LapBandit2013

Hey Catlady, I was banded on the 18th, too! I also have not had a BM, and was wondering about that.

G2 Gatorade, homemade popsicles with 1/2 juice 1/2 water, vegetarian pho broth, herbal tea. That just so far, I'm also looking for ideas!

Hey everyone, I had my surgery yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty good. I had a hiatal hernia they found and repaired while they were in there. Not too many gas pains. I've been walking around a lot. Some incisional pain on the lower left. All in all, feeling good! Also, started out at 331lbs and was 307 lbs yesterday, so I was really happy. Good blood pressure and cardiologist said a healthy heart, so I've been in really good spirits. Since I'm in mexico I also got a tooth fixed for dirt cheap. Anyway, good luck to you all, let's keep in touch!

Not banded yet, but I am a big caffeine junky (I work graveyard shift) and recently switched from the carbonated Monsters & SF Red bulls to Crystal Light Energy and Crystal Light Metabolism. Both are just as good at keeping me awake.

1. Living my life instead of sitting around waiting while it passes me by. 2. Having another baby. 3. Not staying home & declining invitations because I don't know the seating situation ( will I fit?) 4. Riding a bicycle. 5. Wearing clothes that are stylish. 6. Getting a better job. Last but not least, being a better, more active parent.

Good luck, Mimi! I'm right there with you. It seems to be getting easier the closer I get to surgery, now that its becoming so real.

Good luck, Mimi! I'm right there with you. It seems to be getting easier the closer I get to surgery, now that its becoming so real.

I did not like EAS. I drink Muscle Milk Lite & Premier Protein in chocolate.

I'm really glad you started this topic, because I'm dealing with a lot of insecurity and disappointment about my recent weight loss, which nobody has noticed. My fiance, when asked, admitted he couldn't see a difference now that I'm 20 lbs down during my preop diet. I just feel so discouraged, especially because I can't really tell either. I'm glad to hear that after another 10-20 lbs I might get a little acknowledgment and encouragement from close family/friends. I have a long way to go, though.

Hey, Lynner, glad you are feeling better each day. Do you have a lot of gas pains? What is your post-op diet and how are you dealing with it?

Congrats, Moses, keep us updated! I am so excited to get this surgery over with. And thanks, Mimi.

I'm in the same boat! I am thinking about joining Overeaters Anonymous, but I tried a couple of meetings a few years ago and I was the fattest one there. I know that shouldn't matter, but it was all I could think about and I didn't feel comfortable being there, especially with their flimsy plastic folding chairs. Once I start losing more after the surgery, I'm definitely going back and trying new meetings. The emotional/bored/anxiety driven hunger is really going to be hard to deal with once we aren't physically able to satiate it.

I'm self-pay. I have a borderline "too high" BMI, so if I don't lose it, they may cancel the surgery or charge an extra 5k for high-risk purposes. You're lucky you are getting banded so soon! That is really exciting. Just a few more days until the 10th!!! Can you take anything for your upset stomach or have they banned TUMS, etc.? Also, I totally hear you about being a miserable person. I'm getting better, but at the start I was dying.

I know, I've got a lot of anxiety about it, too. I'm really afraid I'll just fail at the pre-op diet and they will cancel my surgery. My surgeon required me to lose 5-10% of my body weight prior to surgery, so although I've reached the minimum weight loss, I keep thinking something is wrong with my scale and I'll find out that I didn't lose at all. I can't even tell I've lost. I'm leaving for Mexico on the 17th, working a night shift on the 16th so maybe I'll sleep on the plane. When is your surgery?

Hey y'all, how is everyone doing? Has anyone had the surgery yet & how many of you are on a pre-op diet? I was really struggling, still am, but it's getting better. I'm down 19 pounds over the past 3 months, most of it from the past couple weeks. I finally started buckling down with low-cal Protein shakes as Meal Replacements and it's getting easier, even though I still think about food all the time and cheat almost daily. My surgery is on the 18th and I can't wait! What are you folks doing? I would love to hear some updates from the other January bandsters!

Hey, call the center and they will give you a list of docs in your area who will do fills on Dr. Ortiz placed bands. I just did that to get prepared for aftercare. Depending on where you are, it might be cheaper to just drive down to Dr. Ortiz. $100/fill under fluoro.

There are a few people on these forums who basically cut & paste the generic warnings for going to Mexico on nearly every post about Mexico, but I have yet to hear that warning from somebody who actually went. I am scheduled with Dr. Ariel Ortiz on the 18th. So far the communication has been awesome and they gave me a list of docs in my area who will do fills & aftercare so I got myself set up with a local nurse practitioner who does fills. The cost for everything is $5000, no taxes/fees. Airfare is costing me $700 because I bought 3 seats (1 for a friend, 2 for my fat@ss). I will definitely update on the Mexico forum after I get back to describe my experience. Leaving on the 17th!

Hey there, I just saw this thread and would love to connect with other nurses. I'm getting banded Jan 18th, and plan to take ten days off work. I am a pediatric home health RN. Not a lot of lifting, but frequent turning/repositioning up to 50lbs. I tried to access the nurse forum, but it's password protected. Is there a public one I can join, or can somebody PM me the password? Thanks!

I was picking my 4 year old up from preschool, and one of the kids stood up and pointed at me and exclaimed "you're fat!" Then looked at my daughter and said, "you're mom is fat." My daughter got really upset, and yelled at him not to talk about her mom. I just smiled and told him, "you're right, but it hurt my feelings when you said that". Then I went to my car and cried, unfortunately, in front of my daughter. I'm not that thick-skinned. Btw, I wouldn't get involved in the bus situation unless its ongoing and your son isn't effective on his own when he tells the kid to stop or just ignores it.

I wont get my band in until january 18th, but I've been a vegetarian for 17 years (I know, how did i get this big?) I have been looking into low-carb options, too. Google "Eco Atkins diet". Also, I don't know what you can/can't eat with the band yet, but I've been buying the pre-separated egg whites and making scrambled eggs on a non-stick pan with olive oil spray and some seasonings. Beans, nuts, tofu, kale, fat free plain Greek yogurt (as a veggie dip) and cottage cheese, those are some of the things off the top of my head. Let me know what you come up with!

Also, I'm flying down to San Diego next month, bought myself two seats just in case. The extra $150 it cost me is worth the peace of mind.

When I flew Jet Blue coach in 2009, I was 275, 5'10" and a 22 pant size. It was tight, but didn't need the seatbelt extension or armrests up. Fast forward to 2012, 325lbs and size 26, flying Alaska Air coach and I needed the extension and probably would have been asked to buy a second seat if I weren't sitting next to my tiny 3 year old daughter who had room for me to spread out.

I went to a seminar in July, did some investigating & realized my crappy work insurance won't pay anything weight related, so I started saving money. I'm scheduled with Dr. Ariel Ortiz in Mexico ($5000) for January 18th. So I guess about 6 months for me, but for different reasons. If I had the money, I probably could have had the surgery within weeks.