matilda01

Well, it's our last weekend before being banded! I am so excited. I hate the preop diet, of course, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel finally! I'll post again over the weekend. Do you have to do a bowel cleanout? i have to take magnesium citrate at 2:00 Sunday...yuck!

I think those 6 weeks are referred to as "bandster hell" because we probably won't have any restriction. I guess at first there is swelling which helps with restriction but after that goes down, we are pretty much on our own. I've lost 6 pounds since I started the liquids...so that's encouraging! How are you?

I'm hungry! My stomach is growling like crazy! Ugh....4 more days of this!

Nope, we don't allow smoking in our house. I don't think I've even been around anyone smoking lately. I work at a hospital, so no smoking allowed there. It must be a lab error. My doctor was confused, too. It said "positive" then the words "canceled due to duplicate." He said he didn't know what that meant, there wasn't another nicotine test in the results that would be the "duplicate." I see the surgeon Thurs. Guess i will find out then. I'm not going to worry about it cuz I know it's a false-positive. How are you doing? I bet you are just in a tiny stall & the weight will start going down again very soon! It can't do anything else, right? My gosh! You're only drinking milk! I started my liquid diet today, got tired of being tempted with food and just decided to start....so far so good!

Hi Fiona! You sound like you're doing really well. I know you're sick of milk, but the results are pretty amazing! I still haven't started my preop diet. I think I will start it tomorrow even though I don't have to until 3/17, but I've made some bad food choices that I feel I need an extra day. Oh, gosh! I had my appointment with my internist today so he could send the surgeon his statement that I'm fit for surgery. He reviewed the EKG, chest x-ray, and lab work from the hospital preadmission exam a few weeks ago. He said, "do you smoke?" Nope, I did when I was a teen but only for a few years and not since then. Well, my toxicology was positive for nicotine! What the heck? He thinks it's a lab mistake, but now I'm worried the surgeon won't believe that I don't smoke, and not smoking is one of his requirements. I wonder if he will have me take the test again?

Wow! Milk, milk and more milk for you. Six pounds! Fantastic!! How do you feel otherwise... any headache? Do you feel woozy or faint from lack of food? I don't start my preop diet until 3/17. Three Atkins shakes a day & only clears (Crystal Lite, etc). That's it until 3/22. It is really starting to seem real, especially when i think that in less than 2 weeks, I'll be having surgery. I only just told my best friends last week. I almost didn't even tell them, but I'm glad I did, because they've been great. How about you? Are you telling anybody/everybody?

Hi Robin,

I hope you are starting to find your way around LBT. How are you doing? I have my class tomorrow morning, then I have my final appointment with my regular doctor so he can give his ok for the surgery, one last appointment with the surgeon, start my 5-day liquid diet, and then surgery on 3/22! Wow...you will see....time flies! Soon you will be having your surgery!

I had an appointment with the dietitian back in Dec. I didn't really learn anything more than what I've picked up here on LBT and Youtube. Hope your class was more informative. I do have that 3-hour class on Thurs that I hope will be worthwhile. I've put off buying too many postop things (shakes, etc) until I learn exactly what the surgeon allows and what he doesn't. No need to waste money on something I really can't use. Tired like a toddler? I hope I don't fall asleep while at work!

Hi Fiona,

How's the preop diet going? Did you start the milk diet? I'm not sure if I've heard of the milk diet before....does that mean you only drink milk and nothing else?

Ouch! What a thing for a nurse to say! On your way home by 11:00....nice. You will get to sleep in your own bed. I have to stay overnight. I don't sleep well in new places, so I will probably be awake all night (unless I get some good pain medicine). Still doesn't seem real yet, but the days are quickly ticking by. Stay strong....you can do this!

Smart thinking to back the surgery up to spring break. I have a friend at work that is having a lap-band also. She just found out today that her surgery will be 3/30. That means, I will be taking the week of surgery off and possibly 3/29, but I really should be back on 3/30 if I can. The only other person in our office is pretty new, and it wouldn't be fair to leave her alone (yet). My job is very sedentary (I transcribe medical reports all day), so I think I'll be OK.

I've been reading the March forums and several March people have already had their surgery. Sounds like they've done very well! Gives me peace of mind to know that.

I had an EKG, blood work, chest x-ray, and physical. It's part of the hospital's requirement before any type of surgery. I don't think I will hear anything about the tests until I see my regular doctor on 3/15. The hospital is sending him all the results so he can give his final approval that I'm fit for surgery. I see the surgeon on 3/18 just to go over everything one last time....maybe they will take pictures then. I'm feeling a little better, coughing a bit less. Usually when I get a cold, the cough hangs on for a couple of weeks, so I'm going to do my best to get rid of it! Do you know what kind of tests you'll be having on Thurs?

I work at the hospital where I'm having my surgery. I'm definitely taking a week off but might take 3/29 and maybe 3/30 off if I'm not ready to go back. I can't even remember what the surgeon recommended, so maybe he will have a different idea about how long to take off. How many days are you taking off? I just had my preop testing done. Took about 2 hours to get the ekg, blood work, exam, chest x-ray. Hopefully, all the tests will come back ok. Next appointment is the 3-hour class in the surgeon's office. That's good that you went to the support group. My doctor really encouraged me to go. I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago and liked it. I think I will keep going (it's held once a month). How did the "owies" look? I'm not nervous yet....just want to get it over with now.....

I had my preop tests yesterday and everything went very smoothly. Hopefully, the results will all be good. My only problem now is a bit of a cold but the worst part is a nagging cough. If it doesn't go away soon, I will have to see my regular doctor to see if he'll prescribe something to make it go away. I don't want it to postpone my surgery. Good luck on Thurs, don't be nervous, you'll be fine!

Yes, I actually work at the hospital where I'm having my surgery. I'm definitely taking a week off but might take 3/29 and maybe 3/30 off if I'm not ready to go back. I can't even remember what the surgeon recommended, so maybe he will have a different idea about how long to take off. How many days are you taking off? I just had my preop testing done. Took about 2 hours to get the ekg, blood work, exam, chest x-ray. Hopefully, all the tests will come back ok. Next appointment is the 3-hour class in the surgeon's office. That's good that you went to the support group. My doctor really encouraged me to go. I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago and liked it. I think I will keep going (it's held once a month). How did the "owies" look? I'm not nervous yet....just want to get it over with now.....

Oh, the chins! I know where you're coming from. Double chins seem to run in my family. It was an issue for me even before I got heavy. You're picture is very nice! I don't see any chins.

Just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow, Soy!

Hi Laurel, How have you been this past week? I uploaded some before pictures finally. Ugh....I can't wait to get some "after" pictures. -Matilda

Hi Fiona, Just wanted to tell you that I uploaded some pictures finally. Ugh....I sure don't like to look at them. I can't wait to get some "after" pictures. -Matilda