I little nervous..

Hi there, I am starting the process on having Lap Band surgery and I am very nervous about not being able to eat correctly afterwards. If I eat poorly now, I have a feeling I will eat poorly then too, although I know that I cannot and I am trying my best to change my way of thinking (easier said then done). I don't want to be sick all the time. Any advice... Thanks so much Victoria P.S. I love the Messageboard, lots of great inspiration. Best of luck to you all..

You should be going to a nutri while going thru this process both before and after. They would be familiar with WLS including lap band. Not everyone has problems eating. Remember, this is a tool and something you'd have to adjust too. What surgeon are you going too? I'm going to Dr. Randall and his staff is excellent with all this. They have their Lap Band support group meeting tonight at Lawrence Memorial Nursing in Medford. Hope this helps. Lorraine

As far as I know lap band does not restrict you from having certain foods. They encourage you not to have milkshakes, high calorie drinks, ice cream etc. But from what I know you do not get sick from eating high fat fried foods. That is only if you have gastric bypass surgery. So you will definately have to make a conscience decision not to eat poor food choices, because the only reprocussion will be that you gain weight. I also agree that you should be seeing a nutrionst. erica

Any good WLS program will require you to meet with a nutritionist pre-op and also post-op to monitor (and adjust as necessary) your food intake. If you haven't already, I'd also encourage you to check out the lap band board: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/posts.html There are many different ways to work your band - the key is figuring out what works for YOU. Best of luck. LOVIN my band, Caeli 348/323/255/198 5'10"

Victoria, all of us who have any type of WLS have to learn how to eat completely differently after our surgeries. Those who have the bypass might luck out and get dumping syndrome which helps keep them honest, but not all do. With the lapband, sugars and fats will not make you sick like they might a bypass patient. However, a friend of mine has the band and she does what she calls PBing (productive burping) frequently. I think that's her stomach's way of reacting to what she eats, or maybe how much she eats or how quickly she eats. In any event, no matter what surgery you have, you will need to make a big adjustment to how you eat. My recommendation to you would be to find a program that has not only a nutritional component, but also a behavioral component. I went through UMass, and we had to go through 4 group behavioral sessions, as well as 3 individual meetings with a psychologist to discuss how we ate before surgery, and how we can break the bad habits and learn to eat healthfully. I found those meetings to be quite helpful. I know other programs offer similar behavioral meetings as well. Also, most programs seem to run post surgery support groups where you can go and ask questions and get support. Some programs have websites as well. Patients of UMass can belong to a yahoo group to discuss the program and issues they have, which is wonderful. Maybe the program you choose will have something like that. There is a lot of support available to you, so use us all! Use this board, the lapband board, support groups, behavioral people at your program (or a private therapist if you think one would be helpful to deal with these complicated issues), your nutritionist, your friends and family and anyone else you can think of for support. Everyone who knows you and cares about you will want you to succeed after your surgery, so let them help you if they can. Good luck to you. Keep us posted with how you're doing! Mary Ellen

Hi Victoria, Dont be nervous! (Easy for me to say, you should have talked to me 2 weeks ago!) I am 9 days post op from Lap Band surgery and I have to say it hasn't been bad at all!!! Just listen to what the docs and nurses tell you. Also, its very important to follow the diet that the nutritionist gives you. Make sure you have lots of different protein drinks, ice pops, bottled water, jello, decaf tea/coffee, etc. all set for you for when you get home. I cant stress enough how important it is to stay HYDRATED! You will feel so much better if your getting in your liquids!! Also, get up and keep MOVING!! I have very poor eating habits too, (dont we all who have to have this type of surgery? thats how we all got here!) But once the band is in place your hunger wont be so bad, and amazingly, you will fill up pretty fast. Try to start cutting back now, just little steps. Besides, the more you lose pre-op, the easier it will be for you and your surgeon! Try not to stress! My thoughts are with you Carolyn