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Brand-new member, surgery on April 14



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Hi all.

I just found this board and signed right up.

I'm getting "banded", which appears to be the term of choice here, next Monday, April 14.

My wife is also being banded on the same day. She has a host of problems; blood sugar, thyroid, etc. I've just always been a fat guy and am ready to change. We're happy to be doing it together for moral and actual support. My mother-in-law will be "babysitting" us for the first week after surgery.

Our surgeon is Dr. Frank Chae just outside Denver. We're paying out-of-pocket thanks to the (deleted) insurance companies.

I'm a little nervous, but not about the procedure. My bad eating habits are life-long and this is the only thing that will help me break them. In my entire adult life, I've thrown up less than 5 times - and two of them were the flu (the others were, um, booze-related :frown:).

We did not get any pre-op diet instructions, which I'm sorta grateful for. This whole thing is stressful enough; I'm glad I don't have to torment myself with a weird diet BEFORE someone inserts a foreign object into my belly.

I don't really know why I'm posting this, but it feels good to have found a community to share experiences with.

Wish us luck!

-Dito

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Hello, I definitely want to wish you both good luck on your journey. I think it is great to be doing it together. My husband does not need it. So I'm in it alone. But I shouldn't say that because now I have this as a outlet. I'm sure he will be very supportive. My surgery date is May 14th.

Good luck again,

Susie

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I think that it is wonderful that both of you are being banded on the same day. At least you have someone to babysit you. I want you to remember that the first 2 weeks are the HARDEST!!! My surgeon told me that the first 2 weeks is when you are training your mind that you are not really hungry. He was sooo right. I've been banded for 2 1/2 yrs and I have never regretted it. Since I've been banded many of my friends and family have got banded as well.

As far as the throwing up, I just have to say that your number will most definitely increase. I call mine spitting up more that throwing up. I've always told people that are considering it the good, bad and the ugly. It most definitely the most life changing decision you will ever make and it is going to be even better since your wife is doing it with you. Just think of all the money you will save not eating the way you used to. Good luck and God Bless you both.

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Hi Dito, and welcome to LBT! I think it is so awesome that you and your wife are getting banded at the same time. What a great support you will be for each other, I think that will make the whole process so much easier. Will she be joining us on LBT as well?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We love to help and offer support to one another here.

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I'm not sure if Mrs. Dito will be joining or not. I'm much more of the internet type than she is.

Thanks, everyone, for the good wishes and support.

Monday is coming awfully fast... :thumbup:

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Welcome welcome Dito. I too am a new band-chatter here and I was recently banded myself. I feel similar to how you feel about having to make this decision to start the change on life-long habits. So far (day 6 for me) I've certainly experienced how drastic this change is going to be but I know it will be worth it.

Good luck on Monday.

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How wonderful that you both have decided to make such a positive change together! Best of luck with your surgery!

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welcome! i'm new here too... just joined yesterday. i will be "banded" on Tuesday 4/15 by dr. spiegel in houston. so good luck, let us know how ya'll are doing!! :)

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Hello Dito.

I, too, an excited that you and your wife are doing this together. My daughter (18 yrs old) had the procedure back on Nov. 19 and I had it done Mar. 4th. Although we were a couple of months apart, it certainly makes it easier that we are both doing it together.

For me, the first 7 days were the roughest (with the first 3-4 really rough). However, I woke up on day 8 and felt 100% back to normal. That short 7 days was such a short span of the rest of my life becoming healthy. I am now 19 pounds lighter and looking forward to the numbers going higher.

Best wishes to a successful surgery day!

Paula

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Weight4Change, I had surgery on March 7th by Dr. Spiegel. He is wonderful!!! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

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I was banded on 4-1 (no joke) and feel great so far. Haven't been hungry yet and haven't gotten creative on blended foods to eat either. Any good ideas?

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good luck to you both i am going for my surgical consultation on tuesday....i hope i am accepted as a candidate. i have the same experience with the insurance company i have to pay also. i hope you will continue to post your good news i will be watching to see how you are doing. see ya!

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Best of luck on your weight loss :huh2:

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Hi to both of you--What an Adventure!!

I get my LB on May 6th. I wish you both the very best and Happy Losing!!

I hope you post often with your experiences. I am really counting on this website to help me through.

dicev

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    • LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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