Wenjea

I agree that vitalady is a good place to start, especially the first time. After you get started you can probably find some of the stuff cheaper else where but it's nice to know what you need and what it looks like. They have vitamins that dissolve quickly, chewable, and sublingual that other stores don't have. Plan on spending some money there. . . . it isn't cheap!

I'm stalled out on the weight loss!!! Frustrating !!! I even walked an hour yesterday to get the scale moving and nothing changed this morning. This is the third day in a row that the scale is stuck! I wanted to be down some more before surgery. It's only two days away! I have sooo much to do before then. I have to clean house . . . so I'm getting off this computer and getting busy! hi Mer!

Thanks Mer! I won't be able to walk on friday because I will be just home from the hospital! Can't believe it's almost here . . . . a little scary!

Is there one? I meet with a couple of gals on Friday to walk along the Grandview Trail in UP and they both are Dr. Oh's patients. There are also support groups at St. Josephs on the first and third Monday of each month down by the cafeteria. I havn't been to this one but we are planning on it on the 21st.

lapdancer - how did the hibiclens work for you? How do your scars look now? Is that something that your Dr. recommended. I want to minimize scarring and infection and this is the first I've heard of antiseptic. It makes sense to me.

hi Evilah - I'm being banded by Dr.Oh on Thursday May 17th. I am about a week and a half into my liquid diet only. How about you?

Most of the docs here in Northwest Washington seem to be pretty good. Many of them have worked together before and all of them seem to have very similar pre and post-op requirements. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I would go with who you feel the most comfortable with, location, cost, in hospital or out and intuition. You will be fine either way. I have never heard of anyone having a horrible experience with any of these guys and the bigger issue is if you don't have it done then what will you look like in three years. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Do you really think you can lose the weight and KEEP IT OFF on your own? We all went through the head stuff before surgery thinking we should be able to do this . . . . it seems so drastic . . . I will never be able to eat the foods I love again . . . . . etc. etc. The truth is you will be able to eat again but not in the quantities that you did. Hopefully you will make better choices. you will go through a 'Last Supper' phase and probably gain weight before surgery. You will also go through a 'mourning of food' during pre-op. Then you will begin to get excited about the idea of actually losing weight instead of gaining. Then it becomes a reality as you watch the scale move down! That will give you the willpower to get through pre-op. You will be a little scared and excited at the same time as surgery gets closer. You will face some food demons that tempt you to cheat. You might give in or you might not but you still will go for it because you are catching the vision of the thinner you and you are beginning to believe it is possible. This is where I am now. Three days before surgery and I can't wait to get on with the rest of my life. I am sure of two things. one- I will gain it back if I don't go through with this and two- I will be successful and be thin again with the lap-band. hope this helps.

Evilah - I don't think you could go wrong with any of those docs. I chose Dr. Oh because he is closer to home for me. He is a very good surgeon but not the most freindly guy. Dr. Harai is much more personal and usually does the fills. The office is not much to look at but the nurses are friendly. He is a little cheeper the NW and I am a self pay so 3,000 is worth it to me. I will let someone else sell you on NW.

Pinenut - Thanks band buddy! I got on the scale this morning and there was no weight gain from last nights splurge . . . . no loss but . . . I am back on the plan and running the race to win! my plan is to reach my goal in a year. Keeping my eye on the prize and with Gods help it will happen!!

Went to a dinner at The Lobster shop tonight paid for by the school as a thankyou to the auction committee members. I felt like I had to eat in front of all those people or I would be asked why I wasn't eating, so I ate about 2-3 small bites of each thing. Hope it didn't screw up anything to much. I ate like I had a band on already and I was plenty full. . . . or at least how I supposed I would eat if I had my band already. The stupid thing is at the end of the night this one person who knew I was getting the band came up to me and said (in a very loud voice) . . . Now when is your surgery for lap band? OMG! all that food for nothing!! I was really wanting to crawl in a hole but instead I had to stand there and answer a bunch of questions from people who wanted to know about the surgery. I was wishing I had kept this thing a total secret!! Why do other people think they have the right to blurt out my business? Okay, rant over. . . .back to liquids I go.

Pinenut - I'm glad you are going through with it because the 17th makes you my band mate and I need someone to walk this road with me. We wil do this together! nbjen - how's it goin two weeks out? how long before you were feelin like yourself after surgery? OMG - only six more days and I'm in bandland!!! I can't wait! we had a fun time walking today. Mer joined us and we did some walking and a lot of laughing! You guys should come and join us. Anyone close to Tacoma should come.

Mer - dress warmer! you better be there or I'm cominlookin for you!

let's meet and walk on the Grandview trail (the flat part) at 11:00am. Drive down Bridgeport to Chambers Creek Rd (just before Fred Meyers) Turn right onto Chambers Creek and drive to the first turn-a-bout, go three quarters around and drive into the park. The bathrooms are straight ahead of you. We will start there. Anyone can come!!

Welcome Beckie - you will like this site alot, everyone is really great and very friendly. I didn't catch where you were from here in WA. Mer - You tell me. How did you feel the day of your surgery? did you sleep alot or were you feeling well enough for company? My husband and daughter-in-law were wondering if they should come up and I didn't know what to tell them. nbjen - feel free to answere this one too about visitors. I'm glad to hear that your rash is doing better. this liquid stuff is the hardest thing I have ever done. My stomach is really growling tonight!! I got through the first 7 days and i only have 45 more to go . . . . . help!!

Day 7 of liquid pre-op . . . . here I come!! Yesterday was challenging . . just when I thought it was getting easier. I found myself thinking it was okay to cheat a little bit. This morning the scale was up a little so i guess that tells me I can't even think about food without gaining pounds. Who knew smelling chip bags were fattening . . .

Sue did the ticker for me because my computer kept getting an error message. I bet she could help you with it. You can go to tickerfactory.com and design it yourself, just follow the leads. I had trouble getting it to my signiture. That's where Sue helped.

Give it some time and work up to it. Just walk around your neighborhood and try to go a little farther each time. It will come back when your body is ready. We walk for about 40 minutes on the flat surface. You can join us when you are up to it. This web site has been the best source of support around! Sue and I are going to try the one at St. Joseph Hospital the first and third Tuesday of the month. Join us!

Mer - we are going to walk on the waterfront on Rustin Way around 11:00 give or take a half hour. Here is my cell if you want to meet us. #253-229-8981 Call and give me your number if you want to come and I will let you know the exact time. Wendy

punkeytres - I live off of Steilacoom Blvd on Weller Rd. Where are you?

punkytres - I walked with Sue tonight on the grandview walk in U.P. and We sometimes walk at Fort Steilacoom Park across from Western State Hospital on Steilacoom Blvd. Right now we don't have a set time. Tomorrow, we are walking along the waterfront on Ruston Way. We realized we both had morning appointments in Federal Way so we thought we would pull off on the spur and walk the waterfront. I think it will be around 11:00am or there abouts. You can call me on my cell if you would like to join us. #229-8981. Anyone is welcome if they feel like a walk!! Done with day 5 and this is getting easy. Sue and I went to soup night and met a great gal there. The three of us thought we would check out the support group on the first and third tuesday at St. Joe. Anybody ever go there? My surgeon asked me today if I wanted to move up my surgery one week to this Thursday but I feaked out and said no. I have cleared the calendar for next week so I'm stickin to the 17th.

punkeytres - I live in Lakewood also. Sue and I meet often to walk at Fort steilicoom park or the Grandview trail in UP. Let us know if you want to walk with us. I'm got through day 4 of the pre-op and it's getting easier! Only 41 more to go until mushies. Who knew I would ever get excited about scrambled eggs, yogurt, and refried Beans. I can't wait!!! I have another class tomorrow at St. Francis. It must be about surgery and post-op since I already did the pre-op one. Anyone know for sure? Thanks for the info on the Clear liquids following a fill. I didn't remember hearing that. Maybe I will at tomorrows class. I let you all know. Tomorrow is the day I have to pay everyone too. boo hoo!

hey Sue just sent me a link to a group who meets at Red Lobster for soup night and they are meeting this Monday night at 7pm. We thought we would like to go . . . anyone else want to come? Sue can put the info up on here, I am not good enough on the computer to have a clue how to do that. Has anyone on here ever gone to one of the soup nights? I walked Grandview last night and did the whole loop. Told Sue I was only doing that once a week since I about died! We are talking about meeting at the bathrooms in Chambers Creek Park and walking on the flat path to the other end (where there are more bathrooms) and back again. Probably around 2 miles of flat. It's a nice walk and I need to make it a regular thing so anyone else who wants to do it let me know. I'm pretty flexible on time.

nbjen - what are you talking about with the clear liquids before the fills? Maybe I missed that during the seminar but what is the reason behind it and how long do you do it for before the fill?

day three of liquids done and only 42 left . . . .it is getting easier by the day. I even went to a baby shower today and was able to get through it without eating anything. I did make a protein shake while I was there and told them I was having some surgery so I couldn't eat. Didn't go in to it though, not the right time or place. I decided to not go to the Cinco De Maiyo party though. One party of great food a day . . . I'm just not that strong yet. Walked 2.5 miles on the new Grandview Trail in University Place. It was tough because of the hills but I did it!!! I am going to commit to doing that once a week. The rest of the time I will do the 2 mile flat walk. Mer - missed you at the mall. The food smells were killing me so I told Sue we need to start walking on Grandview instead. I can't take it when I'm on the six weeks of liquids. PineNut - thanks for all your input, it's always good to get as much info as you can before any big decision. You have been helpful . . . thanks for sharing.

Pine nut - do you mind if I ask what you are paying for surgery at NWWLS? I also am a self pay and am scheduled on the 17th at St. Francis. I had thougt about NWWLS but it was farther away for me. I hear lots fo nice things about NWWLS and I'm wondering if I made the right choice. I know some of the docs that I am with used to be with some of the docs at NWWLS. Not sure what happened. I think Dr. Oh is wxtra careful with his patients. What is your pre-op and post-op like? It's a total of six weeks before I get even mushies. Two weeks pre-op and 4 weeks post-op. Everyone is allowed to eat soooo different on here it's a tad confusing.