TerriDoodle

AMEN!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who participated! This really does help. Ya'll are just great!

I am self pay, BMI of 35, and in relatively good health (no diabetes, high BP, etc) and my doctor, who is one of the leading bariatric surgeons, has not required any testing at all. It may have more to do with the confidence and experience of the surgeon than anything else, y'know? Covering their a** and all that.

Hi Hazelbunny - welcome! Dr. Spivak didn't say anything to me about a pre-op diet either, but his PA said to go on a low-carb, low-fat diet until my surgery date (Apr 4)....but then in the next breath she said 'but nobody does it anyway'... So, can I ask you what your BMI or present weight is ...and do you have any co-morbidities?? I sure as heck don't want to have to go on a low-carb, low-fat diet (read: turkey turkey and more turkey) if I don't have to!

My sentiments exactly, Mary. I've never been very "athletic" :phanvan probably because I was overweight since childhood and was always picked last for dodge ball...lol!! (That's my story anyway!) Do you have any interest in going to Jazzercize? That might be fun.

I searched and was surprised that I did not readily find a poll that asks the question: "Would you do it again?" I think that is a burning question that 99% of newcomers would like to see answered! It probably should be a sticky somewhere....dontcha think? If it's here somewhere, I haven't found it yet. So....here goes. I'm going to keep it real simple, too. Yes or No. NOTE: Keep in mind that the results will be skewed towards the "No" because people that are having problems visit this board more than people who are sailing right through their experience with no problems at all.

I'm also going to Dr. Spivak in Houston. He actually has the most experience in the state and has trained many surgeons in this procedure. I'm sure if you called his office they could possibly refer you to someone in San Antonio.

My surgeon is not nearly so strict with the pre-op diet -- very, very loose guidelines. I wonder if that's good or bad?? He's very experienced, so that's not the issue?! His PA said basically, "Here's the pre-op diet guidelines but folks rarely abide by them..." LOL! Basically the same guidelines as you outline here, but no hard numbers like that. Weird, huh? 15-30g fat would be awfully hard for me to follow. So what do you eat?? Turkey breast, day and night, night and day? Yikes.

What, if any, pre-op tests did Dr. Spivak order for you? Also, are you self-paid or insured? (I think that makes a difference.) I guess I'm kinda wondering why he didn't order any for me. I am fairly healthy (other than my weight and hypoglycemia), and don't have a *whole bunch* of weight to lose, so maybe that's why...?

I'm scheduled for April 4th and would love to have a group of friends to go through all this with. I'm self-pay and only had my first consult with my surgeon this past Saturday. I was ready even before that!! I've been overweight since I was 10 also. I have lost and gained back weight 15 times in my life...each time gaining back more. I pray that the band will put an end to all of that and am grateful that I have the opportunity. I'm also grateful that Dr. Spivak is my surgeon -- he's one of the best and I like him a lot. I'm looking forward to my active participation on LBT and to getting to know my fellow bandsters! Here's to a new life -- starting in April 2007!!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Can't wait to watch your progress!! I'm sure it will all get easier with each passing day. I'm starting to get pretty anxious to get this show on the road. I'm so glad I don't have to wait 6-8 months...I don't think I could stand it! Patience is not my strong suit. :phanvan What part of town do you live in?

Thanks to all of you who answered -- gives me a very good idea of what to expect. TRIAL AND ERROR is the name of the game....just like everyone says!

Gosh, Mary....I live right near you!! I am in Copper Lakes near Longenbaugh and Barker Cypress! We should get together sometime....for lunch??? LOL ....or maybe new clothes shopping in a few months!! Yeah, that's more like it!

Hi Kimmie! Thanks for the greeting. I am so happy to find more than a few patients of Dr. Spivak's here. Your experience will be so helpful to me and I look forward to staying in touch, if you don't mind. Thanks a lot!!! So, are you feeling better now?

Oh! I'm glad to see you all here! I went to see Dr. Spivak last Saturday and signed up for surgery on April 4th ....so wish me well and I'm sure I'll be seeing you all around! I see that he's got "wellness classes" starting up on Mar 13th, but there's no way I can make it to the Medical Center on Tuesday evenings for these Do any of you attend any kind of support group in the NW Houston area?

Thanks, girls! Then how the heck to you get in the fiber that you need if you can't eat anything with fiber???

As I'm sure most people do, I have my favorite foods that I eat over and over again, day in and day out. Which do you think I'll have to give up? cottage cheese w/ raspberries & splenda Wasa crackers (high Fiber whole grain) with crunchy Jif Peanut Butter coffee w/ cream Iced Raspberry tea w/ lemon (decaf) Caesar salad w/ grilled chicken steak chicken breast (I hate fish) asparagus fresh green Beans broccoli squash corn bread corn tortillas apples bananas oranges all berries grapes cheddar cheese nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts) chinese food w/ veggies and chicken Your input is much appreciated!

My doc helped me with this decision by recommending a hospital if you have serious co-morbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. In other words, the 'sicker' you are the more you need to be in a hospital. HTH

I've not been banded yet, so I don't speak from that perspective, but I have been trying to give up my diet cokes because the caffeine in them makes me hungry and cranky. So I've just searched out for a substitute I enjoy just as much! I can now say that I am officially addicted to raspberry iced tea (caffeine free)! Since I found that, I know that I will have NO problem giving up the carbonated drinks. Keep searching and you'll probably soon find a flavor of Crystal Lite or tea that you love, too. Carbonated drinks will be a distant memory...and your body will thank you for it.

My surgeon helped me understand why some people fail even with the band....that if you are an emotional eater or a binge eater, that you might have more problems losing the weight because you can still get the calories in if you are determined to do that. (makes sense) He said that the most successful ones are people that CAN lose weight rather successfully on other diets like WW or atkins or whatever. In other words, it's the people who know how to control their impulses that will succeed. This will take all the determination WW would, except now you shouldn't gain the weight BACK because the restriction is always there. I love bread just as much as the next person, but I know from experience with low carbing that I can and DO feel so much better when I don't eat those things. For me the 'feeling better' was a big reward in itself. I regained my weight when I quit smoking and hit menopause and started trying to keep up with my husband at the dinner table. But since I'm not a person who generally will sit down with a gallon of ice cream or 1/2 of a chocolate cake, and I have a good nutrition background, I feel confident I will do well with the band...and my doctor does, too. You are asking yourself the right questions. The important thing is to answer honestly. Good luck to you!!!

Hi everyone. Just want to introduce myself. I'm a big fan of message boards from the days when I was low-carbing...when low carbing wasn't even cool yet! Anyway, I got lots of support and great ideas there so here I am looking for a new support group! I am on the schedule for April 4th so in the meantime I'll be lurking around getting lots of questions answered, I'm sure. Thanks in advance to all of you for putting in the time, and especially to the moderators!! I am self-paying and lucky enough to live in Houston where there is one of the finest bariatric surgeons in the country only few miles from my home! Dr. Spivak seems to be quite wonderful and I'm looking forward to working with him and his staff through this experience. I have 100% confidence in his ability and that is a huge load off my mind. Anyone out there who is a patient of his, I''d love to hear from you. I "only" have 65 lbs to lose and realize this presents its own special set of challenges, so I'd be glad to hear from all of you low BMI'ers too! I'll be seein' ya'll around!

Thanks to everyone so much for your responses. So it sounds like I'd need to ask for about 2 weeks off, huh? I don't feel compelled to tell my boss any details....it's against the law for him to ask anyway. I have girlfriends (my best friends) that I've worked with for 15 years...so I'll have to get REAL creative in figuring out what to tell them. I guess it may have to be the truth. Thanks again.

I'm considering the band. One of my major concerns is how long the recovery will take. I'd MUCH prefer to keep it a secret at work, but what do I tell my boss and how much time off should I ask for? I suppose I could say I"m having 'minor'(?) surgery and expect to be back in X number of days....but I'm pretty close to the folks I work with. That may cause quite a bit of alarm. Also, I'd prefer to take medical leave rather than vacation time. Any ideas and shared experiences are appreciated.

rsbell.....sadly, I did consider it. :cry

I can self pay here in the States... if insurance doesn't pay, then I'll pay with cash. That's not an issue.