Band_Groupie

I'm posting this also in the Pre-Op Forum, but I know a lot of you are post-op here and may not see it, and you're the experts I need input from... I’m about 6 weeks away from my pre-op class so I’m trying to put together some lists so I’ll know what to buy now, or what I need to ask/gain approval about from my surgeon. Is there anything I’ve forgotten? Here’s the list I’ve compiled from everyone’s suggestions for taking to the Hospital (this does not include my post-op at home list). I’m a Mary Poppins (I’d rather have it and not use it, then to be wanting it and not have it) so taking a lot doesn’t bother me a bit (and we’re only 30 min. from the hospital)…so add away! I should be there one night. I should note that I’m allergic to most soaps, thus the reason to take my own nighty and sheets for the bed- just take 2 top sheets to sandwich as a buffer between their sheets (had a bad reaction last time). HOSPITAL Toiletries/Medicines Mouthwash Toothbrush Toothpaste Soap Shampoo Conditioner Brush/Comb Hair holders (ponytail, clips, headbands) Facial Moisturizer Pads Baby/Butt Wipes (flushable) Chapstick (several) Kleenex Regular Prescriptions and Asthma Inhaler/spacer (ask Surgeon) Cough remedies (ask Surgeon) Migraine remedies (ask Surgeon) Chewable vitamins (ask Surgeon) Gas X (ask Surgeon) Heating Pad/ext. cord for back/gas pains (probably not allowed, ask), or possibly the chemical heating pads (adhesive, ask)? [*]Clothing Robe Slippers (slip on kind) Nightgown that buttons off-don’t have to lift arms (allergies to hospital ones) Extra undies (not the silky kind-slide on sheets) Extra Socks Change of LOOSE clothing for ride home, w/slip on shoes (underwear, bra, drawstring pants, button front top, socks, shoes, jacket). [*]Sleeping Pillow (my own) Eye Mask Ear plugs Sound machine if own room (ask?) Small Throw/Blanket (get cold in hospital) Sheets (allergies to hosp. ones) [*]Personal Items Insurance Card/other info. needed Small firm pillow to hold against stomach for ride home, and for sneezes/gas pains/coughing in hospital SF Mints, Tic Tacs (ask surgeon if you can suck on these) Packets of Crystal Lite & SF Koolaid (why? Need this? Ask surgeon) Camera (for photos) Water bottle, no straw-sippy kind (need this? ask), others suggest small shot glass to measure fluid intake Notepad/pen; to write down info., notes from nurses/doctor, etc. [*]For Boredom Ipod & Earbuds Cell phone & charger Books or magazines Reading Glasses & case [*]DH Items *Have him keep a bag with my valuables, ie. Cell phone, iPod, camera, insurance card/info. etc., while in surgery Laptop/cords Book/magazines Snacks/Drinks Cell Phone/Charger Phone numbers list

Oooo...Perfect! Hey, I guess if we're having (multiple) weigh-ins at these meetings, how much more embarrassing could measurements be...and oh so motivating! Love it! And JA...I want those spreadsheets. I was reminded reading your projections...once when I was on WW (before computers...well, they used stacks of punch cards at that point) I wrote my projected weight (going down) on my calendar for the whole year (no, I didn't make it a year).

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online The Today Show had another segment this morning on Octomom with her mother (an heated argument/interview with Radaronline.com). The discussion was around how 'persuasive and wellspoken' Nadia sounds as she bulldozes her Mom in the interview (Mom is very soft spoken but tries hard to make valid points that Nadia just ignores). The point was that if you really listen to Nadia's words, they don't make and sense and she does not have a handle on the real world. They also had Gloria Allred and the head of that 'Angels in Waiting' non-profit group. The Angels lady was a nurse and what they've offered Nadia is nursing care (that's what this group does) for pre-mature high-risk babies (which the 8 are). I give the woman kudos for also saying her concern is for the babies and they are offering this service, no matter whether the babies are with her, in foster care or adoptive homes even. She didn't mention the 'place to stay' being part of the offer, but other stories (Dr. Phil) said that. She did mention they sill need dontations to continue this care any length of time. Apparently they've given Nadia until Thursday to accept or reject their offer. JMO- She needs to be hauled off to the funny-farm if she doesn't accept this. *They also showed a clip from Oprah's show, airing today, with the Dad saying he believes she has mental problems.

Holy Cow! 3 different ones...how many ways can you count the same weight? I obviously have so much to learn. I love spreadsheets of any kind, so this will be right up my alley. I think there's a "12 step programs" section in the Forums we might fit into The problem is...I don't want to be cured. I *Heart* my scale. -BG

Wendy...you radical scale tosser you...LOL! I have body dismorphic disorder...only in the opposite way...I usually don't see myself as bad as it really is (that's what happens when you run from the camera). I get that I hate the way I look, but I'm always surprised when I see photos; why is that? I also usually think I'm doing a better job dieting than I really am. I need the blunt truth of the scale...unfortunately, it never lies. A doctors scale at home --- I get the pleasure in throwing out the scale! You're doing great girl! So with or without it's working for you!

I'm at almost the same point you are; surgery end of April or early May (submit to insurance the beg. of April when my 6 mo. diet is over). I started researching this last May. I think your 'what ifs' are very telling though, as they're all the normal ones we all have. I already know food is my drug of choice, but being aware of that and dealing with it (head hunger) are two different things. The only question I don't have that you mentioned was proper nutrition when you're elderly...one of the reasons I picked LB was the fact that you can get an unfill at any time and it can be removed if necessary. See you at the finish line! -BG

Coffee...LOL...my answer to all life's problems. I was tired for months also. Make sure you're getting enough 'fuel' or you'll have a double-whammy on energy. Feel better soon, and take things slow back at work. -BG

Nope...you're as normal as the rest of us (well, in my case abnormal)! What's a 'white light scan'? If you haven't found them yet there's a Virginia group under Forums/Groups/USA/Virginia. We've vacationed there a lot...Sandbridge. Sounds like things are going really smoothly fo you! Good luck. -BG

OK, first meeting agenda of SWA (sorry I typo'd sha earlier) is set: 1. Spud- OCD AND YOUR SCALE How to compute the median after jumping on, off, on, off, on, off, on, off, on, off. We'll play musical scales* (no not with instruments), so wear comfortable clothing. 2. Lena (voice)- ARTS & CRAFTS WEIGHT LOSS Interesting places/ways to track your progress until you have time to enter it into the computer. Lena requests that you please bring an old tube of lipstick. 3. Sunshine- EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT, BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GRAPH IT Computer tracking, graphing, pie chart, bar graphs and spreadsheets. Sunshine will be giving a Powerpoint presentation covering the past 9 years entitled "Weigh to Go!" *BYOS (Bring your own scale...that means you need to get one fast MusicFMH). The rest of us have a lot to learn...glad I'm in such good company!!

HOLY COW!!!! That's weight loss the hard way! I've been on this/other sites for about 9 mo. now and I've never even heard of a doctor removing an 'adhesion' from a spleen, let alone removing a spleen related to LB surgery. You might want to post a thread on the Forum/Complications to see if anyone else has heard of this (it will get more exposure than here in blogs). You certainly deserve the weight loss and I hope the band works well for you soon with fills. ...and welcome to LBT!!! Best wishes. -BG

WELCOME to LBT! The period between getting the band and having any restriction is called 'Bandster Hell' for good reason...your band isn't helping you yet, so it's all up to you. Some even gain weight before restriction/enough fills. My schedule is 6 weeks until the first fill, and I'm not sure how many cc's (usually it's 4-6 weeks). Just had to say hello to "I am in the band" from Band_Groupie! Hang in there. -BG

OK, you two are now officially enrolled with me in SWA (Scale Whores Anonymous)...and Spud...you need to come to double meetings for awhile.

Apparently, after reading up on this a bit, I'm officially a 'Scale Whore'. I get on the scale every morning...always have...skinny, fat, dieting, not...It doesn't matter, it's part of my morning ritual. I'm not obsessed with it, and I get that your weight fluctuates, but I find it to be motivational, both losing and gaining. I don't get all the posts about only weighing yourself once a week. There are even whole 'movements' to throw out your scale completely (not on any WLS site I'm sure)...but that's like saying 'I give up'...or at least it's like throwing away all your mirrors (Oh, the horror!!!)!! It's like finances...if you aren't watching, if you're not paying attention, things can get away from you quickly. There are even whole groups online who pledge to each other to only weigh once a week like it’s an addiction and you need a 12 step program…Hello, I’m BG, and I’m a Scale Whore. I'm really not making fun; whatever works for you is what you should do...absolutely. I'm just saying I don't get it. Is it really a big deal…it must be for some, but I don’t get how? Why do I need to wait a week to tell me if my week of binging made me gain two pounds or 10 (yea, I get it doesn't always show up right away)? Why do I need to wait a week to tell me if my extreme workouts are helping me to lose or gain (because I'm putting on muscle)? To me it's like that smile you give yourself in the mirror every morning after brushing. You’re just checking your teeth after you brush them. Does this one day of brushing really change your overall dental health, nope. Does it change anything big to look at that smile every day, nope. But it reassures you to see that smile every day...and if your gums are bleeding today, maybe you'll brush longer tomorrow.

Apparently, after reading up on this a bit, I'm officially a 'Scale Whore'. I get on the scale every morning...always have...skinny, fat, dieting, not...It doesn't matter, it's part of my morning ritual. I'm not obsessed with it, and I get that your weight fluctuates, but I find it to be motivational, both losing and gaining. I don't get all the posts about only weighing yourself once a week. There are even whole 'movements' to throw out your scale completely (not on any WLS site I'm sure)...but that's like saying 'I give up'...or at least it's like throwing away all your mirrors (Oh, the horror!!!)!! It's like finances...if you aren't watching, if you're not paying attention, things can get away from you quickly. There are even whole groups online who pledge to each other to only weigh once a week like it’s an addiction and you need a 12 step program…Hello, I’m BG, and I’m a Scale Whore. I'm really not making fun; whatever works for you is what you should do...absolutely. I'm just saying I don't get it. Is it really a big deal…it must be for some, but I don’t get how? Why do I need to wait a week to tell me if my week of binging made me gain two pounds or 10 (yea, I get it doesn't always show up right away)? Why do I need to wait a week to tell me if my extreme workouts are helping me to lose or gain (because I'm putting on muscle)? To me it's like that smile you give yourself in the mirror every morning after brushing. You’re just checking your teeth after you brush them. Does this one day of brushing really change your overall dental health, nope. Does it change anything big to look at that smile every day, nope. But it reassures you to see that smile every day...and if your gums are bleeding today, maybe you'll brush longer tomorrow.

In a word...NO. and NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!! ...and I totally agree with Jacqui...the experience with aftercare was just as important to me. Let's face it, at # 26, you'd still be a guinea pig and possibility of problems will certainly be higher, just because of inexperience. I went to three different hospitals before I picked mine. Possibility of death is still just that and your risking a lot.

This is true. RnY patients usually have way more Vitamin and mineral supplement needs because of the malabsorbtion.

CONGRATULATIONS Skinny! Glad everything went so well! -BG

WELCOME to LBT!!! Great peeps here and lots of great information. Good luck with everything. -BG

Just wanted to say you're not alone and stick with it. I've seen many people say this (myself included) and many here give up or self pay because of the process. It will be worth it all in the end, but vent away...I have, LOL!

For most insurances, they are looking for you to have one or more of the 5 big comorbidities (other things like asthma help, but they don't usually get you approved): sleep apnea, Type II Diabetes, Heart Issues from obesity, Hypertension, High-Cholesterol. Not only do you need a diagnosis, but you also need to show you are being treated/on medication for them. Start by getting a copy of your insurance policy and make sure you understand the requirements, then go to your PCP and have them do some testing for the above. Many people here find out they have one of these when they didn't know it before...if you do, get started on meds/treatment. Good luck! -BG

(NOTE: Sorry for any disappearing pics before...I'm tech-challenged...hope they stay this time.) DH wasn't feeling great last night...stomachache. So we went to bed last night around 11pm as I was started to get a stomachache too. Then the abdominal cramps started and they kept me awake. About midnight I ran to the bathroom (Master Bath, connected to our bedroom...this will be important later, so pay attention) and it felt like it was this far away.. ...dear Lord the seat is up and I almost fell in (again)!!! Sometimes I hate living with 3 boys in the house!!! Let's just say I was sitting on the throne and barfing into the trashcan (I'm good at multi-tasking) for at least an hour...and I used this much toilet paper... and after awhile it felt like this (sandpaper)... Let me preface this next part by telling you that I have given birth to three children and only with the last one did I take anything...an epidural (yes, it took me until the third to get smart, I'm stupid that way). I never came close to screaming or even complaining giving birth. I think I have a pretty high threshold of pain. Now, last night the abdominal cramps got so bad at one point that I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs. I seriously thought I needed to go to the hospital, and I said so, LOUDLY...VERY LOUDLY...it hurt that bad. I'm sure my neighbors next door heard me...but did DH sleeping just beyond the bathroom door (remember, it's connected to our bedroom) hear me...nope...he snores that loudly. I think we (I use that term 'we' very loosely since I didn't see anyone else up last night) got food poisoning from the pizza DH picked up at Costco. I've been recovering today. Yes, I got lots of "I didn't even hear you!" this morning...glad I wasn't actually dying. I'm now getting these stickers for my toilet... NO, make that one of these... and definitely one or two of these...

(NOTE: Sorry for any disappearing pics before...I'm tech-challenged...hope they stay this time.) DH wasn't feeling great last night...stomachache. So we went to bed last night around 11pm as I was started to get a stomachache too. Then the abdominal cramps started and they kept me awake. About midnight I ran to the bathroom (Master Bath, connected to our bedroom...this will be important later, so pay attention) and it felt like it was this far away.. ...dear Lord the seat is up and I almost fell in (again)!!! Sometimes I hate living with 3 boys in the house!!! Let's just say I was sitting on the throne and barfing into the trashcan (I'm good at multi-tasking) for at least an hour...and I used this much toilet paper... and after awhile it felt like this (sandpaper)... Let me preface this next part by telling you that I have given birth to three children and only with the last one did I take anything...an epidural (yes, it took me until the third to get smart, I'm stupid that way). I never came close to screaming or even complaining giving birth. I think I have a pretty high threshold of pain. Now, last night the abdominal cramps got so bad at one point that I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs. I seriously thought I needed to go to the hospital, and I said so, LOUDLY...VERY LOUDLY...it hurt that bad. I'm sure my neighbors next door heard me...but did DH sleeping just beyond the bathroom door (remember, it's connected to our bedroom) hear me...nope...he snores that loudly. I think we (I use that term 'we' very loosely since I didn't see anyone else up last night) got food poisoning from the pizza DH picked up at Costco. I've been recovering today. Yes, I got lots of "I didn't even hear you!" this morning...glad I wasn't actually dying. I'm now getting these stickers for my toilet... NO, make that one of these... and definitely one or two of these...

Onederland...excellent!!! Your mom would be really proud! Good for you!! And hang in there this week. Best wishes. -BG

Do the math girl! Oct. 10 was 19 weeks and a day ago...71.7 / 19= 3.77+ pounds per week! Celebrate!!!! Yes, I am way too obsessed with what others are losing (hey, it's motivating). Great job! -BG

::BG pulls apart Lena's fingers and places crown on her head:: Queen of Bullcrap (and what a tease...tell us what you got at Saks!!!).