I was at the hospital today for my last round of tests - chest xray, EKG, labs... and when I left my nurse told me, "Ok, now all we need you to do is show up on Wednesday!" That really hit me like a ton of bricks. I've known it was coming, but there has always been the "I have so much pre-op stuff left to do" between me and the surgery. Not anymore. During the drive home I realized that (if all goes well) this will be the last Thursday of my life that I'm unbanded. That has a certain finality to it...

Not nervous yet. I don't usually get nervous about things until it's right then and there, so I expect that Wed morning I will be a bear. We'll see.

5 days & counting...

How Exciting!!!! Wishing you a smooth journey into bandland! Congrats!

Hope everything goes wonderfully well for you!! Will be sending you good thoughts on Wednesday...

Emily

Excellent! Good luck as you begin this journey.

Kick some ass (off):clap2:

Hi Wheetsin ~ I am so thrilled for you that I just took a deep breath when I read this is your LAST Thurs unbanded! :faint: What a reality check. Preband is a long journey for some and I can't wait to get my date, which will probably be at least 2 mos or so. I wish you the very best and let us know what emotions you are going through. I know everyone is different, but I love to hear how people deal with these things. :gluck:

:clap2: Hi Wheetsin,

Congratulations! I'm having my surgery on 3/1, too. Reading your post was like deja vu because I got just got approval from my insurance today and had my last blood test this afternoon. Driving home it hit me..."this time next week, I'll be banded!" LOL... great minds, eh?

Good luck and see you in bandland :couch2:

Well, thought I was all done...

Apparently I'm allergic to the tape they use to cover the bandages with. I know I'm sensitive to latex, mot highly but a little - after prolonged contact - and certain adhesives (Band-Aid brand "melts" to me and leaves nice welts), but the cottony-looking tape the used to attach the cottonball to your needle prick site? Yep, it too - apparently! I only left the tape on long enough to get out of the lab room... never thought twice... looked at my arm this morning to see if I had bruised, and I have big sticky welts everywhere the tape was. So my options for keeping bandages in place are starting to run low! They want me to come back and try a few different types of tapes /strips on, to make sure we find something that won't cause problems.

This is the only thing I'm (knowingly) allergic to. Go figure!

Boy do I relate to trouble with the tape. Some of you know I've been being treated for a bad burn and have had to keep dressings on it. I tried using that tape and everytime I would welt up or when I pulled it off, it literally tore off my skin with it. Ow! I still have some marks left from five weeks ago.

I sure hope they find something more suitable for you Wheetsin. It's hard enough dealing with the surgery pain without adding more to it.

I'm really excited for you! I've been watching your posts, seeing you getting everything together, being so prepared. It's been cool to see. I can't wait to see that happy "I'm banded!" post from you! It will be here before ya know it! *hugs*

Best of luck on an uneventful surgery and a speedy recovery.

PhotoNut - thanks! It's a PITA with the adhesives... this cottony tape did something weird though. My skin is STILL sticky, like there's still adhesive there, but I've been over it in the shower, with nail polish remover, even with GooGone - there can't possibly be anything left there! There's certainly nothing visible, and when you feel it, it definitely is hard tot he touch and "slippery", but against other skin it's "sticky". *sigh* The welts are also gone, but it's still red, and when you look closely there's a bunch of tiny, red, smaller-than-a-hair veins all over.

*sigh*

I asked my anesthesiologist yesterday not to kill me. Maybe I'll have to ask my nurse not to bandage me. :confused:

Wheetsin, why dont you try one of those clear bandages for burns? I had one over my hernia incision bandage and it stuck just fine. (I had a burn right next to the incision) When I peeled it off, it was as thin as peeling skin when you get a sunburn. No sticky left over, no welting, no tearing my skin. They come in good size squares so you could cut them to fit the different size bandages you'll have. Just a thought.

Wheetsin -

I have bandaid problems too - the Adhesive, just like you. I use 3-M brand "nextcare" or something like that.

I haven't had any issues with the waterproof normal (not heavy duty) version of these. Maybe they can stitch and NextCare... Hope that helps!!

Good Luck on the whole process.

good luck,

Wheestin ~ I recently had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hrs and the nurse told me if I had sticky stuff from the tape, I could rub some regular cooking oil on it and then rub gently with a wet washcloth.....perhaps this would be an option for you to get rid of that stuff. :confused: ~Good Luck~