kmb67

I did it i hade my operation today about 11:00 am
I was so nervous and scared i prayed and it helped until the anesthesiologist came and said there ready by the time he gave me the shot in my iv i was getting weaker got to a big room and they told me to get on another bed and thats all i remember then i woke up hade some pain in my upper abdomen kinda like heart burn like pressure only stronger they gave me medicine for pain twice and it got better i hade no gas pain overall its not that bad like i expected im so glad is over and im proud of myself i lost a total of 18 lbs on the pre op so that made me more exited and i havent hade anything but Water cuz im not hungry and dont feel like taking anything my mouth is verry dry though but overall im ok thank god everything went great

I am on day 6, finally started feeling better at day 4, but the spot where my port is still hurts when I bend and twist. I was out all weekend (my DD is an Irish dancer and had shows!) so I ended up having Soup from Panera a few times. I ate maybe 1/3 of the container and brought the rest home for dinner. My Dr put me on full liquids right away, but that's hard to find when you're dining out! I haven't really had any problem eating anything though, so I'm not sure what to expect at this point.

Yeah--I got to be a March bandster. I was supposed to be a December bandster, but my insurance was all messed up. But I have the approval in writing and got my surgery date of March 12, which means my pre-diet starts in 2 days. Looking forward to hearing about everyone's experiences!

lleepers--I find it so funny that every Dr says something different. I just went for my pre-surgical exam today and the dietician said that Atkins are fine, though I noticed they are 9 grams of fat. But I guess if that's all the fat I'm having, they probably figure it's OK. I'm also supposed to have 2 cups of veggies--I think I'm going to have a salad with some chicken on it tonight. I made an omelet with some veggies for dinner last night and it didn't fill me up at all. I also forgot to have my "carb"--maybe that's why I was starting last night--ha. I can have broth, but would die for Tomato soup! Again--so odd that every Dr has different rules.

On December 11, 2012 I had my first appointment with the bariatric surgeon who would, four months later on March 20, 2013, install a lapband around my stomach. This decision and surgical action was major and dramatic, but I was sad and desperate as well as exhausted, defeated and no longer willing to buy into the fallacy that I could do this without surgical intervention. So I lay down my previous weapon: the cycle of "traditional" dieting which I had been believing in and paying into since I was 14 years old. Traditional dieting was so clearly not working for me; I had lost and regained weight my entire life and I no longer had the energy to do one more round at Weight Watchers, filling up on salads and bulky foods to keep my hunger at bay, gaming the points program so I could work in a dessert each day, hanging on by my fingernails from one meal to the next, and fearing vacations, birthdays, holidays, as I knew these would either see me feeling frustrated and deprived, or overeating because "hey, I've already gone over my points. Might was well start back on Monday."

I had done hours of research and had a good idea of what lay ahead. I had a few fears as a pre-op, notably the fear that I would no longer be able to "eat as much as I wanted" when I wanted. I also feared the surgery itself (I try and stay out of hospitals as much as possible) but I was willing to override these anxieties to become one of those people that I see here, on this forum: a success story, transforming myself inside and out.

I had made a list of why I was doing this and I brought that to the hospital where, the night prior to the intervention, I read and re-read my hopes for this surgery. I was ready, peaceful and in a mindset of self-care when they wheeled me to the OR the next morning.

I am now 8.5 months post-op, almost 50 pounds lighter than I was on the day of surgery. It goes without saying that I am happy to have back a more aesthetically-pleasing exterior, renewed energy and mobility, and a load of self-confidence.

My original fears about surgery were unfounded: the lapband gives me a physical restraint to overeating, certainly, but it also has an effect on my brain and how I view food now. ( I call it the nicotine patch for the stomach as it dims the appetite much like the patch works for smokers.) I should not have worried about missing the ability to stuff myself, as that is of no interest to me today. (Just the thought of that makes my band tighten!) I am free from the dieting mindset that I must seek bulky, filling foods or I'll cave and break my "diet" because my lapband clicks in and gives me satiety when I eat my small portions of lapband-compliant foods. I don't have to log points or calories, and restaurant dinners, parties, vacations or holidays are not viewed as opportunities for white-knuckling deprivation or, alternately, opportunities to go off my eating plan and eat all the cake, Cookies and candy that I can, "until Monday."

I have experienced so many unexpected benefits as the result of my decision and the most striking is this wonderful sense of fierceness that I now have. I feel so strong, capable and confident! This fierceness has manifested itself in many ways. Physically: alongside my daily dedicated exercise, I now do aquagym and ride my bike each weekend when I'm out in the countryside--26 km logged last weekend through the fields of Normandy! Mentally: I travel out of my comfort zone--last month I went to Morocco, a place I'd always dreamed of going to. Professionally: I seek opportunities to speak publically and am involved in more professional conferences, meeting others in my field which has the effect of re-energizing my own committment to my job.

I am so grateful that I did not try and convince myself to give Weight Watchers (or another diet program) "just one more try" last year. I know as surely as my heart is beating that I would weigh more today than I did last year at this time had I not had surgery. Instead, I am looking towards this Christmas season in deep gratitude for my self-care, not fearing the supermarket aisles filled with chocolates, buttercream buche de noel (that was a real binge food for me pre-surgery), and special holiday foods. I know that I will eat peacefully, enjoying my small portions of delicious food, and I won't be waking up on January 1st feeling fat and guilty, and embarking on another futile attempt to diet and "do it for good this time."

My date is Dec 18th and I'm just starting my pre-op diet today. My Drs office told me I can use Atkins Advantage shakes, they come in quite a few flavors and are pretty good. I'm in the Chicago suburbs, and am very excited to just get this done! I'll be able to have Soup for Christmas dinner, but that's fine with me!

My date is Dec 18th and I'm just starting my pre-op diet today. My Drs office told me I can use Atkins Advantage shakes, they come in quite a few flavors and are pretty good. I'm in the Chicago suburbs, and am very excited to just get this done! I'll be able to have Soup for Christmas dinner, but that's fine with me!

I finally got my approval and will be a Dec bandster! The approval process was a fiasco, but it's done. Getting banded Dec 18th. The dietician was freaking out today because I just got approved last night and haven't started my pre-op diet yet. I'm sure a few days won't matter. Haven't had time to get nervous as I'm having to get into the mindset of going on the pre-op diet right away. But happy to be starting the new year in a good spot.
Hope all you November bandsters are doing well!

I know exactly how you feel. I was in the middle of my last test, when the Drs office called to tell me I had a stomach infection. I had to take 2 weeks of antibiotics then wait 2 weeks before I could be retested. And now my Drs office has screwed up things with my insurance, so I have to wait for them to do a peer to peer review. They won't even schedule me until the insurance approves. I've been so mad, at this point I'm hoping to get in by the end of the year.
So frustrating--wish I had words of advice, but know you're not alone!

Dying, dying, dying for a date! The insurance person at my Drs office has been out sick so while I may be approved, I don't know it yet. Fingers crossed I'll find out something soon, I'm not a patient person. Good luck to all of you that have started your liquid diets!!

Dying, dying, dying for a date! The insurance person at my Drs office has been out sick so while I may be approved, I don't know it yet. Fingers crossed I'll find out something soon, I'm not a patient person. Good luck to all of you that have started your liquid diets!!

Dying, dying, dying for a date! The insurance person at my Drs office has been out sick so while I may be approved, I don't know it yet. Fingers crossed I'll find out something soon, I'm not a patient person. Good luck to all of you that have started your liquid diets!!

I've joined the group, but still hoping to be a November bandster--waiting for my insurance approval, hopefully it will come through soon!

I hope to be banded in November. My paper work went to the insurance company this week, hoping it will be fast. I live in the Chicago western 'burbs.

I hope to be banded in November. My paper work went to the insurance company this week, hoping it will be fast. I live in the Chicago western 'burbs.

Who is your dr? I'm seeing Dr Klem at CDH. I did see he originally had an address in Oswego, but when I called the place they said they were no longer seeing patients there and I'd have to go to the city. Dr Klem was listed as one of the Drs, but it looks like he changed groups. How long did the process take you? I will be done with my testing on Tues (I hope) and am not sure how long the process takes after that is all completed.