Florida Pete

Today my wife received the news that tomorrow is her last day at work. They are down sizing and her along with 14 others are all losing their jobs tomorrow. This news is hitting us really hard. She got the warning about 2 weeks ago that this might happen by the end of November but we didn't expect it this soon. This has come as a really hard hit to us since my work at the beginning of September had reduced company wide everyone's salaries by 20% instead of layoffs. My first reaction has been to eat. Granted I am not banded yet so I don't have to worry about blockage or anything like that but I have been doing so well in preparing for the band. Next I started thinking about weather I should get banded or not since it is a major cost impact that we are going to have to take. Just so many mixed feelings and fears going on right now. My wife has gotten a call for an interview and thankfully that is on Monday but she also learned that the job she applied for that they had also had over 400 resumes for the same position. We're not talking about a top paying job. We're just talking about an administrative assistant job. The one good part that hopefully will be good in all this is she knows the gal that is interviewing her and is a company that she had done business with for 4 years in an older job that she had. Right now we're both just praying that God has a plan for us. She is very scared I know and all I can offer up to my wife is my support to tell her that we will make it through this. With our 13 month old son tougher times then we've already been going through this last two months are ahead. Anyway I just wanted to share this with others. I really didn't know who to talk to but I figured this was a good place to talk. Thank you for listening.

Congrats on getting your December date! What day are you getting it on? I am a December 5ther also!

Hey all! I haven't posted in the 50+ BMI forum as I kind of got lost in the newbie threads. At the beginning of 2008 I was just over 60 BMI - In my journey to prepare for getting my lapband I have come down to 58 BMI now. Dec. 5th I will be getting my band. It is great to see others in here who have started high and are having great success! Congrats to all of you that have done so well! You really give me hope that I can do it too!

Hi Tina First off congrats on doing so well with the lapband and your weightloss. Sorry to hear of the problems your having with your husband. It is very hard to learn of this kind of information about your spouse and that they shared so much about your personal life to another person. I personally would have a hard time ever trusting him ever again. It was such a huge violation of trust that has happened. With that said can a person change? Sure they can but that also can only happen if they want to change and that they completely own up to what they have done as beign wrong. I am divorced and remarried myself. My ex-wife and I were married for just over 10 years. The last year and a half of our marriage was a real nightmare. Both of us had eventually had emotional, non-physical, affairs with others. We had talked about counselling but my ex-wife had proven to me in many conversations that she didn't feel that she had done anything wrong. How could I trust her to change and be commited to our relationship if she could not admit that she had done anything wrong? Anyway I did commit myself to seeing a phycologist and a therapist and really learned myself what I was doing and what I needed to do to change. It was the best thing I could have done because it has helped me to grow and become a better person. Since my divorce I have met another woman and have commited to her and we now have a family together and a great life together. So a person can change but it takes a very large commitment on their part to change. It is a life change just like making the commitment to getting the lapband and changing your life is.

I completely agree with you on this. I don't see how race really should even be considered in any election. If the candidate is shown to be a good leader and is shown to be someone looking out for what is best for our country then that is who I am voting for. Skin color, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or the person sex should not be a consideration at all. How can we preach in our daily lives these same morality issues with tolerance and crossing boundaries to accept and work side by side with others that our different from ourselves and then not do the same in voting for a president?

Hey thought since we all will be enjoying out holiday meals in a drink that maybe we could share some recipe ideas. I thought I heard someone mention an Eggnog Shake.

Thank you for the welcome! It's great to see many more for December! Yeah I read through most of the posts on here and the name choices are fun to pick out. Here are a couple that I like and are workable for a guy in the midest of things :w00t: Holiday Hotties December Degrees December Droppers (a new suggestion :w00t: )

Boy do I feel like an oaf! I started a thread at the beginning of October in the newbie forum for December Bandsters. If I had known of this one. Guess it helps to really explore this whole website! I get so engrossed into the rest of the topics farther up in the list. LOL Ok well anyway, Hi All! I am Peter and I have my surgery set for Dec 5th. Still sounds like forever and a day away when I say the date but really it's just around the corner.

Doh!! I am heading over there now!

My insurance plan has WLS excluded. So I too have had to go to self pay and in a very generous move my family has come forward and together are pooling the money needed for my surgery. I am going to Mexico to get my surgery done mainly because it is much more affordable there. The local surgeon here would run me roughly $18,000 to have it done here. I will be going to Tijuana, Mexico. That added with the cost of my flight will be just under $8,000 total. I am very confident with the hospital and the surgeon that I will be using especially since my closest aunt to me has used the same surgeon and hospital for her lapband surgery in 2005.

I think this is perfectly normal to have these anxiety feelings after getting your surgery date. I am being very optimistic about my surgery and how I will do but trust me I fear the same as you do. I fear getting over to Mexico and having my pre-op testing done the day before the surgery and then the surgeon coming back to me saying that he cannot perform the surgery for one reason or another. That is also why I have already started working on getting my body in better condition to have surgery done. I officially start my pre-op diet (aka Liver Shrinking Diet) 3 weeks prior to my surgery date but I have already begun the shakes for Breakfast and soon will be moving to shakes at lunch too. Another thing I need to start and I think would help anyone is putting together and doing a regular exercise schedule. Mine will consist of walking every day to begin with. Then after surgery and recovery I can build up from there.

Actually if your coming in on the 8th and I am out on the 7th we'll just miss each other! But hey we can find a South Florida Bandsters Group and meet up after surgery for a good glass of water and some jello on the side!

Things I won't miss... being out of breath when talking a nice walk sweating up a storm just from light physical activity bumping into things because of my size the big & tall store for clothes eating so much food and still wanting more people assuming I am dumb because I am so big the list can go on of course and there are so many good replies on here already!

I have my surgery on Dec. 5th with Dr. Kuri. I fly into San Diego on the 4th and then back out on the 7th. I am in Jupiter, FL which basically is the North end of Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach). Are you in Florida also? I noticed that molinomama is from Pensacola.

You know I too actually thought like your cousin for the longest of times that I could do it on my own. I just needed to buckle down on myself and do it. But had I done it? No. And why not? I have not been banded yet over the last year I had come to the realization that I can't do it on my own. I have learned that this is not a quick fix and that it is a lot of hard work. Most of all this is a decision that you need to make for youself. Remember this is your life and not anyone elses. What works for you may not work for me but then again it might. We just do not know. Don't let your cousin worry you about this.

Welcome to our new December Bandsters! I have my surgery set for Dec. 5th. So of course I will be on my liver shrinking diet for Thanks Giving and will be on mushies for Christmas. Early on my wife and couple of other family members suggested that I should have scheduled my surgery for after the holidays but I told them all no. I said I want to move forward with my life and in that change and wasn't going to let this be a big eating fest for me this holiday season. Halloween has already been tough knowing that I don't have to be dieting just yet and all the candy that is around. Candy has always been a weakness for me. Especially when people are offering it etc etc. They have a candy bowl here at work right by the door and everyone Snacks on it all day. Everytime you have to leave to use the restroom or simply coming and going from work you have to walk right past it. I actually find myself constantly saying no I don't need it. I know that the candy bowl will be continually stocked between now and just after New Years around here. Seems like when it gets low another person buys a bag and dumps it in there. Well I just have to remain strong especially when others are offering it to me.

Way to go with getting a jump start on your new path down life. I am starting my pre-op diet Nov. 14th and have already started a pre-diet to my pre-op diet. LOL - Basically I have started with the low carb / high protien shake diet for breakfast and eating lower carb and low fat meals. For me it is all about preparing for the change and not having this be as much of a shock on my body and mind as it could be. I have already been on the modified diet for a week and am doing very well. When you get your surgery date let us all know! And if it's in December look up the December 08 Bandsters thread and join us! Good luck to you!

Welcome all to the December Bandsters! This is an exciting time to get our surgery dates and know that it's finally happening! Congrats to you April on winning the fight with your insurance company! Keep us up to date on your surgery date and just how you doing! mjenkins, what are you doing for a modified pre-op diet now? I actually have already started having the low carb shakes in the mornings for Breakfast to help prepare myself before I start the full on pre-op diet on Nov 14th. I also have completely cut soda pop out of my diet too since after surgery we are not suppose to have carbination ever again. Again welcome all!

A big congrats to you Sarah! That is such an accomplishment and determination to fight them for a year and a half to final be approved! Welcome to the Dec. Bandsters!

Support is one of the best keys to success! And this place is great for support! So if your going to be a December Bandster say hi and join us in our journey to a new way of living and enjoying life!

In January of this year my BMI was just over 60. Since then I have lost 20 lbs and brought my BMI down just a few points and am still at 58. My surgeon knows that my BMI is as high as it is and has instructed me to do the liver shrinking diet for 3 weeks prior to my surgery. Again like others to make sure there was enough room to get around the stomach. Good luck to all those having surgery soon and good luck to you with your meeting with your surgeon.

You did no wrong in telling everyone that you are getting the surgery done and don't let anyone tell you any different. I have told everyone I know and like you those that I don't know. I have let me work know so that I will be getting the surgery so that when I am out for a couple of week they know why and my co-workers know why. And of course then they will understand at luncheons and birthday cakes and such why I won't be able to eat everything that they have. I think it's just making people aware and supportive as well. If someone is not supportive then that's their problem not mine.

Thanks for the support okiechick! I have an aunt that had her surgery done by the same surgeon I am getting mine done with in Tijuana Mexico. That played a large factor in chosing this surgeon. I will keep everyone in the know of how things go for me! Come on Dec. 5th! :eek:

I think it is very natural to have some very high and very low moments when going through this whole process. This is a major event in our lives and I just don't see how we could not have some emotional investments into this. The thing to do is be aware of how your are feeling and what you are going through and let yourself have these feelings. Then move on with your life and be perpared for the next steps in the process.