~Bridgette~

I've been dreading this since the beginning! I finally told my parents today about my decision to have the surgery. When I started researching this procedure about a year and a half ago, I told them and was met with skepticism and lack of support. They were concerned about whether it would truly work or not and whether or not I'd be successful at this endeavor. It seemed "an awful big risk of surgery if it may not even work"... (I interpreted that as if I can't be successful with it.) My parents are constantly on a diet and sometimes very successful with it, but eventually off it and back to eating whatever they want. Yo Yo dieting. I'm an only child and am very close to my parents. I still talk with my mom daily or close to it. It was so hard for me not to tell her as I was going through for the preauthorization for the surgery process, but I didn't. I wanted to wait until I had a date and could be stronger in my decision. So.... today I told them. They were very supportive. I wished I hadn't told them on the phone, but I won't see them face-to-face until about a week and a half prior to surgery. I didn't want to do that to them. They said they know that I have done my research and will do the right thing and they'll do whatever I need to support me. Thank God!! I have been praying (literally since starting the process to get approved) that God would start to prepare their hearts and minds to receive this news and to be supportive. That was an answered prayer. My hubby is behind me 120%! They also expressed their concern that because he loves to eat and cook, that he'd unintentionally sabotage me. I told them that what I put in my mouth is my responsibility, not his. That I'm a grown woman and make my own decisions. I feel better now!! I don't feel like I'm hiding a secret. I am so glad I told them. I asked them to go to the speaker phone so I could talk to both of them at the same time. My dad thought I was going to tell them I was prego...nope, not yet. But HOPEFULLY, one day! =)

I've been dreading this since the beginning! I finally told my parents today about my decision to have the surgery. When I started researching this procedure about a year and a half ago, I told them and was met with skepticism and lack of support. They were concerned about whether it would truly work or not and whether or not I'd be successful at this endeavor. It seemed "an awful big risk of surgery if it may not even work"... (I interpreted that as if I can't be successful with it.) My parents are constantly on a diet and sometimes very successful with it, but eventually off it and back to eating whatever they want. Yo Yo dieting. I'm an only child and am very close to my parents. I still talk with my mom daily or close to it. It was so hard for me not to tell her as I was going through for the preauthorization for the surgery process, but I didn't. I wanted to wait until I had a date and could be stronger in my decision. So.... today I told them. They were very supportive. I wished I hadn't told them on the phone, but I won't see them face-to-face until about a week and a half prior to surgery. I didn't want to do that to them. They said they know that I have done my research and will do the right thing and they'll do whatever I need to support me. Thank God!! I have been praying (literally since starting the process to get approved) that God would start to prepare their hearts and minds to receive this news and to be supportive. That was an answered prayer. My hubby is behind me 120%! They also expressed their concern that because he loves to eat and cook, that he'd unintentionally sabotage me. I told them that what I put in my mouth is my responsibility, not his. That I'm a grown woman and make my own decisions. I feel better now!! I don't feel like I'm hiding a secret. I am so glad I told them. I asked them to go to the speaker phone so I could talk to both of them at the same time. My dad thought I was going to tell them I was prego...nope, not yet. But HOPEFULLY, one day! =)

In just 5 weeks, I will be in bandland! It's so hard to believe! I've been researching the band for almost 2 years and even thought I could try to do it on my own, "one last time". I'm so tired of the yo-yo dieting! I'm tired of working hard to lose weight and then regain it all plus some when I go off the diet! Thank God that I have been approved for this band. He is blessing me and helping me to finally start living my life in a healthy way to honor Him. Today a friend and I went walking. We walked for 30 minutes (about 2 miles) and planned to walk daily during the week. What a blessing to get a jump start on living a healthy life before getting banded! I have already started drinking protein shakes, limit my carb intake and try to eliminate junk food from my diet. I am very excited about this new healthy lifestyle. I am also nervous about the surgery itself and the gas/pbing that will follow. But, the potential risks are worth it to me if I can get healthy and reduce my risk of worsening my health in the long run.

In just 5 weeks, I will be in bandland! It's so hard to believe! I've been researching the band for almost 2 years and even thought I could try to do it on my own, "one last time". I'm so tired of the yo-yo dieting! I'm tired of working hard to lose weight and then regain it all plus some when I go off the diet! Thank God that I have been approved for this band. He is blessing me and helping me to finally start living my life in a healthy way to honor Him. Today a friend and I went walking. We walked for 30 minutes (about 2 miles) and planned to walk daily during the week. What a blessing to get a jump start on living a healthy life before getting banded! I have already started drinking protein shakes, limit my carb intake and try to eliminate junk food from my diet. :rolleyes2: I am very excited about this new healthy lifestyle. I am also nervous about the surgery itself and the gas/pbing that will follow. But, the potential risks are worth it to me if I can get healthy and reduce my risk of worsening my health in the long run.

I think that's it. I think they're scared to lose me on the operating table, and I'm scared of that too. But I'm more afraid of dying really early b/c of my high blood pressure and prediabetes (that will turn into diabetes if I don't do something), and any additional complications that come from being so overweight! I told DH, who's totally supportive, I'm going to die sometime, I'd rather die trying to save my life than sitting around doing nothing and getting worse!

I think I could have written your post! Almost 2 years ago, when I *first* heard about lap band and started looking into it, I went to a seminar. I was so excited! I thought: hey, this might be what saves my life! About 2 weeks later, I went to visit my folks. I took my information from the seminar with me. My parents are also overweight, my dad is morbidly obese like me. I've been on every diet known to man and *know* what to do, but it's a matter of putting it into practice. When I talked to my parents, they were not very supportive! They have always viewed folks who have WLS as "taking the easy way out".... They basically said, why will this work when nothing else has worked in the past? I let them put doubt in my head and I even decided to give it a try and do it on my own. I lasted on my diet for 2 weeks. I never exercised. I felt absolutely deflated! Fast forward to now. I have my surgery scheduled as of a week ago. I have not yet told them about it. I've gone through all of the preauthorization work ups and appointments without telling them. (And I'm an only child who is very close to her parents! I still talk to my mom daily.) I have yet to decide when I will tell them. I would love to have their support this time. I've actually been praying since before I had my psych eval that they would start to be more open-minded about me making my own decisions and to support me. Now, my parents are currently on their "diet". It's a low-carb kind of diet. Don't get me wrong, it's great. But how many times have they done that diet to lose 20 pounds and put it back on??? I don't want to work so very hard to lose the weight and put it back on! My band will help me to lose more efficiently and more importantly to me, to maintain my loss! That's what excites me the most! The added help to not have to be on that rollercoaster ride of yo-yo dieting! Sorry to have been so wordy, but your post has really spoken to me! You will do wonderfully! It's definitely not the "easy way out"!

You did better than me! The first time I met with him one on one, I had no questions... I hadn't prepared at all!!!! I felt like such a loser!! Gina~ I still have to do my before pics! Hubby took my measurements last night so I could put them into that Realize program thing that Dr. Clark gave me when I met with him. I like that little program online to track my foods, water, goals, stats.... pretty nifty! =) Anyways, still have to do the pics. I have normal pics of me at various events, etc., but I want to do the face shot, the front view and the side view...

I got my packet from Cat yesterday and my surgery was scheduled just a week ago, so you'll get it next week, I'm sure! I went last Friday and paid my program fee so I could get the handbook and read it before class. I've read it twice! Now I just need to remember to jot down my questions so I can ask Dr. Clark when I see him. You're right, this is a great site with wonderful folks! Welcome aboard =)

Hi Ebonie! Are you doing the pre-op class on the 14th? That's when I'm doing mine. I'm getting banded just 2 days after you and I'm thrilled. Glad you found us on here! There are some wonderful folks on here!

Dirigo ~ that is amazing! What a wonderful thing to share! Best of luck to you and your family! Barb ~ I sure am glad you're a Hokie fan! =) Also, I know you're going to do so well with your surgery. Your doctor sounds fantastic! That's awesome!

Yep, I'm going to have to limit myself as well.

Oh.. I'm definitely going to ask for "calm-down juice".... I get nervous whenever I think of the actual surgery! To the OP~ You're going to do fantastically!!! Keep us posted. =)

I believe it has 30 cals per package... I wouldn't use it solely for my water, but was curious about using it for 16 oz of my daily water (1 package a day)

Great thread!! I'm subscribing so I'll have lots of great ideas for when I'm banded.... 5 weeks from today!! =)

Just wondering if you all drink this to add in some protein while drinking water? Does it count towards our water requirement for the day? Just checking....

Hey Barb ~ are you having your surgery done at UVA? My mom had back surgery done there about 7 years ago and it was really nice there. I love Charlotesville, it's beautiful. The only thing it has going against it is the University, LOL. (I'm a Hokie!)

Me, I'm in Chesapeake! =)

Thanks for posting that, Sunshine! Very informative!!! =)

Meshultz ~ I imagine by this time, your hubby is in "bandland" and on his way to a healthy new lifestyle! Will say a prayer for healthy and speedy recovery. Please try to keep us posted on how he's doing. You're up next, girlie! =) Thanks for the kind words! You're right, the surgery is simply a step on the way to a new healthy lifestyle. Just think of how much healthier we'll be by this time next year!! =)

I'm going to be banded in 5 weeks and I will be getting a Realize band. When I met with my surgeon for the first 1on1 visit, he gave me a book by the Realize folks with his surgeon number for how to activate my account on the Realize site. I did that just tonight and DH took my measurements so I can start using the online tool to track my food intake, and stats. It was pretty cool. I don't really know much about the differences, but will take whatever my surgeon chooses to put in me. I figure he's the expert, not me.

Good luck!!

So, tonight DH took my measurements! Ugh! I can't wait to see those numbers go down! I'm getting the Realize band and when I met with the surgeon last month, he gave me a book for the Realize site where I can track my progress. I can put my food diary, log exercise, goals, weight/measurements. It looks like a pretty neat site! I played around on it this evening so now I have my baseline information. It's pretty cool. I also re-read my handbook that I got last Friday. Whenever I read the section about the surgery, I get all dizzy-nervous feeling. I don't know why but that's the part that's freaking me out the most! I need to calm down, but it's pretty darn scary.

Hi, I'm Bridgette and have been overweight all of my life. I always joke that I was a size 18 when I was born! (My mom hates it when I say that...) I have suffered from PCOS for the last 5 years and am on meds for Pre-diabetes and high blood pressure (as of June this year). I decided it's really time to get serious! My biggest fear is that I'll fail at this and will have gone through surgery for nothing! I absolutely HATE to exercise, so that's my biggest hurdle. I still haven't told my folks, I'll tell them eventually. They're overweight too, but I am not 100% sure they'll be supportive. I think they look at WLS as "the easy way out".... I'm learning, it's definitely NOT easy!! DH supports me 100000% and I'm forever grateful! I'm looking forward to hopefully being able to be a mommy one day. Right now I have 2 incredibly spoiled cats. But... they won't be around to put me in a nursing home when I'm 98 and still going strong b/c I made this decision to get healthy, so... I need to get to conceivin'. LOL

Woohooo!!!! You go girl!!!

Thanks for all the hard work you've done SnS! You rock!! =)