Vicki J

Lana - Sorry for the late post. For some reason LBT isn't sending me my messages about people responding now. Hmmm. Imagine, a computer malfunction. Who would have thought? LOL No, I haven't worried about getting too skinny. One of the beauties of the band is that it's adjustable not only tighter but looser. If I find I can't quit loosing (wow what a thought), I would have them loosen it. I have warned my family that there will come a time when they will be telling me I'm skinny enough but that my goal is a healthy BMI. I reassured them that I'm not even shooting for the lowest point in that range but that I'm determined to not be overweight or obese. I'm so excited about all of this. I can't believe it's only 6 days now until I'm banded. It sure has been a long 6 months getting here. I guess I should be grateful because I found out that people who are just starting out on the So. San Francisco Kaiser program are now having to wait 5 to 6 months for their next appointments. That means that it will be close to a year for their surgeries if they don't have any problems that slow them down. That would be really hard. Kaiser seems to be very overwhelmed with the number of patients that are flooding into the bariactric department. I can't help but think that it is because they decided to do the lap band. Anyway, good luck on your appointment. On the 11th I'll be heading down to SSF to stay the night so I can get up in the morning for surgery. Just think, you'll be heading for your surgery sooner then you think.

Lana - Welcome aboard. I've got surgery on the 12th. How far are you in the process. Morningoasis811 - I figure that's what will happen with me too. It will be interesting to see if they grow with the knowledge we hope they learn.

Welcome Morningoasis811 and Joannieg. It's always nice to meet fellow bandsters in the area. Of course, technically I'm not a bandster yet but I will be on the 12th. Whoohoo! That's 2 months earlier than they were expecting to get me in. Of course, I think I know why the appointment came up. The surgeon will be out of the office the last two weeks of December and that means instead of 2 weeks on full fluids it will end up being closer to 4. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that the magic bullet is a good thing. I had heard lots about it on another site and decided I would prefer it to the big blenders. Since it looks like I'll be married to it for a month I'm glad I got it. So when you two were on full fluids you were able to blend meats and everything? Just no chunks? Kaiser is pretty new at the band and they tend to give more of the bypass instructions than the band. I don't want to do anything that will harm my band in anyway but I may be looking for more by the end of the month. LOL <someone's arm perhaps> I want to keep the calorie intake down so that I can use this time for loosing more weight. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks everyone for your responses. April - Thanks for the food info. It looks like I will be on Stage II until January 8th. Dr. Le will be out of the office until the first week of January and the only appointment was at 11:15 on January 4th. I had them move it because I got one on the 8th at 4:15. That way I will only have to take a half day off. It means that I will have to do Stage II for 4 more days but I'm so tired of using all of my time off running to SSF. I will survive it. This is probably why there was a cancellation and why they got all the way down to me. Nobody else wanted to wait 3+ weeks to get off of Stage II. I purchased a Magic Bullet in hopes of adding a few different things to the Stage II stuff towards the end. It came highly recommended on another site. I'm really excited about having the surgery. I'm trying to stay away from ANYONE who snuffles, sneezes or coughs. I swear I will be so mad if someone gets me sick right now. As far as praying goes, I've been doing that for 6 months regarding this proceedure. As the process goes along, the prayer changes. So trust me, I will be saying a few before I go under and afterwards. I figured I would do some meditating the night before to relax me. That along with a good book and a hot bath should do the trick. Thanks again for the info. Want2beme - The only doctor I have in the Sacramento area is my PCP. Kaiser doesn't have bariactric docs in the Sacramento area yet. What are you looking for?

Hey April - Boy I hope I do as well as you have after surgery. That's great!!! I can imagine that Dr. Almani is happy with you. You're really doing a good job. A fill on Christmas Eve...LOL. No Christmas feast for you. But in my way of thinking that's a great Christmas present. I will have to wait until just after the New Year to get mine. But my Christmas present is not only the band but the day after I get to start Stage III if he lets me. What all did you eat for Stage II? Can we blend things up into liquid and eat just about anything? I have to get all this information because in just 18 short days I'll be joining you. Whoohoo!!! I'm so excited and nervous.

I just got called yesterday with my date! December 12th. Yahoo!!!

Whoop!!! Got a call. My date is December 12th. I'm totally blown away. I didn't expect one until February. What a great day!!!

Wow. I grew up in Loomis. My DH and I both graduated from Del Oro as did our siblings. My mom lives off of Humphrey on Brooks Avenue. I have made it all the way to having seen the surgeon. They have me scheduled for a couple of classes within the next few weeks and if everything works right (cough, cough, sputter - sorry choked on that one) I should have surgery around late February. I started this process June 5th with the same orientation that you are going to. I think that when they started doing the band that they opened the proverbal flood gates. The actual proceedure is pretty simple just drawn out and run by skinny people who I think don't realize obese people's line of thought. IMHO. I am, however, glad that Kaiser does the band because it sure made it possible for me. I will send you a personal message with my email address. I would be happy to have another band buddy.

Actually, I live in Penryn. I haven't checked out anyother support groups other than the one they will require me to go to at Kaiser in Sacramento. I belong to a thread called smartbandsters.com and I think that between the two it will be enough. Where are you located?

Too bad. It sure sounded like a good plan. LOL I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving in spite of work.

It's good to hear from you. It sounds like surgery went ok. You worked hard enough for it. So you'll be going back to work just in time to take a day off for Thanksgiving. Good planning. I hope that things continue to go well for you. Keep us posted.

This question has been asked a lot on smartbandsters.com. There is a bariatric nurse that has had the lapband for 9 years now on this site. She has said on numerous occassions that the band will out last you. I know this is meant as a figure of speech but I trust unless you have one of those rare instances that can happen in all surgeries that this is something that most of us will never have to replace. Keep in mind this is coming from a 54 year old, so I don't know about those of you in your 20's. Jessie just makes the blanket statement. She wrote a pretty good book about banding, too. She's been at goal for 8 years. She had to go to Mexico for her surgery and now works at a bariatric center in Washington. Hope this helps.

So, they put 3.5 in at surgery? Who did you have again? Dr. Le said that the band came with a pre-priming but that they didn't put anymore in. I wonder if the 3.5 is the "pre-prime". I hope that is what we all get at the time of surgery. I'm glad to hear all went well. Did it hurt? Sorry, had to ask. I hate the drive home ESPECIALLY on a Friday night! OMG, that probably hurts worse than the fill! LOL How long before your next fill? I know...questions, questions, questions.

I didn't know that skating was so hard on you. I mean it has always been hard on me...I fall down all the time. I'm just going to play it by ear. I think that if you do it right and don't abuse it then Motrin or NSAIDS will probably be ok. Hopefully, I'll never have to find out. I'm finding that the chiropractor and stretching do a lot for it right now.

Maybe I'll try that. Like I said, mine isn't too bad yet but I didn't want to get into the same spot as my mother and not be able to get help. She can hardly walk because of the RA. My doctor said that if I needed something he would take care of me. I really don't want to use them but if I have to I'll just use them the way some people do with taking Pepsid first and then the anti-inflamatory.

I really don't have it too bad but my Mom does. My sister is getting it also. That's why I went to see my PCP about possible future needs. He's really cool about it. I don't want to be taking narcotics throughout my life. My TENS machine does a lot of good for it. I ordered a mini one so that I could have it in my purse in case I need it on the run.

No way...they weighed you on a meat scale? Ew! I can see why you weren't impressed.

I know what you mean about the arthritis. What will you be doing for your's after the band?

I hope all goes well with your fill. Have you been having much hunger? It will be nice to have your fill now so that things can be settled down for Thanksgiving. Good luck.

Ed - I am from Northern California and just want to say I'm glad to hear more Kaiser's are offering this proceedure. I hope the process goes quickly for you.

Wow, how great is it to be able to see the schedule. I found out about my appointments with Dr. Stiles, Beth, and the psychologist on the Kaiser website before I got the information. I was on the phone with my daughter when I saw it. She was laughing so hard at me because I couldn't even talk I was so happy. I'm going with Dr. Le. I guess he's going to be off for a good portion of December. I'm not sure if that's going to put things even further out or not. I would have to think they knew that in October when I saw him. Oh, well, what will be will be. I've been doing their meal plan also and I started working out at Curves. It gave a great jump start to my weight which had stalled. I had been walking this summer but got too busy at work to do it. I raised 5 kids so I know what you mean about the energy that goes into that.

I actually don't have a date yet. I'm going through the SSF Kaiser and have gone through all of the appointments required. So now I'm just waiting for that phone call that will tell me when my surgery date is. It should be sometime in late February from what they told me. Kaiser is really backed up because of all the people who are coming in since they started the lap band procedure. How are you doing? Are you having to follow any post-op diets?

Edeva3 - You already have your band?

Hey Robin - Yeah, there are a few of us from up the Sacramento way getting the band. Too bad you don't have an inside track because you work for them. Are you just starting this process? I've gotten all the required appointments done and I'm just waiting to hear about a surgery date. They said it would probably be late February. Have you heard through the grapevine if they are going to start doing any of this up here? Even being able to get our fills up here would be great! Well, good luck and keep me posted on your journey!

Brenda - Thanks for all of your information. It is so helpful to have someone who has been through the process. April - By the time you read this you'll be a bandster. Congratulations and I hope your surgery went well. Keep us posted on how you are doing.