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...

Mwant hello. Sorry.

geeze it must be the drugs! Try again. I meant Hello.

I wish I would have made sure my curtains were shut at all times when I was in post-op. I live 4.5 hours from where I had my surgery...but guess what? Someone from my (very small) home town ended up right next to me as she was going in for surgery!! Her husband saw me and walked right in and asked what I was doing here! I had to tell them a gall bladder removal....which I have had, only it was 15 years ago. These people are talkers also, and I really, really do not want the whole town to know about this. I hope they didn't overhear anything that would lead them to believe that I had WLS. I'm a bit concerned...:phanvan

With all the B.S. they have us sign and secretive HIPA laws, you would think that they would have more privacy while in the pre op area and post op area. Son of a B**ches. I hate when that happens.

16 years ago, I had a very private surgery (cancer) and did not want anybody to know, well my employer found out and everybody and their mother thought I was gonna die, well I fooled them didn't I! But in the meantime when you have something like that you get treated very differently and I love the HIPA laws but hated the idea of that pre op and post op area.

Just FYI

Gail is out of surgery, she also had to have a hernia repair, so he said she was out of it a bit.

But to let you know~she is banded.

Hi All,

Pleased your surgery went well Sophie, that must have been bizar seeing neibours in the next bed to you, scary in fact (or chance in 1000's!)

Im pleased your surgery went ok Sugarbear, let us know how you get on in the first few days, look after yourself :girl_hug:

Thanks Pam for the recipies, they sound really good, I was thinking of cooking up some batch soups later on this month for the begining of April.

I've been yoyoing on my pre diet, when I read the threads on here maybe I should just follow a liquid diet for 3 weeks like some of you have?

Been trying to up my exercise routine though, and Ive managed to cut back from 20 ciggs a day to 10 now.

:girl_hug: Ok I had surgery on 3/1 and today is 3/7......so that would make me.....6 or 7 days post op - do I count the day of surgery or the day after surgery since the day I had surgery was my surgery day and the day after is post - but post starts after surgery so it could also be considered the same day of surgery .

Anyway, I had surgery on a Thursday so I plan to start all my next stages on that day - I will be on THICKER Liquids on Tomorrow. Can't wait - Liquids are starting to get BORING!!

My kids field trip was short - We went to the Houston Livestock show and rodeo. I could never be a teacher. I don't have the patience.

I have a dr's appt on tomorrow so I will be able to see how I'm doing. I will weigh weekly, I am wriiting down my food - I want to know what is working - I feel like if I write down what I eat then I can look back and say ok this week I ate this and lost 2 lbs or so, but this week I ate this and didn't loose anything. Time to eat what worked to loose.

I am responsible for my weight loss. Not my husband, my kids, the fast food restaurants, me. I have the tool and it is in me, I have to use it.

Good Luck to All March Bandsters

Been trying to up my exercise routine though, and Ive managed to cut back from 20 ciggs a day to 10 now.

My DH cut his ciggs in half so he smoked less, now he's cigg free.:clap2:

Hell all. I am now an official Mar. bandster. Had surgery this a.m about 7:30, left hospital about 11:45. Surgery went well, also had to repair a hiatal hernia. (mispelled) Disconfor in chest and shoulders, port site. I have been walking as much as possible. I am so glad it is finally OVER!!! Will post more later.

Congrats, Sugarbear. Here's to a speedy recovery. Sweet dreams tonight!

Congratulations Sophie and Sugarbear!!!!! :clap2: I am glad you both are doing well!

Hello everyone! I am suppose to be banded on the 12th but now they may have to move it to the 19th. Anyway with this delay I may have to start back to work 1 week post op rather than 2 weeks. I am a pre-school teacher two days a week and I'm worried that one week might not be enough with the kind of work i do. THere's alot of getting up and down, walking, jumping, dancing, basically if a 4 year old can do it I'm right there with them. Should I ask for the two weeks off? I will not be paid if i am off. I normally have a big pain tollerance but I'm worried I will be feeling weak from only being on liquids. Do you think it will be o.k?

Congratulations and Welcome!!! I will add you to our list!

I'm not sure about feeling weak from only being on liquids. I have been on all liquids for about a week now and I have plenty of energy, but of course I am still pre-op. After surgery maybe a different story. I would try to get the 2 weeks off if I were you since your job requires alot of moving around. Good Luck to You!!!

Thanks for the congrats, all the support, and prayers. I needed them all. My doctor said I will be more sore because of the hernia repair, but I think I am doing alright. Mostly disconfort from all the air. It is up high in my chest and shoulders. Been trying to move around a lot also did some walking. I only laid down for an hour or so today. I was afraid the gas would get worse if I laid around. They said only small sips of room temperature water today. I told her I was really looking forward to the chicken broth. She said if I was feeling good tonight, no nausea ect I could try the broth. I was okay and I did have the broth. It was so good. I ask about my medications I have to crush and take and she said to goahead and take them with applesauce, just thin it. I still have a bitter taste from those pills. Yuk. I hope I will be able to get off some of the meds after I lose more weight. I hate taking those pill like that. I normally put them all in my hand and just toss them back. But of course now we can't do that. That's okay, it is worth. Anyway, I am glad to finally become a March bandster. Thanks again for all the encouragement the past couple of weeks. I don't know if I could have made it otherwise. I will try to work on my ticker thing tomorrow.

Ok the 3rd day for me is all about gas release from both ends of the spectrum!!

Oh well I'm done and it went pretty good. Today I even went to a 3 hour teacher meeting. It was very small group and very informal and the facilitator knew I was recovering and was very nice to just say I had surgery. She steered the conversation away from what it was for to how well I looked and how was I doing etc..... That was really great. It just wasn't the place to share the what was it.

Anyway my surgery went fine my doc said with no complications. The staff at the hospital were so enthusiastic about my having the surgery and the patient liason for the hospital had lapband done back in july. He come by right before I went in and was very encouraging. He also went out and spoke to DH and told him I was doing fine. All in all the hospital part was a good experience.

I don't know if anyone else has had this but my dr put in place something called a pain relief ball. It was a constant application of pain medication delivered under the skin by a smal cathater. The little ball with the medication in it had it's own little purse like carry bag. And get this my dr said you can just take it out yourself on day 3!!! So my oldest daughter did it for me today. It was quite easy. I do think it helped because I really didn't take a lot of pain med the first two days.

Well It's done and today I got to have some Soup with no chunks and thinned malt o meal. Along with the Clear Liquids. Feeling pretty good just the port area still stings like I did to many sit ups but other than all the burping etc. I feel pretty good.

When do the gas pains in your rib area stop?

Thanks for listening.

planoltxgirl - 03/08

:gluck:

There are so many of you who are banded now that it's hard to keep up. For the most part, it seems like everyone is doing well.

Char, I hope you are feeling better now. It sounds like you may have after surgery nausea that I have heard about. I think they may be able to give you something to help with that. Please let us know how you are doing.

Congratulations to all those newly banded. One more week for me!!! :clap2:

Sugarbear: I can tell all is better - less typo's. I felt the same way when I got home - I was still a little out of it - but felt I had to post something. I knew someone that knew I was having surgery on that day would be on and looking to see how I was doing - I'm glad things are better for you.

My doctor told me I could take my meds with my Water that I have to drink. Just cut my pills in half and swallow - I usually take 1, take a few sips and then take the other.

Keep up the good work - I am 1 week today - :confused:

Thanks for the congrats, all the support, and prayers. I needed them all. My doctor said I will be more sore because of the hernia repair, but I think I am doing alright. Mostly disconfort from all the air. It is up high in my chest and shoulders. Been trying to move around a lot also did some walking. I only laid down for an hour or so today. I was afraid the gas would get worse if I laid around. They said only small sips of room temperature water today. I told her I was really looking forward to the chicken broth. She said if I was feeling good tonight, no nausea ect I could try the broth. I was okay and I did have the broth. It was so good. I ask about my medications I have to crush and take and she said to goahead and take them with applesauce, just thin it. I still have a bitter taste from those pills. Yuk. I hope I will be able to get off some of the meds after I lose more weight. I hate taking those pill like that. I normally put them all in my hand and just toss them back. But of course now we can't do that. That's okay, it is worth. Anyway, I am glad to finally become a March bandster. Thanks again for all the encouragement the past couple of weeks. I don't know if I could have made it otherwise. I will try to work on my ticker thing tomorrow.