I want to have the lapband done, but I am afraid. I was set to do this a month and a half ago, and my husband asked me not to. He was talking to his friends about it, and they told him horror stories of people that had it done. I cancelled my surgery the night before I was schedulled to have it done. Please tell me how anyone has felt emontionally before the surgery and after.

Lynn

Ultimately YOU are the one who has to feel 100% confident in your decision whether to move forward or not. But, having doubts or being scared is a very normal part of the process. You are changing your life by getting banded. It's a huge decision.

For me, I knew I needed to improve my health and was committed to doing whatever I needed to do to lose this weight. Yes, I was still nervous even as I was being wheeled into the OR because who can possibly imagine what it was going to feel like to have a device implanted inside me. I was afraid it wouldn't work. I was afraid I would feel it inside me. I was afraid the surgery would need converted into an open procedure which I truly did not want. But, for me it all turned out great. Life changed but not in a bad way at all. I still eat and enjoy my food. I do not feel the "equipment" inside me and I followed the pre-op so my surgery went great...all in all...I had made myself more nervous from all the unknowns than I really needed to.

Just keep doing research and asking us questions all while you do some soul searching and the right answer will come with time. Good luck on your decision!

LapBandit,

Thank you for your words of support and advice. I am going to ask many many questions, and this time I am going to ask my husband to go to dr. visits with me. I think (hope) he will be reassured when we discuss the details with the dr. Thanks again.

Lynn

I'm a little surprised at this. First off, the lapband is still relatively new...I wonder if your husband's friends were thinking of BYPASS. Yes, there are always lovely horror stories to tell about bypass. Trust me, MOST people think of weightloss surgery as bypass. Even when you SAY lapband, they proceed to equate it to bypass. I think I would take everything you heard with a HUGE grain of salt. Do your research. Educate your husband.

i was petrified ... and '' this close to cancelling ... until i saw my 'before' picture...

i was miserable fat (402.5 pounds)

i, too, think your DH is thinking bypass. educate him, show him this site.

this is the best thing i've done for me - ever...

cahollin

This made my second attempt at having a lapband. The first time, bad doctor, bad experience, 11 days of h-e-l-l until it was removed.

I had to really do some thinking and praying about trying it again. But this time, I had a **great** doctor and it went as it should have gone the first time. Had the surgery on 5/4/07 and I'm down 47-50 pounds -- thank you Dr. Provost!

But you have to decide if it is truly what *YOU* want to do for *YOU*. As long as you have a good doctor and good support , you should do great.

Lynn, I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't stop crying I was so worried and concerned. Looking back on it now I wouldn't trade my band for anything. The surgery was a breeze. Having my gallbladder out was 2x more difficult. So if you are worried about pain management consult with your surgeon. If not, go for it. Its an easy procedure.

It really is normal to go through all kinds of emotions before surgery. This is major surgery afterall, and it's a big step to take. I don't regret taking that step, but I did do lots of research on it before I decided it was right for me. Good Luck to you!

Lynn

I backed out almost the say of surgery, but now 1 year later it is the best thing I ever did!

As with ANY surgery you will hear horror stories, trust me! Everyone knows "someone" who had this done and now is doing horrible. It is human nature to think and talk about the worst.

But I am here to tell you that it can be done and you ARE WORTH it!

Good luck,

feel free to pm me if you have any questions!

Iam ready for this and do not think I would back out. I have all ready had herina surgery years ago and know what to expect. The only thing I worry about is getting enough Fluid to keep hydrated etc.

Chris

Pre Band

St. Louis

250/

Chris,

yeah, hydration is a very important thing. i was quite dehydrated after my surgery. the key is to just remember to drink. especially about a week after - drink more than you think you need. even when you aren't thirsty. good luck!

i was afraid to. i was having thought of me dying on the table. being scared is normal. when u have other people giving negative vibes its hard. i had my surgery 2 days ago

I was scared of the unknown. I had never had surgery before. I was so incredibly confident in my surgeon that I really didn't worry about the actual surgery part. Being knocked out was the hardest part for me to take in.

Emotionally, I was doing ok the day of surgery until I saw another patient crying on her way to the OR. I broke down a little then, but it turned into laughter. It was what I wanted. I have tons of support from friends and family. I made a conscious effort to educate all of them, so they knew the facts of the band. I recommend getting some info together for your hubby. Good luck with your decision!

My Dear Hubby is also very aprehensive about this. I have tried to educate both myself, and him also. I came across a medical study out of Italy on Lap Band patients 12 years out and the stats were very encourageing!!! Also,, the day I told DH that I had a date set, was the same day he worked a job where the customer was a gastric bypass patient. The gentleman proceeded to tell DH that he developed ulcers, went into a coma for three months and after all that he had been through...he said that if he had to do it all over again, he'd still have the bypass! Again, Bypass is NOT Lap Band,. Lap band is reversible and minimally invasive. And while any surgery is scarry, I feel good about the research I've done, and I think I have a health fear of the upcoming surgery on Oct. 31. I love DH very much, and I know his fear is because he dosen't want anything to happen to me. But I explained that this is not nego. I want to live longer & healthier! Good luck to you

Oops! that previous post should have read: Healthy fear

i was so ready for this i wasn't afraid at all. I was excited.

i did it for ME. i tried to educate my DH as much as possible.

the bypass scared the crap outta him but the lapband didn't.

he wants me to be healthy as much as i do. getting the extra weight

off opens up a whole new living life!