so i'm starting to freak out a little bit about the whole surgery part! i feel it's the right decision to get the band but the surgery part...being put to sleep...having holes in my stomach...etc etc...that's freaking me out! is this normal????

yes this is normal but your only put to sleep for a short period of time my surgery lasted 45 minutes to an hour. and as far as the holes those heal up and scarring will fade put it this way id rather have scars and take the risk of the surgery then die of a complication from my weight.

Yes!! I was really freaking right before my surgery Jan 23rd. I was so nervous and I actually thought about not doing it. I was scared of being put to sleep and the healing. It was fine. You do want to give yourself some time off from work I thought I could go right back in a few days, not. You will need time at home too because you are doing liquids and I had dirareah and it was just a adjustment period also having to get up and move around when you are really sore. I didn't start being able to get out of the house to about 4 days after. So you will need some time to recover. Also right after my surgery I had the worst pain in my shoulder which is normal but I didn't know that I it was and I was very very uncomfortable with that. Also I had leg cramping the first 2 nights low potassium. These are all things I had paged the emergency nurse about. You will be fine. I have lost 20lbs so far and I sucked at my presurgery diet, i think I had french fries the 2 days before. My scars are healing great and March 4th I have my first fill. Just remember while you are on liquids after chew it up and spit it out if you have to have something if you swallow it after surgery while on liquids it will make you sick. And you will miss eating. So make sure to come here and chat!! Hope that helps. These are all the things I wish someone would have told me.

Don't freak out.

I'm three weeks post op and two of my incisions are nearly invisible.

I think it is normal (what is normal?) to feel freaked about any surgery. I felt like getting off the gurney on the way into the theater! I was afraid, but now that it is done, I am 98% glad I had it done. I'm 5 weeks out and have lost over 9Kgs (about 20 lbs.) But I'm on a liquid(balanced) diet.

do they put a tube down your throat? is that all people or some people? i think that's what's freaking me out the most! one week today i'll be laying in a hospital bed recovering! ahhhh!

I have no clue if they put a tube down my throat. The thought of it wasn't a pleasant one so I just didn't ask!

I get banded tomorrow and I am excited but scared. How bad is the surgery. I have never been put to sleep.

I don't think they put a tube down as I had no problems with swallowing or feeling like I had a sore throat when I woke up. I cried a few days before my surgery with my husband as I was concerned about whether I was making the right decision or not as it is a life changing one, that is for sure. Not to make you scared even more, but I really had no idea what to expect when it came to the left arm pain that I read so much about. Be prepared for that, okay? That is the only thing that bothered me after the surgery, okay, getting in and out of bed was not easy either, but for me, the left arm pain was the worst part and I am stil having problems with it a week later. But then some, never ever have the problem! May you be blessed to be one of those people! Good luck and after one week I am down 13 pounds. Might not be a lot at all compared to some, but for me, it is great!

Being put to sleep is the best part of the whole surgery!

Hey- to answer the tube question, yes they do. Everyone gets this- this is how you breathe and get oxygen during surgery. I was freaked out about this part, too. However, you are out before they do it so you never really know it was there. good luck!!

Hey, well what do you know? I had no idea that they did that with the tube! Thanks for clarifying that, Cookienay!

RELAX!!!!!! :grouphug:

Here is what happens. You switch tables from the gurney to the operating table in the operating room. They get you in the proper position, then the anesthesiologist begins to put feel good drugs in your IV. At this point you are concious but you pretty much don't care! LOL You are sooooo relaxed. When they are injecting the drugs you may feel coldness and/or a stinging sensation in your arm or hand (wherever the IV is). This is normal. Don't worry. Right after they give you the drugs in the IV, they will place an oxygen mask over your nose and mouth and have you breath deep. Then you wake up!!!!!! It is literally that easy. Don't worry about scopes, incisions or anything like that. You aren't aware of anything. I think for a lot of people the scary part is losing control, but it's really okay, it's really relaxing and it's really easy.

You will be nervous and that's normal as well. I was nervous and I've done this several times. But don't freak out. You will be fine!!!!!

any suggestions on the liquid diet post op.

do you move yourself to the other bed? yeah still freaking out a little bit! i've never had any sort of surgery and i'm soooo scared of the process...i don't want to be in so much pain afterwards that i'm second guessing myself. i know the pain will go away but for some it seems to last a long time. i'm pretty healthy person...never really sick...and now i'm going to do this to myself...

any suggestions on the liquid diet post op.

Which part? Clear? Full?

The clear phase is pretty basic

Water

Propel (not Gatorade!)

chicken or beef broth

sugar free Jello

sugar free popsicles

Crystal Light

coffee (black)/ Tea (if your doctor allows you can have caffeine)

That's about it.

Consult your doctor on the full liquid stage as this can vary between doctors. For example, mine discourages creamy Soups as they just go through the stoma.