Lynn B

Hi, great to see another quilter - your doing fantastic. What kind of quilts do you do? I have to admit I am a machine quilter - love to do log cabins and strip quilts. See ya around.

Have you gone to the info meeting yet? I believe they start at 6pm on the first and 3rd thursday of every month (check their web page for confirmation). It is a great way to meet and get a feel for the doctors (it is also part of the program requirement).

Good luck,

Sounds good to me - I get my offical weight tomorrow. Do you want us to email them to you or are you going to start a seperate post? Let me know.

Dont Panic...My psych eval was a short questionaire and about a 1/2 hour chatting with the doctor (who IMO was as crazy as a loon). They just want to make sure that you dont have any unrealistic ideas and that you have a support system. My advise - don't tell her/him that you want to be a bikini model and you will be all set.

The doctor I went to see asked about my hubby and kids and I pulled out all the pictures and showed her and she gave me advise on how to make my clothes stretch between sizes so I didn't spend a fourtune on clothes and right before I left she said - come Easter you are going to be goergous (SP?). I stressed out for nothing - go in relaxed and be yourself - you'll do fine.

Good luck,

I will be starting mushie tomorrow, I will get my list of approved foods when I see the doc tomorrow so I will post what he gives me then.

Good luck!

My doctor also expects you to quit 2 months before surgery and I gave it one hell of a try. I would be fine for days at a time (watching hubby smoke) then I would break down and smoke for a day and then be fine for a week. Needless to say during my 3 weeks of post op liquids I picked it right back up. I agree that fighting one battle at a time is hard enough but I do want to quit in the future.

I spoke with the anesthesiologist when I had my Gallbladder out on 8/18/05 and he said smoking does not affect the anesthesia but it can slow your rate of healing (I was fine) At the very least try to cut down or quit for a week before surgery and no smoking the day before according to what I have read.

Good luck,

My doctor also fitted me with the smaller band (I didn't ask him after surgery but I go for a follow up tomorrow and will find out) I'm not sure if it is the 9.75 cm or the 10 cm but they both only hold 4cc. He commented to my Mom after surgery that I had done great with the preop weight loss so he was able to place the smaller band (he did my gallbladder about 3.5 weeks before my band so he got a preview of my insides and said my liver was large at that time but much improved when he went to do the band). Amazing what 25 lbs will do.

Make sure your doc fits you with the band that is best for you - he should say this is the band your getting before he looks at your insides (he should have all three with him in the OR)

Good luck,

Congrats!! Which doctor did you choose? I know they are all good but I am partial to Dr. Jones (well of course - he did my gallbladder and band)

Good luck,

PB - Productive Burp - when the food in you pouch makes a startling re-appearance. Like throwing up but with no stomach acid so not as much yuck. I have not had the pleasure yet but for some it can be painful. There is a link below for other message board terms. Have fun.

I will be going on soft/mushies this Wednesday - egg salad here I come. If I see Soup and Protein shakes again in my life it will be to soon (or at least for every meal in the day for 3 weeks argggggggg)

Diet Coke addict here - I thought I would die without my soda fix but the funny thing is I haven't even thought about it in the past 3 weeks. To many other things to think about now I guess.

Good luck,

I left the hospital on full liquids so I was able to have skim milk - got it on day 2 at the hospital with my CIB. If you are craving some protien to help heal and keep your mind and body strong ask your doc about Isopure - you can get it at GNC, its clear and has 50 gr. of protien per bottle.

Good luck,

Sleepyjean, I hope you don't have to wait to long but take this time to really reflect on the changes coming your way.

I saw commercials for the band one night and thought "I should look into that - A couple of nights later I saw the same commercial and went right up on the PC and started researching - this must have been sometime in April 05. I downloaded an application from the program that I had decided on an filled it out and took it with me to my first Info meeting - June 8. After the meeting I was so gung ho to do this that I passed in my packet. I had my surgery on Sept 12 - (I didn't need a referal from my PCP because I have a PPO) - in the three months between start and finish I had all my preop tests done and my gallbladder removed - talk about a whirlwind.

I was mentally prepared for the surgery but still felt like it snuck up on me. (I thought 3 months would take forever but it was over in the blink of an eye). Dont get down - you will get here and when you do you may feel like I did - where did all that time go.

Good luck,

Most doctors follow the NIH critera and BMI is a better indicator than your actual weight.

There are a lot of articles from the NIH here

http://consensus.nih.gov/1991/1991GISurgeryObesity084html.htm

And the NIH BMI Chart

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.htm

Good luck,

Keri - you are so not alone. I am on day 19 of my 23 days of post op full liquids and I think that all of my favorite dinners have been on the table in the past 19 days. My hubby did most of the cooking for the first 2 weeks and I swear he made everything I love. But we are strong and you are right - its not forever. But I tell you - I can smell pizza cooking 10 miles away now!

Keep up the good work,

I had one - It went in while I was under and came out the next day. The reason that I was give was that it was one less thing to worry about. I was on IV fluids until the barium swallow on day 2 so I would have been going quite frequently. I have my surgery at about 2 pm and was in my room by 4 pm, got up to walk at 6 pm and was told to rest for the remainder of the night (had compression booties - awesome). I was glad I had it although it was uncomfortable - getting in and out of bed day 1-2 was more uncomfortable that the catheter. Taking it out was not to bad - the nurse uses a syringe to empty the Fluid in the balloon that keeps it in your bladder and then gently pulls it out - just a little pressure no pain.

Ask your doc what his procedure is - I had no choice in the matter.

Good luck,

I told everyone about my surgery - family, friends, strangers - but I still need to explain and correct them about the differences, retrictions, rules etc for the procedure. I don't mind doing that because even if it doesn't help them, it may make them more tolerant of others they meet that are taking the same journey. I feel that I am helping myself and others by being vocal about my choices.

That being said - I know that other prefer not to be as vocal as I (can't keep me quiet) and you have every right to be mad. It was not fair for your Mom to discuss something that you asked her not to, but she is your Mom and you can't be mad at her for ever. I would sit her down at some point (don't wait to long) and explain why you felt she should know and your personal reasons for not wanting anyone else to know. Let her know that you are disappointed that she broke the trust you shared.

As for your SIL, email her some info on the band with a note that you would prefer to keep your personal medical issues personal and ask that she read through the info so that in the very least if she must gossip that she be an informed gossip.

Sorry your secret is out before you wished to be but maybe in the long run you will end up helping someone else with your knowledge of this procedure.

Good luck,

Pre - op

Blood draw (6 tubes, a little pinch)

EKG (takes 5 min. they put these little stickers on you and hook the machine up to the stickers, get a reading and your done, no pain)

Psych eval (1/2 hour with the psychologist to make sure you understand what changes this procedure will bring to your life)

Gallbladder ultrasound (jelly on your belly, took about 1/2 hour, no pain)

2 support group meetings (kinda fun, very informative)

Nutritionist visit (got to try some protien shakes)

Depending on your medical history they may also request - Cardiac Echo (if you took Phen Phen this is a must), sleep study (if you have symptoms of sleep apnea), Pulmonary Function Test (I didn't need these three)

Pre Admission testing for the hospital

EKG (same as above)

Blood Draw (4 tubes)

Consult with anesthesiologist

Surgery day

Start an IV and your on your way.

Post op

Catheter (SP?) - hated it but it wasn't painful

Barium swallow - I have eaten worse stuff but this is on the top 10 list (liquid amodium AD was worse) but it is over quick.

There wasn't anything that I was required to do that involved pain or discomfort (no enemas!) but every doctor is different. Yours should give you a list up front of what will be required.

Good luck,

Congratulations!

I've been calling it reverse body dysmorphia. I have always thought of myself as smaller than I am (yes it could be that I refuse to let reality into my party). When I catch my reflection in a store window I am shocked. I am not really that big???Am I??

It will be wonderful to catch my reflection in the future and say "Yup, thats me"

Good luck to all,

Great I will keep an eye out for the wal mart ones (love saving money)

Thanks!

Are your incisions covered with steri stips or glue? I have steri strip and was told not to remove them, the longer they stay on the smaller the scar (its not a big deal if they fall off on their own). No other care is needed, shower as usual and dry them off.

Good luck

Pre-op: Eat sensibly, Low fat, Low sugar - No liquid diet requirement

3-4 weeks full liquids

4 weeks mushies

solid food added at tolerated after week 8

Here try these links for more info

http://www.medicinenet.com/fatty_liver/index.htm

http://my.webmd.com/hw/liver_disease/ut1397.asp

Good luck,

I was lucky - My ins. is covering everything but my co-pay and program fees. Do you have a 401K that you can draw off? That way any interest you pay just goes back to yourself.

Good luck,

Hi all, Tomorrow I will be 2 weeks out and I am finally comfy sleeping on my side and tummy (just this weekend I was able to). It creeps up on ya real quick.

I am not on mushies yet - but I have never heard about a restriction on fresh fruit (a lot of people use banannas in their shakes). As long as it fits into you stage you should be fine.

Good luck,