parisshel

Yeah, I had moments when I thought the surgery was never going to happen (things just weren't moving "fast enough" for my schedule!) and now...I sometimes think that all my life has been leading up to this moment. By that I mean that I always "knew" that one day I'd release my weight permanently. Dieting for years never did the "permanent" thing, but this...I can't put the correct words to it, but I just feel deep down that this is what I've been leading up to. Anyone else feel that way?

Am I naive to think that even an unfilled band would provide one with a smaller pouch? After all, the band is restricting the stomach into two parts. So I would think that even unfilled, it can be an effective tool to weight loss. But I'm still pre-op, so maybe I'm mistaken.

Great thread for me to read as a pre-op. I have this fear in the back of my mind that I won't be a success story, I'll be "the one person" who won't succeed with the band. I'm really glad to read all the posts on this thread to know what to expect, and what I can do to succeed (protein, protein and protein!). I'm realizing how mental this game really is. Thanks, everybody.

Look at how happy and confident you seem in the "after." Well done! You obviously worked hard and consistently.

I hope by the time you read this post you are feeling better! This reminds me that I need to write down TODAY my list of why I'm doing this...all my dreams for what I want out of this radical decision...so that post-surgery (next month), should I get the "bands blues" I can re-read my list and remember to keep my eye on the longterm. I hope for you it is all smooth sailing for here.

I don't have a pre-op diet but that is normal for the protocol of my surgeon. I don't think the goal of the pre-op is to lose weight (so doing an intense workout regimen isn't necessary for the LB) my understanding is it is to defat the liver to make entry/exit into the area smoother for the surgeon. Your liver gets "moved" if you will during the intervention, and if it is really fatty, that can make things slippery for the instruments. From reading these boards, it looks like most US surgeons require a pre-op diet, but for some reaons mine here in Europe doesn't.

Interesting thread and brings up a question. I've seen a lot of members of this site having had their LBs done in Mexico. Loads of them. How do they do their followup care and fills/unfills? They obviously don't return to Mexico each time for this. I travel a lot between France and the USA and my French surgeon has given me a list of his colleagues in California (where I travel to) who will see me should I have problems with my band on an overseas trip. I hope I don't meet with the type of reluctance many on this thread are suggesting I can expect. It would be awful to be overseas and not be able to be unfilled should need be.

Sorry that you had to go through this but glad you shared it with us. When I remet with my surgeon last week, the question of what to do when one has food poisoning or stomach flu was first on my list. He pretty much said to do what you did (if the vomiting goes past 24 hours).

could be lack of potassium...bananas are often recommended for this.

..and those waiting for your downfall are usually fat themselves.

I'd definitely be up for it if I lived there. I WISH I lived there. (Good luck nonetheless.)

Travel, travel, travel and sex, sex, sex. Both, more comfortably than what's happening now! And I'm definitely looking forward to more stamina, agility, confidence, a higher happiness quotient and stabler moods (i.e., no more sugar highs and lows).

I understand these feelings; I have them and I'm sure most pre-bandsters had them too. But what helps me when I start getting anxious is looking at the tremendous number of people who started like me, and who have had not only success, but LONGTERM success. This is where WLS differs from "just diet and exercise." The longterms success rate of keeping lost weight off is dramatically higher with WLS when compared with the 2% success rate of non-surgical methods of keeping lost weight off. For me, it is essential that I accompany my post-band time with mental health support. While I am 100% convinced I will love my image as it transforms, I also predict it will be something that provokes some anxiety...who IS this person that was fat for so long? So I've already put into place my "mental health team" (a therapist who works with my surgeon's patients) who knows how to help me adjust to loving what my new outsides will look like. This may be something you might want to consider, too, just to help take the edge of what you anticipate might be a rocky, but welcome, journey.

This is precisely what I'm planning to do. I have "nice" designer plus sized clothing; no way am I just going to give it away. And where I live (France) there's a good market for this, since so few women here are plus sized...the ones that are really appreciate being able to find nice things. Funny ebay story, also: my sister lost 150 lbs (sadly through illness, not diet) and ebayed loads of items, including her old bras. OLD BRAS! Some wierdo dude bought them and gave her an A+ rating for the transaction.

I've told my friends, but I agree with the statement that there could be some resentment at work for time taken off for what they might perceive as "elective surgery." So I'll be telling them that I'm getting my gall bladder out, too...since the work stop papers I have to submit will be saying "Digestive Surgery" on them. I do hope karma doesn't come back and hit me in the butt with one day REALLY having to have gall bladder surgery! I'll have to come up with another story if that happens

How exciting! I hope you will feel better with each passing hour/day. Now your new life begins...

This underscores what I plan to say to people/waitstaff when I'm banded (next month). "I've had WLS and can't eat a lot, but this is delicious and I'm really enjoying it." I know a sleever who always says this when ordering in a restaurant. She only gets a starter, and explains that she's a sleever and only needs a small bit to really savor the meal.

No pre-op diet for us here in France. It's funny how this varies from country to country. I think the pre-op consultations were similar to what is done in the USA: psych consults, bloodwork, cardio consult, upper GI endoscopy, liver and stomach xrays...but no particular diet per se. I'm trying just eat normally and not see this time as a food funeral...'cause it's not!

I'm so ready for this. Got my surgery date today: March 20th. Bring it on!

But it's March 20th...so I'm going to move over to the March 2013 Bandsters group, as my surgeon is just so popular and he couldn't fit me in for February. Anyway...good luck and smooth sailing to all of you February Bandsters...see you on other threads!

Sending hopes for a smooth surgery and wakeup! Good luck!

Good luck. I was also fearful of surgery/anesthesia until I had to go under (for something else). Now that I've had two experiences with anesthesia, I'm not apprehensive about my upcoming lapband surgery...well, the "going under" part, anyway. You'll see....the patient's part of the process is nothing...all you have to do is go to sleep . We will keep you in our thoughts.

I haven't yet been banded, but when I had ankle surgery in 2010, I had a reaction to my opiate-based pain meds--like hot flashes, with sweating, but no fever so it wasn't an infection. Once I got them to change my pain meds to non-opiate based, it went away instantly. Note to self: tell my surgeon that I can't take opiates.

Hi! Thanks for responding! Oh, I envy your surgery date. I see my surgeon on Feb 5th (next week) to set a date and I'm hoping it will be Valentine's Day but I suspect, with French National Health, it won't be that quick. But it should be February in any case. I'm also ready and excited! Good luck with the preop, and I'm hoping it all goes smoothly for you.

Hi everybody, I've poked around this site and can't seem to find a "Find" search mechanism so I thought I'd post here. This place has been the greatest resource for me as I prepare to be banded. I'd love to find other bandsters who are closer geographically to me. I'm in Paris, France and the WLS boards here just aren't as developed/well-maintained/polite/etc as those I've found based in the USA. So I rely on LBT for my support and information but also wondered if there are any other Europe and/or France-based people on here. Let me know!