tammyj

Hello - I'm 'Tootsiepop" and I'm new to this board. I've had my psych meeting and my dietician meeting and my appointment with my surgeon is set for 02/21/07. I'm thinking about the lapband surgery. My BMI is a bit low for surgery, but I have Type II diabetes, sleep apena, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis ...so I'm a good candidate for surgery. I'm hoping to have surgery in March or April - I think my insurance (BCBS-MN) will approve fairly quickly. I'm anxious to get on to a healthy lifestyle and get rid of some of my meds. Can you just imagine how high my prescriptions cost me every month! $$$$$$$ - lots! I look forward to getting good information from this message board and developing friendships with other 'banders. Wish me luck!

Welcome tootsiepop!!! You have come to the right place! There is so much information on this board! I will add you to our pending list. Let us know how your appt. goes. Good Luck!!! :biggrin1:

Good Morning March Bandsters and Welcome ebony868 and dec0578!!!!!! I will add you to our list!

dec0578, I don't know much about Protein Shakes yet. The most I've tried so far is High Protein Boost with only 15g of protein. Isopure from GNC is supposed to be good and has 30 or 40 grams of protein per serving. I've heard someone else suggest the whey Protein Powder. I've seen it at Walmart and it has 25g protein per serving. I think you can find it at GNC as well.

Tracy, Only 24 hrs of clear liquids! You are so lucky!!!

Welcome Wilma!!! I will add you to our list!

ThickChickTexas, Where have you been??? I added you to the list awhile ago! :biggrin1:

Here's hopin' I get an end of March date for surgery. I too am fitting it around my spring break...which begs the question, just how many of us are teachers??? LOL....well, hi all and glad to be apart of the March '07 class.

Welcome slikchik10!!! I will add you to our pending list. Good Luck to You!!!

My doctor said since my bmi is over 40 then I should do it. To shrink my liver. He says usually your liver will swell when a person is over that bmi. Thats why my husband DOESNT have to go on a diet because his bmi is at 37 . and yes he is going in for lap band too. he is diabetic and a like 50-75 lbs over weight.

That is great!!! What a support you will be to each other! I am worried about how I will handle food around my husband. We have always been big eaters! :hungry:

I start my liquid diet on the 28th! Tammy, I also noticed we are about the same height ( I am 5'8"-- barefoot if that makes any difference- it does according to some charts), so since I am just an inch shorter than you, I think it will be interesting to see if our weight loss it at a rate that is at all similar. Or if it is going to be completely different! I don't know what your body frame size is-- I have a large frame and I love it! You have to weight more with a large frame than you do with a small frame, you know. When people ask I tell them my goal weight is about 170- we'll see what happens. My true goal is actually size 12 LOL. Right now I weight about 283 and size 22/24.

I start my pre-op diet the next day on March 1st! Only 2 more weeks!!!:omg:

I am actually almost 5'10"...5' 9 3/4". I have been recorded at 5'10" at some of my past Dr's visits, so at my first visit with my surgeon I bent my knees a little to make sure I was measured at 5'9" and recorded at 5'9". That extra inch makes a big difference in BMI and I was trying to get approved! I think I have a small frame. My wrists and ankles are very small and they don't match my body at all. We definitely have a different body shape since you are 5'8", 283 and wear a 22/24. I can barely fit into 22/24 (pants) so I think I am more bottom heavy.

As far as clothes, since I am a yo-yo dieter I have clothes that range from a size 18 to the 26 that I am wearing now. I can't wait to throw them all away and get into those 12's! I have seen a few threads on clothes swapping. Flabuless has a website on clothes swapping, but I don't know if it's up and running yet.

Waiting.....and waiting..... AGAIN I had all of my appointments scheduled for today and AGAIN they were all cancelled due to bad weather. The county will probably be calling a snow emergency today because it's so bad out. BUT, I can only go to my appointments on Tuesday because of a certain lady in my office who is not willing to cover the office for me. In fact, I think she may be trying to sabotage my efforts. She is very obese herself, and from the first moment I mentioned WLS she has been very cruel and unflexible. Not all the time, only when it comes to my WLS. Anyway, now my appointments with the surgeon, dietician, and psych. are all scheduled for next Tuesday again so I will have to wait another week. So, unless the insurance approval is lightning fast and the doctor's schedule is wide open, I probably won't be banded in March.

I did find out something exciting over the weekend, though! I now know someone in my town that has a lapband! She's been banded a very short time and has lost 30 pounds already! Wow, I can't wait.

OH NO!!! I hope everything goes as planned next Tuesday. I have to be at the hospital every Tuesday for group support meetings and we are expecting a foot of snow here. I don't think I'm gonna make it this time...or rather I'm not even gonna try!!!

Good Morning Tracy!!! :biggrin1:

Good Morning All!!!

Kyethra, I'm glad I'm not alone. When do you start your pre-op diet?

chatgirl6, Is your husband being banded too? If so, that would so be so awesome!!!

hlayne, Going on a diet definitely won't hurt anything. Just think of it as a jump start on your weight loss and the less you would have to lose after surgery. I'm sure your Dr. won't object to you losing weight. The South Beach Diet sounds good since it goes along with the bandster way of eating. Just be glad you don't have to suffer through 2 weeks of liquids!!! :spit:

Welcome chatgirl6!!!

Am I the only one that has to do 2 full weeks of liquids before surgery?!?! :faint:

I noticed that some of you are going through some major pre-op testing. The only things my Dr. ordered are EKG and blood tests. I wonder if I should be asking for more testing??? I have a bit of concern that my Dr. has only done 60 lap band procedures - but he has also done over 800 RNY procedures laproscopically. I really don't have a choice as he's the nearest Dr. What type of experience do some of your Dr's have?

I'm doing a one week pre-op diet of high Protein liquids. That starts in 2 weeks! I'll be using low-carb slim fast and medifast. I like the variety of medifast - they have various Soups, puddings, fruit drinks, and hot drinks. Shouldn't make the liquid phase too terrible. Have any of you asked about diet pills during the liquid phase? I might - just in case.

I wouldn't worry about the pre-op testing. Pre-op testing probably varies from surgeon to surgeon just like the pre-op diet does. Also, some surgeons may order more testing for those with a history of medical problems. I don't have any co-morbities or any other medical problems, but I have to have several tests before surgery so I am assuming my surgeon makes all of his patients have the same testing done. My surgeon has asked me if I snore several times and I keep telling him no. I guess he doesn't believe me because I have to have a sleep study anyways.

My surgeon is fairly new at laproscopic banding as well...he started in April. When I attended the seminar in November he had performed 50 Lapband surgeries. That number has probably doubled now because the pre-op group support meetings I attend are packed and the post-op group that meets right after us are just as full (we are all his patients). I am very comfortable with him performing my surgery.

I am actually thinking about taking an appetite suppressant to get me through the pre-op diet and maybe even after surgery to help until I get proper restriction. I have been reluctant to ask my surgeon about this. I am afraid he might think I am a wimp. I am going to ask to make sure it won't hurt anything.

Hi cngenga,

I'll try to explain what a thread is. While reading posts (sounds like you've already been doing that) you can scroll to the top of the page and the name of the thread is in bold letters. For instance, the name of this thread is call March 2007 Bandsters. On the main page you will find tons of threads. The first post is from the person who starts the thread with a question or comment and the posts that follow are usually from those responding to the original post. I hope that makes sense.

As far as making appts, I'm not quite sure. I had my psych eval and appt w/ nutritionist after my initial visit. All of my appts were set up through my surgeon. I saw the psychologist right in the hospital, while some have to find a psychologist on their own. My process is little different from most so maybe someone else will be able to answer that question for you.

Good Luck to You!

Welcome hlayne, Mommakitty3, and vcarozzolo!!! I will add you to our list!

Sara, Glad to hear everything went well yesterday. April is not that far away! I keep thinking...my goodness, we're almost half-way through February already! Time is flying!

Glogirl,

Good Luck during your pre-op diet! I am really nervous about the pre-op diet and how I'm going to make it through it. I think you will be the first to start the liquid diet so please let us know how it's going. :gluck:

March Bandster Babes!

This is the list that I will be keeping up to date for us.. PM me if you want to be added or just post a message on the end of this thread....

HERE WE GO........... Current as of 02/16

CarolynB - 03/01

dec0578 - 03/01

hlayne - 03/02

Mommakitty3 - 03/02

wilma - 03/02

Sophie248 - 03/05

GloGirl - 03/05 @ 9:00 a.m.

Fur Ellie - 03/05

Magnolia - 03/05

ThickChickTexas - 03/05

HeatherPA - 03/07

Sugarbear - 03/07

bronnie70 - 03/09

Mommy202 - 03/12 in spirit:girl_hug:

Hotpink Bubbles 03/13

Kyethra - 03/14

TammyJ - 03/15

Machele - 03/16

WendyJ - 03/19

vcarozzolo - 03/19

ebony868 - 03/19

CrazyCran - 03/21

Mrs Husker - 03/21

lilnena - 03/21

chatgirl6 - 03/22

tootsiepop - pending

slikchik10 - pending

alaverde - pending

ClickerSister - pending

Reesh - pending for early March

Sara Mos - Bumped to early April

ginabobeana - pending

mdicurn - pending

Laurend - pending

SusaninKC - pending

TracyinKS - Bumped to April 26, 2007 (insurance approved 1/30!)

Well, since I'm the obsessive one that's on here every day I can keep track of the list. I'll post an updated list very soon.

Tracy, we need your encouragement and kind words here so you have to stick around!

Oh, Tracy!

I was hoping you would join us, but at least you got a date!!! :clap2:

Congratulations Mrs. Husker on getting a date, sounds like you've had a long road to travel. As far as the pre-op testing, so far I've had an EKG, echocardiagram, chest X-ray, and lab work. I still have to do a pulmonary function test on 2/26 and a sleep study on 3/6. Good Luck to You!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH it is now 3:16 and still NOTHING!

Tammy: I have my cell here as well... everytime I get up I strain my ears for my phone.... I've even been P'ing at lightening speed! LOL

I wish I knew if she was even IN today!

Don't they know we are at their mercy?!?! :hail:

Now it is noon.. should I dare go heat up my lunch? ?????

I changed my contact# at the hospital to my cell phone# because I had missed a few calls and then I ended up playing phone tag with the person who called. I kept my cell phone strapped to my side on vibrate at all times so I wouldn't miss any more calls...crazy huh?

Good Morning everyone! Any word yet Tracy? Looks like March 5th is the most popular date thus far.

Hi Wendy! Our March list is really growing...welcome aboard!

4 Weeks to go!!!

28 days!

Woo-Hoo!!!

:clap2: :high5: :dance: I've been counting down for about 12 weeks now...LOL!

Welcome FurEllie and keep us posted on your weight loss efforts! I'm just getting started and it's harder than I thought it was gonna be. I'm still thinking about all the foods I have to give up.Hi Kyethra, I hope you're keeping warm! The boots wouldn't have worked for me because they made me remove my shoes every time they weighed me.

Looking good girl!

I do have one concern. MO to my insurance company is a BMI of 40 or more. When I weighed at my PCP's office my BMI was 40.03 or something like that, which means if I lose a pound or two it would be under 40. When I weighed at home this morning I had lost 4 pounds. This is crazy, but I don't want to gain weight back to meet the requirement. But I guess I have to, at least until weigh-in at the surgeon's office, right?

Welcome Clickersister!

Truth be told, I kept my weight on to stay in the BMI 40 range. By mistake I gained a few pounds and crept up to a BMI of 41. I am a chronic yo-yo dieter. Under normal circumstances I would have started my traditional New Year's Resolution and probably would have lost 20 lbs by now, but I purposely kept the weight on so they would have no reason to deny me. Now that I'm approved, I am getting serious about getting some of this weight off. So as long as it's only a few pounds, I would gain them back if it were me, or wear layers of clothes, drink a ton of Water or wear ankle weights before your weigh-in...LOL! Also, could it be possible that your scale at home is different from your Dr.'s scale or have they always been consistent? Let us know how everything goes!

Good morning Tracy! I'm doing great! There was a snowstorm here in Chicago last night, but I still made it to the group support meeting at the hospital. It was not fun trying to get there, but I made it!

It has to be very nerve-wrecking waiting for a date. I hope they call today!!!:gluck: