July is the Month!!!!!

July the 8th is my date I get my lap band I am really happy. I do have to stay one day in the hospital and I start my liquid diet tomorrow. Any one else having lap band in July?

Best wishes.  If, as a very long term and successful vet, I can pass on just one bit of advice, it is be patient!

Be patient in your expectations of when you get to a good level of fill, in terms of how fast the weight comes off. It's nice to be someone who gets the band adjusted to the right level early on and wonderful to be one of those with fast weight loss; but if you don't actually *expect* it to be like that, it will be a bonus if you are one of the lucky few and not a disappointment if you aren't! 

I was one of the lucky ones! My determination was such that I had no problems with my post-op diet and then I got a good level of saline at my very first fill. And I lost all my excess weight in just over 15 months, so fairly quickly for a banded person. But I was more fortunate than many, if not most people. 

I do have some expectations for the first 6 months to lose 120 lbs. with a low carb diet and exercising. Years ago I loss 90 lbs  on my own that's the reason why I know with the band I will do it. Some people may say it won't happen you have to understand the more you weigh the faster it comes off. Once I get down to about 250 lbs the lbs will start coming off slow that's ok. It may take 3 years or longer for me to get to my goal weight (175) I'M READY TO DO THIS!!!!!

I have to assume you are very large now to expect to lose that quickly! Good luck to you! I have come across one other person who lost 100 lbs in 6 months after being banded but, in eight years on here, only one! But if one person can do it, it is clearly possible. 

I have to agree with Kate.  Only one other person here has lost that much in 6 months. 

I really hope your not setting yourself up for disappointment.  The band can be tricky to work with and it may not be possible to lose 120lbs in 6 months. 

What happens if say you only lose 50lbs in the first 6 months?  Will you be upset?  Will you wish you did a differnet WLS?

I am kind of surprised there are surgeons out there still willing to band people after all the known complications.

Though Kate is a huge success as are a few other vets on here.

I have FAITH I will do it.... I weigh over 350 lbs My cal in take was 3 to 4 thousand a day... After the lap band I planned on the rest of my life (the first 6 months no more than 800 cal) 1200- 1500 the weight will melt off the first 6 months. I did it before with out the band 90 lbs. If i only lose 50 lbs the first 6 months that mean I was not following my plan. Yes I will be upset with myself not doing what I need to do. Never would i wish i had another WLS!!!!! I planned on being a success story!!!!  

Faith has nothing to do with it.  What did your surgeon give you for expectations?  Honestly at over 350lbs I am surprised your surgeon even suggested the band.

I planned on being a success story to, but then things happened that I had no control over.  Wait, when you go to eat something and it gets stuck and you have a burning sensation in your throat that just won't go away until it has to come backup.  Or you don't chew something well enough and it comes right back up.  Never fun and no matter how hard you try to avoid it, it still happens.  My band has been empty for 2 years and there are things that still get stuck not because I didn't chew good enough, but because of scar tissue that has formed around the band.

You say the weight will just melt off.  Don't be so sure about it.  You have no control over what could happen the first 6 months with your band.  I have seen people have the band and then a few months later had to have it removed due to issues and complications. 

You need to understand that everything could go perfectly and maybe you do lose the weight you want in the timeframe you want, but you need to wrap your head around the fact that the band has the highest complications rate mostly over 5 years out.  Things may not go smoothly and you may not reach your goals. 

I personally feel that faith has EVERYTHING to do with it. If I don't have faith that I can accomplish something then what is the point of even trying?

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I did not make this thread because I wanted approval. I am hopeful about my journey and wanted to share it on here, that's all. I'm not saying you all have to agree but the blatant rudeness is unnecessary. I have researched this procedure for years and one thing I have learned, not everyone experiences the same thing. Just because some of you have had a bad experience and/or maybe things didn't go as planned doesn't mean everyone will. I'm not asking for support (I have my family for that) but because many of you have been through it, this is definitely a surprise. 

I will continue to share my journey for those who care to see it.

It is not that  people do mot care ot is that all of their allergies experience and years of data do not support what you are hoping for. I am not banded so I have no personal experience but kate is one of the most sucsesful banders ever on here and can be great resource if you let her.

And if this journey was all about faith we would not all be getting surgery and if the 90 lbs you lost on your own had stayed off you would not need surgery. 

No one is saying not to have faith but wls is only a tool no matter how much you hammer at a board with a hammer it is still not going to work like a saw. 

You're absolutely right, not everyone experiences the same thing. Just because some people have had very GOOD experiences, and some people have lost 100lb quickly, that doesn't mean everyone will. Important to see both sides of it :)

There's a very big difference between rudeness and realism. Surgery is a big deal, no matter how successful you are, and it's important to make sure you fully understand what you're getting into before you go under the knife.

Weight does not "melt off," no matter what every snake-oil diet-pill salesman tells you, even after WLS! It's hard work and slow going, and often even slower when you get frustrated. When you don't see the results you want and/or expect, it's easy to slip or even give up entirely.

If you can stick to 800 calories a day, exercise like crazy, you're lucky enough to avoid all medical complications, you hit the "sweet spot" on fills early on, and the stars align? Fabulous! But if they don't, keep that optimism going, be patient, and be kind to those who have tried to offer advice in advance.

Best of luck!