Great2BThin

:smile2::thumbup::w00t::scared2::eek::wink2: Just got a call, my surgery is changed!!! No longer on the 12th, I am going in on Thursday the 5th at 1pm. Liquid diet starting tomorrow!!! I'm so excited, scared, relieved, panicked, anxious, excited, you name it!!!

Personally, I think superstitions only have the power you give them. To me it's just another date and therefore it has no power over me. Hey, I had my first date with my husband on a Friday the 13th, 34 years ago. I always call it my lucky day!

What? No one else is excited? :confused2::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

This is sure encouraging to read! I have severe osteoarthritis in my knee and it's about bone on bone. I've lost about 18 lbs so far and I can tell a little difference already, can't wait to be banded and lose even more. It's such a hinderance to exercise though I do go do a stationary bike and that's not too bad.

As to vacations, I am not banded yet, but just got back home from an Alaskan cruise. There was food available 24 hours a day. It is possible. I tried to remember the guidelines my surgeon gave me, eat Protein first. Pretend your plate is a clock from 12 to 9 is protein, from 9 to 12 is fruits and veggies. Plus I walked a lot when I could (bad knee, bone on bone arthritis) and I came home only half a pound heavier!! I was thrilled with that! Tomorrow is a big day for me, I find out if my surgery gets moved up to this Thurs or Friday. Right now I am scheduled for the 12th but have all my clearances, am self pay, and have my funds. I am to call tomorrow and see if I can get scheduled in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Send some positive vibes for me! It's so close I can almost believe it's really happening!!

Yahoo!!! It's June!! the first month of the rest of our lives!! Strikeuptheband; I hope they still do your surgery if you have no on to drive you. Is your MIL in the hospital? Hoping BF is able to come through for you! Good luck!!

Wow!! 142 people being banded in June! that's amazing! though I don't know if that's normal or not since I am pretty new to the site. Guess what tomorrow is???? JUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi there!! I am fairly new to the site and it's taken me til now to find there was an age specific area. I just turned 50, 10 days ago so I guess I qualify! I am due to have surgery on the 12th of June but I find out on Monday if it is going to get moved up to the 5th or 6th. Very anxious to get to know everyone here. It still feels strange to say I'm in my 50's, does every generation go faster or is it my imagination? The 40's seem like they went by way too fast

Hi, I am new here to the 50's, I am 50 and 10 days old! LOL I just posted an intro and thought I'd say hi here too. I've been reading about the Wii Fit, my kids bought me one for Mothers' Day. I love it! I have a hard time with some of the stand on one leg things with my bad knee but do most everything else. I had to laugh after it weighed and measured me how my Mii character got fat. Not for long!!

I'm with you on the Protein shakes. I bought some to try out before surgery and couldn't stand them either. It was the smell that got me more than the taste. However, I did get some of the Isopure and am drinking one now, not bad, it's the punch flavor. I will definitely get more of these for after surgery! Also found a tasteless Protein powder called 'Any Whey' at GNC that you can add to other foods. My nutrtionist gave me a goal of 65 gms protein post surgery (75 for men) and a minimum goal of 30 to 40 gms.

Have you tried following the liquid Protein diet? Seems many folks have to follow that for a few weeks pre op and drop lots of weight on it. My dr. didn't require the Liquid Protein but a higher percentage of protien and small meals every 3 hours. I've already dropped 4 in less than 2 days. I just have to do Clear liquids 2 days preop.

Janet, Did you lose all 97 lbs just since your surgery in July? OR had you lost some before? Regardless that is impressive. I keep hearing statistics that you lose so much slower than with RNY surgery, which sortta didn't make sense to me since both surgeries have the small pouch. How soon after surgery did you exercise? And were you able to do much at your highest weight? Right now my knees hurt, I get out of breath so quick etc. I know that will improve as I lose, but also that I need to exercise to lose. Catch 22!!

Hi Janet, What a wonderful thing you are doing. I am getting banded in 2 weeks, well possibly one week, I just got a call from the surgeons office and dependent on how quick my cardiologist gets his clearance over to them after my stress test today I could get banded on the 5th or 6th! Anyway I'd love a buddy. I have a question, as now that surgery is around the corner. How did you deal with telling others? My hubby and kids (adults) know and are extremely supportive, but I'm torn on what and when to tell others. Some won't understand, some will be supportive and a few might not (namely my mother). I feel like I'm being dishonest if I don't fess up but am not sure I am ready yet either. My MIL will be very supportive to my face, but she's a gossiper and I know will be talking about me behind my back. I guess that shouldn't matter to me and maybe I need to work more on not caring what other's think. :wink2:

Oh no, I think I'm in trouble. I had my first liquid protien today. It is an EAS brand and Strawberries and Cream and it's so gross. I picked this one to have first as it sounded the best to me (I hate chocolate). It's not so much the taste but the smell! Such a strong vitamin like smell. I'm wondering if it would be better if I bought some frozen strawberries and poured it into a blender and whipped it up or something. If they are all this bad, I'm in trouble! LOL Luckily I don't have to do the liquid protein diet for 2 weeks before surgery. Just need to up my protein, watch my portions, nothing white like bread, rice, popcorn, etc.

I just got off the phone with my surgeon's office. I might get moved up to the 5th or 6th from the 12th!!!! I have a cardio stress test today and it depends on how quick the cardiologist gets his clearance to them for me to have surgery. He better get it there pronto!! I will take it myself if I have to! Wish me luck.

Nah that doesn't bother me so much, I am self pay too and if I can get some back great! LOL But what sortta did bug me was the lapband TV commercial, also playable at www.lapband.com. It shows various overweight people saying at the beginning about the benefits if they lost the weight then at the end, "I'm ready" and they are referring to having the band. I just found out that one of those gals is the sister of a friend of a friend. here I thought somewhat naively I guess, that these folks actually were going to have the surgery. Nope just paid actors. I asked this gal if she was going to get it and she said no because then she would lose her niche as an overweight actress and that she could probably get the surgery for free for having done the commercial. It just seemed dishonest to me. But I guess deep down, I know that in most commercials this is the case, the people in them aren't actual product users, just actors pitching a product. Heck I'd do the commercial if I could get my surgery paid for!

Well, I'll be! That's about all I could imagine that meant but yet I thought nah, that can't be right. Who knew??

Well Kathy, I have the exact same fears. Maybe we can be buddies and hold each other's hand as we go through this together. It helps just knowing I am not alone in my thoughts and fears. Maybe this too shall pass.

Hi all, My sugery date is June 12th by Dr. Snyder in Denver, CO. I live in a 'burb of Denver. I grew up in Denver but moved away 25 yrs ago and just recently moved back a year ago. We moved a lot in those 25 yrs but hope to be home for good. I have been married 29 yrs to my HS sweetheart, have a daughter and son 26 and 25. No grand kids and 2 furbabies, black lab mixes. I was a stay at home mom for most of those years, when the kids were in HS I went back to work at the airlines but got laid off as a result of a bankruptcy. While living back east in Philadelphia I worked for a short time for QVC the shopping channel but had to quit to move back here. Since I am a self pay, I will be looking for some sort of a no brainer job to pay back the surgery loan, but at this stage in life am not looking for a career type job, I want flexibility to travel, etc. so not sure what I will end up with. LOL Oh and I want it to be fun. Am I asking for the impossible job? LOL

I think I am feeling a little of everything mentioned here. Funny how before I got a date, I wasn't the least bit nervous about it, but having that date, makes it more real I suppose. I got my date at my consult appt. with my surgeon on May 14th (my surgery date is June 12th) but I left on vacation on May 17th so I just put it out of my mind while away. I got home last night, I went promptly into the chat room about and someone right away mentioned a post somewhere on these boards (haven't looked for it) that scared me to something silly and I have been freaking out since. (it might not even be band related). Not sure what the motive was of mentioning that to someone pre op was, but since then I have been freaking out. I feel I have researched the risks, I have chosen a dr. who does a lot of pre op testing to look for any possible risks and complications so felt good about going into this, I wasn't going into it blind, but now I just can't shake this since the comments in chat last night. My husband has told me to just stay away from there til after the surgery, but it has been so helpful and supportive til now too. I think what it boils down to is this is more or less an elective procedure since I chose to have it done, it's not like I must have a tumor removed or something like that and the decision is made for me. But in reality, I need to have this done. This weight is affecting my health and well being just like another life threatening condition might. Besides that I was feeling great and excited about it. Did have some fears of failure that Kathy mentioned, but know if I use the tool the way it is designed to be used I will succeed. The only other thing that concerns me is other people's comments (I've not told many folks yet and have a very negative mother) and I let other people's comments affect me too much, something I need to work on definitely. CathyChatts, how did the heart test turn out? The dr. that did my EKG saw something he didn't like and I am having some type of stress test with IV on Thurs. to be sure, he's 99% sure everything will be fine but needs to be sure. Now I am stressed about the stress test, how ironic is that?

The list the hospital gave me had 'toilet tongs' on it. I was too embarrassed to ask....what the heck is a toilet tong? I'm also planning on getting some sugar free popsicles and Jello and some broth to have on hand.

I just went to GNC and Walmart myself this morning to buy some of these protein products. I was hoping to find smaller containers so I can do some taste testing first but didn't find many small. I did find something called 'Any Whey' that is supposedly tasteless to add to things to up the protein. I got some Isopure that I've heard referred to as Isopuke so we shall see. I figure I am going to have to get some of these things down those days I am on the pure liquids, but tried to buy as small as I could amounts of each, then when I find one I like can go back and get more. Just praying I find one I like!

Wow there sure are a lot of us in June!!! I have lots of company on the 12th!! I wasn't too nervous and it seemed so far off as I had vacation coming up. But I just got home today and it was a cruise. I tried not to over do it too much but must admit I did have some of that last supper mentality. Tomorrow I am going shopping for some of the liquid protien and protein bars for samples so I know which ones I like and can stock up on those. Thurs. I have a stress test and can't have any caffeine for 48 hours prior so figure this is a good time to give up the Diet Coke habit. I have my last one planned for Memorial Day!! LOL I am hopeful that after the stress test that my date gets moved to the 5th or 6th (a possibility according to the scheduler) but if not the 12th will be here soon!

Hi there! I just had my consult appt with Dr. Snyder in Denver and I have a tenative date of June 12th. I am hoping for sooner, but they decided since I am turning the big 5-0 on Sat. that I should have a stress test. I have that scheduled for tomorrow and if they get the clearance back quickly I might get moved up. I am supposed to call after my vacation next week and check, but she was doubtful I could get in before months end so looks like June regardless still. I am so excited. I am hoping, of course, for a sooner date. On June 13th we have out of town company arriving to stay the weekend until Tues. but I decided I would still have it the 12th if I didn't get sooner. We'd probably just be sitting around chatting anyway and I should be able to sit and chat okay, might not be up to climging a '14er' in the mountains or anything. The hard part will be dining out if we do and not joining in, but it's about the socializing anyway.

Thanks Lana, I am hoping and praying I get sooner. At least I know it won't be later than that!! BTW, I used to live in Sacramento and my daughter just moved here from there last week. She lived in Citrus Heights, I lived in the Natomas Park area. Where are you having your surgery? UCD???