I have a date!!

[christymarie 0]

I go in Monday Jan 26th at 8:30am. I start taking my impact advantage drinks tomorrow, whoo hooo!! Finally!!

I am so excited to start this journey!

Christy

[ValJean 6]

Congratulations Christy! I live in Chicago too, and am getting banded on January 28th. Do you have a support group or something that you'll be attending post surgery? I'd love to make some fellow bandster friends in the area. Feel free to e-mail me: valeriejeanjohnson@gmail.com.

Congrats again, and best of luck with your procedure!

[christymarie 0]

Hello Valerie!!

Where are you having surgery at? I'm going to be at Alexian Brothers, I was hoping for St Alexis since they have private rooms and a floor just for bariatric patients but since they are squeezing me in I took what I could get.

My insurance is changing pre-cert companies the end of this month so if we didn't have the surgery this month I was going to have to get re-certified, what a mess.

I don't have a support group but my Dr is a part of a group that does a lot of post surgery training. I had to attend at least one meeting before surgery and they want me to finish the rest of the 6 classes after surgery, plus there's a special dietary meeting after surgery to talk about diet after the first month. I'm really getting excited. There's a TOPS class that meets in the library down the street from me so I was thinking about them but do you have any other ideas?

Christy

[matjazty 0]

I too am being banded on the 26th!! I have to be at the hospital @ 6:00am for a 7:30am surgery! I'm lucky enough not to have to do a liquid diet before hand- just 24 hours before!! Good luck to you both! Hope to keep in touch!:)

[christymarie 0]

It's nice having people banded on the same day. I know everyone is different but I don't feel so alone.

Congratulation on your weightloss already!! You're doing an amazing job, way to go.

Christy

[ValJean 6]

Hi to you both! Cristy, I am getting banded at Day One Health, downtown Chicago. It's not a hospital, it's an out patient surgical center--so as long as everything goes as planned, I will be banded in the morning and home by late afternoon.

I know what TOPS is, but really don't know much about the program. I started going to Overeaters Anonymous meetings a few months ago and I found it very helpful in finding some clarity about my relationship with food, which helped me to decided finally 100% that I wanted to have the surgery. But the downside is, I'm worried about going back to meetings after the band--I'm certainly not an expert on all the rules of the program, but I don't think its allowed to discuss WLS, since it is not a tool of OA and would be considered an outside issue...and because of the nature of the program, all based on complete honesty with self an dothers, it would be impossible to attend meetings regularly, work the program, get a sponsor, etc. and not be able to disclose that I'd had the surgery. That's why I'm eager to find a LapBand-specific support group.

I hope you'll both keep in touch over the next two weeks and let me know how you're doing. I'm so excited for all three of us!

Take care,

Val

[christymarie 0]

I think for insurance reasons I have to spend at least one night at the hospital so no day surgery for me.

I wondered about OA as an option for after surgery but I understand the problem with complete honesty. I'll have to do more checking and see if there are specific lap band support groups in this area. It would be great to talk to others who are going through the same things.

Christy