I am looking for a buddy that might in the same area as I am. Or maybe someone who used Dr Spivak. Also support groups in my area

I live in Galveston County. I am being banded on August 18th.

Alright finally someone close to me. I am in Hitchcock. What Dr. are you using? I used Dr. Spivak in Houston. I go to Dr. for my first fill on Tuesday 11.

You do not have much longer to wait. It will all be over before you know it. Let keep it touch it will nice to have someone in the same area instead of just out there.

I am using Dr. Gomez from the UTMB Center for Weight Management. I am nervous and excited about the surgery. it's just around the corner.

I was a little bit nervios too, but it all went really fast. I looked into UTMB Weight Loss Clinic but could not find out much information about it. Without going there.

I was self pay and once I made up my mind and researched it good. I found a good Surgeon and went to seminar on a Saturday and he let me have Surgery on Monday morning at Park Plaza Hospital in Houston.

I suffer from depressiona and extreme anxiety and did not want to worry myself to death waiting for surgery date to come. But now I know it was nothing to really worry about cause like I said it is over really fast.

Just be sure to shop for the things you need to drink or eat after surgery cause you will not feel like shopping the next couple of days.

What is you diet suppose to be like after surgery? Mine was 48 hours liquids then 4 weeks of mushies. Today is my first day to eat solids. I had a protien bar for Breakfast.

Well the first two weeks it's a liquid diet. Then soft food for two weeks after that. Every doctor is different I guess in what they recommend. I really like the staff at UTMB. They are very nice and caring.

Yes every Dr. according to these boards has a different set of guidlines. I really like my Dr. too. Do you have to stay overnight at UTMB? Do they have a support group? If they do is it open to the public? My Dr. does have a lapband support group that meets twice a month but it is at night and downtown Houston, so I have not gone to one yet but I am looking for one in this area.

There is a Dr. at Mainland hospital that does lapband I think it is Dr Yuong (?) and he has a support group but he teaches at it and his guidlines are so different than my Dr.'s so I do not want to go there. What do you think after reading everybodies post think will be the hardest part of this for you? Mine is giving up diet coke. I love diet coke and according to my Dr. should never drink one again while I have the band. So now I have Water, water, water and more water.

Oh yea and crushing my medication everyday I hate that, but that is about as bad as it gets.

I do have to stay overnight at John Sealy in Galveston. They do have support groups and I believe that they meet at the UTMB clinic near where the old walmart used to be in La Marque.

Probably the hardest thing for me will be not to eat sweets. I have a bit of a sweet tooth especially when it comes to chocolate. lol But I know that I can do it. I am committed to making this work.

I take blood pressure meds and he said that they are small enough that I don't have to mess with crushing them. I'm glad about that. When they are crushed you can taste them. YUCK! I went shopping today for all of the stuff that I will need after the surgery.

Really I will have to check into the support group. I think I would like that. It is funny after you have not eaten something for a month it just does not sound all that great.

For my soft foods I ate mash potatoes, oatmeal, applesauce, and egg beaters or scrambled eggs and sugar free pudding. I ate so much pudding I can not make myself open one now.

Have you lived in Dickinson all your life? I have been in Hitchcock about 26 years, but went to school in Deer Park. I also work in Hitchcock my family and I have a printing shop here. My daughter-in-law went to school at Pine Drive.

I take blood pressure meds too but mine are huge so I have to crush morning and night, just pure powder in my mouth drink some water and eat a tictac.

I actually grew up in Santa Fe right next door to you. :thumbup: My parents house is right on the Santa Fe/Hitchcock city limits. I recently moved in with my boyfriend who lives in Dickinson. But growing up in this area makes every town feel like your home town.

I am a lot older than you (48). My son Graduated for Hitchcock in 99. He lives in Hitchcock too but he played Summer Baseball with the Santa Fe boys during high school.

I do graphic design and typesetting for Sterling Lighthouse Printing on Delany Road in Hitchcock we do alot of printing for the surrounding area.

Is your boyfriend supportive about the surgery? That always helps. I did not tell everyone, but my family and one friend knows about it.

Yes my boyfriend is very supportive. Some of my family knows and some doesn't. I told all of my brothers but not any of my aunts, uncles, or cousins. I just feel like it's a really private thing. I'll probably have to tell them eventually. They might start to notice a lot of weight loss and think I'm starving myself. lol

Suportive family that will really help you. And if you work I would take about 4 days off if you can. I asked for surgery day and 2 day after that but I really needed surgery day and about 4 days after that. But every night I walked about twenty minutes with my husband after dark. We have a very long driveway and it was dark and I walked in my PJ's with a pillow held against my stomach for twenty minutes. That is when I lost the most 9 lbs in first week with most of it being when I was on liquids. I am one month out now and have lost 17 lbs, but hope it picks up after fill tomorrow. I am a bit nervous about that.

Be sure to bring a pillow to the hospital for the ride home cause you can hold it against you tummy in the car and it helps so much.