Bandista

I drink water with a splash of unsweetened cranberry and/or lemon which really helps with water retention (I also out a capful of aloe in for digestion, etc.). Very swollen right now for some reason (day 11 pre-op diet) and have had three 32 oz. bottles of this today. Big workout day.

Yippee! Great to hear this. Five more days of waiting for me then finally the big day. Getting a little antsy.....just want to be on the other side.

Well you already have encouraged some one else -- me! I am five days pre-op and it's good to read these posts from others who have gone through the process so recently. Sorry you have not gotten the clarity and service we all want from our medical professionals. We really do have to be our own advocates, that's for sure, and need to educate ourselves continually. This forum has been so great for that. I really do feel ready. Hope you continue to feel better each day -- go slowly and take it easy! Best wishes.

Yippee! Here's to not worrying about the past -- just today and going forward. A number is just a number. What counts is how you feel. So happy for you! And for all of us, as I was just rereading this thread (great one by the way) I was thinking about H.A.L.T. Do you know that one? Don't let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

Popsicles really helped me those first few days. Haven't even had one for a week now.....guess I'd better pick up a few boxes for post-op. Getting to be that time!

Hi there, thanks for a great post. So happy for you -- you are rocking this thing!

Congratulations -- I am a November Bandster's, too. Can't wait to get it over with and start this new chapter in my life! Best wishes to you. It's going to feel so good to lose the weight. I know it may take some time but I will get there.

Hi Zorro, we have the same date!

Wow, way to go! Imagine jogging a 10k -- you did it and everything else in this last year. You have changed all the possibilities for your future, given yourself choices. So happy for you and hope all goes well tomorrow. Keep up the good work and thanks for all the inspiration.

Better to be blabby than flabby.... Me? I'm crabby. Five days til surgery. Yikes! Now I think I have PMS. Husband driving me crazy, and my mother, and the dogs, and my work. Oh dear. I don't want my period next week.

Fantastic! This is very inspiring -- thanks so much for posting.

First couple of days are tough but it gets much easier......that reminds me, time for another shake! Five more days to surgery........

Hi Jane, my insurance company has one requirement only, a BMI of 40. I tried the co-morbidity route (documented high BP and sleep apnea) but no-go -- 40 or nothing. Well I wasn't at 40. I was close (37) but it was pretty stressful. I kept asking which weight would be reported to the insurance company and when. I got as heavy as possible and then added some to make the weight. Then when I finally got to meet the surgeon I told him this and he said that they would have let me weigh in with my coat, purse, whatever it took. Wish I had known that in the beginning but there was no opportunity for that kind of dialogue. But I made it. And you will, too. If you are over the cutoff you are over it -- just wear the three layers and your clunky jewelry, have whatever in your pockets, etc. Tell them your concerns, too, so they know you are borderline. And good luck to you through the process -- exciting to begin your journey!

Hi there, glad you are feeling better! It's good for those of us pre-band to hear what recovery is like for different individuals. Prescription pain medication can take its own toll on the body, that's for sure. I feel a little nervous about next week but I have cleared the deck in case I need the recovery time. And the script filled in case I need that, too. Now to get through the next five days -- anticipation!

That's enough out of you two!

PS just checked your profile -- wow! Way to go!

That is a riot!

Congratulations! Best wishes for smooth sailing and a speedy recovery.

Amazing age of medical technology, really. You'll be so happy a few months down the road but right now must be tough. Enjoy sunny Florida! We have the wood stove going...brrrrrr......

Hi there and congratulations on your decision and the success you've had so far -- you're going to feel a lot different come next vacation!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Thanks for all the detail. I go in next week and it's so helpful to hear specifics of what others have experienced. Take good care and isn't it great that the long-anticipated event is over!

Hi Jill, thanks for starting such a great thread here. I started my process in June and started to see a therapist in July specifically to talk about my relationship with food. It's not like I haven't been working on all of this for, say, twenty-two years or so, but I knew I needed to tap all resources possible for this big new change in my life. I've been able to determine some areas that are red flags for me. I was eating to tamp down anxiety and stress but also out of habit. If I had a conference call coming up or a meeting with clients I would eat as a way to prep myself and as a kind of reward for something I didn't really want to do. Also all the years of deprivation and being on or off of one diet or another screwed my head up and I worried that being banded might not work. But it will -- I'm getting it next week and I can't wait. With my appetite dimmed I will be able to really assess what is going on when I have an impulse to eat. It might be the healthy kind, good old hunger which of course is elusive now pre-band but I understand post band it's very clear. I feel so willing to do whatever it takes. I still want to be able to have whatever it is I want because I am a healthy eater now and love food that's good for me, but I'll just be having much, much less and at appropriate intervals. I think it's going to be hard sometimes but not hard like it's been for me for so long feeling so screwed up about a basic thing like eating. And I'm a cook. I'm into food, production cooking and I still will be doing all that. Just not sitting down to a big plate and then grazing before and after. Best wishes to you as you go through the process. We are all here together for a reason.

Hi Liz, I am sabinadublin on MFP if you want to connect there -- nice having a group of bandits for food tracking and exercise support. Including the PT variety! Definitely keep away from that scale -- I imagine the swelling is really something after a surgery like that. Hope you're feeling better each day.

Hi there, this is all quite the process, isn't it? I know what you mean and felt frustrated myself at times over the last couple of months. Hate being in limbo! Have you called your insurance company to verify your coverage? This made me feel better -- and I called a few different times. At one point they went from 100% down to 90% coverage which was pretty annoying but I know I'm still very lucky. Is there any reason to suspect you may not be approved? If not, I'd say you should begin to get ready for the 27th!

Hi there, I'm starting the second week of my pre-op liquid diet so naturally I am thinking about what it will be like to go out to dinner once banded. Granted this is a fantasy for a couple of months down the line after I am healed up completely and understand how my band works, etc. Let's say I'm in the green zone. So, is this in any way what it's like to go out to a restaurant? We sit down, the waitress comes over and we order drinks. I am not eating and drinking together, nor am I having alcohol very often, so the drink is a big deal. Maybe it's a glass of wine or perhaps a cocktail. If it's a cocktail I don't chew on the lime or eat the slice of orange. I sip the drink and enjoy every moment of it because it's a big treat. My spouse orders an appetizer and I finish sipping my drink. I need to clock it so that at least twenty minutes have elapsed before I have anything to eat. I order something high in Protein and soft -- something that will absolutely positively not cause me to get stuck. Perhaps I have ordered an appetizer. If it is an entree I will likely need to divide it to take some home or pass it over to my husband or son who will gladly absorb the extra from my plate. When the food arrives, I take a good hard look at it to determine the best approach. I am only going to have 1/2 to 1 cup and I need to listen especially hard to my body so I don't overdo it. Plus I've had a drink so I need to be extra mindful. I have ordered something very high in protein but I love veggies, too. I may need to move things around on the little plate so I am able to go very slowly and be sure to put the fork down. Am I over-thinking this, LOL? I will still be able to eat out, I know, but I guess it's that week two pre-op and minor anxiety about upcoming surgery that is bringing up these little worries.....What's it like when you go out to dinner?