HeatherA

I am a diet soda junkie... I used to be addicted to Diet Coke... however, I have weaned myself off of caffeinated beverages and on to drinks such as Diet Rite or Diet Hansens sodas... both have no sodium, no caffeine and use splenda rather than aspartame. I am supposed to be weaning myself off of them while working on my pre-op diet, but the dietitian said I could wait until I ran out of what I had in the house before quitting altogether. I'm now down to my last 2 6-packs and plan to go into mourning this weekend. The other hard thing for me will be to give up drinking from a straw... my routine is a nice big Tervis tumbler, tons of ice, soda and a straw... the only time I don't use a straw is when I drink from a Water bottle with a sport cap. These two things may just be the things that keep me from being successful with the band... I am not sure I can do it.

That's such exciting news Lori! Congratulations! I will be 38 in January and I'm hoping to be down 38 pounds by then :-) I won't be banded until about a month before my birthday (if all goes well) so most of it will have to be me if I want to achieve that goal. I'm already working on it as I type! LOL I can't wait to wear a size 12! You need to do that happy dance every time you put those jeans on!!! Whoo Hoo!

ObesityHelp is a great site! I actually started reading there long before I moved here because it was the first site I found. I lurked for months before actually posting. I love it there, as much as here, but the board software is not nearly as nice as this board and it's a bit cumbersome to keep up with posts because a new message does not float it back up to the top like it does here. However, the people are as terrific as those here and it's a great second home :-)

I was so lost yesterday without the board! Thank goodness for the ObesityHelp boards... they're the only thing that got me through :-) If both went down at the same time I'd be one sad lost puppy!

Hi All! I just went for my full day appointment to get my surgery ball really rolling. I met with the Nut., Psych. and had my physical. the only extra test I need is an EXG which I hope to get soon. I then have to have two more visits with the Nut. that my Dr. requires, even though my Ins. does not. I also need to talk to the Ins. girl to see when she'll be submitting me for approval... I'm hopeful she'll say next week. Then after the Nut. clears me I can get a date... long story longer... hopefully mid-December! Now, Christmas is MY time of year... I bake and bake and make candies and everyone expects them from me... and I just know if I'm on a liquid diet there is not going to be any motivation for me to do all of this creating and tempting of myself. I think having this Surgery in December will be very trying... but also a good thing as I won't have to deal with the typical extra Christmas weight I tend to gain from Nov-Dec.

I am so nervous! We just got a letter in the mail from my husband's employer stating that we will be moving from our UHC plan Definity Health to Cigna's Consumer Choice Enhanced Plan as of Jan. 1. Now, I have already started the process with UHC and have my all day doctor's visit on Thursday. What happens to me if UHC approves my surgery but I don't actually have it until early 2008????? I'm feaking out here! I just don't know what to do! I don't want to go through all of this and then have to start over with a 6 month diet next year to meet the hoops Cigna might want me to meet. Can anyone calm my nerves or at least share their thoughts? Thanks!

Ok, I admit it... I am addicted to straws! I use them ALL the time... every single day. The only time I don't use them is if I'm drinking from a water bottle. My surgeons instructions are adamant that I not use straws after surgery. Combine that with the no-carbonated beverage rule and I start to question whether I can actually go through with this surgery. I know it sounds ridiculous but straws and carbonated beverages are two of my favorite things. *sigh I'm very worried about this.

Topdownbug, Congrats! I've been looking at my "journal" and I'm praying I'll have the strength to do this. My biggest hurdle is going to be the no straw rule and the no soda rule... The liquid diet will be ok because it has a start and an end... but the other rules seem to be forever. I need a 10 step program for straw addiction :-)

Fingers crossed!!!!!

Thanks Juli!!!!

Hunter, I followed your lead and got the ball really rolling... it's picking up speed... I have my appointment tomorrow for the paperwork and then the all day appointment in two weeks. Now I'm feeling really nervous. LOL I'm excited to get going. I wonder if there's a chance to be done before the new year so I don't have to pay a second deductible.

We're getting quite the group here! Welcome aboard!!!!

Good luck!!!!!! I almost actually relish the idea of a liquid diet. I do so much better when I don't have to fend for myself food wise. If I was rich and could afford a food preparer I'd be set!

When I had my gallbladder out in 1996 I took longer to recover than most and I expect that with this as well. I kept hearing all of these people that were up and about easily in a day or so. I think I was down for at least a week. Luckily I work mostly from home, so I can do that in bed, but I do have a 2-day a week job that I will take off for a while. I hope it's only a week though, I hate being sick :-)

We are such opposites that way. I have no problem telling everyone that knows me what I'm doing. I don't think I'll advertise it to strangers, but everyone in my "sphere" has watched me struggle for years, they know I'm fat... not a big secret... they know I've dieted... and most of them are going to know that I've had surgery. I figure the more support I have, the more motivated I'll be to be successful at this. Plus, I figure if my experience can help just one person then it's worth it. My only fear is that the food police will be in force everywhere I go. They used to do that to me when I first was going gang busters on WW several years ago. Eventually they got bored and left me alone... but I figure after surgery I'll start noticing it again. *sigh It's almost like being pregnant and having everyone touch your belly... they all just think they have the right.

Let me know how it goes. I will hopefully be able to call today or tomorrow.

I like to eat out too. Everything fun that we do in our family is so centered on food... my entire extended family. I'm not sure what I'll do when I can't relate over food...

:faint::faint: That'd be great! I'm definitely up for that!

No I haven't. I've actually been advised to call and schedule the appointment with Annie myself. I just haven't had the time to do so yet. I hope to call sometime this week if I don't hear from them. How about you?

I would love to attend a support group for LB'ers. I think that follow-up care and support will be instrumental to my success with this surgery. That's partly why I chose to investigate the Riverside program. The after-care program seems to be phenomenal. I've only ever known people with GB... the only LB'er I've heard of, prior to investigating this surgery on my own, was Sharon Osborne. Anyway, I was not thrilled with the risks, the high percentages of complications and the fact that so many seem to gain it all back. That's not to say I don't have my worries about the LB, but apples to oranges it just seems the much better choice for me at this time. Plus... if worse comes to worst I can always go in an have GB down the road... though I truly don't see that as something I'll have to do.

Hunter, Dr. Myers said that there was a LB support group the night of our Seminar. I think he mentioned that there is a meeting every week but that it alternates between GB and LB groups. You might call the office to check. I'd definitely be up to attending a LB group if they welcome those of us just getting started.

Hi Topdownbug, I am in the Columbus area :-) Are you from here also? The 16th!!! I'm so jealous! How long ago did you attend the seminar? Yes, Dr. Myers said he'd only been doing them since February I believe. I was hoping to find a doctor with more experience with them, but I felt so comfortable with him instantly and have heard nothing but good things about him from colleagues of my father that I've decided he's the man for me. :-)

Hi Thinner me, thanks!

Hi Hunter, No, it didn't. I have a real aversion to permanently changing my body's chemistry. Plus I've known so many people that lose a ton of weight through GB and then gain it back. I'd love the quicker fix, but the band is pretty much the decision I've made.

Hi Hunter, looks like we're in the same boat. I just went to the seminar at Riverside last week. I loved Dr. Myers. I am waiting for my initial visit to be scheduled. Where are you in the process?