JazzyMom17

Have SOOO much fun!! How's your nutrition planning going? Any words of wisdom??

I read your post and almost cried. I am getting banded on June 17th...and reading your words is so encouraging and I can identify SOOOOO much with what you say about food being an abusing love affair. So, I have a question---looking back on all of it now, what do you wish you had known BEFORE you got the band about the process you were about to go thru? Ever thought about becoming a life coach for people going thru this surgery? You have great inspiration in your words!!

Keep up the good work!!! This will all be worth it!!

Oh, no! Not another one! Yes! It is all worth it. And I ALSO got the burping dialog for 5 minutes. Must be standard procedure! ha ha! I have to say when I flipped over to my stomach a burp DID escape--but not to worry. More where that came from.

Now I'm stressing about this!!!!!! )

Just a thought--and I'm not banded yet, but it looks to me from your plan that total cups/day would be between 4.25-6. If you aim for more "mini-meals" thru the day---even adding your fruit/veggie as a SNACK then you should be fine, right? I didn't see 'DAIRY' as a food group---are you planning to cut back on that?

Thanks everybody for the support on here!! Suthern_gurl, good luck with surgery in June!! Guess we'll be going thru this together! I wish I would have done this at 25!

Ok, Barium Swallow done....and GROSSS!!!! I was unprepared for how disgusting that would be!! I got to the Radiology appt WAY early. Living in DC Metro...the traffic is SO unpredictable. This morning wasn't so bad, so I got there at 7:12 and my appt was at 8:00. I found a Starbucks and got my drink for when I'm done with the B.S. I had to fast from midnight until the appt. I didn't tell them that I ate tacos last night and had horrible reflux so I drank 1 cup of milk at 1:30....I figure it has run it's course by now. And I guess it did--they didn't say anything about it. I had to take a shot of this extreemly FIZZY stuff that tasted like unflavored AlkaSeltzer. That stuff is s'posed to blow up your stomach and make you feel like you have to burp--but you are s'posed to keep it all in. Then about a cup of the "heavy barium". The X-ray tech says "Take 2 swallows" and then takes a million films...then more swallows. And flipping over and over trying to keep your boobs in line. It wasn't so much the taste as the texture of this barium that was so gross. It felt like swallowing white floam. But, it is one more thing down!! I made my appt with PCP for Medical Clearance, Phsyc Eval appt, PRE-OP Appt. Everything is scheduled and on track!

Ok, Barium Swallow done....and GROSSS!!!! I was unprepared for how disgusting that would be!! I got to the Radiology appt WAY early. Living in DC Metro...the traffic is SO unpredictable. This morning wasn't so bad, so I got there at 7:12 and my appt was at 8:00. I found a Starbucks and got my drink for when I'm done with the B.S. I had to fast from midnight until the appt. I didn't tell them that I ate tacos last night and had horrible reflux so I drank 1 cup of milk at 1:30....I figure it has run it's course by now. And I guess it did--they didn't say anything about it. I had to take a shot of this extreemly FIZZY stuff that tasted like unflavored AlkaSeltzer. That stuff is s'posed to blow up your stomach and make you feel like you have to burp--but you are s'posed to keep it all in. Then about a cup of the "heavy barium". The X-ray tech says "Take 2 swallows" and then takes a million films...then more swallows. And flipping over and over trying to keep your boobs in line. It wasn't so much the taste as the texture of this barium that was so gross. It felt like swallowing white floam. But, it is one more thing down!! I made my appt with PCP for Medical Clearance, Phsyc Eval appt, PRE-OP Appt. Everything is scheduled and on track!

I'm scheduled for JUN 17th!! Thanks for doing this!!

Mother's Day was wonderful! I have the best family in the world!! After church yesterday, we all trapesed over to my skinny in-laws house and stayed there the rest of the day. I was feeling really fat (Husband took me out to dinner at my favorite restaurant), and I was noticing how the top part of my stomach was rubbing against my top. Gross. But I've felt a shift in my attitude...I am not defeated by this fat, because i know in a year it won't be like this. I called my mom for Mother's Day and caught up on everything at home (1,000 miles away) and then I dropped the bomb about what I am "thinking" about doing. I didn't tell her that my barium test is tomorrow, my phsych evaluation is next week and my preop appt is right around the corneer. She was really shocked that I would do something so drastic...and she said, "Wouldn't it be aweful if you died on the table doing something like this?" (NOT saying that I haven't thought about that)...but she was extremely reserved and skeptical of the whole idea of this surgery. When I told my skinny sister on Friday she said, "OH, I hate to think about you living your life unable to enjoy stuffing at Thanksgiving, a piece of pizza...those kinds of things." She has never felt the shame of walking up to a sink in a public restroom and never looking at herself in the mirror because the reflection is not something you want to be reminded of. I know that this surgery is a huge step and that I will give up alot of things that I enjoy now. I know that I am biting off a whole lot more than I can chew. But, food--to me--has been chains,.... holding me inside, keeping me back, stealing my health, draining my energy, feeling like a slave, losing my confidence. This step is declaring war and changing my relationship with food. I am putting a boundary on a toxic relationship with food and saying---THIS is how far you can come! I am taking my life back sooner than later! And, yeah...I AM scared to death that I could "die on the table" and with a beautiful six-year old daughter there is nothing that would justify that or say that it was "worth it". If I die on the table, or from complications from surgery it would NEVER be worth Jasmine losing a mommy!! So, I'm just kind of discouraged today. AND I started the pill again, so hormones are a little whacked.... Tomorrow is the barium swallow. Woo-Hoo! I wonder how that will taste. :oP BUT I'm APPROVED!!! I talked to my husband about all of this and he said that you take risks driving to work every day on 66. That this is something that he supports me 100% on and that "we are doing this" and you'll never regret it. That's what I needed. I know I'm 33 and I don't need permission....but I want supportive family. It means alot to me that this huge step would be backed up by them. NOW I can completely understand not telling ANYONE until it's over.....sometimes it just kind of drags you down. But then I met my husband online---and moved 1,000 miles away to have my dream life now. Sometimes you just know in your heart what is right for you--even when other's would NEVER do it in a million years. I've just given this whole thing to God...there are alot of tests and things yet to go....if I'm not supposed to do it, I'm just praying that He makes it impossible for me to do it. God is in control and I can rest assured in that.

Mother's Day was wonderful! I have the best family in the world!! After church yesterday, we all trapesed over to my skinny in-laws house and stayed there the rest of the day. I was feeling really fat (Husband took me out to dinner at my favorite restaurant), and I was noticing how the top part of my stomach was rubbing against my top. Gross. But I've felt a shift in my attitude...I am not defeated by this fat, because i know in a year it won't be like this. I called my mom for Mother's Day and caught up on everything at home (1,000 miles away) and then I dropped the bomb about what I am "thinking" about doing. I didn't tell her that my barium test is tomorrow, my phsych evaluation is next week and my preop appt is right around the corneer. She was really shocked that I would do something so drastic...and she said, "Wouldn't it be aweful if you died on the table doing something like this?" (NOT saying that I haven't thought about that)...but she was extremely reserved and skeptical of the whole idea of this surgery. When I told my skinny sister on Friday she said, "OH, I hate to think about you living your life unable to enjoy stuffing at Thanksgiving, a piece of pizza...those kinds of things." She has never felt the shame of walking up to a sink in a public restroom and never looking at herself in the mirror because the reflection is not something you want to be reminded of. I know that this surgery is a huge step and that I will give up alot of things that I enjoy now. I know that I am biting off a whole lot more than I can chew. But, food--to me--has been chains,.... holding me inside, keeping me back, stealing my health, draining my energy, feeling like a slave, losing my confidence. This step is declaring war and changing my relationship with food. I am putting a boundary on a toxic relationship with food and saying---THIS is how far you can come! I am taking my life back sooner than later! And, yeah...I AM scared to death that I could "die on the table" and with a beautiful six-year old daughter there is nothing that would justify that or say that it was "worth it". If I die on the table, or from complications from surgery it would NEVER be worth Jasmine losing a mommy!! So, I'm just kind of discouraged today. AND I started the pill again, so hormones are a little whacked.... Tomorrow is the barium swallow. Woo-Hoo! I wonder how that will taste. :oP BUT I'm APPROVED!!! I talked to my husband about all of this and he said that you take risks driving to work every day on 66. That this is something that he supports me 100% on and that "we are doing this" and you'll never regret it. That's what I needed. I know I'm 33 and I don't need permission....but I want supportive family. It means alot to me that this huge step would be backed up by them. NOW I can completely understand not telling ANYONE until it's over.....sometimes it just kind of drags you down. But then I met my husband online---and moved 1,000 miles away to have my dream life now. Sometimes you just know in your heart what is right for you--even when other's would NEVER do it in a million years. I've just given this whole thing to God...there are alot of tests and things yet to go....if I'm not supposed to do it, I'm just praying that He makes it impossible for me to do it. God is in control and I can rest assured in that.

I'm still existing in a sparkling effervesence of *APPROVED*....I tried to call my skinny mom and sister last night and they were both busy with different things, so I didn't have the lapband talk with them. And I'm glad I didn't last night....I was just TOO excited. My husband was depressed about something, so all my glee just kindof bounced off of him. But, I DID tell my daughter (she's 6) and it was prob'ly bad judgement b/c she will doubtless leak the word out to my ex (her dad) and prob'ly my skinny in-laws. But last night was worth it. We were both just jumping up and down celebrating, because "when I get skinny I can wear beautiful dresses again!!!" I can't tell you how many Sunday's when we're getting ready for church she has asked, "Mommy are you wearing a dress today? How bout that beautiful one in your closet???" But I always end up putting on the black pants and some dark colored top on. So here's... to wearing a flouncy, colorful, sundress with regular width platform high-heeled sandals... to wearing crisp white pants without wondering how bad it looks. to having sex again---really good sex without feeling self-conscious and wanting to cover myself up... to going golfing with my husband in a cute little golf-skort and sleevless top... to letting go of this feeling of defeat and shrowding...and really being ALIVE and VIBRANT in my life... to taking LOTS of pictures and never hiding from the camera again... to actually looking forward to the events at work and the weddings in the summer... to feeling attractive and confident again... to feeling "in control" of my self.... to getting to the point where life is more than food---dieting, dieting, dieting, losing, gaining, calories in, calories out, eating too much... to FREEDOM from "weight".

I'm still existing in a sparkling effervesence of *APPROVED*....I tried to call my skinny mom and sister last night and they were both busy with different things, so I didn't have the lapband talk with them. And I'm glad I didn't last night....I was just TOO excited. My husband was depressed about something, so all my glee just kindof bounced off of him. But, I DID tell my daughter (she's 6) and it was prob'ly bad judgement b/c she will doubtless leak the word out to my ex (her dad) and prob'ly my skinny in-laws. But last night was worth it. We were both just jumping up and down celebrating, because "when I get skinny I can wear beautiful dresses again!!!" I can't tell you how many Sunday's when we're getting ready for church she has asked, "Mommy are you wearing a dress today? How bout that beautiful one in your closet???" But I always end up putting on the black pants and some dark colored top on. So here's... to wearing a flouncy, colorful, sundress with regular width platform high-heeled sandals... to wearing crisp white pants without wondering how bad it looks. to having sex again---really good sex without feeling self-conscious and wanting to cover myself up... to going golfing with my husband in a cute little golf-skort and sleevless top... to letting go of this feeling of defeat and shrowding...and really being ALIVE and VIBRANT in my life... to taking LOTS of pictures and never hiding from the camera again... to actually looking forward to the events at work and the weddings in the summer... to feeling attractive and confident again... to feeling "in control" of my self.... to getting to the point where life is more than food---dieting, dieting, dieting, losing, gaining, calories in, calories out, eating too much... to FREEDOM from "weight".

I have been scouring all the sites and googling everything I can to find the WHY of the post op diet. I understand everything except the sugar free stuff. Why sugar free jello instead of regular jello? I'm not a big proponent of LOW-CARB diets, and think that sweeteners are prob'ly worse for us all in the long run than sugar....I understand we don't want all our calories from sugar and should limit sugar...but 400 calories a day would be HELL!!! I'm thinking in the back of my mind that I will come out of the other side (POST-OP diet) with a keen awareness of my own body healing, but also a balance of eating healthily. I can completely understand clear liquid diets until your tummy heals---but if you TOLERATE more then I'm not able to find a medical reason NOT to. I've looked at post-op for stomach cancer patients..etc. You and I are on the low BMI side, and I'm not sure about you, but for ME...I want to lose the weight gradually and healthily--not feeling emaciated and anorexic. MY BAND DATE IS JUNE 17TH!!! WOOOO-HOO!!!

There is NO font big enough to show how COMPLETELY excited I am right now!!!! WOW!!!!!! I only have 15 minutes to write, so I'll make this quick, but am beside myself with HOPE and crazy GLEE!!! I went to PCP this morning---and asked her about Lap-Band. She talked about the risks, the chance of having digestive problems, more risks...etc. I have NEVER had a doctor, look up my BMI and give me cause for concern. But today she did...and she gave me a scrip for BP meds. I was excited about that and called the insurance coordinator before I was even out the door to tell her that I've got ANOTHER comorbidity!!! WOO-HOO!!! And she said, that she already had tried to call me to say that the insurance came back APPROVED!!!!! I screamed on the phone! Poor lady, but she was fine with it. It is prob'ly one of the best jobs in the world to call and tell people that. So, now I tentatively put my date down as June 17th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY that THIS time I will be able to do this. To know that I won't blow all my good effort and excercise on a bad meal! These things are priceless and out of my realm of explaination!!! YES!!!!!! Tonight I call my skinny mother and skinny sister. I've told my two sisters who are also overweight and they completely understand. I don't want to put the burden on them to support this without my other sister and mom. But no way in hell will I tell my inlaws!!! But before I call, I'm going to get out my low-rider khaki GAP goal pants and hang them on the wall.

There is NO font big enough to show how COMPLETELY excited I am right now!!!! WOW!!!!!! I only have 15 minutes to write, so I'll make this quick, but am beside myself with HOPE and crazy GLEE!!! I went to PCP this morning---and asked her about Lap-Band. She talked about the risks, the chance of having digestive problems, more risks...etc. I have NEVER had a doctor, look up my BMI and give me cause for concern. But today she did...and she gave me a scrip for BP meds. I was excited about that and called the insurance coordinator before I was even out the door to tell her that I've got ANOTHER comorbidity!!! WOO-HOO!!! And she said, that she already had tried to call me to say that the insurance came back APPROVED!!!!! I screamed on the phone! Poor lady, but she was fine with it. It is prob'ly one of the best jobs in the world to call and tell people that. So, now I tentatively put my date down as June 17th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY that THIS time I will be able to do this. To know that I won't blow all my good effort and excercise on a bad meal! These things are priceless and out of my realm of explaination!!! YES!!!!!! Tonight I call my skinny mother and skinny sister. I've told my two sisters who are also overweight and they completely understand. I don't want to put the burden on them to support this without my other sister and mom. But no way in hell will I tell my inlaws!!! But before I call, I'm going to get out my low-rider khaki GAP goal pants and hang them on the wall.

I have Anthem BCBS COVA CARE thru the state of VA. That is EXACTLY what my insurance coordinator did for me. Took a detailed list of all the diets that I have tried and all the co-morbidities that I have and the dr. will sign off on the letter and she has already submitted it for approval. I am kinda panicked, b/c I fully expected to have to do everything everyone else on here has had to do. Six-month supervised diet...etc...etc. NOTICE I am STILL WAITING TO HEAR ANYTHING and going insane!!!

Ok....I'm Dying (!!) from not hearing from my insurance yet. I'm almost 100% that they will say a big DENIED!, because the nurse didn't send anything in with the letter she wrote to them explaining Hypertension (controlled by meds), High Cholesterol (controlled by meds) and Sleep Apnea, and the weight she put down for me. So, I KNOW they will be requiring more proof...SURELY---but this is ANTHEM BCBS COVACARE---the nurse acted like this was a "shoe in" insurance. SO MAYBE hope against hope that they would approve it, but in the back of my mind, I KNOW I"ll have to do more and prove more that I am worthy of the lapband. I"ve done a REALLY good job of bloating up this last ten pounds so fast and it's great to be able to eat whattever I want, but the looming FAMILY VACATION, my newphew on my skinny in-law side is having a dreaded pool-party for his bday. AND I want to have a baby before I'm 35!!!!! It would be absolutely PERFECT if they would approve me and I could get it done, skip bandster hell and go right to the sweet-spot, lose 50 pounds, then get pregnant and be down to goal a year after I have the baby. If they come back and say six months of weight-watchers or something....I'm not sure what to do! I think I'll go ahead and try to get the last weight-watcher's attempt a couple years ago ON PAPER, and then start it up again. The worst case is that they approve me and I can cancel it. But then I'll be stressing about what to put down there as eating. I really don't want to lose anything right now. I'm right on the wire!!

Ok....I'm Dying (!!) from not hearing from my insurance yet. I'm almost 100% that they will say a big DENIED!, because the nurse didn't send anything in with the letter she wrote to them explaining Hypertension (controlled by meds), High Cholesterol (controlled by meds) and Sleep Apnea, and the weight she put down for me. So, I KNOW they will be requiring more proof...SURELY---but this is ANTHEM BCBS COVACARE---the nurse acted like this was a "shoe in" insurance. SO MAYBE hope against hope that they would approve it, but in the back of my mind, I KNOW I"ll have to do more and prove more that I am worthy of the lapband. I"ve done a REALLY good job of bloating up this last ten pounds so fast and it's great to be able to eat whattever I want, but the looming FAMILY VACATION, my newphew on my skinny in-law side is having a dreaded pool-party for his bday. AND I want to have a baby before I'm 35!!!!! It would be absolutely PERFECT if they would approve me and I could get it done, skip bandster hell and go right to the sweet-spot, lose 50 pounds, then get pregnant and be down to goal a year after I have the baby. If they come back and say six months of weight-watchers or something....I'm not sure what to do! I think I'll go ahead and try to get the last weight-watcher's attempt a couple years ago ON PAPER, and then start it up again. The worst case is that they approve me and I can cancel it. But then I'll be stressing about what to put down there as eating. I really don't want to lose anything right now. I'm right on the wire!!

LOP!! Ten pounds is ten pounds! Celebrate it!

I have been dying laughing about the picture on the bottom!!!! I've been WONDERING how it is going!!! I know exactly about how it is having skinny In-Laws!!! And I can JUST hear what mine would say about having surgery. My MIL is hyperthyroid---so she orders appetizers to dessert everytime we go anywhere and always comments about her own "fatness"....she is MAYBE scraping 125. I'm telling you! Being queasy from the Swine Flu is your best excuse right now!! DON'T tell anyone! Stay strong!! :wink:)

Thanks SO much for all the detail!!! I'm reading every word! I know YOU will tell it like it is!! :wink:) Good luck with everything this week!! Do you feel any difference yet with restriction??

So, I had the consultation with Dr. Pinnar yesterday!! All went REALLY REALLY well. He thought I would be a "good candidate". I spoke with the insurance coordinator, as well, and she was so encouraging. She will be submitting to the insurance TODAY for approval. I am HOPING and PRAYING that everything goes well and gets approved!!!! I will be on pins and needles until I hear!! Half of me thinks that I will get denied and have to appeal---which I am getting myself informed about all of that right now. Dr. Pinnar says that this band isn't the "magic bullet" and that I will still have to be in the driver's seat in the car...it won't go anywhere unless I drive. But, with all my past failures under my belt---I know how I am. Exercise is never the issue with me--I LOVE to work out--if I can find a tool to counter appetite and assist in dietary control...then that is 90% of the battle for me. If this band does its' job, then I'm good for the rest! I ate dinner last night and was looking at my plate wondering---how much my meal would be different if I get the band. Then watched Biggest Loser last night and the girls put on their "goal" clothes and it was like a DING DING DING!!! bell going off in my mind about MY goal clothes that I have been debating throwing out for the past ten years. Those low-rider GAP khaki pants (size 6) that I LOVED to wear. I got this urge to ressurect them and hang on the closet door---but I can't get too obsessive compulsive about this stuff yet UNTIL I get approved!!! I was telling the Doctor about my past attempts...and it was kindof a wake-up call to me that I have really never had success in a healthy way...so doing this is a step in the right direction. Not taking ECA stacks that will cause me a stroke or something. I really really really really really hope the insurance approves this!!!!!!!!!!

So, I had the consultation with Dr. Pinnar yesterday!! All went REALLY REALLY well. He thought I would be a "good candidate". I spoke with the insurance coordinator, as well, and she was so encouraging. She will be submitting to the insurance TODAY for approval. I am HOPING and PRAYING that everything goes well and gets approved!!!! I will be on pins and needles until I hear!! Half of me thinks that I will get denied and have to appeal---which I am getting myself informed about all of that right now. Dr. Pinnar says that this band isn't the "magic bullet" and that I will still have to be in the driver's seat in the car...it won't go anywhere unless I drive. But, with all my past failures under my belt---I know how I am. Exercise is never the issue with me--I LOVE to work out--if I can find a tool to counter appetite and assist in dietary control...then that is 90% of the battle for me. If this band does its' job, then I'm good for the rest! I ate dinner last night and was looking at my plate wondering---how much my meal would be different if I get the band. Then watched Biggest Loser last night and the girls put on their "goal" clothes and it was like a DING DING DING!!! bell going off in my mind about MY goal clothes that I have been debating throwing out for the past ten years. Those low-rider GAP khaki pants (size 6) that I LOVED to wear. I got this urge to ressurect them and hang on the closet door---but I can't get too obsessive compulsive about this stuff yet UNTIL I get approved!!! I was telling the Doctor about my past attempts...and it was kindof a wake-up call to me that I have really never had success in a healthy way...so doing this is a step in the right direction. Not taking ECA stacks that will cause me a stroke or something. I really really really really really hope the insurance approves this!!!!!!!!!!