NYSparklegirl

Thank you for sharing...Glad your doing so great!!! Nice to see....I have to say that you are truly one of the most enjoyable posts I have read and look forward to reading! Keep em coming....!!

Hi all...Hope you all had a great weekend. I am going tomorrow night for my sleep study with GPAP. That should be fun. Today I had surprise....Im not being declared insane. He didnt even pressure nor ask me to come back to see him on a regular basis. I had my psych eval..why was I so nurvous? It happens....that the psychologists kids and my daughter went to the same private school and the conversation was very comfortable...after shooting the breeze about the school and principal and teachers the rest of the hour went really well. I filled my script for the AH, PH or what ever germ they found ilast week in my stomach during the endoscopy. I need to take this for for two weeks...but it wont push my surgery back even further then the March 15th. lol Im hoping the endoconologists tests...come back okay....cause I have to say....these tests are all coming back with results that arent too promising for that new March 15th date....if those tests come back stating that I have some wierd diagnoses.... Welcome to all those newbys that just just joined.....Looking forward to supporting you and sharing experiences. Jodi

Hi all...Hope you all had a great weekend. I am going tomorrow night for my sleep study with GPAP. That should be fun. Today I had surprise....Im not being declared insane. He didnt even pressure nor ask me to come back to see him on a regular basis. I had my psych eval..why was I so nurvous? It happens....that the psychologists kids and my daughter went to the same private school and the conversation was very comfortable...after shooting the breeze about the school and principal and teachers the rest of the hour went really well. I filled my script for the AH, PH or what ever germ they found ilast week in my stomach during the endoscopy. I need to take this for for two weeks...but it wont push my surgery back even further then the March 15th. lol Im hoping the endoconologists tests...come back okay....cause I have to say....these tests are all coming back with results that arent too promising for that new March 15th date....if those tests come back stating that I have some wierd diagnoses.... Welcome to all those newbys that just just joined.....Looking forward to supporting you and sharing experiences. Jodi

Great news!!! Keep on going.....its just around the corner!!

Hi all. well....its been a week since joining this thread....and I am sooo happy I have found you all. I have spent the week surfing this site and I cant get enough of it. I have found the information helpful, supportive, and educational. Everyone seems to want to share their experiences and connect with others who are willing to share their own experiences with others....so, thank you for making the beginning of this journey for me easier!!! I hope I can do the same for everyone here and to come!! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. My mother came to visit me and my daughter for the weekend. Of course, I cooked for the sabbath as I usually do every Friday afternoon. I am a quasi orthodox jew....lol cant think of a better way to describe what type of I am....quasi meaning.....sometimes?? when its convenient? when my daughter is home?? Talk about catholic school experiences?? I could tell you some experiences about Hebrew School in NY that would have everyone in stiches...however it would take all night...lets just leave it as.....with a question.... Are the pack of cigarettes that we hid in the fake plant in the 5th grade in the girls bathroom still there? You all could imagine how the two hours were spent two days a week after school doing. Some where along the way I found the true beuty of judiasm however....the practical side of it was always hard to follow...hence the quasi Jew....that I am. Unfortunately the one of the beutiful aspects that I really was able to catch on to......was the glorius food!! Fat enhanced at any given chance...carbs gallore...as in Europe where my ancestors were from vegetables were considered a potato! Cooking every Friday..three to four course meals for Friday nights, Sat lunches and Holidays that consist of three two four meals like this for three meals a day....well.....lets just say I learned to cook the way they did in the old country! This has got to change....and Ive been trying..but to getting to the point of all this...I cooked some healthier choices from the natural kosher cookbook....um well....this didnt go over to well. My daughter wasnt happy that there wasnt fat dripping from the chicken..and there was baked sweet potato pie...instead of heavy fat laden potato kugel. (kind of like cake) and ohhh the eye brow raisings that came along after the chulent (traditional sat meal) which i made with beans and sweet potato and no meat, potatoe, barley, chicken fat or marach bones. Suffice to say....Im in trouble!!! Ill be working for the next two months on making delicious healthy meals...that if and when I ever decide up to having guests over again for any sabbath or holiday meal everyone will be happy with...even my daughter! Any suggestions will be accepted happily! Tomorrow..I start my two week antibiotic for a stomach germ...forgot the name. I recieved my results from baritric doctor that I tested positive for this germ....which could cause ulcers so good we found it now. One night I go to have a sleep study to try out the CPAP and get that started...not looking forward to leaving my daughter again so soon for a night...as she gets nurvous still when I go out and leave her for medical reasons.....I think that she thinks that I am have some other more serious medical concerns that im not telling her about but I keep assuring her that this is serious but not life threatening ...only if I dont do this it will be....I let her come to the basic doctors apt to reasure her....however she doesnt trust so easily any more...after all her father told her he was in excellent health when um he wasnt and then had a heart attack and didnt make it to tell her that it was because of his health issues..so I have to be careful and tell her the truth and try to weed out what she doesnt need to know..or see as well...after all shes only 10!! Lastly, tomorrow is my psych eval. hmm that should be interesting. Like Ive said in my orriginal posts...this is the eval I am most dredding. Not sure really why. Maybe I jsut dont want to talk focus on the past anymore but want to focus on the future. Intake history is a must sooo ill be talking about the past ten yrs..and frankly I dont want to hear about wow and you arent in therapy?? You should be...you know after all so much to deal with. ahum. yes indeed...but no one can change it and make it go away or make it better.....only me....sooo If I say this...then the ultimate response....okay,.....ill give you the clearance but id like you to continue seing me...which I will say....no thank you I just need you to understand why Im doing this andthat I understand that I need to change the way I "think" about food and the way it affects my life. and he will be insulted that that is what im there for.....and continuing to see him will only add pressure to my allready pressured day. Okay....im truly a NYker rude?? I so dont want to be so....id like to get this part over and get on with the rest of my process.....medical testing..no talking necesary. well, I hope that you all have a wonderful week..those who are getting ready or who have started their pre=op diets I hope all goes well. GOOD LUCK. Jodi

Thank you so much.,...Thanks to your post.....Im actually looking forward to getting the CPAP! (tollerable) but am looking forward to sleeping through the night and not having allergies bother me every morning!! Helen, Welcome!! I havent started any preop diet....hoewever I just met with the nutritionist who gave me a post op diet to follow from www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com perhaps they have a pre-op diet as well that you can look at and follow. The post op diet seems to be fesible to think about following....I hope lol Good luck

Hi Welcome!!! Im also in NY. Im using Long Island Bariatric with Dr. Holover. Good Luck with the Pre-diet on Monday. Im getting banded in March...was bumped from February to March so youl be letting me know how your doing,..but Ill support you all I can!! Jodi

Glad to see you joined us here.....you will see alot of us have alot of the same concerns...as I have found out....so welcome and If I can help in any way.....Ill try!!! Jodi

It will get better!!! Just focus. Yes, one day isnt that bad...think of my month. lol Good luck!!

Thanks...and I will be here for you guys as well!!

You have deff made me feel more comfortable and squelched my concerns regarding the dates in between all the holidays. Now that this isnt something im going to be obsessing over..ill concentrate now on the getting the CPAP set. I have to go to the sleep center again for this...so hopefully one night this week. Its funny that you write about your friend who spent most of her time in your church...when I was younger..I also spent alot of time in my best friends church with her...when we were little. Much more fun then my synaguage was. lol You brought back some good memories! Thanks

Ive recently had to change my surgery date from Feb 8th to March 15th due to my sleep study results which demonstrated severe sleep apnea and will need at least six weeks of treatment before the pulmonologist will give surgical clearance. So I hope you all will allow me to join your thread.....I am now olmost finished running from doctor to doctor recieving consults and having exams....this was so exhausting but apparently necessary!!!! I have just one more consult to schedule...Psych! Saved that one for last. lol Figured if im still sane after all the above.. then I must be ready for surgery! I decided to band for several reasons. They are really all connected as you will understand as you see......before I married I was a size 12 and 145 pds. I lived in NYC, had no car so exercize by walking was natural. After marriage at 32..I began to gain some weight....then became pregnant. High blood pressure put me on bed rest for 6 months. The weight continued to 190. My husband wasnt really helpful in the healthy food dept so while on bed rest..fast food was really what we lived on. After the baby was born....ten yrs ago....the weight stayed. The typical stressers of life after having a baby while working full time set in and the weight still didnt come off. At the same time my husband at the time decided he didnt want to work anymore and wanted to just sit home and do nothing. well, not nothing but which ammounted to nothing but schemes and pyramids....We divorced after 7 yrs. Three months after we divorced he had a massive heart attack and died after not following doctors orders about taking medications daily which he refused to take/do. (like work) leaving me and my daughter without any support or insurance. (just a note to all parents..get life insurance...and never put a minor childs name to be a beneficiary to anything ever)! Since then....the stressors have increased with being a single parent with no support. So another 20 pounds have added since..the divorce and his passing. I want my life back!! Ive decided in the last year....it was time to begin to get it back and be in control again. I want my premarriage/ pregnancy/ high blood pressure/cholesterol/ asthma/sleep apnea status!! Now is the time to do it..... Ive had all first consult....visits with all the doctors and have recieved all the consults needed except for the psych. I am now waiting for all the written reports to come in and the second consult is next week and surgery set for...February 8th. Im ready to get my life back in control....so this is the first step in getting a healthier me. Im so glad to see so many others here to share their experiences before and after. I hope I can contribute possitively and help others through my experiences. I also hope that I will be able to get help with questions and concerns that I know I will have before, during and after!!! To all.....good luck, thank you in advance and and looking forward to sharing!! Jodi

Fellow....Feb bandsters.....afraid....im not going to be banded on the 8th of Feb. I met with my pulmonologist and diagnosed me with severe sleep apnea and ill need at least 6 weeks to be treated before being banded. So not happy..but better safe....and if this is whats needed to be safe...then this is what comes first....so im being bumped to March 15th....but ill still be here to support you all....as you all get banded and then you all can tell me all about it!!!!

Im really sorry for this experience that youve had. Im also sorry that you feel bad that your grandfather couldnt do this for you either.....(but it wasnt about you) I also ask the same thing about my ex. I ask all the time why he couldnt do this for her?? for me?? It took alot of therapy and time to come to terms with the realization that he just couldnt do it for himself which meant he couldnt do it for anyone else either. I needed to accept that there was nothing that I can do or my daughter can do or the doctors to make him take his medication,follow directions and care enough about his family but it wasnt our fault. This was his problem....and it was a problem.. it was selfish of him but it was his way to say...hey im not happy with myself enough to care about myself and take of myself so much so enough so I can take care of my family... I always have this fear that my daughter will one day turn around and ask....the same thing that you have thought abd ask me...."why couldnt he do this for me"? and I wont have and I dont have the answer...except to assure her that she did nothing to make this happen and...nothing that could have made him do what he needed to...he needed to do it for himself....and he jsut couldnt. I say the same to you...hold that close to you...and dont make the same mistake...you banded thats an amazing step.....youve gone this far... dont fall short...go all the way and live for ever....

Hi fellow Banders, I have just set my surgery date for February eighth. I am now running from doctor to doctor recieving consults and having exams....this is exhausting but apparently necessary so I am running!!!! I have just one more consult to schedule...Psych! Saved that one for last. lol Figured if im still sane after all the above.. then I must be ready for surgery! I decided to band for several reasons. They are really all connected as you will understand as you see......before I married I was a size 12 and 145 pds. I lived in NYC, had no car so exercize by walking was natural. After marriage at 32..I began to gain some weight....then became pregnant. High blood pressure put me on bed rest for 6 months. The weight continued to 190. My husband wasnt really helpful in the healthy food dept so while on bed rest..fast food was really what we lived on. After the baby was born....ten yrs ago....the weight stayed. The typical stressers of life after having a baby while working full time set in and the weight still didnt come off. At the same time my husband at the time decided he didnt want to work anymore and wanted to just sit home and do nothing. well, not nothing but which ammounted to nothing but schemes and pyramids....We divorced after 7 yrs. Three months after we divorced he had a massive heart attack and died after not following doctors orders about taking medications daily which he refused to take/do. (like work) leaving me and my daughter without any support or insurance. (just a note to all parents..get life insurance...and never put a minor childs name to be a beneficiary to anything ever)! Since then....the stressors have increased with being a single parent with no support. So another 20 pounds have added since..the divorce and his passing. I want my life back!! Ive decided in the last year....it was time to begin to get it back and be in control again. I want my premarriage/ pregnancy/ high blood pressure/cholesterol/ asthma/sleep apnea status!! Now is the time to do it..... Ive had all first consult....visits with all the doctors and have recieved all the consults needed except for the psych. I am now waiting for all the written reports to come in and the second consult is next week and surgery set for...February 8th. Im ready to get my life back in control....so this is the first step in getting a healthier me. Im so glad to see so many others here to share their experiences before and after. I hope I can contribute possitively and help others through my experiences. I also hope that I will be able to get help with questions and concerns that I know I will have before, during and after!!! To all.....good luck, thank you in advance and and looking forward to sharing!! :smile2: Jodi

Thank you all for all your input ......I really appreciate all your experiences in this area. It never even occured that this could be a concern. It was always my ex's health we were concerned with now its my turn. It seems that I really do have severe sleep apnea and with about six weeks of treatment with a CPAP and only after that will I be cleared to go ahead with banding...so we are looking at March....which leads me to a whole new set of concerns......lol no suprise here..... March is a really a bad month this year in regards to thinking about doing anything drastic especially a surgery if there could be possible complications. Its really silly actually....however perhaps some outside input can help..... In the beginning of the month is the holiday Purim....which means..alot of celebrations involving family, kids and freinds. At the end of the month is passover which requires about a weeks worth of preperations and then 8 days of holiday....from two seders and multiple meals of cooking for and sitting and eating for hours at a time.....and in between alot of praying and sleeping.. lol my surgery can either be in the 8th, the 15th or the 22nd. I have these choices. I chose the middle to be on the safe side.....lol However, my daughters birthday is the 16th and she has asked if Id be in the hospital on that day...hmmm. The 8th....just might not make the 6 weeks from the time I actually get the CPAP sleep study and then mine ordered and working in time and I wont get the clearance again so that is taking a chance....which i do and get kicked off again....ill have to wait another month to sched as surgery dates fill up fast I was told. The 22nd is the week before passover...which means...I will be doing ,...no cleaning, shopping, cooking, and shlepping to anyones house and seders?? forget it....not going to happen, unless someone else does all the prep and work... this all seems really nice... however as a single parent who doesnt have alot of money to hire full time help and have a big enough place to have people stay as well. so the real question is....how long is recovery.....is one week enough to take off from work and one week to take it easy after...which then the third week I can begin preperations for the holiday ill be off that week. Im thinking the 15th and hoping that I wont have to be in the hospital overnight...and have a week to rest and then go to work the following week and begin prep for passover with some help. Help??? February was really good. I got used to Feb. lol I scheduled all around Feb....had my daughter taken care of and planned for all the what ifs......if it happened in Feb. March?? March is complicated lol. I suppose I shouldnt be suprised as my life is alway complicated...so why should this decision be any different? wow. Help anyone? lol

Hi slightely dissappointed this afternoon. I just found out that my feb 8th date is going to be changed....for at least a month....my sleep study came back and demonstrated severe apnea....not sure what 98 episodes throught the night on the back and 78 on the side.....means exactly.....I have a 4:15 apt. with the sleep doctor (pulmonolgoist) I guess ill find out then and what the treatment I will need, however he is not clearing me for surgery on the 8th.... Ill need at least a 3 weeks to a month to treat and get on track. Im worried about the apnea...he said it was very serious and to come in today....sheez...must be really bad! I know I snore terribly however, I didnt think I wasnt breathing at times. Even though sleep apnea becomes better with the lap band...being banded before it is treated can be apparently dangerous... Perhaps this is why im so damn tired in the mornings....attributing it to frequent wake ups due to my daughter coming in for some reason or another.,...the dog pitter pattering, the heat, the train, the planes....lol. I just figured this was the reason for all the sleep interuptions. Well, this too shall be taken care of!!! This is the year....I told myself....I am going to get healthy...and what ever that means...I will do it...at 44 my life isnt getting easier healthwize its getting more compicated sooo I better do all that is prescribed....and then get banded at the right time...when all else is cleared. I promised my daughter when my ex-passed...that I would do all I could to help stay alive as long as possible for her....but in making that promise I knew that meant..getting it together mentally and physically. So......just wanted to post my frustration today. Thanks for listening all!! Jods

Well, I wont be joining you guys for the 8th of Feb as of today. I have not gotten clearance from the Pulmonologist as the results from my sleep study shows severe apnea. He is recquiring a month of treatment before clearance...so not sure when I will be banded...end of Feb or early March. This is okay...another few weeks isnt going to make a difference at this point!!! Im doing it anyways!!! Ill still be supportive to all those here being banded in Feb!!!!

Hi....I just found out as well that my surgery date for Feb 8th is cancelled because my sleep study showed tests of severe apnea and the pulmonologist wont clear surgery for at least a month till it is treated. So, Ill probably have surgery early March if all is good by then. Like you....I feel its better to have a safe surgery and recovery. Glad you joined!!!! Good luck!!

Hi. I was just wondering how Sleep Apnea affects the banding process. I just recieved a message from my pulmonologist that I missed....that my sleep study came back that I have sleep apnea and wont be able to have surgery till this is treated? How is this treated and how long does it take to treat? Does it go away after treatment or is this a lifetime daignoses and need to be treated with intervention lifelong? Why would this put off the surgery if we know it needs to be treated and begin treatment?? how long after the onset of treatment before surgery can be done?? IF anyone has information on the above..would love it before approaching doctor tonorrow. Thanks....Jodi

Christie, wow!! I am so sorry youve had to deal with so much and with an infant...I had a hard time with a 5 yr old. I dont know what to say.... but you are truly a mother that has apparently protected and cared for her child and continues to do so!!! As we have made the decission to do this banding so we can be healthy and alive to continue to take care of our children is the only thing we can do...as I see it...its not a choice its a must dont ya think?? Its that extra burden on us as single parents knowing there is no one else but "me". Sad but true...makes the pressure so much more heavy! You mentioned that your son was so upset about you getting this surgery..Interesting that my daughter also is so upset and worried that something will happen to me when I do this as well. She knows that this is something I must do and wants me to be healthy...she made me quit smoking after my ex died....made me promise never to have another cigarette and I havent..since that day..three years ago. The things...we do for our children that we wouldnt do for ourselves!! lol I am proud of you too!!! We are going to do this!!! I did begin to have my daughter see the nutritionist that I began seeing..so she can be a part of this process with me as well....as to begin to change our whole eating habbits in and out of the house. This seems to have helped alleviate some anxiety on her part....maybe this can help you with your son as well?? Jodi

Your welcome...however, if our stories dont help you change your mind about taking meds to control the high blood pressure....then it was for naught. If it didnt...prompt you to..... I can if youd like go into details about how my exes decision to not control his destroyed our marriage and relationship with his myself, our daughter, family, carreer and um g-d? basically, when the doctors tell you its not going to be how its going to be when....its not good!! I can tell you how his death at 38 has effected so many people that loved him but mostly his daughter who thought the world of him at age 7. How do you explain to a 7 yr old that your father could not control his pressure with what ever the doctors said to do...diet, pills, surgery etc....not even for her?? How do you explain that we had to live in sect 8 housing...recieve money from charity and food from food banks because instead of insurance money..or savings all that was left for us was unpaid bills after bills etc etc I can tell you in details all of the above....and you would not believe the effects of not controlling high blood pressure means....please. Please. please....youve gotten banded...this is going to help however, if you dont get that pressure down....it could mean a ticking time bomb. If you were impressed and admire us for our courage and ordeals....please dont make your wife one of us that someone else will admire...... we are all here to help, support each other on this road....lets make it the healthiest possible...and by the way...my heart is aching to say so much more...to convince..but my job here is just to support so I will refrain with saying more...... good luck!!!!! Jodi

thank you!!! Ive started reading your blog..pretty impressive. Your doing really well too....Keep it up!

Not telling you to hit the road...and just to let you know....I have a friend who was banded and she is 4'11" and she lost 80 pds and she looks amazing!!! You will as well! Jodi

Michelle I spoke to my doctor today and he said....I dont need a pre-op diet. Just the day before to drink liquids. I thought this was strange...however he said that if you are a certain BMI then you might. Im glad as I was worried about this initial stage more then anything else. Good Luck with the pre-op im here for support however !! Jodi