Is it really worth it?? Please helpp

[jojo27 1]

SO MY SURGURY IS 3 WEEKS AWAY AND IM SOOO SCAREDDDDD ITS IN MY HEAD ALL DAYY AND NIGHT NOW IM GONNA FEEL AFTER THIS SURGURY AND I WENNT TO A PRE OP CLASS AND HEARD THING I DIDNT WANNA HEAR.. I NEED SOME HONEST ANSWERS PLEASEE IS DOING THIS SURGURY REALLY WORTH ALL THE PAIN IM GONNA GO THRU?? MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY PLEASE HELPPP

[mom22 0]

I know just how you feel - my surgery is next Wed - 6 days away. I'm getting nervous and questionning myself.

But - I know I need this for myself - I need help losing this weight and deep down I feel it's the right thing for me!

Most people I've talked to that have had the surgery (my doctor has monthly support group meetings - couple hundred people attend each month) say it's not bad at all! I hope you can resolve your feelings one way or another - remember it's what is good for YOU, not anyone else! Good Luck

[StartingOverNJ 0]

I'm working towards my surgery and it is def. a scary process. Only you can answer your question. Are the goals you set worth it you? If you want it bad enough you'll have to work for it and I'm sure there will be bumps along the way. Thats what I tell myself anyway!

[Yayforme 0]

I had my surgery on Sept 10th, so not too long ago. Here is how my experience went..after I woke up in the recovery room I was very groggy and dont remember much ...then I woke up, they wheeled me into my room (i had to stay overnight for insurance reasons) and I got nauseous (from the ride up) but after a few min the nauseousness went away. Im not going to lie..for the first few hours I did NOT feel that great! It was more of a "really really uncomfortable" feeling than pain though. The girl I shared a room with, who had the surgery about 4 hours before me, told me "i know you might feel like crap right now, but TRUST ME, you will feel SOOO much better in just a few hours!" And she was right! After about 4 hours (it may seem long but its not too bad) and doing LOTS of walking around (it REALLY does help TONS!) I was feeling almost 100%! When I wasnt walking around the hospital floor, or talking to my "roomie", I was asleep. If your feeling pain, DONT be afraid to ask for some pain meds! After the car ride home I was a little nauseous again, but I laid down for a while and felt much better. Now, the gas pains you will feel....well...they suck, but are tolerable. Just remember to do LOTS AND LOTS of walking around (when I say lots I dont mean distance, I mean # of times you get up to walk around for a few min!) Also, get some gasx strips and a heating pad for when walking isnt doing as much as you would like. I was so nervous for my surgery too, and if I had to go back and do it over again, I SOO would! I have almost lost 30lbs sofar! In my opinion, the time spent in pain and discomfort is 100% worth it! Just remember, you will be in pain for only a short period of time, but you will be getting healthier and skinnier and that will last MUCH longer than the time spent in pain! I hope I was able to help you a little! Good luck with everything! I know you will do great!

[j_holm07 0]

All the questions here are normal for every lap band patient. I am 20 years old, and had the lap band surgery done this last July when I was still 19 years old. I was terrified. Even as they put my IV in my arm in pre-op, I was STILL questioning whether this is something I should be doing or not. It scared me, but I kept a strong face for my mom in that pre-op room. And as for pain? It is just like any other surgery really, only that it can differ from person to person. Your going to be sore for a few days to a week after surgery, but thats normal. After that, there really isnt any pain associated with the band. I am almost 4 months out and I still dont "feel" any pain. Fills do not hurt one tiny bit, and IF you run into pain, it is not normal. I have lost SO much with this surgery, and it has drastically changed my life for the better. I cannot imagine my life without my band. Its like a new lease on life. Your fear and anxiety are totally normal, we all go through it. Your not in this alone. This site is a GREAT resource for information from MANY people who are going to have, or have had the surgery. ANy and all questions are answered by people who are going through the same thing! Good luck and hope your surgery goes amazing!!

Josh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Band Date: July 9th, 2008

Surgeon: Dr. Jeff Baker

Insurance: Medica

Heaviest Weight: 314.5

Current Weight: 218 lbs.

Goal Weight: 195 lbs.

Freedom is only a word until it is upheld by the roots of its meaning…

[Vikki 2]

You have to understand that the biggest key to the tool of the band is pain really makes your head change! What I mean by that is the restriction feeling you get from when you eat something and don't chew it up well enough or take too big of a bite OUCH! It does hurt and sometimes you have to PB it up to unlodge it from the top of your band so get the relief feeling. This is a lesson to your head saying that is a no no and don't do it again!!!!! A spank on the butt if you will to make you not eat that piece of tortilla or bread or what ever it was that stuck. You then say okay next meal I have a cup of Soup and sip and chew chew chew and you don't start that meal until your thinking this in your head. Small bites and take your time. How often do you think this now........I was a binge eater and fast food junky and it would take me about 5 min to gobble everything down. Then a few hours later do it all again. Right after I received my first fill I still felt in my head that I could still eat like that.................NO NO and NOOO it did not work and I had to really change the way my head and my emotions would want to sabatage me to emotionally eat still. It became a science to what I could get down and how much nutricion was in what I was eating since it was such a small amount I had to make very good choices. It isn't easy for any of us but if you stay in support groups and surround yourself by people that are a great support for your goal then you can get there and be a healthier happier you!!!!! Only you can make the decision to get your tool but as you have probably noticed we bandsters love our band and wouldn't change it. Yes you go threw pain as it is a foriegn object your putting in your body so it will take time to heal and recover. But the pay off is sooooooooo worth it!!!!! Good luck with your decision.

[vballmom 0]

Josh, Is that 96 pounds loss all after your surgery or was some of it pre-op?

[Shamrockgirl60 1]

Yes it's worth it. I feel so much better, I started Water aerobics this week, and I did everything that the young women did and I'm 60. I hardly got out of breath and felt terrific afterwards. Go for it. It's scary at first but after being banded almost 3 months it's a piece of cake now. I need another fill, had my first Sept. 19th, feeling less restriction and I sure want more with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. LOL Been on a plateau for a week.

Edited: I have my second fill November 6th, so I should be nice and tight for Turkey Day LOL

I think whenever I feel I lose the restriction I will call and get a fill, they seem pretty good about it.

I hope to be 170 by the first of the year. but won't get upset if I am not there yet.

Edited October 30, 2008 by Shamrockgirl60

[muddy 0]

GOOD FOODS BAD FOODS

Can anyone list the real problem foods, and the best foods for the BAND?

[dfox3325 0]

It is so worth it!!! I've lost 41 pounds since I started. I feel great!!!

I had the same feelings a week before surgery.

I called people that had it done prior to me and everyone same the same thing, they had no regets, just they wished they could have done it years ago.

I feel the same way. I eat a wide assortment of foods. The only thing I avoid is soft bread and crusts.

I ate a center cut boneless pork chop last night for the first time and I was fine, just remember......chew, chew, chew anything that has the possiblity of getting stuck.

I only had that happen once and believe me you don't want to go there again!!

Lapband is wonderful....just follow the rules that were taught to you!!!

It's a life style change but to the better. I still have a glass of wine on the weekends and exercise a lot. I love to dance and go to Jazzersize.

I didn't think that was possible, but after I lost the 41 pounds I have lot of energy.

Just do it!!!

[Brandy~ 2]

It was worth every second of it.

I doubted everything leading up to my surgery even though I worked so hard to get the surgery.

When someone has an issue they tend to be more vocal... That is why the negatives sometimes seem to be more abundant. But you have to realize that the positives severly outweigh the negatives with this surgery.

I am 6 months out and over 1/2 way to goal. I love my band. I had a fast recovery and after fills great restriction. Everyones journey is different but for the most part everything that 'can' happen is a minor complication that is easily fixed.

you will be fine you need to take control of you health and your future. If you chose to go this far with setting up the surger you must have needed it. I would follow through and in 6 months you will be looking back like me going omg I did it and made it this far!

[vballmom 0]

Any meat that is too dry can get stuck. I personally can not eat bananna, bread, chips, lunchmeat, Peanut Butter, eggs. I know some who can not eat salad, but I am able to eat it. Unfortunately Mexican food goes down easy. Of course Soup, yogurt, pudding, goes down very easy. Ive also heard that raw veggies are hard on the band. I find that it is different for everyone. And once in a while I have cornbread if it crumbles. My advice is if you want to experiment, do it it home, just incase you get sick. And from experience I will NEVER get another fill during my cycle.

[noosagirl 0]

Yes yes yes!!!

[jetti 2]

It was soooo worth it!!! I had been thinking about it for so long and I am glad I didnt wait any longer! I was a little nervous about my surgery but it really hit me when I was on the operating table and that is when I started to cry. My doctor and nurse helped me calm down and 3 minutes - at least it was 3 minutes in my mind - I was waking up in recovery on my way to being the same me but in a different package!!!

best decision I ever made!

[tazziecat 0]

yes it is soooo worth it. i was very lucky to have had no dramas thru the wholebanding and recovery my worse part was the fill there for a while they had trouble filling. but all of that was really not that bad considering if i never had the band done i would be so much more over weight and there would be no chance that i would have lost 34.5 pounds. it has been a very slow process but im so glad i did it

my problems for food is bread and chicken though what how quick you eat cos if you eat too quickly you can get air in there which can be real painful

but good luck i hope you do well

dont be scared i know easier said than done:teeth_smile: