Fernando

Just heard form the hospital... I am the first one in tomorrow... be there at 6:15 in the morning!!! woo hoo ... now to go mow for the last time for a good few weeks... hehe will check back in on Wed. when I get released and back home. Good luck to all my fellow june 3rd comrads:) Kim

:ohmy:Less then 24 hours... it's really almost real:ohmy:

Oh and please post and talk to me dont just b a lurker :sad:

Well had my CARES appointment and all is going good I have lost 5 pounds since Friday!! I did find out though that I have been doing my pre-op diet wrong (kinda) I am supposed to get 64 ounces of Water plus what liquids I eat... not 64 total ounces of Fluid in a day... and my belly is already sloshy!!! I had my pre suregery screen and had labs drawn and met the anasteseologist (sp?) and will get a call monday afternoon to let me know what time to report for surgery!! It's almost really real :smile2: Kim

Wow that June list is GROWING!! Well I guess I'll go next here.. My name is Kim and I am in Virginia, I grew up in Iowa and moved out here with my husband after we were discharged from the Navy. I have 2 beautiful daughters, Martika (14) and Elena (12) I am a shift supervisor in a juvenile detention facility I am so ready for this surgery and the changes that will come with it!! I am ready to be healthy and fit... and I realize that I didnt get this way overnight and it will not be an overnight fix... I am being banded on June 3rd by dr. Bissell in radford, va Thanx in advance for all the support that you all are so willing and ready to give.. we have a GREAT group here let's all keep the FAITH Kim

The liquid diet gets easier... I started a week before with 2 shakes and a south beach dinner so that I would not go cold turkey with not eating... I slipped the first day too and beat myself up so badly it hasn't even crossed my mind again... even went to movies over the weekend and wasn't even tempted with the popcorn. I am allowed scrambled eggs, SF/FF pudding and FF cottage cheese though so its making it easier... what makes me nervous is the New York field trip... Going to take nothing but atkins shakes (as per dr) and that's all I'll have for those days but we will be away from the hotel for the whole day so getting all my calories and Protein in those days will be the challenge... but I'll be BUSY and the days will go faster!! I am starting to think I am going to wake up in recovery wondering if it's really real

Well on to day 5 here... so much fun... I really didnt notice how "drained" I feel until I went to mow last night. It takes about an hour to mow our yard with a push mower and when I got done I was shakey and sick to my stomache But surgery is a week from today!!! almost half way through the liquid diet then its the down hill slide... The New York Field trip should be interesting guess I'm living on atkins shakes for those 3 days...

Ok so I go see my doctor on Thrusday for my final appointment before surgery. I sign my consent and all is well. We are going over what meds I take and I am on seasonale birth control pills. I had my tubes tied in 1996 after my second child was born and my PCP put me back on BCP's to regulate my periods. And one every 3 months is kinda nice:thumbup: Well I am Started back on a fresh pack on the 18th of June so it's only been since sunday and on thursday we have to go off of them for concerns of blood clots and surgery.... So I just got off my cycle less then a week ago and have to stop taking them now and guess what happens???:sad: I am now having a second cycle and am PMS'ing while im on my happy liquid Protein diet. Life with me around is fun today as you can tell... Just wanted to mention this so if anyone else is currently taking birth control pills they can have a heads up to plan or can ask ahead of time. Only good thing is I still have 8 days till surgery so I should be done by banding day:tt2: Kim

12 months??? U win this round hands down!! I went on the pill because I was having very heavy cycles about 3 weeks apart and was becoming anemic.. So the more then one cycle in a month is not new just used to one every 3 months :thumbup: Long as I'm done by surgery I'll be very happy.

Wow at 19... I so wish I had this option available to me when I was 19. You are going to do great! You are making a change for the better now instead of waiting until you are 36 like me. Imagine how much better you are going to be for this. And young skin will bounce back a lot better!!! you are going to have such a better of a life SO much longer. CONGRATULATIONS to you for being proactive and doing something now!! U GO GIRL!! DONT EVER LOOK BACK!!! Kim

I'm not actually on Optifast I'm doing the atkins shakes for on the go. At home I make Protein shakes... I use the Protein powder from GNC I mix 2cups skim milk, one serving of the protein powder, 1/2 of the package of SF/FF pudding mix (about 2 1/2 tsp) and some ice, and mix it in a blender. I like the bananna pudding flavor with the choclate flavored protein mix. My nutririonist also said I can have SF/FF pudding, scrambled eggs (I got egg beaters for the lower fat, and calories so I can have more egg ), and fat free cottage cheese. I also added one more thing, (eekkk) I take FF refried Beans and salsa and FF cheddar cheese slices and heat and eat!!! nummy and about same consistancy as the eggs and cottage cheese (add skim milk to heat up left overs to loosen up) I am not limited to just the shakes so it is making it easier for me. I also took the healthy choice cream of mushroom Soup and a can of skim milk, and a can of tuna in Water and blended it in my handy dandy blender and divided it in half and heated it up with one serving of FF mozz. cheese (just like tuna casserole, could have eaten whole thing!!) only 7 more days to go I keep telling myself :sad: Kim

It's so funny u posted that Kristie, I went with my family to see the new Indiana Jones movie yesterday and was on day 3 of my liquid protien diet. I thought it would bother me, I just reminded myself while they were making our bucket of popcorn how bad all that tasty FATTENING butter would be for my shrinking liver. I actually did not even miss it... I did however drink a Protein shake right b4 we left. so on to day 4 now 7 more to go and 8 till "B" day :sad: yay for us!!!

I just found out I can have eggs, sugar free pudding, and low fat cottage cheese!! Woo Hoo!!!

Well guyz after all my whining and the 3 week setback we are good to go!! I had my fianl appointment with the surgeon yesterday afternoon, and signed my conscent form for surgery.:thumbup: I start my pre-op diet today :w00t: which consists of... Full Fluids 70 grams of Protein 64 ounces of Fluid daily 800-1000 calories daily low fat 0 sugar as FEW carbs as possible this times 11 days prior to surgery... May 23-June 2 Surgery June 3 I will be Busy for most of the week I have to go pick my mom up from amtrack on Wed. Be at middle school at 3:30am on Thurs. New York Field trip Thur, Fri, Sat, get back in wee hours of Morning on Sun. sleep and recover Sunday. 8th grade graduation on Monday Surgery on Tuesday The Field trip on the liquid diet may be tricky... so going to check out adkins shakes and low carb slimfast for that, I am just looking forward to getting through this weekend to the Busy week and I think I'll be ok :blushing: It still seems to good to be true... I know it's a tool and I have to do the work... I am just ready for a tool that will help me with the portion size and help me keep rolling with the motivation I have going now. I know EVERYONE who knows me is ready for me to be done with this cause im so excited I almost can't stand myself:embaressed_smile: Here's to a FAST 11 days!! Kim

Officially start my preop diet today!! and in addition to what I posted as few carbs as possible. I did take in a few recipes that were approved by my nutritionist thought so that is good!! It will be all good I have a busy 10 days anyway so I hope that will help the time go FAST!!! It still doesn't seem real though?!?! I think I'll wake up in recovery thinking it's too good to be true and not real :blushing:

have you already had your intital appointment with tammy?? If so I would try to make the support group meeting also... Dr. Bissell WILL ask when you get an appointment with him if you attended both... just FYI and the psyc is not bad... it's Dr. Hamilton right there at the hospital, and you see him twice, first appointment he asks a ton of questions, takes about an hour the second appointment he has you fill out a BUNCH of standardized tests, tons of bubble fill in forms from there he does a report and sends it in to Dr. Bissell's office.

Yeah that was me :wink2: have you done all the bubble tests yet?? those are fun!!! (sorry about the sarcasm) :smile: See ya Tuesday!! I go tomorrow for my final appointment and start my preop diet on Friday, so we'll see what kind of shape I'm in on Tuesday. Kim

The meetings are completely informal open forum... It's mainly just us asking each other questions and sharing with each other... there is a representative from Dr. Bissell's team there (Rhonda) and she distributes attendance to all the doctors of the people who attend so that they will get credit for attendance It's really great.. and usually just an hour long unless we get long winded :wink2:

Dr. Bissell's turnaround for the whole process right now is about 8-12 weeks and the part that varies it is the wait on insurance approval.. Things went very quickly once they got the approval. Dr. Bissell practices at Carillion in Radford 540-731-2080 if u want to call and ask questions... Tammy is the bariactric coordinator

Well hello from the NRV!! I am in Christiansburg and am being banded on June 3rd by Dr. Bissell I am so excited I can hardley stand myself!! I have heard that the Dr. In Roanoke is good also but that the schedule for Dr. Bissell is alot quicker to get onto. I have been through the whole process and Tammy (bless her heart) is just down right GREAT I know she got tired of hearing voice mails with my name attached to them :thumbup: But I have dealt with Dr. Bissell in the past when my hubby had to have part of his colon removed and Dr. Bessell was top notch!! Hope to keep in contact with locals!! If anyone is in need of a local support group meeting the ones at the hospital in radfor are the last tuesday of every month at 6:30 in the Montgomery room. I know Dr. Bissell is a stickler for ppl attending those!! Looking forward to getting to know ya'll Kim BTW with my insurance I did NOT have to have a referral from a PCP I called Dr. Bissell's office and made an appointment directly with them. I have anthem insurance

Sorry WLS = weight loss surgery

Meetings are at 6:30 on the last Tuesday of every month at the Hospital in the Montgomery Room. (Down stairs from St. Albans) There is one on the 27th and they generally last about an hour. The last meeting the room was full and there was only one person who was there for bypass all others were bandsters :thumbup: I will be coming from work so I will be the one in the Detention Home shirt Hope to see ya there!! Kim

Dr. Bissell is doing my band June 3rd... I see him on Thursday this week and Tammy will be letting me know all about the pre-surgery diet I get to start Friday ... oh jjoy!! How did everything go with urs??

Dr. Bissell is doing my band on June 3rd. He is wonderful!! We actually dealt with him a couple of years ago when my hubby had to have colon surgery and he was great. The support group at radford meets the last tuesday of every month at 630 in the Montgomery room... and he is strict about ppl attending there have been a ton of his patients who have been banded attending. Hope to maybe see ya'll there. Im in christiansburg btw... Work at juvie :thumbup: Kim

I am sorry to hear of your mothers troubles but it sounds exactly like a guy that we had at my work... he kept having to go in and have chest tubes to have Fluid taken off his lungs... he has been to 2 different "renound teaching" hospitals and even had the (sp) angioplastey (balloon up to heart) and they can find NOTHING wrong.. other then taking liters of fluid off of him at a time... it is serious enough to where he can not be off of oxygen and had to go on disability... and he has had no kind of WLS.... I hope for both him and ur mom that some one somewhere can figure something out just sounds exactly alike to me. Kim