I wanted to start a thread for those of us who are waiting "with bated breath" for our surgeries in March.

I am supposed to start Optifast on February 26th. I am currently waiting for the shipment, including my surgical package to be delivered. Once I get my package I am supposed to call the clinic.

Ever since committing to this surgery (which I am paying for myself via a personal loan) I have been obsessed with reading everything I can about it and about people who have had it. I am still kind of hoping for some kind of "divine word" about whether or not it is the right thing for me to do.

I am "only" 75 lbs over my ideal weight but am type II diabetic. I am trying to figure out if my reason for doing this is my health or my vanity or a combination of both. The diabetes needs to be gone (when I am 20 lbs lighter it is gone) but I am sure looking forward to losing the weight and actually keeping it off for more than 20 minutes...

It works best if you use thin pizza and let it soak a little bit in beef broth first. Not too bad actually though I could have eaten more than 1/2 cup!

lol

Hi this seahawkfreak, I was banded 3-21-07 in TJ Mexico by doctor Huacuz. I had very good experience and every thing went just fine. Six days post-op and I am not having pain, or any serious hunger pain. Drinking juice and broth fills me up and I stay full for a couple hours. I am told this is mainly due to swelling but I am hoping I can maintain some restriction untill my first fill. Fill free to sighn me up on the list. My starting wight was 368 pre-op diet 355 right before surgery and 350 when I left 4 days later.

Hey Tammyj. How are you doing? I will be three weeks post-op tomorrow. I am HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!! Not sure when I get a fill. Most from where I got banded say 6 weeks. Whew! I hope I can get one at 4 weeks. That is when i go back. It is very hard not to over eat. I don'y seem to have any problems with eating so far. I get to start soft veggies wed. and tuna or chick, salad, ect. Maybe that will help.

I'm doing great Sugarbear, thanks for asking. That gassy feeling I had is gone and I have about 90% of my energy back. I have no complaints. Wow...6 weeks does seem long, but you can do it!!!

Hi this seahawkfreak, I was banded 3-21-07 in TJ Mexico by doctor Huacuz. I had very good experience and every thing went just fine. Six days post-op and I am not having pain, or any serious hunger pain. Drinking juice and broth fills me up and I stay full for a couple hours. I am told this is mainly due to swelling but I am hoping I can maintain some restriction untill my first fill. Fill free to sighn me up on the list. My starting wight was 368 pre-op diet 355 right before surgery and 350 when I left 4 days later.

:welcome2: and Congratulations!!!!!

I am backkkkkkkkk

I had my surgery yesterday...My tummy hurts-like I did a million sit ups. My neck hurts from the hospital bed...Thats about it though!

I am tired so I will write more tomorrow!

Well I went for my 1st fill today. He said it was 1.2 cc. Hopefully that will cut down on my cravings and my snacking. I am still at same weight. I hope this fill will get me back on track. I am on liquids for 3 days. I go back to work tomorrow. I've been off since 2/27.

Hope everyone is doing fine.

As for protien I am drinking HMR protien shakes but they are not as easy to put together while I am at work when I am hungry. Besides I am sick of them, I was on a diet using them for several months prior to deciding to do the band. They are a great source of protien so I have been forceing them down. Any other protien ideas? Something quick and easy?

I just ordered my first container of "Any Whey" from Vitamaker.com It's tastless and you can put it in anything hot or cold. Check it out and see if this is something you'd like. I went on the web and found many suppliers for it. This site was the cheapest. $13.95 plus shipping total came to 20.94 Others cost ranged from $23-53.

Thanks for the support ladies! No one here really understands what I am going through and my mom is the worst! When she is around she watches me like a hawk and asks a thousand questions about my diet. She calls me several times a day with an inquisition. Are you getting all the protien you need, are you pureeing everything arent' you, no more than a cup of food at a time April....UGGG! I know she means well but you would think she paid for this surgery! I am almost sorry that I let her in on this whole life changing experience but she has been so unhappy with my weight for so long and wanted me to get this surgery so bad I couldn't exclude her in my journey. She is all of 110 lbs., she simply never has and never will understand what it is like to be a food addict.

Also, I don't particularly "mesh" with many of my co-workers, I have just never been one to be "clicky" and unfortunatly to be accepted here you need to be that way. I work with all women, the thin ones don't show very little interest in what I am doing and the chubby ones are very critical of what I am doing. I just don't discuss much about my choice to do the lap band with them. Our RN is very supportive and a good person to talk to so I at least have that outlet if I need one.

I am a single mom of an outstanding 18 year old son who is very supportive but I don't want to really "vent" to him too much. He is a Senior this year and really busy also he has his own weight issues he struggles through. We try to do healthy activities together to support each other but I am just not comfortable talking or crying about what I am going through with him. I don't want him to think that I am loosing it. I am glad I have found this site, just this little bit of venting seems to have helped me out a some...Thanks!

As for protien I am drinking HMR protien shakes but they are not as easy to put together while I am at work when I am hungry. Besides I am sick of them, I was on a diet using them for several months prior to deciding to do the band. They are a great source of protien so I have been forceing them down. Any other protien ideas? Something quick and easy?

As for the eating addiction, it is a life long problem of mine. I am already on an antidepressent and have been for several years. With out it I would be a real mess. It has really helped with my emotional eating. I don't know maybe I need something more to help me through all of this.

Thanks again for all the support...you are all so appreciated!

I'm not a clicky person either. Actually, I can't even really make friends. And I don't get a lot of neurotypical women. I have enough trouble trying to remember to brush my hair before I leave the house and not wear clothing that is stained-- I just don't understand people who worry about matching stuff and lipliner. Someday maybe I will, but right now all that is a different world for me. There are other "women" things that I don't seem to get too. My mom is always complaining that I think like a man and so forth. But I get what you mean. I find online forums really helpful for various conditions I have or things, including the band.

I too am on an antidepressant. I am on topamax for migraines as well. When I first went on it my cravings went down big time and I lost fifteen pounds no problem. Unfortunately all the good side effects of it went away for me (it was also helping me out with some sleep problems) after a few months. It still works for migraines, but it doesn't do anything else for me anymore and the 15 pounds did come back. I know that isn't the case for everyone though, a lot of people like it for its weightloss effects.

I just miss eating... Like the other day I was in the produce asile... I wanted a salad so bad! Its been a month since I've had a real meal. Mushies I start tomorrow. I got some good stuff for it. Spinach souflee (love that stuff). Creamed corn (I will blenderize). Some potatoe dishes that are nice and soft and mushy and yummy. I also have a can of tuna. And Salmon. And crab. I am so excited to be able to have more variety. I also got some ricotta because I thought that would go well with tomatoe sauce like someone suggested. I think the wierdest part is going to be not eating anything with stuff like tuna salad. I just really want to be able to put it on some bread or lettuce or a cracker or something to eat it with! That just seems strange. But I'd rather have it all by itself than not at all.

I never though I would say this, but I cannot wait until the day comes when I can eat solid food again, because I am craving grilled chicken salad or a veggie delite sub on wheat bread (from Subway) like no tomorrow! Right now I am on full liquid, and I don't mind the cream soups (outside of straining them after cooking *sigh*) and the milkshakes I make, among the other things that I like that are allowed, but gee, it will be good to have real meat and veggies again.

I am on 60mg of Prozac for both depression and PMS symptoms as well as Topamax for partial seizures, Zantac for GERD and Synthroid for low thyroid function. I was on four other meds for cardiac problems but was recently taken off of them when the condition started reversing itself when I changed my habits. I am hoping someday to be off meds altogether!:clap2:

Saw the Dr. for my 1st visit after surgery today, down 12 lbs from surgery date! I sure don't feel it.

My pants are still the same size, maybe I'm still swollen in the waist.

Dr. asked how bowels are doing. Told her I haven't pooped since 3/13, the day before surgery.

So she said you have to poop every three days! Suggested Milk of Mag. to get things moving down there, I'll take a dose before bed and see what happens. She says I'm probably lose another 2 lbs after I poop!

Scars are looking good. I can slowly move to mushies for two weeks and by the time I see them again in 4 weeks she wants me to have tried eating bread and lean meat to see if I can tolerate them.

If so, I'll get a fill

Hope everyone is doing well at two weeks out!

Hold on-----------we'll soon be eating real food again!

3 dayz ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Saw my surgeon today for my 2 week post op. He said I was doing so well, never had any pain, gas, or any complaints.. healing very well.... I told him yesterday I started to get hungry... ( i have been eating real food since like the third day post op) He said he would give me my first fill today. I received a fill of 1cc.. Not usually done until the 6 week post op. but he siad I was doing well enough to go for it. Now let's see what happens!!

Ok ladies, I want alittle sympathy...my surgeon makes you wait 8 weeks, not a typo there, 8888888888888888888888888888888 weeks. OMG that seems so long for me?? I had a couple chips yesterday and really beat myself up. This is going to be a real learning curve. Plus, I lost some hair and that made me freak!! Anyone else??

I never though I would say this, but I cannot wait until the day comes when I can eat solid food again, because I am craving grilled chicken salad or a veggie delite sub on wheat bread (from Subway) like no tomorrow! Right now I am on full liquid, and I don't mind the cream soups (outside of straining them after cooking *sigh*) and the milkshakes I make, among the other things that I like that are allowed, but gee, it will be good to have real meat and veggies again.

I am on 60mg of Prozac for both depression and PMS symptoms as well as Topamax for partial seizures, Zantac for GERD and Synthroid for low thyroid function. I was on four other meds for cardiac problems but was recently taken off of them when the condition started reversing itself when I changed my habits. I am hoping someday to be off meds altogether!:clap2:

Is anyone swallowing pills whole or are you crushing and dissolving in water? I am also on Topamax for migraines. It is a very small pill but I crush it in fear it will get stuck. It's nasty tasting, I just want to down the pill.