Reality - What am I in for?

[PrincipalsOffice 16]

As my surgery approaches (Nov 18) I am becoming so ANXIOUS.... and excited!

I'd love to hear some real stories about what I can expect in the days following, as far as adjusting to the band, the hardest part, etc.

Thanks! :cursing:

[elgrad 0]

Congratulations on making the decision to be banded! You are taking control of your life in a very positive way.

I was banded on 23 September 2009, so I am relatively new to this lifestyle. I will tell you, for me, that the first ten days were the hardest. You are recuperating from major surgery, so you are Fluid filled and dealing with anesthesia, so life will seem very bizarre. You may wonder what you have done and why you have done it. You may feel a little depressed (especially if you see food as your friend, not just as food) and you will be sore. The physical things are temporary and will soon disappear. You will start to come out of the funk and have a clearer focus on the situation. This is where you will enter what is known as "bandster hell" (cue the creepy music here) This is where you are healed, not restricted and hungry. Do your best to get thru this stage and look forward to your first fill. This is where the magic begins and the purpose of your band becomes apparent. For, if you are like me, you have dieted a lot in your life but never had the switch that said "Stop!". Now, you will begin to achieve that switch. You need to come here and see what others say and how they deal with the different parts of the process. Remember tho, that this is your journey, not anyone elses. So, what one person experiences, you may not. All of us here will tell you what we have done and felt, but it is something that belongs to us individually. If you are a counselor, you know how this works in therapy. Each of us has our own story. Listen, learn and process what works for you. Let the rest go by.:cursing:

Good Luck!

Elgrad

[Moxi 0]

Thanks for that info Elgrad. My banding is 2 weeks tomorrow (eek!) so I'm interested as well!

[happy2lose 0]

As my surgery approaches (Nov 18) I am becoming so ANXIOUS.... and excited!

I'd love to hear some real stories about what I can expect in the days following, as far as adjusting to the band, the hardest part, etc.

Thanks! :cursing:

Experiences seem to vary widely as far as surgery and recovery. I felt only discomfort (no pain) after surgery. The discomfort was the feeling of a foreign object in my chest that felt very heavy. This feeling went away in about 10 days. I also experienced a strange rash on my hands and arms that went away by itself. I believe this was an immune response to the band.

You may experience discomfort from the gas used during surgery. Most people feel pain in the shoulder area. I did not. I felt the surgery was a piece of cake compared to other surgeries I have had.

Your surgeon will put you on a post-op diet that you should follow to the "T". You will get really hungry between days 5-10 but you must not deviate from the post-op instructions no matter how hungry you are. I recommend you focus on drinking Water during this time to keep the hunger at bay.

The period between recovery and your first fill are called "bandster hell". It is called this because you will have no restriction and will have to use a great deal of will power to get through it. It does take some time to reach good restriction but once you do, you will not feel deprived of food and weight loss will be relatively easy.

I highly recommend you begin walking immediately following surgery and increase the amount of time you walk each day as you are feeling better. My experience has been that you will lose rapidly the first few months if you walk a lot.

As soon as your surgeon deems you ready, start a routine/daily exercise regimen. I joined Curves and go 5 times/week and ride my bicycle several times per week for an hour or more.

Be sure you get measured at your chest, stomach, hips, arms, legs so you can see non-scale victories (NSV's) for when you can't see the loss on the scale.< /p>

It is normal to hit plateaus during your weight loss. I find this to be very discouraging but just keep in mind the loss will start up again. This is why measuring is important.

I will be happy to answer any other questions you may have if you would like to message me.

Best of luck to you!:cursing:

Donna