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

Hey Karen - GOOD LUCK FOR TOMORROW!! I hope everything goes really really well for you - which I am sure it will, and I look forward to hearing all about it once you get home!! Love Rastis

OMG I was so worried I would not ever be able to get on to this sight! I have been trying to get on for over 2 days now and it kept saying the sight was not found! Thank God it's back!!

Karen and every one else getting banded tomorrow GOOD LUCK and best wishes!!!!! can't wait to hear how everyone does!

As I posted earlier I lost 10 more pounds...and to Celebrate I ate VERY BAD for 3 days in a row! OMG I am so mad at myself but today is a new day. It just goes to show me even more why I need the Band!

Best Wishes to all!

I wish you the best tommorrow, Karen. Let us know how everything goes!!

I thought this thread was just for October people! Now I'm going to go back and read from the beginning!

Anyway, I am ALMOST an October person. I'm getting banded November 1. So thanks to Wishes4444, I've found some contemporaries to share with!

Howdy! :clap2:

Well, that didn't take long, huh?

This is a great thread! I love being able to follow your progress as mine mirrors yours.

It looks like there are a couple of us getting banded this week. I can't wait to hear from y'all and to report back myself!

Good luck!

WOW where did everyone go!? This thread got way to quiet! How are all the newly banders doing? I go a week from tomorrow and it can't come fast enough. I just want it to be over with! I went to the dentist today and she said my gums were bleeding a lot. She said it could be due to stress, LOL :boink: I said yeah I am under a little stress and told her about my surgery.

It is not the surgery or the pain that I am worried about, it's the waking up from the anesthesia. After the problem I had when they did my endoscopy I am a bit worried.

Anyway please everyon check in and Longhorn Hi again! how are you doing this week? Only a few more days for you! How did your pre-op stuff go today?

Hi there,

I was banded in Mexico on Thursday the 25th and traveled home on Saturday. I have been doing pretty good. Just like with my gall bladder surgery, I've had a lot of gas pain--very sharp pains in my left shoulder. I've noticed that they are getting a little less each day. The heating pads and liquid Tylenol seem to help some.

If it weren't for the gas pains, I would be doing great. Doing a lot of sipping of Clear liquids. I've noticed that all the different doctors have different requirements for eating afterwards. My doctor was very thorough and seems conservative. He has me on clear liquids for 10 days, full liquids for 10 days, and then soft foods for 10 days. I guess that's good since I am so far away from a doctor or hospital here. He said he wants to make sure everything is completely healed before the stomach has to work to digest food.

I've had lots of stomach noise, but I'm not hungry or feeling deprived. I've had a few moments when I've thought "WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST DO?" Then it passes and I'm excited for the results I know I'm going to have. Has anyone else had moments of panic after the fact?

I've been looking around on the website and saw you post Griz Girl. I'm being banded on the 5th - next Monday! It is good to hear from those who have been so recently banded. You seem to be doing pretty well. I think I'm going to pick up some of the liquid Tylenol and maybe a heating pad. :-) I go for my pre-op and surgeon visit tomorrow. i'm not real sure what to expect. I couldn't ask anyone on here because it seems that the surgeons/doctors all differ big time. I haven't had to do the liquid diet thing prior to the surgery though. We'll see what he says tomorrow. Good luck to you and please keep posting with your progress. Thanks, Dianne

Liquid Tylenol and my heating pad have been a lifesaver for me. Along with gas x. I was banded on Tuesday, October 24. I have had a lot of gas, but each day it is better. today I feel very human again. I am back to homeschooling my 8 year old and caring for my 11 month old. I am past the post anesthesia fog that I felt for a few days. I am on liquids for 1 week, mushies for 1 week, soft foods for 1 week and then I can start adding regular foods. I can't really say that I am hungry. I am just ready to chew!! In fact, one of my favorites is mac and cheese. My son wanted that for lunch today, so I fixed it. I actually put a bite in my mouth and chewed it and then spit it out. I know sounds wrong, but I am no longer thinking that I NEED mac and cheese. Overall things are going great!! Oh yeah, pounds are dropping too!!!

Anyway please everyon check in and Longhorn Hi again! how are you doing this week? Only a few more days for you! How did your pre-op stuff go today?

Hi, Ann!

I'm about to leave for my pre-op visit to the hospital to take care of the paperwork. Then I see my surgeon in the morning for my pre-op visit with him. And that's it until I get to the hospital Thursday morning for the surgery.

I had a few moments of anxiousness earlier today when I called my surgeon's office and she said that my GP didn't do all of the labs that were on the list. But then she looked again, after putting me on hold a minute, and said she just looked at it wrong. I was a little anxious because my schedule is so tight that I was wondering how I was going to fit in additional tests and whether they would be back in time! I can't cancel my surgery because I've already cancelled two days of classes and that's kind of hard to "undo."

So all is good! I'm getting ahead on grading and classwork as much as I can so that I don't have to do much, if any, while I'm recuperating.

Thanks for asking! :boink:

Hi there,

My doctor was very thorough and seems conservative. He has me on clear liquids for 10 days, full liquids for 10 days, and then soft foods for 10 days. I guess that's good since I am so far away from a doctor or hospital here. He said he wants to make sure everything is completely healed before the stomach has to work to digest food.

My doctor is even more conservative! Clear liquids for two weeks, full liquids for four weeks, then soft food for ten weeks! It will be 16 weeks before I start eating a regular diet! But if I avoid some of the spitting up and getting stuck that I read about here, it will be worth it to me (I think?) :boink:

I'm new to this forum .......I'm reading some of the comments , its a little scary...... but I'm very excited to have the surgery. Your surgery is in 3 days, I bet your excited? GOODLUCK!

Longhorn--that is conservative!! I think it is really good to take things slow so that everything heals where it is supposed to. I really hope your surgery goes well!!:boink:

My anesthesiologist and doctor strongly suggested that I get up and walk very frequently and deep breathe as much as possible. They said that these two things would help me bounce back much faster. So far, they seem to be right on. I was banded with a friend and her recovery is going even faster than mine. The lucky duck didn't even have the gas pain to deal with. She was ready to get up and go shopping before we even left the hospital!

What an exciting ride we are on!!! :biggrin1:

Hey Griz Girl. Glad you are doin well. I was banded one day ahead of you and each day gets better and better. I have a follow up with my doctor tommorow. I can't wait to see everyone's progress.

Hello,

I can so relate to all that you have written. My band date is 12/5. My wish is that I was not so worried so I could concentrate on trying to eat better now. I am worried about being a stress eater and keep thinking about all that I can do instead of eat. I have been dealing with depression so I am very low energy and I hate it so much! I try not to read all the awful stories about the band and consquenses although I suppose it is better to be prepared for the good and bad.

I have never been a normal eater. I eat far and above what normal portion sizes are most of the time so I am concerned that I wll fail as well. As everyone else has commented, I have lost the same 30 pounds about 30 times. So, I know I can lose some weight. That is where the band will be wonderful and keep me going instead of gaining the weight back over and over.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone is doing. Keep the positive thoughts a flowin