:w00t: I have just been approved and received a surgery date. Countdown to March 23. I am very excited, but a little nervous also. I have been reading the web site for several months prior to making a decision. It has been a great help.

Congrats on starting the process and getting a date. Good luck

Congrats! There's tons of good info on this site. I used it a lot before my surgery and really felt prepared going into this.

One warning, stay away from negative people or posts on here. It's natural to get a little scared as the surgery date gets closer but that is completely normal. The more you surround yourself with encouraging people and information the more confident you'll be when surgery day comes :smile: As my surgery day got closer I spent more and more time in the testimonial section of the website. It's really encouraging to hear from all the people that have had their lives positively changed by the lap band.

It's great to hear the support, especially from Florence, KY. I spent the last 20 years living in Adams County, OH until the economy got so bad, my husband had to relocate for his job. I really miss the mountains, but I am excited about being close to the beach. I haven't owned a bathing suit in 10 years, hopefully this will change. I am really excited. Just attended my pre-surgery class today and had all pre-op testing done. I have been trying different flavors of protein shakes to find the ones I like best. I know what you mean about the negative people. My mother-in-law is not happy. She keeps telling me all the negative stories...BUT NO ONE IS CHANGING MY MIND! My mother died in November. She was obese, diabetic, had had 2 heart attacks and 2 strokes. She would have been 66. I want to be around alot longer than that. My husband is super supportive, he even joined a gym with me to help me out. My oldest son is a nurse and he thinks its a great idea. Its been really great to look at the progess people have made. It's really encouraging too. I can't wait to start documenting my loss. :laugh:

Just to give you a little heads up, a lot of people lose some weight pre-op and initially post-op and then gain a little bit back before they hit their 'sweet spot'. It's important to keep your spirits up during the time between surgery and your first few fills. Remember that it's all about healing at that time. Other than that, remember that follow up care is almost as important as actually getting the band. Remember those couple of things and i'm sure you'll do great. Congrats on beginning your new life :laugh:

I'm Jennifer. I got banded November 17, 2008. I've lost 22 pounds so far. I'm a little late in the game finding the support groups, but better late than never. I was disapointed that the only groups locally were all gastric bypass people.

Hi, I am Lola I am being banded on 3-23 also. I am on day three of the liquid diet. I keep reading here that it gets easier form here. I am glad to find someone else being banded on the same day as me.