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...

Anon, I know your right, I'm just getting a bit uptight at the moment, the nearer the date comes the more Im getting irritable, my poor DH gets the brunt of it too...poor soul...

Sophie, I need to order those books, you know, even though Im morbidly obese, the weird thing is I ignore it, like I know I am, but I dont feel it inside, and I need to work out and understand why I turn to food, it must have come from my teenager years, I left home at 16, as I had to go to colleage and my parents lived abroad....then my nan died, and I had no one in the country where I was living in, well I think a culmination of things actually.....

Sorry for the ramble, but trying to understand why I am where I am now is deep I guess

Welcome to all the new March bandsters!!!!!!!!!!

As far as who knows about my surgery - EVERYONE knows. And for the MOST part they are all really supportive. I have gotten a few "but you are doing so well, why do you NEED surgery?" I just repeat that the band is a tool and I need the tool, and that shuts them up :girl_hug:

Hello everyone

I just talked to Meli and went to see her when she was in the hospital. She is doing great! She was in the hospital for 2 nights - they would not let her leave until she drank 1ltr of water and kept it down but she was glad so she could relax. She has a pain at the incisions but other than that she is doing great!

She wanted me to let everyone know how she was doing.

I can't wait for my turn. I have been reading post here to get some ideas. You are all doing so well!:clap2:

Is there a lolly pop shape? lol

Hmmmm lollipop and apple I think would be the same....

Sophie, I need to order those books, you know, even though Im morbidly obese, the weird thing is I ignore it, like I know I am, but I dont feel it inside, and I need to work out and understand why I turn to food, it must have come from my teenager years, I left home at 16, as I had to go to colleage and my parents lived abroad....then my nan died, and I had no one in the country where I was living in, well I think a culmination of things actually.....

Sorry for the ramble, but trying to understand why I am where I am now is deep I guess

The books will be really helpful. I also maintained a level of denial about my weight ~ it helps us cope. We have to look in the mirror and see the real picture when we start this journey. Remember to be patient and forgiving toward yourself. Someone posted this on another thread, and I printed it to use as my bookmark:

Originally Posted by anng

Try looking at it this way......You have just thrown away your very favorite and most comfortable defense mechanism that just plain wore out. It has probably been with you forever and you have no idea where you even got it. Now you get to go shopping and pick out a new one that is up to date and will bring out the very best in you. What you pick out is completely up to you and you and nobody else and it will be all yours. At least this time you get to choose willingly!

Ann :clap2:

What about hourglass shapes verus apples versus pears? I'm an hourglass, or at least I used to be. I was once a perfect hourglass, but it sure ain't perfect anymore. However, my hips and my bust still have the same measurement and my waist is less than those...

I am a high bmi patient (bmi over 50) and my liver was perfect - according to my surgeon it was the perfect size and color. And I had no pre-op diet. I think it just depends on the person.

As far as pre-op diet or no pre-op diet - I chose my surgeon because I trusted and if he had wanted me to do liquids for two weeks prior I would have - because he is the doctor. But I am sure glad he didn't.

Sara mos...are you English? A couple of words you use tells me this. I am English, living in USA.

Hmmmm lollipop and apple I think would be the same....

Thanx Pam I know I'm dorkie lol. My sugery is Friday AHHHHHHHH :faint:

Thanx Pam I know I'm dorkie lol. My sugery is Friday AHHHHHHHH :faint:

I know what you mean, mine is Wednesday!!!! :faint::faint:

I was super irritable before my banding too. DH wasn't allowed to eat if I was in the same room and he wasn't allowed to leave any evidence of fast food behind at all either or else I would get really upset and then obcess over that food.

Now I just look at the food appreciatively if it looks good and think about when I'll be able to eat solids again and how it will be interesting to see what my band tolerates and dosen't. And I also think now that as far as fast food goes I don't think I could eat a whole meal at once! Especially a Hardee's one (I really like the thickburgers and curly fries) and that if I really wanted that stuff I'd probably have to have about half of a small fries and maybe half of hamburger and even then it might be more than one meal's worth of food...

Or I think that if we went out to eat I certainly couldn't eat a salad before the meal! And a whole meal! Well doggy bags for me!

I think our food bill is going to go down. At least I think it will once I start making dinner again. Right now DH gets every meal either through the drive through or by heating up something frozen. Now I might make him something simple like pasta if he asked nicely. But he hasn't asked at all. When I start on mushies I'll like cook a few things and maybe he will have a real meal cooked at home then.

I'm very glad that with the band I can still experience hunger and satiation. And I enjoy food-- hell I love it. But it really is just food. And it is so important to be in control of the food and not have the food controlling me. I also didn't want to be hungry all the time. I knew that I needed weightloss surgery in order to lose weight and not be hungry. I didn't think I could get used to being hungry all the time (like my mom is) nor did I want to. But I also didn't want eating to be a chore-- it is an enjoyable experience. So I think I can have the best of both worlds with the band as long as I am careful. Careful not to cheat it. Careful to count calories. Careful to follow the rules. Careful to exercise and so forth. Careful to make good choices and follow my pyriamid... I can live with careful.

Now that I'm in less pain and feeling better and have lost 20 pounds I'm in a better mood and I'm nicer to my DH. So I think it pays off long term if I keep being nice.

I know what you mean, mine is Wednesday!!!! :faint::faint:

Good Luck!:clap2:

I had my surgery 4 days ago and am feeling pretty good - everything went well in the hospital - for about 2 days I had alot of gas pains in my chest and each day it is getting better - I think by Monday it should all be gone. I don't know why I thought the pouch held 4oz of food, boy was I surprised when they told me it was only 1oz. So my diet for this week consisted of 4oz jello for breakfast, 4oz crystallite for lunch, 4oz broth for dinner and a sugar free popsicle for snack and water in between. I am doing well except for the crystallite - it's giving me diarrhea so I have to figure out what I can take instead of it. Other than that I feel great. Infact I went to the boardwalk with my son today, and shopping as well. So anyone who has the jitters, there's nothing to worry about...everything is going to be okay and we're all on our way to being transformed!!!

Reesh:clap2:

March Bandster Babes!

TammyJ has taken over the thread since I have been scheduled in April

CarolynB - 03/01

Sophie248 - 3/05

GloGirl - 03/05 @ 9:00 a.m.

HeatherPA - 3/07 or 3/09 (no jinx here)

Mom202 - 03/12 in spirit:girl_hug:

Hotpink Bubbles 03/13

Kyethra - 03/14

TammyJ - 03/15

Machele - 03/16

WendyJ - 03/19

CrazyCran - 03/21

Eclipse - 03/21

ClickerSister - pending

Reesh - pending for early March

Sara Mos - pending

ginabobeana - Pending

mdicurn - Pending

Laurend - Pending

SusaninKC - Pending

TracyinKS - Bumped to April 26, 2007 (insurance approved 1/30!)

Hi, I just wanted to let you know I had my surgery March 20th...yippee it's behind me now and now I can get rid of this weight forever!!!!!

I know what you mean, mine is Wednesday!!!! :faint::faint:

Good luck on wednesday neveragain. Your name will say it all.

Thanks Sophie,

and I love that quote too by anng. This morning I woke up and felt a lot better...'no grummy feelings!' Over the yrs I have bought about 15 + diet books, and I looked on my shelf, and found one I hadnt really read similar to the ones you quoted, its called: Overcoming Overeating (conquer your obsession with food) by Jane Hirschmann & Carol Munter. I bought this book yrs ago, so Im finally gonna read it. Thats a really good tip, reading about why we over eat whilst recovering from the op, and after, so you address the emotional leavel, as well as the physical level.

Hi Scarlett, yes I am english and live in the UK, I live in Dorset, in the sticks. I live in a place called the 'Purbecks' near corfe castle and Swanage, by the sea and the Purbeck hills, but I work all over the South West of the UK (Dorset, Hampshire, Devon, Somerset, Isle of Wight etc). Where did you used to live here?

Kyethra, I agree being nice to my DH is needed badly at the moment, I have been awful to him lately, its not done on purpose, but I have been really tetchy, and irritable. I woke up this am though feling much better, hopefully once this weeks out of the way, I will be back to my old normal self!!

Love Sara xx