Any Regrets?!?

[Brie_SDmamaofTwins 4]

Hello everyone!! I am not yet banded and not sure as to when I will be but I'm hoping by late dec early Jan. I did have one major question..

ANY REGRETS? If so why....

I'm just trying to get all my information in order before I make this life changing chocie you know. I feel pretty confident in wanting to get because of the obvious in needing it however I just wanna hear your own exp. with getting it done.

One other question, before you were banded did you feel aniexty about the food issues? Like not being able to eat certain things anymore...

[littlemissband 0]

Mamaoftwins

It is normal to feel nervous and scared but there is nothing to worry about. I do not regret my band I think it is the best thing I ever did for myself. I was banded on 9/24/08 and I have lost a total of 63 lbs. Who would regret that. As far as the food I have not found anything that I am not able to still eat. The first fill may change that but it is still worth it. I went to a bridal shower where they had pizza I ate my applesauce and just thought to myself that they are gaining weight while I am loosing it. Always think of the possitive. You will do great! Good luck to you and your journey with your band!

[Judy_AL 0]

SDMama - I was banded on 9/24/08 and have lost about 40 lbs - and no I do not regret that at all. That is 160 lbs of pressurer off my knees and now I am able to walk about 1.5 miles a day without hurting.

I have even had friends that have had the gastric and they wish they had done the band. Granted with the band you must remember that your weight lose will be slow. And to be honest I like that - and yes you do have rules you must follow - but for me that is so much better.

You are doing it right - research - that is the only way to have peace with a life change.

Good luck!

[tillydog 0]

No regrets, but band for me is not what I expected. You still need to make good choices and yes, you can still emotional eat with the band (if your that way)

I thought the band was the magic solution. Finally. But its not. I struggle still to keep calories down and make good food choices.

Good luck to you and be sure to work the band properly!!

[salome000 0]

No regrets here, but I do wish I'd been told about the hunger. I'm hungry all the time. I go to livestrong.com and use the daily plate to track my food and exercize and I'm doing great on the weight loss but I starve all the time. And it's NOT head hunger.

I'm hoping it will change when I get my first fill mid November but for now, it's hard. Be prepared for that.

On the plus side, I've painted my sunroom and my house has never been cleaner. Hey....gotta keep busy!

[kgloverii 0]

Only regret is that I didn't get it done sooner. If I had it done 5 years ago, I would've had 5 more healthy years... but what is done is done. Now I am making up for it!

[rcoleband 0]

I have no regrets. Like some of the others, I wish I have done it sooner. It is work. I am not hungry but I have surgery on my jaw that prevents me from eating too much. It was not a weight loss surgery. It has been a long time since I have had regular food, it doen't bother me.

I enjoy the band as I did not want to lose weight too quickly like the gastric bypass. I am hoping to not have to have any cosmetic surgery afterwards so I don't mind the plateaus.

Good luck on your journey.

[LookingForMe 2]

I regret eating this morning when I was stressed out.... if only I could take back that bite of omelette that got stuck and caused me so much pain for an hour and a half......

other than that, none!

[Kelbell 0]

I will be honest here, I attended a seminar my doctor held prior to making my decision and I must say the lapband was presented on a silver platter. I was experience a lot of depression and anxiety and thought it was the answer to my problems! I just knew that if I could lose the weight that had burdened me all my life, I would find happiness. Needless to say I got discouraged very quickly. Eventually, my doctor found the right combination of medications to help with my depression/anxiety and I stopped cancelling my follow up appointments and did as I was supposed to, and did it ever pay off! The majority of my weight loss has happened since July of this year. Early on, I told many people that if I could go back I never would have done it, however today I recommend it to everyone!!! Absolutely no regrets, it just took me a while to get to that point. Best of luck to you!!!

[DanTheMan 0]

I have a few. I regret not getting the band YEARS ago and I also regret not getting fills sooner. I've had 5 fills since being banded 16 months ago with my 5th just recently. I went for months and months very nearly feeling as if I wasn't banded at all and each fill only gave temporary "difficulty". That is until my most recent fill.

I'm now glad to say that I'm pretty much where I want and need to be (check out my other posts for more details).

The thing to remember is, if you're not having a hard time eating, then go get a fill. If you're hungry all the time, go get a fill (having a tight band somehow reduces the appetite). If you can eat a lot, go get a fill. If you're not losing weight, go get a fill. What's the thing to remember?

Right after surgery, after everything healed, I felt as if I wasn't banded at all!!! I got my first fill and it was scary-good for a week or so then I was back to not feeling banded/restricted. I got my second and third fills over the next few months and I began to notice . . . things . . . for awhile. I got my 4th and was there for a loooong time (too long)--it was good for the first 6 weeks and then slowly got not so good. After about 6 months I started to gain weight. Got my 5th fill not that long ago and it's been good times ever since (in terms of not being able to eat any more food than I can cup in my hand and not being hungry to either)

What's the thing to remember?

Edited November 6, 2008 by DanTheMan

[Mommyto4 2]

Brie,

I am in you're shoes too! I don't have my date yet, but it will possibly be the end of November sometime! I'm getting anxios as well. I definately need the band, because I am a nurse and am scared of the other long term effects of the other procedures! I am anxious about the post-op diet and I am also scared of "sliming", and "slipping", and "eroding", ( I guess I have researched this dang band to death) lol. I do have a friend that does really well, but I wonder about me! Let me know how things are going since we will possibly be doing this at the same time! BTW, those babies are beautiful!!

Good Luck,

Danielle:thumbup:

[terilynn112 1]

I too am a mom of twins, and am 7 weeks post op for my band. I slowed seriously down when I got about a month post op. But I'm working slowly at moving the scale down. I'm down a total of 44 pounds.... and stuck there. That's ok. I'm loosing some extra inches I had my first fill two days ago. And it was painless. I feared that more than the surgery. I will have another fill in about 2 weeks. Just before thanksgiving. It will bring my band to 5 cc with a possible 10. I can feel a slight difference. Next time I hope to feel more. My dr's aren't real aggressive with fills.

I have no regrets. I do... not getting it sooner. Not having had it and gotten healthier before the twins. But as far as the actual surgery.

Teri

[jeannined 0]

Hey Mama!

I was banded on 9/26. Upon going to the hospital that morning i was calm not nervous even the nurse noted I was very relaxed. I thought I was going to have trouble with the foods but nope! The worst part was not being able to get up quickly! I'm down 30+lbs and have never felt better! I am so glad I went through with this and have NO regrets! Best of Luck and keep us posted!!

[thinkingslim70 0]

Hi Catherine

I have been reading your blog every time I log on. I'm really enjoying reading about your progress and how you've handled social situations. Thank you. I have one question - what is the reason for no carbonated drinks? Is this for a period of time or forever?

[terilynn112 1]

Carbonation is a risky thing. Many people decide to go back to it, but it can displace your band... and why take it in, when it's so filled with sodium and calories. Sodium makes me swell.

teri