abbypoo

Ha ha ha, what is Versed?

Band75, I'm so sorry that you are going to be alone during the surgery. Please know that you have many friends here and we are with you in spirit. I also want you to know that there are many of us who haven't told others about their surgeries. My mom and boyfriend are the only ones who know about mine.

Congrats! Can't wait to hear that you're doing well.

LOL Karen. Who's going to make the congratulatory posts while you're gone?

Congrats! So glad to hear you're doing well. Keep us updated on your progress.

Congrats on becoming a bandster! Where did they make your incision? Is it by the belly button? I think the single incision thing is cool, but I am not worried about it because a couple scars will go blend in nicely with my stretch marks.. lol. Congrats again and hope you heal fast!

Former: Awwww... lol Kwright: You, me and LL67 all started our pre-op diets on the same day!

Good luck tomorrow Karen!

I hope you can sleep on your belly again soon! I've tried several times to try to sleep on my back, but to no avail! So I can imagine how much it stinks to not be able to.

Oh I feel the same! You are all some really amazing women, and I think we've formed our own little support groups here. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this website! So are you getting excited Karen? Only one more day!! Thanks for the congrats on the smoking. I think this surgery is a good way to force me to do it. My doctor told me I should quit because it slows down the healing process, so I'm def. not going to cheat. The bf has been really supportive and quit too, aww...

Just wanted to check in with every body. The pre-op diet is going good, but I really miss eating! I'm wondering if it's mental or physical at this point. Maybe a little of both. I like seeing the scale go down, and so far looking and feeling better has been all the motivation I need. Sucky for me I also recently quit smoking and I've got to deal with those cravings too, but I've been REALLY good. Hooray for a healthier me!

Every surgeon's pre-admission process is different, so if you're interested in someone who had a similar experience as you I'd do a search for your particular doctor. As far as the Lovenox goes my doctor has a similar policy for those who are traveling more than an hour after surgery. From what I've heard, it's pretty common for patients to get a shot of either Lovenox or Heparin before their surgery, and it just depends on the doctor whether they have to take it after surgery. The Lovenox is a blood thinner which helps prevents potentially fatal blood clots that could form after surgery. Also, if you are self-pay, you should know that the Lovenox shots cost about $600

Hey Crystal, I don't have the same doctor as you, but I'm about an hour and a half north of Chicago. I'm on day three of my pre-op diet, and so far so good. I have had cravings for food, but so far sugar-free gum, sugar-free popsicles and jello have saved the day. My diet is similar to yours (atkins shake breakfast and lunch dinner lean protein and veggies). Congrats on the loss of 16 lbs! I'm getting banded two days before you.

Thanks for the advice! I'm a belly sleeper and I was wondering how I was going to manage. I guess I'm just going to have to suffer, because there is no way I can sleep on my back. When I was 19 I had my tonsils taken out and even then after the anesthesia and liquid codeine I couldn't sleep on my back!

Noor, I have been thinking about having Lap Band for the last two years or so, but I didn't start researching it until earlier this year. I started researching it in April or May, and made the definite decision in June. I chose Dr. Webber as my surgeon for several reasons. The first was cost. As you know, Great Lakes Weight Loss is one of the more inexpensive places to get gastric band surgery in the country. However, I did a lot of research on the Great Lakes surgeons and came to the conclusion that Webber was the best. I have heard great things about him and am very comfortable with my decision. I also chose them because they are relatively (I use the term loosely) close to me at a six hour drive or less than an hour flight away. I think this is important in case there are complications. As far as how I learned about the nutritional aspect, once you schedule a surgery date a coordinator with GLWL will give you a very large packet of information that covers your diet in great detail. Also, it is my understand that after my surgery I will meet with the Nutritionist at the hospital to go over my diet. And to answer your question, the reason they require a pre-op diet is to shrink the liver to make the surgery easier. If you YouTube a gastric band surgery you will see why it is so important to make the liver as small as possible. The reason for the post-op diet is to allow your stomach to heal. They put in sutures that basically tie your stomach around the band, if you stretch out your stomach while they are still healing you could run into complications. I did not know that they would not perform the surgery if your BMI was over 45, I am assuming that this is either a new rule or that they make exceptions, because my packet has specific instructions for people with BMI's greater than 50. The best advice I can give you is to snoop around this website. There is a question and answer section that I found really informative. Thank you, I am very excited about the surgery and I will make sure I let you know how it goes.

Jason, losing nearly 100 pounds BEFORE getting the band is 100% proof that you will succeed! What does your wife say about all of this?

Jason, did you mean your liquid diet will be 5 days? I thought you were getting banded on the 20th? Congrats on the recent loss! A few more pounds and you will be in the 300's! I am so very happy for you and I hope that you continue with your success!

Hey Jen I'm down to 269... looks like you and me are at a race sister! Is your goal 150 too?

Today I am a lot more positive than I was yesterday. Somehow, I have lost six pounds since Saturday, but I've only been doing my pre-op diet for a day! I know I'm not dehydrated, so I'm halfway to my personal goal of ten pounds lost before surgery! Wasp sting on boob story: Somehow a wasp got into my house and then it decided to get into my bed... wtf right? Anyway, I must have rolled on it or something because it stung me on the boob and then on the hand... and then it died a tragic death!

So glad you made it through day one LL! You know what, I did too! By 4 pm it was beginning to be a struggle for me. I drank so much water and crystal light yesterday! Fortunately for me the boyfriend (being so clever and sweet as he is) brought home sugar-free popsicles and sugar-free gum. Both have carbs so I can't go crazy, but they really cheered me up and took away my hunger pangs. Anyway, just got to mention... yesterday I got stung on the boob by a wasp! Almost half of my boob is all swollen and itches really bad... needless to say, can't sleep.

When I get to 50 pounds lost I'm going to buy myself a pair of really nice boots! But I'll probably reward myself with clothing every time I go down a size or two when my wardrobe gets too baggy.

LL67, I had last suppers too! In fact, I think I've gained weight since I decided to get the surgery... talk about ridiculous! Here are the basic guidelines of my pre-op diet: No more than 800 calories a day Protein drink for Breakfast and lunch Small dinner of lean meat and veggies No caffeine, Pasta, potatoes or red meat So far I'm doing pretty good. I had my first drink a couple hours ago, and I'm already feeling hungry again. I drank a diet, caffeine-free soda, and that seemed to help. I felt the same way as you did last night! Fortunately I wasn't feeling that well so I didn't pig-out too much, though. I am feeling the hunger, so I'll be taking my own crystal light advice! Keep me updated with how you're doing. Stay strong!

ugust BANDits Group Goal for lost weigh period # 1: 200 lbs Name..................WK1........WK2.......WK3......WK4......WK5...... WK6......WK7......WK8......TOTAL formerfatchick....262 abbypoo............275

Don't be too scared! Anesthesiologists are very good at what they do, and I'm sure the ones who work with bariatric surgeons are even better. My only experience of going under was getting my tonsils out when I was 19... the anesthesia aspect was actually pretty fun! For about an hour after surgery I felt like a million dollars!

Hang in there! I started my pre-op diet today too, so maybe we can be support buddies. I am also really nervous about cheating, but I have to keep reminding myself of the bigger picture: looking slimmer and feeling better. TRY to stick with the diet... it's not only preparing you physically for the surgery, but also mentally. If you cheat now, what happens if you cheat post-op? If you can't help but feel preoccupied with food, try sipping on crystal light all day. That might be just enough to carry you thru. Good luck, and remember if you cheat, at least cheat on healthy foods and reasonable portions. Don't have an "all or nothing" mindset, just move on... trying to justify cheating on your diet or feeling overly guilty can both lead to more eating!