JLB

Good luck Miranda. You will be loving your clear broth very soon! Please post as soon as you can and let us know how you are doing. Take care.

Great post Leslie, thanks! June goals: walk a minimum of 30 min/dy, 6 dys/wk:Banane42: get my speed back up to where it was before surgery:Banane10: work on improving my willpower - begone saboteurers!

Congrats Kwalla Girl. I'm glad everything went well and you're feeling good. Take care of yourself and get lots of rest.

Hi CanadaSunshine, congrats on your success, you've done great! Cute website. I don't have a pooch but it sure makes me want to. I live in Calgary and would love to meet you for coffee whenever you are in town. Just let me know what day and we can plan to meet. Looking forward to it.

Hey LeslieLee, it's great to hear from you! I'm so glad that everything went well. Welcome to bandland!!!! Dr. C seems to do alot of hernia repairs. He told me that he's very proactive at looking for them and they are very common, although most people aren't aware that they have one usually. Isn't the broth great. I remember thinking it was heavenly tasting and then I thought... wait a minute... it's just broth. But I must say I really enjoyed it after the Pre-op diet. Congrats again and we'll talk to ya soon. Take care of yourself and walk, walk, walk.

I'll be thinking of you Marcar. You'll soon be in bandland. Very exciting!!! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Hi LeslieLee, I'm sure you're tucked into bed sleeping by now. Please let us know how everything went when you are able. For now, get lots of rest and take care of yourself.

Excellent news Mr. Yoda! That is a sweet victory!! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Yep, sweats worked best for me plus two button front tops. If you don't have sweats then take a pair of elastic waist band pants. If you're like me you might be tempted to over pack. Whenever I go on a trip I always pack way to many clothes. But trsut me, this trip is different. You really don't need more... less is better. For the most part you're resting or going for the odd walk... that's it. Have a great trip! I'm so excited for you!!

LeslieLee, have a wonderful trip and don't worry... it's really not that bad, it will be over before you know it!!! You've done lots of the hard work already. Changing the mindset and getting thru the pre-op diet is the hardest part. Soon you will be enjoying the benefits of the band and I promise - you'll love it!!!! :drum::clap2::tea::biggrin1: Take care and please post as soon as you are up to it. I'll be thinking of you the day of surgery. :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Good luck to all those who are leaving this week for their surgeries. I'll be thinking of all of you. I know that you will all be successful in your journey to health and happiness. I can see by your posts that you are committed to changing your lifestyles and working the band as a tool to help you succeed. Please be sure to post as soon as you can after surgery to let us know how you are doing. :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Lila, I'm sorry to hear you had so much difficulty. I'm glad you're feeling better! What a great idea about the gravol suppositories (how the heck to you spell his word). Good thing to have on hand incase swallowing is out of the question. I also think the DVD idea is great. I was banded by Dr. Cobourn on May 9 and I've thought about possible emergency situations where I might end up in the ER in my city. It would sure be scary if the doctors didn't know what a lapband was or what to do. I'm going to call Dr. C's clinic and see if they have a DVD too. I always learn so much from reading posts. Thanks for sharing your experience and I hope you continue to feel better!

Shaklee also has a chewable multi vitamin called Vita-Lea. I live in Canada so I'm not sure if the same products are available through the States or not. Good luck!

JoJo, you only have to do three days of pre-op diet? How come? Usually it's much longer, like two weeks, at least that's what I thought???

JoJo, believe me it's NOT at all crazy to be thinking about losing your best friend - food. I can totally relate. This is part of the journey that I have experienced so far and I'm sure will continue to deal with. It's about changing your relationship with food and learning new habits. It's hard, it's frustrating, it's challenging and it's rewarding. Hang in there and come to this board for lots of support from great people. Only a few more days - WOOHOO!!!!!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Jacqui, very interesting post and maybe you're not so different afterall. Yes, I am an emotional eater and have consumed huge portions at meals but also relate to what you are saying. I think you hit the nail right on the head. Part of the issue is overeating and choosing the wrong foods because of being in a perpetual diet cycle. The mindset of having to always start a diet and therefore wanting to eat the "last meal" all the time. Not sure I explained this right but after reading your post I had a lightbulb moment. I knew after I did my research on the lapband and after my consult with the surgeon that this procedure is EXACTLY what I needed. I didn't want food to control me anymore. I wanted to eat to live not live to eat. I'm only 10 days postop and still having lots of gas pains and discomfort but there's one thing I know for sure... I have never felt more in control of food since the day I was born! Freedom at last!!

Kacee, I could have written the exact same post. I am or should I say was a volume eater. I don't know where I got the idea from but I think it is related to being an emotional eater. My mom also thought I was from another planet and probably still does. hehehehe Lap Dancer, lol, I do the same thing. I don't like my food to touch, if there's anything saucy on the plate I get really irritated when it runs into other food and I think I eat clockwise but until you brought it up I hadn't really thought about it. Glad to know that I am not alone and hopefully not too weird!

Mr Yoda, your recipes look great! Can't wait to try them next week!! Thanks for sharing.

Princess Sophie, you will have all these questions answered during your consultation with the surgeon. Ask him specifically, if this or that happens, how does your clinic handle it? My surgeon was very specific in answering my questions and concerns which were similar to yours and I was very happy with his answers. Basically, I don't have to pay further expenses for future surgeries related to medical issues but if I was to decide that I just wanted the lapand removed becasue I didn't want it anymore then I would have to pay surgical suite fees. Good luck in your journey!

Actually, I was hungry all the way through the two weeks. I know some people aren't after 3 days or so but it wasn't the case for me. I spaced out the veg's. Usually had 6 asparagus tips with lemon juice mid morning. Had some celery at noon. Maybe some cabbage and mushrooms sauteed in Water at supper and then pickles at night. Mixed it up abit depending on what I felt like each day. The paperwork from Dr. C's clinic said one serving max 225 calories but with the types of veg's I could eat, they were a far cry from 225 calories. I called the nurse and clarified if I could in fact break up the servings into 4 or 5 times a day and she said it was fine as long as I didn't exceed 225 calories of veg's in a day. I felt better eating smaller Snacks of veg's in between the Optifast. Anyway... worked well for me. I think you're doing great so far Leslie Lee. Keep in mind, the pre-op is the hardest part. Post-op feels like gourmet eating, the Soup really hits the spot! You'll be there before you know it!

JoJo, congrats on your surgery date. It will be here and gone before you know it! The band needs to be stitched into place so that it can heal properly and anchor itself. It's not something to be concerned about, just part of the procedure. I had my surgery on May 9 and am very happy with my decision toward better health. Just so you know... you can't feel the stitches inside. Overall, most people are just sore from the surgery itself and some good self care post-op makes it all better very soon. Enjoy the journey!

I'm almost ready. I fly out on Tuesday morning for Toronto and my surgery is with Dr. Cobourn on Wednesday at noon. I'm getting very nervous but I know this is right for me. Thank you to everyone for your knowledge and support in helping me research the Lapband. This is a great forum with very caring people. I'll see you all on the other side... in bandland.

Wheezy, yes, you'd think a rich province such as Alberta would have better health care but unfortunately this has not been my experience in the system. I think it's horrible but I guess it's all relative. I'm sure there are much worse health care systems in the world. At least we have one, such as it is!

Mmmmmmmmmmm... I think a chocolate shake just might hit the spot. I need... or should I say... want something that doesn't involve soup or protein powder. Thanks Andrew.

A hot fudge sundae qualifies as full liquid stage, right?