Hi, I found this forum when surfing the net for answers last night. I was banded on 5/28/13. I also had a BMI under 40 with hypertension and sleep apnea as well, and I'm convinced I did the right thing having this surgery. It is so great to not always be "starving" for food. I didn't have too much difficulty getting insurance to approve once my internist sent in records showing my 2+ years of struggling with my new co-morbidities. I'm seeing my surgeon @3today. Hopefully my complications are minor (constipation, and the largest of five incisions is swollen and black and blue). I'm already down 11 or so pounds as I'm still on a full liquid diet - hope that changes to pureed foods today. I stupidly tried to eat a hard boiled egg last night and it didn't get very far. Regarding your questions, small pills are fine post-surgery but anything larger than a tylenol won't go down easily.