Lap2Fab

I don't want to sound stupid and I don't want to get anyone upset but I have no idea what PBing and slimming is. Sounds like something I need to know?

Good luck tomorrow...I'm getting nervous...trying to just stay positive and it will be over before we know it!

It's amazing how similar we are then! Up until we started the banding process my fiancee had NO IDEA how much my weight affected my confidence and security. He's known me for 13 years and had no clue! But I do the same thing... act like it's all good in front of people. I don't usually let my size stop me from doing things either- but the whole time I'm aware what I must look like doing them!

It's nice to know there are other people out there experiencing life as I have. I didn't think I was alone in it, but it's comforting knowing for sure!

This is good therapy, huh? I just had a to share another reason why... one of my sisters (who I already mentioned is my best friend), has always looked like Barbie. She's almost 50 years old now and I'm almost 40, and we are still so close, but she's still a Barbie... one time I went to visit her at work and although we look similar, I weigh about 90 lbs more. She introduced me to someone and I immediately said "I'm the fat sister!". I don't know why I said it, I thought I was being funny. Later, she called me and complimented me in all that I have accomplished in life and that NO ONE sees me as my weight. Funny, because that's all I see. I think if I tell anyone, I think they would try to convince me not to do the surgery and I really want to do this for me, because no matter what I accomplish in life, I still see myself as a failure with this weight.

I am right along with ya! I cant wait till tommorrow to get here and be over! What time is your surgery sched for? I have to be there at 10am!

I'm at 7am 8/11/10! Good luck tomorrow...and during the recovery! I'm sure we'll meet back here!

Yes, that does make sense. I do think that is part of it for me, thanks. I really don't need people watching my every move and checking me out to see if I've lost anything and commenting on it. I think it will be a hard enough journey in my own head without other people joining in.

He tried to tell me I should be proud that I am doing this to make my life better, but I told him I feel the opposite. I feel like I failed and that's why it's come to this. He totally didn't understand that. He is not ideal weight, but the most he's ever been overweight is by 30 lbs, and when he chooses to lose it, he can do it in a couple of months. So it's hard for him to understand. I wish he could just be inside my head so I didn't have to explain it to him.

I am exactly like you, I have only told my DH and no one else. I did happen to run into a girl I know at the doctors, but we both swore to confidentiality. I am just a very private person, I tend to keep things to myself and I like that people think I'm confident and funny and secure. I think they would all be shocked that I fake those things (except the funny part...I am funny!). I'm not confident and I'm not secure about myself and every day I have to fake being someone I'm not. It's exhausting. The weight is a huge part of my low self confidence, it's probably the only part, because... I'm really pretty! LOL! But I need to do this for me, no one else. I don't want to be judged, and I certainly don't want people having conversations that revolve around me and my decision to have WLS or my weight. It's just such a private thing. MY MIL is the same as yours, she would tell everyone, including the people at the check out. I know my friends would be very supportive, and one of my sisters is my best friend and I feel awful not telling any of them, but I just really feel like I have to do this alone. They all know that I'm trying to lose weight because I have had a few health scares in the past couple of years. They've seen me on the pre-op diet and know I'm eating smaller portions, but I'm being banded tomorrow, and I have to avoid all of them for a week or so...that's not going to be easy because I'm a social person, but I know a week or two of laying low is the best thing for me in the long run. Once you tell people, you can't untell. You have to be ready for all of it once it's out there.

I am looking forward to:

- Wearing cute heels without feeling like my toes are going to have to be amputated afterward because all my weight is bearing down on them!

:thumbup:

LOL! I'm looking forward to that too...and strappy shoes without bulges of pedi-fat coming out the sides! LOL!

My husband asked me yesterday if I'm looking forward to Wednesday, and I asked "what are we doing on Wednesday?" He looked at me and said "WE are not doing something, YOU are have surgery" Oh yeah! This pre-op diet hasn't been too bad, once you get over the hump, it's like South Beach, you just get used to eating smaller meals and drinking some shakes. I'm finding it VERY hard to not tell anyone, my sister asked me out for dinner this week and I had to say I have other plans and a bunch of friends are getting together on Friday and they think I'm going, but I'm faking a headache. My husband already asked permission to dance with my friends in my absense. He's awesome and loves to dance, but I still love that he makes sure that I'm not going to get mad. I actually LOVE when I see him ask another woman to dance, because so many men don't like to dance and then their woman is sitting there wanting to dance. We have a lot of fun together, I'm looking forward to surgery so that we can have many more years of fun!

I dont think Ive ever been able to wear a bikini- so Im looking forward to that provided I dont have a bunch of loose skin.

And since we all like to spill our guts here Im going to come out and say it- I will be happy to wipe my butt like a normal person. Its not that I have a huge butt but my arms are too short to reach around and wipe normally without having to do some acrobatics.

Oh and I cant wait to not have to lift up my stomach flab to wash myself or during certain positions during sex. Yes- I did say that one too! LOL!

YOU MADE ME LOL! This was the best post yet!

This is gross but i wish someone would have told me that "throwing up" meant a big pile of mucus goo.

Thank you for sharing that! Now I will be prepared if it happens...not gross...just honest! Thanks for the info!

I'm looking forward to:

• feeling healthy
  
• getting rid of pain
  
• having more energy for my kids and husband
  
• not feeling self conscious in public
  
• not covering up my bathing suit
  
• smaller breasts
  
• my legs not touching
  
• cleaning out my closet of 5 different sizes
  
• not cutting the size out of my clothes (because I'm embarrassed if my tag shows!)
  
• looking pretty for my husband
  
• being more comfortable in smaller spaces, like plane seats and amuzement park rides
  

Sorry that you had a hard day! Thank god for the support you have here! Why exactly is it not fair to spend the money on the surgery? Is your MIL overweight, and possibly jealous of you for having the courage to find a way to be healthy? Is it not fair to her son to have a wife who likes how she looks, who has a great self esteem, who is healthy and beautiful. What's not fair about that?

I think you already know...I have not told anyone but my DH about my surgery for this exact reason! People think they have the right to tell you what they think, when it doesn't matter what they think. The only thing that matters is you and your health! If she becomes too negative, try to distance yourself. As many of us can agree, being judged can trigger us to eat more! She's not worth it! You will be successful and you will have the last word!

I can't believe I'm already starting my second week of the pre-op diet! One week from today I will be banded! Luckily, I'm the first appointment...have to be at the hospital at 6am and surgery scheduled for 7am! I'm giddy! I feel like I'm carrying this big secret around with me. My friends have already asked me how I've lost 10lbs, and I have told them about my portion sizes. I don't feel guilty about not telling anyone but my husband, I thought I would, but I don't. Maybe in a year, I'll be telling everyone, but for right now, I just want it to be a private thing. I hope my friends and family respect my choice to not share if/when it comes out that I had surgery.

Thanks everyone for posting and keeping my eye on the prize!

I just got back yesterday from 2 weeks down south. we split the first week between Richmond VA and Savannah GA then headed to Disney World for 8 days.

I'm exhausted and shocked with the record breaking temps and the amount of walking we did and no snacking i didn't lose even a pound not 1

now that it's august and i'm back i'm getting excited and nervous about surgery.

Good luck to everyone getting banded this week.

hurry back and let us know how it went.

Oh, I know what you mean about thinking you are going to lose weight from doing the right thing and then not losing a pound. I find that my body just wants to hold onto everything. You may find though that instead of losing weight, you gained some muscle and that's why the scale didn't change. If you walked and didn't snack, you still helped your body! I'm getting excited and nervous about surgery too...it was suppose to be tomorrow but because of an important meeting, I had to push it to next week instead. I can't wait!

Well fellow AUGUST RUSH friends, guess what? The Dr office called me this morning and my surgery is tomorrow morning! 24 hours earlier than the previous 3 day early reschedule! I'm so excited, but also kind of bitchy cause, haven't had a period in 9 months, and I started spotting this morning (Murphey's Law). Oh well I'm not going to worry bout it and maybe it will just go away...lol

Oh yeah I have to take the poo-poo medicine today , well in a little while......Never done that before. Probably the next time I talk to all you fine people I will be banded.

That's all for now!

PEACE OUT

KELLY:cool:

What is this poo poo medicine you speak of? LOL...no one told me about poo poo medicine! Though you may as call the Protein Shakes the same thing! LOL!

I know I shouldn't complain about this, but is anyone else losing weight really fast on this pre-op diet? I'm down 9lbs since Sunday. I even made my husband check the scale because I thought maybe it was wrong. I'm a little worried that I'm losing it too fast.

Hi Fellow August Banders,

Just curious...how many days does everyone plan to take off of work for the surgery? Also...for those of you who are keeping this top secret, what have you told your employer when requesting the time off?

My surgery is on a Friday and I'm thinking of taking off Monday as well and going back Tuesday...hope this is enough time....I am a little nervous.....

I'm a stay at home mom (that's easier for me to say than...I had to stop working because of my illnesses!), but my husband is taking a day off. He's saying that I'm having a "woman's procedure" and if anyone asks for more information, he's going to say it's personal.

Hey August 11th Buddy! I'm also on day 3, down 6lbs (I'm thinking it's Water cuz I'm peeing all the time!) I'm home during the day, so I have to find other things to do. I use a food journal, it's really easy to make one on your computer or just grab a piece of paper. Write down when you are going to have your shakes and your meals. Then write down when to take your water or fluids. If you decide to go out, pack up what you need in a small cooler or if you are home, find something to do and keep to your schedule. It's two days...you can do it!!

August 11 is not that far off . did you already start the liquids yet. I will be looking for your post soon after you are up for it. good luck and wish you the best. I will be going for my second appointment and that is when I am fully commented to it I have to put 500 of my own money up front. My appointment is Tuesday morning with a nutrisonlist.

hope I spelled that correctly. Any pointer on what to say so insurance will approve me. I love this site. I just cant get enought of everyones comments.

I think insurance varies from company to company and plan to plan. The doctor's office should be able to tell you if you qualify. My doctor basically said if I had X or Y insurance, I would probably not be approved, but since I had Anthem, she said she was almost certain that with my health issues, I would be approved. The only thing that annoyed me about the whole process was my meeting with the nutritionist! I was very honest with her, I tend to skip meals and don't pay too much attention to what I eat. I don't buy junk food, so I'd go without eating and then be starving later in the day and eat whatever I wanted because I thought I didn't eat...I could eat everything! She made me wait another month and document my eating. I also gained 1.3 lbs (which I had a heart surgery on Tuesday and was weighed by her on Friday so it could have just been water) and she made me lose that weight before she would let me go forward. The office has a policy of no weight gain, but for insurance, I couldn't lose either...it was hard! I would ask a lot of insurance questions when you go in! Good luck!

I'm not on a liquid diet, just a preop, I can have 2 frozen meals each day in addition to 3 shakes and all the veggies I want!

I'm on day 2 and I was thinking the same thing this afternoon! I went back to read my preop diet and I thought I could only have 1 frozen meal with my shakes, but it turns out I can have 2! I wasn't getting enough food! I'm glad I caught that on day 2 and not day 14 or I would have been dragging! Your BMI is similiar to mine, maybe you are not getting enough... just a thought!

Glad to be part of the group! Surgery scheduled for 8/11! Can't wait to see the changes in all of us! Funny, I've been watching and reading for 6 months but didn't want to post anything until it became a reality. Now I'm on Lapbandtalk more than Facebook!

I've decided not to tell anyone except my husband. It's not that I'm embarrassed about it, I just don't want comments or critics coming out of the woodwork and some of our family members are big time gossips! The world will know if any of them know! What about all of you? Who have you told or not told?

Hi Lap2Fab,

I am very similar to you with my BMI at 36 but I also have co-morbidities with high blood pressure and Cardiomyopathy and Tendionitis in both feet due to being over weight. I need to loose 65-70lbs I am 5ft and almost 60yrs old. I hope my insurance will approve me. Good luck with your insurance aswell.

I'm approved...very thankful that they approved me! I hope your insurance makes it easy for you too! August 11th!!! Whoo hoo!!!

My BMI was 35.8 when it was submitted and I was so nervous that they would not approve it. I too have a laundry list of illnesses. I have not told anyone except my husband that I am having the surgery. I don't feel guilty about keeping it to myself, I think it's a personal choice. Hopefully the weight comes off slowly and I can just say that I'm doing my "small plate diet" (which is just using a salad plate and I lost 60 lbs in the past but gained it back...this time I won't!) I think my friends would be supportive, but I also don't want anyone telling me it was the wrong decision or telling me horror stories. I think it's a huge decision that I haven't taken lightly, I have taken 6 months to learn all that I can, and it's definitely not the easy way out.

I was worried too because my BMI wasn't 40, but as long as you have documented comorbidities, it should be fine! What we all have is a disease, it doesn't matter if your BMI is 50 or 35, it's just not healthy. We all just want to enjoy our lives! Let us know how it goes! It's a long process, but I can't even believe I'm on the pre-op diet!

I have Anthem BCBS, my paperwork was sent in on Wed. 7/21 and I received my approval letter dated Thurs 7/22 on 7/26! Very impressed with Anthem! I was told it could take weeks too but if they have all that they need, it's much quicker. I was so worried and it ended up being easier than I expected.

I completely understand where you are coming from. I think it's a tool because you have to retrain yourself to do something else besides eat. If you are stressed, take a walk, chat online, read a book, ride a bike, go to the gym, spend time with friends...anything to replace going to the refrigerator and getting a snack. I think that's why the weight comes off slower, you have to do the work to see results. For many of us, we can lose some weight, but it's hard to keep it off. When I have lost 50 or 60 lbs in the past, I thought I was skinny and could just eat what everyone else was eating again. Wrong! Funny how we can work so hard to get it off and say it will never happen again, and then it does! I feel that surgery is what will help me not repeat those behaviors that got me to where I am today.

Called my Dr. office today to ask if I would receive a phone call or a letter in the mail from insurance. She said I'd likely receive a letter and since they sent it over on 7/21, she thought I may see something in the mail today. Really? With the weekend?

I figured if it didn't come in the mail, I would call the insurance co like others had suggested. I just heard the mail guy and went running for my mail, right on top an envelope from Anthem! I was approved!!! :bolt: Yay Me! Looking forward to experiencing this with all of you...scheduled for August 11th!