Bandme1

I wonder if the SF Coffeemate creamer might be better? I am still a little confused on which is better: a few grams of sugar or a few grams of fat.

lol! I wasn't thinking it would go quickly for me. I had myself prepared to wait the full 3 weeks. I got the referral last Thursday and got the call yesterday, so only 6 days! Hopefully the rest of the process will go this quickly, too! =) Best of luck to you!! Let me know when you get the call!

Speak of the devil!! Literally half an hour after I posted this, I got a call!! I go in for the 5 hour class on Tuesday!! Yayyyy!!!!

Oh wow, I didn't know that! I thought the "original top weight" was from the weigh-in at the 5-hour class. I've been dinking around thinking I couldn't start the diet until I weigh in!

I am in Vacaville and just attended the overview class last week and my PCP sent my referral through and I too am anxiously waiting for the surgery center to call and schedule me for the orientation. I know that at the 5-hour class they give us a binder that is supposed to be like our bible and we bring it to every appointment. I actually found it online in a pdf form. Here is the link: www.permanente.net/kaiser/pdf/39806.pdf (For some reason, the link isn't working on my computer right now. I'm not sure if it's just my internet or the computer. But if it doesn't work, just do a google search for "kaiser richmond bariatric patient information binder". I have already read through it so I have a good idea about what will be covered at the class. Maybe we'll be in the same class! =) I swear I keep my phone attached at my hip. I set it by the shower, I take it in the bathroom. I do not want to miss their call. lol! I called and listened to their recording and it says they will call within 3 weeks of receiving the referral from your PCP. Hope that helps. Keep me posted on when they call, maybe we will have the same time frame!

Well, I did some research online and even though the flavors have the same name, I heard that the powder tastes completely different than the ready to drink bottles. I heard it's even a different consistency. Just something to keep in mind. I've been looking for isopure samples so I can try the powder kind. Congrats on your new sleeve, btw =)

Orange Pineapple Banana and Alpine Punch are my favorites. Blue Raspberry is pretty good. Mango Peach was just awful, which made me really sad because I normally love anything peach. Apple Melon is decent tasting, too. There is a passion fruit one that I want to try but can't find anywhere that sells the individual bottles. I have only seen the 12-pack on Amazon. I don't want 12, I just want 1! lol. I ordered the variety pack from GNC.com and tried all those flavors.

We have some local vitamin/supplement stores that have them there. They also sell them on Amazon and GNC.com. In fact, the GNC website has a multi-pack with several different flavors. http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2612796

I've heard that the Isopure powder is completely different from the ready to drink bottles. I'll have to give the powder a try.

You know what else is really good? I hate plain yogurt. Regular yogurt, greek yogurt. Doesn't matter. I need fruit in it. I bought the Fage Greek Yogurt with the fruit and it adds so much sugar to it. You can buy the plain Greek Yogurt and add a teaspoon or two or sugar-free jam or jelly and it is phenomenal. It tastes just like the fruit in the bottom yogurts but with no sugar added

lol!! I thought about that. I think if that happened I would just have to make up another surgery to tell her about, then hope I don't need that one, too! Yikes... Kidney stones? Donating a kidney? Yeah, kidney sounds good. Something with a kidney. lol.

Wow, you handled that very well. I am still pre-op, but I have already started deciding what to tell people. I have decided that I am going to tell them "portion control, exercise and no sugars/empty carbs". In actuality, that is true. It is none of their business. I know a lot of people are very open about it, and that is great. I personally have made the decision to keep this private. My close friends and family know, but I do not feel like I need to advertise my decision to the world. People seem to take it as an invitation to voice their opinion. It is similar to being pregnant. When women are walking around pregnant people seem to take that woman's pregnancy as an invitation for advice, criticisms and opinions. I don't need or want random people's advice or opinions on my surgery. This is a journey that I've decided to take and I want to select whose opinions I want to hear. It seems that some people who have WLS are very proud of it and tell anyone that they can about it. That is great for them, but it seems like sometimes those people criticize those of us who keep it more private and their reasoning is that this is not something to hide. I think it is each person's decision whether or not they want to advertise it or keep it private. I don't think it's some big guilty secret or anything, I just don't feel the need to tell every person that I come into contact with. My boss is a very judgmental person and is constantly talking about other people, so I will actually be telling her that I am going in for a gallbladder removal when I go have my surgery. I'm sure eventually she will figure it out, but I think recovery is going to be hard enough without having people casting their judgments or throwing their unwanted opinion out there. I am a more private person anyway. Someday I may be more open about it and tell more people but for now, I like having my little exclusive group of people. I have chosen to tell people that are very close to me and will be very positive throughout the whole experience. My own little cheering section.

I'm just kind of curious where you guys are at now? Is it covered? What did your dr. say at your appt?

I am also starting my pre-op liquid diet on Tuesday. Yaaaaay! lol

I posted a similar post a while back. You have to go sit through a seminar first. It's like an introductory seminar where they cover all the different types of surgeries available. From what I've heard, the point of this seminar is to scare people away. If you go in there with all your information and fully prepared, it shoudl be okay. That's what I've heard at least... lol. I am going to that seminar next Tuesday, May 10. The seminar is in Vacaville. Tell your PCP you want in on that seminar. And don't put up with any shenanigans from your PCP! Mine heckled me and tried to tell me I didn't qualify. I said "Actually, my BMI is 43 and the required is 40." He said "Well, you're too young." I said "The required age is 18 and I'm 24." In the end he gave me a referral and was not happy about it. Just stick to your guns, girl! lol. Ask to go to the seminar in Vacaville on Tuesday! We can be buddies Message me if you want more info

Eggface has some amazing recipes for ice cream on her blog that are made with Protein powder and sugar free Torani syrup. That might just do the trick when you get that ice cream craving http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/04/coffee-toffee-crunch.html (Here is a link to one of the flavors, but she has a ton of different flavors listed on there)

Daaaaaaaang, you get it, girl!!! You look FAN-TASTIC! Can't wait for my turn!!!!! lol

So I have told very few people about my surgery. So far I have been very good about the few that I have told as they have been extremely supportive. My best friend of 10 years has been a size 0 since I've known her. She is all about eating veggies, exercising, all that jazz. I was debating about whether or not I was going to tell her. I decided to kind of introduce the topic of weight loss surgery to her and see how she reacted. So I said "Oh, hey. It is the 6-year anniversary for my mom's weight loss surgery. She lost over 150 pounds and has kept it off for 6 years." My friend just kind of nodded like she didn't care. I said "No opinions on weight loss surgery?" She just rolled her eyes and said "No, not really. It's great that she kept it off because most people aren't motivated enough. They let their bodies get that way in the first place, they're just erasing the slate so they can do it again." ...Yeeeeah.... NOT gonna tell her about my surgery. What a bitch! She has an incredibly fast metabolism. We went on a road trip one year and she ate JUNK the entire trip and when we got home she felt the need to text me and tell me she had LOST 2 pounds on the trip. We sat in a car the whole time eating junk food. HOW did she lose weight?! Yet then she sits there on her skinny butt and judges everyone else. Whatever. This may be one friendship I will be cutting out. I don't need that kind of negativity. It just blew my mind that she has seen how I've struggled with my weight over the years yet she is so callous about it. One time she said "Well, maybe you should just get a gym membership. It's really not that hard to get in a workout routine." I just hate skinny people who judge and think that everyone has the same metabolism. Whatever. Screw her. I'm doing this for me and if she isn't going to be supportive, then she just doesn't need to know about it. Just needed to vent and get that out there. Screw her and all those nay-sayers. This is a second chance at having a normal healthy life and I'm jumping at the opportunity.

I am trying to test out protein shakes and find some that I like before I even start my pre-op diet so that I can know ahead of time what I like and stock up on it. I wanted to see if anyone in the area (pre-op, post-op or already sleeved for a while) wants to get together and have a "shake party" and test out some different types of shakes. It would be a good way to save money, try new protein shakes and meet some people.

Awesome!!

Ah, bummer! Yeah, I would really like to find at least one person. The more the better, because we could try more types. I'll just keep trying. Good luck to you, too!

Congratulations!!! How exciting. It just puts you in a totally different frame of mind, huh? I have my consult scheduled for May 10 and even just scheduling it makes me feel like a different person!

Daaaaaang, girl! You look like you could be your own daughter! You look absolutely fabulous!

Yeah, definitely check back and let us know.

Thanks, Kelly! That is exactly all the information I have been looking for all compacted into one comment! Yikes, I wonder how long it's going to take me to lose 20+/ish pounds. What worked for you. I think I'll hit up the forum and see what other people with PCOS did. I'm thinking low carb/zero processed sugars. I'm not much of a sweet tooth anyway. I am headed over to GNC today to test out some protein powders and get all that ready. I am SO glad I came to this forum!! I was so dead set on a lap band. Then started to get weirded out by having a port sticking out of my side. THEN I read all the stories about people getting banded then getting the sleeve. I'm just gonna skip the unnecessary surgery and just go straight for the sleeve! I kinda feel like I dodged a bullet thanks to this forum! woot!!!! lol.