FAQ

Am I doing the right thing,

Yes I was as my health was the main problem and this was the only way to get healthy again

will I be able to eat normal foods,

To me Normal is what got me where I was , no I would never eat normal again but I would eat healthier foods just a lots less of everything to

will it be so life changing that my husband and kids will regret me having this done?

Yes it will change your Life all for the better and NO you will find it will improve your relationship with them as they will see your health improve

What can I do? I exercise daily and try to eat good.

Walking is the best form of exercise and good healthy foods like veggies and fish or Chicken but it is more what you want and can handle that is important.

I have heard several times the band only lets you lose 70% of your weight.
Is this correct?

They aim for the first goal of 70% but you can and will pass that marker and get close to 90 to 95 % of the excess weight off.

What did you mean by " a bad day," and "an odd week"?

A bad day is a day when you have trouble eating foods that you have eaten before and since your op, and an Odd week is much the same and you have to go back one step to soft foods and sometimes even puree's just to get some food in.

What surprising things happened immediately after your surgery, as a result from your banding; these can be good or bad surprises.

Well I was up and walking around within 3 hours of the op, had a nice relaxing hot shower and was off my pain medications that night. I was shocked by just how good I had come through it.

Would you do it again?

Yes even with the minor problems I had I would go through every part of it again as I now have a will to live and a new passion for life as a healthier more out going person for it, and it has also been the reason I found my Love of my life Jayne.

What kind of pain might I expect?

Well each person may and will experience different pain from this op but all in all the pain is not a real issue as you normally only have it for about 24 hours, the pain that really does hurt is from the gases making there way up into your shoulders and this is easy to over come too.

What kinds of foods are your big no-nos after surgery?

Steak, Sausages, Chops, Corn, hard cheeses peas in general most foods that are stringy or require lots of chewing will give you trouble, Soft foods are best to avoid problems.

Which of those foods do you miss most?

I would say Steaks

Do you have a lot of fluctuation between what you can eat from week to week? Are there any trends to the fluctuations?

Yes my diet changes almost daily I have found what I eat today I can't eat for almost a week later, and some times longer

Do they give you any medications to make you less hungry or is that 100% supplied by the band?

No the band controls all my hunger pains and I have never needed to take anything to suppress my hunger at all.

What is the approved amount of weekly/monthly weight loss?

No there is no set amount for the weight loss each person looses what they can and that is the best thing we are all different and we all loose at different rates so from 0.5 pounds to 15 pounds what ever you loose is great never compare yourself with anyone else

Did your doctor give you a number that is sort of a "standard"? some of the sites I have been looking at seem a bit vague about it. Is 10# a month a reasonable expectation?

They like you to loose about 5 pounds as a good amount but once again there is NO standard amount required