Hi, I am so excited to finally be scheduled for surgery. Real quick, I talked to my pcp about getting the band back in 2005 and then right after I got pregnant and was breastfeeding. Then in January of 2006, I attended my seminar and it took a while, but by May I started my nutritional counseling (12 months were needed), then January 2nd of this year I got a phone call saying that my insurance only needed 6 month of the counseling. So things suddenly went from surgery seeming so far away to things happening very quickly. All of the sudden I feel like my best friend is dying of cancer or something and I'm grieving and trying to satisfy her all at the same time. I'm not really doing the round the world last meal thing, but in a way I just feel blah???? It's almost like when you give up the dieting thing and just say whatever happens happens. And like I said, I am so excited to finally be this far. It could be nerves too, I guess ( I've never been put under before).

It hits everyone differently. I cant say I felt sad, but deciding to have the surgery was the first time in my life I actually admitted I had a problem. I could see I was fat, but I always thought that psychobabble about using food to fill other needs was crap.

Suddenly, it hit me that I did NOT want to give up the overeating. I still to this day dont know why I do it, or what I get from it. I'm not bored, lonely, sad, angry or frustrated. I have a wonderful life. But the thought of giving up that coping mechanism was utterly terrifying. It was exactly that feeling that decided me. I thought well, now we know. I know I have to face this if I EVER want to lose weight, surgery or not.

And I didnt have to give up all pleasure in eating, as it turns out. I can still eat inappropriately when I decided to, eat out of reasons other than hunger. But once you see results, the pleasure in that evaporates and you do it less.

So I'd say acknowledge the feelings, even if you dont understand them and push ahead, its nowhere near as scary on the other side as it feels from where you are now.

Hey Alyssa, don't worry about going under, I have done it 6 or 8 times for other stuff, it is very relaxing, sounds strange but I like it. Its like going to sleep-- very relaxing. You will do just fine.

Alyssa

I feel the same way, just found out that I was approved yesterday, and I was super excited for about two minutes and then I was like OH CRAP! food is such a big part of my life and my socializing, when I want to relax I go out to dinner, when my friends and I get together we go out for dinner and drinks, when my SO and I hang out we go to bars and eat and drink. It seems all the fun stuff in my life revolves around a knife and fork.

So I posted my concerns, got some excellent feed back from bandsters who have been there and it helped to calm my food fears. I also remembered that my best friend, Food, got me to where I am now. And I can't wait to break up that relationship and bury her six feet under:biggrin:

I know that I can do this, and I do look at it as a way to get back my old me, (I loved her...she was soo much fun and confident). I'm hoping that this is normal to feel this way. I'm a pretty happy person, so its out of the norm to be in the dumps. Oh yeah, my treadmill broke to just when I was getting a routine going...I guess it's not used to all the use. LOL. But even that has got me down.....the feeling of failure already. Hmmmmm, its time to go look at some before and after pics to pick me up!!!

Oh finally someone that feels like I do...

I can't explain it neither...

one minute I am sad about it...

then I am happy.....

then it's like holy $ it's going to happen my opportunity in life....

etc..etc...

But I am so looking forward to surgery day!!!

I'm right here with you. One minute, I'm dancing on air, the next, I'm crying. Not sure how to feel. It's not that I'm going to 'miss' food per se, I've been taking this medicine to prevent migraines for about 3 months now, and I have no appetite, I just know that when I stop (it cannot be used long term) that 'LION' will be back with a vengence. I also started in 2005, and had twins, then started again, insurnce change and the whole approval thing took less than a week. :frown: So, I'm going Tuesday, scared to bejeezes, not of surgery, had plenty of those, voluntary and not voluntary, but of what life will be like afterward. Not stopping at McD's on the way to Grandma's, well for the kids ya, but not me. What about when we go on vacation, what will I eat when everyone else is chowing on Turkey legs? I didn't think of all this before, but i'm having nightmares about it now. It is totally consuming my days since she called and said I was approved. Will I walk around Disney sipping on a water bottle and be 'happy', will I want that Mickey ice cream head? That is what is scaring me.

We are going to Disney December 1-8, fortunately I will have plenty of time to adjust. I already plan on bringing my magic bullet with me, and sending down protien powder and such before we even get there. Also with 4 children, we do 4 big birthday parties every year, we have Christmas Eve (2x) and Christmas Day at our house. I'm sure it will be fine, like I said at least we have time to adjust before then!!

Patti!

Hang on girl! You can indulge at McDonald's! You just have to make good choices. Order a big mac and just eat the meat and lettuce, or order a grilled chicken sandwich and just eat the chicken. They also have salads and balsamic dressing.

Now onto Thanksgiving. You WILL be able to eat turkey. In fact, turkey is great protein! Just make sure it is moist so it goes down easy and chew chew chew. You will be able to eat most anything on the menu for Thanksgiving, just a LOT less of it (if you have eaten like me!!!!) and you will be satisfied.

I have heard that once you start to get used to eating the banded way, that you start looking at the way other people eat and are amazed at how they just gobble down food in whole big chunks without really tasting it. You will get the hang of eating to really enjoy food without inhaling it!

So don't worry, you WILL be able to eat all kinds of things. For instance (and remember I'm not banded yet, just on the pre-op diet but I will continue the same diet after I get back on real food after banding), yesterday I did really good on my food counts and only had about 15 carbs even after I had dinner, so, for a treat I actually got to have a quarter of a cup of REAL ice cream! OMG it was so good and I savored it and ate it very slowly. By the time I was done I was already so full from dinner and then that on top of it I was almost uncomfortable. I had only had seven ounces of pork roast, a cup of spinach and a cup of salad for dinner. I was stuffed!!!! You will eat very similarly after banding (but even less). You will make sure you get your Protein and veggies, you will track it and then, if you've had a really good day and you are feeling like it, if someone offers you something decadent, you can have a LITTLE of it and not be deprived of a little treat. The important thing is to watch your portions and make sure you get that protein.

Don't worry, you will do great!

I'm right here with you. One minute, I'm dancing on air, the next, I'm crying. Not sure how to feel. It's not that I'm going to 'miss' food per se, I've been taking this medicine to prevent migraines for about 3 months now, and I have no appetite, I just know that when I stop (it cannot be used long term) that 'LION' will be back with a vengence. I also started in 2005, and had twins, then started again, insurnce change and the whole approval thing took less than a week. :frown: So, I'm going Tuesday, scared to bejeezes, not of surgery, had plenty of those, voluntary and not voluntary, but of what life will be like afterward. Not stopping at McD's on the way to Grandma's, well for the kids ya, but not me. What about when we go on vacation, what will I eat when everyone else is chowing on Turkey legs? I didn't think of all this before, but i'm having nightmares about it now. It is totally consuming my days since she called and said I was approved. Will I walk around Disney sipping on a Water bottle and be 'happy', will I want that Mickey ice cream head? That is what is scaring me.

JaxBandster couldn't have said it any better!

Thanks,

I'm feeling much better today. I guess it is just the nerves. I know that I will be able to eat 'real' food just less of it. I just am going through this thing. I'm not even going to miss food so much, I just want to get it over with already and start my new life. UGH!!!