Everything will be fine! Be prepared to be sore and don't try to rush back to work. You will probably have extreme left shoulder pain. This is due to the air they use to blow you up for surgery. It's not like gas, it's trapped air and there's really nothing you can do except wait for the air to dissolve. They tell you to walk, blah, blah, but you really just have to wait it out. It sucks but it's all part of it. Also, don't be surprised if you can eat more than you thought you could. It took 8 adjustments for me before I felt restricted. Everybody is different but keep it in mind. I felt very frustrated during the band adjustment phase. Patience is the key to this and keep in mind that your weight loss will be slow. Best of luck!

sabrina c

Thanks Sabrina! I really appreciate the words of encouragement....my hubby has told me to stay off the computer cuz everytime I read something negative on here I call him and freak out! LOL It's good to hear that there are more success stories out there. I will do my best to be patient! How far out are you and how much have you lost??

You might wanna figure out your protien drink ahead of time. you might not like the taste of some, and their not real easy to find to my surprise. Also, the first few minuites in the car 2 hours post op I felt real nausious, and it was real random, but it passed. You won't really desire food that much at least right after. I am only a post two dayer.

Good luck with your banding. I am 6 days post op and feeling GREAT. I think the hardest part so far was day 2 I am not sure I will ever be able to eat jello again. My insurance is paying almost the entire bill, and I have so much sick leave built up I am able to take 8 weeks off work. We had a 4 1/2 hour drive home from where I was banded that was a long trip. All in all I haven't been the least bit hungry and the pain level is so much less than I was expecting.

Dont worry about the horror stories! Follow the plan, use the band as a tool! You will be fine! Stay focused and positive, this will change your life!! I've lost 135 pounds and was banded about a year and a half ago. When I went in for surgery I had the mind set that I went under one person and woke up a different person! Everyone has bad days and good days as I did and I am sure you will too, but the bad days pass....focus on the bigger picture...which is you losing the pounds!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!! =)

KimmieJean...you CAN do this!!

I was banded the week before Christmas (a little over 6 months ago) and have lost 53 pounds so far! My doctor said that banders lose much more slowly than bypass patients and not to beat myself up. (I wanted to lose MORE quickly!) He also said that lap-band patients can typically lose up to 40% of their excess weight at the end of a full year post-op and that I had lost MORE than that in less than 6 months!!! So that made me feel better.

Remember - the first 3-6 weeks are primarily for HEALING...do NOT expect miraculous weightloss during that time...so if weightloss does happen - you will be pleasantly surprised.

We all have good days and bad days...the day I tried to eat steak was a BAD day for me - and yes...I cut it into microscopic pieces and chewed the heck out of it...it just didn't want to go through...so ...well, let's just say that it did't stay there very long! I have found out what I now can and can't eat basically by trial and error...and I've certainly made my share of errors!!

One MAJOR adjustment I've had to (STILL) re-learn and remind myself about is to eat SLOWLY....and to CHEW MORE...as a nurse, I've always had to eat really fast and run back to the unit...so at 57 years old, this is a NEW lifestyle for me....so is chewing 25 - 30 times with EVERY bite! I never had time for that before...now if I don't make the time - I pay the price!

I DESERVE THIS!!! SO DO YOU!

Take the time to listen to your doctor/dietician/nurse practitioner, and don't get discouraged easily. Whatever happens will pass...eventually...the plateaus, the uncomfortable feeling if you've eaten too quickly, not being regular, etc.

Oh - be sure to monitor how many days you go after surgery without a BM...that was a HUGE problem for me my first week post-op. I kept taking the liquid pain meds to AVOID having pain - I really didn't have all that much pain - truly...but didn't want to chance it. Long story short---I went 6 DAYS without a BM....and was in agony trying to finally go. I will spare you the gruesome details...but will say that you will need to pay attention to that area and don't wait like I did before you try to intervene...like stool softeners, Milk of Magnesia, etc.

Something I found that worked for me was something called PEDIALAX...get the STRIPS..not the liquid. (The liquid requires you to drink the 30cc and then follow it with 8 ounces of water...at that stage I couldn't dring that much!!!) Because it's the pediatric formula it is gentler and so I took two strips - they dissolve on your tongue - and by 11 the next AM, I was a new woman!!

Feel free to ask me or any of us veterans anything ...my personal email address is: gailmdavis@marykay.com

GOOD LUCK!!

Thank you again to everyone who has sent good advice my way. At this point it is much needed. I'm back in the hospital one week post-op. I can't keep anything down and got severely dehydrated and now have a kidney infection. I've been back in for 3 days now and today is the first day they let me try to eat and I feel like a rock is in my stomack after only 2 ounces of chicken broth at lunch (around 1). It is now almost 8 pm. Any advice?