Welcome. Don't be afraid. I was banded 7/30 of this year and turned 62, 2 weeks ago. I have never felt so good. Just remember, Chew, Chew, Chew and you should not have problems. Since my highest weight on March I am down 59 lbs. I have a protein shake every morning, I hate eggs and other breakfast foods. Protein is the most important food to have. I have chocolate, add decaf instant coffee and some peppermint extract and tons of ice and it's nice and thick like a McD's shake. They fill you for about 4-5 hours.This site is wonderful and I have met some wonderful people and we all tell, all.

Good luck!!!

Arlene (real name)

been banded nearly 5 months and havent thrown up once

like dylan said, hew alot, eat slow, small bites and you should do ok.

no sense worrying about stuff that hasnt happened yet......

thanks dylanmiles,, i have got to remember to do that,,chew chew chew,, but i too worry about my meds i take at night,,,crush them?? and can u drink all the water u want?

After my surgery I went to taking no more meds! except 1/2 of my high blood pressure pill which I put into my shake. Everything else is chewable.I take all chewable vitamins and minerals from Bariatric Advantage. When I came home from the hospital my 3 meds were liquid and I only used them for a short time except the liquid Zantac was for one month. It's a new life. Sharon Osbourne has been banded for over 10 years and looks great.

I take a BP bill, thyroid pill, and biotin every morning and have never had to crush them, or had them get stuck. I drink water all day long - about 100 ounces a day. I've been banded 5 months and have never thrown up.

I don't know that many bandsters physically can throw up after surgery; what they refer to as "throwing up" is most likely what we call "PB-ing"...or "productive burping". It's bringing up whatever may be stuck between the band and your throat. But honestly, I've been stuck about 10 times and never had to bring food back up. I just stop what I'm doing, take deep breaths, and ride it out.

thanks yall,,, i feel already a 100% better about this,,, i was getting pretty worried about that,,, guess i have been reading too many negative sites,,, well im going to take this journey prob after the holidays and hopefully in a few months be a lot happier with myself,,, i plan to go by the book of what ever the dr tells me to do,,,im so ready to get some of this weight off and no more being tired and no energy,,,im ready to me a new me thank you all for your support

thanks yall,,, i feel already a 100% better about this,,, i was getting pretty worried about that,,, guess i have been reading too many negative sites,,, well im going to take this journey prob after the holidays and hopefully in a few months be a lot happier with myself,,, i plan to go by the book of what ever the dr tells me to do,,,im so ready to get some of this weight off and no more being tired and no energy,,,im ready to me a new me thank you all for your support

atta girl

follow the dr's instructions

follow your heart

and get rid of the will power (i dont believe in that)

find your want power and go for it...

Do what you are supposed to do and you will be just fine, been banded for over a year and my only regret is not being banded sooner.. I have a new leash on life -- I feel 18 again.. lots of energy and never hungry,, remember chew chew chew all your food and you will be fine... just stop when you feel full. I soon will be 51 in November and I feel like a million dollars.

Good luck on your journey. God Bless.

By the way, I started out one year ago at 212 pds, I now am 155, have 30 more to go and being banded you lose weight slowly but my skin does not sag at all... lap band is the way to go. Love it.

The greatest advice I can give any banded person is to learn what does and does not work for you and your band. Each person will and have adjusted differently with their band. I do take pills and they have gotten stuck before which is a really bad experience. I have learned that my band is much tighter in the morning so I take the majority of my pills in the afternoon or midmorning. The pills I take are just supplements but they make me feel much better throughout my day. I have had my band for over 2 years now and I have thrown up several times for different reasons, but I have learned what things that trigger the reflux reaction. Sometimes it does not matter how much I chew certain foods don't go down for me, therefore I have removed them from my diet. This band is not a one size fit all in my opinion- you will have to figure out how it work best for you. I do wish you the very best with your band! Before my band I wore a size 24-26 and now I am in a 16 and I am 6'1.

You will be fine just chew, chew, chew and eat slower, I'm a 52 year old and I take meds also and they go down fine, just take it slow and, God bless you and good luck.

take this time to practice. small bites, put ur fork down hands in ur lap and chew chew chew. Also for me the hardest thing was not drinking with my meals. So practice, practice, practice.

Hi my name is Debbie. I'm 57yrs old. I was just referred to an orientation meeting for banding. I'm super excited, but a bit scared also. Currently I eat a LOT and really fast. I will be having my banding done at Kaiser Hospital in Richmond, Ca. I would like to know what happens, before banding and after banding. Also any helpful tips are very appreciated.

Thanks,

Debbie

all you guys are the best,,,, and i was wondering about the saggy skin i might have,, i weigh 225 and hate to excersise or at least now i dont like it,,,maybe after i get my band i will have more energy and feel like taking a walk,,,i sure hope so because now with all this weight on me i dont want to do anything but set on couch and fb with friends,, no i dont work anymore and thats another reason i think i have packed on the lbs is because i have become lazy,,,not even sure now that i could work because the housework i do around here wears me out,,, Agagin thank you all for your support and if you have any more tips for me i would surely appreciate it,,, i will just have to wait and see how my banding works for me. And i pray i dont have any problem with INSURANCE paying for my surgery,,, i go in the morn for my first consultation with true results in dallas,,,,im thinking if insur wont pay for it then i will just have to pay outta pocket BECAUSE IM GONNA HAVE IT DONE come hell or high water LOL,,,,im very determined to do this

I was having doubts too and from you all answering suzannetx you answered a lot of my questions and anxieties. I was about ready to back out. The thought of throwing up all the time terrifies me so I was glad to hear so many of you say that is hasn't happened to you. I love this website. You guys are great! Thank you!!!!!

roxa i am more determined now than i have ever been,,i have 2 close friends who have had lapband and they look wonderful,, they did fine with theres but one says she does throw up a lot BUT she says she hurries and eats things she knows she is not suppose to,, so she is hurting herself i guess,, OH I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION,, i had someone tell me that if insurance DOES pay for your procedure that if u ever loose that insurance for some reason,,,you are then UNINSURABLE thru any other insurance co,, has anyone ever heard that ? the person i heard this from is not a very reliable person anyway but i dont know whether she knows whats she is talking about anyway or if she is just trying to get me to not get the surgery,,,u know some ppl can be mean and jealous

Hi Suzanne, I am chiming in. I will be 57 next week and will be Banded for 2 years (this weekend) at goal for one month and 2 weeks. lapband gave me my life back, or maybe I should say, I gave me my life back by getting a lap band. I have learned to eat healthy and actually feel good about myself for the first time in a very long time. As for throwing up, yes some people do but the majority that throw up have issues with the band or cause it by not chewing their food or eating to quickly. Pills go down without a problem, you just need to swallow one at a time. I do chewable vitamins, consider these my treat for the day. I suggest you go to your consult an attend one of the local free seminars in your area so you can ask questions, seeing successful people helps. But WLS like everything else is not cure for obesity. The only person who can make you lose weight is you, will lose in the beginning just by having surgery but for the long haul if you want to get to your goal be prepared to work hard. Good luck, this is a great supportive group currently so your coming to the land of the banded at a good time.

roxa i am more determined now than i have ever been,,i have 2 close friends who have had lapband and they look wonderful,, they did fine with theres but one says she does throw up a lot BUT she says she hurries and eats things she knows she is not suppose to,, so she is hurting herself i guess,, OH I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION,, i had someone tell me that if insurance DOES pay for your procedure that if u ever loose that insurance for some reason,,,you are then UNINSURABLE thru any other insurance co,, has anyone ever heard that ? the person i heard this from is not a very reliable person anyway but i dont know whether she knows whats she is talking about anyway or if she is just trying to get me to not get the surgery,,,u know some ppl can be mean and jealous

Most insurance companies now days do insure preexisting conditions with a waiting period. The waiting period is usually 6 months to a year.

Hi my name is Debbie. I'm 57yrs old. I was just referred to an orientation meeting for banding. I'm super excited, but a bit scared also. Currently I eat a LOT and really fast. I will be having my banding done at Kaiser Hospital in Richmond, Ca. I would like to know what happens, before banding and after banding. Also any helpful tips are very appreciated.

Thanks,

Debbie

Debbie, Everyone's journey is a little different. But this is how it should go. Once you go to the meeting, meet with your physician and you make a decision together if lap band is for you. You will do some sort of diet 2 weeks before surgery (this is hard but necessary to shrink the liver, all docs are different and this diet varies) Mine was an Atkins no carb for two weeks and liquids 2 days before. You are normally in the hospital less than a day, I was banded in the morning and went home late that night. They would not let me go home until I went to the bathroom, I argued with them until they let me go home. I was dehydrated from the lack of fluids and it is hard to pee with no fluids on board. (I'm a nurse so I can be a little more difficult) You will have pain post op, this is major surgery even though it is done lap, you pain is GAS, sometime nausea and port site pain. Take your medications and walk after a few days to a week you will be back to normal. I took 5 days before going back to work but I have an office job and do not lift or tug on anything. The first 6 weeks ate being banded do not expect miracles, this is not a fast fix to losing weight. You have little or no fluid in your band and it takes time to get used to eating with the band. For some reason things tasted different to me immediately after banding, no one can explain this but I have read it on the forums over the past two years from others. You will be on liquids and progress back to solid food. Every doctor is different, I strongly suggest you spend a lot of time preop learning the rules of lap band, clean your pantry out of all the junk food and start stocking your house with healthy food. If junk is in the house you will be tempted. Lap band does not control your hands and your mind (sometimes we all wish it did) so get it out now. If you have family make sure they understand what you can and can not eat or should not eat. Support is key to this process. I left out the physiologist visit, this is not to be understated and one of the most important persons and part of this journey, your head has to be in the right place and very engaged to be successful. Most lap band failures are due to the person not being able to follow rules, think about it. We all have food issues of some type or we would not be resorting to WLS to help us lose weight, so get your head on straight if you want success. The first 6 weeks after surgery, you have no or little fluid in your band, do not expect to lose a lot of weight during this time. This is the time to practice the rules and get ready for the next phase. Once you have your first fill you will notice a difference with eating, I thought I chewed well during the first 6 weeks but found out very quickly that I did not after having fluid added to my band. The band is not about restriction, it is not meant to stop food from going through, the purpose is to help you feel satisfied. My best advice is to read, read, read and make your self as knowledgeable about the band, a well informed bandster is a successful bandster. I always say, everyone needs to go into this with their eyes wide open. This is not a fast fix, you lose 1-2 lbs per week if your lucky, you have to exercise, you should eat different than you did before surgery. (some people chose not to count calories or change eating habits, some lose, some don't) There are complications with lap band but there are with all surgeries, my physician is doing more gastric sleeves now than lap band due to the problems that many have with lap band. I am lucky, I have had minimal issues with my band but the band is fickel and you have to learn your body and learn to listen to what it is telling you. Some days I don't even know I have a band, most days, but if I am stressed or sick my band restricts me more, it is tighter, it is tight in the mornings most days and I have to drink warm liquids to loosen it up. The best advice I can give you is listen to your physician for real information, all of us can share but it is individual and we are not physicians. Good luck.

roxa i am more determined now than i have ever been,,i have 2 close friends who have had lapband and they look wonderful,, they did fine with theres but one says she does throw up a lot BUT she says she hurries and eats things she knows she is not suppose to,, so she is hurting herself i guess,, OH I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION,, i had someone tell me that if insurance DOES pay for your procedure that if u ever loose that insurance for some reason,,,you are then UNINSURABLE thru any other insurance co,, has anyone ever heard that ? the person i heard this from is not a very reliable person anyway but i dont know whether she knows whats she is talking about anyway or if she is just trying to get me to not get the surgery,,,u know some ppl can be mean and jealous

Wow. I never thought about the insurance side of it. We have insurance through my husband's work and they are switching insurance companies in January. I hope that doesn't mess anything up with me. That would be awful. I don't even know how a person would go about finding that out either.

Thanks for all the info LovetheNewMe. That was very helpful and informative

just got home from my consultation,,,I AM STOKED,,, first of all my insur bcbsil does pay for my surgery,, i have to pay $1500 out of pocket,,, so that was my first YEEEHAAAA,, then i weighed in and yes im a lot heavier than even i thought i was,,235,,, i was shocked,,,sooooo with that said i have my test scheduled for first of nov and surgery in dec,,,, i plan to follow orders to a teee,,,unlike how i never have done before,,i plan to get my life back on track,,start to socialize again (and not have to be food related events either like i use to think they had to be) i want to be able to walk again without getting out of breath,, WANT to go places with my husband instead of not wanting to leave the house,,, i just want the old me back,,its amazing how i have let my weight make me someone im not,,, i was always a social butterfly,,, laughing, making new friends and just enjoying life,,but over the past 2 yrs or so i have sat home eating and being unsocialble,, Yes i know why i have done this and the reason being is i have not worked in almost 3 yrs,,it was by choice and i like being home taking care of things here,,but it has also made me lazy ,, I have thought about getting surgery for a while now and then i woke up one day and said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,,, so after my consultation today i have started the first day of the rest of my life,, a new me and a new outlook on life and new attitude,,,yaaaah me I can hardly wait til dec thanks each and everyone of you for your support and good thoughts,,,thats one big reason i made this decision,,im not scared any more,,, but on ONE BAD NOTE,,i told a good friend of mine i was doing this and her response was,,"so what are you going to do about all the excess flab that you will have: i told her that if i walk and excrsise that i should not have that,,and her response was : well i will have to see that to believe it,,, She really upset me with her attitude , im guessing she must be really jealous because she too could easily loose 80 lbs,,, i dont understand why ppl have to be that way

just got home from my consultation,,,I AM STOKED,,, first of all my insur bcbsil does pay for my surgery,, i have to pay $1500 out of pocket,,, so that was my first YEEEHAAAA,, then i weighed in and yes im a lot heavier than even i thought i was,,235,,, i was shocked,,,sooooo with that said i have my test scheduled for first of nov and surgery in dec,,,, i plan to follow orders to a teee,,,unlike how i never have done before,,i plan to get my life back on track,,start to socialize again (and not have to be food related events either like i use to think they had to be) i want to be able to walk again without getting out of breath,, WANT to go places with my husband instead of not wanting to leave the house,,, i just want the old me back,,its amazing how i have let my weight make me someone im not,,, i was always a social butterfly,,, laughing, making new friends and just enjoying life,,but over the past 2 yrs or so i have sat home eating and being unsocialble,, Yes i know why i have done this and the reason being is i have not worked in almost 3 yrs,,it was by choice and i like being home taking care of things here,,but it has also made me lazy ,, I have thought about getting surgery for a while now and then i woke up one day and said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,,, so after my consultation today i have started the first day of the rest of my life,, a new me and a new outlook on life and new attitude,,,yaaaah me I can hardly wait til dec thanks each and everyone of you for your support and good thoughts,,,thats one big reason i made this decision,,im not scared any more,,, but on ONE BAD NOTE,,i told a good friend of mine i was doing this and her response was,,"so what are you going to do about all the excess flab that you will have: i told her that if i walk and excrsise that i should not have that,,and her response was : well i will have to see that to believe it,,, She really upset me with her attitude , im guessing she must be really jealous because she too could easily loose 80 lbs,,, i dont understand why ppl have to be that way

I don't think you will have that much excess flab, etc. for one thing you are not that heavy and second with the LB you lose it slow enough that the exercise will be able to keep up. So what if we are not tight like we were in our 20's - who cares?! I have only told one person (my husband) and that is a good example why.

I am so happy for you! I know you will do great esp with that positive attitude! I will keep you posted on my surgery. 4 days to go not counting today or Monday.

roxa,,, i will be thinking of you and let me know if it hurts LOL,,, im a big weenie,,, best of luck and thanks for the encourgament,,, u will do great,,,keep me up to date

I will! They called today to preregister me. I guess this is really happening!