BigHarleyGuy

Going to be banded in one week Aug. 7th for me. I have been on the pre-op diet, done all the pre-op fun stuff, including paying $13500.00 out of pocket, as insurance will not cover WLS. Will let you all know how it goes next week. Jim

WOW thanks for the post, I am being banded next week, and hope I can have similar results a year or so down the road. Congrats and thanks for the positive reinforcement. Jim

Pam I am not going to be banded until next week, and I bet I haven't had a soda in over 2 months. Its Water, or iced tea for me. I was suprised i really haven't missed it too much. Jim

Getting really close now. It is now one week away, Tuesday is the day. I have been making my shopping list to get my supplies for the post-op fun. I am paying, paid that is out of pocket. I dropped $13500.00 Friday, so all that I have left is to show up. Jim

I lived in D.C. for a while and did the ride to the wall, man it a great ride. There is a Law Enforcement ride on Mother's Day to the LE Memorial. Not as big but it is a great ride, tours around DC and ends with a wreath laying in honor of fallen motor officers, at the LE Memorial. I envy all you guys heading to Sturgis this year. I have been three times, I love the roads there Custer Nat'al Forest was a nice ride. I don't think I will be making the trip this year, due to being banded on the second day of the rally haha. May plan something for next year though. Just wanted to drop note saying hi, I haven't been on LBT in a while. Jim

The news from my doc wasn't too bad, they are only gonna push me back one day. It won't really affect my work scheduling much at all. So the count down continues. Think I will have some surgery done on my bike at the same time I have mine done. I have been needing some service work, and have a little oil leak that been needing fixing. Seems like a good time to have the bike in the shop. Jim P.S. Has it dried out over there in Tx.

May have been celebrating a little early. I rode my bike in to work today, and when I got here I had a voicemail from doc's office, saying they want to change my date. Arrrrrgh I have made all the arrangements with my work and have had it approved by my supervisors this is going to be a terrible headache. I am really considering a change of docs. This is not the first time they have ticked me off. So I am not really sure when I will be scheduled. Jim

<p>Don't know if I have posted in this threat yet, but I got my date. . . Aug 6th. I had my appt. with the nutritionist last week and rode my bike to the hospital. It wasn't raining, so I took some back roads and made a pretty good trip of it. Got my pre-op with my doc July 27. Gotta pull out the greenbacks that day, as I am 100% self-pay. ($13500.00) Ouch! haven't even been cut and that smarts! LOL</p> <p> </p> <p> Jim</p> <p> </p> <p>P.S. Hope it dries up for you all over in TX.</p>

Aug 6th here, I will be traveling along with you all. Jim

After three months of Optifast my surgery date will be Aug. 6. Now I can starting getting nervous. I am ready to join the banded though.

My surgery is set for Aug. 6, and I feel fine about it now, but like someone said Aug. 5 will be a whole different story. Ask me again closer to the 6th and I am sure I will have another answer. It is human nature to apprehensive about things such as surgery. Jim

Yup thats where I have been going, I have been seeing Dr. Warden. He will be doing my surgery. I have been well satisfied with them, except for when my doc told me I had to lose 40-50lbs BEFORE the surgery. But I have been doing well on the Optifast diet, and will stay on it until surgery. I may lose more than the 50lbs before the surgery, if I keep it up.

Fifty plus starting BMI here, My surgery has been set for Aug. 6th. I can't wait to be banded I have done well on pre-op Optifast diet, reduced BMI from 61 to 57 so I know there is only more good to come.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement I'll let you all know how it goes. I am a little concerned about the post-op recovery diet, seems pretty extreme, but I know it has to be done. I have been doing well on Optifast for the last month and a half, so I know I can do it.

Welcome Big Guy, I am in you area just across the lake I am being banded Aug. 6 in Slidell. I am sure that you will soon be able to change that handle to, "used to be big guy" LOL. Jim

I am on Optifast 800 and have been since May 10. I have finally gotten a surgery date, Aug. 6! My surgeon said he wanted me to lose weight pre-op to reduce the size of my liver. The diet was not too bad, I have never had trouble losing weight the problem is that I always find it again. I am hoping the band will help me keep it off.

I am scheduled for Aug. 6, 07 so I will starting my band journey at that time. I have been on a pre-op diet since May, and have done pretty good so far. I can't wait to see how I do with the band.

Peanut, I was in the same boat as you, I found out about the pre-op weight loss after I was two weeks into the process. I had done all my pre-op tests, and called the surgeon to see if they had gotten the information from my PCP. That was when they told me that they wanted me to lose 40 or 50 pounds. I was crushed, my surgeon put me on the Optifast 800 Diet. I started the diet on May 8, 07. By the 18th I had lost 10.5 pounds. Two weeks later I had lost 27 pounds. I stuck to the diet closely, and started walking for 15 mins a day. I talked to my surgeon, and he said that I should be able to schedule my banding when I weigh in at his office this coming Friday. Optifast worked for me, I wasn't even hungry between meals. Big Suprise! Hope this helps. Jim

I took Wellbutrin for smoking cessation, have not light up in over 5 years. The only side effect I experienced was that I lost 70 pounds. I did of course gain it back and then some once I got off the meds. Can't wait to be banded. Working on a pre-op diet now down 27lbs in a little over 3 weeks.

Well hello fellow bikers, not a bandster yet, but I am working on it. I am scheduled to go into the surgeon on Friday 6/15 to schedule my banding. I have done all prelim testing and have been cleared by PCP for the procedure. My friends used to say we live to ride and ride to eat, as we were always going out to eat on out scoots. Guess I have to change that motto. See a couple of you are right next door in Tx I am in La here. Hope to see some of you on the road someday. Congrats to all you rider course participants I used to teach the MSF Rider Course but have been out of it for a couple of years now. I am sure I will see you all around LBT. Jim Oh my bike is a 2003 Ultra Classic Peace Officer's Speical Edition

Well hello to the rest of us big folks. I am just starting out, and am on a pre-op diet. I am hoping to schedule my surgery date next friday. And like many of you I have a real long row to hoe LOL.

Just got cleared by my PCP this included blood work, chest x-ray, and EKG. I also had a test for bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers, and a written psych eval. The last two were done with my band surgeon. I have an appoinment to schedule my surgery date next Friday. Oh I am self pay so I didn't have any requirments for any insurance company.

Long time lurker second post I think. Did all the prelim stuff Doc wants me to lose some weight before surgery to reduce liver. I am paying out of pocket ($13500.) if I have the surgery at my currrent weight it will tack on 6K to the price. So working hard to lose before the surgery. Hope to be banded soon though. Oh yeah started the Opti Fast diet on May 10, 07.

Hey Sweet, Going through the same thing right now myself. My gf is in the process of breaking up with me, and I know it is because of my weight. I know this because I caught her saying it in an online conversation. I am pre-op, but on Optifast pending my banding I have lost 27 lbs, and I am fighting the urge to eat everything in sight, but I am better than that and she is not worth it. If anything it has been making me want to work harder in spite of her. So don't let this guy get you down he didn't deserve you in the first place if he thinks this way.

Phyl, I just read you post completely. The same sort of thing happened to me. I had my consult with the Doc, and he said he wanted me on the Optifast for a "couple" of weeks. I went to my PCP to have my pre-op physical, and called my PA to ensure they got the results, and she told me that I needed to get my BMI down to around 50. I was really bummed. I told the Doc that if i could lose that much I would not need the band. They did offer to do the surgery at my present weight but it would cost me $6K more that the $13.5K they advertised. I am of course paying out of pocket as my insurance will not cover WLS.