i already have anxiety issues to begin with...but the surgery itself was hellish because of those damn footpumps....you can't get any sleep...etc.

anyway...i'm feeling much better...relaxing at home getting in my protein and water, but i have bad anxiety about this new journey

i was wondering if anyone is experiencing something similar? don't get me wrong...i know i made the right decision ...but it kinda freaks me out a little....

thanks:biggrin:

I am by nature a worrier and get anxious about alot of things. Having the lapband inside of me doesn't make me anxious - but sometimes the whole what to eat ritual makes me anxious. I have been taking 20 mg of Prozac a day for a couple of years and my surgeon said to make sure I keep taking it for at least a year after surgery before trying to stop as this whole process - surgery, fills, weight loss, is very emotional.

I am so glad to hear I am not the only one! I get anxious about the band being in me! Sometimes it just seems so unnatural! I just try really hard to focus on how much healthier I will be when I get some of this weight off! Spending time at LBT really helps me with my anxiety. Seeing all the people walking around, living a normal life with there band really helps give me a reality check!:laugh:

i too have concerns about the band inside me, nowadays it's more just hoping that it WILL last a lifetime.......kinda like my grandmother who has 2 artificial hips / my mom who's tiny feet are held together with pins due to arthritis / my girl friends who have new sets of "girls" that sit high and perky :laugh:. when i think about those "foreign objects" i breath a bit and cross my fingers.

I LOVE my band...when I think about it. But I can understand your issues; and I think a session or two with a therapist should go a LONG way towards easing your mind. Remember, it's just there to help you and you are in control always. You chose to have it placed, and you can have it removed if you want. Think of it as an accessory like shoes or a purse, or earrings. If you decide you don't want it, out it goes.

There are some who won't even get fillings in their teeth because they don't want something foreign in their body.

Can you imagine all those w/ pins and fake hips...excuse me, replacement hips. And then I guess the ultimate would be the pig heart...heard it was used for transplant in humans many years ago...or even that plastic heart.

From pacemakers, fillings, the band - doesn't matter...doesn't bother me.

There are some who won't even get fillings in their teeth because they don't want something foreign in their body.

Can you imagine all those w/ pins and fake hips...excuse me, replacement hips. And then I guess the ultimate would be the pig heart...heard it was used for transplant in humans many years ago...or even that plastic heart.

From pacemakers, fillings, the band - doesn't matter...doesn't bother me.

With the exception of fillings, all the rest freak me out when I think about it so I try to listen to my surgeon's advice, live your life, eat healthy, exercise and try not to focus on the band.

I was banded on 1/9 as well so congrats. an yea, I have some feelings of anxiety - more over the port, it's I sleep on my left side, so I worry that I won't ever be able to sleep on my left side again.

Don't worry, pchefmel, you'll be able to sleep on your left side. If you're sensitive in the port area, try to baby it (don't poke around trying to feel your port, wear loose wasted clothes as much as possible, etc). It'll heal before you know it.

The first week after I had my band, I told my husband that it felt a little creepy having this band inside me cinching part of my stomach. I wasn't having anxiety about it, but it was a little weird. I rarely even think about it now, and I definitely don't find it creepy anymore, especially when it's doing it's job...then, I love my band!

well i'm glad i'm not the only one weirded out a little....it is very emotional...thank you so much for responding!!!!

You will get used to it. Im slowly getting there. I dont have anxiety about it being there but my port is in my chest and I can feel it real good and Im afraid of it flipping. So I can somewhat relate but we are all going through it together and will be there for each other.

Good Luck,

Niki

When I woke up from surgery after a long several month wait to get my band, one of the first things I thought was, "Get this thing out of me!" LOL Seriously, it's a major life change, and it was frightening to know that the band is in there now like it or not, and only surgery can get it out. That can be a psychological shock, even if you know you need it and chose to get it.

For the first few days (weeks) I had to frequently remind myself that down the road I will be glad I did this, just as so many people are. Sometimes I would start to panic a little that it can only come out through surgery and I wouldn't ever want another surgery, but then I'd remind myself that I can always have the band emptied and just live like that.

Seriously, it's normal to be frightened by the reality of having a device insde you which potentially could have complications necessitating further surgery. When you're newly banded, the pain of recent surgery doesn't help these feelings either.

I didn't post about my feelings because I've gotten to a point in life where I realized that if i'm feeling something, chances are I'm not alone. And neither are you.

By the way, I'm about 5 or 6 weeks out and I feel much, much better about having the band. I accept my band now. I feel hopeful that it will give me the strength to succeed.

thanks Kiz, that makes me feel a little better- something to look forward to when port incision pain goes away

What are footpumps?

doodleallday: Maybe the poster means "Sequential Compression Devices" (SCD's)....those things that go around our calves and compress/decompress (pumping) to help keep blood flowing in legs and prevent clots?

Mine didn't go on my feet (most don't) but that's what I thought OP meant.

I kinda thought the same thing yesterday. I was in so much pain and having a slight anxiety attack that I was thinking..."WTH did you do to yourself". I was wishing I had stayed at the hospital longer and was so unsure about everything.

My other main concern is just hoping it will last a lifetime...I don't want to go through this again thats for sure :sneaky: