Hey There,

Just looking for any July 2011 banders. I just started my process, but as that I am "self-pay", I am on a fast track to surgery. Although, not terribly obese (bmi 34), I am using lap band surgery as a tool for continued success after loosing weight. I have always been able to join a program(diet or exercise or prescription) and loose weight.....I've done it several times with several different programs (not a good thing), but I always gain the weight back and more. Now that I am in my 40s, it is harder to loose and faster to come back. No more, I say! I want to be heathy in my future - family history/genetics dictates that I will/can be using a walker or wheel chair from degenerative bones and joints, heart disease, diabetes. I am trying to steer clear of that but still keep seeing myself heading in that direction, so now is the time for further action. Although apprehensive about going under, I am reading all the good things about the lap band procedure and am hoping that it is just a little more than the tubiligation and endemetrial ablasion that I had done last year. At least, I am thinking of it that way, so as to not scare myself too badly!

Lisa B - Northern Virginia

Hello everyone. I just had my pre op visit yesterday and have a surgery date set for July 21st. I of course am having my jitters and cold feet but i am sure every single person has them. I have never had any surgery before but that kind of freaks me out a bit. I am planning my "last meals" and looking forward to the lifetime ahead. My goal is unrealistic but I am aiming on losing around 170lbs. Thank you to everyone that posts here. It has played a pivitol role in me making this decision. Plan on seeing a lot more (or less) of me!

I'm doing My Lap Band Journey through lapband.com. it is pretty cool because it tracks your weight, inches, allows you to upload photos of yourself for each date you enter weight and shows it on a graph. Also creates a ticker for your page with goal weight, bmi, pounds lost, pounds until goal, etc. You can write yourself letters for the future. I have one for Sept of 2011 and May 2012. Lots of recipes and videos too.

http://lowbmilapbandjourney.blogspot.com/?m=1 My blog on this whole journey.

I hear you on that, Aly! I start pre-op diet on Tuesday also and I have been eating lots of bad food and then having tons of guilt and sick feelings afterward. I certainly won't miss stuffing myself silly on those empty calories. 17 days until surgery and they can't get here fast enough!

I start pre-op on Tuesday and have been getting the whole "last meal" thing done this weekend... but really, just eating junk food is making me feel awful. I don't think I'll miss it that much at all. =/

The same thing happened to me (most of the time). I gradually said goodbye to my favorite fast foods and general crap that I ate, and the further I got, the sicker it made me feel. It was the strangest thing - I could eat 4 pieces of pizza easily, but when I got my last pizza, I could only eat 2/3. I must admit that I cried a lot when I bid them all farewell, but out with the bad and in with the good!

Amy

I start pre-op on Tuesday and have been getting the whole "last meal" thing done this weekend... but really, just eating junk food is making me feel awful. I don't think I'll miss it that much at all. =/

Welcome! I don't think your goal is unrealistic at all...check out the tickers on some of the other forums and you will see people that have done it!

I'm a little freaked out too, I think everyone is at some point. We are here to support each other so feel free to post your feelings/experience here on the thread and we will keep you going!

I've been eating at all my favorite restaurants and eating up all the "bad food" in my house. I won't be surprised if I'm a little higher in weight than in my first meeting with the surgeon, but that's ok.

Shauna

Hello everyone. I just had my pre op visit yesterday and have a surgery date set for July 21st. I of course am having my jitters and cold feet but i am sure every single person has them. I have never had any surgery before but that kind of freaks me out a bit. I am planning my "last meals" and looking forward to the lifetime ahead. My goal is unrealistic but I am aiming on losing around 170lbs. Thank you to everyone that posts here. It has played a pivitol role in me making this decision. Plan on seeing a lot more (or less) of me!

I don't think your goal is unrealistic. It depends on how you develop your goals. I'm currently around 310 or so, and according to my height, I should be somewhere around 150. Am I going to make it there? Who knows. The really important thing to me is to reduce the comorbidities (prediabetic, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, etc). I set by weight loss goal at 100 pounds. Once I get there, I'll decide after that how low I can go, but for me, I just want to be healthier. Just depends on you

Welcome to the group - it is super important for me as well! Few people know about my surgery, which makes emotional support pretty challenging.

Amy

Hello everyone. I just had my pre op visit yesterday and have a surgery date set for July 21st. I of course am having my jitters and cold feet but i am sure every single person has them. I have never had any surgery before but that kind of freaks me out a bit. I am planning my "last meals" and looking forward to the lifetime ahead. My goal is unrealistic but I am aiming on losing around 170lbs. Thank you to everyone that posts here. It has played a pivitol role in me making this decision. Plan on seeing a lot more (or less) of me!

well look at that, first post and I am already feeling better

For those of us who are keeping surgery quiet, do you plan to tell people if they ask you directly? Or tell people once you feel you are successful? I don't think I should lie if asked...

What do you think?

I will probably not tell people right away about my surgery. I won't lie, but If I'm working out and watching my carbs and sugar intake and losing weight, then that is what I will probably say. Not totally sure cuz I haven't been put in that position yet but I think that is how I will handle it. By telling the truth, just not giving up things I would prefer to keep to myself.

For those of us who are keeping surgery quiet, do you plan to tell people if they ask you directly? Or tell people once you feel you are successful? I don't think I should lie if asked...

What do you think?

i think it's important to tell a few ppl, i told my childhood best friend, and my two best friends here in cincinnati but told them it is personal and not to share...my family of course knows too. i figure once the weight starts sliding off fast, i might feel like telling more ppl if they directly ask, but if they don't ask, i won't tell...i feel like ppl judge you and think "oh she couldn't do it on her own, so she had surgery and now she doesn't have to do anything and it just comes off!" maybe i am paranoid, but that is what i think ppl think generally who don't know about the process and i don't want to sit here and explain the surgery and the way it works to them if they are not really important in my life.

Hi, I have been reading about all the July Banders-- so happy for everyone's journey! I would love to be added to your July 7th list.. I am excited to finally be in a place where I am mentally and physically ready for the changes. Embarrassingly, I have postponed my surgery two times since October. Going under frightens me however I am ready to do this. Readying every ones post, sharing the same fears and excitment is encouraging. BEST of luck to all the July Banders.

OK, just decided to make the list since I have the time, let me know if I got any of them incorrect, or if anyone wants me to add their first name to their username.

No date yet: Shauna Deanne, LisaB68, kychick1294, 30Something, lifeisjustbeginning2011 (Amy)

June 30: Nechama L

July 1: jenjaw, nancy2011, amjcal, Tracy N, xlstan, Wendy Muehleisen, ahassan

July 5: AlyGurl (Aly), MassMom01527, Allison0927, Harvest Farmer

July 6: lizzy21050, crash878905,

July 7: nesportsfan, hokdo, songbird5769

July 11: dixiechick, honeybunny, Jessica43082, hlong1985

July 12: BandedApril (April)

July 13: CurlyDiva

July 14: crystalddm

July 15: Corize

July 19: Mrs. Schultz

July 21: NomersCat, Coco's mum

July 25: cat lady

I've only told my best friend, sister, mother, father, and ex-husband...mainly because I will need their help before and after the surgery. I also told 1 co-worker who has been successful at gastric bypass...hopefully he keeps his mouth shut.

If anyone asks, I'm going to say "I eat less and move more", which is the truth. Nobody needs to know what kind of surgeries I have had. I think people will judge harshly ("oh, she took the easy way out") when it's going to be anything but!

Shauna

For those of us who are keeping surgery quiet, do you plan to tell people if they ask you directly? Or tell people once you feel you are successful? I don't think I should lie if asked...

What do you think?

Hi All,

I am being banded on July 12th. I am so glad that I found this site! It looks like there will others for me to share my journey with. My doctor only wants me to drink the Protein shakes for one day before the surgery. Seems very different than others. I am considering doing it for a week before the surgery just to start the process.

Best of luck to all!

I've been thinking the same thing! My dr hasn't mentioned one thing to me about a pre-op diet so I called to check and he said I would just have to drink Protein shakes for up to two days prior to surgery. I think we got the easy way out! Haha good luck!!

seriously think that I am the only one on here who doesnt have to do the pre-op diet. I keep reading about how much everyone one is dreading their pre-op instructions and thought maybe I was doing something wrong. I called and spoke with my surgeon's office today and asked if I should be starting soon, and they said no, just Protein Shakes the day before surgery and nothing after midnight the night before. Is anyone else's doctor saying the same thing? Why do you think he is so relaxed about this?

Thoughts?...

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Me too! Today is my second day and I don't feel hungry. Mentally I want eat...last night was hard for me because that's when I do my damage, but I made it through!

so i am finding i am not really hungry on this liquid diet, just used to putting something in my mouth unnecessarily...anyone have similar thoughts? i am afraid i will break after a day or two, or maybe it will get easier, i am not sure?