Hey everyone going through Kaiser Richmond!!

Where are you in the process?

THanks Tina!!!! THat was awesome!!!! It really helps to know what is going to happen....and I'm like you always taking care of others...so I am looking forward to being pampered.....and girlfirend.....SLEEP....I am SSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOO lacking in that department with 2 small kids...I am looknig forward to the rest....

THanks again I really appreciate it!!!

Hey Tina by the way how tall are you? I noticed our starting weight was about the same

I am 5'5 and I also noticed we started out about the same. See I only had to lose 12 pounds to get surgery and same with you.............I think there is some formula when your BMI is lower. I know alot of people had to lose 25-35 first. I felt extremely lucky but sometimes I think starting out lower is why I lose so slow.

Ok I went to the Thrift store today and bought 5 pairs of size 18 pants for 25 dollars. Surprizing how nice they are...........I can't believe I am in an 18 again!! I am gonna wear the same big shirts for awhile but the size 20 pants were really getting to big. (bringing them to the next meeting).............I think until I get down to goal I am gonna just keep going back to the thrift store for every size down .............25 dollars is great and hopefully I will only wear them for 4-6 weeks than be down to a 16 by July or so.................................

Have a great weekend all!!!

Edited May 2, 200917 yr by swrktp

Hi Ladies:D

Candy you can read my surgery story on my blog, i had no nausea, I didnt get the pill u guys got.. ops from the nurse.. but they gave me IV nausea meds.. and they worked. Didn't feel it till i tried taking a shower.... I also could bend:) So dont worry.

Oh my i am so glad you didnt let them keep yacking. Also in the or i would remind dr baggs this is a band procedure, lol make him laugh:D

Congrats on the new pants isnt it wonderful!!!

My pain meds post op and nasuea meds were all by IV too.....which is nice because they kick in really quick once they give them to you.

When I got to recovery I was like a 7 on the pain scale. They gave me meds immediately and I went to 5 ............than when i said I was a five she gave me more meds...........probably why I was so sleepy!! But it was a good sleepy............relaxing.

Candy be aware I was allergic to some of the medication which is why my breathing was so off when I woke up. I am exception. Most people don't have to deal with that. It didn't help that I panicked at first......I have no idea why obvious something did scare me. I am asking Dr. Baggs at the fill what exactly happened. I am afraid it could be embarrassing though!! LOL. I worry about what I could have said or done!! I just hope my gown was on if I was making some kind of a scene or argueing with them about the face mask!!

Today I am feeling restriction. And I measured everything.....some of the 18's are snugger than I am used to.........I like the loose 20's..........so I am anxious to get down a bit more and have baggy 18's................I am still in shock the 18's fit my mind is telling me I wear a 20 so I didn't try 18's on until a few days ago. Like Nicole was saying sometimes it is hard to see the change in yourself, I still see myself in 20's...........................weird mind trips!!

Nicole any word about the job yet??

Edited May 2, 200917 yr by swrktp

Hi Everyone, Reggie, great pep talk, I appreciate it Tina, Thanks for posting your o.r. experience. It takes the nerves away when you know what to expect!! Possible dumb question... why do you go to radiology after surgery??

by the way, my name is Candra

Hi Candra! Nice to meet you!

After surgery you'll be in recovery for a couple hours. Than they wheel you downstairs to the radiology dept to do what they call a "barium swallow". They have you stand up on this platform up against the xray table and while they watch you on a monitor you take a couple sips of barium, this thick fruity, chalky stuff. They watch on the monitor as you swallow it and make sure that it goes through the band fast enough but not too fast. It only takes a few minutes and then they whell you back up into recovery.

Good luck to you! I'm excited to hear about your journey.

Hey Candra.....so happy to have you here!! This is an amazing group of women....in a short time I have made friends that I'm sure I will have for a life time!!!!

So not only do you get all the ups and downs our journeys and how similiar they all are (yet so different :thumbdown:) but you get a great group of ladies!!!!

Trust me I should know...I had my orientation on March 3rd and am having surgery on Monday...yah as in this Monday...Crazy huh!!!!

Ask away though, anything I can help answer!!!!

Ok cried earlier...now excited....crazy women in Elk Grove!!!! :thumbdown:

Candy I think what your going through is normal........this is a huge change. If you were'nt thinking about it and a bit worried........than you would be a crazy woman!!

Girl your totally normal, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Happy, stressed, sad, excited it is all a part of the process!! Enjoy it all...................

I hear ya I have also been sorta all over emotionally the last few days and I am 3 weeks post op. There have been a lot of changes for me in the last four months and I think everything going so fast and changing so much has been overwhelming at times. I am finally getting time off from work to just think and process everything. I am so glad I did this but I think all the changes have me a bit moody the last few days. Lots of new things but also lots of goodbyes the last few months. Still mourning my love affair with diet coke!!! LOL.

So Candy girl I totally get you. We are normal not crazy. Big changes, great changes are in store..........but also lots of goodbyes.

Normal to be emotional about everything!!

Thinking of you and confident that all will go well on Monday!! You are almost a bandster now!! :-)

Edited May 3, 200917 yr by swrktp

Thanks Tina....your right!!!

It was funny last night we got subway and I got a diet soda....never been much of a soda drinker, here and there....but I told my hubby this is the last one for ever and you would have thought someone slapped me in the face.....he told me that was so normal because forever is a long time no matter what it is, but that the reward from not having so out ways the soda!! :thumbdown:

I watched this thing on the internet last night on WLSchannel.com its called Melting Mama....I don't know if you have seen it, but the lady is so funny!!!! She had gastric bypass but she talks about all the changes you go through after weightloss surgery......if you haven't watched it check it out.....there is alot of stuff on that web sight that I found enteresting!!!

I have also been thinking the last couple of days about the emotional part of it.....the attention that I will get and strange it will all be!!! My life is about to change in a major way!!!

Thank goodness I have you all to turn to!!!!

Hey Tina...this is my emial address dispatch_punk@yahoo.com.......if you would like can you email me your phone number? It's totally up to you....no hurt feelings if you don't want to....but the more contacts I have for after the better!!!

Candy I am so excited for you! You're gonna be awesome and after tomorrow you will be so glad you did it even when you're in pain!

The emotional part is normal, I am still mourning soda, pasta, rice and bread and probably will. But giving that stuff is so worth being a healthy skinny bitch! LOL!!!

I find myself feeling kindof bitter when people are eating things that I love and can't have but I know that will get better when l can eat real food again.

Luckily we all have each other to vent to and make us remember why we did his and how RIGHT of a decision this was.

Love all you girls! You are the only people in my life that can 100% understand all that I am feeing right now and that is priceless to me! (((hugs)))

Thanks girl!!!!!

Ok.......This milk of magcrap has done nothing but make me nauseas......and I dont understand why we even have to take it so early the morning before surgery.....whatever!!!

Ok well we are heading out...dropping the kids of my parents and headed to Emeryville!!!!!Pray for me!!!! I know it will be good...

Thanks for all of your support......don'y know how I could have done this without all of you!!!

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See yah on the band side....

Hey, Chris we love you too! This group is marvelous! I can't say enough about our generosity with each other. Ok am I lost or do we have Candra and Candy??? LOL. Me and my weight is Candy and Desperate is Candra? please help lol.

Hey Christine I hear you about being kinda bitter about other people eating. I was at a salad place last night...........people where eating these huge plates of salad and I don't know why but I was getting a little irratated with everyone!!! I thought how rude of you to eat and eat and eat like that.....................than I started to think what is wrong with me thinking that way!! LOL

My daughter got a salad and I added garbonzo and kidney beans, feta cheese and cucumbers, on it so I could pick things out of the salad. That way I felt like I "got to have a salad"............well you know I wanted that salad so bad I ate that "extra last bite" when I knew I was full............ah ouch, and I got to feel the PB'ing for a minute there..... I had to get up and walking around for awhile to work it out.........and you know I only got to eat about 1/4 of that stuff............the plate was full still of my "special stuff." I was sorta upset that I only got to taste eveything but not really enjoy it!! LOL.

I used to be able to eat the whole salad by myself three weeks ago!! LOL. I thought I do have restriction for sure............I sure did see and feel it last night. I literally got to taste everything only.

I also miss the things. For me I am missing my diet coke. I was a six pack a day until December and orientation when I went down to every other day!! But still that is a huge lose for me................I think I must have gained most of my weight on diet coke. Go figure. I drank more of that than I actually ate!!

I am so glad I have everyone else here as well. You guys have totally been my support system. I think people try to understand but unless you have been through it you just don't get it!!