wrangler054

it is worth everything we go through. I've always believed the harder something is the more I appreciate it after it's over. Our families support us but even so, only we know how hard it really is to wait and then do - but we do it because we know it will change our lives forever.

Wrangler054, you were talkinga bout drinking wine with your meal. did your doctor not tell you that you were not to drink while eating? i was told nothing for half and hour b4 and 30-60 minutes later??

You are right. I forgot about not drinking 30 mins before or 30 mins after my meal.

thanks for the reminder.

I just went out and bought my Vitamins, Calcium and Iron. Expensive stuff. Oh well it's needed.

Went out shopping w/hubby to get him food for the week and my Protein Drinks and Jello. I thought it was going to be a cheap day at the grocery store but good old hubby filled the cart to the brim.

The liquid diet is not bad any longer. I actually had to remind myself to drink some broth and have a Protein Shake b/c I wasn't feeling hungry. I did have the head hunger after going to the store but it wasn't too bad. However I am looking forward to eating something solid again.

Surgery is on Wednesday - starting weight 335 and I'm down to 316. It feels good. Hubby said he's even noticed I'm losing weight.

Hi Summer. Welcome to the board.

My surgery is this Tuesday - here I was so excited to have it so quickly, but now am having a hard time sleeping at night because I'm getting so nervous! Tonight is the last night I'll sleep in my bed before leaving for surgery...just getting awfully real. Thanks for letting me vent!

Hang in there. I haven't lost sleep but I am very anxious. I've had 3 surgeries before so one would think I'd be an old hand at this but the nervousness I think will always be there.

Did your doctor give you some relaxation medication? I have panic attacks and that helps me calm down when I start to feel really anxious about the operation. I was told to take 1 pill with a sip of Water when I wake before leaving for the hospital on Wednesday.

How long after the band can one drink alcohol? I know beer is out of the question due to the bloating it can cause but my doctor never said anything about drinking afterwards and I never thought to ask. Wine with dinner is nice but if it effects the band, the it's not something I will do. Thank you.

I know walking is important after surgery not only for exercise but to help with the gas pain. My question is, we have a recumbent bike and I thought about riding that if it was too hot/humid/muggy outside. I live in Nashville and it can get so muggy here sometimes that it's hard to breath.

If it's too bad outside, do you think riding the bike will help with the post op gas pain?

Oh, and I forgot to respond to the post about introducing ourselves. I'm Michelle, 35 from Nashville. I've been married for 5 1/2 years we have no children but we have a 16 year old dog. I've been overweight since I was in college.

OK, I just have to vent. Verizon and I just went around about my cell bill. We just got new phones when we re-up'd our agreement. Each phone $149.99 w/$50 mail in rebate for each phone, plus $100 off instant for main account phone. I have the receipt that shows the price of the phones for $149.99.

Verizon is now saying they never offered the phones at $149.99 - I repeat they say they have never offered these phones at $149.99. The rep even told me if I looked at my receipt (which she said she was looking at) I would clearly see the phones were $179.99. I told her "I'm holding the receipt in my hand at it clearly says $149.99 and you are telling me you've never offered it at $149.99." She insisted they never offered the phone for that rate and said that I can send the phones back to Verizon and purchase different phones. I said no, and that Verizon has 2 options: 1) abide by the agreement and receipt or 2) be sued for billing fraud, those are the only 2 options. So, tomorrow I'm heading down to the Verizon store and talking with someone in person b/c I have proof they are wrong.

OK - venting done.

I bought a scale today. It measures BMI and Weight. I haven't weighed myself since I was at the surgeon's office. I've lost 9 pounds! I'm so excited. My BMI is a little off since I began tracking because I thought I was 5'7 but we measured my hight tonight and I'm really 5'8.

I've been seeing that just about everyone had their pre-op blood work done before the day of surgery. I'm having mine done the morning of surgery - 6AM. I'm a little nervous about it because I always have trouble getting the blood to flow. Is anyone else having their pre-op blood work done the day of surgery?

This evening was rough. I'm eating a fudge sickle in my room while I can smell aroma from the ravioli my hubby is eating. I'm fighting the urge to knock him out, take the ravioli and run.

I keep telling myself "You can do this." and I'm not allowing myself to cheat because if I cheat just once, i'm afraid I'll fall into the lie of "Another bite won't hurt you - then another - and another."

Honestly, I know Scott was trying to be supportive and encouraging to me but having him say "You can do it. It will be worth it." while chewing and eating his ravioli only made me want to accidentlly knock his bowl over and go upstairs.

Congratulations to everyone who's being banded tomorrow. I know ya'll are excited.

Day 2 of my liquid diet was better than day 1. There were times at work that I felt really hungry, but our breaks came at the right time for me to eat Jello and have a Protein Drink. Tonight it's been hard being at home esp now that my hubby is cooking down stairs, so I'm just staying upstairs.

I think the hardest part is going to the bathroom all the time. I'm about ready to pull my desk into the bathroom at work just to save the commute time. It felt like every 15 minutes I was running to the bathroom. lol

I just got my insurance approval today and have my first appointment with Dr. Olsen on July 19th. How long was it from your first Dr appointment until your surgery date?

Good luck with your surgery!

I could have scheduled it the following week but only due to my work schedule did I have to push it back until the 18th.

His scheduler will work with you - everyone in his office is great.

Dr. Olsen is a straight shooter, tells you how it is. Good luck w/ your appointment.

Well, I've now joined the pre-op diet club. For the most part it hasn't been too difficult during breaks at work and at lunch. It rained today or I would have gone outside during those times and because of where I work, regulations only allow us to eat in the kitchen. Everyone at works knows what I'm doing and they all say they support me but they still like to kid around with "Michelle, what did you bring to eat, I mean drink today." stuff like that. The worst part was at lunch when one of the ladies warmed a hamburger w/cheese and ate it at the table I was at. She told me she's bringing another one tomorrow. Everyone laughed as I drank my chicken broth and ate my fudge sickles. I hope it's not raining tomorrow, b/c if it is, I'm warming up my broth, taking my Jello and fudge sickle and eating outside.

I'm allowed to have:

2 servings of orange juice

2 Protein drinks (I forgot the name but they are good)

2 servings of regular Jello

2 servings of regular popsicles

All I want of:

Crystal light

no sugar fudge sickles

no sugar popsickles

broth

no sugar jello

The no sugar fudge sickles are a life saver.

I hope everyone else is doing well on their diet.

Oh and I have a question. I don't know whether to believe this b/c my mother in law is a bit wacky (she believes she was Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, in a previous life)

Anyway, she told me not to eat red jello b/c durring surgery when I bleed, the doctor won't be able to tell the difference between the blood and jello. Has anyone's doctor told them not to eat red jello before surgery? I only like strawberry jello.

I was always bigger than the girls my age. As a kid growing up I was taller than all the other girls. I was also a tomboy growing up and was always aware that I was bigger than girls my age.

Growing up I was a little chubby as a kid, but lost the chubbyness as I continued to grow, but I can remember eating a lot as a kid, 2-3 bowls of Cereal, getting large portions at meal time but athletics helped me keep the weight off in high school. Yet as a child growing up, I can still remember my Aunt Irene telling my mom that I was fat. Also in High school I remember my doctor always telling me I was fat, but looking back I can honestly say I wasn't. I was 5'7 in middle school and high school and because of basketball, softball and bike riding I had a lot of muscle. I was in great shape in high school, playing ball and running track, yet I always felt bigger. I remember the girls on the track team getting "small" shorts and I'd get the large or xlarge shorts, and that made me feel big and fat when I compared myself to them. Yet I know looking at the pictures I wasn't.

I started to gain weight in college and I was aware of it. Walking to classes, I'd see my shadow on the sidewalk and it was bigger than my friends and I was always embarrassed yet all through college I still wasn't "fat" I got chubby. I stopped playing sports due to a knee injury and the doctor told me if I continued to play, then my knee would be ruined and I'd seriously in jury it. After I quite playing sports I really gained weight. I didn't realize it then but that is the time my PCOS kicked in and the weight gain began to rapidly increase. In 1997 I weight 275 and I took a job on the road as a stage tech for a company. It was physical work and I lost a lot of weight. I got down to 220 and I remember going into a bar, being carded and the guy at the door taking a double take at my drivers license. I told him "I've lost a lot of weight" and he said "Yeah, you have." and he smiled. It made me feel so good. After the job and the physical labor, I gained the weight back. I took an office job at a company who had a cafe in the building and I was sitting at my desk all day, not eating healthy and not exercising. It wasn't until a year ago that I went over the 300# mark. It was after I stopped taking topomax and i got depressed over the weight gain. I've been hovering around 335 for a while now.

I've wanted the lap band for about 4 years. I tried through insurance at that time but they said no. I switched jobs 2 years ago but didn't think my new insurance covered the surgery. I discovered a lump on my thyroid last year and went to a doctor at Centennial. While looking at the website for Centennial I noticed a link to their womans hospital and the the lap band program they have. I read the insurance page and saw that others who had my insurance had the operation and it was covered. I kept thinking about it but never looked into it. It wasn't until March of this year when a co-worker had a heart attack that I took a good look at my life. It scared me. I'm 35 and I want to live a healthy life not just for me but for my husband. I'm lucky because he loves me for me and the weight doesn't bother him. I went to the seminar in April and filled out the paperwork and sent it in, but they called me the day after they received the paperwork and said my insurance didn't cover it. I started to get depressed and I could tell my husband was disapointed for me. I remember calling my mom crying because I couldn't afford to do a self pay. The next day my mom called me and said my dad and her talked and they were going to give me the money. It would come out of the money I'd receive when they pass away. I said I'd only agree to accept the money if my brother was OK with the idea. They talked to him and he agreed. He said a lady he worked with had the surgery and he saw the difference it made. Plus he has always been worried about my weight and knew this was something I needed to do. So, the next day I contacted the office and set up an appointment to see the doctor. The rest is history. My surgery is scheduled for July 18.

Am I scared, yes but I'm more scared of not having the surgery. This is something I need to help me live a healthy life.

Oh, I almost forgot, I know being overweight affects me and how I'm viewed. 5 years ago I was passed over for a promotion because of my weight. I almost sued for discrimination and became depressed and gained more weight because of it.

My husband loves amusement parks and I'm looking forward to going to a park and being able to ride the rides with him. I know my weight affects him too in the things we can't do together but he's so understanding and has never said a bad word about my weight. I know he supports me no matter what and I love him so much. I want to do this not just for me but for him as well.

Plus as an added bonus, he's agreed to stop smoking once I have the surgery. I told him if I'm doing this to become healthy so we can live a long life together he needs to do something too and he agreed. We will both be working toward living healthy for each other and support each other through both our changes.

I'll be honest, I'm not looking forward to the liquid diet. I start it Sunday on the 8th and will be on it for 10 days. I got all the stuff they suggested, Protein Powder. The thing that worries me most is, during the day, when I'm at work or even at home, I can feel myself go low sugar. I'm not diabetic, and I was on actos for PCOS, but my doc took me off that weeks ago cause he said that would make my sugar drop, yet still if I haven't eaten anything in a while, I feel shaky and it drops. Once I get a little sugar in me, I feel better but I'm worried with the liquid diet that the low sugar might happen.

What have ya'll done when this happens on the liquid diet? I mentioned my this to my doctor but he said once I was off the Actos I wouldn't have to worry about low sugar, but it's still happened.

I can understand the fear. I don't think I'd believe anyone who said they weren't scared of surgery. I'm scared too, but I'm more scared of what my life will continue to be like if I don't have the surgery.

Hang in there.

Hi ya'll. I'm Michelle from Nashville. My friends call me Mitch. I'm being banded on 7/18 in Nashville.

I think it's great there is a thread like this for everyone. I wish a speedy recovery for those who have just been banded and those who are about to be banded.

Hi All,

I went yesterday for my consult with Dr. Olsen in Nashville and he scheduled me for July 16. I have my pre-op testing on July 11. Of course I'm self pay so don't have to jump through any hoops for that. I'm scared, yet excited. He didn't mention any pre-op diet.

Dr. Olsen is my doc too!! My surgery is July 18th. I'm self pay as well.

I'm doing the pre-op diet and start it on the 8th. I just finished ordering all the Protein drinks for it.

Have you gone to any support group meetings yet?

Goals are a great idea. I will most likely add more but these are things I want to achieve:

Flying: I've avoided flying because it's difficult to fit into the seats and I know uncomfortable for someone if I sit by them. I one time had a guy get up and move to another seat and it was embarrassing.

Sitting in a chair w/arm support. I want to fit into a normal size chair. I want to not have to put the arm up in a movie theater.

Center console in my jeep. I want to put a center console in my jeep wrangler but I can't because I'm too big and I don't want to be squished.

Walk up my stairs without being winded.

Restroom: going into the regular stalls and not the handicap stalls that are bigger. I know it sounds silly but those regular stalls are small and hard to move around in.

That is it for now.

Awesome. Thank you both.

How long does a fill take? Were you able to go back to work the day or the day after?

I ask because I'm using my week vacation to get banded. I want to go back to work within the week time frame (I sit at a desk all day) because I have no sick days or personal days so anytime off work after my banding will be unpaid.

Thank you.

I will begin my 10 day pre-op diet on July 8th. I’ve been told I chose from:

Advant Edge Carb Control Ready - to- Drink shake

Isopure Zero Carb

ABB Pure Pro clear liquid Protein supplements

Once I begin Stage 1 Clear liquids - protien supplements I’m allowed to chose from: Unjury, nectar, ABB Pure Pro, Ispure Zero Carb

Once I begin Stage 2 Full liquids. I can chose from - Unjury or EA Advant Edge Carb Control

Has anyone had any of these? If so, which one did you prefer? How long did 1 bottle last?

Thank you!

Well, I had all my tests and appointments yesterday. The UGI - normal. I had an EKG last month and since that test is good for 6 months they are going to use that reading. The psychologist was nice but the test was looooong. Over 600 question that I had to fill in circles like the SAT tests. The psychologist said that my tests show I don't like or respond well to people who boss me around. I told her I could have saved $295 I paid to come there, all she had to do was ask my husband and he could have told her that was true. She gave me the go ahead.

The nutritionist was nice. We went over the diet 600-800 calories a day. 30 grams of Protein for Breakfast, lunch and dinner.< /p>

Now I'm going to research the Protein Drinks. She gave me a list and some samples. I haven't tried them yet.

Everything is set for July 18th!

Hi. I'm Michelle from LaVergne. My doctor is Dr. Olsen at Centennial Medical Center. My surgery is set for July 18th at 9AM. I'm self pay because my insurance won't cover it. Total for surgery $14,500.

Nice to meet ya'll.

Tomorrow I have a day full of tests.

8AM UGI test

9:45 Meeting with Nutritionist

11:30 Meeting with Psychologist

3:00 Appointment with my thyroid Dr.

Somewhere in between my appointments I have to get an EKG. Luckily all my appointments are within 3 or 4 blocks of each other.

Today after work a co-worker and I went to Curves to check it out. She had a heart attack in March and needs to exercise. We've been walking together at work 20 minutes a day but both want to do more. I'm going to join on my next paycheck. It's cool how they have a form for your doctor to sign that says you can't exercise for so many days after an illness or surgery. They put your membership on hold during that time and you don't get charged membership during that period. I want to work out before the surgery because I hear it helps.

The only bad thing is I left all my paperwork at work and have to go there before my 1st appointment and pick it up.

I went to the bank today and had 2 cashier checks made: one to the hospital and the other to the doctor. I'm paying the anesthesiologist on Friday and then my surgery is all paid for and I'm ready for the 18th of July!