Am I doing the right thing??

I am reading these posts and freaking out! I am scheduled for 9/6 in TJ. I need to know if I am ruining my life by doing this. My impression when talking to my weight loss Dr. and reading about lap band surgery was that, after all the post-op dietary restrictions, that I would be able to lose weight, then maintain that loss by eating small portions of "normal", healthy foods. Chewing slowly and thoroughly as required would change my "fast gulp--more is better" eating style. Eating just a small amount and feeling full would re-train me. I thought I could go out to dinner, avoid certain foods, but fake it that I was just a reformed fatty. But now I hear about sliming, PBs, golf balls in your chest, always looking for the nearest bathroom. It sounds like this surgery makes you a freak! I am definitely overweight, look like a parody of my former self---am 5'8" 225lbs--so maybe not quite as heavy as some--but really determined to find a solution to manage my weight for the rest of my life. I can sacrifice, but can I slime...? I don't want to go out with other couples and have clear soup as my special treat and hope I don't embarress myself by running, burping and gagging to the bathroom! My question---will I ever taste a taco or piece of pizza again (don't mind having just one and chewing it for 10 minutes) Can I go out to a fine restaurant and be fun and charming and appear to be eating normally, albeit, sparingly? And, most of all---it sounds like everybody is really hungry when they are not throwing up or PBing. Tell me what is good--and tell me fast before I pay my next installment and head to TJ.

Hi Liz. Getting my band is the best decision I have ever made for myself. I am so very happy I can't begin to tell you. I have never PB'd or had slime. I have never thrown up or run to the bathroom after eating. I have had the golf ball feeling in my chest after eating, but I chalk that up to the learning curve. I am a fast eater and have a hard time slowing down to chew properly.

Here's the fantastic news...for most meals, I follow a low fat, good carb plan from my dr. Protein first, veg/fruit next then, if there's any room left, starch. But, I also allow myself to eat "regular" food. Last night, for example, my husband and I went over to my best friends house for dinner. We had steak kabobs from Omaha Steaks, broccoli, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. I ate about 1/2 of a kabob, small spoon of broccoli and about 2 bites of potatoes. No corn and no dessert cuz I didn't have room and really didn't have any desire for it. I was quite concent with the food that I ate and didn't have anyone looking at me like I had 3 heads. Most of my friends know I had the surgery, so they're pretty accepting of my new eating habits, but even if they didn't know, I don't think I'd stand out like a sore thumb because of it.

In the beginning, I didn't want to tell many people - just a few close friends and my immediate family. But, as I lost weight and felt more confident, I started wanting everyone to know. I'm quite proud of myself and my accomplishment so far.

Whew...after all that, here's the moral of the story. Don't be scared of what you're reading here. You will get instructions from your dr. and if you follow them, your odds of having problems go down dramatically. It's not always perfect, but it's definitely a fantastic tool that will help you lose the weight you need to lose if you let it and work with it.

Stephanie

Hi, Liz and welcome!

I can't give personal testimony, I was banded 6 days ago, so I've yet to experience any of those horrible and humiliating things you've read about. And they would have given me great pause before hand, too! And I have (HAD!) 100 lbs on you!

In fact, I read that one thread last night and woke up a little while ago LOL.....I was dreaming of eating out, and I looked like a diamond cutter hunched over my plate with scalpel and eyepiece whittling my food down to microscopic bites so I would never experience a PB or sliming!

Hey -- that's pretty ridiculous. But not as ridiculous as it would have been to keep packing on the weight and ended up DEAD! Would you give up tacos for LIFE if it saved your life? Any of us would. But more than likely, we don't have to give them up forever, just for a time and then possibly reexamine how important they are to our lives and reinvestigate new ways of consuming them.

The choice is still yours, but I think you're on the right track.

I am a little freaked by all the posts I see people making in here too. I think we see so many of these type questions it appears to outweigh all the benefits the surgery had for people. I don't know if you have seen this thread yet but it certainly helped put my head back in the right place. I am still afraid of those things happening to me, but I am longing for the time when I can do this stuff mentioned below.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/share...ved-you-37441/

You know what...everyone uses this board to vent and complain, but if you asked each one of us if we regreted getting the band, you'd have about a 98% chorus bellowing HELL NO! in your face. You'll get a golf ball.....a few times....and you'll learn what causes it and go on from there. You'll slime....it'll happen...but so what? None of that is like a daily occurrance if you are doing what you are supposed to do. You'll find you can probably eat most of the foods you did before. I can even eat those foods that "I can't" if I take it REALLY slowly. You're not doomed to barfing and clear soups. Your life will change, but you will LOVE the change.

Thank you Stefgray for those words. I also am going to have the lap band on. My surgery will be this friday 8/24. I did my research and even watched a real lap band surgery on the internet. Then, I read about the "slime and golf balls". It really made me scared. Thank you for the words of encouragement.

I just want to say... thank you for asking this question, and for the replies! I am sitting here, freaking out too, about going through with the surgery (I am scheduled for Monday, 8/27). I have read many posts and overall, it seems people are very happy with their decision. I just think that as my date gets closer, I am realizing that it's going to happen, and to be honest, it's a bit scary! Thank you for your help! :)

The band re-trains the brain through negative re0inforcement.

Once you learn how to eat in the way the band requires, having incidents like the ones described are blessedly rare.

I have been banded for about 10 months. I rarely PB, slime, and have only had a golf ball once. I go out to eat all the time with family and friends. Some of them know I am banded, most of them don't. I had one person who doesn't know that I have the band comment on the small portion of food that I now eat. Noone else has made a comment, or even noticed. I eat much slower than I used to. I used to be the last one to the table and the first one done. Now I am always the last one finished.

I honestly can't think of any negatives to my band.
Lynne

My experience has been that I have to learn some things the hard way, so I have had my PB episodes, and I do tend to keep an eye on where the bathrooms are in a restaurant. But, I really only have problems when I eat something I KNOW I shouldn't - soft bread, rice, pasta for example. Or when I don't chew well. Or when I ignore my body telling me I've had enough.

I eat mexican a lot, I never liked Tacos but can do Nachos, enchiladas and arroz con pollo. I can eat pizza, as long as it's thin crust. We eat out a lot, and most of the time, if I'm aware, I'm fine.

And the REALLY great part of this is when I'm at a good fill point, I don't feel hungry at all between meals, I don't even spend time thinking about food. I LOVE that part. :D

I don't feel like a freak at all, and I would do my surgery again in less then a hearbeat.

Thanks so much for responding. I do think that I am going to go through with the banding. I had started back with my diet Dr. last week anyway, and am following a protein fast program. Have already lost 10 lbs in 6 days--have to lose 11lbs before the surgery, so I am already there--although I am going to Monterey this week, and will have to "eat"--basically for the last time normally for the rest of my life. The following week is the week before my surgery & I will be back on the liquid diet for a week. Already, the knowledge that I am getting this done has pretty much started to change my habits. I am working on chewing (I realize I really never chewed much--surprised I haven't choked to death by now!) and my "cheats" have been with a solid protein like a piece of steak or chicken. So I can see how the banding will be a good tool. Thank you for your support and information, and best of luck to you in your ongoing journey!

Thanks, Lynne. I appreciate your taking the time to give me the benefit of your experience. It does seem that everyone says they would do it all over again, so how horrible can it be? I suppose people who have not been successful or are miserable don't go on these boards as much, but the sheer number of people getting lap band should speak to the success of the procedure. I look forward to no longer being the fattest person in the room (it would be too much trouble to go out and find fatter friends!) Thanks again for your support!