Hi, I know that it seems ages away but my surgery is booked for June 1st (7 weeks tomorrow!!) and I just can't wait so I thought I'd start a June 2007 thread... anyone else out there due for surgery in June???

I started my pre-op diet (Optifast) last week... thought I'd try and lose as much as possible beforehand as I've kind of been doing the last super thing for most of this year! It's supprisingly OK... first 4 days were hell but hunger seems to have gone although I still struggle with the bordem (head hunger) a bit.

KT

being banded 1st June 2007 in New Zealand

Starting weight 101kg, BMI = 35

Current weight 97kg, BMI = 33.5 (after 10 days on Optifast)

Goal weight 65kg, BMI = 22

Oh yeah...I'm down 5lbs already!

Whoo hoo!! That's great!!!! At least the suffering's not for nothing. Yeah, those first three day's are the worst cuz your detoxing...after that the hunger and other pains subside.

I finally got my date too, June 8th. After fighting with my insurance company the last few months, I finally decided to self pay. It seems to have been an up hill fight, but, finally, I"m counting days. I can't wait to start my new life. I'm so excited.

Welcome broker girl :wave: Congratz on the date! It'll be here before you know it

How did your surgery go? I will be a jUne bandster but not until June 28th. I am so excited!!!

Julie

INSUB! Glad we are getting banded together!!!! How are you doing? Are you on a diet? I need to scroll back and read your posts....

Broker---I'm a self-pay, too! I know how you feel about it. It's NOT easy to dish out the dough/finance, but it will so be so worth it!

Java...how did your pre-op go????

{{{{{{ Hottie }}}}} Thanks for changing the calendar date for me!

I'm not doing too well on my Pre-Op diet today...it's too subjective and so I'm a little disappointed in myself. But I haven't had any fats or sugars, so I guess that's a good thing. I must say....I'm PROUD of all of you who starve yourselves day in, day out and are losing weight!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!:clap2:

Cheers,

Toni

I went for my pre-op visit today and from being on a liquid diet I am already down 7 pounds. I guess that is a good start.

Missy: My DH is planning to get the band too. He's in appeals with insurance now and we hope to get approval and have him banded by August. You two will be in different phases on the post-op diet for a while...how do you feel about that? I was worried about that until his surgery was put off so far from mine.

Musicalmomma - No I am not too worried about it. He will be on full liquids and mushies when I am on my pre-op. I think that is going to be the hardest for me. It won't take us long to get to the full diet together, so we can share food. I think it would be harder if we were even farther and I had gone first, so I feel for you.

Suzzzzie - it is great to see fellow nurses taking control of their health!

My DH is doing amazing! We went to Wal-mart after he was released today. We walked around for an hour or so, while we waited on his meds, then we went over to some friends house for a couple of hours. He is just a little sore and a couple of his incisions are itchy. He is drinking tomato soup and water without any problems. I sure hope I feel as good as he does!

Missy

I'm not doing too well on my Pre-Op diet today...it's too subjective and so I'm a little disappointed in myself. But I haven't had any fats or sugars, so I guess that's a good thing. I must say....I'm PROUD of all of you who starve yourselves day in, day out and are losing weight!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!:clap2:

Cheers,

Toni

Toni - I hope you take this as an encouragement - because it is meant that way. One of the other patients banded yesterday with DH almost didn't get done. Dr. Malley said her liver was almost too big. All the patients were talking while waiting on their swallow - she admitted that she had not stuck to the pre-op diet and had eaten "like a regular person" on mother's day, because she was cooking. She was the first on done and was still lying in bed when my husband was dismissed.

I am very worried about being able to follow my diet also - I can't stand artificial sweeteners, but I am more worried about getting in there and not being able to get the band, so I am going to work really hard at being good. I start my pre-op Thursday, but I have been trying to cut back this week and not eat again after dinner - that is the hardest time for me.

Keep at it - it is worth the rewards!

Missy

<!-- this is not the last post shown on the page --><TABLE class=tborder id=post478474 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thead style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e9e9e9 0px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e9e9e9 1px solid; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; BORDER-LEFT: #e9e9e9 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e9e9e9 1px solid"><!-- status icon and date -->

Yesterday, 07:36 PM <!-- / status icon and date --></TD><TD class=thead style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e9e9e9 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e9e9e9 1px solid; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; BORDER-LEFT: #e9e9e9 0px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e9e9e9 1px solid" align=right> #225 (permalink) </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e9e9e9 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e9e9e9 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e9e9e9 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e9e9e9 0px solid" width=175><!-- google_ad_section_start(weight=ignore) -->marlynncreel<!-- google_ad_section_end --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_478474", true); </SCRIPT>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Marlynncreel - i know exactly what you mean. I am a nurse too and we are social people so breakfast lunch and dinners are gonna be hard for me too. Its already hard seeing other people eating and wishing i could eat that too lol I guess for me i just have to remember that even if I cant eat what everyone else is that i still need to take a break and get off the floor for a while to refresh myself! Good Luck on your surgery I am getting really excited too!

Becky

Thank you, Missy...that's inspiring enough for me!!! I'm not on a liquid diet, though, just a modified one, so it's hard to know how "good" to be, but I'm trying!!! (I didn't even mention I'm not home, but out-of-state with my extended family until banding day....so it's REALLY tough!!!)

Thanks again for sharing that---your husband must be so proud of himself!!

Toni

HuntersMom....7 Whole Pounds! WOW! That's FANTASTIC!!!!!!

Good going Girl!

---Toni

Lucy - Thanks for the inspiration. I want this more than anything I have never been skinny and that aspect does not matter to me at all but being healthy and feeling good about myself is what i am striving for! I guess the emotional part is harder than I expected, food is everywhere and honestly because i know i cannot have it, its on my mind alot, so me being me, I bought a journal today so I can write down my thoughts and feelings as I go through all this. It is so crazy that I am not hungry but i cannot stop thinking that i am. Oh my goodness thats y i need to journal or work alot during these 2 weeks to keep my mind off all this lol. I am sure you are much stronger than me and you will get those sweet liquids down

Becky

...One of the other patients banded yesterday with DH almost didn't get done. Dr. Malley said her liver was almost too big. All the patients were talking while waiting on their swallow - she admitted that she had not stuck to the pre-op diet and had eaten "like a regular person" on mother's day, because she was cooking. She was the first on done and was still lying in bed when my husband was dismissed...

There's another thread out there somewhere where a woman didn't follow her pre-op diet, the surgeon switched from lap to open and STILL couldn't get the band on because of the enlarged liver!!! This is the stuff that scares me straight!!! Today was EXTREMEMLY difficult for me!!! Like Becks said, cuz I can't have it, I can't seem to stop thinking about it!!!! It's like food was the key to all my good times and fun in life. Now that I don't have that key, I can't open the doors of fun! Sounds pathetic doesn't it? Well, this is a good learning experience and I am determined to make it through with all of you good people!

Thank you, Missy...that's inspiring enough for me!!! I'm not on a liquid diet, though, just a modified one, so it's hard to know how "good" to be, but I'm trying!!! (I didn't even mention I'm not home, but out-of-state with my extended family until banding day....so it's REALLY tough!!!)

Thanks again for sharing that---your husband must be so proud of himself!!

Toni

I hope it helps. Since you aren't on liquids, just staying low fat, low carb, and sugar free should help, it must be really difficult being around the extended family though. I hope your extended family is being supportive.

I think my DH is really proud and excited. He will be much better at this than me, I hope he can drag me along!

I was 99% perfect on the pre-op diet in the first two weeks and I have 11 days to go . However, during the last three days, things have gone downhill. It's a combination of the PMS Monster, being tired all the time, overwork and emotional eating. However, the main reason is that I found out that my liver is normal size (from an ultrasound), so I'm using it as an excuse. Next week, I'm at a fully-catered interstate business conference which I'm a little concerned about. I guess I will have to just pretend I'm sick and leave the room every meal-time. Pretty hard to do for days on end. I will have to do some soul-searching today and re-commit. I'll do it, I'm sure. I was as good as gold last weekend.

Anyway, I'm not going to beat myself up for having two normal veg meals and a little chocolate. I can recover from that. Still, I don't recommend to anyone to give in and break the pre-op diet. It hasn't been worth it.

What's been great about this process is the pre-op testing. I found out that I have a lil (genetic) problem with a heart valve which means I'll have to go into ICU. I also found out that I'm borderline diabetic, so I'm glad I'll be sorting that out before I had any major damage.

I'm self-pay too but not exactly as in Australia we can use our Superannuation (I think it's called pension or retirement money in the USA). Normally you can't get it out until you're 60 but I guess they agreed that I'll be dead before then so I got to access it for this op.

I could have paid for private health insurance (anyone can get it here) but you have to be in it for a year and I couldn't take another year at this weight.

I have only told my mother, one of my brothers (and his wife) and my grandmother. They have all been super-supportive. I'm not going to bother with my Dad as he's never had a weight problem and is a Herbalife distributor (good grief!). He doesn't live anywhere near me anyone, so will be none the wiser.

ToniTeach, we are band buddies!

Congrats on your date Brokergirl. It will be worth the money. I'm really excited too. In fact, I'm much more excited than I am scared.

Becks - a journal is a great idea. I think I might write one too.

Let's all do a big protein powder shake toast to counting down the days to our op.

Cheers!

PS Probably shouldn't have said 'toast', should I?

ETA (I only get smiley icons when I try to edit). Toni, we do have different dates after all. Mine was pushed back to June 6 because of work and finance issues. However, will be with you in spirit.

PS Calendar Girl, can you change my banding date from May 28 to June 6?