JaxBandster

Hey Randy! At the rate I'm going I'll be back on my bike by next weekend! That's what I'm hoping for anyway! Thanks for the well wishes!

Hey Daddy and thanks for your prayers! That's so cool that you saw a commercial for my bike! I love my bike. It's a pleasure to ride! I am doing wonderfully two days post op! Just a little sore but already off the pain meds and moving around more and more. Trying to get all the liquids down I can and keep my strength up until I can get on the protein shakes on Monday. So far I'm really blessed so the prayers are working. Keep them up!!!!! Hugs!

I don't care what the stupid ground hog said......here in Florida it's in the 70's, the pollen is making everything yellow and the azaleas are blooming everywhere. Spring is sprunging around here already, although a later cold snap inevitably comes around bike week! :thumbdown: Oh and NASCAR season starts tonight with the Bud Shootout so life is gearing up down here in the deep south. I'll try to make sure it works it's way up to you guys!!!!

So uh Steve, what did the nurses have to do to get those Mardis Gras beads from you????? :thumbup: I'm actually going over to friend's house tonight for a bit and even went out in the backyard to clear out the land mines from the dogs this afternoon! (The DH just isn't very good with that kind of thing). The way I'm feeling right now I'm thinking that I should be back on my bike by next weekend easy!!!! :thumbdown: Enjoy that fire!!!

Welcome Harley Girl! I was self pay as well and it went extremely fast. Less than a month from my orientation meeting until my surgery which was on Thursday! I hear you about being able to find things that fit at the Harley store! They have gotten better but there are still a lot of things that I would like to wear that I know would look like crap on a fat chick so I have just abstained. Can't wait to wear sexy leathers while ridin! Know what I mean? :thumbdown:

Beach Bum, How many of these surgeries has your surgeon done? I can't believe that she hasn't even come and talk to you yet. I for one would be extremely hesitant to allow her to proceed and would even be considering a malpractice suit against her (could be one of the reasons she isn't communicating). Contact a lawyer and contact another surgeon. This is your life we're talking about. I'm really sorry you are having to go through this.

Congratulations!!! Looks like you are off to a great start!!!!

Don't worry, you will! I am two days post op and really feeling pretty well! I'm still taking it very easy as I don't want to over do it and push myself but I've stopped taking the hard drugs and switched to liquid tylenol for the general soreness, Gas-x for when I'm a little too urpy, took a shower and washed my hair, put on regular clothes and feeling generally human again. So it's all good. You will do great too!!!!! If you want more details just click on the link in my signature that goes to my blog on Obesity Help. Good luck!

Congratulations Michelle. I was banded the day before you and am doing really well too!!! Our journey begins!!!!! Good luck!

Here are the blow by blow details from my Obesity Help blog! Enjoy! I'm done! Was wheeled into the OR at 7:30 a.m. this morning and was home around 11:00 a.m. When I got there we of course had to do all the paper work. I was so nervous my stomach was really upset and I had to use the restroom. The had to call the pre-op nurse first so I could give them a urine sample so they could see if I was pregnant! Ugh. I'm 48 years old and have had my tubes tied and am peri-menopausal. But they said if I still have my cycle then they have to test. After I gave that to them I went back out in the waiting room for a few minutes before they called me in to be prepped. They first took all my vitals and went over my medical history. Then took me to my pre-op bed where they had me get into my gown, put a net on my hair, and put on the lovely white ted stockings. They then attached three leads to my chest, a blood pressure cuff on my arm, and the things that wrap around your lower legs to inflate with air to help prevent clots. The nurse then did my I.V. (she was very good and numbed it first then hit the vein the first time), and gave me a shot of Heparin in my tummy. The anesthesiologist came and talked to me first, she was very sweet, then Dr. Cywes came and talked to me while Grey and Mom were there. He went down the list of what they would be doing and the post-op instructions. They had a little five year old boy there being re-circumsized (ouch!) and they said they would take him before me. My guts were so tied in knots and I really wanted to get going but I understood. They finally took me back and my wonderful anesthesiologist nurse, Ozzie (who was a hoot), started giving me demoral and then I was a happy camper! LOL They then put the mask over my face and the thing I remembers was them waking me up in recovery. I was definitely sort and on the verge of being nauseous so they gave me more drugs My mouth was incredibly dry!!!! The worst case of cotton mouth I ever had! So they started giving me Water to sip and that helped. It has continually gotten better throughout the day. The post-op nurse gave me another dose of demoral (God bless her) and then she went and talked to Dr. Cywes to see if I could go home. He said I could so I walked down to the row of recovery recliners where she took out my I.V. and gave me my clothes to get changed back into. They wheeled me to the car and I was home around 11:00 or shortly thereafter. I am staying the first few days in the third bedroom where we have an adjustable twin bed so I can elevate my head and feet and be more comfortable. I have my laptop on a TV try by the bed and all my fluids, Gas-x (which is really helping) and other drugs. I have meds for nauseau but haven't needed them yet. I plan on continuring to take my pain meds until I feel confident that it isn't going to get any worse than this. Right now I'm just sore but no real pain to speak of at all. I try to get up every hour or two and walk around. I even helped to feed the dogs. Poor Annia is not happy. She doesn't understand why she can't be in the bedroom with me. Unfortunately, she is young and wants to jump on me and play and I can't do that right now. She is now laying outside the pet gate in front of the bedroom door protecting her Mommy. I am just drinking water right now as sweet drinks like Crystal Light and Propel are just too sweet on my taste buds right now. Otherwise, I am doing well and progressing nicely so far. I have five incisions including my port. Oh and I have color pictures! Nice huh? My liver looks wonderful in my novice opinion. Dr. Cywes said my hiatal hernia was huge! No wonder I've been having to take meds all this time. Hopefully no more! So there you have it. Wham, bam, thank you Ma'am, easy as pie! I'll write more as I progress.

Home and resting comfortably. Was home by 11:30. Surgery went well. Will write more later when I can keep my eyes open for more than a few minutes!

We have a lot of surgeries this week! Four on Monday Five on Tuesday Two on Wednesday Two on Thursday (that's my date) One on Friday That's 14 total! How appropriate is it that we are getting banded on the week of Lent!!! We are giving up food! <grin> Everyone keep us posted as to how you are doing!!! Monday I will start taking showers with the Hibiclens then Tuesday and Wednesday I do Clear liquids until surgery. It's going to be an interesting week.

Congrats Kitten! Sounds like you had a great experience! That's all we can ask for right????? See you on the banded side!

Hey Donna!!!!! I am having my surgery tomorrow as well and I am the same height and want to lose the same amount as you do! Cool huh???? Unfortunately the similarities end there. I am 48 and have a 16 year old girl and a 21 year old boy who is about to move back in with us after his first attempt out of the nest! Maybe this time he will decide to stay in college! Good luck tomorrow and let us know how you are doing!!!

Congratulations Mickers! You are on your way! Sounds like you are doing great! Hoping I do as well. Tomorrow is my big day! See you on the banded side!!!

Wow Congratulations!!!! That was fast moving!!! I thought I had done well getting it done within a month of my first appt! My husband also has type II diabetes. He is supposed to be on insulin but doesn't do it. He is trying to stay on my diet in order to lose weight and control it that way. Not sure that is going to work. I'd be interested to hear about your progress, both in weight loss and with your diabetes. It sounds like you have very good reasons to succeed!!!! Best of luck!

Ellisa Don't you just hate men!!!! LOL They seem to lose so much easier than we do :eek: (No offense guys) I definitely hear you about all the different diets. Most most successful were Weight Watchers (90 lbs in one year) and the Three Hour Diet (60 lbs in nine months). I had tried Atkins before but thought it was too hard. Go figure. I guess my head wasn't into it because the carbs definitely won that battle. It is difficult because you can't really avoid them completely but I'm going to do my darndest to keep them to a minimum. Maybe one day I'll be able to have them in moderation, but I know that as long as I'm trying to take the weight off that they are my mortal enemy! :eek: See you on the banded side!!!

The good news is that means you're burning fat!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Good job Michelle! Sounds like you are doing great!!! You will be back to your old self in no time! Keep us posted how you are progressing! I'm right behind you! Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m.!

Glad to hear you are home safe and sound! Rest well and write when you get your strength back and are feeling up to it! I'm right behind you! 7 am tomorrow!

Dear Lvly My nutritionist told me that along our journey we are going to take detours and the important thing is that if we do, that we need to get back on track on as soon as possible. Granted, you seem to have taken a scenic route detour, but the response needs to be the same. You need to get back on track. Those 5 lbs don't have to be back on permanently. They can be lost again and more added to them. You do the same things that I have done in the past pre-band. I do really really well, all gung ho and lose a bunch of weight and then slowly but surely start to revert to the bad eating habits that got me fat in the first place. I am counting on the people I have met through this board to help me remember why I am doing this and make sure I stay focused on the prize and not give in to immediate gratification. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels right??????? So go get your fill, fess up to the doc and tell him you are recommitting to the band and your weight loss journey. You will do this!!!!

April, it's somewhere in your signature code. Go to Edit Signature in the Members Area on the right side of your screen and cut it out of there. You may need to replace your ticker but just make sure when you copy the code you only copy the ticker portion and not the ad that follows.

Thanks Janet!!! It sure looks like your are doing great!!!!!! I hope I'm as successful as you! Thanks for the reaffirmation of my mindset. I will come back and read it in my moments of weakness which I sure will happen every now and then. Back to my jello!!!!

I agree totally! If I can get my band and lose my weight without getting fills I will be thrilled!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ellisa, Oh believe me, I'm an expert at losing weight! I know exactly how to lose it and have lost many times. Unfortunately, I always ended up going back to my old ways and ended back in the same place. Fat. It doesn't appear I have the willpower to sustain the lifestyle that I know I need to in order to maintain a healthy weight. I'm an addict. (sounding like 12 steps here) I don't know how to not eat to excess, especially carbs. That is where I am hoping the band will help me. With the band, if I over eat like I did before, it will slap me back down. I will still need to make good food choices. Going to McDonald's, they have salads with balsamic dressing. Can't eat lettuce? Get grilled chicken. I'm not going to sit here and think that I am going to make perfect decisions all the time. That would be unrealistic. As my nutritionist says, I will take detours in my journey, but I need to make sure if I do, that I get right back on track. For me, I'm either going to do this or I'm not. If I'm not, I might as well save the $14,000 I'm paying for this and take a trip around the world or something. I don't plan on wasting my investment in myself. Therefore, it's all about good choices and mindset. Carbs are bad bad bad. Avoid them as much as possible. Protein first, veggies second, carbs last if you have room. Three meals a day, no snacking. It's really simple. I will be getting my band tomorrow. I have spent the past month reading and researching every single day, literally. I have seen what works and what doesn't. The people who are successful all say the same thing. The people who aren't 9 times out of 10 are not eating the way they should be. They are trying to eat the way they were before but less of it. From what I have read, that won't work. Protein, veggies, carbs. In that order, is the recipe to success. I am determined to be successful at this. If I'm not, I'm doing something wrong and I will find out what it is and change it. Sorry to be so wordy but I'm on day two of Clear liquids and I think I am giddy :biggrin: