putting my fears into words!

[purple3797 5]

I am scheduled for banding on Nov 15th. I am excited and terrified. I am posting here so I can have some opinions of already banded people. I am 230 and healthy except for being overweight which I know the health conditions will catch up with me. I am so afraid that I do not have health issues now and that after the band I will need to be followed by docs and I keep reading horror stories on these boards of erosion and slippage and more surgery...I just do not want to do harm to my body I want to do good for it..and I dont want to be creating medical issues for myself when now I have none...help!!!!

[lauravandal 0]

First off.....It is normal to be terrified and excited!!! I was the same way! :sneaky:

Secondly.....you can't live your life worrying about the "what if's"...If you listen to your doctor and follow the program you should be fine, but there are some things in life that we just can't control.

I was banded on July 27th of this year, so I am still pretty new and learning as I go. I was like you, healthy overrall, just overweight. I was a cash paid patient since my insurance company didn't approve me and it was the BEST decision I have made for myself. I am down 28lbs so far (I started at 200lbs) and am very happy with the results that I have had. I have had a couple of weeks were I stalled or gained but that is just part of it. This is in us for the rest of our life! Good luck to you!!! I wish you the best!

[purple3797 5]

This is a strage ?? But do you still feel like you live a normal life???

[MaggieB 6]

I felt the same. No health issues except being overweight. I was scared and second guessing this procedure all the way up till I was getting my IV for the procedure.

I feel like I live a normal life...though sometimes I miss my old eating habits :sneaky: But I knew what I was in for when I started this whole process and have been very happy with my results.

I also worry about all the complications that can happen. Most of the horror stories I have heard have been about people that really don't follow the rules & havent made the commitment to this lifestyle change.

[BetsyB 9]

It's understandable that you're concerned. Just keep in mind that people tend to post when they're having difficulties---so the boards are kind of biased toward the negative.

Most of us really have pretty uneventful recoveries and lives post-banding.

Yes, I feel like I lead a normal life. It's different than before, but that's a very good thing. For the first time in my life, my thoughts and actions are not consumed by food (planning, dieting, counting, worrying, self-blaming, etc.)

It's been tremendously freeing.

I eat out regularly. I throw dinner parties often. I eat "regular" foods. Even though I do follow a low-carb regimen and have to stick to a low calorie intake (my own weird body; yours may do fine with a less conservative approach), I really don't think I"m missing out on anything.

To the contrary, I am finally really enjoying my life. Being rid of the excess weight and all of the baggage it carried is enormously liberating.

(I didn't have any comorbidities, either; but really, it was just a matter of time.)

[ElfiePoo 109]

. I am so afraid that I do not have health issues now and that after the band I will need to be followed by docs and I keep reading horror stories on these boards of erosion and slippage and more surgery

The vast majority of people here have not had problems with erosion or slippage (both quite rare by the way). It's just that the horror stories make more of an impact.

.

[Phranp 46]

This is a strage ?? But do you still feel like you live a normal life???

Since "normal" for me before banding was: 1) taking a daily regimen of meds for comorbidities; 2) Not being able to walk very far without being out of breath and having to sit; 3) Being drepressed because I hated the body I saw in the mirror; 4) Being in a daily cycle of eating because I was depressed about being fat and eating more because I hated myself for eating about being fat; 5) Suffering with terrible back pain daily ... the list goes on and on ... so no, I do not live a normal life ... my life is much, much better now! food is not longer my nemesis. My comorbidity meds are gone. I eat what I want for the most part, but I eat much less and am satisfied. I walk for miles and enjoy the scenery. I shop til I drop! YAY! Men flirt with me (and I AM OLD! LOL). I am happy and at peace with myself most of the time. I couldn't say that before. My life is so much better than "normal" now, so much better.

All the best to you!

~Fran

[pixistix 1]

I, too, was very scared about having surgery. I waited until I had osteoarthritis in my hips and back, but I wish I'd had it 10-15 years earlier. Even with no co-morbidities though, you have to figure that if insurance companies are willing to pay for it then being "just overweight" is more risky than this surgery.

What I have experienced since being banded is that not only do I have physical restriction on how much I can eat at one time, but I'm also just less interested in food. There are actual hormonal changes that happen (according to my doc), so the terrible obsession just isn't there like it used to be.

I am careful to eat a healthy snack between meals so hunger doesn't impair my judgment. And exercise helps my mood and motivation, so I go to the gym.

I still have the occasional craving, and it's possible to sabotage yourself with high calorie "sliders," but with a little bit of effort on my part, I am having great success.

The weight loss can be slow (especially at first), but that's actually for the best, both physically and emotionally. It allows you to adjust to the change slowly over time.

And it's worth noting, as far as life being "normal," that you can opt for less than very tight restriction. My band is loose enough that I can gulp down a glass of Water, no problem. I have never gotten "stuck." And the only food that really causes a problem is bread (or bread like texture). I can only eat a little bit of bread (less than one slice). But that is fine with me. I'm sure my weight loss would be faster with more restriction, but I am happy with what I have.

Good luck to you!