Is there anyone out there with a February surgery date? I found out last week that mine is on February 1. Was shooting for December 06, then hoping for January 07, now thankful it's finally set for February! My surgery is scheduled with Dr. Malley in Kansas City.

b russell - i feel the same way. i've been stocking up on supplies, am excited about the band, but i keep having these episodes of panic. i just wish i was getting banded RIGHT AWAY - less time to sit and stew. you made the right decision - we both did - now we just have to take deep breaths and get though this!!! :hug:

Hi All,

I called my insurance company last week and they said it was a go:clap2: So I called my surgeon and the office scheduled me for March 19 (th earliest open slot). Well, OK that's good but then I had to call again and they said they had a cancellation for FEB. 12 so I took it. :dance: I started my high protein, low calorie diet today and will be happy to have that over with. I now have the pleasure of going back through this thread to get to know you all. :high5:

Good Journey,

Terri

AWESOME!!!!!!! congrats!!!!! :clap2: :high5:

b russell,

I feel the same way. My date is 2/15 and my stomach gets a little queasy when I realize it's only a little more than 2 weeks away. Plus, I have never, ever been in a hospital before so that kind of worries me.

Relax and take deep breaths. You'll be fine. Keep us posted.

Sharon

Terriho What a lucky break for you. Jumping up a month. And, your banding on the same day as me. Good Luck:clap2:

I don't think about it too much except when I am on here. It does kinda bumm me out though when I think about the things this winter I am going to miss. I will miss our big snowmobile trip in the beginning of mach, and the trip to Texas to visit my sister. I just have to remind myself that next year will be so much better

Chris

I am excited and worried too. I know this is going to be the best thing in the world for me. I know how much it is going to help me in the quality of life. Yet I am freaked out that I could be that 1 in 2000. Not even for myself but for my family. I am only 26 I have two small children. That is what scares me. My coordinator has been reassuring me that I am so healthy and I am going to come out of this fine. She tells me people twice my age, some with many many complications go through this surgery and come out fine so I need not be worried. I just can't help it I am a natural worrier. Wow some of us are going in in just 2 days!!! I will be in in one week. It is so crazy amzing to think about really.

Chris- you know I spent some time thinking about that stuff too. Except I had my surgery date changed from Jan 23 to Feb 6 so I could go on my yearly weekend up north with my friends. It was lots of fun and I am glad that I went but at the same time I wish I would ahve just stayed home and had the surgery. I would be done now and not freaked out with a week of optifast left lol.

Ohh and I forgot to mention that I lost 8 pounds in my first week on the Optifast.

yeah, one of the other things I had to postponed was a weekend alone with my wife. We were gonna go away for the weekend Feb.15th but my wife said she did not want to go when I was on my liquid diet. I just have to remind myself how much better it will be later on

Chris

I am with you all on the nervousness part. Everytime I think about the surgery I get a little freaked out. But in all honesty - I did the same thing a few years ago when I had shoulder surgery. I think I have watched way to many documentories on Discovery Health. "When instruments are left behind", "when anestitia doesn't work".

But then, I watched one on Sunday night on Discovery Health and thought - no matter what, I have to go through with this. The people in the documentory were "Super Obese" 400 - 700 pounds. Some of them couldn't even get out of bed and were still eating 10,000 plus calories per day. I gotta tell you - I could see myself there in 20 years if something doesn't change.

Going to 100% liquid diet on Saturday. DH wants to go out for one last "big" dinner on Friday.

I bought Dr. Ortiz' book so that DH could really understand about the surgery. Well it is now his new health bible - he is starting to quote it at me chapter and verse. "you know after the surgery you can't do this and you can't do that" geez. Worst part is - maybe you should start making the changes now so that you are used to them after the surgery. Duh - if I could easily make those changes I wouldn't need the surgery. I am thankful he is buying in, but what I need is a support system not a food monitor.

Only two more days until the February Bandsters get going on their new lives - You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Michelle

I am a different kind of nervous about this surgery. I think it is because it is my decision. It's not like when the doctor said you have to have a hysterectomy, and you say well ok, if my life depends on it, and they wheel you in. Well my life does depend on it. I just have to remind myself of that. My health has already been affected with diabetes, and hypertension. Both parents and 2 siblings have had heart attacks at early ages, and these people are not obese. Not to mention the quality of life. Let me share with the people that said that they are young and struggling with the decision. I am 46, not young but hardly an old timer. My son is getting married and the bride to be wants to do a slide show, and asked for pictures of my son throughout the different stages of his life. I spent the weekend going through pictures, and realized that although I made the best of it, I have carried these same extra 70 pounds his entire life. That is 27 years of lugging around 70+ pounds. This has to be a personal decision that you have to live with, but if had known then that I would not be able to get the weight off, or had the wisdom to put myself first, or even on the list, I would be a whole lot happier and healthier than the woman typing today. Well I can't go back and change the past, but I can take control of my future. I am not going to sit back and wait for the heart attack, I am going to pray alot, ask for God's guidence in my decision, and his peace when they roll me in. Then at my son's wedding next year I am going to dance like a fool! Thanks for letting me get these things off of my heart. This is the place where I know that the person you're talking to gets it. Best of luck to everyone on your Journey. 2 days til Feb. God bless! Thanks, Teresa

My date is Feb. 5

The doctors office is starting to freak me out. I have been so calm before today. No one (PCP or Bariatric office) can or wants to prescribe me liquid meds. My med's can't be crushed - due to being time released. They both keep shifthing the responsibility to each other. Surgeon's office says PCP should switch meds to crushable or liquid. PCP office says surgeon should discharge me with something that I will be able to tolerate. Whats up with that??? I;m still waiting for more feed back

Am I the only band patient out there on Procardia XL?

My suggestion to all pre-bandsters......check this out before banding. And wish me luck. I will let all know what out come is.:phanvan

I'm glad to hear that I am not losing my mind! Thanks for all of the replies.

I am also finding that as long as I keep myself BUSY, I have no time to fixate. This is good. My apartment is ridiculously tidy. For once.

I was wondering, does anyone have a good liquid Vitamin they can suggest? I know I need one, and chewables dont seem to come as strong as the giant horse-pill Vitamins that I usually take.

Feb. 1st is a day and a half away!

Wow I'm missed a lot of great posts today... I'm home with my little guy who is sick, and he finally got down for a nap........ I posted my good news on my 1st consult thread and the insurance thread.. but I'm so dang excited I'm going to post it here too!!!!!!!!! I'm APPROVED, now just for the date...... but it is a reality now.......

Hello Tracy,

Good News, BCBS has approved you for the procedure and a letter is on its way. So Congratulations!!!!!! As far as scheduling you for surgery, we have to have the approval letter in hand before scheduling. Allow at least one week for us to get this letter. They just called me today regarding the approval so that usually means the letter will go out today or the next couple days. Once we receive the letter, Nikki will call you to schedule. FYI: We are getting overwhelmed with approvals right now and Nikki schedules surgeries in the order she receives the approval letters ( to be fair ), so it may take her a couple days after receiving the letter to call you and there may be a wait on surgery. I know we had talked about this before, but I’m just letting all of my patients with approvals know the situation. Congratulations!!!

Rachel

Have to pick up cpap on Thursday and go for pulmonary function test on the 13th...hoping to still squeak in a Feb date from there-supposedely still feasible...:dance: