The Icy One

My surgeon is trim and fit. His staff vary from very fit to obese and working on it. They are running a weight loss challenge, at present. Some of the overweight staff are banded, some not. None of the staff show attitude toward the patients. If any of them have attitude about fat people, they keep it behind closed doors. Everyone at my office are very supportive, caring and sweet.

Oh dear God... I have a very vivid imagination and now I need brain bleach...
Someone once told me to soak cotton balls in orange juice and swallow them. That the cotton balls would taste yummy going down, sit in my stomach like fluffy food and keep me full forever and I would never be hungry and I would lose tons of weight, super fast! Yeah... Riiight!

Oh dear God... I have a very vivid imagination and now I need brain bleach...
Someone once told me to soak cotton balls in orange juice and swallow them. That the cotton balls would taste yummy going down, sit in my stomach like fluffy food and keep me full forever and I would never be hungry and I would lose tons of weight, super fast! Yeah... Riiight!

How about bringing some Melba Toast in and ask your pastor to give you a piece of that, rather than soft, squishy bread? Melba Toast tastes okay and it breaks down completely in your mouth so that you are practically swallowing nothing.

So... How'd it go?
I hope that your surgery went really well and you are recovering swiftly.

Definitely have Water ready! I had a long drive home. I live in Prescott, AZ and my surgery was performed in Tempe. I was happy to have a bottle of Water at the ready to sip on the ride. I bought some fancy stuff and left it in the car so it was the perfect temperature by the time they sent me home.

Congratulations on your band to be! I remember that feeling, so excited and high on the anticipation. My last day before my surgery, I was like a racehorse in the starting gate. I couldn't wait to hear the signal to go. In my case, to the surgical center for my Lap Band.
It sounds as if you are prepared and ready to go. I hope that you have a successful procedure. Good luck and we'll see you on the other side.

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my mom to breast cancer last November, ten days before my surgery date. I was gutted but determined to go forward and I knew that she didn't want me to stop my life so I went for it.
Now that you know that everything is a go, do your best to be fully prepared. Buy the liquids, full liquids, supplies for incision care, sugar free Popcicles, sugar free Jello and so on that you will need. Make sure that you fill your scripts ahead of time so that you don't have to worry about going out for the first few days.
It isn't really a good idea to be completely alone, right after surgery. If you have a friend or co worker who can spend a day with you, or pop in or at least cal you on a regular basis to check in on you, that would be good. I had my surgery outpatient and was getting around just fine by the time I got home but it was reassuring to have my husband here in case I had needed him and he was handy to run little errands for me and bring me stuff to drink. I would have been fine on my own, as it turns out but still... It is a good idea to have someone, if you can, just in case.
Good luck and your surgery date and surgery will be here, before you know it.

Hi and welcome.
WLS, whichever procedure you ultimately decide on is a huge step and not one to take lightly. Band, sleeve, bypass, switch... There are so many factors that go in to making the right decision for each individual and we all must, MUST shut out the external voices that try to sway us one way or the other and focus solely on what WE want. What is right four our own body, the way we eat, our lifestyle, personality, how we feel about aftercare commitment and what we can live with regarding having something implanted in us or losing a piece of ourselves. These are all huge considerations and once done are permanent.
Personally, I chose the band because I loved the idea of a tool that can help me, a volume eater with Portion Control, bite size and bite spacing. Those are my biggies. The band is very good for people like me. I also love the band because I didn't have to lose part of my stomach, and I am a MAJOR control freak and I love knowing that I can control my tool, adjust it to my exacting specifications and make it work perfectly for me, and me alone. I also don't mind the whole aftercare process. I don't find it a burden and my insurance covers the cost so it all works for me. But again, that was my personal process and I would not expect anyone else's to be exactly the same. And yes, I love my band.
Before you commit to having your surgery think long and hard about what YOU want. What YOU need and what whatever surgery you do eventually have will do for YOU. This is YOUR body. It doesn't matter what some doctor thinks or wants you to have and, (I may get some pushback on this one) it doesn't matter what your husband thinks, either. He is free to express his opinion but he needs to take a step back and give you the room to make this very major and very important decision for yourself. Then he needs to step back in and, regardless of the choice you make, be fully on your side, completely supportive and ready to cheer you through, every step of the way.

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my mom to breast cancer last November, ten days before my surgery date. I was gutted but determined to go forward and I knew that she didn't want me to stop my life so I went for it.
Now that you know that everything is a go, do your best to be fully prepared. Buy the liquids, full liquids, supplies for incision care, sugar free Popcicles, sugar free Jello and so on that you will need. Make sure that you fill your scripts ahead of time so that you don't have to worry about going out for the first few days.
It isn't really a good idea to be completely alone, right after surgery. If you have a friend or co worker who can spend a day with you, or pop in or at least cal you on a regular basis to check in on you, that would be good. I had my surgery outpatient and was getting around just fine by the time I got home but it was reassuring to have my husband here in case I had needed him and he was handy to run little errands for me and bring me stuff to drink. I would have been fine on my own, as it turns out but still... It is a good idea to have someone, if you can, just in case.
Good luck and your surgery date and surgery will be here, before you know it.

I usually dont spend much on hair products, I just assumed drug store items were fine. WRONG !!! Besides the Joico products, I alternate with Jessica Alba's ( yes, the actress) Shampoo / body wash and Tresemme Nourishing Rituals liquid gold therapy. My. hair . turned. into. silk. No joke .

Yeah I talked to them Thursday. They just said that it was irritated. Feeling better but I'll probably give them another call Mon.

I recovered in a recliner. It has an electric motor to move the footrest so I didn't have to strain my tender belly. I was able to get up easily and I could really snuggle in and get super comfy for resting.
I didn't really have any trouble with gas... I guess that my surgeon did a god job of pushing the excess out, when he finished my op.
I had a lap chole that wasn't earlier last year and I had NASTY gas pain after that surgery. My gas pains from that one took weeks to go away because I got a big gas bubble stuck up under my rib cage on the right side that I just couldn't dislodge and it caused me hell when I tried to take a deep breath or cough or laugh. Urgh! I finally got it moved out by doing bending and twisting exercises with my torso.
The first few days are the roughest. I didn't have any real pain but I was so sleepy! I would get up, go potty, walk, do incision care, get something to drink, snuggle in, watch a little TV or read and crash. Wake and repeat. Day three, I could barely keep my eyes open and I almost slept for twenty-four hours with just brief minutes of wakefulness. Then on day four, the clouds parted and I felt almost human, again. I was able to get back to a more normal type of schedule and really feel as if I was recovering.
Hang in there. It gets better, I promise. Just be kind to yourself, listen to your body and allow yourself to rest and recover. You'll be up and at it, before you know it.

You need to call your surgeon's office. You shouldn't be feeling like this with an empty band.

You need to call your surgeon's office. You shouldn't be feeling like this with an empty band.

I've seen many people use an overly tight band to continue to lose weight. Don't make that mistake? Get some saline removed next week if this trend continues. Being in the red zone is an invitation to stretching your pouch and/or esophagus.

Had to go back to liquids the last few days. Still feels tight in my chest. Going to stay on liquids a few more days. I am feeling better though.

I have thin, straight, baby fine hair, colored , a bit dry and just past my shoulders. I was concerned about Hair loss, but never lost any ! This past year I've started using Joico Shampoo and conditioner. WOW ! What a difference in a month ! My hair went from dry and difficult , to soft and shiny. This may not stop your hair loss, but it sure makes the hair you do have look really nice. Glad my hairdresser reccommended it ! ( sold at salons and sometimes T.J. Maxx or Big Lots etc.

Condolences and best wishes for this new chapter of your life. You sound well-prepared for this transition -- you have the desire and willingness. That positive attitude is a great thing. I found a sense of humor also really helped at the hospital. It is like another planet, so surreal. I had never been an overnight patient before and I was nervous and excited. It was all much better than I thought it would be.
This is a great time to start listening to your body, to be really present and aware. If you're jittery, feel what that feels like. Thirst, fatigue, hunger, etc. Later you'll be listening to your band and the more in touch you are the better. You'll want to be able to separate out head hunger from true hunger and know what is coming from a place of old habits, etc. Don't pressure yourself but just notice what's going on and acknowledge it.
One thing that cannot be overstated is the importance of walking. I was really glad I upped my exercise pre-surgery. I didn't want to but I did it anyway and that gave me something to step right into after surgery. Anytime I got up (to pee or whatever) I walked, a little further each time until I was tired. Napped then got up to pee, walked, walked, etc. This kicks the body into healing mode and releases any trapped gas. Things have been moved around inside and the walking "rights" the body.
I had flip flops at the hospital -- was glad for those. I took a robe but used the one they had. Didn't use other things I brought, like my journal, book to read, etc. You'll want clothes that are easy to put on for going home and a pillow to hold on your tummy in the car.
Good luck with the rest of the pre-op -- you've gone through a lot of hoops and it's all going to be worth it. Be patient with yourself those first couple of months as it can take a little while to get into the swing. Keep all your appointments and know that it's all working.

The pre-op diet was the hardest two weeks of my life! I have never stuck to a diet for that long but I did it and I am glad I did. My family and co-workers were telling me, "you don't need surgery, you're doing it on your own." What I told them was the reason I am sticking to it is because of MY surgery. And to top things off, my co-workers on the last day of work, the day before my surgery, they ordered me two trays of Mexican food!! Mexican food! I told them "I can't have any of that. I'm on liquids today." They thought I could have my last hurrah. I know they meant well but I told them next time get me flowers. lol. You'll get hungry after surgery too, so this will help you. I lost 20 pounds from the pre-op diet so look forward to that. Hang in there. You can do it.

Yeah it was long and boring really. He just asked me personal questions about my childhood and adulthood life and typed it all out. And let me go. When I left he told me good luck with my band (: one more apt to go then just habe to wait for insurance to approve. And that apt is on thursday of nxt week ((:

The pre op diet blows. Mine was three weeks. I could have two Protein shakes, with frozen fruit, if I wished, but no banana. I had one meal, 6 to 8 ounces of lean Protein and salad and green veg a day, as well. I could also have sugar free Jello, broth or bullion, sugar free popcicles and all of the Water, Crystal Light and coffee (I am a coffee junkie) I could drink.
My pre op diet wasn't easy but it was pretty doable, overall and I lived over it. Hang in there. You only have ten days to go and then you will be banded. You can do this!

The pre op diet blows. Mine was three weeks. I could have two Protein shakes, with frozen fruit, if I wished, but no banana. I had one meal, 6 to 8 ounces of lean Protein and salad and green veg a day, as well. I could also have sugar free Jello, broth or bullion, sugar free popcicles and all of the Water, Crystal Light and coffee (I am a coffee junkie) I could drink.
My pre op diet wasn't easy but it was pretty doable, overall and I lived over it. Hang in there. You only have ten days to go and then you will be banded. You can do this!

The hair loss post WLS is horrifying. And perfectly normal. It happens to the vast majority of us. It is a combination of stress from surgery, the drugs we are given, and the change in our body and the different nutrients levels and the weight loss. Our bodies send the nutrients we do get to the vital functions, brain, organs, the making of blood and so on and our "vanity functions" like our skin and hair suffer because of it. The good news is, the shedding does stop. It just takes time, then time for the hair to grow back.
When I started this process, last June, I has *ss length, THICK hair. I knew that I was going to suffer hair loss post op so in September, last year I had about ten inches chopped, just to bra strap length. My hair re grew and was nearly waist length by the time I had my surgery in November. (I have a short distance from bra band to waist... Prodigious rack, here. ) But January, I was noticing heavier than normal hair fall and started to lose small clumps of hair. By February, it was coming out in hanks. Between pre wash brushing, the hair I lost in the shower and post wash comb out, I would lose a ball of hair the size of a shower pouff. It was terrifying and every time I washed my hair, I'd sit and look at that huge ball of hair and cry.
I finally reached the point where I couldn't deal with so much hair loss and my waist length hair, any longer. It was too demoralizing to watch my braid and bun get smaller and smaller and my length to get thinner and thinner and in March, I had my stylist chop my hair at shoulder length and put in a few layers. I cried as she cut it so short and it was so thin (relatively speaking, to most people, my hair looks perfectly normal or even "thick" but I know the difference) that I half wanted to get a wig and hide my hair.
My hair finally stopped shedding in early June. It is as if a switch was flipped and it was just normal shedding, once again. I am getting new growth and I am keeping my hair short until my thickness catches up then I will grow my hair, again. At heart, I am a long hair and I WANT MY HAIR BACK! But it's going to take time.
I wouldn't trade getting my band, I don't regret it, even tho losing so much hair was hard to live through. The trade off, for me has been worth it.

We are not turning into our mothersI I have friends that worry about various characteristics as we get older but of course there are so many factors. In your mom's case that nasty RA medication. I'm so sorry about that.
I had the 3-4 months out hair loss as well and it has stopped now. Also not noticeable to any one else but of course worrisome. I do think it is about the anesthesia; that just makes so much sense. And I take Biotin which may just be a placebo for me but the fingernails, wow!
Hope you have a great Friday and weekend. You're doing beautifully and you are beautiful. Just keep on keeping on and throw your shoulders back, hold your head up high and remember how amazing you are.