Hello,

I haven't seen a July thread yet so I thought I'd start one.

I'm getting banded on July 2 in Florence, KY. :drum: Anyone else out there being banded in July??:clap2:

Lynette

I do not have a date yet but hopefully it will be in July. I will be finished with all my pre-op test, consults, etc by June 9. I am keeping my fingers crossed. July seems so far away. I am in Georgia.

sunny

Sunny,

Keep us updated if you get a date. Good Luck!!!!!

Lynette

Hello, all. I'm scheduled for surgery on July 18, 2007 in Tiajuana, Mexico with Dr. Ariel Ortiz!! I cant' wait.

Welcome Mike,

You're a brave one, going to Mexico. I chose close to home, but you are in CA so you're not too far.

Do you have a pro op diet? My surgeon does not require one. Not sure if that's good or bad.

Lynette

I'm having surgery on 7/10 with Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver....I'm flying in from Alaska. His price ($9950/package) was about the same as going to Mexico and, frankly, I like the idea of staying in the states. I believe he requires a high protein diet at least a week before surgery to decrease the size of the liver making surgery easier/less risky.

Marci,

WOW, only 9,500. That's a deal. I'm paying about 16,000 but the Dr. is local, only 10 minutes from my house, and he has a great program before surgery, and a great support group afterwards. I feel like the money is worth it, plus he's had a fellowship training in Boston, and has traveled out of the country to teach other Dr.'s to preform the surgery. All of his patients that I've met at meetings, or on Obesityhelp.com think the world of him, and had great results. I'm just excited as can be to finally lose the weight.

Lynette

Hi Marcy and Mike. You too, Lynette. Seems like we are getting a group going. I am counting insurance paying for my surgery. If not, I will not be able to have it. I don't anticipate problems, though, because bcbs fed covers the surgery.

Lynette, I had an opportunity to have my surgery by a much more experienced surgeon out of town, but like you, prefer a local doc. He has a great pre-op program and a on-going support group that has been active for several years, first for bypass patients and now lap band also.

I don't have a date yet. I expect to get one in the next couple of weeks unless test show some reason for me not to have the surgery.

Have y'all told friends and family. I did some feeler comments with friends like "I am looking at this surgery" and got lots of negative feedback. One friend has been extremely supportive. So I think she will be it, except for my kids of course. What has you experience been?

sunny

Sunny,

I have incredible support from my family! My mother-in-law is flying in to help care for kids (and staying long enough to make sure I can handle it all by myself before she heads back home), my husband is letting me use our meager resources, my little sister is letting me use some airline benefits from her work, and my "big" (she's the skinny one) is going with me to be my surgery support. My kids don't really know (they're a little young), but they'll know I'm trying to get/stay healthy. My friends are supportive (some a little jealous) too. I've got it good I guess.

I checked into having surgery with docs in Anchorage (nearest place to do it) and it will run about $24,000...no one can actually quote me how much because they like to charge for every little thing and "can't anticipate every patient's needs". WHATEVER!

I had to add a post to this thread.

I was banded July 2006 and have been so happy with myself since last Christmas. I was around 190 but felt like I had shape instead of rolls.

Good luck to all you July 2007 pre banders.

I hope your adventure goes as well as mine.

edie

Good afternoon. About a year ago a friend of mine mentioned Tiajuana, Mexico for a possible place for surgery for her hubby and now that I actually have it scheduled for the same day trust me I consider myself a brave soul as well, lol. Seriously though after meeting with the surgeon and his staff I was convinced to having him peform this. I was more nervous before the consult, now all excitement.

As far as the diet my surgeon with most of his clients requires a 10% weight loss before the surgery...according to him the amount of weight you lose initially when losing weight is the fat you have near your liver where he will be working around so this weight loss will be an advantage to him not having to move so much of my insides around and means less discomfort for me. I believe because of my high weight and stature this will be good so yeah I have about 40 lbs to lose by July 18th!!! I'm done about 15 so I should be good to go. I'm on Atkins right now and will be until my surgery...so far so good.

I think every surgeon is different so I don't think it's bad that yours isn't putting you on a diet. If I were you I'd get every craving out of the way for a full week 2 weeks before surgery then take it light the week of, know what I mean? In other words be bad bad bad then light. I know I would do that. I actually plan being bad a few wks before my surgery and get some pizza in my tummy before it's shut down, lol. Health is my main concern and goal in this surgery. I don't want to be super thin or with rock hard abs but be at more healthier weight than I am and be comfortable in my own skin.

So what are you going to splurge on before your surgery?

I don't even have to lose any weight before sugery. I'm starting at 232.

I've been eaing out a lot lately, but not really overdoing it. I actually think my mind is in diet mode ecause nothing really sound good to me, and I've already stated cleaning out my pantry for the most part, and stocking with better options like Soups, Jello, etc.

I told my DH I wanted Red Lobster the Saturday night before surgery.

I know, seafood, one of the better choices for after surgery, but the biscuits are SOOOOO good. That will be my splurge.

My appetite is not the same as it was. I've been looking at my 1/2 cup measuring cup a lot lately, and think that is the amount of food that will be filling to me after surgery, so now my mind is really working, and I've been cuting back on portions. When we eat out, I only get a sandwich instead of a whole meal.

I too am doing this for health. My world changed a lot 3 years ago when my son was born. He is my life now, and I look at life so diferently, like now I really have something to live for, and be around for. I'm glad I'm doing this now, before he gets to much older. I don't want him to remember me like this. Of course he'll have a few pictures, but that's it.

Lynette

Edie, thanks for the support. You have done amazingly well in a short amount of time. Congrats on the huge loss. Mind I ask what kind of excercise program you do? or how many times a week you do excercise? I think this will be the key to success. Food is only 1 part of the equasion.

Thanks,

Lynette

Sunny,

I have told a lot of people, including family, friends, co-workers. Everyone has been very supportive, but my mother. She gave me the whole 'isn't there anything else you can do' story most of us here. She's coming around though, and has offered to keep my 3 year old the night after I get out of the hospital, and wants to be there the day of surgery. So it's getting better.

Everyone at work is just thrilled for me. My manager, male at that, is very excited for me. They all know that I have tried and tried to do this on my own, and even if I haven't given it 100% effort, 100% of the time, I have tried. I even walked a marathon last year. I trained for 5 months, and finished all 26.2 miles, but lost nothing in the process.

So at least this has been positive for me in telling others about my plans.

Sure hope you get a date in July. If you don't get one until August, keep coming back to July thread. We're happy to have you. My goal is to keep this thread on the front page near the top, so everyone new can find us. The June thread is going great. I had an original date of June 26, but was postponed, so I started out there, and still check in once in a while.

Lynette

Dear Lynnette and pre bander July 07,

I started in June of 06 trying to walk about 1/2 mile and could do it in about 35 minutes. Bad knees. I also started to try swimming about 1/2 hour every other day . Walk one day and swim the next.

As the weight came off , my knees became stronger. At the end of trying to get to my goal I was walking about 4 miles plus a extra slow 1 to 2 miles with my pet. I can walk 4 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes now.

Now that I have reached goal I walk about 2 miles a day. BUT I am so much more active now I am sure I burn calories.

So I

1. Made sure I got my liquids in. I put them in 20 oz bottles and TRIED to drink 4 a day.

2. TRIED to get my exercise in , building up more and more and felt great about it. I even do weights (about 15) minutes when I walk at the gym

3. Followed my doctore food guidelines very closely. I ate about 1000 to 1100 calories each day

Good luck all,

edie

Wow, you met your goal in less than a year? What an accomplishment. Congrats on your success! I can only hope my is as good!!