Hi everyone. I have nothing done yet. I have ask my doctor. He will do his part. I have made 1 phone call to BC/BS of Alabama. I keep going back and forth on this. I am so scared I will hate it. I want to lose 100 pounds at least and nothing else seems to work. My love of food is my problem I know. Is there any where I can read a step by step of what will happen with a time frame and the things that can go wrong? I dont want to chicken out, I just hate pain so much. Thanks and good luck to all who are working through this.:confused2:

Hi Bamamine, and welcome to LBT! Like you, I’m still in the beginning stages of lap band. I’ve been to a seminar, and right now I’m dealing with insurance issues.

There are a lot of wonderful people here with tons of information and I’m sure someone will come along to help. You might try looking at the frequently asked questions.

Sorry I can’t be of more help, but I did want to welcome you and wish you luck, too. Since I’ve been looking in to this surgery, I’ve experienced all kinds of emotions from excitement to doubt and fear and back to impatience because things aren’t happening fast enough. But I’m still here, so I know that the bottom line is that I really want the surgery, in spite of the fear. I guess for me, the desire to lose weight is stronger than anything else I might feel

I hope you stick around, keep reading and posting, and, even if you still feel chicken, you’ll definitely have support. .

you came to the right place for information. Hang out in the chat rooms at different times and read the post for all phases of banding. I went from OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THE DOCTOR MENTIONED IT NO WAY to I am hoping that things will move quickly after my surgeon appointment on Monday. I'm only talking about a 4 week time period. I have read two books that I found refferenced on this site and have been adding my own opinions when I think they can be helpful. I had my seminar this morning and found out that most of the information they gave out I had already learned from reading so much on this site. Ask as many questions as you can think of and read the problems part of the posts also. You will find enough information to make the right choice for you. Good luck,

My philosophy was from the beginning, I don't have to commit until they put me under for the surgery. Ever step of the way, I know I can back out. I am a little over a week out from my surgery date and the closer I get the more ready I feel. Remember to research everything and I think you will have peace of mind when / if the time comes for you to have your surgery. Good luck with the process! Embrace it because it is an important part of the journey....

Thanks so much. I know I will have time to pray about it so I know I will know which way to go. I will spend time here because only those who truely know what you are going through can help me through it.

I used to be weirded out about the idea of surgery. But after two knee surgeries and emergency gallbladder surgery, I am very experienced now. So if your worried about the pain of the surgery, my experience is it'll be the best rest of your life. About the time I started to close my eyes, and reopened them, they were done, and it felt like it had only been seconds. Although it had been 1-1/2 --- 2 hours later. Plus they will give you pain meds. Relax, it's going to be soo worth it. I can't wait for mine. It's getting closer, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.:grouphug:

The pain is not too bad and they give you pain meds. It's for a very short time. And once you drop the weight -- or even half of it -- you will feel a million times better!

Do make a comprehensive list of why you want to lose the weight. Be specific -- i.e. not "for better health" but "to get my cholesterol into normal range", "to get my HA1c into normal range", etc.

Besides all the reasons you want to lose weight, is there emotional pain associated with the excess weight? How bad will some minor physical pain for a week or so after surgery be compared to the long-term emotional pain of being unhappy with your size and/or health? How about the pain of having to have heart surgery down the road? (if that runs in your family; it does in mine). Whenever I hear of a diabetic person having to have a foot or leg amputated I cringe -- that's got to be awful. I was headed down that road in the long term. Or gout. Or joint problems from carrying around 100 extra lbs.

Then there's another thing: have you been consistently 100 lbs overweight and holding for a long time? Or is a steady creep upwards, a few lbs per year? Without the band, how much will you weigh 5 yrs from now? 10? For me, it was a "lose 20 lbs, gain 40 back" scenario, with my weight rising year after year as I desperately tried to diet back to normal. But diets just didn't work long term for me, and they do not for most people.

Not trying to be scary here or anything -- just suggesting looking at all the ramifications of long term obesity vs. a small amount of short term pain that will give you an excellent tool for getting into a normal weight range.:grouphug: