Well I got approved last week and scheduled my surgery date, now comes the work! It all just hit this morning that this is real now, not just "thinking" about it or a dream of doing something that will work. I have had my band for 5 years and similar problems as everyone else on this site. I have been working on getting into the mindset to be successful and reading posts on this forum have helped, but I have some fears that I am trying to overcome. #1= I learned to eat around the band, mainly because of the vomiting, so what steps do I need to take to be focused on staying on track with the sleeve for the long run. #2= I have read about the many major life changes I will go through in this journey and I have in my brain "MY lifestyle changes" and am ready to take the journey but I am afraid of losing long time friends and relationships with family because they probably won't change, nor do I expect or require them to change. I will not have the same lifestyle as them anymore and to be successful I'm afraid I will have to stay away from them. Can those who have experience with these two things lend some pointers/experiences/advice on how to keep them and still be successful, please ??? I AM SO EXCITED TO GET STARTED but these are two things that are on my mind.

Why can't you be around your friends and relatives? The first month it was almost too much to go out to eat with others because I could not eat anything but mushies and liquid. My first month was December so I chose to skip all the Xmas parties because it was too hard at that time. But once I could eat food I was fine. I went out with everyone and still do and either get my own entre or an appetizer or eat off of others plates. Nothing has changed except the amount that I eat.

Everything will be alright and your life will go on except there will be a lot less of you.