Doreenviv

Welcome aboard, I'm a newbee here myself will be banded on May 4th. Good luck in your journey!

Started my pre-op diet on Wednesday, doing great so far but find it hard to finish all liquids required (4 protien drinks and 64 fld ozs of water) and boy do I enjoy my one meal a day. Trying to eat in small bites and chewing it well, sometimes I forget to chew it well, but.I still have 11 days to practice lol. I may have to mush or cut into really tiny bites.

Congratulations! I feel the same way but can't wait to have my turn, mine is May 4, 2011. Congrats again and I wish you much success.

My PCP wanted me to go to his referal but I did research and wanted to go to the one I chose and I insisted. He asked me how I found her and why Dr Vernon. I did alot of research on alot of Sergeon's before I chose her, including the one my Dr recommended. I went to the Hospital sight and researched her history there, She is a teaching Dr for Harvard Med School, has done many many LB surgeries over the years and I got to see her preform one live on the hospital live web casts. She does her surgeries out of 2 Boston hospitals. Go to some support groups for banded or want to be banded at the Hospital this Dr. does his surgeries at and ask questions of anyone that has had that Dr. Also do the same for the Dr your Dr is recommending get as much feedback as you can on both Dr's, you may change your mind and find one on your own. Also see what your Insurance Co requires, I had to have a certian accredidation hospital and Dr. This is your life and body and you have the right to choose your Dr. Post the Dr's name on here in another post and see if anyone has had him, it couldn't hurt! Good Luck in finding a great Dr.

Could someone tell me how to get the weight ticker to paste to my profile. I have tried but must be doing something wrong. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Congratulations! Can't wait to see my results when I get my band in May. Good luck and much sucess to you.

Good luck to all of you today keep us posted. Mine is May 4th can't wait.

I started mine today also. I get to have an apple or some other fruit ( 1/2 cup canned in juice ) in between the shakes plus lots of non caloric drinks ( 64 Fld oz. per day ) 0 sugar carbs. Then 1 good meal at dinner with 4 oz chicken or fish or 3 oz lean beef or pork loin and 2 cups vegetables. I've read others had to go on an all liquid diet pre-surgery. I'm very lucky, so, I will suck it up and do this with one exception, my cousin is getting married on the 30th of this month so I will enjoy that one day and have a carb ( potatoes ) and 1 drink. Do you think they could make a frozen mud slide out of my Slim Fast protein drink LOL. Good luck and much sucess to you.

Your welcome and good luck!

**MY SKINNY BUCKET LIST** #1 To climb the rock wall on my cruise in 2012 #2 To go Zip lining when we go to the Caribbean #3 To look and feel sexy again #4 To wear a Lttle Black Dress #5 To live healthy for the rest of my life These are not in any special order and I'm sure there will be more to add ad time goes on.

Hello Lisa3, Here is my diet ( I start it Tomarrow ) and use every day for the next 2 weeks; * Daily food goals* A. 4 Protein drinks such as Carnation Instant Breakfast, 0 sugar carbs added, mixed with 1% milk, Glucerna or High Protein Slimfast B. 1 meal consisting of 4oz Lean protein and 2 cups Vegetables. C. 2 servings of fruit per day. Daily Fluid goals are: 64 or more ounces of calorie-free fluid every day such as Water or fruit 2O All food and fluit must be consumed. Use Fiber supplements as directed on package for constipation. AND if you desire, you may include 2 additional Snacks per day of 1/2 cup diet Gelatin and/or sugar- free popsicles. Read all your food labels on other drinks to make sure they are calorie-free FOOD SUBSITUTIONS **Insteat of 1% milk ---- 1 cup fat free Yogurt Breyer's, Yoplait, Columbo ( all light ), Dannon Light 'n **Vegetables------ 1 Tomato, 1 cup chopped vegetable mix including red and green bell peppers, cucumber, celery and onion, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cupsteamed broccoli,carrots or green Beans. **Fruit---- 1 apple or orange, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup grapes, 1 cup melon, 1/2 cup canned pineapple in juice, 1 cup fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup packaged fruit in juice, or 1/2 cup uncweetened applesauce. **4 Ounces cooked protein---- chicken, Tuna packed in water,drained, fish ( grilled, baked, broiled ), Cooked turkey breast, cooked pork tenderloin, OR 3 ounces of the following Proteins, lean beef ( loin or round ) or cooked lean ham. 2 teaspoons oil and vinegar for greens or 1 tablespoon regular salad dressing or 2 tablespoons light salad dressing. I hope this helps with your confusion, My surgery is May 4th. My diet was given to me by my Surgeon, she is very good in here field and she is also a teaching Dr. at Harvard Medical School, her diet is going to make this pre-surgery diet a little better and easier to follow.GOOD LUCK and keep in touch!

If you want to watch a Lap Band Surgery Video from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston ( Live from 2005 ) I suggest it. It's not really gross just very detailed. After I watched this video I was much more relaxed about it because I now know what to expect and know what the Dr's will be doing to me. I found it to be very interesting AND informative. I only posted this because some of us want the answers to our questions about the actual surgery. Go to Brigram and Women's Hospital in Boston, Ma. in the Hospital's search bar type in Lap Band Surgery Videos. Click on #1 ( Streaming Series ) go to weight management then click on surgical webcast and watch the entire surgery. I'm proud to say that my Surgeon is preforming this. Remember though, this video is from 2005 and the Lap Band Surgery has come a long way sence then!

A few of my Dietitician's recommendations are: Carnation instant Breakfast sugar free, SlimFast, Atkins or any other sugar free Protein drink. I will be starting mine April 20th and I'm being banded on May 4th. Good luck and much sucess to you!

Hello, I will be banded on May 4th and I can't (weight) haha just a little humor there!! Good luck and much success to you!

Hello, I will be starting my pre op diet next week. The one my surgeon put me on is: sugar free protien shake, then a non caloric drink, apple or other fruit, then non caloric drink, sugar free protien shake for lunch, then non caloric drink, another fruit, more non caloric drink, then for dinner 4 0z chicken or fish and veggies, non caloric drink, protien shake and non caloric drink totaling of 64 fluid oz of non caloric drinks per day. If your hungry in the evening then you can have either a sugar free jello cup or a sugar free popcicle. My Surgeon is Dr Ashley Vernon at Brigham and Womans in Boston, Ma. She is also a teaching Dr.at Harvard medical school. My cousin didn't have to diet before surgery either, but please just follow your Dr's advice or your surgery could also be postphoned. Think of how wonderful you will feel when you can go to the smaller sized clothes area of any store!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will all be worth it!!! Great success to you and good luck!!!

Hello everyone. My name is Doreen, I will be having my Lap Band Surgery on May 4, 2011. I have a Great support system but I'm sure I will need to talk to others who have gone through or are going through what I'm going through. I have a wonderful cousin that has had the LB for 2 years now and it's nice to talk to her but she lives 2 hers away. She has worked very hard and went from 360 lbs to 147 lbs and this is what hard work does, I know that you have to be committed to this and I'm so ready to do my part. I'm 54 and weigh 229 and am considered morbidly obese. I look forward to making friends here and wish EVERYONE much success! Sincerely, Doreen

Hi, I too was worried about all the things I wouldn't be able to eat but realized that wasn't as important as my life!!!!! I was supposed to have mine last year no date was set I chickened out. I had a few dreams that didn't turn out too good. But I finally decided that if I didn't do something now, then the rest of my life wouldn't trun out too good for sure. My cousin weighed 360 lbs before her Lap Band surgery, with hard work she now 2 years later weighs 147 lbs and says it was the best decision of her life. I to had the same thoughts but then I think of all the things I can't do now and THAT makes all the differance in the world. Don't think of what you can't do rather then what you will be able to do. I hope you don't change your mind and if you don't we can be in this together. My goal is to go zip lining and rock wall climbing when I go on my cruise next January. Yes I do have to do the liquid diet the same day. The reason behind that is so the surgery will go smoother and to get some of the fat off around our liver and heart and to help in the healing process. Good Luck and stay in touch. I too am eating the things I like now but in moderation untill the liquid diet begins. Again GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

Hi Kelly-Ann, yes, it depends on your insurance and what they require. Most require you to attend the seminar and some require you to do 6 month ( once a month) dietairy class sessions. Mine did not. Then you meet with your surgeon after that and your tests they have to send a letter of nessissity to the Insurance co for approval of the surgery and that could take a few days to a month or two it depends on how fast your Insurance co responds, I had my approval in 1 week! And it depends on your surgeon. I met my Surgeon on Feb. 28 for my consult she agreed I needed the surgery. Then she had tests set up for an upper G.I. you HAVE to hace a Psychology Consultation ( 1 visit ) unless they feel you need more which is highly unlikely and you have to meet with the Dietitian twice. My Surgeon's office set it all up in one day to get it over with. After my upper G.I. I had to meet with her again because I have a floating hiatial hernia and she wanted to discuss what would happen during surgery. The Surgeon has to have these test results befoer they can set a date. At this time ( April 1st we picked a date for my surgery) I could have had it done today or next Wednesday but I have a wedding to go to on April 30th and I'm doing a reading for the couple at the church so I couldn't miss it.I have a wonderful surgeon!So in all it really took only a month. You can call your insurance co to see what they require for you to be approved. Keep in touch and let me know how you make out and GOOD LUCK !!