Wow - Okay well I'm new to this forum, not really sure what I'm doing. I am 38 yrs old, and have 7 1/2 weeks until I am banded. I have read everything I can find on Lap Band surgery, and feel prepared medically............ but mentally - I am scared!! I am scared that if I put myself and my family through all of this, and it doesn't work - what then??? I am 114kgs (sorry not good with pounds - I'm Aussie) and am not very tall at 5ft 4....... putting my BMI at 45. I have waited 10 months for my insurance period to expire, so I can get this done, I have tried every other weightloss plan/diet known to man, and I have researched every detail............... why then do I feel like screaming or crying half the time, and excited the rest...................I feel lonely, and scared! I can't see myself losing the weight, and changing my life like so many of you have....... it does not seem real.

I don't have many close friends I can talk with, and the ones I do have don't understand.................. I'm hoping for support and motivation from this forum, and I look forward to getting to know you all - Cheers Karen

My dear friend! I felt EXACTLY like you before my surgery. In fact when the anesthesiologist was starting my IV in holding I completely LOST it! Crying so hard that he went and got my surgeon who bent over me and kindly asked if I still wanted to go through with it. I told him that I was NEVER so sure of any decision in my life as I was the one to have the surgery and didn't understand why I was so emotional and frightened. It IS a BIG decision and losing the weight IS an emotional experience. I was about to take a step that was going to require me to change my life and my relationship with food and it WAS terrifying! But I AM GLAD I DID IT AND WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN! IT HAS GIVEN ME MY LIFE BACK! I had the surgery on April 4th and have lost 45 lbs. Have 90 more to go and certain I will get there. Hope this helps my friend! Just let those tears come and celebrate what you are about to do!

My dear friend! I felt EXACTLY like you before my surgery. In fact when the anesthesiologist was starting my IV in holding I completely LOST it! Crying so hard that he went and got my surgeon who bent over me and kindly asked if I still wanted to go through with it. I told him that I was NEVER so sure of any decision in my life as I was the one to have the surgery and didn't understand why I was so emotional and frightened. It IS a BIG decision and losing the weight IS an emotional experience. I was about to take a step that was going to require me to change my life and my relationship with food and it WAS terrifying! But I AM GLAD I DID IT AND WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN! IT HAS GIVEN ME MY LIFE BACK! I had the surgery on April 4th and have lost 45 lbs. Have 90 more to go and certain I will get there. Hope this helps my friend! Just let those tears come and celebrate what you are about to do!

Thank you lorid!

I am sure I will feel the same I have been over weight all my life. So many things that I would have like to have done that I couldn't. well now maybe I will be able too. I just have to get over this fear thing and move on.

Thanks so much for your support please keep in touch!

Ann, I am so glad to hear you are more positive today, and that we have helped to hold your hand through a difficult patch. I was doing great on diet, until end of day 4 (yesterday).... I had lost 2.1kgs..... I think thats about 4 1/2 lbs. So i let myself enjoy a perfectly cooked piece of steak with my salad for dinner....okay not too bad, but then I didn't have any diet jelly prepared, and I was craving for crackers - so I had about 20 rice snack crackers...which on their own wouldn't be so bad..... but of course when I was looking for them, I found an opened packet of Malteasers.....OMG!!! Had a few, and then made myself go upstairs to bed...new day today!!! Will recommit, and I think I will buy a new battery for my scales at home, so I can keep motivated by the loss, rather than think.... if I cheat now, I can make that up before the next weigh in. Isn't that an honest appraisal of my actions..... phew! Anyway - keep chatting - I love it!! hugs K

Thanks! I look forward to sharing this experience with all of you -- seem like such a nice, friendly, supportive group of people!!

Hello r u there

Don't dwell on the malteasers the rest of the dinner was okay. I had my birthday tea around day 5 and it was steak too. Today just get back on that TF and take each day as it comes. 2 .1 kilo is great just think how much more it will be by the 29th.

Take care

I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and was banded on September 25. I just wanted to say this has been a great thread and I will share some of my experiences. I have had numerous surgeries in the past, so wasn't really nervous about the surgery, but was very worried about the aftermath (ie being able to follow up on the lifestyle changes that I need to make).

Don't beat yourself up for "cheating" on your pre-op diet. No one is perfect and you can only do your best. The biggest thing is to take a breath and get back to the rest of your life. IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!!!!

I think one of the themes I have noticed about myself, is that I tend to be an "all or nothing person", and one of the adjustments I need to make is that that attitude is not very healthy in a battle with obesity. I need to remind myself that every day is a battle in my own personal war- some days I will come ahead in the battle and some days I will be behind, but I need to find ways to not raise the white flag and surrender.

I didn't find the surgery to be too bad, although apparently I have a very large, long liver, which made for difficult access and a 3 hour surgery, versus a 90 minute one.

The most pain I have experienced (and still have) is intermittent gas pain in my left shoulder. Nothing really seems to help, although heat, movement and drugs don't hurt.

I would suggest investing in a pill splitter (found in drug stores) and advil and/or tylenol. I kept hearing about people not being able to swallow pills, but I haven't had any problems if I split them in 2 to 3 pieces and take each piece with a sip of water. I was also told by both Dr. and Nurse that I could take both tylenol and advil at the same time (don't exceed maximum dose), which I found really helpful and relieved the worst of the pain.

The hardest thing the second night (I stayed in hospital overnight) was getting in and out of bed, as your stomach and abdomen hurt and twisting and hoisting yourself up can be difficult (this is the same for all the surgeries I have had). To the person who has a water bed, I would really suggest sleeping elsewhere for a couple of nights, as the softness of the bed may make it very difficult to get out of bed.

I have been told in the past to roll over onto my side, close to the edge of the bed and push my upper body onto my elbow as I swing my legs over the side of the bed and keep using my arm to help my body rise up. This has worked well for me.

So far, on my 4th day, hunger hasn't really kicked in (ok watching the commercials on tv for fast food has created some "head hunger"), and I have been satisfied with liquids. I haven't had any problems tolerating liquids (including thin soup), although I am sipping, versus gulping.

One thing I haven't read anywhere else - so don't know if anyone else experienced or if it is just me - I weighed myself the day after surgery - on the same scale as before the surgery and had GAINED 7 pounds. I am not sure if this is normal (really freaked me out), but I am assuming it is due to swelling and water retention, since I basically have had very few calories and nothing solid to eat. As of this morning, I am still up 5 pounds. I guess my advice would be not to weigh yourself after the surgery - just in case.

Good Luck everyone and keep posting!!!!!

Hi jjsmiles,

Love Canada and really liked Calgary when we were there.

Congratulations on starting your banding journey, I hope to have a surgery date soon. Like you, I think I expect too much of myself at times and I know I can't be perfect but I too am worried about making that life change.

I know that I can and will do it but over the last 47 years food has become almost an obsession. I mean birthdays are celebrated by eating out, Christmas is celebrated with a day full of eating. It seems all successes are celebrated with food, so now I need to find something to replace it with - it is scary.

I'm glad your surgery has gone well, please keep in touch and let us know how you are progressing as I find it motivating to hear others stories.

:whoo:

Hi jjsmiles,

Congratulations on your surgery! Glad to hear so far so good. Please keep in touch to let us know how its going.

I am the one with the water bed. I remember all too well the trouble I had getting out of the bed after my Gallbladder surgery, but its the only kind of bed I can sleep in. Worse comes to worse I will sleep on the couch if need be. But thanks for the advice!

My surgery is 5 weeks from this coming Tuesday. I am hoping to lose 10 more pounds before then, that would put me at a 35 pound loss, and I pray my liver is not too bad. It's funny the PA wants me too lose more weight because she thinks my BMI is still too high but the DR said its ok, but of course he would be happier with another 10 pounds gone.

Hey Karen what are Malteasers? Last weekend for my birthday I had a big piece of cake an egg roll 6 fried wontons and steamed shrimp and veggies. OMG was I sick after that all night. LOL I had not eaten really any kind of food for 6 weeks so it was a shock to my system! Won't do that again! I keep thinking I should have one last reg. dinner of something that I really want like pasta or Mexican food but then I think its really not worth it after all the weeks of working to get this far.

Anyway thank you all for keeping this post going. It keeps me going!

If anyone wants to e-mail me to chat feel free! Wishes4444@yahoo.com

Best wishes!

Hi Everyone

Malteasers are delicious malted balls covered in milk chocolate. They just melt in your mouth. Very addictive. Have you ever had a malted milk? Just a solid version with chocolate (can you tell I am having fantasies here?) :hungry:. The positive thing right now is I can have the fantasy and not need to actually get some - I hope that lasts!!!!

Today is going quite well (4 days post surgery). I am probably the least hungry today of all, which I guess is positive. I have probably averaged about 600-700 calories per day since the surgery. My post op diet plan allows me thin fluids (no thicker than milk) for the first week, so I have been having thinned out soups, protein shakes, popsicles and diet jello.

I had been advised that I might only manage 1/4 to 1 cup of fluids at at time, but I haven't had any problem drinking 2 cups (I had a full can of tomato soup reconstituted with skim milk) as long as I take my time. So far today I have only had water, a protein shake and a fat free iced cappacino (very delicious) and am feeling very full (it is now 6:40 pm) - so a total of about 330 calories. I am not sure why I feel so full today.

Wishes 444 - sounds like you have everything under control. My only other suggestion is that if you have the option of staying in hospital the first night, take it since that is the most painful and at least you can use the bed adjusters to help you move. I am not having any difficulties getting out of bed anymore, so hopefully only the first couple of days will be a problem.

Fat Free Iced Cappacino (for Canadians - as good as a Tim Horton's Ice Cap)

1 cup (250 mL) skim milk

2 tsp (10 mL) instant coffee

1 Tbsp (15 mL) cocoa

5 packets splenda

5 ice cubes

Blend in a blender - makes 2 cups (and 105 calories) of heaven.

Hello, I am at the begining stages of deciding if this procedure is for me.

Yo are not alone! I am waiting to be banded in November here in washington. I feel all the things you feel. I am scared, excited, and many other feelings. I worry about the cost because my ins. won't pay, I worry about slippage, erosion, you name it, but, I worry more about not being able to play with my daughter, being in chronic pain the rest of my life, sleeping all of the time, and wearing moo-moo's out to dinner with my husband, who we are not intimate anymore. He is a normy and I am sure I turn him off. It is sad. we really love each other adn maybe it's my fear of rejection? who knows? but I am more scared to spend my life this way than all fears about band combined, soooo, hang in there my friend and I will keep you in my thoughts.

K

Hello, I am at the begining stages of deciding if this procedure is for me.

Hi CCollins - read read and read and the only stupid question is the one you didnt ask.

kind regards

M:)

Hey Karen, I am from Perth and I just read your first couple of entries and spun out a little. It was like my own story. I am 36, I also have three girls 8,6 & 3 and I am 5ft 4. I am being banded on October 3rd and am feeling all the emotions that you mentioned. I know I am doing the right thing and just wish the 3rd was here NOW. But then all of a sudden some doubt creeps into my mind and I think OH MY GOSH WHAT AM I DOING. But thanks to my very supportive husband - who reminds me it's the best thing I could be doing for myself and it's only my nerves getting the best of me.

I am so glad to have found this website - I am kind of addicted to it at the moment - when I get a little nervy I need to come and get my band fix and see all the positive things that I will get from doing this. I love my new bandfamily - IT'S GREAT!!!!!!