November bandsters unite!!

[losingitatlast 0]

Jguttery: thanks for being encouraging about the pre-op diet! I start mine tomorrow, get banded on Nov. 9th. Nervous & excited...

[JaGo 16]

I am tentatively scheduled for November 22, pending Echo test, psych visit, then insurance approval - which could all be completed within a week or 2. I have been keeping tabs on the discussions here and many of them have been very helpful. I am looking forward to the next steps. Many of the comments have helped me with the "Do's and Don'ts." I am determined to do all of the right things!

[topazz 4]

Lashonda, you can definitely do this!! Only a few days to change the rest of your life for the best!! Yes, you can do it!!

Ann, looks like you and I are being banded on the same day!! When do you start your pre-op diet? What is your diet like? Mine is 7 days of a liquid diet, with the last day all Clear liquids. Otherwise it includes Protein shakes, yogurt, Soups and pudding/jell-o. My dr office has a nutritionist that sets up a menu, so at least I'll have something to go by. Eventhough it it is a 7 day diet, I am starting Nov 1 to get adjusted and maybe even lose a little more weight.

John, thanks for the info. But now, how do they decide which band to use on a patient?

[CharlyinCO 0]

Hello Everyone!! I have been reading this website's posts for the last 2 weeks since having my surgery scheduled for November 5th. But I just joined today.

It has been a fast trip from first consultation on Oct 6 to surgery sched for Nov 5th. Luckily for me, I had all (diet, psych & dr.) consultations on same day. Left the office with surg date and they were confident my insurance would approve with no problems. So far, I haven't heard otherwise. My ins pays 100% (BCBS Fed) and I have a $100 copay and that's it. I had not considered surgery until I found out it was covered by my ins.

I get my pre op labs done on Tuesday and then I have a 3 day pre op liquid diet before surg. After reading about 2 & 3 weeks preop liquid diets, I am sooo glad I only have 3 days worth.

I am excited and terrified at the same time. My biggest concern right now is the food. You see, I don't cook hardly any more and I am very picky about the foods I like or eat. I mostly eat fast foods or restaurant foods anymore. I rarely eat vegetables and probably have the worst eating habits of anyone. For the last 2 weeks I have been trying a variety of things such as pre-made Protein shakes, sugar free stuff, and even yogurt, which i never liked before. I have been pleasantly surprised at their good taste. But I am so used to eating on the go all the time (hence majority of my food being fast food), that I am not sure how I am going to do with having to make my own food to take with me to, like for example, work. I want to have a menu written down for at least the first 2 weeks of pureed foods stage, but I have no idea where or how to start. Any one else have this experience? I welcome any suggestions on how to deal with this.

[Blackbutterfly719 0]

Rudgirl...I'm November 16th. I too have to follow the Atkins Diet. I see you are in Austin. So am I. I have Dr. Esquivel through True Results. What about you?

Dawnya

[Bella Luna 1]

My ins pays 100% (BCBS Fed) and I have a $100 copay and that's it. I had not considered surgery until I found out it was covered by my ins.

Hey, I have the exact same insurance (Basic). My surgery date is the 11th. Your process went very quickly! I felt the same way. I obviously had considered it a little bit, thus the research into my insurance benefits. But once I realized the insurance would cover it, I felt driven to do it...almost like it's now or never. Good luck to you!

[lilly_louise 0]

Hi there

Also a teacher here in New Zealand, and have had to time my op with senior exam periods and the end of the school year, so my surgery is on November 26th. Survived Week 1 of the pre-op diet though - lost 4.5 kilos - such an incentive :smile2:

Hey Cassie,

I live in NZ too!! Getting banded on Nov 17th!!

At Victoria University and am also waiting for final exams to finish!

Its good to know others in NZ are making this change :blushing:

Congrats on the loss so far!!

Lilly

[Queenslander 0]

hi all, im booked in for 5th November 2010. I have started my two weeks of Optifast on Saturday. I am very excited but at the same time a little nervous. How is everyone going?

[Queenslander 0]

Hi CarlyinCo

We are booked in for the same day 5th November2010. I like you are a little nervous. My doctor has sent me to a nutritionist which has put me on a 2 week Optifast diet which is all layed out for me with what to eat and when. They have also given me a plan on what to eat for the 2 weeks post op. I would be contacting your doctor and they will send you in the right direction to a good nutritionist who will make up a eating plan for you.

Hope this helps.

[losingitatlast 0]

Hey LaShonda,

we're on the same schedule...started my liquid pre-op today, getting banded on 11/9. Good luck!

[angieboyd 0]

Hi Everyone!!!! Happy Birthday to all folks with birthdays this month! Hope you have a great one!

I go today to my dr for my pre-op visit. Any questions that I should ask that anyone can think of? Any idea's would be great. I feel like my head is spinning and I go to write them down and they go right out the window. lol HELP please! :huh2:

[ssankofa73 2]

I asked the Dr. that same question the day of my surgery and he said that it was based on my internal anatomy. This led me to believe that he had a choice re: which size to use the day of surgery. I'm not sure if you know this but the 10 cc band was recently put on the market earlier that year only a couple of months beforehand. I asked the Dr. the same question few months ago when we were deciding what I should do next and he said it wasn't available for use yet when I had the implant placed.

[ssankofa73 2]

DebWS,

I asked the Dr. that same question the day of my surgery and he said that it was based on my internal anatomy. This led me to believe that he had a choice re: which size to use the day of surgery. I'm not sure if you know this but the 10 cc band was recently put on the market earlier that year only a couple of months beforehand. I asked the Dr. the same question few months ago when we were deciding what I should do next and he said it wasn't available for use yet when I had the implant placed.

Topazz,

I'm not sure if they even use the 4cc band anymore but there are 2 sizes available right now. I was told I will be given the APS band which is the standard size that holds 10cc. There is also the APL which is the large size that holds 14cc. the Dr. won't know which one to give you until he actually goes in during surgery and takes a look at your internal organs. He makes his decision based on how your anatomy looks.

[mebutbetter 0]

I am waiting on call from Surgeons office to actually schedule. Aiming for the week of Thanksgiving so I have time to do the liquid diet thing and allow a few days to recover. I'm looking forward to support from others going through the same challenges.

[Back2BestME 0]

I don't understand why are they make us do the diet plan a week before or two weeks before the surgery

IF I COULD DIET THEN I WOULDN'T BE GETTING THE SURGERY!!!!

any answers?