NanaRenan

Hi, Jo. I'm going in in a few hours to have my banding done. I've been real antsy about those first couple of days after. I hope everything improves greatly and quickly for you. Keep us posted.

Thanks! I have asked the Lord for help several times today. And I've had a great number of friends and family call or email to let me know they'll be praying for me tomorrow. I am blessed!!

Thanks for asking this question.....it is a concern of mine -- BIG concern...but I hadn't thought to ask here. I'm not worried about not drinking with meals -- I've been able to do that all my life, so that won't even be a problem -- unless I try to eat something heavily spiced. But I noticed the last few weeks, I've been trying to eat more fruit and vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, grapes, cherries, clementine sections -- when I get one that's more tart than sweet, I just crunch it once and swallow it hole. I guess I'll have to take a knife to those things to prevent that, huh?

I haven't even made it through the end of this thread....I'm crying too much to see right now!! I am SO happy to find it -- I am going to read it EVERY day that I find myself discouraged! Thank you ALL and God bless!

Thanks, both of you and WOW!! Like, I had completely forgotten it CAN be in my control. btw--your ticker alone is SO inspiring, Julie! Thanks again! And chimboree -- you made me LOL. I'm always the one telling people, "Breathe out, Breathe in, Oxygen is our friend!" There are quite a few who would momentarily relish getting to fling that advice back at me! Thanks!

I've had two panic attacks today. I'm NOT afraid of the surgery. What scares me is This is my last chance, what if I blow this somehow? Life as I know it will never be the same, how will I cope with an 'unknown normal'? I know these are largely hypothetical questions. I'm really just looking for someone to talk me down out of the tree tops! Pam<-----17 hours and counting til I leave for the hospital.

Since I only got approved on Friday, I'm not gonna have 10 days to be on it....but after 4, I can tell you I'm already BORED with it! Not enough options that are savory rather than sweet. I'm using the Atkins Advantage in Creamy Vanilla and the Slim-Fast Low Carb Diet in Creamy chocolate. Both are reasonably palatable. But when I blend them with some crushed ice and put in about half a cup of low-fat vanilla or strawberry yogurt, they are much easier to tolerate. Alas, I won't be able to say I did it cheat free...I had a noodle of my husband's plate of fettucini on Saturday. On Sunday I thawed some gumbo I made last week and strained some of the broth to eat == I caved and ate a shrimp. <sigh> I will be looking for more and more choices for AFTER surgery! I had hernia surgery last summer and have been praying all year to not gain enough to ruin it -- which is always a possibility when you're obese!

Hi! I had to give 5 yrs. But all I did was contact the different doctors and get them to fax my surgeon's office with a date and a weight from my chart for the year they saw me. It shouldn't be hard if you visit a doctor once a year and they take you're weight while you're there. Any professional, in network or out, who will vouch should 'count'. I did my three months by seeing the nutritionist at my surgeon's office, then I could weigh once a month at my family doctor's office instead of driving across Houston to the surgeon's office. Fortunately, I also had them weigh me each time I went there for other things -- like a sinus infection! Because by the time Aetna came back and said they wanted SIX months instead of just THREE, I was already in the fifth month! I think what tipped the scales (pardon the pun:D) was that the last time they submitted it, they asked that it be reviewed by someone who specializes in bariatrics look it over. They came back with a Yes after only 7 days.

Lets just say I was thinking of making some little dolls and getting a big box of straight pins........... But right now, I can't stop grinning, :whoo:so its hard to 'hate' anybody or anything! With the possible exception of protein shakes -- I'm really starting to hate them and it's only been four days!:cry

Its 12:01 AM Sunday....I just found out Friday at 9 AM that I'm approved and am having surgery Thursday morning. Ever since I got done pinching myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming, I've had this ball of dread in the pit of my stomach. I'm not at all afraid of surgery or anesthesia and I finally figured out what it is. I'm somewhat terrified of taking this drastic "last-ditch-effort" and still failing. Thanks to all who posted. I KNOW I"m going to need to refer back to this thread many times, but right now, I feel like a load has been lifted and that knot in my gut is starting to unclench.

On our fourth and last appeal, my doctor's office specifically requested that my appeal be reviewed by someone with experience in bariatric surgery. After four "No."s we got approved. And with urgency, like -- get it done ASAP!

I haven't been banded yet, but I had hernia repair last summer with a mesh insert. Just when I tho't the pain should be easing up it seemed to get much, much worse! I went to the doctor and he said that was normal anytime the body was adjusting to a foreign object being left inside. My previous surgeries (hysterectomy and gall bladder) only REMOVED items, didn't leave anything behind.

I have to echo the wise ladies and say, wait. At your age there's plenty of time to get things fixed later. I nursed all four of my children and wouldn't take the whole world AND a perfect bod in trade for that experience. It's a precious thing that can't be done over later. There'll always be boob jobs, and the techniques will only improve while you're waiting.

Hi == bumping some old threads looking to see if anyone from the Pearland (Brazoria County) or Hobby area of Houston is interested in forming a support group with a couple of newbies.

Hi, Mert! Hope you're doing well. I'm about to join the world of the banded -- I got approval today and will get my band in less than a week!! I'm having it done in Pasadena at a place that specializes in bariatric surgery. They have twice-monthly support group meetings and they said the patients who attend faithfully do much better than patients who don't!! So I do plan to be making all of those. Maybe if we keep this thread bumped up, we might pick up a few more from our area and form an online support group. TTYL, Pam

Lots of luck!!! I'm happy for you to be taking care of this situation while you're still so young. You'll do great and won't waste years and years of your adult life battling food and the scales!:whoo:

Hey! I got approved today, TOO!!! Surgery is next Thursday!!! Great -- lots to keep me busy getting ready and less time to fret and dread!! I'm taking this sad, negative litany out of my signature and focusing on the positives now!!! Began process 10/22/05 Door slams in face 1/13/06 Restarting the process -- at cardiologist's insistance -- 1/25/07 Denied by Aetna 6/6/07 Denied again on 6/19/07 Denied again on 7/15/07 Approved on 7/24/07

And then, how do you go back and edit it? I made one for another forum I'm on....cut and pasted it and its great. But I tho't I would just go back to tickerfactory.com and log in and change my weight and it would change wherever I have stuck the ticker. Do I have to recreate it anew each time I want to use it?

I've got various and assorted boxes and bins of clothes to stroll along to nearly halfway through Twoterville before I have to go shopping!

Thanks! I still can't believe it and was totally too wired to sleep!!!

I see what you're saying, but genetics factor in. How many full-blown anorexics have you ever seen who was the child of obese parents? In hindsight, I was probably a borderline anorexic as a pre-teen and teen...5' 6" and 100-105 lbs for several years. I tho't because my sister and mother had been obese in childhood and I had NOT, that I had dodged a bullet and would never be obese. Nope. Eventually the genes caught up with me. Perhaps if I hadn't married young and started a family, I might have stayed super-thin. But the 10 or 12 lbs I gained between each child and the subsequent fight (DIET!) to get those pounds off escalated into a totally decrepit metabolism and frequent wrangles with "survival mode".

I haven't been banded yet, so in the coming weeks-months-years, I may be needing to read this thread repeatedly. But, I can state emphatically for myself that the whole 'survival mode' DOES exist. It's what's made it practically impossible to lose weight over the last 15 years! If I restrict calories too much, I lose well for the first week or two, but then I lose ALL appetite. Time and time again, doctor after doctor has looked at my stalled weight loss and read my food journals only to tell me "You've stopped losing because you aren't eating enough." It's enough to make one positively postal, I tell ya!!!:angry When I did Weight Watchers, the weeks I ate at the BOTTOM of my points range or below, I would have minimal loses. 0.4 lbs or less. But weeks I ate at the TOP of my allotted points range or even ABOVE it, I would have losses of .6 to 2.0 lbs. Go figure! I just decided that in prehistoric times, I would have been worshipped as a goddess, because I would have survived every drought, famine or locust swarm while all the skinny women dropped around me.

NanaRenan (a.k.a. Pam) Banding scheduled for Thursday, August 2nd

I saved a fortune from a fortune cookie a few years ago, it said: Your modesty convicts others. Pretty deep if you think on it a bit. By my age I've experienced it plenty in different ways....but the simplest analogy is dish detergent and deodarant. I use Dawn, because I think it's does the best job for the best price. And I use Secret, for the same reason. Since those things are so personal, you probably don't mind me having that opinion if you use something different. But, when it comes to something bigger than product selection -- something like LIFESTYLE, your FRIEND making a radical change could feel like a condemnation of YOUR lifestyle. Even if those words are never uttered. I used to get together regularly with a group of gals for long lunches at a local resturant. When we started all but 1 was a smoker. By the time we stopped, over 4 years later, I was the last one still smoking. I confess to a feeling of being betrayed each time one of them quit. They never said anything, never preached at me, nothing. I just didn't like it that they were changing and I wasn't. Just something to think about. I wouldn't immediately dismiss someone as not having been a REAL friend if they let some distance come between you -- think of how much WE have to process to accustom ourselves to the new ME.....they need time, too.

Got the call at 9 AM this morning!! This was our 4th and last appeal. Hallelujah!!! They wanted to schedule me for Tuesday, but that's my GrandDoll's birthday, so I chose Thursday!! I've already done pre-pro-op today. 1000 calorie/day liquid diet from now until then Monday I get fitted for my CPAP Wednesday I go back for more pre-op stuff THURSDAY I get my band!! I'm still in shock and still half afraid I'm gonna wake up and its all been a dream!!!