Hi all....

To start us off....Ill begin with a little about myself.

I had joined the thread Feb Bandsters...however...Ive been booted to March...as I am being treated for sleep apnea....so I needed to push back surgery date from Feb 8th to March 15th..hoping it stays there!!

Im hoping to connect with others that are on a similar time frame for surgery, for support, advice, education, encouragement and just to shoot the breeze...to share experiences from the first consult if needed to way after being banded...lets get together and share this journey the good, bad and the ugly of it all!!

so.....lets get to know you....by answering some questions that was asked of me before....im passing them on through this group....it was a great beginning. Ill start.

Date of Surgery: March 16th

Where Surgery will be: NY

Doctor/Center: New York Bariatric Group

Dr. Holover/Manhasset

Seminar date: January 2009

1st consult date: Dec 30th, 2009

2nd consult: Feb 3rd, 2010

Consults and tests completed: Cardiologist. Pulmonologist, Endocronologist, Sleep Study, Nutritionist, Endoscopy

Tests still needed: Psych test

How is surgery funded? Insurance

Concerns? How will I ever be able to re-educate my brain to eat differently

Reason for banding? See thread in "Introductions"for NYSparklegirl.

Hi all.

Hope you all had a great day'

I actually was able to go to work today. My daughter was still not up to par..so she stayed home wih my mother. lol They apparently had a great day....because they cooked and baked....hmmm Tomorrow is school!!

I spent alot of time last night printing out recipes from a site that "Stevievieth" recommended. Now..that I hadnt gone to work for about a week it feels...I am real tired!

So...I think im going to call it a night....just am going to answer some posts...welcome new bandsters and thank some for their....great ideas...oh and of course...I will also thank some for their experiences with the presurgery date.....ouch!

Hi Scott!! Another lucky day...bandster! St. Patricks day seems to be a popular day. Several on the thread will also be banded on the same day! Where from? How have your experiences been so far?

Hi Marcia....Welcome...we will be banded the same week. Im March 15th. Good Luck! Where from? Glad you decided to post instead of just lurking more!!

Mitamia. Happy dancing is a good thing....glad that you posted!!.

Monica...Its great that your pre-surgery testing is over! Im so excited for you! yes, I hear the visit for final clearance is to your reg primary to say you are not sick...you dont have a fever, cold or not getting one. lol

You are home free!!! Yea you! The 12th is right arounf the corner to the new you.

Bariatriceating.com is also a great site for pree and post op dieting and such. They also sell protein shakes and misc. protein items.

What a great site this is...

I spent the whole evening pretty much going over it and im like wow....this is really great. I printed out the recipes for the soups. I will start cooking and freezing the soups...lol. Preparing for the liquids and then blendeds lol. Thank you so much. I was also looking at all the protein shakes and vitamins. They all look so good!

I just wonder how true it is to make sure to drink the protein shakes and vitamins made for bariatric patients are really important or can we just get them at a really good health store..or company.. If its true about what they say...how we should only use what is made for us...or we will not get enough and end up sick?

Do you think this is true? Ive been talking to the nutrtionist and Dr..and they think not however....Im thinking that maybe they do have good points. I just dont know...and really would not like to depend on one company to rely on for the rest of my life to have to use these products. Im currently a shaklee fan...but only because I was able to try out all the products first and did find them superior...and they are cheaper for me as I have friends who are distributors, and I dont rely totally on them there are other comp that have superior vitamins..so im told. Have you heard anything.....

or anyone else about the importance of the vitamins etc?

Isnt the Upper G I series horrible. I was reading up on it and I believe you have to do something similar after surgery too. The Barium is terrible. I felt so sick after that. But I also had all of my testing done at once. First the chest x-rays, then the Upper G I series, then I went and did my pulminary functions, where they also drew blood from a vein where the woman said blood has oxygen and it was on the side of my wrist. Then I went and had a ekg, then someone came in an did a eeg which is a sonogram of your heart that was pretty neat to watch. I did my bloodwork and nicotine pee test another day, because my insurance didnt cover it through the hospital. Tomorrow is my pre admissions testing, I am excitedddddd tuesday!:smile2:

omg...you are scaring the bejegas out of me...now im more scared of the pre-surgery then the actual surgery and post diet. They had to do a blood gas?? I hate that...I have that when my asthma is so bad that I need to be hospitalized..hasnt happened in years but I remember that test.; ouch. so this is bootcamp hmm?? Im going to have nightmares tonight. How are you however?? Are you okay?? How are you feeling? excited im sure but...sheesh. Does NY do all those tests as well?? Can you tell that im a big scardycat?? I didnt think so..but im beginning to.

Thanks for the above..its always good to be prepared though as to what needs to happen..as we were all wondering what this long six to eight hour day was about right?

Okay...im gonna suck it up tomorrow...tonight Im going to cry lol.

Hello again all.

It is wonderful to hear of so many others who will be starting their journey at the same time as me...I will think of that often in the good and bad times and probably come here often for support!

wlcoyle;

You are not alone in that thought above....I know I feel the same.

What ive found most helpful about finding obout about all your concerns above was to look at the February bandsters for about a month back to now.....these are all people being banded now...in February...who like us a month ago were asking and feeling pretty similar to what we are feeling a few weeks before our surgery dates.

I find myself checking their posts as to how they are each coming along...and they have been posting their experiences before...and on the day of surgery to the days after surgery. I found this to be really helpful.

You can also try the chat room support group here on this site. People have been pretty helpful and open giving support answering questions and just giving it straight...you are having your surgery next week....so fortunately for us..you will be our leader ....and we will be asking you all the questions as we will all be banded after you.....and you have its true no one...to kind of ask...so maybe these suggestions might be helpful.

Maybe others will have some other ideas as well....

no matter what we will be here and next month....we will all be on the journey towards health....and the process of the actually banding will be well behind us!

Good luck next week!!!

Thats all folks! Have a great night and those who are breginning their pre-surgery diets this week ....or have started...good luck and hope they are going well!!!

Jodi

Hi all.

Hope you all had a great day'

I actually was able to go to work today. My daughter was still not up to par..so she stayed home wih my mother. lol They apparently had a great day....because they cooked and baked....hmmm Tomorrow is school!!

I spent alot of time last night printing out recipes from a site that "Stevievieth" recommended. Now..that I hadnt gone to work for about a week it feels...I am real tired!

So...I think im going to call it a night....just am going to answer some posts...welcome new bandsters and thank some for their....great ideas...oh and of course...I will also thank some for their experiences with the presurgery date.....ouch!

Hi Scott!! Another lucky day...bandster! St. Patricks day seems to be a popular day. Several on the thread will also be banded on the same day! Where from? How have your experiences been so far?

Hi Marcia....Welcome...we will be banded the same week. Im March 15th. Good Luck! Where from? Glad you decided to post instead of just lurking more!!

Mitamia. Happy dancing is a good thing....glad that you posted!!.

Monica...Its great that your pre-surgery testing is over! Im so excited for you! yes, I hear the visit for final clearance is to your reg primary to say you are not sick...you dont have a fever, cold or not getting one. lol

You are home free!!! Yea you! The 12th is right arounf the corner to the new you.

What a great site this is...

I spent the whole evening pretty much going over it and im like wow....this is really great. I printed out the recipes for the soups. I will start cooking and freezing the soups...lol. Preparing for the liquids and then blendeds lol. Thank you so much. I was also looking at all the protein shakes and vitamins. They all look so good!

I just wonder how true it is to make sure to drink the protein shakes and vitamins made for bariatric patients are really important or can we just get them at a really good health store..or company.. If its true about what they say...how we should only use what is made for us...or we will not get enough and end up sick?

Do you think this is true? Ive been talking to the nutrtionist and Dr..and they think not however....Im thinking that maybe they do have good points. I just dont know...and really would not like to depend on one company to rely on for the rest of my life to have to use these products. Im currently a shaklee fan...but only because I was able to try out all the products first and did find them superior...and they are cheaper for me as I have friends who are distributors, and I dont rely totally on them there are other comp that have superior vitamins..so im told. Have you heard anything.....

or anyone else about the importance of the vitamins etc?

omg...you are scaring the bejegas out of me...now im more scared of the pre-surgery then the actual surgery and post diet. They had to do a blood gas?? I hate that...I have that when my asthma is so bad that I need to be hospitalized..hasnt happened in years but I remember that test.; ouch. so this is bootcamp hmm?? Im going to have nightmares tonight. How are you however?? Are you okay?? How are you feeling? excited im sure but...sheesh. Does NY do all those tests as well?? Can you tell that im a big scardycat?? I didnt think so..but im beginning to.

Thanks for the above..its always good to be prepared though as to what needs to happen..as we were all wondering what this long six to eight hour day was about right?

Okay...im gonna suck it up tomorrow...tonight Im going to cry lol.

Hello again all.

It is wonderful to hear of so many others who will be starting their journey at the same time as me...I will think of that often in the good and bad times and probably come here often for support!

wlcoyle;

You are not alone in that thought above....I know I feel the same.

What ive found most helpful about finding obout about all your concerns above was to look at the February bandsters for about a month back to now.....these are all people being banded now...in February...who like us a month ago were asking and feeling pretty similar to what we are feeling a few weeks before our surgery dates.

I find myself checking their posts as to how they are each coming along...and they have been posting their experiences before...and on the day of surgery to the days after surgery. I found this to be really helpful.

You can also try the chat room support group here on this site. People have been pretty helpful and open giving support answering questions and just giving it straight...you are having your surgery next week....so fortunately for us..you will be our leader ....and we will be asking you all the questions as we will all be banded after you.....and you have its true no one...to kind of ask...so maybe these suggestions might be helpful.

Maybe others will have some other ideas as well....

no matter what we will be here and next month....we will all be on the journey towards health....and the process of the actually banding will be well behind us!

Good luck next week!!!

Thats all folks! Have a great night and those who are breginning their pre-surgery diets this week ....or have started...good luck and hope they are going well!!!

Jodi

Hey Jodi, My name is Stevie by the way. You dont have to write StevieVieth. Just call me stevie. I am excited but the weather however has me all arggg. Its snowing this morning and I am not the person to be driving in the snow. But I have to make my appt at the hosp. im not sure about everything with boot camp. Where in Ny are you? My sister lives in Staten Island and she didnt have to do the whole pre admissions testing at the hospital. Well off I go. Ill update when I get back~

Hi Everyone! I am new to this thread and wanted someone to share my super exciting news with. I just received my surgery date!!! I will be banded on March 24th. I am so excited, I can't stop doing the happy dance! I'm 27 years old, 5' 2'' and currently at 220.6 pounds. My heaviest was 268. I lost 30 pounds using alli and exercising like crazy. Once the weight stopped coming off, I decided to go for lap-band®. I lost 18 pounds in my surgeon's pre-surgery diet program (1200 cals/day and exercise for at least 150 min/week). Here is my info:

Date of surgery: March 24th

Where surgery will be: Burlington, VT

Doctor/Center: Doctor Forgione, FAHC Bariatric

Seminar date: August 2009

1st consult date: October 2009

2nd consult: November 2009, I had an appointment with their nutritionist and nurse once a month.

Consults and tests completed: Psych eval, EKG, EGD (horrible), monthly appointment with nutritionist, 6 month supervised diet with daily food and exercise journals, behavioral eating class, nutrition class, required monthly band support group meetings, 3 day liquid diet trial, 3 day belnderized diet homework, lost the required 10% of my body weight!

Tests still needed: Pre-surgery appointment with surgeon, nurse and nutritionist on March 11th. I believe that they need to run some blood tests at this appt.

How is surgery funded? Insurance, BCBS of Vermont. Wondeful insurance company. They approved me 2 days after receiving the papers from my surgeons office.

Concerns? Learning to eat soooo very differently. No drinking while eating!

Reason for banding? I don't want to be fat anymore. I'm done with it! I want to feel hot and sexy again.

Wlecome!!!! Your surgery date is the day before mine!!! I am super excited!!!

Hi Suzy,

Mine is March 8. Woo hoo. I start full liquids the 1st but otherwise living fairly normally at the moment. I'm getting the Allergan band. You?

Good luck!!

Dayna

So I go today for my Pre-Op and for the last dietician appt. Surgury is 7 days away a little nervous but excited...I noticed that some others had to do a pre-op diet a couple weeks before their surgury...I was just wondering is that a required thing or do just some Dr.'s require it?

Hi, my dr. requires only a one-week full liquids diet, then clear liquids day before surgery. I think some insurance co's require a regular diet first too. I have to confess I was more like on a SeeFood diet until a few days ago. But March 8 is approaching so I've started behaving.

Im super excited!!!!! I had my pre op visit with the surgeon to score everything. I had my bootcamp and pre admissions testing too this morning. Im set and ready to go!!! 3/2 is my date must be at the hospital at 6:30am I am the first on the list. Op is at 7:30... Yay its coming very close!:smile2:

Guess what??? I got moved up. March 9th!! Someone cancelled or didnt get clearance but got the phone call today rhat the insurance approved me allready and if I want to move my date up to the 9th I can...and boy did I ever!!

so..now im a March 9th bandsters....Yea!

Hey Jodi, My name is Stevie by the way. You dont have to write StevieVieth. Just call me stevie. I am excited but the weather however has me all arggg. Its snowing this morning and I am not the person to be driving in the snow. But I have to make my appt at the hosp. im not sure about everything with boot camp. Where in Ny are you? My sister lives in Staten Island and she didnt have to do the whole pre admissions testing at the hospital. Well off I go. Ill update when I get back~

Stevie thats great!!! SIm so excited for you about the surgery on the March 2nd and you are good to go!! You must be so relieved. Do you have to stay over night at all or are you going outpatient? I am staying one night..protocol. So, now you can get on with planning for your first weeks. My mother god bless her....she went out and bought me five days worth of new PJS and socks...lol of course it was appreciated as I really needed them in any case.

I had a friend once who who had a friend named Stevie she was a girl as well. I always really liked that name.

Im not really sure why I had to go through the hoops. Not sure wether it is the surgeons, hospitals or insurance company. Nobody seems to know lol but no one has the exact same protocol no matter what city or state they live in. Im just hoping for no blood gas~! That scared me more then the surgery itself!

You said your sister lives in SI? Are you from NY orriginally? Im in Cedarhurst LI. I work in Brooklyn.

Hi, my dr. requires only a one-week full liquids diet, then clear liquids day before surgery. I think some insurance co's require a regular diet first too. I have to confess I was more like on a SeeFood diet until a few days ago. But March 8 is approaching so I've started behaving.

OMG...me too...in fact I gained 5 llbs. in the last month..because its all about that last hoorah? I dont think I ate so much or anything additional..however I guess that psychologically its easy to think like this. I think that if I was on supervised diet for a certain amount of time before surgery and demonstrate some weight loss or noooo surgery...then maybe I would have..but I didnt need to be on any pre-surgery diet at all. The day before needs to be liquid and thats it. so...I guess...itl take a little longer but Im ready for it and I know afterwards...thats it!! lol So you arent the only one...and im sure there are others who feel the same.

Well hope all is well with everyone. Would love to know what everyone is doing to get ready for their surgery and the first week afterwhich.

Are people buying containers of broth or making their own and if they are buying how much sodium is considered okay per serving:? If I make broth on my own..the chances of sodium and fat is higher for sure lol

so, clear liquids such as apple juice..low sugar and cranberry juice I was told..but that doesnt sound like it will feel good after another endoscopy and skin milk and clear jello. hmmm that and broth and hot water with hmm what?

any other ideas that people have heard? would love to start buying a few staples for the week.

any suggestions will be welcomed.

Have a great night! Jodi

Hi, this is my first post. I am having my band on March 4th.

All very quick - saw the RN on Monday, dietician on Wed, and I saw my surgeon today for the first time. I am in Australia, and the insurance companies don't put us through all the hoops you guys go through. Only thing I have to do is optifast diet for one week,which I started on Wed after seeing the dietician - just assumed (& hoped) I could get in quickly. Can't wait.

Guess what??? I got moved up. March 9th!! Someone cancelled or didnt get clearance but got the phone call today rhat the insurance approved me allready and if I want to move my date up to the 9th I can...and boy did I ever!!

so..now im a March 9th bandsters....Yea!

Hey Jodi, My name is Stevie by the way. You dont have to write StevieVieth. Just call me stevie. I am excited but the weather however has me all arggg. Its snowing this morning and I am not the person to be driving in the snow. But I have to make my appt at the hosp. im not sure about everything with boot camp. Where in Ny are you? My sister lives in Staten Island and she didnt have to do the whole pre admissions testing at the hospital. Well off I go. Ill update when I get back~

Stevie thats great!!! SIm so excited for you about the surgery on the March 2nd and you are good to go!! You must be so relieved. Do you have to stay over night at all or are you going outpatient? I am staying one night..protocol. So, now you can get on with planning for your first weeks. My mother god bless her....she went out and bought me five days worth of new PJS and socks...lol of course it was appreciated as I really needed them in any case.

I had a friend once who who had a friend named Stevie she was a girl as well. I always really liked that name.

Im not really sure why I had to go through the hoops. Not sure wether it is the surgeons, hospitals or insurance company. Nobody seems to know lol but no one has the exact same protocol no matter what city or state they live in. Im just hoping for no blood gas~! That scared me more then the surgery itself!

You said your sister lives in SI? Are you from NY orriginally? Im in Cedarhurst LI. I work in Brooklyn.

OMG...me too...in fact I gained 5 llbs. in the last month..because its all about that last hoorah? I dont think I ate so much or anything additional..however I guess that psychologically its easy to think like this. I think that if I was on supervised diet for a certain amount of time before surgery and demonstrate some weight loss or noooo surgery...then maybe I would have..but I didnt need to be on any pre-surgery diet at all. The day before needs to be liquid and thats it. so...I guess...itl take a little longer but Im ready for it and I know afterwards...thats it!! lol So you arent the only one...and im sure there are others who feel the same.

Well hope all is well with everyone. Would love to know what everyone is doing to get ready for their surgery and the first week afterwhich.

Are people buying containers of broth or making their own and if they are buying how much sodium is considered okay per serving:? If I make broth on my own..the chances of sodium and fat is higher for sure lol

so, clear liquids such as apple juice..low sugar and cranberry juice I was told..but that doesnt sound like it will feel good after another endoscopy and skin milk and clear jello. hmmm that and broth and hot water with hmm what?

any other ideas that people have heard? would love to start buying a few staples for the week.

any suggestions will be welcomed.

Have a great night! Jodi

Hey Jodi, yes I am originally from Staten Island myself. I was born there and raised most of my life. I know maybe one or two other girls named Stevie, but they are younger then I am. My parents loved Stevie Nicks and thats how I became Stevie-Nicole.. SO I lost 3 lbs since tuesday!!!!!! At frst the hospital weighed me when I went in for pre admission testings and bootcamp yesterday, but the scale they used was this old rikity thing. Im use to get weighed on my dr's scale at the office which is this all high tech can calibrate itself type that is right on the money all the time. The difference is the hospitals scale said i gained a lb. Then I went back to the Dr.'s office and they weighed me and I was down 3 lbs from my last weight check. So Im use to going by this scale and I was relieved. Plus at the Dr.'s office they make me take off my shoes and such the hosp didnt.

The problem I am going to have is I cant use my birth control for 1 month!!!! I dont want to get pregnant. And my husband and I are 23 and 21 so He is still at his peek !! Ive had to fight him off for the last day!! SO its off to the store for condoms. Another thing is you cant wear any metal into the OR. that means my tongue ring, septum ring, and monroe need retainers made of plastic so they wont close. Then I need to dig out my plastic or acrillic plugs as well! This part is frustrating,

Hi Everyone I also will be a March Bandster

Age: 48

Height: 5'4

Current Weight: 235 lbs.

Goal Weight: 150 lbs.

Surgery Date: Mar 26, 2010

For as long as I can remember I have struggled with my weight, you name a diet or program and I have probably tried it once if not several times.

Like many others I was never able to keep the weight I would lose off. Whatever I would would lose I would gain back plus more.

I investigated lap band surgery a couple years ago but did not commit at that time, mainly because of the cost.

Here I am a couple years later and heavier than ever, and have realized that I am worth the cost. I am a self pay and I have arranged

for financing.

My surgery is booked for March 26, 2010 in Ontario it cannot come soon enough for me, I am very excited about finally having a tool to help me

in my journey to achieve and MAINTAIN a healthy weight.

The problem I am going to have is I cant use my birth control for 1 month!!!! ... Another thing is you cant wear any metal into the OR. that means my tongue ring, septum ring, and monroe need retainers made of plastic so they wont close. ,

Stevie - I haven't been told to stop taking BC...did they give you a reason for that?

And I feel the same about my metal...now I don't have as much :mad2: but I do have three ear piercings (in each ear) and a belly piercing soooo I guess I'll take them out and hope for the best. Do you know a chain type place I can buy retainers for all of the above? (for relatively cheap)

Thanks!!

ps. to everyone -I totally twisted my ankle last night and I don't even know how (something to do with a curb and my head being somewhere else completely)...my surgery is Tuesday and now my ankle is bothering me. I thought to myself (as it was happening) "Really Whitney...really? of all times to get hurt, this is not an option". It's more funny than anything but it does hurt. I will keep trying to work it out so that I can WALK on Tuesday...:eek:

Oh My GOD!!!!! Finally a fellow March 24th bandster. I am also the 24th. WOW! I'm so excited. I've been thru much the same as you but I have to be on the pre-op clear liquids only diet for 2 weeks before surgery, not looking forward to that. I hope I make it, it's one of the things that has scared me the most about all of this. I have been cleared thru all my other tests, had to have a cpap machine assigned to me for sleep apena, what a pain in the butt it is dealing with this each night, I even have to take it with me the day of surgery. Congradulations for doing so well. Please keep in touch after surgery. I will say a prayer for both of us that everything goes perfect and in no time we will be thinner. I am 62 years old, 313 lbs., hope to loose at least 125+ lbs with Gods help. Sorry to get so long. Eileen:thumbup:

Hi, this is my first post. I am having my band on March 4th.

All very quick - saw the RN on Monday, dietician on Wed, and I saw my surgeon today for the first time. I am in Australia, and the insurance companies don't put us through all the hoops you guys go through. Only thing I have to do is optifast diet for one week,which I started on Wed after seeing the dietician - just assumed (& hoped) I could get in quickly. Can't wait.

Hello Aussie bandster ... I am a journalist in FL, USA and also getting a band ... I am so curious about other health care systems ... would you mind talking (I won't quote you I just want to know) about this?

Hi Guys!! I'm excited about my lapband surgery :eek:!!! Ive had a long journey from insurance company to company but Ive finally made it.

Date of Surgery: March 16th :mad2:

Where Surgery will be: Columbia, SC

Doctor/Center: Riverside Surgical Group

Dr. Glen Strickland Lexington Medical Center

Seminar date: Dec 2009 (3rd in 4yrs)

1st consult date: Jan 12, 2010

2nd consult: March 10, 2010

Consults and tests completed: Cardiologist. Psych test, Endocronologist, Nutritionist, Endoscopy

Tests still needed: none

How is surgery funded? Insurance- BCBS of SC

Concerns? How will I deal with the mental hungers and reprogram my brain to consume less

Reason for banding? I have horrific joint and knee problems and I have needed a knee replacement for 2years. Im now 34yrs old and 340lbs enuff said!!!

Stevie - I haven't been told to stop taking BC...did they give you a reason for that?

And I feel the same about my metal...now I don't have as much but I do have three ear piercings (in each ear) and a belly piercing soooo I guess I'll take them out and hope for the best. Do you know a chain type place I can buy retainers for all of the above? (for relatively cheap)

Thanks!!

ps. to everyone -I totally twisted my ankle last night and I don't even know how (something to do with a curb and my head being somewhere else completely)...my surgery is Tuesday and now my ankle is bothering me. I thought to myself (as it was happening) "Really Whitney...really? of all times to get hurt, this is not an option". It's more funny than anything but it does hurt. I will keep trying to work it out so that I can WALK on Tuesday...:mad2:

The Dr. Told me to stop right away, because for 3 weeks following surgery you are able to develope blood clots, and one birth control it triples that risk. I take the nuvaring and have been for over a year, and he told me to stop right away. So I would call your doctors office and ask before your surgery so you dont have a chance to get blood clots. So get a supply of condoms =) A chain store that you can get retainers at is like Hot Topic in the malls or like Spencers gifts. those are two off the top of my head, some odds and ends store that sells plugs and gauges for your piercings should sell them too. Not the fancy jewelry places, even claires accessory stores might. I know I have one or 2 for my monroe and septum, but I know I have to get one for my tongue ring. :eek: