Hi All:)

I am about 3-4 weeks out from surgery. My final consult and pre-op are next Friday.. WOO HOO!!, Right? I'm not so sure.. Lap band is something I have wanted for 3 years now, however I didn't actually start this journey until last July.. The closer I get, the more worried I am that I am going to fail. I keep replaying all of the diets that I failed, the exercise I failed to keep up with, and all of the broken promises I made to myself that "this is it! I can do it this time"..and I can't help but worry I am setting myself up.. I feel like this is my best (and last) option. In one way I am so ready to be banded, but I can't help but think of my future as a bandster and sabotaging this "last chance." Am I completely out of my mind?!?! Has anyone experienced this second guessing? Your responses are greatly appreciated:)

Kerri

I think your feelings are pretty much shared by all lap banders. I remember going to my initial informational seminar with my doctor and the first thing she said when she got up to speak was "There is one thing I know about everyone in this room....and that is none of you need one more failure in your life..." When she said that, I almost started crying! I knew at that moment I was going to have the surgery. The doctor went on to say that their job was to make sure we didn't have another failure. I honestly thought (and still have my days) that I was going to be in that small percentage of people who fail at the lap band. But here is what I have learned. The lap band works as long as you work it. Follow all your doctor's instructions. Do what he says. (and hopefully he will give you some!) I had to go through a pretty extensive educational process before my surgery so I knew exactly what I was supposed to do when. The other thing to remember is that losing weight with the band is not FAST. It is a slow, gradual process. (it is really fast for some people, really slow for others, but it happens.) You have to be patient and remember that it can take some time to reach your best restriction level so don't get discouraged during that process. If there is anything you don't understand, ask questions. You will do great. Good luck and I hope the surgery goes well!

Kerri,

The beauty of being banded is that you've never done it before. So you have no history of failing at it.

And by getting the band you are actually breaking the cycle of doing the same old thing and getting the same old results. You are doing something different! It is a different approach to the same problem, but it is DIFFERENT.

Have I said it's different? You'll be fine. Being worried is normal.