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...

that would be 41 and 42 ....

Well I made it through my 1st night. got up about every 3 hours to take more med. I'm not used to sleeping on my back and that's all I can do right now. Now I'm sipping on a 1/2 c of Kefir lowfat probiotic smoothie. It's pretty good and high in protein.

What's bothering me the most right now is the port site. The port is the part of the band that allows the dr to insert saline soloution that controls the adjustablility of the band. WOW... not realy comfy. Gas pains are suposed to be a pretty big side effect and so far so good.. no gas.. though I do burp everytime I get up. My chest is really sore as well and I'm coughing up stuff. I guess that is from the breathing tubes.

For my outside excursion today i'll have todd take me to Target so I can pick out some cute small plates and untensils. I'll probably hit the baby ilse and get the classic pooh stuff. I bought some classic pooh dixie cups and that is waht I"m using now to drink from.

Thank you so much for sharing all these wonderful details of your journey!!

also I am really glad you are doing well. Take care gal...You Made It! !!

Well I made it through my 1st night. got up about every 3 hours to take more med. I'm not used to sleeping on my back and that's all I can do right now. Now I'm sipping on a 1/2 c of Kefir lowfat probiotic smoothie. It's pretty good and high in protein.

What's bothering me the most right now is the port site. The port is the part of the band that allows the dr to insert saline soloution that controls the adjustablility of the band. WOW... not realy comfy. Gas pains are suposed to be a pretty big side effect and so far so good.. no gas.. though I do burp everytime I get up. My chest is really sore as well and I'm coughing up stuff. I guess that is from the breathing tubes.

For my outside excursion today i'll have todd take me to Target so I can pick out some cute small plates and untensils. I'll probably hit the baby ilse and get the classic pooh stuff. I bought some classic pooh dixie cups and that is waht I"m using now to drink from.

Atta girl for a job well done!! You sound like you are doing well because you have a good attitude. I so agree with your earlier post...it is the waiting that is hard. I can handle pain and things now it is the unknown that freaks me out.

On another note down 5 pound on my pre-someting diet!! Yippy-skippy.

hlayne, Mtn Dew????? Right after surgery??? I thought anything carbonated was a no-no. Even if it can't hurt the band do you want to risk the gas pains? I know some people who have been banded awhile will have a pop every now and then. If your Dr. does allow Mtn Dew right after surgery, I hope it's diet because the extra sugar and calories are just not worth it.

Mtn Dew is for before surgery, not after. That's why I said "because after Friday I can never have it again."

Mtn Dew is for before surgery, not after. That's why I said "because after Friday I can never have it again."

Ooops, my bad! That's what I get for speed reading! Good Luck on Friday!

Hello March Bandsters !!!

Well the train to Bandland is pulling out in the morning! All March Bandsters get on board! This is sooo exciting! You guys are all smart (you wouldn't spend so much time researching this procedure and hanging out on this board if you were not highly intelligent individuals) brave, beautiful and motivated band sisters. I raise my protien shake and offer a toast to my fellow March Band Sisters and say cheers to you, and may we all be big FAT losers in 2007. Teresa

Hi all. I'm being banded on March 16th. Just curious, did anyone (or are you planning on) keeping the procedure a secret to coworkers and friends? I can just imagine the humiliation from my boys at work if they knew.

Well I started out ok on the liquid diet. But then I wasn't feeling well and I went back to bed and after I woke up i went into the kitchen and ate a whole bunch of chocolate doughnut holes. You see, I had dreamed about them (yes an actual dream. Sometimes I dream about pizza depending on my work schedule but I'm more likely to dream about dessert). About how yummy and soft and good they would be. And they were. So now I'm just kind of mad at myself-- I couldn't even make it through my first day of liquid diet!

I'm going through a phase right about now where food is my best friend and I adore it and I want it and I can't imagine living life without always having all the food I want when I want. And being fat isn't so bad-- its a small price to pay for all that glorious food! But I know better. And I know this phase will pass-- its like my withdrawl symptoms or something. Being fat isn't the price I'm paying, my health is the price I am paying. And I'm not giving up food either. I'm just making better food choices. And I can still have doughnuts-- only I need to have maybe just one dougnut hole instead of one half of a box of them. And less frequently too. I can live with that just fine.

RowdyReptile (great name!) - welcome and congrats on your March date! There's been a lot of talk regarding what, if anything, we all plan to tell our co-workers. Read back a few pages on here and you'll see a variety of answers to this.

SynicalChal Chic - glad to hear you're doing so well ... I've loved reading your posts. Gives me comfort that you're still up and around.

I've still been eating less healthy than I should (who am I kidding - I've been eating like sh*t). I don't know how I'm going to give up Dr. Pepper - I seem to have an addiction to it I just can't kick. I need to give it up and start drinking water instead. I drink virtually no water these days. I should be a better person. Blek. I'm tired of being mad at myself.

Tracy;

I think you are the tally gal who is keeping tally of everybody's band date.

I went back to dr.from first surgery and they resched to 3/1 @4pm.

I will post when I wake up from surgery. I hope to heaven that it is as easy as it was the 1st time around.

I'm still on for 3/5 - yeah! Both of my Dr.'s talked and everything is a go. I'm super excited! I'm going to a lap band support group tomorrow night, so hopefully that will get will get me even more pumped up until the big day. Day 3 of liquid diet = much better. I'm over the carb withdrawals and now have all kinds of energy.

What to tell everybody;why you had surgery?

You have hiatal hernia's!! It works fabulous, you just need to read up on them a little bit so you can talk intelligently in case somebody asks you a question.

And using that excuse also will be inline with why you can't life anything when you come back to work and why you bend over slowly to pick up that pen off the floor etc.

Tea time-aren't you sweet!Are you in our group or already banded/

Lara- I am right there with you. Not beating myself up though, I wonder if that's good or not. I just keep saying I am almost there. I will finally have the tool that helps me to stop this game i play with food. I will eat healthy and stop when I am full. Somehow I feel really peaceful right now-I know for sure that i have made the right choice- I really and truly cannot wait!

Kyethra-ok step away from the doughnuts. See, it's much easier here because we don't have doughnuts. Sounds like you know what you are doing though.

scarlett!!!!!!!!!!!!!5 pds. You go girl- color me green! That's wonderful.

Ok Pam I read that twice- I don't get it. You had the band- you are going again? Pleeeeeze explain to this tired mommy what I just read.

Off to the shower and to the mall to get a new robe and slippers to take to the hospital. Apparently I will need them. Hey did I share with you that the lovely Dr. Frering is somekind of handsome and very, very sweet apparently. (ontop of that has placed some 4000 bands in his practice)Do you think that will make me more or less nervous.

Cute story- i told my boys about going to get some surgery to help with weight loss etc. (very general) and my kids reaction ".Why, you don't need to loose weight mommy." Bless their hearts, what's 70 pounds.

Good Luck Synicalchick!!

It is MARCH 1!!!!! Just wanted to say good luck to everyone. I am almost a month out and I feel great! You guys are going to do awesome!