marywalker20

Congrats!!!! Don't sweat the two week thing. I was so pumped about being so close I didn't have any problems with the shakes. In fact, I actually liked them. I put ice cubes in mine and they tasted like a milkshake. Just ask your family to be kind to you during this time and to eat not snack in front of you. That was my only worry, but I sat them down before the surgery and made sure they understood what I was going to do and how their actions could affect me. If that doesn't work, I got a bat I can give you. :w00t: Good luck and let us know how you are doing. Mary

So glad you made the decision to have this done. I have lost over 50 pounds and feel like a new woman. I could probably have lost a lot more by now if I exercised more, but I have been a slug in that area. My advice to you is to start now to train yourself to eat SLOWWW. Everyone kept telling me, and I just didn't listen. Spent the first 3 months in the bathroom. I finally got the hang of it now and I take very small bites and chew like crazy. I have only had two fills so far and don't think I will need another for a while. Let me know if you have any questions. I will be glad to answer any of them. Take care Mary

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't logged in lately. I have been fighting off a NASTY case of the flu that affected my surgery sites. But after a ton of tests, I am finally getting better. My next trip to the doctor will be to get a flu shot. Other than that hiccup, everything has been peachy. No problems to speak of, I just have to remind myself to eat s-l-o-w. Otherwise i get too full and feel miserable. Even though my lap band is less than 3 weeks old, I already love this sweet little piece of plastic. I eat until I feel full, and I lose weight...how cool is that? newnana, I feel your pain about the knee pain. I have had 6 knee surgeries (2 scope, 2 partials, and 2 totals). In fact my Othopedic Surgeon wrote me a recommendation for the lap band that got me approved. I was under 40 BMI and they weren't going to approve me without a strong case. Anyway, already I feel a lot less pain on my knees. Good luck with your lap band journey. Hang in there...before you know it, you will all be in lap bandville. God Bless Mary

Angie Your appointment will be very quick. You will talk to the nurse first and then the doctor. He will go over any health related issues and set you up for any appointments you might need. For me, they scheduled me for a sleep apnea test. The test showed I had moderate sleep apnea so that helped to get me approved. They will also tell you to get your psych evaluation, and a weight history appointment with your PCP. During the appointment they also scheduled me for the nutritional class which is held twice a month...I think. The staff is good and won't let you miss anything. Just try to be proactive with the appointments and get them out of the way as soon as you can so your file can be sent to the insurance company right away. Good Luck and let us know if you have any other questions. Mary

Hi Everyone Getting better every day...even went to the grocery store today!! Still have a little port pain, but nothing to get worked up over. And the weight is coming off!!!! Everyday day or two i drop a pound! This is so cool. Haven't been hungry at all but I am looking forward to tomorrows mushies. I honestly don't know how some of you have gone back to work after a couple of days. It's been 6 days and I still have little energy. Started taking liquid Vitamins today((gross)). Have a great day! Mary

Va luvbug. I would go ahead and give Joyce a call. Their office is so busy and a gentle reminer couldn't hurt...just to make sure you are ready for the next step. Had a good weekend. Gas pains are almost gone. Ja9va, you are right, the more you move around the better. And I have already lost 5 pounds since the surgery!! But I will be so happy when Thursday rolls around and I get to start my creamy stage. I am ok with the Instant Breakfast shakes but i am not big on sweets so that is getting old. But heh, I am going to do whatever the doc tells me to do. Well I better sign off and get to bed. :tired Take care everyone Mary

Hello everyone. Just had the surgery on Thursday and so far so good. I had to report to the hospital at 7:15 with the surgery scheduled at aroud 9:30. Doctor Brengman had two other girls there at the same time going through the procedure. I was the first. Woke up in recovery a little groggy and very thirsty. The nurses were great and in recovery and gave me a bunch of ice chips which felt like heaven at the time. No nausea or pain in recovery. About an hour and a half later they brought me to my room. I was thinking we all got private rooms, but it turned out to be more of a recovery room area with three curtained off sections with a nurses station in front of us. We had our own TV's so that helped. You would be surprised just how busy that one nurse is so i would suggest that you have someone bring you a big styrofoam cup of ice and keep it filled. My only complaint was that it sometimes took hours to get a cup of ice or Water. And when you are dried up from the Morhine meds it can seem like a lifetime. The overall pain was very manageable with the morphine so i suggest you use it and sleep the first day. I really enjoyed getting to know Gwen how was in the pod next to me. Very sweet girl. I was release yesterday and got home around noon. Slept off and on. My hubby made my Instant Breakfast/ Protein concoction and added a half a packet of Splenda in it and it was delicious. Splenda made it taste like a real milk shake. He blended in a couple ice cubes too. The hospital gives you a bunch of those little cups to take home and tells you to drink from them so you drink really slowly. A little gas pain, but it seems to subside after walking. Took a walk up the road this morning and visited with the horses for a bit. Started to get a little uncomfortable so I came back home. Better sign off now because my thoughts are rambling. God bless Mary

I am really excited! Thanks so much for sharing your experience at St.Mary's. I was hoping they would keep me overnight just to be safe but didn't know for sure. I think I am worried more about my husband managing the kids while I am out more than anything. School, lunches, homework, gymnastics and karate he will be nuts by the end of the week....but it's good for him!! Momto3, we are not getting tired of hearing your countdown. It wasn't too long ago since I was attending the seminar and getting ready for my tests. Keep posting and letting us know how it is going. One really smart girl on these message boards gave me some really good advice. When I first got started with this process, she told me to go out and buy some baby spoons and seafood forks and start eating with them. It's amazing how slow you eat with those things. :faint:She also told me to also use my time by getting to know the Protein drinks I want to drink post op, lose a few pounds, and to make a conscious effort to eat healthier. I also used my nervous energy to paint our foyer, stairway and upstairs hall. It was amazing cause before i knew it my date is here. TOMORROW!!! Yikes! And I really have to thank everyone here for their support and those that listened to my whining about the slow process but always encouraged me to be patient. Y'all are great! After my surgery I will get back on and let everyone know how it went. God Bless Mary

Hello September Bandsters!!! I am getting banded on the 27th. Thought the day would never arrive, and here it is. And I am so ready! Thanks to everyone that has posted all the helpful information on this forum!! Good luck to everyone. Mary:whoo:

Luvinke you are so right. When I began this process I though it would never happen, and now it seems like I just started....whoa!! I am so excited about this. My pre-op is going well and have lost 10 pounds. Prettybrowneyez- thanks for sharing your experience. I am sure we will be bending your ear very soon! Take care everyone and God Bless Mary

I have had 7 knee surgeries, and a histerectomy and all of them required that I be put under. No complications on any of the surgeries and I have sleep apnea, a moderate case. I don't use the CPAP because it drove me crazy. Anyway I am getting banded on the 28th and I am not concerned about being put under again. You just have to put your faith in your doctor and know that they know how to handle any situation. Good luck and God Bless Mary

Hi Bandmates I found out that 7-11 now carries Crystal Light icee's. I have had one the last two days and they are fantastic....and allowed. Check them out if you get a craving for something sweet and icy. Have a great day Mary

Just a suggestion...but if you attend a church, you could ask the youth minister for a recommendation on a reliable sitter. When I first moved to Richmond I was in the same boat and I called our youth minister and he recommended a college girl who was awesome. She still comes to visit even though she has long graduated from VCU. Have a peaceful evening. (with 2 little ones, you could use it) Mary

Thanks so much for all your support. Yes i am a member of the Sept 07 club too. Don't know what I would do without this forum. Diet still good. Haven't thought about cheating because i so stoked about this surgery. I know it will take a lot of work on my part, but with this help i know I can do it. God Bless Mary

momto3 Going to try this again. I tried to edit the original because of a couple of typo's but ended up with a big mess. :car: Here is a timeline for what I had to go through to get my lap band and the dates. Keep in mind that I chose the summer which is their busiest times. Late April I attended the seminar. May 16th appt with Dr Brengman. Called the day after the seminar but they were booking 2 weeks in advance. May 22nd - sleep Apnea test at St Mary's. I took the first available appt. June 1st I had my psych eval June 13th Appt with PCP to get required weight history. Took weeks to get this appt because it was a wellness check. June 18th Behavioral class at St Mary's June 27 my packet was submitted to insurance. July 5 Insurance denied me because my BMI was under 40. July 15 Appealled July 27 Approved!!! Waited nearly 4 weeks for file to be give to care coordinator for scheduling. August. 24 Viewed the Emmi video Approx August 27 I recieved my packet in the mail with surgery date, pre op and testing instructions...CELEBRATION Sept 12th I had my pre op blood tests, EKG, and chest Xray at St Mary's Also had my pre op appt that same day after testing with Dr Brengman's nurse. Sept 13 started my pre op diet. You can see that I clearly had some hiccups which required more time, and I chose the summer to go through the bulk of my procedures. But like I said, the office is great, doc is great, and the outlook is positive. take care, Mary

Oh I forgot to add that i ditto what Dave said about the crystal light. The Raspberry Ice is my favorite. Never thought I could go a week with caffeine to soda but if I keep my eye on the prize (slimmer figure) I can do it.

I just started my second week of the pre op liquid diet and actually after the first 2 days, it wasn't bad. My doctor does let me have a lean and green dinner so that helps, but the two liquid meals were fairly easy and filling. God Bless Mary

Hi momato3 Congrats on your big decision. I am getting banded in 8 days by Dr Brengman at St Marys. Dr Brengman is great. Just be warned that it is not a fast process. I started my testing and classes back in May and my surgery date is Sept 27th. I got really frustrated because I wanted it done yesterday!! That was totally unrealistic. But even though the wait was long, it was all worth it and I am so excited about the banding. I am on my pre op diet right now and it's actually doable. I have been on it for 7 days and lost 7 pounds. :car: The staff is really nice and the nurses take a lot of time with you and make you feel comfortable. Keep in touch and I will let you know how my surgery goes. God Bless Mary

Welcome Angie!! Congrats on your decision. :clap2:This is a super place to get your questions answered and find others that are going through the same thing you are. As much as our families love us, it's hard for them to related to our being overweight, and i have found boundless support and more importantly, answers to my silly questions. I am being banded by Dr Brengman in 8 days and i am super excited. I am currently on the pre op diet and it's really not too bad. Lost 7 pounds in 7 days, but I am sure a few of those pounds are just Water weight. Anywhoo, good luck and follow your doctors orders. And stay in touch with us on this forum and let us know how your lap band journey is going. God Bless Mary

The pre-op is going great. Took a couple of days to get the hang of it, but I am sticking with it. And man do I look forward to my dinner! I did get a call from Dr Brengmans nurse and she said that I have some sort of stomach bacteria ususally associated with stomach ulcers. I had no I idea! I was so scared they were going to postpone my surgery but they called in a prescription of Pre Pack. It's 2000 mg of amoxicillian, 2 previcide, and 2 Biaxtin . You have to take 1/2 of the pills in the morning and half at night. It has this nasty side affect that brings up some perfume tasting stuff in the back of your throat. To tell you how bad it is, I normally blow lightly in my horses face (it's a comfort thing), and yesterday I was doing my normal lovin on the horses thing, but when I blew in my quarterhorses face she snapped her ears back and got that wide eyed look. My daughter got a kick out of that. No respect I tell ya!

Welcome notmzperfect, and congrats on you upcoming surgery date. I just had my pre op appt with my doctor a couple of days ago so I can tell you everything that they asked me to bring to the hospital. Meds that I take daily. CPAP machine if I use one They told me that if I wanted to bring my own pajama's, to not bring 2 piece set because the waistband might rub against the bandages. Nightgown works best. Robe rubber soled slippers (they will make me get up and walk after surgery) loose fitting outfit to wear home. lapband notebook from the doctor. and to leave all jewelry at home Good luck and I hope this helps! Mary:D

Thanks luvinke. I am so excited about this. Today I went in for my testing and pre-op...it's really going to happen!! Started my pre-op diet today too...not excited about that, but I know it's necessary. Good luck everyone, we can do this!! Mary

Congrats on the weightloss Thinner1!! Forty one pounds...that is awesome!! I know what you mean losing your hair. A few months after my last knee surgery my hair thinned out a bit and I was starting to freak. The good news is that it grew back and then some!! Yeah the 27th is closing in fast, but I am ready. I know I am going to have to work hard, but it will be worth it. I love this forum, and everyone has been so helpful!! Go #19 Elliott Sadler (sorry but it's a race weekend) Mary

Congrats Luvbug! Sounds like you will be recieving your packet in the mail very soon. Joyce told me that I would have my surgery in October and they scheduled me for Sept 27th so she was pretty close on her estimate. God Bless

Hello fellow September Bandsters...this is officially our banding month!! By this time next month, we will be well on our way to healthy! Check out the chat room at night. There are some awesome banded members that are more than willing to share their experience with us. I have learned so much about what to expect before and after surgery from them. Good luck everyone!!:bounce: