umystifyme

CONGRATS!!! :wink2: I LOVED getting that phone call!! :biggrin: I'm psyched too!! You'll be successful! Please keep us updated! ~Amy

I'm trying to post a weight loss ticker as my signature but it won't let me save it. Can anyone walk me through it?? Step by Step?? Please?? Thank you!! :wink2:

It's really hard to think of only me right now. I have been given more responsibility at work and therefore, more hours. I am really scared to ask for time off. I feel like they will be mad at me if I ask for 1-2 weeks off. This is something I feel inside. It's difficult to explain. Basically, I'm experiencing a lot of anxiety regarding the idea of having to request time off of work. I have not requested the time off yet because of this overwhelming anxiety and because I don't want my managers to be mad at me. I'm going to request the time off next week. There are plenty of people to cover for me. I'm just don't want to upset anyone.

26 more days until I'm banded!! :sad: I'm really excited!! The only queasiness I feel is about asking for time off of work. I'm afraid to talk to the store manager and ask for a week to two weeks off. It's hard to explain, but I feel guilty about taking time off. Like Cheryl stated earlier, this is about me, right?

Hi Everyone~ Talked to the program coordinator at my surgeon's office this morning and I am scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, December 29th at 7:30 am!!!! 28 more days til I'm banded!! :tongue2:

Cheryl~ Thanks for such a lovely message. I needed to wake up and read that!! This is about ME!! I feel soo selfish for saying that. After reading your post, I feel reassured that it is okay to be thinking about ME and taking care of ME right now. For the past 6 months I have been dreading the day that I'd have to request off of work. Why, I don't know... just a fear.... But this is about ME!! Now my only fear is not having the surgery soon enough... I'm ready to go in today!! I want to have this before my insurance changes. That is my largest fear right now~ something going wrong and me not being able to have it done on the 29th. If that were to happen then I wouldn't be able to have the surgery in the foreseeable future. I really would like to have it on Dec 15th or Dec 22nd. My surgeon does not do a pre-op liquid diet. I'm really lucky that my surgeon is willing to move the surgery date up to Dec 29th because of the change in my insurance effective Jan 1st. For me, it's just cutting it a bit close. A real nail bitter!! Thanks Cheryl for all your encouraging words and support!! It means SO very much to me!!

Cheryl, It has definitely been one CRAZY, CRAZY rollercoaster ride!! I can't believe I'm going to actually be banded before the end of the year! NOW... my fear is hitting me... what if something happens... I HAVE to HAVE the surgery BEFORE the 31st of Dec. If not, my insurance will not cover it. I have put too much time, effort, and money into this process during the past nine months to have to start at the very beginning. I have to call my surgeon's office in the morning and stress the above and make certain that the 29th will be a definite go. My surgeon only does this procedure on Tuesday, so if anything were to happen I would miss this once in a life-time opportunity. I would feel more comfortable if it was scheduled for the 15th or 22nd. But I have to complete my education classes first. Deep Breaths... Deep Breaths.... I really need to speak with my program coordinator and push for an earlier date. And then sit back and relax!!

Well, I received a letter in the mail today and my insurance is changing as of Jan 1st!! Everything was very simple though. I called my surgeon's office and explained what was happening and now I'm scheduled for surgery on Dec 29th!! :frown::frown::smile: What a way to start a new year!!! I will be banded in less than a month!! WHOO HOO!!!!

Congratulations on being banded!!! Whoo Hoo!!! :confused: I would definitely love to keep in touch with you. I will have surgery on Jan 5th, so you will be 6 weeks ahead of me. But we can definitely still follow one another and support eachother. Feel free to PM me with updates. I will do the same. I will also be posting updates on here as my journey continues. Good luck to you!! And I look forward to getting to know you better!! Amy

GraciesMom, I am reading this a bit late but it is really great to see you on here just two days after surgery! Congrats on your recent banding!! I am SO happy for you!! You are in great spirits and have such a positive attitude. That's AWESOME!! Even though I am not banded YET, I personally feel like I have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. I have been blessed with many wonderful "gifts." The surgery is truly a gift... a life-altering one that will save my life. I have been nostalgic lately and realized that this holiday season has more meaning to me than previous ones. I'm positive that in the future, the holiday season will be marked by my continued celebration of the new life I have been blessed with.

happy thanksgiving!!

In a little over two weeks I start my education classes. I'm very excited. I wish I could've had the surgery BEFORE Christmas but I am happy that the time is flying by. Good luck to you too, Pixieinyourpocket!! It looks like we will be only two weeks apart. Keep me updated on the status of your surgery date.

I have AWESOME news!!! :biggrin: I talked to my surgeon's office and I have a surgery date of Jan 5th!! :biggrin: YAY!!! FINALLY, a light at the end of the tunnel!! Thank you for all of your support and encouragement and please continue to join me on this journey!! :biggrin:

Sue, Kuddos to you!!! That's AMAZING weight loss!! You should be very, very proud. And I totally agree that it is a great feeling to get rid of the old clothes and actually buy ones that fit. For me it was a rush just clearing my closet of clothes that were too big. Also, it has been better for my self-esteem to wear clothes that actually fit-- IMHO (that's my honest opinion Laura). Plus, it makes it a reality for me. This time there's no going back. In the past, I have held onto clothes, always saying, "Well, if I gain the weight back, I'll need them." Nope not this time. My closet was filled with clothes from size 7 to 24W. It's nice to wear jeans now and not wearing sweat pants all the time. I will be honest... I am not buying any new clothes right now b/c I don't know what my weight will be. I'm wearing clothes that I fit into a couple of years ago. Good luck to you Laura on finding the perfect fit of clothing! Sue~ WOW!! AWESOME!! Keep up the awesome work!! You are my inspiration!

I figure that I'll start the New Year off right-- a new year and a new me. It's really time to let go of this burden~ the weight, the guilt, the shame, all of these negative emotions. I need to start fresh and work on myself~ my self-esteem, self-worth, and positive emotions. This is an AWESOME time in my life and I want to embrace it all, experience it all. The fear and anxiety I was having a week ago is gone (for now, anyways). I am truly excited to begin this new chapter in my life. I am positive that I will be taking 2 weeks off of work b/c of the lifting restriction. It will be like a little vacation after the stress of the holidays.

Sue, I'm more relieved now that I know others had to take this class too. Actually, I'm looking forward to taking the class. I know I need it. Only thing is, I was a bit disappointed that the first class wasn't until December 11th. And that I have to go to a couple of classes and with the holidays, that means I have to wait until January for the surgery. But I've come this far so I will make it! Everything will work out. At least everything is in motion right now. I'm really excited about the class. It will be here before I know it. I'm hoping to schedule my surgery soon!

Whew!! Okay. I'm glad to know that this is not uncommon. I'm a bit confused to why I would still need these classes as I went to monthly 2 hour meetings for 8 months. I know that these were pre-op meetings/support groups, but we did learn how to eat nutritiously. Honestly, I was ready to go in next week after all these posts. I know these classes will be beneficial to me and that I'll need them. I just wish they started sooner! Especially with the holidays coming up. My clock isn't the same as God's clock though. ~~I wish we were going through this at the same time too. You will have to tell me every single detail. We'll only be a couple of months apart, so we can still be a great support team to one another!! It's still perfect timing. I need to really buckle down right now with the holidays coming. Yes, I have lost a good amount of weight but I don't want to gain any back. Thank you SO VERY MUCH for you support!!! You're AWESOME!!

Good Afternoon Everyone!! I saw my surgeon yesterday. This bit is a little strange to me as I have not seen or heard about it before. I have to attend education classes before he will perform the surgery. To say the least, I am disappointed. I wanted to be typing about my surgery date and instead, I am sitting here a bit dazed and confused, typing about these "education classes." The next classes don't start until Friday, December 11th. The classes are two hours long and I have to attend at least 3 before I can have the surgery. So it looks like I won't have the surgery until mid-Jan. I'm venting my anger, frustration, and disappointment right now. But deep down, I'm praying and doing everything possible to remain positive. It's out of my hands right now. He did tell me to try to lose some more weight to shrink my liver. So, I am going to start working out more and do whatever I can. Did anyone else have to attend education classes? BTW~ He said I will only be off of work for 1-2 weeks max. Which is AWESOME news. Just wish I could be delivering you guys more awesome news... like a surgery date...

Hi Sue, Thanks for the info. It definitely gives me a better idea of how long I'll be off. Since I am a cashier, I was calculating 10-14 days b/c of the lifting, movement, and bagging. I was a bit scared b/c one of the girls in my support group was off for over two months! She was having a lot of problems though. Thanks Sue!!

I'm wondering how long I will be off of work. I'm a cashier at a local grocery store. I'm hoping that I'll only be off for 2 weeks. Can anyone tell me how long they were off of work for?

Hi Cheryl, I am soo scared to ask for time off of work. Walt's isn't very appreciative of their employees. Isn't that horrible to say??!! I have been dreading the day... the day of having to ask the store manager for time off of work since I started this process. I have more anxiety about asking for time off of work than I do about the actual surgery! Also, the only people that know that I am having the surgery are family and close friends. No one at works knows. And how gossip is, I don't know how to tell my boss. My anxiety is high just typing this. You're right, Cheryl. Everything you said was right and you did not offend me in any way. In fact, you made me realize that I NEED to do this for ME. I have to think of me right now. I'm SOO grateful for all the prayers that have been sent my way through this message board. I have met soo many wonderful, strong women on this thread who have supported me through the most difficult time in my life. I have to continue moving forward NOW and take control of my life NOW. God has truly blessed me and I must not take it for granted. Everything has fallen into place right now for a reason. My surgeon has all my test results now for a reason. Thanks for the much needed kick in the butt!! Thank you everyone for the thoughts and prayers and being here for me. I am truly blessed. Thanks for pointing that out to me.

Hi Kate! Thank you soo much for responding. I totally understand why you had your surgery right after your insurance approval. Had I been in your shoes, I would have done the exact same thing. However, I don't have to meet any deductibles. (That might be a bad thing because it is letting me "put this off.") My surgery will be covered 100% (no co-pays-- nothing). That's one reason I'm in no "rush" to get it done before the end of the year. Also, this is the busy time at work and I'm getting a lot of hours. It's sad to say, but where I work, if you request time off, they will punish you in the end by not giving you enough hours when you return. With Christmas around the corner, I need the money. :biggrin: My insurance is great on one hand but horrible on the other. It does not cover doctor office visits at all. I have to pay for all my doctor office visits and consults 100%. As you know, we have a lot of those to get to this stage. So, I need to work to pay off doctor bills before I have the surgery. I admire your courage and conviction to have the surgery before the holiday season. I am positive that you will reach your goal weight by the time of your camping trip. Kate, you have attainable goals and you will achieve them. Thank you for helping to put my mind at ease. It is the fear of the unknown. And especially the fear of letting go of the food forever. I've done it for 9 months but this is it. Once this is done, there is no going back and I think that is what is frightening to me. But I don't want to go back... but back is comfortable in the sense that it is the only thing that I've known for the past 15 yrs or so. So, yes, Kate, you hit the nail on the head... I'm really scared of the unknown and losing my best friend... food. Thank you again for your honest reply. It helps to know that I'm not alone.

I have an appointment Tuesday morning with my surgeon. I should have a surgery date by tomorrow!! :tt2: I'm planning on the beginning of 2010, so that I can start the New Year off right. Everything is moving soo fast! I'm a bit flustered and scared, but excited too. Did any of you experience these mixed feelings? I'm thinking that maybe I'm putting it off until Jan 2010 because deep down, honestly, I'm scared. This should be the best time of my life. I've been thinking about this for 3 years. I've been going through the process for 9 months. You've all been through my journey from August to the present. A lot has been thrown my way but I stood my ground and fought for what I wanted. So, why am I shrinking back in fear now? I was expecting to be denied by my insurance company. But I wasn't. I did not know how long my pre-op testing would take. But it's done. I have thyroid problems. But it can be fixed. Now what's my problem?? :biggrin: I want this more than anything but I am scared. Did anyone else feel like this? And if you did, how did you cope? Thanks! Amy

Thank you soo much for putting my thoughts into words!! I totally relate to everything you said. I'm sorry to hear that you have to go the self-pay route. I'll see my surgeon hopefully this week or next week. That's when I'll make my final decision on whether or not I should stay with him or find another one. I've done research and he is a great surgeon and a great doctor. I have faith in him. I just didn't like his "attitude" regarding my weight loss. So, I'll see how the next visit goes.

Hi Everyone!! I have some great news. According to my Endo, I don't have cancer! YAY!! :cool2: He said I have a goiter which can be surgically removed or treated with radiation. So, once I get this taken care of, I can move forward with the lap band procedure!! :thumbup: