Ok so here is the top five from the first poll. Vote for your all time choice for our group name!

Hi! My surgery date is Dec 16th...Unfortunately Colorado is not running any specials for just chubby chicks. I also have a bmi of 34. But I have high cholestoral, so I qualified sqeaking by and waving $100 bills in front of the nose of my dr (ha ha!). Anyway, wow...you only have a few days how are you feeling? I definitely have some mixed emotions, mainly regarding the recovery afterwards. I have read so many wonderfully easy recoveries and a few not so wonderful. But I guess anything is better than being too big for my pants for one more year!!!! Good luck to you, Kim in Colorado

Welcome Steph! The 29th will be here before you know it! We are glad to have you as a Holiday Hottie! I hope you have time to read back a few posts and meet all the great people who are December Bandsters.

OMG...TOOBIGFORMYPANTS...! You have me laughing for real out load this morning! You are soooo funny! I am actually going to print your post and put it on my refridge for humor for recovery! I contemplated waving $bills at my insurance company to cover me....I was borderline BMI too. This is the count down week...yikes and liquid diet.

So far so good...but it's only 7:22 a.m.!

Hi Joanne: :thumbup: how are you today>?

TOBIG4PANTS: You get no breaks being just a chubby chick Keel the same way. I wanted to share that I don't think recovery is going to be an issue at all. I am having an out patient LB proceedure performed where I can walk out of there and go home after an hour or so. My dr said someone left and went back to work once. The less you weigh now the better you have it for recovery also. I will let you know though for sure after I get home.

My concern is for how I will handle eating ...I am an absentminded eater and it's sure going to be a change.

Get your votes in on this poll if you haven't already! Just 7 hours left to vote!!!

I have been told - quite graphically - if you eat absentmindedly, too fast or too large a bite - your band will remind you it is there. and in such a way you are not likely to forget for a while! That sounds like a pretty good deterent to me.

I also think recovery is not going to be too bad. I am planning on taking it very easy for 3-4 days, but most ppl I have talked to are starting back to a semi-normal schedule after that point. Even during the "take it easy" stage I will be walking around the house and outside if the weather is cooperating. I am fortunate enough to be retired and not have to keep a work schedule right away, but I also think we need to get up, get out, and push ourselves a bit.

Marg - I will be especially thinking of you next Tuesday...

Our December bandsters get started next Monday, folks! I hope each of you will post the day before your surgeries so we can say special prayers for your speedy recoveries. There are LOTS of people to keep track of and we don't want to miss anyone!

I have been told - quite graphically - if you eat absentmindedly, too fast or too large a bite - your band will remind you it is there. and in such a way you are not likely to forget for a while! That sounds like a pretty good deterent to me.

I have heard the same thing too. That we will quickly learn what our bodies will and will not accept as in food and that we will learn to eat small bites. The worst thing I have heard is the blockage. It's been described to me as very very very painful. Then of course the vomiting and flushing. None of it sounds to fun to me!!!

Marg - I will be especially thinking of you next Tuesday...

Our December bandsters get started next Monday, folks! I hope each of you will post the day before your surgeries so we can say special prayers for your speedy recoveries. There are LOTS of people to keep track of and we don't want to miss anyone!

Next week will be the big week for many of us! Someone should start a post about with the days before and the days after.

I know for myself since I will be going to Mexico for my surgery I will be away from the forums from a couple days before and not until few days after my surgery.

Good luck to everyone!:thumbup:

Pete, I'll be thinking of you on Friday if you will be thinking of me on Thursday!! Get back to your computer as quickly as possible. We will all want to hear from you!

I will be thinking of you and of everyone on their days! This is an exciting and nerve wracking time for all of us! Those of us having our surgeries early in the month need to get back here as quickly as possible to show the others how we are doing and encourage them in their times!

Welcome Steph! The 29th will be here before you know it! We are glad to have you as a Holiday Hottie! I hope you have time to read back a few posts and meet all the great people who are December Bandsters.

Thank You!!!!!!!! This site has been so helpful.....

Just wanted to wish all the early December Bandsters luck! YOU can do this! It's going to be awesome! Say goodbye to the old unhealthy you and say hello to the new happy healthy you! I'll be praying for you all!!!! Keep me posted on your surgeries and recoveries!

Hi! Which city are you having your surgery? I live just outside Denver and haven't heard of Dr Brown. Of course that means NOTHING, I only found Kirshenbaum thru a friend and went straight to him. I see you are from Kansas. Do you get to go home the same day or are you spending the night in the hospital?

I get banded on Dec 16th!! Yahoo!!!! Luckily I live only about an hour from my Dr. I feel so fortunate. Kind of a weird feeling, these mixed emotions you have before an elective surgery, but as I have said before....it sure beats being overweight for the rest of my life!!

Kim in Colorado

In honor of all those who voted for December Diamonds I went ahead and made a logo for those that would like to use that one instead of the Holiday Hotties. Enjoy!

You are a good guy, Pete! We are lucky you are here...

Ah thanks Joann!

The way I see it, it really doesn't matter what our name is. What matters is that we're all making a better choice for our life and we're doing it together!