Diva Girl

First of all, good luck to you August 15 bandsters. We'll all be thinking of you tomorrow. :kiss2: And wish me luck, too. I'm being banded on Wednesday, August 16. I went today for my pre-op with doc and had the big weigh in. He had previously warned me that if I didn't lose the full 5% (13 pounds), he'd absolutely and positively cancel the surgery. Well, I lost 17!. Whew. What a relief. I've done liquids for over two weeks and have a clear liquid day tomorrow and probably a day or two after surgery and then full liquids for another four weeks. (He's a very conservative doctor.) I'm excited for all of us!

"Oh what tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive......" I too was (am) determined to keep this surgery to myself. I'm being banded on Wednesday (!!!!) and wanted to tell just a few people, not the whole world. So I took advice I got here decided to tell people I was getting a hiatal hernia repaired. WELL....the first person I had to tell exclaimed "Oh, I had that surgery! Which side are you getting done?" OMG....I almost had a heart attack on the spot. Which SIDE?!? I'm not a good liar....my face turned red and I hemmed and hawed and finally came out with something. She wanted to know EVERYTHING. I told her as much as I could without being totally stupid. The next time I saw her she pulled me aside and told me she'd be praying for me. Oh, heavens.....I felt just horrible. But now I'm stuck with the story and even though I didn't handle it well - I am still glad I didn't tell her about the lap band surgery. Like many others here, I'm not comfortable sharing that information and want no one looking at me and monitoring the speed of my weight loss - something people tend to do when you get a procedure like this. What if I am a slow loser - a good possibility - I just don't want the added pressure. SO...my advice is that if you come up with another substitute surgery, have one in mind, google it, read up on it and know which side you're having it on, lol. Gotta run!

Hi guys... Well, I'm on day 14 on full liquids (creamy Soups, Protein shakes, etc.) and I'm here to tell you that you can do it. It'll be hard at first but YOU CAN DO IT. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

Hi all... I just wanted to update you. I have my final meeting with surgeon on Monday (and weigh-in!!! Yikes) and then get banded first thing Wednesday morning. I'm getting nervous but looking forward to the results. I think I've lost 14 pounds, so I'm feeling thinner already. We'll seeeeeeee........ Wish me luck!

Hi August Bansters... One week from today I'll be "sleeping it off" in the hospital. Banded at last. Yay!:clap2: I just love all your posts and am happy to know what to expect post-banding. I'd be scared to death to eat a peanut after a week but I'm a chicken at heart. I'm glad it worked for you and I fondly look forward to the day that I can do that. I was craving a tuna salad sandwich in the worst way today and you know what DH did? He made tuna soup! I swear. Doesn 't it sound horrible? Well....it was marvelous. Absolutely great. He made it with Tuna, non fat yogurt, scallions and some of his amazing touches that seem to turn regular food into sublime food. He chilled it and served it in a cold mug and I swore I was having my sandwich. Now....let's see if he can make pizza, chicken wing, fried chicken, steak and fries and chocolate chip cookie soup.. Hmmmmmmm. Ok...off to make dinner for DH and pal.

Welcome Home Texas! Congratulations on getting through the banding. Whew. I'm getting banded in a week and I'm getting nervous...but in a "I'm going on American Idol" kind of way, not "I have to speak at a convention and I haven't written my speech yet" kind of way. I'm excited and I feel prepared and ready for it. Thanks for sharing. Every August bander I hear that did well makes me feel better and better.

That's so funny, white rabbit.....I just did the same thing. I started reading all the complications people are having and decided to keep thinking positive. It is very scary, though. Getting banded in 10 days and getting nervous, I guess.

Hi Diva, From one Diva to another I thank you. I'm being banded in 10 days and any and all hints are SO appreciated. I would have never thought about the bra thing and will ask Dr. at pre-op appointment. Congrats to you, too, Paulax for your amazing weight loss!

Hi Marie, Please check with your nutritionist about the Protein amount. Like most others here, I was told 65-70 grams of protein a day. Some protein powders have way more than others. The shakes (Slim Fast, Carnation, etc.) are great but usually only have 10-15 grams in them. If you add a scoop of protein powder to them, you'll be getting half your protein in one drink. DH made me some black bean soup (recipe on food thread) and added garbanzo Beans which are incredibly high in protein. One cup of it is fattening (316 cals) but incredibly filling and LOADED with protein. I think it's not food you're craving....it's nutrition. Hang in there.

It's strict, all right. Ill be one week Clear liquids after banding, 3 additional weeks of "full liquids" then mushies then "real" food. It's so far off I try not to even think about it. I've been on full liquids for almost a week and thought I was doing well. The idea of clear liquids for a month is pretty grim. You'll probably never want to see another drop of chicken broth as long as you live! I think you've got to throw your trust into your doctor. He knows your body and history and must have a reason for a month of clear. Maybe he's used to patients who are non-compliant, and just assumes you will be too, so gives you a super strict regimen. You might want to talk to him about it and ask him if he got you confused with a GB patient, lol. Good luck to you!

Hi Dee...... I had 3 consults with the nutritionist before surgery (which will take place in two weeks exactly! Yay). I have a whole raft of them scheduled after surgery, too. You can get a lot of nutritional advice here on this forum, too. My doctor required that I lose 5% of my body weight as someone said above, for liver size reduction. I lost about 7 lbs. on my own and started panicing, which caused me to start eating my head off. I decided that the best thing for me would be to go on "full liquids" (smoothies, slim fast, creamed or strained Soups - you can read more about that on the food threads here) for even more than the required two weeks prior to surgery. It's not that difficult and I've already lost another four pounds and it's only been 3 days. I'm not worried about losing the rest at all. As for all the insurance hoop jumping, my insurance was a no-go..... I am self-pay, so I can't help you there. Good luck with it all! There's a lot of info on this site, so keep lurking.

Jack....wise words indeed. So wise, in fact....and an "ah ha" moment for me too....that I printed it out and will post it somewhere. Thanks for sharing that. I'm being banded in about two weeks and thought maybe the miracle of "fullness" would occur in my life. No such luck, eh? I love the idea of satiety, though. It's a mind thing not a body thing. I saw this on my nutritonist's desk. "Three bites. The first for taste. The second to make sure the first one was as good as you thought. The third of satiety."

Wooooo Hoooo! I loved your NSV's.....Not that I exactly know what that means....Non ___________ Victories? They inspired me. Especially the one about being able to cross your legs. That will be a BIG deal for me on the day it happens. It's been years since I've been able to do that. Happy Anniversary, Mandy!

You know what? People will probably not even notice how little you eat. Just push your food around and chat away. All the above ideas are great, too. I went out to lunch this week with friends(I'm pre-op and now on liquids - but I wanted to practice) and I ordered a small salad and a one crabcake appetizer. No one fainted or showed even the slightest interest in what I was doing! Imagine that.

Hello all your August Bandsters! Good luck to those of you who had surgery today....may your recovery be painless and smooth. Really good luck to those of you who have surgery tomorrow. I imagine you'll be pacing the floor tonight. Take heart...all will be well. We're all with you. I'm on the second day of "full liquids" (only pourable foods) and doing better than I thought. The best thing our nutritionist from the hospital told me was to never let myself get hungry. So as soon as I feel the hunger pangs, I get a shake or broth or something to fill the gap. So far, so good. My husband made me the BEST chicken soup tonight. The fact that I'm starving probably has something to do with it, lol. Losin' It....I'd always advise you to go with what your doctor said. Take care!

Which is why I'm not telling anyone but my closest and most trusted friends. I get banded 8/16 and 5 people know. When I decided to have this surgery I asked around this forum whether people told or didn't tell others about their surgery. It ran about 5 to 1, against telling. And what happened to you Sammeee is the main reason people gave for not telling. Mean spirited people who want to rain on your parade. Ignore ignorant people. They're clearly jealous of your success.

"I am still going to vegas next week for the buffet's LOL as my "AST MEAL" . Hopefully not, Gotglock. Although the way I've been eating, I'm sure that's where all my last meals ended up! That's all over now. I started my two week full liquid thing today and I'm pretty miserable right now. It's 6:30 and I don't have a glass of wine or a spatula in my hand. What am I to DO?!? Ok....rant over. Wish me luck.

Hi Everyone.... Thanks for all your input. I don't know what NG stands for either but I was told by my surgeon this morning to put "CAUTION / NG Tube" on the bracelet, along with Lap-Band Surgery and the Dr's Name and phone #. I went to this web site and ordered my bracelet. It combines style with that unmistakeable red insignia. www.laurenshope.com. They're costly - about $70-$80 once you get all your info on the tag. But my doctor insists on it and from what I've heard here, it sounds like a good thing. P.S. James....I think I love you:)

Hi Everyone.... I'm getting banded 8/16 and I'm starting my mandatory two weeks of full liquids tomorrow. They're allowing us watered down creamy soups with protein powder, slim fast, of course, broth....watered down grits or cream of wheat....anything that's pourable. So tonight it's Frrrriiiiiiiiiied Chicken! WoooHoooo.

Hi again..... I just searched the whole site and found some great input on this subject and the general feeling is that we definitely should wear one after surgery. If anyone is interested, I'll give you the links to a few places on line where you can get some cute ones. However, I'm still confused as to exactly what the bracelet should say. Any input would be appreciated.

Hi Vince, 17 pounds in one week is pretty amazing, that's for sure. Are you getting the recommended amount of Protein p/day? (65-70 grams?). Are you getting an appropriate amount of calories? As far as the spasms go, I'd definitely talk to your surgeon and/or support staff at hospital. It can be caused by gas but can also be an indication of something else....No need for alarm but better safe than sorry, right? I'd call tomorrow. Good luck and let us know how you're doing.

Hi Everyone.... It seems that a medic alert bracelet for banding is a good idea. Have you all gotten one? What does it say?

Hi everyone....I had to come back to this thread and re-read it. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all your comments. It has really helped me with my decision about who to tell, what to tell, when to tell, how much to tell...well, you get the picture. Thanks and thanks again,

Me too, Me too! I'm having surgery August 16 and suddenly in the last two days I can't stop eating! I had my pre-op nutriton consult on Wednesday and had lost 7 pounds. (I need to lose 13 before surgery or "no go" ). I must have gotten over-confident when the nutritionist said that I'd have no problem losing the rest in the two weeks liquid diet prior to surgery. That's all I needed to hear - I've been an eating machine ever since. It's made me quite despondent. I'm scared to death now that I've gained all the weight back and that they won't let me have the surgery. Isn't that silly? I think I came to this board just in time to pull myself up. Whoa Nellie!

You all are just great. I can't tell you how this has been weighing (why does that word keep coming up?) on my mind. That, in and of itself, should tell me something. At any rate, if I were younger, if I hadn't tried to lose weight and failed publicly so many times, I think I'd tell the world. But all your experiences are vastly different and my inclination at this moment is not to tell unless someone comes up to me, looks me in the eye and says...."ok....spill the Beans, kiddo". For the six weeks I'm on liquid, I'll let people think I'm on a "doctor directed liquid diet". Clearly I'm overweight (nice way of putting it, don't you think?), so that will be fine for them. As time progresses and I'm back to regular foods, I'm sure people won't even notice that I'm not eating everything on the table, as usual. People are amazing that way. You think they notice everything and actually, they see very little of what you're doing. It was only the six to eight weeks of liquid and mush that I was worrying about. We have MANY visitors coming to visit my entire pre-op time. This means nights out, dinners at home, blah blah blah (I told you we were social)...so this means I have to fess up to being on a liquid diet, for sure. I can do this. Thank you thank you thank you and keep the opinions coming. I love to hear your telling experiences.