2beskinny

My doc says no coffee for 2 months post-op, no alcohol for 4 months post op. As with my pregnancies, I can live without the alcohol, but coffee...that's a tough one. I know caffeine is an appetite stimulant, but I swear, for me it is not!!! A cup of coffee can really take my mind of hunger for a while. I started my pre-op diet today and switched to de-caf. The last month or so I limited myself to one cup per day so I'm hoping the headaches will not be too bad. I'm curious to know if other people received similar doctor's orders regarding caffeine...

1 day clear liquids 2 weeks full liquids 2 weeks mushies Then on to regular food...I think I will be very freaked out to take that first bite of real food post-surgery. I'm sure I will chew everything to liquid for a little while

Hey, just so everyone realizes, Jesse started this thread in 7/2007. I looked at some of her more recent posts and she has lost 80 pounds!!! I bet she's not feeling too guilty about that :tt1: :frown: :crying: If I discover an old thread that people are still posting to, I like to look and see how the OP is doing...love it when I see great results like hers!

Hummingbird, I laughed out loud at your remark about not using it because you might spell it wrong...too funny! You made me curious though, so I looked it up myself. I was wondering what has been written about the word lately as it is used so often... From Dictionary.com: Usage Note : Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so. What can I say? It just bugs me :laugh::thumbup: I can tell you, however, I would use it in a sentence everyday if it meant that I could loose weight with the band irregardless of my efforts!

Haha...I think this is funny thread and I picked up on the whimsey from the beginning, Hal I often pick up spelling and grammer (uh, did I spell that right?) errors when reading articles...even books sometimes! I am actually a good editor. My mind works faster than my fingers and I'm too lazy to correct sometimes in a forum where lots of folks make mistakes :thumbup: Having said that, "I want to loose weight is becomming my new pet peave! My former pet peave is when people use irregardless as a word!

Yes - I still have to pay 20% of the costs, plus a $500 deductible - it will costs me about $2400 out of pocket for and "insurance approved" surgery. Much better than paying for the whole thing though! Heck I spent more than that on my elliptical machine

Me, Me, Me....I'm a July Bandster! Yea! July 19 is the day....can't wait to start everything. I start pre-op diet on July 5. All protein supplements purchased from my doc's office in the form of oatmeal, soups, shakes, puddings, bars, etc...His patients must follow this diet for 1-4 weeks before surgery. He said since implementing this diet, he has never had to convert to an "open" surgery. Sounds good to me! I know it will be hard, but I'm looking forward to dropping a few lbs. and getting that "loose pants" feeling :thumbup: Hopefully much more of that to follow! Good luck to all!

Hang in there, Shellyh You will be banded before you know it. A few months is a bummer, but a necessary wait. You want to be very healthy for the surgery! Don't put too much pressure on yourself about the weight gain, either...that's why we are all here :scared2:. If we could lose it (and keep it off!) on our own, we would not need the band. I have been bouncing around with a minimal loss before I start my pre-op next diet next week. I think mentally I know I'm going to be entering a new phase of life and I will enter it with a lot of help from the band, so I'm not beating myself up over not achieving a huge pre-surgery weightloss (like I imagined back in March). It's not a race, it's a journey. Best of luck to you!

I have only told my husband and my sister. They are very supportive and would never tell anyone else. My sister told me she will not even tell her own husband. She is also overweight (more than me) and I know will be watching carefully to decide if it's something she will do for herself. She jokes about how she's going to let me be the guinnea pig :scared2: I might tell my mother after the surgery. I don't want her to worry about it prior to. It's my dad that I worry about knowing, and I can only assume my mom will tell him, so the jury is still out on that one. My dad has eight brothers and sisters and just needs one excuse to pick up the phone and call them. I just don't want it to be about me - I'm very private. I read these boards, almost daily, to get my "fill" of listening to people who are going through the same thing. The reality is, I ony want to talk about this surgery with others who already understand it. I certainly don't want to have to educate everyone else about it. I don't want to open myself up to the judgment that may come with non-bandsters, non-overweight people (most people in my life, by the way). I am not going to tell my 3 teenage sons, either. The main reason for not telling them is that I don't want to put them in a position where they know something they "can't tell" other people. Don't think it's fair to them. They are extemely athletic, well-adjusted boys and I really don't think this is a subject area they would have the least bit of interest in My dad is extremely obese (500+ pounds) and I also feel funny about him knowing that I had surgery. Somehow I worry that he will feel "guilty" that I had to resort to this drastic measure to be happy. I could see him blaming himself for my weight problem...he's very loving and a little dramatic :tt2: By the way - he is 73 years old and has very little health problems which is amazing and a blessing. His mobility is not great, but his heart, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, are all good. He is the only one of his siblings that is heavy. My siblings and I are the only overweight grandchildren. I really believe there is such a genetic component to obesity! That is why that I feel a medical intervention is the only true cure for it. Whatever made us this way will always come back and return us to our true selves. That's why I believe in the band

I too went many rounds with Phentermine (and Phen-Fen back in the day - boy that stuff was great!). I have not had my surgery yet, so I can only think positive that I am making the right choice, but Phenterimine is a temporary fix. It works great, then the weight comes back with a vengence. I think having the lapband will be like having a permanent appetite suppressant installed - one that will not be as unhealthy as diet pills! I even tried to talk my surgeon into putting me on phentermine during the pre-op stage to get a jumpstart on the weight loss and to take the edge of the liquid diet stage. He plainly said, "you don't need phentermine, you need the band. I don't want to see you have a heart attack because of the medicine when right now you are a healthy candidate for the band." Really made me think :smile2: So I guess I will white knuckle through the liquid stage like everyone else I also think it's about finally learning lifestyle changes, but it will be easier with the band than on your own. Good luck to you!

Precisely why I have decided not to tell anyone (other than my husband and sister) about my surgery! Best of luck to you - they will be hard to deal with in the coming months. Stay strong!

Cool!!!! I have a Droid - I will load the app! Thanks for sharing:thumbup:

Congrats to you! We will probably end up with surgery dates pretty close. How old are your 3 kids? I went to www.tickerfactory.com to get the ticker. Pretty easy from there. Just copy/paste the link right into your profile when you are done Don't know how to update the ticker yet...haven't had to worry about that yet :smile2:

This thread should be deleted...it's not productive anymore. Once the high school stuff starts, it keeps working it's way back in, even after some worthy posts that tried to get it back on track. It could also turn people off from posting. For the record, I agree with "the Cat." You did not get treated well here. I do think this forum is valuable and I would encourage you to get a new name and try again :thumbup: Hopefully you will be met with kinder results the next time around. Best of luck to you!

Ooops, I posted too soon, because I forgot to say GOOD LUCK to you and I know you will be on the other "happy" side very soon :thumbup:

I sat next to a woman in the nutrition class today and we were talking about being nervous. Our surgeries are the same day. It was funny, she was nervous about being able to follow all the new ways of eating, etc. I asked her if she was nervous about the surgery itself, because that is my main fear! She wasn't nervous about that at all! I feel like I'm making a deal with God everyday about this surgery...I'm VERY nervous about being put to sleep (first time). I feel like when I wake up from the surgery itself it will be the happiest, most relieved moment of my life and I won't even care about how much pain I'm in :thumbup: Then reality will sink in and I'm sure I will go through all the ups and downs of life again, but will be happier knowing that the surgery is DONE!

I'm certainly not one who far down this path, but something the nutritionist said during my pre-op class today made a lot of sense that I would like to share. When some in the class were asking about the difficulty of sticking to the pre-op diet, she simply explained that it was an arbitrary thing to torture us, it was a medical necessity, shrinking the liver, etc., etc., etc. HOWEVER, she followed that by saying, "Look, if you're REALLY having a hard time, call me. I'll probably let you eat a chicken breast. There's always something we can do, but CALL ME, I will work with you." I think that's what this whole process is about - working with someone, deferring to the experts in a field where we all have not been able to meet the challenge on our own. IF there's something that is too difficult, consult with your dietician, nutrition expert. That's what they are there for - FOR YOU. It's the expert piece we need and are paying for. I for one will probably not blindly follow every bit of advice, but will question and work with someone who is more knowledgeable than me to figure out a modifcation that WILL WORK for me. By the way, she is 5+ year banded patient at goal and still enjoys diet soda on occasion as a treat for herself. But she says absolutely NO carbonation during the first 2 months post-op. Personally, soda does not have a hold on me so I could care less about never drinking it again. I would like to know that I could enjoy an occassional beer down the road :Banane20::thumbup:

Hubby (or DH - is that what I'm supposed to use?) found out he has to be gone the whole week of July 12 so I had to push my surgery date to July 19 :smilielol5:. Not a huge deal in the scheme of things I guess...just hard to wait another week. I have only told him and my sister about the surgery so his involvement in my recovery is crucial! I have 3 teenage sons who I am not even planning on telling at this point. I just don't want to put them in a position of having a secret to keep. I don't think that's fair to them. I'm a very private person and live somewhat of a public life in my small community. It's just not something I want anyone else talking about! I'm planning on telling my kids that I hurt my back if I'm moving a little slow for a few days. That is if they even notice, we're talking about teenage BOYS after all! :thumbup:

BCBS of IL. Some insurance companies require 6 months of doctor supervised diets and some require 3 months, and I guess some don't require any - aren't t they lucky! My requred 3 months, which really meant 3 consecutive doctor appointments showing weight and nutrition counseling, etc. So, it was actually only a 2 month time period from the 1st appointment to when they submitted my paperwork for approval :thumbup:

I am scheduled for July surgery. I have read and read on these boards and find that ALL the postings support the literature, classes and statistics received from my surgeon's office. When I read the occassional crazy post from a person who seems completely uneducated about what they just did to themselves, I imagine that those are the category of people that are contributing to the failure rates of the band. When I read about people who live too far from their doctors office to properly address the needs of their band (too tight, too loose, possible slippage, etc.) or when someone can't affort a fill or an appointment, then I am thankful that my doc's office is 20 minutes from my house and that his fee includes ANY issues that arise in the first 2 years of having the band. I realize that a successful program has been laid out in front of me...it is up to me to educate myself, work it and reap the benefits!

I love ready-made Slimfast Low Carb "creamy chocolate" flavor. I am pre-pre-op diet and I rely on these even those I am not even banded yet! 20 gms. protein, 6 carbs & 190 calories...I buy them at Sam's Club and keep them in the fridge to grab on the way to work...sometimes I take 2 and have one for lunch if I know it's going to be a superbusy day!

Quick update, as shown in my signature...Surgery date confirmed for 7/12/10

Best of luck to you!!!! Keep posting so we can hear how your surgery went :eek:

Just wanted to share with everyone that I received my insurance approval yesterday :thumbup::thumbup::smile:! It's like I've been walking on air all day! The doctor's office told me that my file was with the surgeon and that as soon as he reviewed everything she would be calling me back to schedule. Looks like I might have a date of July 12:laugh::tt2::laugh:. If I'm able to lose a bit more weight on my own, I may only have to do one week of liquid pre-op diet - that would be nice :tt2: I'm so excited though, I almost want to do 2 weeks to get more weight off and just be healthier and down a few more pounds. I'm fully expecting to "do this on my own" for a while until 3-4 fills--like I read on these forums all the time. It is such an emotional roller coaster to decide to do this. My biggest challenge is fighting the "last meal" syndrome. It's helpful to read post from others that after they have healed from the surgery that they can eat anything in moderation! Plenty of time to worry about all that...I'm just so excited that I am approved! I almost went into this just writing a check to get it done quick and not hassle with insurance stuff...glad I didn't. It wasn't bad at all!:thumbup: Best wishes to all those waiting for their approval!

I have been through every emotion on this journey...when i first decided to go for the consult, it was like every meal was my last! I needed to gain a few pounds actually, to be at a solid 40 bmi, and now I'm definitely there! Then my insurance came back with a 3 month diet - I lost almost 9 pounds in one month and today found out I was approved!!!! I am hoping for a July 12 surgery date...will be confirmed in the next few days. Now I kind of have that last meal mentality feeling coming back. I don't beat myself up over it, though. It's part of the cycle and part of the reason that I am choosing lapband surgery!!!