6ysorceress

Hi Y'all! I have never been part of a chat, forum, blog or the like before, so assuming this message doesn't end up in Oz I want to say hello and join in the fun (?) I am 5'11 and weigh a svelte 300. I live in California with my husband of nearly 30 years, a black lab and a pit bull mix. I am a very successful dieter having lost hundreds of pounds and a dismal failure at maintaining weight loss. I came close to having the band earlier this year but decided to try a few more fad diets first just in case. Currently I own and operate two arthritic hips, arthritic knees and low back trouble, sleep apnea, depression, anxiety...but other than that I am just fine. My parents treated me to a 2 week vacation which was wonderful with the exception of unrelenting hip and back pain. With this experience fresh in my mind I came to the conclusion that it was time to get the additional help that banding offers. I am excited and frightened. I am blessed with an amazingly supportive husband (I'll get back to you once I have lost some weight) with weight and blood pressure issues of his own. We've done the dance of undermining each other during weight loss attempts before which added to my concern about banding, I have struggled with the joint pain for so long that it almost seems laughable to ask how bad it is during the first few days of recovery. Sooooo were most of you able to get pain relief post op ? Did you lie in bed asking, "Why did I agree to this controlled stabbing?":confused: I am very grateful to have the band option. I am a bit of a sponge right now trying to soak up information but hope to help others as my journey continues. I see my surgeon on Thursday and by then may have a bucket full of questions to ask him. Example; I hadn't really considered the medications thing. I've had to take strong painkillers for my joints and hope that having done so won't make it harder to manage my post-op pain.....more will be revealed but if you have had similar experience I'd love to hear from you. Congratulations to all of you! :biggrin: