not really suppose to chew gum if there's a chance you would swallow. I had never swallowed a piece in my life so I chewed away. I wasn't on meds but I've read o here and know one woman who was on the pump for hers and after 7 months wasn't taking anything. The surgery is a easy surgery. I wasn't down at all. I had no shoulder gas pains and on day 4 I did everything I use to do and day 10 rode 4 wheelers all day long. Just according to how well you do with pain. You'll get pain meds to take but most don't need them.

I've just been banded over 2 months almost 3 now and if you want to pm me with any questions I'd be more than happy to answer them. I've lost right at 50 pounds and could never have made a better decision. Just wished I'd done it years ago, I was also self pay and would still redo it.

Good luck on your decision. I can now walk, jog, run, mow, ride dirtbikes, chase my little granddaughter, she's one. I just enjoy life now and I was ready to just go on and die because I was over 100 pounds overweight. It has given me a new life and can you too.

I am having my surgery on Friday - and found that reading as much as I could helps me a lot. I am funny though in that once I did the initial research and decided that I wanted the surgery, I stopped reading. It was only after my health insurance company approved it and I got a date that I started to read again. Since then I've learned a lot. I am also diabetic and my hope is that within a year I will no longer need insulin. I have 140 pounds to lose (maybe less, depends on how I look and feel) and I know that my body will begin to kick in with more insulin production as the weight falls.

The bottom line for me is that I want to do this right and am willing to follow all recommendations from my Dr. and nutritionist. That is not my usualy patter but I know this time I have to in order to be successful.

Good luck in your researching.

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