Shamrockgirl60

I do love sweets and have been learning not to eat them. Since I am type II diabetes I had to learn that first. I make due with some sugar free fat free stuff. And I love yogurt. If I can have just one small thing a day I am fine. Just has to be fat free, sugar free and after I have all my required protein and veggies for the day. I think it will be easier with the lapband . But want also to hear from any other sweet lovers.

Thanks for the info...and also to you liz. I got my call from Lahey with all the information for pre-op. I am having Dr. Brams do the surgery. So Pam will most probably be the NP who I see. I am so excited and can't wait to have this done. Had my last meeting today with Dr. Kantor he is terrific. I will be going to the monthly support group again thanks fro the info

LOL I call it my "CRAP" machine have only had it for a month and hate it so much. I am also a bit claustrophobic and it bothers me. I will get a new mask in 3 months and will go for the newest one that is very small nose only. I do feel better when I get 5-6 hours with it on. I usually wake up at 5:00 to P and then take it off and go back to sleep for an hour of nice...no mask sleep. LOL I take two pills a day for my Type 2 Diabetes and hope to go off them too. My main questions will be what drink to use since I have to have no sugar. I do drink Glucerna, not too great but OK I may have to add plain Protein powder to it and put in blender with ice. Or make my own shake with powder and skim milk and splenda and flavorings.

Glad to find this forum for Diabetics I am type II. And I take two of those horse pills a day. I hope to end up off them totally, I am not insulin dependent but do have hypothyrodism and take meds for that. Hope I am off a lot of pills by the end of this. I will be banded on August 7th. Can't wait

I just got my surgery appointments...I have to get lung x-ray and EKG (it's been a year since I had all my big tests) And blood test too. Meeting with the surgeon and nurses and pre-op all set. Can't wait till I have it done. The x-ray and EKG are normal before any surgery.

I had both tests and now have my CPAP machine, one reason to do the lap band is to get off that machine asap. I have had it a month and am having a hard time getting used to it. I have allergies and do take meds but sometimes my nose is still stuffy. If I am still on it in three months I will get the newer smaller nose mask. I am really trying but end up at around 5 am, waking up to go potty and taking it off...and going back to sleep for a hew hours more. I told my PCP and he said that this is not unusual and if I have a bad allergy night I can skip the mask for that night. I do notice that I am not as tired during the day and I am not napping in the afternoon, and that is good.

My surgery is scheduled for August 7th. Gives hubby a few weeks to recover. Can't wait for it.

Got a call on Monday, I got my surgery date for August 7th and am so happy. Can't wait. Good luck to all. I am so very happy with Lahey Clinics program and the people running it. All are very supportive and very nice.

Great news, I am having my surgery on Aug. 7th. I could have had it a few weeks earlier but my husband is having a heart valve replaced on July 14th and I want him on the road to recovery before my surgery. Good luck

Hi thanks for replying...now who is Pam and how can I get in touch with her? I got my surgery date.....Aug. 7th 2008 and am excited.

Hi, my BMI is 39 and I got my surgery date for August 7th (hooray), BCBS will most likely approve and I will hear from them in a week. Just 4 lbs. to lose before surgery. I may try to lose a tad more if I can. I also have Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. With 2 co-morbidities that should do the trick. My husband is having heart surgery on July 14th, so this will be 3 weeks later. He should be able to drive by then I hope, otherwise my daughter can drive me to the hospital and home. I am so excited......I just hope all goes well with hubby and me

I was just searching the site for anyone who was banded at Lahey. I am in the final preparations for my surgery. I love the program and it's so very thorough and it may take a month longer than some it's very very supportive. Everyone is so nice and not judgmental at all. I finish my 4 week course on controlling your eating habits and the psychological reasons why we overeat with Dr.Lyle Kantor and he's wonderful. It's actually been fun for me to go there. All the nurses and nutritionists are very supportive too. I get my surgery date in the next week or so. I lost most of my pre-op weight. I know that I am in good hands. I'm glad to see someone here from there who had the surgery and was pleased.

That sounds like your PCP is just anti-lap band or bypass. I would request another talk with him if he won't do it. I would tell him OK but I am requesting a new PCP and why. He may change his mind. It just sounds like he may be mean spirited, or I wonder if he's maybe a tad overweight himself? Also how old is he? Older doctors seem to be prejudiced against bariatric surgery and want conventional diets. I changed PCP's a few years ago, she was a witch. Her main phrase was "We must lose weight" "We must quit smoking" she was all of 30 years old or so and weighted maybe 105 soaking wet. She totally p###ed me off. So I didn't lose weight or quit smoking..for spite. When I changed to my husbands PCP he was supportive, not judgmental, and I did quit smoking, tried various new weight loss programs under him, most worked for a short period of time, would lose then re-gain the weight. When I suggested Lap Band he was very very enthusiastic and OKed me immediately. I did have to have his letter to the Lap Band clinic to get it done. My insurance BC BS only needs the Lap Band surgeon to OK it. Good luck. Hope you get it fixed soon. take care Pati

My daughter had a beautiful healthy girl on May 16th, she was 7 lbs 12 oz. and 22 inches long. It's now June, and I will get my date for surgery this coming week, I had to lose a total of 6 lbs. before surgery date, and 6 lbs before the surgery. Lost a total of 8 lbs. so 4 to go. I suspect sometime mid or late August. Hubby has ho coronary artery disease which is great, so just the valve replaced. His date for surgery is July 14th. Our septic system went kaput and now getting bids on a replacement system. Hope to have it in before hubby's surgery. Well keep on trucking everyone and good luck. I do like the program at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA I completed my classes so all that's left is the pre-op visit with the surgeon and one more meeting class on what to expect.

Hi, when they did your blood testing did they do a test for your thyroid. All women over 30 should have it I think. One of the reasons other than loving food LOL that I did gain so much weight in one year was my thyroid function went kaput. I am now on pills and am nicely regulated and can lose weight now and not gain when on a diet which is what happened for a number of years till I changed health plans and doctors. It should be a standard test for lap banding. And after it too.

Do most people go on a liquid diet right before the surgery?

Hi looking for other Lahey banders. I am going there now and got my required weight loss, so they will schedule my surgery, and I get the date next week. Very excited. I do like Lahey's program and the different meetings and they are very thorough in preparing you for the surgery. I don't know who my surgeon will be. Who did you have? Do you still go to the support meetings? I am so looking forward to having this done. Hey I forgot how to add the "ticker" to my posts? How do I do it?

Hey haven't posted in a while, lots of stuf going on. My granddaughter was born May 16th and she's healthy and quite the cutie pie. Hubby is having heart surgery on July 14th, he has to have his mitral valve replaced. Good news no underlying CHD. His arteries are clear as a bell...this is the guy who loves his steaks and mashed potatoes LOL. Also our septic system failed. So we need a new one. Getting bids and engineer drawing up the plans. MA has very very strict rules now. called Title 5. That's a nice piece of change we can't afford. And my good news.....ta da, I lost 8 lbs and they are scheduling my surgery next week I get the date, will have to go for August so that hubby has 4 weeks to heal from his surgery. I just watch what I eat Have fat free yogurt for my Snacks and do "mindftul" eating , I have completed 3 of the 4 week meetings with the shrink and others going for the lapband on eating triggers and proper eating techniques. It's been very helpful. I have one other meeting to go too after I see the surgeon and then ....it will be operation time. I have to lose 4 more lbs by the surgery. I eat 3 small meals a day, with one snack. For a total of 1400 or so calories and do 20 minutes of exercise per day. I hope to continue this after the sugery when I recover. Good luck and hope your surgery goes well. Pati

I called today to get information on my Lap Band meetings. The May meetings are full...and I signed up for June. I don't mind postponing. I am losing the pre-op weight so far 3 lbs. out of 12. More is better they said. I also sent for a adult tricycle. Very cute. I have some balance problems due to my eyesight and that is safer. I also sent for a helmet. It will arrive in a few days. Also my husband had his physical and an echo cardiogram. It showed that his mitral valve has gotten worse. They have been watching it for years. It's something he was born with. He and I are seeing a heart doctor on April 30th. Meanwhile daughter's baby is due anytime in the next 3 weeks. Talk about stress. I would prefer to get him through the surgery which is the most probable scenario. Get him home and recovering then I will go for my surgery. I am dong OK with the stress. Totally NOT stress eating. I am using Glucerna shakes and bars and eating two small meals a day. So I will take off as much weight as I can before the surgery, start riding the bike daily to relieve stress. Wish me and hubby and daughter good thoughts please. We are not telling her anything about her Dad until we see the doctor. I don't want her stressed with the baby due so soon. I am determined to do this...and I will my nurse practitioner is very very supportive. She wants me to call her if I get upset or stressed out over any of this.

Did you get the surgery? I had my meetings with the NP at Lahey the other day and the shrink and dietitian and they were much more upbeat with the results for Lap Band. They did stress it's up to you to do the work after surgery and that yes you can stay the same or gain weight if you do stupid things like eating a gallon of ice cream and calorie ridden milk shakes and frappes. I know that I have lost weight in the past...done rather well for some time and them bam I gain it back. Or most of it. I know this is basically my last chance to be a normal weight again before I die. In fact if I don't get my weight down I will die. Bottom line. I quit smoking 2 years ago it was hard but I did it. So I do think I can do this. Good luck and don't be discouraged.

Gee that is so sad...I just finished with my first appointments at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. They are wonderful. It went like a dream. I was accepted and now doing my little diet...will call the surgeon when I lose 6 of the 12 lbs. they want me to lose. They will take care of the insurance. And I got my testing for sleep apnea which is part of their process. I have 4 behavioral meetings in May..and most likely will be operated on in June. Try them they are terrific...especially Jessica one of the nurse/practitioners there.

Gee that is so sad that you don't have your husbands support. Do they have any counseling at the marine base you can go to for support. Any womens groups that you can join. Most hospitals have support groups that meet once a month so that people who have been banded can get together and talk about the whole thing. I went to one as part of my pre testing appointment and it answered a lot of questions. I wish you so much luck in doing this and you won't be alone this is a great place to "talk" about what you want to talk about. Take care. Hope you go thorugh with it. God Bless

Intersting, I have a nice Ice Cream maker. I wonder if in the summer I can put shakes in it and make "ice cream" and do this with Crystal Light and make slush sort of a low cal sorbet thing. I'll have to try it when the weather is warmer. also maybe blending fruits and makeing sorbets might be nice

I have decided on the Lap Band because it's much less evasive and there is not cutting of your stomach and rerouting your intestines and stuff. That is way too much cutting and stapling for me. The band can be removed if you need it done. Gastric Bypass I doubt can be reversed. I would not want to lose any of my innards thank you.

Wow what a horrible story. I just had my all day session with the shrink, dietitian and nurse practitioner at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. I could not have gone any better. I weight 225 with BMI of 38.5 but have 2 co morbidities. Type II diabetes and just diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I spent about 45 minutes with each person. I did not have any 250 question test from the shrink. We just chatted and he asked me a reasonable series of questions. Same with the other two. I left with instructions to lose 12-15 lbs. And call for appointment with the surgeon after I lose about 6 lbs. I have 4 meetings to go too and one more meeting with the dietitian. I called today to confirm that I am accepted and they said yes and congratulations. I feel for you problems that was awful. I would be depressed and discouraged also. Is there any other hospital around there that does this. I guess I am luck to live in the metropolitan Boston area with tons of great hospitals and clinics. A wide choice for me. Take care and I hope you find another hospital to go to. God Bless