Bandista

Hi B-52, those look pretty familiar! Thanks so much. I guess it will be a leaning process once banded but I'm glad that I probably won't need liquid everything. Love my fish oils -- need them to move! See you've got your vitamin D there, good. Calcium, etc.

I have liquids but hope not to take them as I know pain medications usually have more side effects than they do good for me......we will see. But if I take them I will be careful about digestion and I will get off fast before any mood issues arrive.

Mine was a standardized test, multiple choice and about 200 questions with many repetitions...and a general chat....easy.

My surgery is three weeks from tomorrow and I'm so ready. In some ways I feel like I've never been this ready for anything. And yet.....today I was at therapy (started this summer in tandem with the LB process to make sure my head is ready) and I started thinking, well maybe I can do this without the band, what am I doing, why surgery, maybe i should just do therapy, etc. Well, I know why. Because I'm 52 and I'm a hard worker. I am diligent and committed but I've not been able to lose this weight despite everything, and I've got to. I've just got to, so I can have a really great few more decades as healthily and happily as possible. I need the band. I need this assistance. This is my brain not even on full pre-op diet yet -- I think it is quite the roller coaster. And like you, I think PMS may be at play. That's a whole other conversation, the worries about LB placement coinciding with my period. What else can I think up to worry about in these weeks prior to surgery? I'm going to try to let myself be at peace about the decision and just shed whatever I can in advance. You are going to do beautifully. Know that you are not alone and that many best wishes are being sent your way!

Oh thank you; that is good to know. I am just not sure what to expect.

Thanks for this important reminder. I have been on a low dose of BP medication for some years -- sometimes I wean myself off so I don't bottom out. I am pretty sure I won't be needing the medication much longer but more importantly it might actually be dangerous! Hope you are feeling better -- great that you knew to check in with your medical professionals!

Best wishes to you -- you are on your way. Once your band is working well for you it's all going to be so much easier!

Not sure where you are geographically, but where we live the light is changing quite a bit and that seems to make every one tired. From here on until Solstice every one is a bit more internal and in need of LIGHT. Even the dogs are layabouts these days as the weather grows colder. I think it's an adjustment. Add to that the surgery and changes in your caloric intake -- it's just a signal that you should take it easy. So happy for you to be two weeks out. I can't wait -- in five weeks that will be me! Take good care of yourself!

Lisa and Sasha -- beautifully said! Know that you will let them know in just the right way and they will be proud of you. I agree that it's about you, not a reflection on their own bodies. I have been struggling with this issue of telling as well. Our 18-year old son has already been through so much anxiety about his father, who has had major issues resulting from a car accident many years ago. Last year he was in the hospital for 17 days getting his spine rebuilt and prior to that when we were seeking out a surgeon it was pretty dicey around here. I am committed to telling our son because I want him to always come to us with anything going on in his own life. We are all together for the ups and downs and it's important to keep the communication lines open both ways. I'm trying not to let it be a dramatic event in our lives. He will encounter so many people in his life who have weight issues and I think it's important that he knows the decision is not an easy way out but it's a tool I need to get healthy. I have told him I'm going in for an overnight for a procedure on November 5th. When he didn't ask what for, I didn't volunteer further information. I will let it percolate for a while and as the date draws closer we'll talk some more. I don't want him worrying about me and I don't want him caught off guard either -- a careful balance. Good luck with your surgery next week and with this decision for a healthy future. I hope you have a good week getting prepared mentally and not stressing; you're going to do beautifully. Best wishes!

Out of the mouths of babes -- you raised him right! Slow and steady, slow and steady....it's all happening......have a great Monday!

Hi there, pre-op and have been weaning off of supplements prior to banded life not long from now. There are the giant chalky calcium/mag/zinc I can barely get down now, SAMe, etc. Arthritis is way up, however, and I realize it's because I stopped the big fish oil capsules, too -- guess I really need those. Any one here found a liquid form that is band-friendly or other method for delivery? Guess while I'm on shakes I could pour it in there but then it's a whole cup of blech......any advice from those who need to take supplements is very welcome!

Hi there, can you tell me about the Nutri-Bullet -- will it chop up ice into a shake, grind flax seeds, etc.? Best wishes!

Hi there, just over from Sunnyside's thread -- love the idea of a daily accountability and encouragement post. Is this the one for today? I wonder if we should start calling it something to keep it regular -- like Monday 10/14 Accountability and Encouragement, etc. I'll come back to post after I exercise (otherwise anything could happen!) but getting ready to do that now. Pretty nippy here in New England this AM and don't have the wood stove going yet. Brrrrr.......

Hi there, I hope you find just the right doctor. I think some surgeons don't want to do LB because of all the follow-up for fills, etc. You don't want to go to anyone driven by greed anyway; you deserve a physician who is invested in your health. Best wishes!

Congratulations on the baby and now putting the band to work again so you can be chasing those kids around the block.

Congratulations -- what a great set of pictures. Beautiful in both but so healthy to have lost the weight. Very inspirational for those of us pre-band!

Hi Christy, sorry I'm not in FL but I've found a lot of good support here on-line and hope you do, too. It seems like there must be many physicians in that part of FL or bariatric centers, etc. How frustrating to have yours move away! I hope you can find knee-friendly exercise as well -- kick boxing must be tough on the body. How about something like swimming for now?

Hi there, I hope you feel better soon. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Careful, the three-week pre-op peeps might round up a posse and come after you -- you'll be pummeled with empty cans of Protein powder and spatulas with flax seeds stuck all over them! I was so happy to finally get to have time with the surgeon after the various other appointments. He had a very thorough write-up of exactly what takes place. I used that to write questions in the margins, circle things I wanted to know more about, etc. and then we just talked for a while. I was glad to get to know him as we will be seeing quite a bit of each other in the coming months. As for pre-op diet, they seem quite flexible. I will have a two-week liquid diet. I didn't want to use the product they provide because it's dairy based and laced with aspartame and other stuff I don't want to take. Two weeks of dairy would make my digestive system very unhappy and that's not a good plan. I found a naturopathic Meal Replacement shake that I've run by the nutritionist -- pea and rice protein. I got the herbs, too, so I will be doing those as well as good ole liver cleansing standards like lemon in hot Water first thing in the AM, etc. I'm also having a colonoscopy -- figured I'd get that over with after procrastinating for two years. So a clear system for going into banded life and hopefully a little head start on weight loss as well. Good luck -- let us know how your appointment goes!

LOVE it that you can't even lift the 45-lb. bag of clothes -- it's going to feel good to put this weight down (a couple of those bags) and not carry them all the time. And shopping -- I think I could get into that! I do have a drawer of next size down jeans which I hope to get into soon and some shirts tucked away. Can't wait!

We live in New England, which is a very reticent culture. I grew up just south of the Mason-Dixon, however, and even after years of being in a more staid environment it is still so strange to me when people don't know how to do the niceties. It's not personal, I know, it's cultural. I also love to be in Europe where people are much more warm and friendly. Here, that would be a breach of privacy -- against the code or something.

Hi Stina, it's great you've lost the twenty -- hang on to that success; it is a great start. I am pre-band and decided to seek therapy to sort out food issues -- the reasons besides physical hunger that make me want to eat. Anxiety is a big one for me -- anchoring myself or hushing a whirring inside. Stress eating, eating out of boredom or to prep myself before doing something I don't want to do, or eating for pleasure, etc. identifying these patterns has been really helpful for me and now that I'm aware of what the tendencies are I feel so much more empowered. The band dims the appetite but if the food is about something else, that something else needs to be dealt with, too. I find journalling very helpful as well. Good luck to you -- the fact that you are here and reaching out just prior to getting a fill next week tells me that you are ready to do what it takes. You can do it!

What a great poem -- thank you! I'm going to pin that one up in my studio. Love Rumi but don't think I've seen that one before. Best wishes to you today getting packed up and home again, home again -- settling In for a weekend of R&R. It's your turn now.....

Random ideas here: Do you need something tactile to do, like arts and crafts with the kids -- maybe they could be making stuff for the holidays and that would detract from snacking being front and center. Femo is so fun with kids, and shrinky-dinks (draw on clear surface with markers, then bake), Origami, collage-making, cards, wreaths, etc. Not sure how old the kids are but maybe if you are busy with your hands? Or walks around the block prior to eating -- oven timer set to the next time you should be having a meal for yourself. Saturday morning smoothies they can help make, so you get a protein shake and they get fruit smoothies or something yummy for them? Arrange for some one to take them out for a couple of hours so you have quiet house to yourself for regrouping (my favorite)........

Buckling up for the information highway -- it's a vulnerable place.....