Hi, my name is Bonnie, and I am a Diet Coke addict! Its not a deal breaker, but its gonna be a hard one for me! I have tried a few times over the years to kick the habit, but to no avail. Anyways, I know I need to be done with it, and I will, but doesn't mean I have to like it! HA!

I am hoping and praying to have my surgery in Feb '11. I become eligible for Medicare on Feb 1st. Does anyone know if I have to wait until then to start the process? Or can I start getting things lined up ahead of time?

Well there are two parts to this post so I will only post to the first part. Many people on here like soda and carbonated drinks. There is hope for you yet. Not all of us give up carbonated drinks!

Though many doctors recommend not to drink this some doctors ( including ones banded) say it is ok to have carbonated drinks just let them settle a bit. Me personally I don't enjoy the full feeling carbonated drinks give me ( ex diet coke addict I used to drink up to 4 cans a day!) and now I dont like the feeling it leaves on my teeth.

This was a huge surprise to my family back home ( who don't know i'm banded) because I used to be such an addict.

So it is possible to give it up, though might not be required.

good luck with your insurance

I would try very hard to give up the cokes. I was a diet coke lover. I had one every morning when I woke up instead of coffee.. and diet coke was all I drank all day long.

I've only had sips of it since I was banded 20 months ago, and really I don't miss them all that much.

Alien is right, there are some surgeons who say that carbonation isn't a problem, etc. but most of them say that carbonation can lead to dilation of the pouch and over time to possibly a band slip. I just don't think it's worth the risk myself.

It's like giving up any other addiction.. you give them up one step at a time, one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time.

There's lots of other good things to drink besides DC. Water, crystal light, tea, water, coffee, Powerade zero (my current fav), Vitamin water zero, water, fuze slenderize (in moderation..has 20 cal. a bottle), Diet V-8 Splash (moderation), water, Diet oceanspray drinks (in moderation). If you want something in a can so you don't feel left out when others are drinking out of a can.. I've found sugar free lemonade and s/f tea in cans... both non carbonated. You can do it!! Just keep thinking.. what do I want more.. smaller jeans or a diet coke? Smaller jeans usually wins for me. :crying:

I don't know about the medicare question. I do know someone who is having their surgery under medicare and they are having to do a 3month supervised "diet" before their surgery, but I don't know if they could've started it before getting on MC or not.

One step at a time.

I am pre-op but my doc office says let them go flat and only drink them that way, after that you may be able to give them up (I am trying it now to get ready and would rather drink tea!)

Hi Bonnie!!

I too am just like you.....a diet coke addict but I have been sober now for 17 months!

I wanted this surgery so badly and I wanted it to actually work so I just went cold turkey on all soda all together. I was drinking soda up until the day of the surgery and then I just stopped. The whole first year I was banded I drank absolutely no soda at all because my doctor recommended that.

Once I hit my one year I decided that I would let myself have one soda per week as a treat. BUT no diet coke. Soda was not my addiction, diet coke was and I refuse to drink it again because I think I'll get addicted. As it is I am finding myself craving soda a lot lately so I am going to give it up through the holidays so keep the addiction in control!

You can do it!! It feels really good not to be a slave to something you are addicted to!

Thanks! I know I have to get off that horrible DC! I no longer allow my 14 year old to drink any diet Pop. And I am really starting to limit the kids. Pop is now a treat!!

I made a few calls about getting started on my journey to being eligible. Got mixed reviews about when I can start. One place was at least willing to start collecting data as far as failed diet attempts, sleep study, etc. So as of now, that is who I am going with! The other place I called was like..."call back when your medicare begins"...CLICK! Okay then! I have one other place to call.

I am SOO thankful I found this forum, it has helped me so much already, and I just in the pre-Pre-Op phase! :thumbup:

I don't know if I would call my self a hardcore diet coke addict. If it were around preband I drank it. One thing that helped me give it up was that last year I was unemployeed for a couple months and the 2 bucks that DC costs at restaurants really bugged me. Since I did'nt often keep soda/tonic in the house that cut my consumption down a lot. Maybe because I don't have a huge issue with giving up soda I did drink it right up to the day before surgery.

Regarding insurance. I wonder if the cold shoulder you're getting is more about payment for the presurgery cost/tests. I would think that technically a doctor's office would be willing to treat you as long as they get paid. If you don't currently have insurance all the presurgery costs would have to be out of pocket cash payments.

To give you an idea my doctor required that I have recent results for the following on file:

Preliminary consult (nurse practitioner, dietician, Psychologist)Mammogram, Pap Smear, Cardio Ultrasound, Physical, Blood Labs, 2 meetings with a dietician, 3 Mindfull Eating Group Therapy sessions, 2 meetings with the surgeon. I would see the issue as being if you can't afford these costs of pocket (and who would want to) then you would need to wait until your insurance kicks in to start the process.

The other issues is whether you would meet the requirements of you insurnce for the surgery. Have you called to check? Some require a BMI of 40 + or 35 with comodities (high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.).

All of this however does'nt mean that you can't start preparing now. Due to a medical issue I ended up having to wait 8.5 months for surgery. In that time I lost over 50 pounds. FYI many doctors require a weight loss before surgery. Mine required 10%

My Doc also says let them go flat first if I really feel like I can't live without them but I haven't felt the need at all thankfully. I was a huge Diet Ginger Ale freak before I was banded and drank it all day long. I gave up drinking it slowly about two or three months before my surgery and was down to a small serving in the evenings about a month before surgery.

I had one slip up when we took our nieces out for the day shortly after I was banded. They wanted a drink and there was a soda machine and I bought them a grape soda to share. Without thinking, I took three sips of that thing before I realized what I did. OOPS. Luckily, didn't feel any effects from that but glad I didn't buy a whole one for myself and swig it down.

I find I am happy now with Lemonade, iced tea, Water, crystal light flavors. :thumbup:

Wishing you all the best with your surgery, hope all goes well for you.

Ya, the ridding myself of the DC isn't gonna be easy, but I want the surgery worse!! Right now I am working full time overnights to help out while a position is filled, so will have to stay on the caffeine until that is over!! Should be done the first week in Dec. So my goal is to be DC FREE in Jan 2011!!

Hey, my first goal!!!!! The first of many I am sure!

As far as the cold shoulder: I was just surprised that they weren't even interested in seeing the parts that I had already completed! I have a BMI of 51, so its not like I am borderline! Have done Weight Watchers, have done Meridia, have joined many health clubs...and now my PC wants me to have a sleep study for other reasons, so right there are most of they req's for the surgery!

It may be a long tunnel, but there is a glimpse of light beginning to show up...and that is AWESOME!!!

If I can give up Diet Coke then anybody can. I was drinking about approx 9 cans a day. The first time I tried to quit cold turkey, my kids begged me "please for the love of God have a diet coke and leave us alone".

I would panic at night if there wasn't enough in the fridge to get me through until morning and God help whoever drank the last one. I gave it up over a year ago.

I bought 3 of the 20oz bottles and everytime I wanted some I would go have just a drink and put the bottle back in the fridge. When the last one was gone, I was done. Then I switched to caffeine free diet coke....which was much easier to give up when it came to have the surgery.

Wish you the best of luck!

Hi, Bonnie! My fav...is Pepsi Max..yum drink it all the time. However, just left the nutritionist today and I discussed this issue with her. My Dr doesn't even reccommend drinking it flat because it still has carbonated bubbles in it that could trap and possibly streach the pouch area over time and you may not have any problems before it's to late and goes unnoticed. I'm starting to let go now to help prevent my withdrawl! I drink at least 5 a day and that's just crazy. I hope to come all the way off before a surgery is scheduled. Good Luck to you I know how this feels!