KIKOman

My support system is wonderful. I have the full support of my parents and siblings. I even brought my parents to one of my consultations, because they want to know more about the operation. My siblings are excited to see the new me. =) Including my best buddy, they're the only ones who know about the operation. I'm not gonna go out and tell everyone that I am getting a lapband, because for sure there will be someone who will ask me why I took the easy road......a shortcut.....when I can just exercise and diet. I simply don't need that type of negativity around me. I won't lie about the operation though. If they ask me about it, i will tell them, as long as they are willing to sit down and let me tell them my story.

I love your post krstjump03! I never want to be rejected in a roller coaster ride again. Actually, i haven't been to a roller coaster in my life, so that's one of the first things I want to do. =) We have the same operation date - Jan 11, 2010, and I am very excited with my operation. I'm now doing my pre-op diet to shrink my liver a bit to make the operation easy for the doctor. Doing the pre-op diet during the christmas season is HARD, but Jan. 11 is almost there, so no worries!! =) This morning, I just had a battery of tests in the hospital (bloodwork, chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, EKG, etc), as part of my pre-op requirements. Hope everything turns out fine. How are you guys doing? Anyone here on their pre-op diet already? How are you holding up?

I started my pre-op diet last Dec. 15, 2009. It is a 1200 calorie/day balanced diet + 1 serving of Glucerna shake before every meal. The diet itself is not that bad, but yes, the servings are very small compared to what I was eating before. CHEW YOUR FOOD The one thing I learned to do lately was how to eat slowly and how to chew your food properly. I always follow this rule of thumb: if you can still determine what kind of food is in your mouth by texture alone (not taste), you haven't chewed it enough. Now, it takes me longer to eat my food, and yet I'm still enjoying every bite. GLUCERNA SHAKES My doctor suggested also for me to take 1 serving of Glucerna Shake before every meal. I am enjoying this part!! I love the taste of Glucerna, and I'm having a blast concocting different kinds of shakes. It's like I have my own Jamba Juice shop. After 3 days of doing this, guess what, I lost 2 lbs already!

I started my pre-op diet last Dec. 15, 2009. It is a 1200 calorie/day balanced diet + 1 serving of Glucerna shake before every meal. The diet itself is not that bad, but yes, the servings are very small compared to what I was eating before. CHEW YOUR FOOD The one thing I learned to do lately was how to eat slowly and how to chew your food properly. I always follow this rule of thumb: if you can still determine what kind of food is in your mouth by texture alone (not taste), you haven't chewed it enough. Now, it takes me longer to eat my food, and yet I'm still enjoying every bite. GLUCERNA SHAKES My doctor suggested also for me to take 1 serving of Glucerna Shake before every meal. I am enjoying this part!! I love the taste of Glucerna, and I'm having a blast concocting different kinds of shakes. It's like I have my own Jamba Juice shop. After 3 days of doing this, guess what, I lost 2 lbs already!

My doctor suggested that I do a Pre-Op diet 2 weeks before the operation. This diet will shrink my liver if I understand correctly, making it easier for them to put the lap-band®. He gave me a sample meal plan for a 1200 calorie a day diet, and I would have to take 1 serving of Glucerna before every meal. He suggested I start 2 weeks before operation, but that it would be better If I start earlier. So hence I decided to start almost a month before operation - Dec. 15. I was also instructed to do a series of tests - Blood Work, Ultrasound, ECG, etc. I will start these tests on the 21st of December. And lastly, he said there is a mandatory PSYCH Evaluation. Actually, this is what's scaring me, because I don't know what to expect. I haven't been to a Psych Clinic yet. When I hear the word Psych, I think of "crazy". HAHAHA! Oh well, I think it's just a way to check if I am mentally and emotionally ready for this operation.

My doctor suggested that I do a Pre-Op diet 2 weeks before the operation. This diet will shrink my liver if I understand correctly, making it easier for them to put the lap-band®. He gave me a sample meal plan for a 1200 calorie a day diet, and I would have to take 1 serving of Glucerna before every meal. He suggested I start 2 weeks before operation, but that it would be better If I start earlier. So hence I decided to start almost a month before operation - Dec. 15. I was also instructed to do a series of tests - Blood Work, Ultrasound, ECG, etc. I will start these tests on the 21st of December. And lastly, he said there is a mandatory PSYCH Evaluation. Actually, this is what's scaring me, because I don't know what to expect. I haven't been to a Psych Clinic yet. When I hear the word Psych, I think of "crazy". HAHAHA! Oh well, I think it's just a way to check if I am mentally and emotionally ready for this operation.

NOV. 25, 2009 During my regular doctor's checkup, it was suggested by my doctor for me to consider getting a gastric bypass or LAP-BAND Surgery. Having studied all options, I finally considered getting the Lap-Band. NOV. 26, 2009 - My Lap-Band Info Session Just had my first meeting with the Head of Obesity Solutions of BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER in Makati, Philippines - Mr. Bom Chan. I was presented with everything that is to know about the procedure. Then the time came, I was told that I would be weighing myself on their big scale. My eyes almost popped when I saw my current weight - 470 lbs!! Geez! I think that sealed the deal for me - I'm going to get banded!! I was then told to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ferdinand Samonte of De Los Santos Medical Center. DEC. 3, 2009 - My First Meeting with the Surgeon Together with my parents, I finally met my surgeon at De Los Santos Medical Center. It was a pleasant meeting, and Dr. Samonte explained everything in detail - the details of the surgery, what to expect before and after the surgery, and he even showed me some Before-and-After pix of his patients. At the end of the meeting, we already finalized our schedule for the surgery - 01-11-10. The date cannot get any nicer than that! Talk about a DATE TO REMEMBER! THIS IS IT! No turning back. After years of helping and taking care of other people, I think it's about time I take care of myself. I'm declaring 2010 as the YEAR OF KIKOman. I CAN'T WAIT! :wink2:

NOV. 25, 2009 During my regular doctor's checkup, it was suggested by my doctor for me to consider getting a gastric bypass or LAP-BAND Surgery. Having studied all options, I finally considered getting the Lap-Band. NOV. 26, 2009 - My Lap-Band Info Session Just had my first meeting with the Head of Obesity Solutions of BIB & LAP-BAND CENTER in Makati, Philippines - Mr. Bom Chan. I was presented with everything that is to know about the procedure. Then the time came, I was told that I would be weighing myself on their big scale. My eyes almost popped when I saw my current weight - 470 lbs!! Geez! I think that sealed the deal for me - I'm going to get banded!! I was then told to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ferdinand Samonte of De Los Santos Medical Center. DEC. 3, 2009 - My First Meeting with the Surgeon Together with my parents, I finally met my surgeon at De Los Santos Medical Center. It was a pleasant meeting, and Dr. Samonte explained everything in detail - the details of the surgery, what to expect before and after the surgery, and he even showed me some Before-and-After pix of his patients. At the end of the meeting, we already finalized our schedule for the surgery - 01-11-10. The date cannot get any nicer than that! Talk about a DATE TO REMEMBER! THIS IS IT! No turning back. After years of helping and taking care of other people, I think it's about time I take care of myself. I'm declaring 2010 as the YEAR OF KIKOman. I CAN'T WAIT! :thumbup:

Hello everyone! I'm so glad I found this thread. My scheduled surgery date is 01-11-10, and I can't wait. I'm a single/male 31yo Filipino based in Manila. I am 470lbs, and my current BMI is 57. All this I found out when I visited a local Lap-Band® Information Center a few days ago. I was informed of all the options I have, including bypass. But I decided to go with the lap-band®. I really want to do this not because I was forced by my friends/family, but because I want to have a great life, and because i want to live longer to see my children and grandchildren grow up. Life is just too wonderful to be cut short. Like what I said, my scheduled surgery is January 11, 2010. I've been told by my surgeon to do a pre-op diet 2 weeks before my surgery, but he encouraged me to do it earlier. So I decided to start my pre-op diet on Dec. 10. =) I am really excited to do this, and I'm glad I found this thread so we can share our own experiences in going through all this. 1.What is your current and goal weight? Current: 470 / Goal: 220 2.What is your surgery date? 01-11-10 3.What is your age? 31 4.Where do you live? Manila, Philippines 5.Where are you having surgery? De Los Santos Medical Center 6.Who is your Doctor?? Dr. Ferdinand Samonte 7.Insurance or self-pay? Self Pay 8.What was you "deciding factor" for having this surgery? When I turned 31 this year, I had this realization that I am not getting any younger, and that I need to do something about this weight. Like what I said above, I want to live longer to see my children and grandchildren grow up. Life is just too wonderful to be cut short.

Thank you very much phyllser! I just got back from my doctor, and I now have my surgery date - 01-11-10! I've never been this excited in my life!! My doctor instructed me to do a diet 2 weeks before the surgery, but the earlier I start, the better. So I will start by Dec. 10. I can't wait!

Hello everyone! This is my first post, and I must say that this forum really inspired me to go with the banding. You are all very encouraging. I'm a single/male 31yo Filipino based in Manila. I am 470lbs, and my current BMI is 57. All this I found out when I visited a local Lap-Band Information Center a few days ago. I was informed of all the options I have, including bypass. But I decided to go with the lap-band. My tentative sked is this coming January, so I'm really excited. I really want to do this not because I was forced by my friends/family, but because I want to have a great life, and because i want to live longer to see my children and grandchildren grow up. Life is just too wonderful to be cut short. I have a question though regarding post-surgery. I travel a lot for my work. I usually go to different countries, and stay between 3 days to a month. My surgery is scheduled mid-January, and I have scheduled monthly trips starting mid-February. So basically I have 1 month to recover til my first trip. Do you think this is enough time, or should I allot more time to recover? Your reply will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!