I FINALLY got my surgery date! August 4th!!!!! I am so excited! I feel like it's a long ways away!

Who else is getting banded in August?

I'm getting banded tomorrow, August 10. I'm so excited! I'm ready to make a change.

Good luck tomorrow!

Good luck to everyone going into surgery this week! A11 here too Surgery was last week and I am feeling soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better!!! I had my first post-op Dr appt yesterday and lost 12 lbs since I was weighed pre-op last Wednesday!!! I can't believe how quickly I dropped.

I am back up and working as of yesterday--but I did have a bad low blood sugar thing and I have to watch. I teach music to children so I got myself overheated and then the BS dropped like a stone. I will bring a small orange juice with me today. That should help. plus I am able to have food starting today.

Other than a little port side pain, I am doing well. I slept a whole 8 hours uninterrupted last night. walking and sitting is ok so I think its gonna be better!

To everyone looking to this week's surgery--it will be over quickly and you will not feel as bad as that first night again! Enjoy your down time, but don't veg. Allow your body to heal with activity. GO A-11 BANDERS!!!

A clink of the liquid protein glasses!!!

Linda

Getting banded on Thursday (8/11)................EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD!!

Getting banded on Thursday (8/11)................EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD!!

Good luck! Hope to join you soon!

Whew...........went to pre-op appt with surgeron yesterday and it showed an astonishing 5lbs loss from my intitial consult. Nurse said "good girl" as I stepped of the scale, I was terrified that it was going to show a gain.

Ok I went to the hospital for my pre-surgical appt with the nurses and I step on the scale which reflected a 4lbs gain. I almost started crying in front of this complete stranger. This has been on my mind all day. I go the surgeon for my pre-op visit on Monday and I am so ashamed to go to this appointment weighing more than I did at my consult. I think I am going to put myself on a liquid diet starting tomorrow so my surgeon won't look at me like I am pathetic on Monday. I hope I will be successful with the band.

Had my pre op appointment today lost 9 lbs on the 2 wk optifast... Get my Band on Thursday and I am soooo ready! Good luck to everyone we are about to begin a wonderful journey!

Good luck to all the people getting banded this week. I am so excited to say my date is Aug 18- I've only told three people. Heard too many negative opinions way back when just exploring the band. My PCP was outright ugly with her negative opnion-told me to see a counselor and explore my relationship with food!!!!! Can you believe it? I'm concerned about 2 things- pain after the banding, and getting back to work. I'm only taking off seven days. Anyone have suggestions of what we should have available during the first week of recovery??

Hello everyone! My surgery is slated for August 16th here in Virginia. I didn't have to do the liquid diet, although the surgeon usually requires it. I do have to do clear liquids the day before surgery, though. I'm excited but starting to feel like I should have chosen a different path (sleeve, for example). I'm going to stick with my choice of banding, but have heard it is normal to feel some "what ifs?". Anyway, glad to join the group and take this journey with you all!

Heather

i just went to my post-op visit... two days early. I have a little blister forming on my large incision so they wanted to see me today. They said it's perfectly fine and I'm not infected or anything. I've lost 17 pounds since the last time I was in their office. I go back to work on Monday. He said I can walk to exercise. But I see them again at the end of the month for my first fill... I hope I won't need it. I'm still not hungry.

I have only told two people - my daughter and my boyfriend. I have a fabulous family and great friends, but I am just too embarassed about gaining 30 lbs. over the last year. I can "hide" my true weight with a few "blessings" and some other positives - no one believes that I weigh as much as I do. I have weighed 218 lbs. for several years, however, my mother died last year and through her very long, stressful hospital stay, I gained 30 lbs. I started this process last month on July 1st (first doctor appointment) and have fast tracked all of my tests and surgery is scheduled in two weeks (August 23), pending insurance approval. I'm impatient, thus why I only have about 7 weeks invested in the entire pre-op process. I weighed 248 lbs. on July 1 - today August 9, I weigh 240 lbs. - down 8 lbs. and started the liquid diet today so I can lose the remaining 12 lbs. prior to my surgery date. Would like to talk to others about "My Little Secret".

Hi there! I think I have you beat. NONE of my family knows I'm doing this. I had to tell 2 people at work to cover for me and one to drive me home from the hospital. That's it. I know I can do this, but I don't want someone standing over me all the time, "reminding me" how it's done, when they actually have no idea!!

My surgery date is the 22nd. Good luck to you.

I kinda feel weird telling people too. I think it is like I'm admitting to all that my weight is out of control. So far the few people I've told are very excited for me, which was weird. It felt like I won the lottery or something and I'm thinking don't you people realize that this is going to change the way I live, the way I think about food, that I won't just be able to eat and drink what I want anymore. Part of me is excited about the weight I have the OPPORTUNITY to lose but at the same time I think I will be in mourning a little for the lifestyle I once lead. I know it wasn't a good lifestyle, I mean it has caused me to weigh over 300 lbs. but alot of those times eating where great times with friends and family. Also it took me 25 yrs. to get this size.

I think people don't know what the lap band is and I think they will be looking for the huge fast weight loss like ByPass gives. I worry that they will be looking at what I'm eating, maybe they are just curious but at the same time I know they will be judging me. Truly I think the worst part about telling people is admitting that you have a food addiction. It is like you are telling them that you are an alcoholic or something. I think some people don't know what to say or how to respond. Should they be happy for us that we confessed or feeling sorry for us that we have to go have surgery to be more in control of our bodies? It is a weird thing. I've begun to share with more people, maybe if I share and then explain that it is just another tool to help me be more aware of what I'm eating, a tool like my Weight watchers slide, my food journal, my measuring spoons, my calorie counting, ETC.!!!!!

I think I'll also feel strange when people begin to notice and ask, "how'd you lose the weight?', it doesn't seem fair that I only say, "I'm watching what I eat, I'm counting calories, I'm exercising." Not, I have a new little device in my body that will make me sick if I eat too much or drink carbonated beverages or will make me vomit if I clogged it up! Oh yeah. I'll just see how it goes. I think sharing with some people that have also struggled with their weight may help them to seek out help too.

REGFERN

Hey! I'm one weeknpost op today and I bet, depending on what type of job you have, you could go back to work today. I'm a hairstylist and basically create my own schedule so I took a couple weeks off.... But if your job isn't too "physical" you should have no problems. I also think my recovery was more on the difficult side so if you have an easier recovery then sure... you should be fine :-)

A couple things you should have on hand:

heating pad! That's my number on suggestion.

A pillow for the car to hold up against your tummy. The bumps are a little rough.

Popsicles for sure. I was really swollen so Popsicles were my saving grace.

A pill cutter!

Thats all I can think of for now :-) good luck!

Good luck to all the people getting banded this week. I am so excited to say my date is Aug 18- I've only told three people. Heard too many negative opinions way back when just exploring the band. My PCP was outright ugly with her negative opnion-told me to see a counselor and explore my relationship with food!!!!! Can you believe it? I'm concerned about 2 things- pain after the banding, and getting back to work. I'm only taking off seven days. Anyone have suggestions of what we should have available during the first week of recovery??

Abowman1985,

I think the liquid is hard too. I can't find a protein powder that I like. Let me know how you are doing? I did find a huge list, 200 recipes under the Food/Exercise forum on this site. You might find something you'll like there.

REGFERN

Tried Unjury poweder and it isn't as bad as the others. I bought the vanilla but added a little Hersey's lite syrup and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter with 6 oz. of skim milk. Not too bad. I think if I add a couple of ice cubes it will thicken it up. I haven't used a FULL scoop of powder yet, but 3/4. Working my way up to it. Also liking the Carnation Inst. Sugar Free choc. with skim milk. Even put it in the blender and added a tablespoon of peanut butter to it. My support gr. members told me to do the Low Fat cream of chicken soup and tomato soup. They suggested I put FF cottage cheese blended up into my tomato soup blended together then heat it up. It was just a thicker tomato soup. I don't eat cottage cheese so I wasn't too sure but it was ok. Yeah, something else to eat.

Getting ready to go out with 13 people to my son's favorite pizza place before he leaves for college tomorrow. Gonna go have some soup and pack my indiv. packets of Crystal Light for my water at the restaurant. Wish me luck. Day 6 of liquids!

REGFERN