I haven't been banded yet, but just got a call today from my doctor's office and am scheduled to start my mandatory 8-week classes next month, so it's looking like surgery will be in January/February. My question is this: We are planning a vacation to visit some family for a week in North Carolina in March. Let me first state that I have planned not to tell many people about my surgery so the people we are seeing and going with, minus my DH, will not know about the surgery. If I am only 1-2 months out from surgery, will I still be on mushy foods, have you had a fill by this point, etc? I am almost wondering if I should request to wait until beginning of April after we get back from our vacation before having the surgery? Yours thoughts please :eek:

if you have your surgery in January or February you may be on solids, particularly January. If your surgery is in February it will be really close to your vacation so I would wait until April or May if I were you. Its tough enough to be banded, but when you are mushy stage that is tough.

I went on a cruise 8 weeks after surgery (2 weeks after my first fill). I was on solid food with no problems. I could eat just smaller portions. Try to get your surgery scheduled for january so you will be on solids and just tell your fam and friends you are on a diet. I wouldn't postpone ( there is no reason to postpone your life one more day....it is time to start living it...at least that is how I feel....everyday is getting better and better). Good Luck!

I went on vacation 4 weeks after being banded. I was really nervous but everything worked out well. I asked at restaurants to have whatever I ordered pureed. Everyone was great about it and no one asked any questions. I was only able to eat a small amount but that was fine. I kept plenty of bottled water and Crystal Light in the hotel room and used the 42 gram New Whey liquid protein which I mixed in a bottle of water.

Everything went much easier than I had anticipated. I wouldn't postpone your surgery. Like jfran said, it's time to start living!

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

I went to Europe 3 weeks after surgery and was totally fine.

I had my surgery while ON vacation. Took a cruise for 4 days and then went back down to have the procedure. Do what's best for you but you should be fine. I was up and running around within a week and back to near normal. No one knew a thing.

I traveled domestically 2 weeks after surgery and was fine. Now I am in Europe 4 weeks after surgery and I am ok. However I was on full foods after 17 days.

your 1st fill is not usually until at least 4-6 weeks, but some wait even longer (only a few do it sooner).

Don't delay your surgery. Things will work out.

I kept having "what if" scenarios planned around my vacation/work travel and in the end, my surgery kept getting pushed and pushed that it became the higher priority and I just had to work around the circumstance.

Thanks for the question and the posts. I was banded on 10/08 and thought about postponing it many timesdue to business travel. I am leaving for NYC in 10 days then in early November I will be going to India and Manilla for about a week. Wish me luck.