all you veterans care to share with us pre-op newbies the one, two (etc.) things you wish you had known/done before the actual surgery itself to make your surgerical outcome as successful as possible. thanks.

I honestly don't think I could have done or know another thing. I read all the threads on here and learned from everything everyone said. I was well prepared when I went in. If I have to give you one piece of advise it would be pull up a chair and start reading everything on here. There is an awful lot of information here just for taking the time to read it all! Good Luck!

I am also going to add that my Doctor's office spent 2 hours with me explaining everything, which I think was really good!

I am also going to add that my Doctor's office spent 2 hours with me explaining everything, which I think was really good!

I agree with you. Between this site, my consultant and my dietician I was really well informed prior to my surgery!

Once I knew I was going ahead with this, I decided to change my life from that point on. I was not so hard on myself with food, I didnt go on a strict diet, but I made a real effort not to do that last supper thing.

But what really helped was that I started exercising seriously about 4 months before surgery - elliptical at the gym, and DVD's such as Walk Away the Pounds at home. I trained very hard on the elliptical - with Cardio Coach, which is an interval style training. Probably 8 weeks after banding, when I was ready to do something vigorous again (I walked EVERY day from the very day I got home from hospital) I tried running and was amazed that I could run 3kms. I think all my hard work from starting before surgery had paid off and running is truly what has made this journey so successful, hassle free and well, easy, for me. I now run between 6 and 10kms five or six times a week, I have never ever gained even an ounce, and whilst I've plateaued like most people do, I always get going again.

I too did a lot of research and was also well informed by by surgeon. I also bought, laid out and made convenient any thing I might need post surgery, especially a wide variety of liquid diet items such as creamy Soups, Protein shake powder (chocholate for me), and yogurt drinks. I also made sure I had my magic bullit and plenty of low fat soy milk to thin my liquid meals.

The one thing I wish I had been more informed about was the pain in my neck and shoulders from the anethesia. It was not until I woke up that I was informed that the pain would not go away for days. Also, the whole gas issue I was uninformed about, so I had not pre-bought anything to ease it.

Other than that-like the other posters write-read read read and read some more.

Unlike the others, I did not know about this website before I had the surgery. I really wish I had so you're way ahead of where I was when I started. I know I was told that I needed to start with proteins, but that was really hard for me. I tried to just eat smaller portions of what we'd always eaten. Until I was tight enough to not eat carbs, I continued eating them. Be very careful about getting too many calories from liquids. I've started counting calories on www.fitday.com but I wish I would've done that from the beginning. I just assumed that the band would keep me from eating too much, but I should've been counting calories from the very beginning. Also, start exercising as soon as possible. I'm still not great at exercising every day. Between working full time, kid stuff - baseball, piano, juggling practice, and tennis, and just daily stuff like cooking & cleaning I just haven't gotten into a regular routine. The band is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I just wish I would've worked harder in the beginning. Please learn from my mistakes and REALLY follow the rules. I've lost 55 pounds in 14 months so I'm very happy, but I know I probably should be at my goal by now. I guess 55 down is much better than 55 up!!

No one told me about the left shoulder pain after surgery. I had my surgery last Monday 3-26. When I woke up, it was not my tummy that hurt--but my left shoulder.

The doc said it was because of the diaphragm being stitched to the stomach pouch and there is a nerve located there. My shoulder and neck pain has been much more than my stomach.

You might want to get a heating pad. I used it, but it didn't seem to help much. The pain medicine, Loritab liquid, I have taken has been for the neck and shoulder--not my stomach area.

Just be ready. Get your prescriptions filled before your surgery. Some places have to order the liquid. It might take a few days for them to get it.

I wish someone would of told me or that I would have read to take mints, or certs of some type for after surgery. My surgeon didn't let us even sip water....the taste from the anesthetic was horrible and my mouth was so dry. Every time I went to the bathroom I would brush my teeth just as an excuse to get water in my mouth! As soon as I got approval I walked down to the gift shop and got some lifesavers (my husband had already went home to be with the kids). Other than that, like others have said, read read read and read some more, ask any and all questions, we've all had them, none are silly!

I suppose I would have liked to know the anatomy of a PB, so to speak. For example, my second day post op, I threw up foam! Lots of foam. Having foam comming out of my mouth was pretty freaky at first.

AMEN! The more you know, the better off you'll be. Even if it doesn't happen, at least you were warned ahead of time, and are not suprised if it does.

I wish I had known it did not help with sweet cravings, and that sweets go down easy. I thought all would be cured with my band... but it wasn't.

Know that the surgery hurts like hell, and treat it like a bypass, meaning, give up the bad food for good and exercise. You need to be committed to what your about to do. From the start of it change your life. I did and am down 40lbs and feel great.

Thank you all for your replies and advice. Very much appreciated! Just found out surgery is scheduled for May 8th. I believe I am very well prepared.

I wish I'd have known that the liquid diet causes the runs, and that with the gas, you have to be carefull not to have a blow out.

For those who haven't had surgery yet, just wanted to give a different opinion about the pain related to the surgery. For me it was a non-event, but I do understand the point. Take it seriously and use the tool we've been given.