We need a place where we can support each other through our "more than most" journey. Just as turtles don't get much out of hearing us talking about fast we're losing, maybe it would give us a nice break from "I'm getting banded because I need to lose 60 lbs".

I think we have our own unique challenges, expectations, baggage, etc. -- and we need our own little niche to support eachother. We all have a very long journey ahead of us, and need to band together.

Shelli,

I just read you are on your pre op diet. For me that was the worst part! Hang in there! Mine was a nightmare for me to do. After the surgery it gets sooooooo much easier.

Even the recovery from surgery was easier for me than the stinky post op diet.

It does get a little easier after day 3 on it but not that easy. I just wanted to hide in bed the whole time.

I meant pre op diet. Yes i had 6 days of liquids and the 7th day was clear liquids only.

I gave up soda months ago so i wouldnt have to deal with it at the same time. I was a diet soda addict.

Whosyadaddy, that is the way I felt all day - that I just wanted to stay in bed all day and just get up to let the dog out and drink one of those awful shakes but I did make it through Day 2. No more food tonite. Tomorrow is a new day. I have heard from others that the preop is the absolute worse thing you have to go thru.

Were you scared or nervous before the surgery? Did you have to stay the night at the hospital? Did you have a lot of pain?

I am lucky that I never got addicted to soda. I am a water drinker so that part is easy for me.

What is your favorite muse - sweet or salty?

I gave up soda months ago so i wouldnt have to deal with it at the same time. I was a diet soda addict.

Welcome Whosyadaddy!

I have been a diet soda addict myself for the last 3 years, that is hard for me to give up myself but I am down to about 3 a week now max. I have been drinking alot of water lately and that is not so bad. Every once in a while I get a craving for something with flavor so I get a crystal light for my water bottle and I only have about 7 or 8 a week.

I myself was 416 when I had my orientation weigh in on November 14th,2006. As of today I am 391lbs at the doctor's office. I have to lose about 31 more lbs before I can have my surgery.

Shelli16415 - I want to try the liquid diet you started how much of each thing are you suppossed to have each day and what is your total calorie intake suppossed to be? I just found out today that my surgeons office had a cancellation and he will be able to see me sooner. I was scheduled to go on September 27th and now I am going to see him on September 4th. So I have to try and lose 10-15 lbs before I see him. That way he can schedule the surgery, hopefully in October or sooner.

:whoo:

Welcome Whosyadaddy!

I have been a diet soda addict myself for the last 3 years, that is hard for me to give up myself but I am down to about 3 a week now max. I have been drinking alot of water lately and that is not so bad. Every once in a while I get a craving for something with flavor so I get a crystal light for my water bottle and I only have about 7 or 8 a week.

I myself was 416 when I had my orientation weigh in on November 14th,2006. As of today I am 391lbs at the doctor's office. I have to lose about 31 more lbs before I can have my surgery.

Shelli16415 - I want to try the liquid diet you started how much of each thing are you suppossed to have each day and what is your total calorie intake suppossed to be? I just found out today that my surgeons office had a cancellation and he will be able to see me sooner. I was scheduled to go on September 27th and now I am going to see him on September 4th. So I have to try and lose 10-15 lbs before I see him. That way he can schedule the surgery, hopefully in October or sooner.

:whoo:

Hi Smilin' Apple,

My preop diet is 6 Sugar Free Carnation Instant Breakfasts Shakes per day - 3 for meals and 3 for snacks. You can also have SF Jello, SF Popsicles, SF drinks(no soda), and some FF broth. I think the calorie count is about 1000. Mix the powder with 1% milk. Drink 8 glasses of water, too.

I am on Day 3 and lost 5 pounds already. Day 1 and Day 2 were rough but Day 3 seems easier so far. Good Luck to you and keep in touch.

shelli:ranger:

That pre-op diet sounds worse than the post op diet I had. My Dr. didn't have a pre-op diet requirement until recently. He made the change after he had to close up 2 or 3 people because he couldn't get the band on them. I can't imagine the disappointment of waking up with all the pain and still not have your band. I would be devastated for sure.

So for anyone working on the pre-op diet, hold on, you can do anything for a couple of weeks.

I was on a clear liquids only pre-op diet for TEN DAYS. Pure hell!

I didn't cheat once.

Even though it got really hard, it made the post-op diet feel like heaven.

Hi Smilin' Apple,

My preop diet is 6 Sugar Free Carnation Instant Breakfasts Shakes per day - 3 for meals and 3 for snacks. You can also have SF Jello, SF Popsicles, SF drinks(no soda), and some FF broth. I think the calorie count is about 1000. Mix the powder with 1% milk. Drink 8 glasses of water, too.

I am on Day 3 and lost 5 pounds already. Day 1 and Day 2 were rough but Day 3 seems easier so far. Good Luck to you and keep in touch.

shelli:ranger:

Thanks! I will try this one out. It's good to hear that it does get easier. I know that the first few days it is the hardest. I am going to start on Sunday since I have off Sunday, Monday,Tuesday and don't go back until afternoon on Wednesday. I am hoping I will have my energy back by then.

Whosyadaddy, that is the way I felt all day - that I just wanted to stay in bed all day and just get up to let the dog out and drink one of those awful shakes but I did make it through Day 2. No more food tonite. Tomorrow is a new day. I have heard from others that the preop is the absolute worse thing you have to go thru.

Were you scared or nervous before the surgery? Did you have to stay the night at the hospital? Did you have a lot of pain?

I am lucky that I never got addicted to soda. I am a water drinker so that part is easy for me.

What is your favorite muse - sweet or salty?

Shelli,

Yes i was scared and nervous. I had never spent any time in a hospital since i was born (and i cant remember that). Let me tell you though, i was actually a little mad at myself for being so scared afterwards because it was a piece of cake! I have had migranes way worse than the recovery pain! I never got pain level above about 3!

I was really worried about being nausious so i made sure i told them and they gave me stuff and i hardly ever felt sick at all! I was never hungry after.

The biggest problem for me was the really dry mouth (boy was my breathe bad!) so i just kept brushing my teeth alot. Staying over night was so relaxing for me. I dont know how those outpatient people could handle it.

I had a room to myself and i could close the door so i had no noise at all at night!

I am going to be 2 weeks out on Monday and i feel like this is the best thing i could have ever done!!!!!!! I have so much hope!

I swam 22 laps this morning in the pool, takes me about 45 mins but it felt so good.

I am 50/50 on sweet and salty. This morning i eat out at about 11.00 (brunch). I had scrambaled eggs and some hash brown ( a treat). Total about 2 cups and i was FULL! Full! o my gosh, it feels so good to eat so little and feel satisfied!!!!!!! I had soup for dinner and i feel fine!!!!

Seriously, hang in there on your pre op diet, i feel your pain!!! It will be so worth it!!!!!!

Silimin Apple---

Thanks! Hang in there it will be so worth it!!

I was thinkin today, even if my insurance didnt cover this (which they did thankfully) and i had to self pay, it would have been worth every single penny!

I mean, people will buy a new car for 25,000 which will last maybe 15 years, but 20,000 for a surgery like this which may extend your life by as much as 20 years (for me) and all the things i will be able to do which i cant now is so worth it!

Whosyadaddy - Congrats on all the laps you did, I don't know if I could do that less than 2 weeks out from surgery. I had 2 sugeries 2 years ago only 1 1/2 months apart. First was back surgery - herniated disc - BOY was that AWFUL!!! Then on 4th of July I was admitted for Gallstones. I had surgery 3 days later, during this whole time my back wound ended up getting infected and it had trouble healing closed. So for three months I had an open wound on my back that prevented me from moving very easily, and it took about 3 weeks before I felt better from the Laproscopic Gallbladder surgery...I started having back problems again about a year or so ago. So now I am on all kinds of daily strong pain meds just to get through my day. So I can only imagine how I will feel after another surgery hopefully it will all be pretty smooth. One thing I remember very vivdly about the Laproscopic Gallbladder surgery is the gas pains (from the Gas the blow you up with) afterwards OUCH!!! That was worse than the surgery itself and it lasted for 4 days!

Smilin-

Wow, thats alot of surgerys for you. i think you are going to find this one no where near as bad.

I had surgery at 8am, was up to my room by 10.30am and i took my first little walk about 12.30.

I had be warned about gas pain and i was told taking walks would help. I only had a little shoulder pain and it was minor.

I tried to a walk every 2 hrs or so to help. Of course my first walk was only just about outside my room and back. Then they got longer.

I did loose my breathe easily so i took it slow.

I suffer from back pain alot too, i had a scan last year but they couldnt see any disc trouble. I am sure its my weight, sorry to hear about your problems though.

I started swiming 6 months before surgery so i could build my strength up. I am hopeing next summer to be thin enough to go bicycling with my wife. She had lapband in June of this year. She was thinner than me and she is about 245 now. She can ride 13 miles on some days. Shes has lost about 45 pounds total.

Hang in there today my pre op diet friends! Weekends can be very tough. Your going to start thinking 'what am i doing to myself, am i ever going to be able to eat again?'

Hi everyone,

I was banded on Thursday Aug 16th. Very sore, but was released from the hospital an hour and 15 minutes after the procedure.

On the liquid post op diet, my Dr. is pretty easy going, I can have any liquid that can fit through a straw, but I have found I am not hungry. (Which is odd for me!)

I have read through some of the posts in this forum, and I want to tell you all that when we are all sucessful we wont have to worry about the following:

Fitting in airplane seats, or asking for a seat belt extenstion

climbing on a ladder when you know your weight is too much for it

riding amusement park rides

sitting in chairs with arms

shopping for clothes at more than 1-2 stores.

So hang in there with the liquid diet pre-op and post-op. We can all do this!

:clap2:

Thanks Leemoe

1 hr 15 mins - amazing!

In December last year, I had to fly business class because I knew I wouldn't fit in economy/coach. It was so expensive from Sydney to Europe. I am already looking at a holiday in March 2008 (Buenos Aires & on to NYC) and the options seem so much better now that I won't have to fly business class (though it was awesome).

The pre-op diet is so difficult. I shudder to think about all the 'I can't do it, I'm fainting, I need carbs' posts I made on here.

Good luck guys!