KarynA

Week 1 Tuesday, December 1: Melinco (tbd), RandaPanda, TheCutestFatty, terriamn, LALALUDE (tbd), great expectations (tbd), oceancity4me (tbd) Wednesday, December 2: garden-nut, yosemite, Su59, Bobbie0918, austrolatrishy, take charge time, michelleisaac Thursday, December 3: tbird1211, dmdsanchez, suzycooke, mommymya, sxygma130, Claudean, lapfish, homewith2, ganda Friday, December 4: kslessar, KarynA, cent, juke Week 2 Monday, December 7: lackey4, RadioGirl311, HappyMe2009, lpglarry Tuesday, December 8: Zanath, Veronda Wednesday, December 9: michelleintheoc, Irishbookworm, subpoptart, nursejojo, skinnybitch, Pam92 Thursday, December 10: msjoachin1 Friday, December 11: Ernieschick. mmh Week 3 Monday, December 14: j-mae, Drasan (tbd), ceecee3272 (tbd) Tuesday, December 15: voodoo, BigMomma, slmsister, TinaM, ididit35 (tbd), alilash (tbd) Wednesday, December 16 Thursday, December 17: librarychick, adagray, TracyW2 Friday, December 18: bren5500; policy34 Week 4 Monday, December 21: hunybear53. abbylamb Tuesday, December 22: illuminationlady, kimwash71112, NolaLola Wednesday, December 23: danielle.hurstcrose, Thursday, December 24 Friday, December 25 Week 5 Monday, December 28: alicia3138 Tuesday, December 29 Wednesday, December 30: TN girl21 Thursday, December 31

tbird - your post ("two weeks") made my stomach drop!... December's just a heartbeat away.

debduck - thank you so much for your wisdom! It helps all of us... A LOT. Please let us know if there are any other "can't live withouts" or "don't waste your money ons"... it's appreciated. Best of luck to you on your journey...

Omgosh, I love the list! I'll have to cross-check it against my own, but I was reading it, going "yep", "yep", "yep"... that's awesome thank you. *I don't know that protein heals so much as it staves off hunger and puts your body in a state of ketosis. We have not yet created a December social group that I'm aware of... I'll post an updated list later today... must go to work.

I don't really have pre-op diet. I was supposed to have my last pre-op appt. with my surgeon tomorrow (and assumed I'd find out what my pre-op diet would be then), but then it was rescheduled. The next time I'll meet with him will be two days before the surgery. When I asked his nurse about a pre-op diet, she said... "oh ya... just eat light during the week before surgery - Soups and salads." And that's it. Now... I trust my surgeon. He's done over 600 lapband surgeries (also at a center of excellence - Cedars Sinai in LA), all of his patients on this site love him... AND he has a band himself, which is a huge plus to me. So I guess I'll do what they tell me AND continue what I've been doing, which is starting the day with a Protein shake, having another for lunch, and then a reasonable dinner (on a small plate).

If you haven't already ready the thread '7 years, lost 120, got rebanded', I highly recommend it. It's inspirational....really. Here's a quote: "Once again - no matter what you are feeling, no matter how difficult it is to slow down your eating, or eating soft foods for a while, or going through the whole experience - it is worth every second. Whoever you are out there, I promise you that I would never trade going through life morbidly obese again. I have now undergone 2 surgeries just to keep this band on and doing what it does for me. I, too, am addicted to food. We all know what that means. We can't just push food away or stop eating when we are full. I am here to tell you that I'm no different than any of you. To one of you who asked, I'm 5'9. My legs aren't all smooth and beautiful, but it's nothing that good genes and panty hose can't camouflage. Who cares anyway when I can fit into a size 6? I was a 22 when I went in. So, if you are out there, and new at this, or are about to have it done, let no one stand in your way. Don't let anyone make you unsure or unsettled. IT IS WORTH IT. One day soon you will be posting "after" photos and smiling, as if it was the easiest thing you ever did. Think about the future and how you will look and feel. It's an investment of a lifetime."

Wow. Thank you SO much for your post. It came at just the right time. You are amazing!... truly an inspiration to us all!.

How exciting! Congratulations!.... what time is it scheduled for (I'll send positive energy your way)? It sounds like you're well-prepared so try not to worry about a thing. Everything will be great... As for the cravings, I'll let others chime-in there (I'm still pre-op). It will get better after you have the band. And right after the surgery, you won't feel like eating anything anyway (its what I understand) so just focus on that. Congrats again!

This is really exciting!... It feels more and more 'real' as friends and fellow bandsters start on pre-op diets and more and more people join the thread! I don't know how often you all want to see the updated list - is every 2 or 3 days okay, or would you like to see it more frequently (just let me know)? We're at about 54 people (as of this moment) with 22 bandsters in the first week alone. 6 people are waiting for their surgery dates to be confirmed - that I'm aware of (congrats tbird!) and, not counting the holiday - Christmas Eve and Christmas - December 16th, 29th, 30th and 31st are the only days that someone isn't scheduled for surgery. Wow, huh? Congratulations to everyone!

Do you have a three week pre-op diet?

Here's the latest and greatest 'December Bandsters 2009' list. Please let me know if there are any updates or corrections, or if I have inadvertently missed anyone. Week 1 Tuesday, December 1: Melinco (tbd), RandaPanda, TheCutestFatty, terriamn, LALALUDE (tbd) Wednesday, December 2: garden-nut, yosemite, Su59, Bobbie0918, austrolatrishy Thursday, December 3: tbird1211, dmdsanchez, suzycooke, mommymya, sxygma130, Claudean, lapfish Friday, December 4: kslessar, KarynA, cent Week 2 Monday, December 7: lackey4, RadioGirl311, skinnybitch, HappyMe2009 Tuesday, December 8: Zanath Wednesday, December 9: michelleintheoc, Irishbookworm, subpoptart Thursday, December 10: msjoachin1 Friday, December 11: Ernieschick Week 3 Monday, December 14: j-mae, Drasan (tbd), ceecee3272 (tbd) Tuesday, December 15: voodoo, BigMomma, slmsister, TinaM, ididit35 (tbd) Wednesday, December 16 Thursday, December 17: librarychick Friday, December 18: bren5500; policy34 Week 4 Monday, December 21: hunybear53. abbylamb, adagray (tbd) Tuesday, December 22: illuminationlady (tbd) Wednesday, December 23: danielle.hurstcrose, alilash (tbd) Thursday, December 24 Friday, December 25 Week 5 Monday, December 28: alicia3138 Tuesday, December 29 Wednesday, December 30 Thursday, December 31

I'm keeping a binder with all of the great information (recipes, etc.) that I've happened across on this board. I have a 'clear liquids' grocery list of things to buy (some of which, I've purchased), and a 'pureed' list of things to buy - I'll wait to get those items. I've tried a few/handful of different protein shakes - dry and premade. I've found that I don't like most; they taste like infant formulas smell. But I have stocked my frig with a few that I liked a lot - Special K (milk chocolate), Boost (chocolate) and Isopure (punch). My appt. with my surgeon is on Thursday, so if he requires that I use a specific (bariatric) variety, I guess I'll find out then. I've been reading a lot of posts and blogs - thebanded girl's, yosemites, etc.. Yosemite has a youtube link to a lb surgery and the names/critiques of two lb books on her blogsite. Good stuff. All in all, I still have a bunch of things to BUY (sippy cups, liquid tylenol, more gas-x strips, toddler silverware); and PACK (a 'surgery day' bag with chapstick, fuzzy socks, comfy sweats, headband/barrette, gas-x strips, small pillow, reading glasses/book); and READ (the LB book recommended by Illumination Lady a couple pages back and another one called "Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery", also mentioned on the board). I also should take my measurements and 'before' photos. Lots to do - it's a good thing I still have some time!

So... I've decided to keep the fact that I'm having LB surgery to myself - for the most part anyway. Knowing that I'll need to consume at least 64 ozs of liquid a day (post op), and knowing that sippy cups are great because with straws you tend to drink too fast and/or swallow air, which causes gas (see? I read! :biggrin:, how do I not call attention to mysellf as I work in my office... drinking out of a toddler's cup? Maybe I'll keep a 'mock grown-up cup' out on my desk and keep the sippy cup concealed.

I've seen Bariatric Fusion mentioned a few times on the threads here, so I'm thinking that's a safe bet - health-wise. But they're not too good, huh? I've also seen posts about people taking regular (non-bariatric) gummy vitamins, which sounds good. Last week, I went to Whole Foods and bought a mango-flavored liquid multi-vitamin after reading a post from someone who couldn't swallow their vitamins after their surgery. Of course, it occurred to me ($32 later) that vitamins can always be crushed and mixed into protein drinks or applesauce. *There's also a liquid vitamin called Vemma that I wanted to look into. I'll let you know how the mango stuff turns out. Somethng tells me it's gonna be nasty-tasting and hard to swallow.

You know, I just assumed it was a standard test - ?... NO? Maybe it's just standard for my surgeon. If I've learned anything from reading these posts, it's that no two surgeons are exactly alike. Has anyone else had this done? It was a much bigger deal than I had originally thought it would be on the one hand... and a much smaller deal all in all (quick, painless) on the other. So don't worry alilash! If you're procedure is the same as mine, trust me when I tell you, it was a piece of cake. The thing is... I'm pretty sure the tube went down my mouth - they sprayed a cherry furniture polish-tasting numbing agent into my mouth that I had to swish around and swallow and then they gave me the anesthesia (not a general, but something called 'MAC' - monitored). It felt like I had a few shots of tequila.. and I know I was talking up a storm... like I would if I had a few shots of tequila... then it must have hit me. The next thing I knew, it was 7 minutes later and I was waking-up in recovery. I got to have water (finally!), some souvenir pictures of the inside of my throat and stomach (kinda cool and kinda gross at the same time), and as soon as I felt completely awake, we were on our way to dinner. Arrival time: 3:15. Departure time 4:30. Oh ya!.. and they biopsied my throat tissue. They said they did anyway - I didn't feel any different and I didn't cough up blood like they said I might. Thank you for all for your positive energy and support. It means a lot.

Way to go, Claudean! I knew you could do it!

My husband drove me to my EGD appt. yesterday... in my car. When he got in, he noticed three-packs of unopened gum in the door console, in the center console and, when I opened the glove compartment, more fell out onto the floor. He said, "omg, what'd you do rob a 7-11 of all their gum?" So ya, I understand about the chewing... whatever it takes, right? At least it's all sugarless. About the appt., it was at the surgi-center where my surgery is scheduled (on 12/4). I didn't really understand WHY I needed a ride there (and back) if all they were going to do was put a tube down my throat to check for ulcers (and such). Ha! Silly me! Do you know that they put you out for that?... It's really brief, but wow... I had an I.V., oxygen, a hospital gown, a bp cuff... and then I was wheeled into an OR where I was anesthetized. It was as if I was having the LB procedure that day. I had no idea. The good news is... there are no problems. My throat and stomach are fine and good to go. And the best part is, I really liked the place, the nurses and the office staff. It was clean and organized. I felt cared for. It's a good sign, I think. K

The December list continues to grow! Hello and welcome to everyone. I decided to post this now because I have my "edg" (or egd) later today and will be away from the computer. *Illuminationlady - try and take deep breaths in to fill-up your lungs and then slowly release... do that over and over until the urge passes. I find that helps a little. Also, lots of gum! Hang in there! Week 1 Tuesday, December 1: Melinco (tbd), RandaPanda, TheCutestFatty, terriamn Wednesday, December 2: garden-nut, yosemite Thursday, December 3: tbird1211, dmdsanchez, suzycooke, mommymya, sxygma130, Claudean Friday, December 4: kslessar, KarynA, cent Week 2 Monday, December 7: lackey4, RadioGirl311, skinnybitch, HappyMe2009 Tuesday, December 8: Zanath Wednesday, December 9: michelleintheoc, Irishbookworm Thursday, December 10: msjoachin1 Friday, December 11: Ernieschick Week 3 Monday, December 14: j-mae, Drasan (tbd), ceecee3272 (tbd) Tuesday, December 15: voodoo, BigMomma Wednesday, December 16 Thursday, December 17: librarychick Friday, December 18: bren5500; policy34 Week 4 Monday, December 21: hunybear53. abbylamb, adagray (tbd) Tuesday, December 22: illuminationlady Wednesday, December 23: danielle.hurstcrose Thursday, December 24 Friday, December 25 Week 5 Monday, December 28: alicia3138 Tuesday, December 29 Wednesday, December 30 Thursday, December 31

LOL! I saw the title and had to read the thread. I'm sorry you can't wear your perfume anymore!... but it IS pretty darn funny! Good for you for sticking with the program - no matter the cost!

Welcome to danielle and Irishbookworm and anyone else who has found this thread! I've added you both to the list, but think I'll wait a day or two to post it again. I think it's safe to say that we're all excited (and maybe a little bit nervous) about the surgery and life with the band. There's a lot to know... and a lot ot take in. But there's a bunch of information here. Have you guys been reading some of the other boards? The November bandsters are, one at a time, getting banded and seem to be getting through the surgery just fine. Some have gas, others have pain near the port. But everyone is okay and seems happy with the decision - that's been my observation anyway. I'm excited for them... and us. I have my endoscopy on Friday, so I'll let you know how that goes (it doesn't sound fun).

Hi Chele, My doc told me that if he did the surgery on a Friday, I could go back to work (computer) on Monday. I think that's pretty darn optimistic, so I'm taking the advice of others here on the board and taking a few days off. I like what thebandedgirl did and will probably follow suit. I really don't think you'll need to apply for disability (is that what that meant?)... unless you have a labor-intensive job. The Lap-Band website says 2 - 3 weeks for people who do labor-intensive work and one week for everyone else. If you can afford to take a few days to relax and I'd heal, I'd do that. As for what to tell the people at work... I'm struggling with that myself. It's such a private thing and I'm not real close with every single person here (that's for sure). I have back problems that come and go,k so I'm thinking about blaming it on that. It also crossed my mind to tell a big fat lie, like 'I'm having female problems' (that oughta quiet the men), or 'I had a hernia removed'... or 'I think I might have gallstones'. Do men who get (ahem) 'snipped' feel obligated tell the whole office? Not usually... Personally, I don't think the whole truth is necessary, unless you feel like sharing it.

Sending warm wishes and positive thoughts your way. Feel better.

Hi Happy, Welcome and congrats on your approval! That's awesome. I'm not feeling the love for Aetna right now. I was denied by them too. And the surgeon's office I was going to said that an appeal would be pointless because I have documentation that shows my BMI was under 40 (for like five minutes) during the past two years. Two surgeon's offices sad that actually. I was so discouraged, that I just decided to pay for it myself (financed). So I was wondering... did YOU file the appeal or did your surgeon's office? I'm thinking about sending my own appeal, complete with all the fat photos I can find (there aren't many - I usually destroy them). Heck!, maybe I'll even make a video like you do when you apply to be on Survivor! They can only say no again, right?

Congratulations! That's wonderful news. And just in the nic of time!

Parrothead - thank you for that very thoughtful answer. It makes sense to me now... and I'll adjust.