Getting banded in Jan.

[happy]

Hi. I am getting the lap band in Jan. I have about 1 million questions so I will start with just a few. How hard is it to adjust to the new way of eating? What happens if you drink alcohol? Does food ever get stuck and not come out or get through? I am phobic and the idea of something getting stuck in my throat really freaks me out. What I really want to know is if the hard times pay off in the end. I see alot of positive things but no negative comments. I know it can't have gone perfectly for everyone. Trust me, I am not searching for bad news I am just interested in the whole picture. I really want to know all there is to know before I get there.

Thanks for any help you may have!

Happy Holidays!

[JennaR]

Hi Happy...

Okay, I am going to have a little bit of tough love here but I am thrilled you are asking questions... HOWEVER, if you have the questions that you have right now I would say that you have not researched enough about the band and may be rushing things a bit. Just those questions are veryyyyyy basic that you can learn just by google. So my only concern is that you are running into getting a band without really researching the option. It is not for everyone and some people are very disappointed with it if they do not understand what they are getting. With your general interest, January is coming sooooooooon.

That being said.... at first, it is very hard adjusting to the new way of eating food. But it is hard mentally because you are making the choices. The band doesn't force you not to eat junk and twinkies and such... you have to make the choice not to eat it. Unlike gastric bypass, there is no foods that really aren't allowed. There are foods that individually we don't feel go down well, but there isn't something we absolutely can't have, like sugar. The band does not make you eat healthy, you have to choose to eat healthy. The band is only a tool to make you feel full and satisfied sooner. You have to make the choice to eat 1/2 a chicken breast and green beans rather than a bag of chips.

You can drink alcohol. Who told you you cant? Alcohol is just full of empty calories and no nutrients so it isn't the greatest choice. I think the point is not be be out at the bars every weekend. Carbonation is also a no no. But, if I wanted to have a glass of wine I could. The problem lies in not drinking 30 minutes before or after a meal. So no wine with dinner. The carbonation has been rumored to stretch our pouch and some bandsters have said the carbonation is extremely uncomfortable.

Something does not get stuck in your throat. The stuck feeling is when food is not chewed properly or eaten too fast or just doesn't agree with you and does not pass through the stoma. The stoma is the opening created from the band from the pouch to the rest of the stomach. I won't lie, when it gets stuck, it hurts. But, if you are very careful, the stuck feeling does not happen often.

With all good things, there are bad. There are negative possibilities with the band. Erosion, slippage, non adherance to rules, etc etc. Those are some of the negatives that EVERY bandster that chooses the band should know before having it placed. It does happen unfortunately. And there isn't anything you can do to prevent it sometimes. There is a ton of information at www.lapbandtalk.com if you use their search button on their site.

I welcome you to the bandster land for researching the lap band. I wish you good luck and success in whatever choices you make!!!

[Guest marys]

Thanks for this information because even though i recently was banded (11.18 by wonderful Dr. Ortiz and staff) and researched like crazy - since I've not eaten solids yet (should start on Dec. 10) I'm still nervous about food getting stuck/pbing and slime issues. It's scary to all the women I got banded with so it's good to hear from those who are living with it. I know it is trial and error and following the rules/guidelines but it appears we will all make a mistake down the road (or we probably wouldn't be overweight to start with). I know chewing and eating slow will be quite a challenge for me. However, I've made the strong committment to following all the rules/guidelines so, we'll see.