Hi everyone, my name is Monica. I just joined today even though I have been on this website several times. I wanted to introduce myself and I guess tell you a little bit about me. I am so excited...I am scheduled to have Band surgery next Thursday! It has been such a long process (10 months since my initial decision to have band surgery) but I have made it, well almost, one week to go. I am going for my pre op on Friday and hopefully get some advice from my surgeon about which band to get. I have read a thread on here about Lap Band vs Realize Band and I felt pretty discouraged about my initial choice of the Realize Band. My surgeon uses both so I am going to discuss it with him and see what he thinks. Well I would also like to say that I am truly inspired by everybodys stories of weight loss and I would love to hear from ya'll!

Congratulations, Monica, on your upcoming surgery. I'm a newer member, not many posts yet. I am getting pretty close, all of my required dr's appts have been completed and I have already met with the dietition and the exercise consult is done! Next week I met with the psych dr. and then I'll have to wait for insurance approval. I'm both excited and nervous as I'm guessing you are too. Best wishes, I hope all goes well for you.

Welcome Monica! I'm newly banded as of 8/29 and while I am in what is affectionately known as "bandster hell" (because you have to follow a strict postop diet but no reduced hunger from banding yet) I am loving my band. I guess I'm lucky; my surgeon only uses the lap band. He said in his opinion it's tried and true; and he prefers to wait for them to get the kinks worked out of the realize band. Maybe that will help you? The lap band does have a larger port but initially that makes it way easier to get fills, I think. My doc told me when I lose enough to make my port stick out, he'll swap it for a low profile, no biggie! (outpatient)

Whichever you choose, good luck!

Thanks and good luck to you too. At least you're almost there... I was supposed to have my surgery last Friday and it had to be rescheduled because of a scheduling problem with the surgeons assistant and I was so devistated...I cried like a baby on the phone with the girl from my doctors office but only because this has been such an emotional journey for me. But I got a grip and realized that it was only 2 weeks longer... whats 2 weeks after 10 or 11 months of waiting?

Snowflake I'm so sorry for you! I can imagine. You build up and prepare mentally and so on and then BOOM the rug is pulled out from under you!

Hello! I was bandedon Aug. 22 and I got the realize band and I have not had any trouble at all. From the time I had my surgury I had to take pain med. 2 times and only took half of dose. I hear alot of people talk about they are sore at there post site but not me. The realize band is wider than the lap band so they say it dont slip as easy. I am real happy with my realize band. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks and I have lost 20 pounds now. My doctor does not require a pre-op diet so that 20 pounds is what I have lost as of the morning I had my surgury. Good luck with your choice of your band.