Hi

My name is Ellen and I live in Mt. Vernon. I have not had the sergery yeat still talking to Dr's and getting Info. Jest wandering if there is any one close by. I have lots of questions. I have a consoltaion visit with my Fanily dr on friday and am not shure what to ask.

Thanks

Ellen

:cheeky :cheeky :cheeky :cheeky

P.S. sarry about the spelling

I'm scheduled for 4/27 but I'm going through Dr Fox.....

Cindy - I think your doing great - it sounds like your all healed and hopefully you'll get a fill and start having the band work for you - keep updating!!

Wenjea - Wow you have to do a whole month of liquid? I know I have to do 10 days clear liquid pre op and I'm not sure about afterwards but I think about 3 weeks. I hope that after surgery the swelling will keep me from getting hungry but I'm worried about when everything is healed and then your hunger returns before your first fill (Bandster Hell??)....

Good Luck Everyone!!!

I live in Spokane and Dr. Pennings was my surgeon. I got banded 12/21/05. Would love to talk with you.

Alynne

angelnurse - how is it going for you so far? I come through Spokane every summer on my way to Priest Lake. My In-laws have a cabin there. It will be odd this year not being able to pig out as usual but then I think how much better I will feel about being in a swimsuit all day and know it's all worth it.

They found some polyps in my stomach and removed them but my colon was clear. I see the surgeon on 4/30 so i hope to get a surgery date at that appointment. I'm going to start my daily walking tomorrow so I hope it's sunny!

Things are great, I've lost 128.5 pounds and counting. I used to wear a size 30/32 and am now in 14/16. Most important, no CPAP or B/P meds. I feel 100% better.

My parents are having their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year and the whole family (my 3 siblings and all their kids) are going camping at Priest Lake. When I was growing up, we went there almost every weekend during the summers. How often do you get to go? I'm looking forward to this summer, no "beached whale" comments for me and I plan on going on a hike or two.

Hope things go well with you.

wow! you've done great! Are you getting used to your new size?

We go to Priest every summer and stay for about 3 weeks. The longest I've stayed up there is 5 weeks but that was when my kids were young and we had the whole summer to hang out. Now my youngest are 13 year old twins and their schedule seems to rule our life most days. I'm hoping to be up there for about 3 weeks this summer, around the end of July and beginning of August.

I'm scheduled for 4/27 but I'm going through Dr Fox.....

Cindy - I think your doing great - it sounds like your all healed and hopefully you'll get a fill and start having the band work for you - keep updating!!

Wenjea - Wow you have to do a whole month of liquid? I know I have to do 10 days clear liquid pre op and I'm not sure about afterwards but I think about 3 weeks. I hope that after surgery the swelling will keep me from getting hungry but I'm worried about when everything is healed and then your hunger returns before your first fill (Bandster Hell??)....

Good Luck Everyone!!!

nbjen, I am getting banded the day before you!

I feel like everyone is getting one before me! It's so hard to wait after you've made the decision to do it. I will know my date for sure on the 30th. You guys will be recovering from surgery about then so I will be keeping you in my prayers. Good luck!

Wenjea,

Hang in there. You're doing well. My friend, Rachel, is starting the process with Dr. Oh, too. I'm taking her out to see Vitalady tomorrow. LOVE the chocolate protein powder. Thank God! I DO LOVE chocolate......yum. Oh, and I'm in Gig Harbor, not far from you.

As far as the pre-surgery diet, the cravings seemed to go away for me as I got the vitamins and proteins going on that pre-diet. Eat as many sugar free popcycles and jello as you want, too. They are great and actually do fill you up. It helped me to keep remembering that I HAD TO shrink my liver because if it was too large he would have to do the surgery OPEN. YUK. Evidently I did ok.

I'm down 20 lbs as of today, since the pre-surgery diet and then being banded 12 days ago. I think the key is to obey the rules, keep doing the liquids and WALK every day. I'm supposed to get my first fill on April 30, two more weeks. Definitely looking forward to graduating to mushy food....at least it will be different. Some of my clothes are already too big. Is that cool or what? Not ready to give up any of them yet, though. I am a pretty good seamstress so I will be taking things in.

Merrillee

I'm there on the 30th also at 10:00am, maybe I will run into you. Who is the vitalady? Do you like a certain brand of protein?

I'm dressed for walking and plan on doing it after I drop the kids at school. NO EXCUSES!!!

I thought St. Francis was great also! Absolutely no complaints. How much of your weight came off during the pre-surgery diet?

It takes a while for the brain to catch-up with the body. I sometimes don't recognize myself when I walk by a window and catch my reflection.

I'll be at Priest Lake on July 22nd for our family thing. I haven't been in a couple of years and am looking forward to it.

Good Luck Lucy Girl - please update us as soon as you can after surgery. I had my psych eval today and I guess I passed. I couldn't really tell him why I eat the way I do....... Still not sure but I think it's because I'm just hungry all the time and hopefully the band will help with that. I also had to tell him about the surgery and how my life will change afterwards - I guess they want to make sure you understand what you are doing. Tomorrow is my pre-op appointment with my surgeon, nutritional appointment and pre-admin apt at the hospital. Then I have my upper GI on Wednesday and I'm ready to go!!!

Angelnurse - Thanks for sharing your story - gives me hope!

Merillee - Keep up the good work and it'll pay off!! I hope I have as much success as you on the pre-op - I start tomorrow!!

Wenjea!

Vitalady is a person who sells a LOT of protein, vitamins, etc. out in Puyallup. She and her husband both had gastric bypass many years ago. Their website is vitalady.com. I like the chocolate Whey protein......YUM....Got a BIG container of it yesterday.

As for the pre-surgery diet, I think I lost 8 or 9 lbs. The rest has been since surgery.

Merrillee

nbjen - It's almost here! I bet you are geting excited! How is the pre-surgery diet going? is this day one? Somehow I think this will be the toughest 10 days but then what do I know . . . let me know how it is going for you.

singandsew - thanks for the info on the vitalady, I will definately look her up. I did my walk yesterday and am making my friend go with me today. she is about two weeks behind me in the process.

Angelnurse - we are on the west side of the lake pass the Entree Gallery. Are you familiar with that area? My husbands grandfather built the cabin and it hasn't changed much at all since then except now we have a bathroom instead of an outhouse. Yea!

I just found out that my insurance excludes lap band but I'm going forward as a self pay. They are working at scheduling all my pre-ops so when I see Dr. Oh on the 30th I can be ready with everything else. Hopefully that means a mid-May date for the band.

Then I can be a bandster like the rest of you!

Wenjea,

Yippee for you! My insurance excluded lap band too....so I went out and got a loan. Nothing was going to stop me and I'm glad you aren't going to let anything stop you, either! Go for it, girl!

Merrillee