So, I'm having surgery on May 21st and I'm rather nervous. I seem to be excited and looking forward to losing weight, feeling better, moving better one day to feeling like a failure the next day. I haven't been able to lose weight on my own because food is too tasty and I like lots of it. I have gotten my head around the idea that I need some help but there are those days when I feel like giving into the band is a failure on my part and it really drives me up the wall feeling that way.

What did some of you do to get mentally prepared for the sugery?

First of all congrats !! Congrats on the rest of your life !!

As for "giving in " Or "giving up " Look at it this way .... Would you consider a person getting a heart transplant , or a heart valve replacement giving up because they are getting an operation to save their life ?

I dont think so ? This is NO DIFFERENT . Your getting something put into your body to help you live longer.

I could not lose weight on my own for nearly 10 yrs . As you can see by my ticker i have no problems with the band !

Nerves are normal . You will be just fine ! Congrats to you ..

HTH

Mindy

I was banded 3 weeks ago, April 4th. I had the same pre-surgery jitters. I had just lost 35 lbs on my own before the surgery.... did I really need to do this? I knew I did. I have yo-yo dieted all of my life and I know now that at 61 years old, I have to fight to keep it off. Now for the good news.... I have had none of the problems that have been mentioned here, no gas, no head hunger, no hunger period until last week. I gotta mention the new Campbells Select Soups in a box... OMG are they good! I ate them the week before the surgery and for the last week. I have been putting them in the blender, because they do have some chunky pieces of tomato, corn etc. But every flavor I have found, has satisfied the need to taste real food! Broth does get old after awhile! I will also admit to mixing chicken broth 1/2 and 1/2 with the SW Corn Chowder and the Portabella Mushroom soups so I could eat them last week! LOL! Both tomato soups are amazingly good! My favorite though is the Butternut Squash soup! YUM! This week, finally, I am beginning to sample soft easy pieces of real food. I had grilled salmon last night and it went down no problems, but I could not eat the stir fried veggies.... just something I could tell after the first bite that this better wait until next week. I can tell this is going to work, not because I WANT it to work, but because I know I CAN make it work! Learning what I can and cannot do! So good luck to you! You can do it too. Don't let the nerves get the better of you.

This is a good decision you have made! Geri

Congratulations on your surgery date. I was banded on Wednesday, April 23rd. As far as being mentally prepared...for me I just know:

• I was/am so very tired of my weight being such a major issue in my life.
  
• I am sick and tired of having weight loss be at the top of each New Year's Resolution list.
  
• I am sick and tired of my perception about my weight dictating what I should and should not enjoy (eg going out to certain events where there are a lot of skinny people).
  
• I am so very tired of feeling ashamed and self-conscious about my weight.
  
• I want to be able to sit comfortably in a coach class airplane seat and not have the arm rests raise up on their own.
  
• I dont want to have to scope out the rooms at conferences and meetings for "roomy" chairs
  
• Having a Masters in Public Health-I dont want be a part of the obesity epidemic anymore and have to endure conferences and journals that talk ad nauseum about obesity in the US
  
• I am tired of of my joints aching
  
• I want to be able to fall asleep around family and friends without people waking me up to stop snoring like a bear!:huh2:
  

The lap band cannot promise self-confidence and happiness as it is merely a tool. Hopefully these virtues are in place no matter how large or small a person is. However, I just continue to think of what obesity has cost me in terms of mind, body and spirit. I then think about the advantages of obesity not being an issue any longer in my life and that is what motivates me mentally. Good luck!