We're official then! The TENaciousTENS! We will stick together and get this job done! Then we can Celebrate our new lives together! Here is my favorite quote from the yahoo lap band group:

"Band surgery is the easy part. Now finish what you started so you can LIVE the rest of your life. Be brave and be patient. The surgery date is a turning point in you life. Don't turn back."

Together, lets go forward! I'm happy to be a proud member of the TENaciousTENS!:clap2:

Hi Lafs (and everyone),

My name is Twyla...I posted on the other "Lets get this party started" October board but thought I would post here too. My surgery is also scheduled for October 4th, and I am also a nurse (Labor and Delivery)!!! I posted my long intro on the introduction section and on the "Lets get this party started" thread...so I will save my finger muscles...I look forward to chating with everyone and supporting eachother through our banding process!!

Holly- How exciting that our surgery's are only a day apart. It will be great to support eachother through this. Yes, I am self pay. But my surgeon lets even the insurance people go home same day. (As long as able to keep fluids down, not nauseaus, no problems, etc.) I am worried about the whole being tired from the liquid diet thing. It sounds like that whole first month and a half will be tough. Because I will have to do the two weeks pre-op low calorie diet. It is very restrictive. Then for the first week we will be on complete liquids. And then the rest of that first month is not much better. The thought of blended up solid food like meat grosses me out- so I think I will be eating foods that are naturally already quite soft or that texture to start with. But I guess we need to remember- we can handle a month of the yuckies in order to have a life of the wonderful!

Nicknaknut- your post made me smile. It is so funny how you are already working out the Thanksgiving Feast situation. We all are soooooo in the "we can never eat again" mode. I was glad to read a post yesterday from someone that had the band a while back. She said- don't worry, we will be able to eat foods we like again. For example, she said she can eat a thin crust piece of pizza, but she gets full so she doesn't want to eat several.

CQQgirl- I too haven't told a lot of people. I have told a few close friends and two family members. I know I will have to tell some more people because our drastic eating habits will make it so obvious. It is just embarrassing in some ways. I guess because it feels like we are saying "yeah we are so fat and had to do this cause we couldn't do it on our own." I know there is so much more to it- but it feels that way when you say it to someone. It just goes to show the shame and embarrassment that overweight people have. We should not feel that ways, but it just happens. We are here to support you. I definitely think it is important to have support and to be able to talk about it in this life changing process.

Hi cQQlgirl! Don't feel alone...I turned 50 too! No so bad except for this extra baggage! I also have been overweight my entire life. But now, the same things that I used to do to lose 30 lbs in three months, has turned into 4 pounds in 3 months! UGH! I feel like this is the opportunity that will let me take control!

Oooh sorry Twyla, I was over in "introductions" and inviting you here, when you'd already been here! Glad to have you in our group:-)

Bonnie (nicnaknut) you're cracking me up over this Thanksgiving thing! Just cook a turkey dinner NOW! Make the whole thing (can you do that in a motor home?) with ALL the fixins! (And can you drive that home to Oregon so I can come over for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, hot rolls, buttered corn, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and pecans sprinkled on top and..... OH sorry - I got carried away :hungry:

You guys are so funny. Oct. 3rd is fast approaching. I start my pre-op diet in about two weeks. I have it marked on the calander so I don't forget, but I am really trying not to think about it. I figure if I ignore it, maybe I won't want to start eating all the things I'm going to miss. So far it seems to be working. The bad thing is that I'm really not changing my eating habits until then either. I did start walking 2.6 miles 3-4 times a week though.

Got my date on Friday. October 2nd here I come...I can't believe I've gotten to this point. My only fear now is the 2 week liquid diet.

______________________________________________________________________

UGGGGGGG!! When will the month end?????

Hi there, I am newbie and wanted to say hello. I am really excited about getting banded on October 11th in TJ with Dr. Ortiz. I love reading everyone's stories and it makes me so much more motivated. I will be starting my preop diet on the 1st October... Whooo!:clap2:

I've just gotta say, LOVE the amount of support on this board. I'm really lookin forward to being a part of this group. We're on our way...

Well...my surgeon does not require a pre-op diet...but I am starting to try making different protein shakes to see how I do with them. I have found that mixing in a little sugar free pudding ( so far I have tried the chocolate fudge and butterscotch no cook jello pudding) in with ice, milk and a couple scoops of protien powder makes a yummy thick frozen protein shake that even my husband thought was a desert!! I used vanilla protein powder. It was pretty filling, and full of protein!! My surgery is scheduled for October 4th...hopefully by then I will have a handle on all the yummy protein shake recipes!!

Twyla

Twyla,

That little sugar free protein dessert thing sounds yummy. I will have to try that. It will be great because it will have no sugar, as well as give us calcium with the milk, and a great way to add our protein powder in. So we will still feel like we are having a little dessert every now and then.

Hi Laurygregson,

I am being banded on October 12 by Dr Ortiz. Guess we can struggle through the preop together.

Hi to all the rest of you as well.

Karen

Hi Karenr204, It's great to hear that someone else will be there around the same time. How are you feeling about everything? I'm starting to feel really excited about a new thinner me! I'm counting the days!

Hi guys, It's so good to see how many new people are joining us.

Twyla, where are you having surgery? I used to work l&d when I got out of nursing school. Such a nice area.

I had my phone interview with my doc today and he was so great. When I asked him where my port would be , he said to feel for my ribs and it would be below them. I told him that if I could feel my ribs, I wouldn't be calling him. We got a good laugh out of that.

The nutritionist also called today and she will be a great resource.

She recommended BeneProtein by Novartis. She said it mixes easily with a spoon in all liquids and you can't taste it. I'm going to try it. It's sold a Walgreens but we don't have one of them close to us so I'll check the web.

I have been drinking the carnation instant Breakfast no sugar added. It taste good but only has 5g of Protein. Where can I get a Protein powder to add to foods with a higher protein count? I really don't want to order on line.

I'm scheduled for surgery on Oct. 5. I don't know yet if my surgeon requires a pre-op diet, I hope not. I'm going away for the weekend with my hubby and some friends the week before.

Anyway, I'm excited to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's been a long and grueling road to get insurance approval. But I got it!