One of my main concerns when weighing the pros and cons of surgery came down to travel. The obvious pros are more easily fitting into airplane seats, having more energy to see and climb the sights I visit and not being the fat American everywhere I go. I was really concerned about the cons though. Would I be able to fly easily, or would the band tighten up and make me really uncomfortable? What if I couldn't sample local cuisine due to the band? My husband and I love good food and wine, and I didn't want to risk losing one of our more enjoyable activities because of the band.
Lucky for me, this has not been an issue. My band has flown approximately 49,478 miles in under six months. In addition to my monthly trip back to NY/NJ to see my family and go to Dr. K, my band (I should really name it) has been to Dublin, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sevilla (Spain), Venice, Chianti, Florence, and Positano. My band is very well-behaved and has not acted up during any of my travels.
We spent NYE in Dublin, so I pretty much re-introduced my stomach to solid foods over a fabulous NYE dinner at One Pico. I probably had one other solid meal the day before, but it wasn't memorable. I was completely scared that I would get stuck, choke or cause a scene, but nothing of the sort happened. I ordered the filet mignon and was able to eat some of it... I was full after only a few bites but was SO excited that I could handle steak. This might have been a bit adventurous right out of the gate, but it was a success! We spent two more days in Dublin, and I stuck with fish for the remainder of the trip.
I have been able to eat everything from steak to sushi, octopus to oranges. The key for me is really small bites and a lot of chewing. Because Dr. K knows of my travel schedule, she tries to fill me as little as possible while still giving me adequate restriction. I have heard that a lot of bandsters like a super tight feeling, but that's not me. I want to eat my Greek salads and lamb chops. So far, I have continued to do so (albeit in smaller quantities) without a problem.
