Hello all... I am so overwhelmed with emotions! I'm excited, nervous, scared, anxious, relieved... just everything! This process is going pretty quick for me and I'm trying to mentally prepare myself by now getting advice & opinions since I've already read all the statistics & facts now id like to hear from actual people who are about to be banded or have already been banded. I have been researching for over a year and switched from the idea of the realize to the lap band a few months ago. Gastric bypass was totally out of the question for me personally. I literally went to a seminar/consultation weds the 31st, I'm self pay & have a BMI of 51-53 (depending which calculator you use) so I was an automatic approved candidate and therefore am having all my pre-op done this coming weds (4/7) and my tentative surgery date is weds (4/14). EXTREMELY fast! Within a 2 week time span I went from wanting to be banded to scheduled to be banded. My surgeon uses only 1 week of pre-op liquid dieting but I've decided because my bmi is so high to start a little sooner. That's mentally quite a challenge for me but again I'm self pay so I'm very commited to doing this right and not wasting my $! Is there anything else I should be doing to prepare? Any advice any of you veterans can give that you didn't know until it was too late? I've read a lot about the slippages & esophageal erosions and I'm wondering if this is dominately something avoidable by the patient (strict dieting/portion control) or is it just a common occurance of the band itself?? And truly do you actually feel full with the band or are you better off just disciplining yourself without the band? The fail stories are a bit nerve racking but this is still a tool I really think will help me. Anyone else who's newly banded or will be banded in april/2010 id love to connect with you so I can have someone to go through this process with! Thanks.

~Shay

Yim:soserious02

Hi!! I am also being banded on 4/14!! Congrats on getting your date!!! I am already on my pre-op diet. I felt like I was going to die the first three days, but then I am starting to feel a little better today. I can tell you that when you do finally start the diet, plan plenty of time to sleep! I am so excited!! We are only 10 days away!!

Hi purple! I'm glad to find someone else who's having it the same day as me! Its exciting & nerve racking! I am starting the pre-op diet tomorrow. Jus had my last icecream bar.lol since I have to fast tues for the pre-op tests I figure I might as well get a head start. I have read some nightmares about the pre-op diet though! I think we're probably entering the most difficult time of being banded so I hope to keep in touch with you & your surgery goes smoothly. 1 day down! =)

And only 10 days to go!!! I can't wait!!

Did I see right? In another post, I thought you said you were a nurse that was afraid of needles? If so, you can add me to that list too!! I can give injections, but I hate taking them!!!

Lol! Yes I am a nurse & I have worked flu clinics giving over 100 IMs a day but point it at me and I'm ready to run for the hills!lol doesn't help that with being overweight I have those pesky thin rolling veins that seems to allude most nurses! How many times I've said just take it from my left hand and they see it as a challenge to try & conquer! So we have much in common!

I am also an April 14th bandster. It is so nice to know that we are not alone! My pre op diet is going much better now that I am over the 3 day hump. How about yours? Good luck! We are almost there. :smile2:

Hi Jaxie! I'm addicted to this forum which in any case is better than grazing while I'm on these quiet graveyard shifts so you can always count on a response from me! At this rate we'll soon have a club of 4/14th bandsters!haha I am so anxious to get this show on the road! My pre-op diet started at midnight. I've been a regular slimfast dieter for yrs so so far so good! Ask me again tomorrow though.haha Look forward to keeping up with you as well. Ill try to make it on on the big day & check in but that ofcourse depends on how drugged I am! Good to meet you.

Edited April 5, 201016 yr by Sashay02

Hey, Good to hear from you! You might have some headaches and feel week when you start your diet. It will pass in a few days. You just have to stick with it. Tylenol and sleep helped me to get through. Today I have been busy with yard work and cleaning my house so I wont think about food.

Down to the single digits!! Only 9 days to go!!

Preop diet is going MUCH better now!! I literally thought I was going to die the first two days!!

Hi ladies,

My name is Lydia. I, too, am a Register Nurse by profession. Currenly, I am faculty. I don't have a date yet as I am in the preliminary stages. I will be attending a nutrition education session on Wednesday morning for about three hours.

The surgical associates I contacted first send out an application (4 pages long). I filled it out. It is reviewed by a RD to see if you qualify to go on to the next step which is the education session. I submitted copy of insurance card along with application too. I was contacted this morning to set up a date for the nutrition session. After the session, I believe they give you all the preop testing information plus an appointment to see one of the bariatric specialist.

As long as all gets approved, I am psyching myself up for this journey. What does the preop diet consist of?

Lydia

NYC:

Ok Jaxie 'tomorrow' has come & I am famished. I guess the fact that I work nights isn't helpful since its rather slow and the nurses station stays looted with Snacks. I'm trying to keep my eye on the prize though! I defintely am in the 'feelin like I'm goin to die' phase that Purple spoke of!haha But I'm entering day 2 now. Tomorrow night I'm fasting for the pre-op bloodwork as well so I'm really expecting the headaches. =/ no pain no gain though! Its almost that time this is all worth it.

Hi Lydia its nice to hear from you & always good to meet a fellow nurse. The liquid diet for me consists of Protein shakes, Water & crystal light. From what I've read here different doctors implement different diets but all pretty much want low calories & high protein & dominately liquids only. Although I've seen some posts where people had no liquid diet before surgery, or only if your BMI was high. The norm I saw is a 2 wk liquid diet however mine is just 1 week. So it varies! I can't lie... its not the easiest diet I've ever tried but the prize is when you're done you're banded! =)

Is there anything else I should be doing to prepare? Any advice any of you veterans can give that you didn't know until it was too late? I've read a lot about the slippages & esophageal erosions and I'm wondering if this is dominately something avoidable by the patient (strict dieting/portion control) or is it just a common occurance of the band itself?? And truly do you actually feel full with the band or are you better off just disciplining yourself without the band? The fail stories are a bit nerve racking but this is still a tool I really think will help me. Anyone else who's newly banded or will be banded in april/2010 id love to connect with you so I can have someone to go through this process with! Thanks.

~Shay

Yim:soserious02

You sound like you are doing a great job of getting prepared already. Ok, I don't think that erosions can be avoided, but I think the biggest cause of slippages is excessive vomiting/pbing. If you are too tight after a fill, get some taken out. If you begin to pb a lot, you can start a cycle of swelling, more pbing, more swelling, that just continues and can cause problems. Of course, true vomiting from being ill is hard to avoid, so try to keep a prescription on hand, in case it is needed, but you can avoid pbing from being too tight or eating incorrectly.

After surgery, follow your preop diet perfectly. Once you begin mushies, measure out your portions and only take the amount you are supposed to eat to the table. Be conscious of what you are puting in your mouth and "chew" even the mushies.

Buy some of the little 4 ounce and 6 ounce containers by Glad, Ziploc or Rubbermaid. They make eating the correct portion sizes easier. Portion out your food ahead of time so it is easy to grab your food on the go.

sugar free pudding will be your friend. It is good to ease the sugar craving.

I used the Protein shots after surgery during the clear liquid stage. It kept me from being starving and keeps the calorie content higher than just using Water and broth. It may have helped me to lose consistently through this stage.

Ummm...I am sure there is more I will think of later, but I must get ready for work!

My preop diet is 4 Medifast 'meals' and one 400 calorie meal of 4 oz lean meat and 1 1/2 c. cooked vegetables. Also, minimum of 64 oz of liquid. I am trying to stay positive about it. I read that a lot of people were one liquid only diets. Now that I am on day 6, I have more energy and I am not as hungry as I was in the first couple days. That dying hungry feeling I had the first 3 days was horrible, but it passed. I spent a lot of time sleeping and online. That helped tremendoulsy. Yesterday, I did not even eat my 4th Medifast meal. I wasnt even hungry! I think I am going to get my haircut today. New beginning...new hair! That and it keeps my mind off food if I am out of the house!

:thumbup:Sashay- Keep with your diet! I have lost 9 pounds in 6 days. I know you might feel alone like I did, but you can do it!

Hello Ladies!! Just keeping up with the countdown!! We have 8 more days!!

Jaxie- I am right there with you! I've lost 9 pounds so far. I can't wait until it is surgery day!!