Congratulations!  You have made a decision to take charge of your health.  Welcome to the Preparing for lap band surgery phase of Banded Living™.  You are working with your surgeon and his/her staff to get ready for surgery.  You already understand that this is a journey.  The more prepared you are the better; you and your loved ones will know what to expect.  The goal of the Preparing phase is to help ensure that you have what you need to ease your transition into banded living and pave the way for a smooth recovery. 

By the time you begin Preparing, we hope you have thoroughly been through the Exploring process, and that you've made your decision to have lap band surgery with your "eyes wide open." By now we hope you are comfortable that you have a solid foundation of knowledge - you understand your weight loss surgery options and the benefits and risks, you've set realistic goals, and understand what life is like with a lap band.  You've attended at least one surgeon-sponsored free informational seminar, you've had your surgical consult and have assembled a strong team that you are comfortable will help ensure your success. 

Here in the Preparing community you can get ideas from other patients who have been through lap band surgery and know what to expect.  You can get tips on things like:  how to prepare your home before surgery; what to stock up on; and things to bring with you on the day of surgery.  You can also find out what to expect by hearing other's surgery day experiences.