kayzoog

My surgery is tomorrow! Can't wait!

It's my last weekend sans-band! Monday is the big day! I've started a blog that I hope you all might check out. http://banderland.weebly.com/ - K

I have only told a few people, too. I figure after I start losing more and getting to goal, people will ask what I have been doing and then I will tell them. My surgery is Monday! :)K

I thought I would mourn food more on the pre op liquid diet but it's not too bad. It actually takes some of the guess work of eating right so my stress over dieting is gone. I've been around tons of delicious food over the past 10 days and I think I only craved something once. I won't say I LOVE the shakes, but it's really not as horrible as I thought it would be. K

I'm inspired!!!!! Keep going!

I am on day 8, so I know how you feel. People say it gets easier. I think it just gets more boring. I am so tired of those shakes! But, I'm 11 pounds down so can't complain too much. Keep at it! - Kristi

My doctor said my hypothyroidsm may go away after I lose weight which is something I never thought of either.

I'm working on my masters taking two online classes plus working full time. I am being banded exactly a week from today and taking that whole week off from work. However, there is no time off school so I'm hoping to feel better toward the end of the week to do my assignments. I hope I don't need pain meds for too long because that will really put a dent my ability to keep up! Good luck! K

Sorry the link to blog may not work... try this link http://blissfullybanded.wordpress.com/blog-posts/

Blissfully Banded updated her blog! http://blissfullybanded.wordpress.com/blog-posts/ Sounds like she is doing well! Great update from the day of surgery. Congrats Samantha! - K

Like Ga Gurl, my liquid diet is ala Sugar Busters. I brew coffee in the morning (that is the only thing that is normal for me from pre-pre-op) and have a bit while I watch the news. Then I put about 1/2 a cup of brewed coffee in the fridge to cool it down while I shower and get ready. When I am ready to head to work, I mix Premiere Vanilla pre-made shake (from Costco) with ice and the 1/2 cup of cooled down coffee. I usually add a little splenda because I like it sweeter. I blend that all up till nice and frothy and sip that on my way to work (30 min drive). Before my pre-op, I tried Bariatric Advantage powder which was recommended by my surgeon. It sits like a brick in my stomach. I do not like it at all. The Premiere shakes from costco do much better for me. My cousin is a big natural foods chef, and she suggested that I use Fage Fat Free Greek Yogurt to make the smoothies instead of the powders. So, I blend a cup of that with tomato soup, or cooked broccoli and broth or even Amy's Organic canned pea soup to make a more Protein rich soup. It actually tastes quite good, and "eating" something warm breaks up the monotony of the cold shakes. I am on day 3 and so far so good. I drink lots of Water throughout the day. I've been practicing managing my stress by just drinking water instead of what I would normally do which is snack. I've been trying to decide if I am really hungry or just mentally hungry before I have a shake. It sounds funny, but I literally look down at my stomach to make sure it is really hungry. Ha! - K

I am on high Protein all liquid. I can add some berries, or sugar free Jello powder for other flavorings. In fact my surgeon gave me a bunch of recipes. I use a magic bullet to blend ingredients with ice to make some really good smoothies. In the morning I blend coffee and ice with a pre made vanilla Protein Drink and it's like a Starbucks Frappucino. For lunch I blend Soup and Fage for the protein. I stay away from fruits that aren't berries just because of the elevated sugar in them. As others have said, the goal is to shrink the liver, but also to get used to liquid lifestyle that will be required in the weeks after surgery. K

I just started my liquid pre-op diet. First day was ok... I'm on day two now. I almost didn't make dinner for the family last night because I didn't think I could handle being around actual food. But I told myself that I just need to overcome that because other people have to eat, and I can't just avoid being around food for 5-6 weeks. So I went ahead and made pulled pork and broccoli for the fam, and sipped a Soup myself during dinner. It wasn't too bad. The trick was to not be hungry as I cooked, so I sipped on a Protein drink during the preparation. - K

I have a similar situation as you. I did Weight Watchers (among other things) and failed. I am also self-pay. My surgery date is 3/3. Similar BMI. I chose LapBand because I have seen others get bypass and fail. I personally know 6 people that have the LapBand and they are very happy with it and highly recommend it. One of my friends who got bypass wishes she got the band because now she is anemic and her teeth had to be replaced and she gained a lot of weight back because she stretched it. All WLS has risks. All WLS can fail because you continue to eat bad. From what I read, the great thing about LapBand is that it allows for resetting in the way it works with your body through the adjustments and fills. Sleeve and Bypass can't do that. Do the research and decide whats best for you. I am thankful for the support on this forum. Lots of people are here that were exactly where you are today. It's great that you are taking the first step of WLS research to change your life! - K

I love your blog! I can't wait to hear all about the post-op experience. Good luck to you!

We are all scared at some point. Scared of surgery and scared that even after, we will somehow fail. My surgery is in two weeks and I also have heard of some bad outcomes. But when I look closer at them it was because of non-compliance of eating the wrong things and falling into old habits. And I have seen so so so many good stories! Successful stories. This makes me mor confident in it. I think to myself, if I had gallbladder disease, I would have surgery for that no questions asked. Obesity is a disease. This surgery can save my life. That's how I think about it now. Good luck in your research! I hope you decide for yourself and not based on what others say. K

Congrats on 3 days down! I have to start mine next week. I have been replacing meals with different shakes to try it out. I already know the mental hunger will be terrible. But I got to keep my eye on the prize. Good luck!!!!!

Oh I just saw this after I made a topic about March Bandsters! I didn't mean to duplicate topics. I am not sure how to delete my new one. I am just so darn excited to be banded! I am glad there are others in the same month! YAY us!

Any March 2014 Bandsters out there? My date is March 3. I've been trying out different Protein powder mixes and I got my Magic Bullet blender ready for action. Other than that, just counting down. I hope there are others getting banded on my same timeline... are you as nervous as I am? - K

Mine is about $15k.

You can do it with a BMI as low as 30, but you would have to self pay. I think BMI 35-40+ co-morbidity is when insurance would cover it, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through. My insurance will not cover any bariatric surgery no matter what. I was bummed that my insurance doesn't cover it for me, but I decided to go ahead and self-pay. Based on my research and the people in this forum, I think it will be money well spent! Good luck to you as you begin your journey! :)K

I hear you! I am scared too! I don't think I will die, but what if there is a complication? What if I have to have another surgery? And another and another? I guess that's a common feeling. But, I'm still going to go through with it. The benefits will outweigh the risks and I just hope I do well! Hang in there! - K

I'm a self-pay too! My surgery is March 3rd. My insurance does not cover it. I am glad so many people on here have self-paid. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable making that decision. I took a loan from my 401K to cover it. - K

Great job!! I guess I need to take the "before" pics so I can post like you in a year!

Hi! I just wanted to introduce myself. I just had my consultation today. Met with the surgeon and nutritionist. I'm self pay because my insurance (CIGNA) does not cover it on the plan I have. Big bummer! It's a lot of money, but I was already psyched to get it, so I am going for it! Never invested this much on myself in my life. That's what I said to the surgeon and he shot back, "So how much was your car?". Ok fine. Point taken. It just seems strange to pay this much just for something that is 100% only for myself. The best thing about self-pay is pretty much picking your own date. Mine is March 3. It's becoming a reality. I'm super nervous for everything to go right! Any suggestions on calming the nerves are appreciated! - K