Hi , I am getting my lap band July 29 after a year of struggle with insurance It was finally approved- Yeah or maybe oops???. I am wondering if I will lose appetite after this or just be miserable or what ?

Anyone with a sweet tooth let me know what happens to that .

Is the band going to make me gag a lot or will it be an easy transition to a new way of eating??

I am a retired special ed teacher and I work part time as a data analyst.

I garden and read mysteries and am interested in reconnecting to church.

Maybe the prospect of possible death is making me look at things differently.

I have type 2 diabetes and a host of other health issues that just pushed me over the edge into finding a final solution to this weight thing.

Most folks I know tell me I am not fat enough for the surgery but I know differently. The health issues alone would be enough to prompt the surgery.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone

Thanks for reading this

Hi grsha46!

Don't be scared. You really have to choose what you want...the food or a longer healthier life. I LOVE food but made the choice that I wanted a longer healthier life. I was banded on June 13th and I would do it again a million times over. I am not going to lie to you, you will be in pain the day of the surgery but they give you plenty of goods meds to control the pain. The week after surgery you will not really have any desire to eat but you have to and you will more than likely have gas pains for about 1 week. Going forward to the 2nd week and beyond it gets easier and easier. Your appetite will come back but you just have to make better choices.

At least this is how my experience has gone so far and if you are lucky this is how yours will go as well. Good luck and stay strong! Just make sure you know what you want...in the end you have to live with your decision.

Amy

Maybe the prospect of possible death is making me look at things differently.

As far as the cravings for the first few days you probably won't want anything. After that yes the cravings can come back but your band has not had a fill yet so really you are just waiting for your stomach to heal. I encourage you to follow the plan to the "t". I have lost 24 pounds in 7 days. Amazing results but right now it has less to do with the band and more to do with my stomach healing. Once it has healed and before a fill I am sure I will gain some back although I am trying to stick to the plan as much as possible. I truly hope you find a church home that inspires to not only in worship but in action. It is vitally important to find somewhere that you WANT to be involved with. Your health problems can never be as severe as spiritual problems. My christian family has been integral to my recovery. Hope this helps.

Edited July 2, 200818 yr by MusicMan2008

Dear grsha46,

What I found is, the less I eat the carbs, slowly the cravings do lessen (but not completely go away) - even before the band, during the pre-op diet - I had a 3 month one.

HOWEVER - it is so much easier to skip the sweets when you can only eat small amounts of food AND you are FULL. You do need to stick to the rules, eat Protein first, then veggies and fruit. By this time, you're usually too full for the sweets. When you're not hungry, the sweets loose their appeal.

I watch calories - YES, it's like a diet. However, I've never been able to stick to a diet this long - and that's because the band helps me by making my stomach too small to eat large (or even 'normal") portions. Then I get too full, and don't get around to eating the sweets.

Even with the band, you really need to be focused on eating healthy and avoiding fat and sugar laden foods. My instructions are to eat 60 - 80 grams of protein a day, and when you do this, it takes up a lot of room in the band.

Sure, I still have a sweet treat once and while....but nothin' like before. Now we're talking one cookie maybe once every two weeks, and I fit it into my daily calorie intake. I also eat sugar free treats - they are really good - and don't have lots of carbs.

Connecting back to God is a great thing! It helps us find a purpose in life, and supports us along the way. Go fo it! My family and I are Christians, and I pray for continued success and give thanks for the wonderful change that has happened in my life. I believe God sent certain events and people my way so that this would happen for me.

I LOVED to eat! It took me a year to decide I was ready to put the food down and take this step to be banded. At first, I didn't think I could do it, and then I realized food wasn't that important -- I wanted to get rid of my diabetes meds (I have!) and my BP meds (I'm down to 1/2 a pill) and my cholesterol med (gone!) and be able to enjoy the activities I've missed out on all these years! And most of all, I want to be here in 20 years to be with my grandkids (If I ever have some).

If I can do this, so can you!