Suzzzie.

I have over 200 pounds to lose as well, but still opted for the band due to recovery time and complications with the bypass. I've had several family members and know co-workers with the bypass and every single one of them - NONE lost ALL their weight, and most have now gained back 1/2 to all of what they lost. Bypass isn't long term unless you have the willpower behind it. I'm hoping the band, once at restriction, will give me the long term loss I am looking for. I don't care if it takes 5 years to lose it, as long as it's coming off, and not coming back ON!

So. My surgery is this coming Friday. I'm still all excited, not nervous at all, but I'm sure that will come soon enough. I just need to focus on getting through this week. Full liquids on Wednesday, Clear liquids on Thursday. NPO after midnight Thursday night. I think I can do that... In the meantime... this weekend seems to have been an all you can eat one for me. Ugh. I'm not even hungry! Thank goodness NEXT weekend I won't be able to pig out - and hopefully NEVER AGAIN! Good luck to all of tomorrows Bandsters!

OK... I just wanna bump this cause there are current;y 666 posts!!! ICKY!! I'm not really supersticious (sp?)... but come on... thats a BAD number!

I'm not telling my family either. Only my 3 closest friends know about the band. My surgery is on June 15th, a friday, which is also my day off from work. I will call in 'sick' on Saturday, and plan on going to work on Sunday. I need for everything to be smooth and go on with my normal routine, or else questions will be asked about absences and the diet change. As for what I'll tell co-workers about the liquid diet - 'food allergy.' I plan on telling them that I have been having horrible headaches (which I do get, thanks to genetics and stress!) and that the doc thinks it may be a food allergy, and I need to cleanse my system and start back slowly. Well, I hate lying, so this will only come up if I'm asked... I live alone so family finding out isn't an issue. The hardest part for me is that once a week I meet a friend for dinner... won't be able to do that for a few weeks, and when I can, I won't be able to eat much. She'll notice. I feel bad for not telling my mom, and I've addressed this issue on another thread. She is a HUGE worry-wart and would make herself sick about it and have me (mentally) burried if she knew I had to undergo anesthesia and get holes cut into me. I might tell her afterwards, but I can't do it yet. She'll try to talk me out of it...she'll want me to use will power, exercise, and portion control. She doesn't understand that I've tried that sooo many times in my life. She's never been fat.

Go to where you edit your signatire and paste the ticker.com code into the box there. Save. And it will work fine. :girl_hug: That happens to me when my blood sugar gets low. But since it went away (for you) without eating or srinking anything, I"m not sure what happened. Hang in there!

I can only guess (and I know we've asked the "ball" question before and I think it went unanswered!) but I will guess that the "ball" is a JP drain. Sometimes placed post-op to drain off any excess fluids. If anyone knows for SURE can you speak up?? I don't want one! Haha.

It's just so cool that you and I will be banded the SAME day by the SAME doc! I wish you all the luck!! I want to have pictures taken of my surgery. Lol. I thought maybe Iw as strange. I would LOVE a video!! I should call my nurse and ask if they can do that for me??

Restaurant drinking... I think I will probably order WATER as it is typicall free. I can't imagine not having a drink in front of me! I will NOT use a straw, if I put a straw in the glass I will suck it up. Lol. If I just leave it alone I won't touch it at all. Not sure if friends who don't know about the band will believe me when I tell them that I'm "just not thirsty." Haha GOOD LUCK TO TODAYS BANDSTERS!!

Welcome Kland!! We're being banded on the same day!! Its sooo close now!!

What ball??? Like a JP drain? Why do you have that?!? I just took my pre-op ("before") pics yesterday - they are AWFUL!!! Ack!! It'll be at least a year before I share those with anyone! Hahaa! I am sooooo worried about the not drinking with meals thing. I'd venture to say that is the only real worry I have!! I've always been a big drinker with meals (not alcohol!). Typically at resturants I gauge how much I tip the waitstaff based on how many refills I get! Lol. How sad...

You don't want the port TOO buried! The docs still have to be able to feel/find it to do the fills!! I have heard, however, that once you are all skinny and stuff and if you choose to do plastic surgery that they have to move the port because of how much you've lost. ANyone know more about that? Welcome Laura!!

This is very encouraging! Thank you for posting!! I'm planning on returning to work after only 2 days. (Yes, we've established that I am crazy.)

Lol. Gotta low poop questions! Yes, ANY narcotic (such as hydrocodone) can be constipating. Usually your doc should be telling you this when he/she prescribes it...Silly docs!

Welcome Stefanie! You will find lots of information on this thread, but there are also threads out there specifically for the different 'diets' for pre and post-op. the vitamins you will need to take, and so much other stuff you never even thought of. Haha. Check here: Food

I have a Weight Watchers scale that I bought from Wal-Mart a few years back. I really like it and it's pretty accurate to what the surgeons office says I weigh. It goes up to 380 pounds too, which is good since I'm in that range. Haha. Toni! I LOVE your names! Thats very creative!! Also, on sleeping positions: I'm SUCH a side sleeper...or rather I sleep on my LEFT side all the time. Last Novemeber I got a tattoo on my left upper arm and it was so tender for about a week that I ouldn't sleep on my left side. I started sleeping on my right side. Then in March I got a tattoo on the back of my right shoulder, so I went back to sleeping on my left side. I cannot sleep on my back or tummy because of back problems. So I guess I'll be spending a couple of nights in my recliner. Haha. Can't wait to hear from todays newly banded bunch!

Good to hear from you KT!! Glad all is going well. Several of you newly banded ones mention not being hungry... OK, not being hungry has never stopped me from eating. I eat cause I want it. Am I missing something here? Am I the only one who eats NOT when their hungry?

I've seen somewhere on here where some people have given their band a name. Just wondering if any of you have thought about that? Silly, I know....but kinda fun, none the less. I was thinking I will name mine either Gretchen or Stella. Gretchen just cause I think its a fun name and I'm not allowed to have a dog, so I want to name something that! Haha And Stella cause of the movie 'How Stella got her Groove back' Lol. Cause my band is gonna give me MY groove back! What do ya'll think?? PS. Good luck to all of those getting banded tomorrow!!

OMG. Once gay, always gay. ... just like 'once a cheater, always a cheater.' You need to figure out who you are, and move on with your life. your husband doesn't like sex because he is gay. I'm not passing judgement!! One of my best friends is a gay man, who was married to 2 women before he finally just decided to move on and be happy.

Wow Crabby! You've had quite the day!! As for BCBS, I know they all work differently, and mine is Federal, but they approved mine the very next day after it was submitted. I didn't have to do any testing except for basic labs and an EKG though. I guess thats good for me? Haha. Good luck to you!

Welcome home to Serena and HuntersMom!

My pre-op labs and stuff was on May 18, and they didn't call me with a date until May 29th. That was a very long 11 days for me!! They offered e either the 15th or the 29th, so I think he must be very busy. I know he does other surgeries somewhere else too, so I"m sure the days he's available at WTLSC are limited. When I first started coming to this web site I found a woman named Carol who had her surgery by Dr.Nigro at WTLSC back in March. In the begining I called her and asked so many questions. It was nice to find someone who had been there and kinda knew how the office and stuff worked. She's had no problems and has had her first fill which she said was a breeze. Good luck with getting a date SOON!! It would be cool if they could still get you in on the 15th. We could be band sisters and stuff. haha. My surgery is at 0930, have to be there at 0830. I'm soooo excited.

How sweet of you!! Thanks for thinking of me. Can't wait to hear from todays Bandsters!

Congratulations. I hope all goes well!

Congrats on getting a date! I have no clue how you managed to wait so LONG!!!

I'm going to try to avoid the multi-posting I did last night. Haha. So, I was having an issue with finding a ride to and from surgery on the 15th. My friend that was going to take me just started a new job and can't request a day off so soon. She offered up her husband to go with me, But I don't feel like that is fair to him? Lol. So I talked to my other best friend, who lives in Houston (I'm in Kansas City) and told her she should take a few days off to come be with me. While I know that she can't do that, she did offer up a great solution I hadn't even thought about! She told me to call our friend Brian and have him drive me. I have kept this surgery such a secret I hadn't even considered that I hadn't told him yet! He's like, the gay best friend. Haha. So I called him and he is absolutly THRILLED for me! He was so excited and offered to even sstay the night with me if I needed him to. He was just too cool about it. He was only slightly offended that I hadn't told him sooner, but he says he understands my desire to keep it hush. I am just so blessed with the BEST friends! :welldoneclap: Oh, and he and his boyfriend want (demanded) to take me out for a steak dinner this weekend!! :hungry: Yum! Makes me sooo greatful that my pre-op diet only consists of 48 hours of liquids! Haha!! Good luck to those getting banded tomorrow!! Welcome to the newbies!!