Jean McMillan

We spend so many eager, anxious moments planning for surgery. We trudge through dozens of obligatory pre-op tests, evaluations, and diets. We research and ask questions until our heads could burst. Surgery day comes closer, but at the infuriatingly slow speed of cold molasses going uphill on a snowy winter day. Then suddenly the big day looms. It’s tomorrow! Are you ready? Do you even have a list of last-minute things to do before you leave for the hospital or surgery center? Have you packed your bag yet?


Your surgery is tomorrow! Are you ready? Do you have a list of last-minute things to do before you leave for the hospital or surgery center? Have you packed your bag yet?
What to Take to the Hospital or Surgery Center


This isn't like packing for a two-week vacation. Most hospitals prefer that you bring a minimum of belongings with you and don't want to be responsible for keeping track of them. You'll need less than you'd think. The hospital will want you to wear their gown instead of your own nightgown or pajamas, and you can wear an extra hospital gown backwards to use as a robe so you won't moon anyone when you're roaming the hallways. If you're allowed to shower while you're there (you may not be), they'll provide soap and Shampoo. If your feet get cold, the nurses will give you very attractive one-size-fits-few socks with non-slip soles.
Here's what I suggest you bring:
Insurance ID card
Photo ID
A copy of your advance health care directive
CPAP machine (if you use one)
A list of your medications (you may be instructed to bring the actual meds with you)
Lip gloss (your mouth & lips will be very dry)
Toothbrush, toothpaste and essential toiletries
Cosmetics (if you must)
IPod or MP3 player
Laptop computer (if you must)
Something to read (magazines, books, Bible)
Loose-fitting clothing (elastic waist)
A change of underwear
Slip-on shoes or sandals
Pillow(s) for the ride home
A water bottle for the ride home

Bring your cell phone if you like, but some hospitals don't allow use of cell phones on the premises because of possible interference with patient monitoring equipment.
Do not bring cash or valuables. The medical staff is there to take care of you, not your engagement ring.
Last Minute Things to Do


1. Have someone take Before photos of you (front, back, and side views).
2. Take your body measurements (neck, bust, waist, abdomen, thighs, calves, ankles, upper arms, wrists).
3. Set aside a pre-op outfit of fat clothes to preserve for posterity.
4. Put clean sheets on your bed.
5. Do laundry.
6. Clean your house.
7. Arrange for transportation to and from the hospital.
8. Arrange for child care.
9. Arrange for pet care.
10. Pay your bills.
11. Fill your prescriptions (your usual meds, plus pain-killers, anti-nausea meds and/or blood thinners for after surgery if your surgeon’s willing to prescribe them in advance).
12. Pack your bag for the hospital.
13. Complete & submit any forms your employer requires for your time off from work.
14. Pick up books to read and videos to watch while you recover.
15. Make sure there's easy-to-prepare food in the house for your family to eat.
16. Do your bowel prep if required (laxatives or enema).
17. Check your supplies:
§ The liquids you'll be allowed to drink in the first week
§ A blender or Magic Bullet®
§ Liquid Tylenol
§ Thermometer
§ Gas-X®
§ A heating pad
§ An ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables)
§ Witch hazel or anti-itch gel (to put on the skin around your itchy incisions, but not directly on the incisions)
§ Reading material, puzzles, games
18. Remove nail polish (if you wear it) from fingers and toes.
19. Remove all jewelry (including piercings) and put it in a safe place[1].
20. Bathe with Hibiclens (or other antibacterial cleanser) as instructed by your surgeon.
Almost without exception, bandsters’ response to this is that every item on the list is a good idea except items 1 and 2. Some also whine about items 17 and 18, but I’m not interested in hearing what dreadful thing will happen to you if you must undergo surgery while completely unconscious and denuded of your nose stud and blue fingernail polish. Save it for the pre-op nursing staff. I just want to reinforce items 1, 2 and 3. You may hate the camera and the measuring tape with a passion, but some day you’re going to be glad you have those pre-op photos and measurements. Similarly, you may plan to burn that fat outfit in a celebratory bonfire soon, but one day you’ll be glad you saved it. When your bathroom scale is stuck at on a number you hate, comparing your “now” photos, measurements, and clothing to those awful “befores” will remind you of just how far you’ve come, and give you a little push forward on the bandwagon trail.
[1] This is not negotiable. I once had my wedding ring cut off by a nurse before she would transport me to the operating room.

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.


Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).
I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.
Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy Snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
Increase your Water intake.
Decrease your sodium intake.
Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
Don't skip Breakfast.< br>
By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!
I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.


Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).
I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.
Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy Snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
Increase your Water intake.
Decrease your sodium intake.
Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
Don't skip Breakfast.< br>
By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!
I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.


Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).
I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.
Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy Snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
Increase your Water intake.
Decrease your sodium intake.
Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
Don't skip Breakfast.< br>
By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!
I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.


Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).
I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.
Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy Snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
Increase your Water intake.
Decrease your sodium intake.
Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
Don't skip Breakfast.< br>
By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!
I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

A weight loss plateau or stall is a temporary cessation of weight loss that can happen at any point in your weight loss surgery journey and can last days, weeks, or months. Plateaus happen to almost everybody sooner or later (no matter what means they're using to lose weight), no matter how hard they work at weight loss.


Why do plateaus happen even when we’re doing all the right things? The human body wants to preserve itself. It fights weight loss by adapting the metabolism to accommodate decreased calorie intake and/or increased calorie output. The body's new plan of attack is multi-pronged: increase calorie intake by making you hungrier (so you eat more), use less energy to accomplish physical activity (so you burn fewer calories) and hold on to stored fat (so it can use it for energy).
I think plateaus often happen because we're in a rut. So even if you believe you're doing all the right things in terms of diet, exercise, and mental or emotional effort - try changing them. If nothing else, it will prevent boredom and help you feel that you're taking positive action instead of being a victim of fate.
Here are some things you can try to shake up your routine.

Change the intensity, duration, frequency and type of exercise you're doing, so your body doesn't become too efficient at burning calories when you work out.
Don't neglect strength training - muscle burns far more calories than fat does.
Don't over-train - take one day off exercise a week.
Plan all your meals (the "how much" as well as the "what").
Weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate.
Log your food intake - you might be surprised to see what and how much you're really eating.
Try calorie shifting: vary your calories - eat 1200 one day, 900 the next, and so on, to keep your body guessing.
Eat 3 small meals and 3 healthy Snacks a day instead of 3 meals a day.
Increase your Water intake.
Decrease your sodium intake.
Don't weigh yourself every day - switch to once a week.
Don't skip Breakfast.< br>
By the way, if you weigh yourself every day and think that no weight loss for three days running is a plateau, you're going to have a long journey ahead of you. Get off that scale, now!
I have one more suggestion that you probably won't want to hear: CULTIVATE PATIENCE. No, it's not one of my virtues, either. Give it a try anyway.

So, how many people have you personally met who've been banded for 8-10-12 years with or without complications? Five, ten, twenty, fifty? I'm not sure what the current numbers are and it's too late in the day for me to call my Allergan rep, but as of 2009, about 62,500 Lap-Bands were placed each year. So if you personally know 50 people who lost their band to complications, that works out to a failure rate of .08%. Of course, since the Realize band hit the market in US late 2007 (after having been used successfully outside the USA since the mid 1980's), we ought to factor in its failure rate as well, but perhaps the Realize band doesn't qualify for your personal study because it's been used in the USA for less than 8 years?
I do personally know a woman who's been banded since December 2003 and still loves her band after almost 9 years. Since I personally know only one person who's been banded over 8 years, my own study yields a 100% satisfaction rate. But wait! I do know another person who's been banded over 8 years. His name is Alex Brecher, and he's the founder of LBT. He was banded in July of 2003 and guess what, he still loves his band, too!
The consent papers I signed when I had band surgery way back in 2007 made it clear that band surgery (like any surgery) has a number of risks, and neither Allergan nor my surgeon offered me any guarantee of weight loss or of no complications or of the permanence of my band. My surgeon did tell me I should consider it a lifetime companion, and I don't see anything wrong with that. He just wanted me to understand that this was a major, long term undertaking, and he was absolutely right even though I ended up losing my band. It would be foolish of me to undergo surgery thinking, "Well, I'll give this a try, and if it doesn't work out the way I like in a year or two, I'll have it removed and try something else." According to the bariatric surgeons I interviewed when writing Bandwagon, bariatric surgery (whichever procedure you choose) is the ONLY long term treatment for obesity available today. If there were a permanent treatment for obesity, you could call it a cure, and that would be a wonderful thing,wouldn't it? But obesity is a chronic, incurable disease, and that fact is one of the reasons that bariatric surgery sometimes fails.
Anyway, back to you...Have you personally had band surgery? Did your surgeon guarantee a permanent cure and no complications? If so, would you share his or her name and location, because that information would be useful to so many people on this forum and I personally would love to chat with him or her as part of my continuing education.
Oh, one more thing. One reason you so rarely encounter a 8-10-12 year bandster, especially online, is that those people lost their weight and went on to other perfectly worthwhile things, like new jobs and new babies and new hobbies. Bariatric surgery faded into the background of their lives. Of course, some of them did have problems. I know a few bandsters who lost their bariatric focus because they were diagnosed with cancer (NOT, I hasten to add, caused by their band) or their spouse or child died in an accident or they lost their job and basic survival became more of an issue than actively promoting the band.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

Feel the same way about getting into a pair of size 12 Lululemon yoga pants (after being a size 22). Not exactly a size 2 (YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!) but the same elated feeling of utter disbelief! Pure joy!
Congratulations - you are an inspiration!

Jean, that is so cool!
I have a few size 2s that fit me great -- same reaction here. Can hardly believe the huge changes in my body / life, thanks to WLS and, of course, my own hard work.
Congratulations to you.

That is amazing! Good job! I fit into a size 4 recently, and I have naturally big hips, or so I thought. I felt like I was in some alternate universe. It's pretty cool, right?! Keep up the good work!

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.

10 years ago, I wore size 22-24.
Summer has arrived in TN (where it will last at least until Thanksgiving), and today I bought shorts in size 2. First I tried on size 4 and was puzzled to find them a little...loose...what, loose?!?! Then I tried on size 2, and they fit perfectly.
I've been thrilled with every pound lost, every inch lost, every size lost during my WLS journey, but never, ever did I dream I'd wear a size 2.