Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

Don't listen when they tell you that you won't be able to burp for a few weeks or you will find it really painful. I'm burping like a drunken sailor.

Glad your experience is better than mine, because I can't burp and feel like I have to 80% of the time. :tongue: Guess each one of us has their own unique experiences. :confused2:

Glad your experience is better than mine, because I can't burp and feel like I have to 80% of the time. :tongue: Guess each one of us has their own unique experiences. :confused2:

I'm right there with you, my friend. I am hoping that walking and Gas-X will eventually help.

Welcome to all our new bandsters! Great to have you with us!

How great to see everyone from all over the world!

And, since by now, about half of us are on pre-op liquid diets and the other half on post-op liquid diets, I'm beginning to think we should change our name to the Drinking Shamrocks...

I had my staples removed yesterday and got weighed . I lost 11.5 lbs. I guess the 5 days with nothing but water and diet snapple did the trick. Thank god that part is over . I think those 5 days were worst than the surgery it's self. As soon as I came home I had a protein shake. I thought I had died and gone to heaven .

Post op day 5

I wonder whether I overdid it yesterday. I think my Fluid intake was good, but that I might have just kind of *overdrunk* - taken in too much at a single sitting. I felt a bit overfull, and I woke up at 5AM, something I used to do when I overate.

Tummy still a bit grumbly, a small amount of soreness near the port incision.

I, too, have the feeling I'd like to be burping a lot more than I am. Yesterday, though, walking really helped that. Sometimes, when I'm walking, I get this feeling as if a bubbling froth is shifting inside my belly, and a sudden feeling of relief. For some reason, though, every day I have to learn over again how much better walking makes me feel. Basically, I'm lazy, and when I feel a bit less than 100%, my natural tendency is just to lay about - not today!

I'm going to shower, have some more delicious, life-sustaining fluids, then... I'M GOING TO THE MOVIES!!!

Wish me luck...

Congratulations, Ms Cathy!

And I can only DREAM of the day when cracking open a Protein shake will taste like "heaven"!!!

I have stocked cases of the damn beverages. I suppose I'll drink them overtime, but I still find them kind of yucky. I've bought a selection of DaVinci sugar free syrups - hazelnut, toasted marshmallow, vanilla, etc - and will start using those more to spice up the shakes.

I want to thank all those who has been telling about their experience. I am day 8 on the pre op diet. I still think the Protein shakes are nasty. I've been drinking the Isopure some too just to have something different. I really am not all that hungry but I miss eating and going out to eat. I have lost 50 pounds so far from my highest weight and still have about 125 more to lose.

My surgery date is next monday March 17th. I am very scared of surgery I hope I can really walk into that hospital and let them operate on me. I'm worried I'll end up crying and the dr will tell me to grow up and go home.

Hope to be talking to you all more. I could use some banded computer friends.

Rhonda from pennsylvania

Well, the surgery center FINALLY called me to let me know what time to be there in the morning. 7:30 and my surgery starts at 8:30. It doesn't seem real that it's finally here! Yikes, nerves are really starting to kick in. I was thinking the only good part will to be off the pre-op diet, but from what I've been reading here, the pre-op diet is uber cuisine compared to the post-op diet! Hopefully I won't be as hungry all the time though!

I'm planning on coming back to work on Friday so I'll post then (I live way out in BFE and there's no internet out there yet except the expensive satellite version that I'm too cheap for just so I can read my horoscope and log into this forum!)

Wish me luck and good Karma!

I want to thank all those who has been telling about their experience. I am day 8 on the pre op diet. I still think the Protein shakes are nasty. I've been drinking the isopure some too just to have something different. I really am not all that hungry but I miss eating and going out to eat. I have lost 50 pounds so far from my highest weight and still have about 125 more to lose.

My surgery date is next monday March 17th. I am very scared of surgery I hope I can really walk into that hospital and let them operate on me. I'm worried I'll end up crying and the dr will tell me to grow up and go home.

Hope to be talking to you all more. I could use some banded computer friends.

Rhonda from pennsylvania

Congrats on losing 50 lbs. that is great!

Just wanted to say...Hang in there girl. We will make it though this. One step at a time.

My surgery is the same day as yours. I did pre-op yesterday. Was scared that my EKG would turn out bad like last time. Was stressed for no reason. All came out well.

I am very lucky to have great friends who support me in this journey. And many others here. We are not alone.

Hi everyone!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this group. It is so wonderful to "talk" to others that are going through the exact same thing I am.

I had my last "clearance" appointment today. There was a little glitch in that the idiots wanted me to come another time. Why you ask, because they can't get it through their head that my insurance won't pay. They finally agreed with me and gave me the clearance. Gosh I just wanted to smack them! (Of course, they don't care that I wasted 1 1/2 hours of my day there........and didn't want to do it again!)

Anyway, my new hospital wants me to attend a support group meeting tonight. I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping to meet some folks who have been successful. It should be interesting.

****WARING***** food talk below!

I am trying to avoid "last supper syndrome". I went to Outbacks last night. It was tough not to drink the Water. I have been not drinking while eating for about two weeks, but I guess when the water is right in front of you it is tough. I chewed my food a ton and ended up eating only 1/2 of my dinner. I consider this a personal victory! I am going out to dinner tomorrow night. Hopefully, my success continues.

Good luck to everyone in whatever phase you are currently in!

Rhonda! I know just telling you to relax won't do any good at all, so I won't even try. The thing is, you're taking what is for you a difficult first step that's going to end up liberating you, making you half of the woman you are now and all of the woman you know you can be. It might be hard for you to walk into the hospital, but no one will laugh at you. At that moment, the only reason that hospital exists is to look after you, and no one but you.

I was scared too, but I promise you:

1. Anesthesia: A PIECE OF CAKE!

2. The surgery: A PIECE OF CAKE!

Look at it like a roller coaster: you pay your money, you sit down, and they put the bar down over your lap and you're off on the adventure that will change your life!

Never forget why you're doing this.

You're going to be fine. And when it's over, we can all have a good laugh about how scared we were.

You're going to be great!

Mom, what is BFE? I'm a video game player, and BFE sounds so similar to an expression we sometimes use that my mind can't think of alternates for those letters!

Mom, what is BFE? I'm a video game player, and BFE sounds so similar to an expression we sometimes use that my mind can't think of alternates for those letters!

You crack me up! I'm a gamer girl (MMORPGS and consoles, too! ) and was thinking something similar. Although, I used to use that term all the time and to me it meant "Bum F* Egypt" or something akin to that. :thumbup:

BFE = Bum _Uck Egypt.

So today I was off work, but that didn't mean I just stayed home. I did lots and stayed busy.

I have a call in to the Dr. I have this weird pulling below my port about 3-6". I'm hoping it's nothing and especially not an adhesion but I have no control over that. Anyone else have this?