I'm scheduled to be banded this Friday, September 28, 2007. (Dr. Spivak, Houston) I'm excited, nervous and scared all at once.

Right now I'm on a low carb diet to help shrink my liver before surgery and I'm hating every minute of it. I'm not a big meat eater at all so this is pure torture. Especially because knowing I'll be having surgery within days and won't be able to eat all the things I love, I'm wanting to go on a food tour and have a bit of everything. hehe

I'm trying to get prepared for surgery by thinking ahead of everything I'll need. I already went out and bought liquid tylenol and chewable Vitamins along with all of the food I'll need for the first few days on my liquid diet. (broth, Jello, juice, etc.) If anybody has any advice on anything else I haven't thought of, I'd really appreciate any and all suggestions. :car:

Congrats On Your Surgery Date..that Is Great...it Is Going To Be Great...i Was Banded On 4/6/07 And I Have Lost 52 Lbs...best Thing In The World...the Only Thing I Can't Have Is Carbonated Beverages, And Popcorn...that Does Not Bother Me..no Big Deal...it Is So Worth It...remember To Stick To The Rules....do Not Eat Before You Are Supposed To....you Can Mess Up Your Band...follow The Doctors Instructions To The Letter...

I love Spivak. Congrats on choosing him!

I bought Better Than Boullion Soup base. When I was on liquids, it tasted sooo hearty!

Let's see.... Spivak's handout has just about everything on it. Ummm. Oh, if you get the pain in your right shoulder for a few days after surgery, from gas.....I was told to try GasX but it did nothing for me. Walking helped some and so did a heating pad, but I figured there was just no reason to deal with it so I also didn't hesitate with the liquid tylenol and any other pain killer I was allowed to have.

Front closing athletic bra from Walmart. Cotton socks for the hospital (blends will cause static shocks!) A pillow between my tummy and the seat belt on the way home.

One thing I really missed...I was so fat for so long that I avoided the camera. I wish I had a really clear "before" shot to compare with now. Bite the bullet and take some pictures this week. close up front an dside of the face, full body front and side. As much as you may not want to, it will sure be amazing later.....

Proein drinks....At first you'll need the calories, but as soon as you can eat real food, you'll want your Protein shakes to be low cal. After a lot of trial and error, I settled on EAS CArb Control. Only around 100 calories or around 20 grams of protein. If you're not a big meat eater, you might have trouble getting in all the protein you need in a day. On days tha tI don't think I've gotten close to enough, I'll hae a second shake so I don't have to worry about it.

Welcome to the journey!

Wow..thanks guys!

Big As Life - You were banded on my son's birthday! He turned 20 on April 6th. God I feel old. hehe. Your results so far are fantastic. I'm impressed.

Betsyjane - Thank you so much for the advice on everything. You brought up things I hadn't even thought about. I'm definitely going to take the "before" photos, as painful as that will be. Natural instinct for me is to run from a camera. Your results are fantastic too...congratulations!

I have a question for any of Dr. Spivak's patients - How much contact did you have with the office and hospital leading up to your surgery? I'm being banded this Friday but have had very little contact with Dr. Spivak's office and none whatsoever from the hospital yet. I called the office to ask (Spivak's office staff are soooo nice) and they said I won't normally hear from the hospital until the day before. :car: I was a bit shocked by this. So right now I have no idea what time the surgery will be or anything. I'm one of those people who likes to prepare for everything so this has thrown me for a loop. I haven't even had any confirmation letter from Dr. Spivak's office or anything. Maybe I'm worrying too much?

I Was Banded On 9-11 By Dr. Spivak At Park Plaza Hospital, They Called The Day Before, Asked Questions About Meds, &normal Stuff. If I Can Answer Any Questions , Feel Free To Ask,

Thanks jimmie a. :car: So when the hospital called you the day before surgery, that's when you found out what time to be there and everything? I hate not knowing because I have a friend giving me a ride to the hospital and I'm not able to tell her what time to plan on leaving or anything.

I Found Out From Brenda In Dr. Spivak Office, Give Her A Call She Will Help You They Were Very Helpful To Me.

I Had To Stay Over Night, So Be Prepared, Maybe Because Of My Weight 430

Good luck on your surgery. Naked Juice makes a protein drink that really helped me get the protein in and also help with my sweet tooth. I haven't miss any of the foods I love, I feel hope and joy at the same time. I am 5 weeks since my surgery and have lost 20 pounds.

I'm really hoping I don't have to stay overnight. My start weight is 262. I know complications could occur and I might have to stay overnight but I'm hoping that doesn't happen.

Wow, ranchgirl that's really good! I'm hope my results are that good 5 weeks into it.

I had to stay overnight and I had the best sleep. I didn't want to stay, however I was really glad that I did. You will be so happy you made this decision. I am and wondered what took me so long.

I'm really hoping I don't have to stay overnight. My start weight is 262. I know complications could occur and I might have to stay overnight but I'm hoping that doesn't happen.

As I understand it, one doesn't usually loose alot post op so don't get discouraged. Do excercise, start walking. With the protein juice from Naked Juice and the vitamins I have felt so good. Keep focused and I am so happy for you.