flrosie

I have followed a couple discussions about whether we're telling people we are having lapband surgery, who we're telling, and why/why not. Up to this point I have only told my husband and my three closest girlfriends. I live in an active retirement community where I am involved in a lot of activities. I know my losing weight is going to be fodder for some of the busy-bodies around here and I just didn't want to hear their crap about my health care choices. After reading so many other opinions, ones that match my own point of view of secrecy and ones that challenged my senses by being so open about it, I came to the conclusion that I really don't give a hoot what other people think of me having the surgery so why am I trying to guard it like a family secret? I wrote a short note to my children (6 of them, 20 - 35 yo) telling them I was having surgery on Tuesday just to let them know in the event something tragic and unexpected occurs. Later in the day a casual friend of mine mentioned I looked like I was losing a little weight (apparently she thinks we're closer friends than we are - I would NEVER say that to a casual friend!!) I replied I was on a very strict diet in preparation for lapband surgery (I just had to try this out on someone). She told me I was very brave to tackle my weight issue head on like that; she wished she had the gumption to do more than just talk about going on a diet (yes, she's heavy, too). All of my children wrote me wonderfully supportive notes - like I would have expected any less of them - what was I thinking?!?!? I know I'm going to hear from the rumor mill in my community that I'm taking the easy way out. I know there are going to be some that are vocal about their disdain for my choice. But it's MY choice, dammit, and I am happy I made the choice. I'm not hiding in the closet hoping no one will ask me how I'm doing it. If they ask, I'll tell. Otherwise, busy-bodies of the world: eat your heart out while I fashion a new look!

I have no fear, no anxiety, no undue emotion except for excitement. I have been fat my whole life. I have no thin times to look back upon. I started on a new health plan a couple of years ago and noticed bariatric surgery was not excluded (except the sleeve). It still took me more than a year before I started thinking about it as seriously within my ability to do. I cannot wait to see who my thin self looks like. I cannot wait to wear something smaller than a size 16 - the smallest size I've ever worn. I can't wait to ride in an airplane as thin person. I can't wait to see if losing the weight affects my blood pressure, my RLS, my sleep apena. It's trite to say but there is this whole other person inside of me waiting to burst on the scene. I know I will be the same person, really, but it has to be said that there will be differences because of the way other people will respond/react to me when I am of normal weight. There will be differences because of the extra level of confidence I will have entering a room as a person of normal weight. I'm no wallflower but I am probably typical of the fat-girl syndrome: I am more overt and extroverted than I probably would be if I weren't so heavy. I overcompensate for my size by being the life of the party, the fun/funny one, the happy fat girl. So, change is a-comin' and I'm happy to receive it! TWO MORE DAYS!!!

I can hardly wait until I can say "almost a year later and x pounds gone!" :wub:

Wow! That is the most interesting and most thorough information I've had to date. I took lots of notes that I will be taking to my pre-op appt Monday to discuss with my surgeon. The first time I met with him he asked me, "Do you have any questions?" Of course, so new in the process I didn't know what I didn't know. Now I do. With the help of this site and all its wonderful members, and sharing videos such as this, I feel I am so much more prepared. I understand now it's not about restriction,which I (and millions of others, I'm sure) thought that was the point. How interesting! Thanks for posting this. I may not have found it on my own. 3 days to bandyland

I wonder if this is the person also responsible for the strange emails that started coming from this site: I'm a boy looking for a girl, kind-of-thing. I just deleted it, Figured no site is pest-free.....

Great idea!!

Pre-op yesterday and all tests a-okay. All set for Tuesday!

I found a website that explains this. Weight x .37 = grams of protein to eat per day. I'll see how that compares with the info I get from the nutritionist.

I used the wrong word. Anxious, I am not. Excited as hell, would be a more apt description. I'm five days from bandyland, on the 9th day of pre-op Optifast. When I see the success of so many people here, it gives me such encouragement. I know this is the tool I need to help me maintain weight loss. I applaud you all and can't wait to join the ranks of the banded.

I'm starting to think about life after surgery....6 days from now. How much protein am I supposed to try to get in every day? I know it will take different forms as I progress through the food chain again but where do I start?

Good luck tomorrow! Will be thinking of you and hoping you have little pain and easy gas!

That's interesting that self-pay would be any different than insurance coverage with regard to smoking. My surgeon will not do the surgery if you're still smoking. (He does a nicotine test, too.) He says the healing is different, the risks are greater, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay, I get it. I should quit. We all should quit But, damn! I miss my little friends in the flip-top box that resided in a special pocket in my purse. I could count on them when I couldn't count on anyone else. Who else would be up with me in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep? With who else could I bare my soul, without fear that I would repulse them with my most intimate thoughts? And when everyone else had left the party, who was still there sharing the private moments of celebration? Or grief. Or fear. Or anger. I have some pretty awesome girlfriends but they usually go home at night to their own families. My little friends were with me always. But alas, this, too, is a change I must make. But let me tell you, if they come out and say they were wrong about smoking and it was all a hoax about the cancer and the illnesses and houses that would fall from the sky onto my body if I didn't quit smoking, a hoax to generate money for the lobbyists or whoever, then I'm gonna be the first one in line to buy a fresh pack!

Parisshel, you're getting banded the day after me. Love the blog. I'm a writer, too, but I just can't make myself blog about this. For me it is still too personal. I guess I'm still afraid of putting myself out there and then failing again. But I'll write vicariously through your blog, okay?

I'm glad to see everyone on here. Line-Dancer, I see current posts on other threads, just not this one. Draven, I like the 50's music, too, though I wasn't born when it was popular. My folks played so much of it that I came to love it, too. 60's as well, when I was a kid. 50for50, glad to hear you didn't experience bandster hell, which I'm still not sure I understand anyway. I'll be banded on March 19th - just 6 more days!! - and I still feel like there is so much I ►don't◄ know.

Thanks, Spaness - Tampa is close enough! 6 days to bandyland and I'm more anxious than ever!!!

Glad to hear it....but, what tube? 6 days to bandyland

Anyone in these areas? Who was/is your surgeon? Which hospital? Are you following any local support groups? I'm in Ellenton (very near the outlet mall that will become my best friend in about 6 months!!!). My surgeon is Dr. Rehnke and I'll be at Palms of Pasadena on the 19th - one week from today. Yay!! Looking forward to meeting more from this area. Rosie

Me, too! Is this only for the <40 gang?

I stumbled on the Fifties area and find that all the posts are at least a month old. . . what happened to all the 50's banders?

If we can't find humor in everyday life, we might as well hang it up. I have shared so much of what I've learned on this forum with my husband and supportive friends. My husband had only one comment so far: "You mean you're going to fart better than me?" Gotta love 'em!

I've added everyone so far. I'm flrosie40 on MFP. At first I couldn't imagine why I would use MFP once I had the lapband. Every day that I spend reading posts here I learn more and more. 8 days to bandyland

I heard peanut butter was a big no-no....I'm not likely to try it to find out myself.

I've been reading the posts on these forums for about a week, since I found this place. I am hopeful the veterans will be able to help us newbies figure out some things. What is bandster hell? What does NSV stand for? Where is the green zone and do I need to buy a membership to get in there? What do you mean my appetite/cravings will come back?! What's the truth about the first month? Two months? Do any of you attend local support group meetings? If so, has it helped? 9 days to bandyland, myself, and wondering about all this stuff.....

I am certainly no expert but I'll share with you my experience. I have been working with my surgeon's office since October last year, trying to get all the particulars for my insurance company in order. Turns out, my insurance doesn't require all the hoops the surgeon's insurance coordinator thought (she never dealt with my insurance before) and I could have had this done in January like I wanted. I'm 9 days till bandyland now. In all the emotional upheaval that came with the frustration of dealing with the ineptitude of the insurance coordinator, I began to question my decision about my surgeon and the lap band. A friend of mine had gastric sleeve done in December and was down 60 lbs. I decided to go see another surgeon. Unbeknownst to me, the new guy I went to see only wants to do sleeves. And after listening to him I began to think that was the way to go, too. I agonized over all the confusion between the two. Here's what I decided: I chose the lapband first because it was less invasive in my body. As someone else pointed out here, the lapband leaves my options open in the future, should there be some miraculous discovery about obesity and 'the cure.' I'm saving my internal organs for that. Sure, my friend lost a boatload of weight in the first 6 weeks but the research I conducted myself says he will have more trouble maintaining that weight loss over the course of his lifetime. I, on the other hand, will have a lapband, a tool I can adjust to maintain control the rest of my life. That's what I want, a lifetime of control so I can get off this weight off/weight on carousel. Yes, my friend with the sleeve will see his doctor on average once a year, if he chooses to go. I will be seeing my doctor every month for the first year to evaluate the restriction and get fills (I really need someone to tell me more about the 'green zone' btw!) This means I will be accountable every single month and that really helps me mentally stay in the game. I spoke to a dear friend who had a stomach staple 4 years ago. At year three, she began gaining the weight back, as did two of her friends that had stapling done at the same time. Their other friend had lapband instead of staple and she is still at goal weight four years later. My friend told me that if she had it to do over, she would do the lapband. In fact, she said she wanted to do the lapband initially but was swayed by her doctor and the enticement that came from watching her friends lose boatloads of weight in the first 6 weeks. She feels she is stuck now and is back to her main problem: she (like most of us) know how to diet but not how to maintain. After considering all that I realized I was just panicking and frustrated. I made my appointment for surgery with my original surgeon for a lapband. The only wait time for the surgery is his required 2 weeks on optifast. He has no waiting list for surgery and I'm now 9 days out. Can't wait. Still have lots of questions and this forum has all kinds of answers. Think about why you want to have lapband. Do some research on the Internet to answer some of your personal questions. Then, and this is the important part, do what you feel most comfortable doing. Don't let someone else convince you of something else. (My very dear friend that had sleeve in December told me-while I was in all this indecision- "I just knew you were making a mistake thinking about lapband instead of the sleeve. I hoped you would come around before you actually went under the knife." That didn't help at all.) Good luck. I'll be sending positive thoughts your way.

BRAVO!!!!