Babe

had my surgery yesterday... 14 lbs down total on my pre-op! Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight___Goal______ToGo AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............294.........199.......95 Bellaperdente......196............189.........150.......43 Bklyn1984..........317............263.........165.......98 Brandy.............198............189.........166.......21 Cappy..............240............235.5.......130.......105.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 Clarebear08........192............176.5.......160.......16.5 Donna113...........183............178.5.......126.......52.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............397.........300.......97 GratefulHeart......226............211.........135.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............214.8.......160.......54.8 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............229.4.......150.......79.4 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............201.........169.......32 lotzasunshine......270............262.........180.......82 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........262.8.......185.......77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............225.........140.......85 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............192.........130.......62 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............161.........125.......36

hi, i'm new to the site and i'm considering doing the surgery. i have chronic depression and have had it for half my life (so about 15-16) years. the depression has made it really difficult for me to stick to lifestyle changes i've made in the past, like going to the gym and eating healthy. when i'm in a downward spin, i tend to be an emotional eater and stuff my feelings. although my medication is working and i'm stable, i'm concerned how it will affect my post surgery behaviour. i really would like to hear from folks who've had the surgery and how they've dealt with this concern. thanks

i'm in bandland now... whohoo! still at the hospital, and will spend the night before returning to the hotel. great facillities here in Mexico. i just have a bit of shoulder pain but i've been walking a loth and that helps. how are my oter FEB 16thers?

yay me... i'm officially a bandster now!!! dr. ortiz and his colleagues are all so friendly and capable. no regrets about who i chose. i've got a bit of shoulder pain but i've been walkin several laps of the ward every hour and massaging it. haven't needed to take the gas-x yet, but i imagine i'll need it eventually. i'l post later with an update. feeling a bit groggy now...

hi friends, i'm flying to mexico tomorrow afternoon and should be banded at some point on monday. i'm so excited!!! i'll try to update you guys as soon as i feel up using a computer. thanks you all so much for your support these past few months. i couldn't have made it this far without you!

i'm 2 sleeps away from my surgery and i haven't had a 'last supper' yet, and i doubt i will. i see this as a lifestyle change, and for me that change started several weeks ago when i made the decision and booked the surgery. yeah, i've spent my fair share of time grieving food and being very tempted to binge, but hey it's not like my favourite foods are going anywhere. like previous posters said, the band will allow me to enjoy food just not in the unhealthy quantities i used to have. i'm determined that my band will allow me to eat all foods as many other successful bandsters are able to. that said, i still have 2 more meals to go till monday, so you never know what can happen :frown:... give me strength :cursing:

i'm driving down to seattle tomorrow after work, and flying out on sunday.

have you checked your blood pressure? it might be low... many hypertensive bandsters end up going off their meds within a few weeks because their BP lowers so much after surgery.

it's almost 3 in the morning and i can't sleep!!! i have a million thoughts running through my head right now. my period is 2 weeks late (no i'm not preggers) so for all i know i'll have it on my surgery... not thrilled about that at all. i'm trying to get organized for this trip and i keep thinking i'm forgetting something. i keep reading old threads about what to pack and what to do post op. i feel like i'm getting a bit OCD right now with the amount of time i'm spending re-checking things. what the heck have i gotten myself into?!?! must breathe... what happened to my formerly poised and in-control-ish self? evidently, i'm more freaked out about the surgery than i thought. crazy person signing off, thanks for listening :biggrin:

Thank You Brooklyn, your words are very inspiring... especially since i will be banded in a matter of days. Your words and your personal growth somehow remind me of myself and how i view things. I can easily imagine myself saying the same things 100lbs from now. Way to go!!!

Never heard of it... is it like dysthimia (a low grade depression)?

thanks ladybug! what you're saying makes a lot of sense... i think i'll hold of on the met for now.

My doc. took me off Metformin about a month ago (although why, i'm not entirely sure cause he really doesn't know much about PCOS - i was dx 3yrs ago by another doc who's retired). Anyways, my period was fairly regular until i stopped the metformin, and now it's 2 weeks late. problem is, i'm being banded a week from today. i scheduled the surgery deliberately so I wouldn't be on my rag that day... usually its really heavy right out of the gate for 4 out of the 5 days. Anyways, my GP thought my late period was sufficient cause for me to start up metformin again. Should i start it up again so soon before the surgery? I'm totally confused and there's not enough time for me to get in with an endocronologist and get second opinion. HELP!

ONE WEEK TO GO!!! Thought I'd check in and see how you're all doing... I'm actually pretty pumped, as long as I don't listen to the million voices running around in my head LOL:). I'm glad there's only a week left to this pre-op. In a way, I think it'd be easier to just have liquids (like the post op) instead of the agony of shakes and one LF/LC meal. That meal is simply not satisfying and leaves me craving more. If I knew I couldn't chew anything for days, it would be way easier and I wouldn't be tempted to cheat.

i'm being banded one week from today. I go from being extremely excited and impatient for this thing to happen, to terrified that I'm going to somehow screw it up and end up being one those few with complications and difficulty losing. What a rollercoaster ride! It's great to see some familiar names already in post-op recovery. It's reassuring that you guys are all doing well.

Great thread! For me it was a combo of different things. Firstly, all the health challenges i've got: hypertension, hi cholesterol, PCOS, thyroid, and depression. I could only see my health deteriorating with each passing year. Next, I was fed up of all the limitations around being fat: discrimination, self-isolation, near impossibility meeting men, wanting to have children, and not participating in activities as much as i would like. I turned 30 this past summer and all of these factors just seemed to converge into one big boiling pot of "I need to do something NOW or i'll regret it". I was ready. Ready for a change, ready to commit to overhauling my lifestyle. Ready to be the person I always wanted to be. I am so glad I'm doing this!

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight___Goal______ToGo AmethystJade.......231.8..........214.0.......150.......64.0 Babe...............308............297.2.......199.......98.2 Bellaperdente......196............189.........150.......43 Brandy.............198............189.........166.......21 Cappy..............240............239.........130.......109 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 Clarebear08........192............181.........160.......21 Donna113...........183............178.5.......126.......52.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............397.........300.......97 GratefulHeart......226............215.........135.......80 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............218.4.......160.......58.4 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............234.........150.......84 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............201.........169.......32 lotzasunshine......270............265.5.......180.......85.5 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........262.8.......185.......77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............225.........140.......85 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............192.........130.......62 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............163.........125.......38 Rhea2d . . . . . . . . . . 283. . . . . . . . . .233. . . . . . . 185 . .58

Just curious, how much did you end up paying (total) for your surgery? Where do you live? i'm seriously considering this LB, and just needed to get ballpark idea before booking a consult. Thx, Babe

Hi Ruby! Just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow. I'm getting banded in a week, so I can understand how you're feeling. Just read through this board and you'll find a lot of great tips and support. Also, i know you're in NZ, but check out the Australia threads and maybe you'll find someone else from NZ there.

i'm flying out in a week for my surgery, and i think the nerves are really setting in. i'm not nervous about the surgery itself or even the recovery, i'm more concerned with the lifestyle adjustment. i hope i can do this (it's funny how a week ago i was certain i'd be able to do it, but now i'm freaking out). i think maybe i'm just grieving or something. i know i'll be able to eat most things just in lesser amounts, but a part of me feels like i'm saying goodbye permanently to foods i love. maybe it's just pre-op blues... thanks for listening

ait, boy do i ever relate. it's an awful feeling isn't it?

hi jamie! stretch marks and loose skin are a concern for me too so i've already started taking care of it pre-band. i use a cocoa butter moisturizer daily all over my body, and after showering i apply Palmer's Cocoa Butter Oil and massage it in before moisturizing. I figure the added moisture will help with the elasticity and after the band help fade and prevent stretch marks. I also use a dry loofah on my body a couple times a week (or when i remember) to increase circulation and help break up celulite. Until a few days ago, i was taking Omega oils and it's been great for my skin (i've stopped pre-op because it's a blood thinner and i don't want to risk anything with my surgery coming up). Lastly, i drink lots and lots of Water. Personally, i'm not sure if anything i'm doing will actually have much impact, but i'd rather try than do nothing and regret it later.

I'm planning ahead for the post op clear liquid phase, and since for many of us broth is one of the few items we'll be allowed to have I thought I find out what the best tasting ones are. From what I understand, most of us are stuck on clear liquids for anywhere from 2-3days to 2-3 weeks post op, and I know I'll be sick of broth probably after a day, LOL :cursing: I've listed all the brands I could think of, be they liquid or powdered. And I'm just going to assume that they'll be the low sodium variety, cause who need the saltier water-retaining stuff post op anyways? Also, if you have any suggestions on how to make the broth taste better, please post.

Ivernous, I'm so excited for you! As much as it sucks to find out about your additional health problems, it must feel great to know that you're on the road to improving them. Please let us know how the surgery goes!