starting a new thread for anyone who has or is considering surgery thru the Brigham/Falkner program.

~Mel

surgery 11/13/07 Dr Vernon

-35lbs

Good to hear from you, luv2teech! Thanks for the reply sharing your experience. I gues I won't worry about waistbands. One thing I will welcome is having a waist again. LOL

I must confess that I have been dragging my feet about losing the 10 lbs before going back to the doctor after getting the date from Jennifer(she's so nice). April. I am going to do it bit by bit rather than blitzing it off and going nuts and then binging and putting it all back on. Thus the reason for the 'stuck' ticker!

singing you will have to keep in mind the the Brigham is a teaching hosptial. I think once I had a post surg interview with a med student, once a student doing observing collecting history and once my Dr asked if the student could give me a fill and I said no. Now Ive been seeing my Dr regularly for almost a year and a half so I dont know how many visits that is total.

Now after surgery you will probably get a visit from the surgery students who just do look sees. If your Dr has a Fellow in training you may meet them. I know the one I met intro'd himself to me in pre-op then I saw him again the day after. He was a very handsome Aussie if I recall. hummmm

Like Luv said no problem with anything around the waist post-op but I packed comfy sweats just for the ease of it.

The mental battles during this pre-op dieting phase come and go... some days are better than others. Some days I am wicked hungry, literally my cells are screaming for carbs.

I am a little proud of myself because yesterday I went to see two different movies at two different theaters, and of course I am assaulted by the smells, hot dogs, popcorn with butter, pizza, candy etc etc etc. Not to mention the Chili's restaurant next to the theater in Burlington. I resisted all of it. I took my 4 o'clock liquid protein at 4 while I watched Kate Winslet in The Reader, and also ate my pre-peeled and sectioned 2 pm orange to get me past everyone snacking on popcorn and candy all around me.

I had chicken breast and some carb neutral vegetables for dinner before going to the second movie, and gum during the movie. Of course the thoughts constantly surfaced, picture a devil on my shoulder "go ahead, have a small popcorn with butter, you can make up for it tomorrow" and the angel popping up on the other shoulder saying "yeah, go ahead, and have something and make it up later". That is when I realize that I am on my own, and this struggle will carry on all of my life, and the band will be a tool to help me win the little battles it takes to actually win the war. But the biggest tool I am finding is the mind, and learning to fight it out, and do without is making me a stronger person, better prepared.

Dr. R. will be surprised at the scale reading when I come in on the 10th for a weigh in. I am determined to get my surgery date, especially with this economic uncertainty. The sooner I get this done, the better, while I am fortunate to have the insurance that has been approved already...

Good for you for acknowledging the emotional/mental aspects of this journey. I strongly suggest you consider some individual counseling to help you further explore this, too.....it can't hurt. Congrats. Keep up the great self control. Impress Dr. Robinson! :hurray:

Oh, but please don't be dissuaded if he doesn't do the celebratory dance along with you---he's just not that type of person.

Edited February 23, 200917 yr by notateechanow

Hi everyone. I have to miss my fill this morning because I won't be able to get into boston today. I really needed this fill too. Who knows when they can fit me in again.

:-(

Hey just wanted to post, I have my first consult with Dr. Robinson today! So excited and yet nervous. I was looking at pictures and other posts on this website last night. Very inspirational and also a bit emotional too.

Have a great day everyone!

Hey thinkingaboutit! Let us know how it went! I found the initial consult to be very easy, informative and I was relaxed. I didn't have to wait in the reception room at all either.

As for movies...over in Revere they have a concession stand with healthy vegetables to snack on. That is an option for those who are not into junk. Expensive, but an option, nevertheless.

So I figure, if I can smuggle normally priced candy from the cvs into my purse and munch it, why not some veges..(quiet ones..LOL) Some of it looked good too..melon, berries, etc. But I usually don't go to that particular theater.

I was at a movie a while ago waiting for the previews to end,and a middle aged couple came in and sat right in the row in front of me, whip out cold cuts(very spicy ones)a loaf of bread and proceeded to make sandwiches from their findings at the Whole Foods Market down the other end of the shopping center! SANDWICHES!

They dined and I was spiced out the entire movie.

I am in the mood for the movies after staying up to watch the gowns and the awards last night..all the way through.

I think I will try to have the determination that you have, ibelieve.

How much did the doc tell you to lose after your initial consult?

Are you in the stage now where you have seen him again, set a new goal and are losing and heading towards the day of the procedure?

singingintherain...(who would love to fit into a gown and look halfway decent...not to mention feeling confident!)

ibelieve you should be proud of yourself and that just goes to show that you have the new determination to make better choices! Yes you are right it is a daily battle. I was proud of myself the other day when I walked by all the 1/2 price Vday candy. Somehow I justified picking up two peanut butter eggs, one for me and one for my sister. I put them in my basket and cont to shop. As I was approaching the cashier I thought to myself "why am I buying these?". I had justified them bc they were small and 50% off but I really didnt even want them. so back on the shelf they went and I feel 10x better than if I ate them. Now does this mean I dont let myself have a treat? No, if I want something bad enough I will have it. but this one time I felt in total control.

Aww Heidi we could have bumped into each other this morning. I have an appt in 3 weeks that I may cancel if you have a problem rebooking.

Guess what they put in a TV, water and single cup coffee/tea maker in the waiting room.

Edited February 23, 200917 yr by tinywishes123
bc

Guess what they put in a TV, water and single cup coffee/tea maker in the waiting room.

Are they expecting long wait times??!!

I, unlike you, didn't make it past the 1/2 price sale on candy. I love my candy. (Thanks for the kisses, by the way..still munching on those...) I'm just better at not eating the whole bag in one day any more. :tt1:

One thing I like is that if I have 1 kiss rather than the whole bag, I am not condemned for life! If I want to have something

I used to do the sponsor/sponsee thing. It caused me to fail miserably, because if I didn't adhere 100%, I was bounced back to day 1 even after months of keeping to the plan.

One day I was at a restaurant and they had nothing on the plan at that time of day which I could order separately to make a decent meal. So I ordered a crab sandwich with a teeny side of rice. I ate the crab filling and the tomato and the rice but left the rest.AND I was hungry when I walked out of the restaurant.

After 3 months of " back to back abstinence" my sponsor bounced me back to day 1 , erasing all progress, because I had eaten my rice a few hours before I was scheduled to do so at dinner. Insane, because I was starving and would definitely overeat if I waited until dinner! Needless to say, with my mentality, I threw in the towel many times and called it quits after being bounced back.

Some can live like that..I can't. That's why I am getting banded...to HELP me control my hunger in a SANE way.

singing that is TOUGH. I don’t know if I could handle being that strict.I told my surgeon when I be gain my journey that I knew I could lose the weight if I wasn’t so hungry. Just turn off my appetite and I know I can stick to a sensible meal plan.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kisses, if they are in front of me I will eat them that’s why I don’t buy them. The ones in my bag didn’t last very long L2t7

As for movies...over in Revere they have a concession stand with healthy vegetables to snack on. That is an option for those who are not into junk. Expensive, but an option, nevertheless.

So I figure, if I can smuggle normally priced candy from the cvs into my purse and munch it, why not some veges..(quiet ones..LOL) Some of it looked good too..melon, berries, etc. But I usually don't go to that particular theater.

I am in the mood for the movies after staying up to watch the gowns and the awards last night..all the way through.

I think I will try to have the determination that you have, ibelieve.

How much did the doc tell you to lose after your initial consult?

Are you in the stage now where you have seen him again, set a new goal and are losing and heading towards the day of the procedure?

singingintherain...(who would love to fit into a gown and look halfway decent...not to mention feeling confident!)

A healthy concession at the Movies! What a concept. It's funny because I only ever got a diet coke for the movie, and did not crave popcorn or hotdogs or candy, but the mostly liquid diet and resultant low carbs kicks in this whole other neediness!!!

Dr. Robinson told me to lose 25 lbs... I was down about ten pounds when I went in for my second weight check, and to my dismay I had put on a ton of water weight in a matter of hours!!! So it looked like I had not even tried. And by all rights I should have been down the whole 25 lbs, but the Holidays... at least that was my excuse. So here I am months after my initial consult, no surgery date yet, and I had to find the willpower somehow, someway. I am determined that at my next weight check March 10 - I walk out of there with a surgery date!!!

I made it through hours of the Pre-Red Carpet, and I too loved the glamour and the gowns, but I had to Tivo the Oscars since I did not get to 9:00 before it was bedtime... I need my beauty rest now more than ever, on 1200 calories a day...

I finally cut the coffee out, now to ween off the baby coke zero's and tea. But those are easier to quit than coffee, which I cannot quit cold turkey or I get wicked ugly caffeine withdrawal headaches! First I switched from 1/2 and 1/2 to fat free creamer, now to no coffee, that is almost as big as losing this much weight!

Good for you for acknowledging the emotional/mental aspects of this journey. I strongly suggest you consider some individual counseling to help you further explore this, too.....it can't hurt. Congrats. Keep up the great self control. Impress Dr. Robinson!

Oh, but please don't be dissuaded if he doesn't do the celebratory dance along with you---he's just not that type of person.

LOL, no, he is not that type... :tt1: having worked for surgeons, I am most comfortable with a Surgeon's surgeon. I will be satisfied if he lets me get my surgery date set before I leave his office on March 10!!! I want a new life more than I need the foods I have given up! I think I am figuring out that the band is a tool, while the brain is the most important tool that will be utilized in this lifestyle change.

ibelieve you should be proud of yourself and that just goes to show that you have the new determination to make better choices! Yes you are right it is a daily battle. I was proud of myself the other day when I walked by all the 1/2 price Vday candy. Somehow I justified picking up two peanut butter eggs, one for me and one for my sister. I put them in my basket and cont to shop. As I was approaching the cashier I thought to myself "why am I buying these?". I had justified them bc they were small and 50% off but I really didnt even want them. so back on the shelf they went and I feel 10x better than if I ate them. Now does this mean I dont let myself have a treat? No, if I want something bad enough I will have it. but this one time I felt in total control.

I had to pick up the two boxes of Peanut Butter Girl Scouts cookies that I had ordered months ago, today, and after ignoring all of the samples in the kitchen at the office I passed them around to my colleagues!!! I had one peanut butter patty to satisfy my curiosity about them (never had those) along with my colleague who has celiac. 1 won't kill me, or him, I think. It's some extra calories today... maybe I had something emotional to fulfill after the battles I won over the weekend. But that cookie actually left a bitter taste in my mouth, so its not the usual rush, and then eat some more and skip dinner because I am full from cookies... nope... just one. My family can enjoy the rest.

Some can live like that..I can't. That's why I am getting banded...to HELP me control my hunger in a SANE way.

I hear you loud and clear on that!

I gained all of this weight because all of the weight I lost on Phen-Fen, and then Phen, and then nothing but starvation to be 150 lbs. I just got tired of the weight battle and starving myself, and I was emotionally drained after a divorce... and I had a boyfriend who I know now was sadistic and cruel... but long story short, I just gave up. And then severe asthma and prednisone really made me amenable to packing on the pounds. I am trying to look at food as a life giving blessing and gift that can also be unhealthy for most anyone, based on what we now know.

I was referred to the book Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, and he has brought together all of the information, starting in the 1800's, of the effects of simple carbs on health and weight. If we have the simple carbs in moderation, mindfully, then those yummy goodies will not get to our asses, even with the band. So my goal is to find a healthy medium, depriving myself of the defeatist "I am a loser anyway I might as well eat all the sweets I can stomach, instead of dinner" attitudes.

And you are right, one slip is not the diet killer, it is a defeated attitude that takes you back to square one.

Right now, the band is my hope for a normal life. Everyone deserves a shot, even those who do not think they deserve it.