My best friend just had this done a week ago also... I wish i new what more i could do for her. she is such a wonderfully beautiful person, and we all love her very much. It kills me to see her hurting and second guessing the choices she has made. will this get easier for her? and what can i do to help her?

I was banded on 3/8/11...I was self pay so my journey for this was very short...Which i think helped me in a way to not give me time to back out...every doctor is different for preop and post op rules...( I learned that after surgery)....I had 2 weeks of clear liquids before surgery!! there were days where I thought I couldnt get thru another one...how can I sustain off of this?? have energy?? etc... I played the what ifs in that area....but a couple days in and I actually had more energy (I had protien shakes provided by doctor)...and felt great...I went to the doctors and mini seminar on 2/16/11...sent my personal check out the next week....and kept myself busy until that morning....I remember walking at nite..thinking to myself....this has consumed every minute of my life since I made the decision to do it....and I remember crying....and my mom, one of many positive people in my support group, looked at me and said " why cant this occupy every bit of your time? for once you are making "you" the number one thing in ur life!! for once you are putting yourself first!! it will ease with time and with learning a new way of life....a new routine for health....it will ease as you begin to do new things and learn new ways...you have already taken the biggest step forward and that was making a date...march 8th...the beginning of my new life.....it has been a month and I'm not going to lie....there were a couple times I thought this day would never come...moments of "what did I do"...but those moments....thoughts of negativity....lasted 5-10 minutes....here and there...(more when I couldnt eat)...I felt times of alienation....not "normal"...only when I was hungry....I also had to stay on clear liquid a week after surgery...then 3 weeks of full liquid...If I were asked what the hardest part was preop and post op would be the emotional part...it is amazing how much ur mind can do....play tricks on you......physically your body is going to do what it is going to do...mentally you can get thru this...mentally you can make yourself believe in you....get thru "one more day"....emotionally.....only you can understand...whether it be needing food...wanting food...being with family and friends and remembering "feeding" time....how much we make our lives focused around food....all these ?'s and more are all normal....I could write a million I think I came up with before and after my surgery.... this is all normal.....I will tell you this....Every day it gets better and better.... Everyday when I thought I couldnt get thru...I was sore...I was gassy.....I was bloated.....I was pissy....I was hungry.....gets easier and easier..... I feel human again....I feel more positive with everyday....when your co workers and family and friends look at you and praise you ..when you feel that you can not bare to talk to one more person about this, or hear one more " wow...You look great already"....it just starts to fit...I along with you and everyone else out there banded...have a long journey ahead....but if we keep our eyes on the prize, we will succeed....we will conqure this...just know you have to do your part as well with lapband....this isnt the "easy way out" like some think....It is actualoy harder than ever....now we have to do our part to make sure what we do and eat are a postive choice that will have a profound effect on our tomorrows......I wish you the best of luck...and I will pray for your peace with this, as I know that thru prayer, is one of the main reasons I have gotten thru this thus far.........dont give up....you have finally made you inportant enough to you......and that my friend is AWESOME!! good luck.....Jenn

Thank you so much for this.....I want so to conquer this and make lifestyle changes I need to make. I guess I never dreamed it would be so hard. They told me in the hospital not to be surprised if I got emotional, but I really think I has been more than just a little emotional.....this has virtually assumed my thoughts for the last three days especially....I am hopefully that each day will get a bit easier but I also have had some close friends be not at all supportive and have actually told me (this week) that they think I am lazy and taking this easy way out. I tried to explain that I don't think this is the easy way out at all.....it's just a tool, if I don't use it correctly I will fail.

also...I live my life for everyone else....always have...I am a hair dresser so it is easy to do...I felt guilty for letting this occupy my whole life for the last 6 weeks or so...I too thought I was never going to eat again...I think I read too many blogs...too many posts about not eating this, not being able to do that....etc...I felt 2 weeks ago like you , there where times I thought omg, what have I done?? but I gave myself the patience for just that day... I didnt think about 2 weeks from now....2 days from that day... just that day... I got thru and the next thing I knew, it was another day.... and another... and I think my doctor is the hardest one I have read so far... I didnt see where others made their patients go on 5 weeks of luquid hell!! and I did it... and I will tell you that until I could eat, I didnt feel human yet....BUT.....when I began eating (very slowly, introducing food back little at time)...every bite...I felt better and better, and now I am actually suprised at how much I feel like my old self...scares me a bit because my restriction is so good-I can eat anything....which I dont want to know because I dont want to be able to eat too much....you will get thur this I PROMISE!! you know why?? because you sound just like me 2 weeks ago......I was right there in your shoes ... and today I am still sore.....still learning but every day gets better and better....easier and easier....believe in yourself....you can do this!!

Please know that many of us think this way when we first have this surgery. You are in the stage of redefining your relationship with food. That is/was the hardest part for me. I think it is something that we do not quite prepare ourselves for when we have this surgery. However, once I got to the mushy and solids. I felt 100% better. It is just so stinky hard on the liguid phase of this diet. Keep you chin up! It does get better. Keep us posted.

I felt the same way the first week after surgery then I took a big turn. I am soo bleesed to have had the chance to do this. I was banded last May 4th and hav lost 90lbs with no complications and I feel amazing!! You will be great!!

Good Luck to you!

When I had my surgery last year I was working a second job as a caregiver for a disabled lady and I had to cook her dinner and breakfast every morning while I was on my liquied diet and it was horrible! She even had me order pizza for her! I know the pain you are going through now but it will get better once you start the mushies.

Wow I really love this website...you all have such wonderful words and we all care about each other...I will be banded on April 18th...I am almost one week in to my pre op diet of 1000 calories a day...which isn't as bad as some pre op diets..I am trying all the different kinds of shakes out there so I can stock up..so far I'm impressed with the Isopure drinks...I like the grape and blue raspberry which are 40 grams of protein in 20 oz bottles 160 calories but no sugars no aspartame...you all are an inspiration and I look forward to sharing my journey with all of you..

Hang in there. Trust everyone on this forum when they tell you it will get easier and you will feel better. I am 3 months out and had the same anxieties as you, and now I can eat pretty much what I want and the difference is - I eat very small quantities and guess what - I am satisfied. The trick is to keep yourself busy busy busy. When you feel like eating - distract yourself or have a liquid drink. It will suffice at the time. Get that protein in as it makes you feel full. And take walks it will clear your mind. Try to find a hobbie if you can. Keep your mind occupied with good things. Time is on your side. It will go quickly believe me. I can't believe it is 3 months for me as it seems like only yesterday I was the one going through " liquid hell". And last but not least, surround yourself with POSITIVE people - it will make you feel so much better! Good luck!

Believe me when I say the journey is worth it. The liquid diet is the hardest part of it all. That's not to say there won't be trying times but the weight loss and benefits from that will outweigh what you are going through right now.

Don't let the depression get to you. Fight it!! Think of the positive you have to look forward to.

I had surgery 11 months ago and don't regret it at all. I have hard times, still do to this day. In the end it is all worth it.

Also, don't compare yourself or your successes or set backs to others. You are your own person and your success or set backs will be yours alone. No two people are the same and no two journeys are the same. I learned that the hard way. I saw others dropping tons of weight within their 1st few weeks and I was jealous and depressed. I finally realized, it wasn't me. We are all different. I take all of mine as mine and deal with it.

This forum can help you vent, help you work through your frustrations and give you positive ideas but keep in mind your journey is not the same so don't get down if you aren't progessing the same as someone else who is at the same place in their journey.

Hi Mick, I have not been banded yet, but I can't hardly wait. As for the depression , IT DOES GET BETTER, my son-in-law was banded feb 28 and he too was depressed but it passes and he has already lost 42 lbs, so hang in there and it won't be long till you are so proud of yourself. I hope to have my surgery in may or early june, maybe sooner. this forum has been a true blessing to me, I was so scared at first I almost backed out , but now I am sooooooooready to do it. Hang in there. Hopeful one

Hi everybody, I was banded Feb 24 2011, I am a 43 years old woman that feels like a failure because I try to loose weigth for the lat 20 years unsuccesfully, I have mt surgery in Strax in south Florida, and I am not happy with the lack of suppeortg for their paitiences, I have been confuse, depress and frustrated.

I lost 22 pound while in the liquid diet, but as soon as I star the solids I stop flat. I have my fisrt fill last week but still feel hungry all the time.

It is very hard specially when evrybody has their eyes over you just waiting to make you feel that you did the worse mistake of your life spending ten grands for nothing.

I am just praying that this get better.

Hi everyone! I am new to the forum but have read a lot of your stories and am so inspired by all of you. This website is a God sent for all of us going through the Lap Band journey. It is so important to have support that understands and can relate to each others triumphs and struggles. I look forward to reading more and getting more insight into my new life. I go for my consult this Friday, I am excited and nervous at the same time. I can relate to so many of you on your own personal journeys to this point. I wish you all lots of luck and much congrats to those that have lost and are doing awesome.

I am also wondering how long it usually takes from first consult (with pre-authorization) to surgery date? I know there are a lot of pre-procedures to go through, but wonder what the average length of time is. I would love to hear from any of you regarding this. Thanks again!