RockyRitz

Thanks for the tip about Nectar! I just ordered a sample pack.

I have been using a Protein shake for the past 5 months that I love. It's MGN Pure Isolate. 110 calories, 25g protein, 1g carbohydrates, 0 sugar, also contains vitamins: A, C, D, Calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is a high quality whey protein isolate. The only problem is you have to buy it online and it's not as convenient as other Protein shakes. They have lots of flavors and my favorite is ice cream sandwich. It even has little chocolate cookie pieces. Aspartame free, low lactose, gluten free and mixes easily. I buy mine from muscleandstrength.com

I can relate. I'm still 3 weeks away from starting my pre-op diet but my emotions are crazy! I am definitely a stress eater right now but that is uncharacteristic for me. I ate chocolate cake last night and drank a cup of milk with it. What the hell!? I hate milk! I think I discovered I am lactose intolerant too because my tummy was NOT happy afterward. I have avoided chocolate cake, breads and baked goods in general for years. I stick to whole grains when I do eat carbs but now I'm going all willie nillie on my emotions and eating things I would never have eaten even a month ago. Chili cheese Fritos? Disgusting, but I've been eating them! Besides this crazy urge to eat foods I normally wouldn't, I go from pure excitement one day to fear and nervousness the next and then anxious today. My stomach is in knots! My husband probably thinks I have a few screws loose lol. The good thing is I think I've overdone it with the food. I am actually feeling sick of food, no cravings and nothing sounds good. I actually want to start my pre-op diet now because I am so sick of food! I tried to split a steak with my husband last night and had to spit it out. I fed it to my dogs! I hope these nerves subside before surgery so I can just have a peace about it and relax. We shall see....

Thanks. I am ready! The best to you as well.

I had my PCP do the EKG and labs just so I could get them out of the way and my insurance covered a portion. I would suggest doing as much leg work as you can before-hand because it helps move things along. I will keep you posted on my surgery. Please keep me posted as well.

I was able to find lots of happy patients of Dr. G. Also his patient coordinator, Shannon, is really fantastic and answered all of my questions promptly. I would have felt completely content having surgery with dr. Gonzalez, however I was able to find another good surgeon close enough that I can drive and not need to purchase airfare. The only drawback on using Dr. G is that he requires two trips, one for consultation and seminar and then a second trip for the actual surgery. He will not do everything in one trip. For out-of-state patients, that is a huge inconvenience not only on time but on the wallet. I chose Dr. Umbach in Las Vegas and have my surgery booked for 10/10.

Welcome Chass. This is a good place to be. Ajay, I feel I know everything will be fine but the nervousness keeps creeping in. I think your Mom is going to be surprised at how fast you bounce back. From reading so many stories here, most people took time off work and realized after surgery that they really didn't need to. Your Mom is just being a Mom. Mine makes the same comments and it's annoying, but we know the statistics and as long as we are prepared for complications and what to look for should they arise, we will be fine. Later today I'll be stressed out again and will have to remind myself of all this. Haha

I'm worried and excited and anxious too. My date is Oct 10th. I've been looking forward to getting a surgery date for months and now that I have it my nerves are all haywire. I'm guessing this is normal...or hoping it is haha. I just keep telling myself I know what to do, I know how to eat and I want to be healthier for myself and my family. I'm also starting to have all these irrational fears. The best I can relate it to is having an MRI in the past and feeling claustrophobic. I would think "what if the power goes out and I'm stuck in here?" Or "what if I get a cramp and need to move but can't?". Why am I driving myself nuts!? I might ask my doctor for some anxiety meds at my appointment tomorrow. :/

Yay!! It's going to be a great day

YAY!! I just got my date and it's October 10th! I'm nervous, excited, anxious and ready to do this

Riverside, CA here and San Diego once a month. I'm getting sleeved next month!

I'll ask about using my own pain meds. Good tip

Ick! I can't take Dilaudid because it makes me throw up for hours. I'm most afraid of the pain meds than the actual surgery or pain. I'm hoping they'll ask me before administering any pain meds. I'd rather deal with pain rather than pain + vomit.

BAHAHAHAHAHA BEST. THREAD. EVER!!!

I'm also in Riverside. I went to Dr. Krahn's seminar but will be going out of state for surgery since I'm self pay. I will, however, be using the support group at St. Bernadines.

Well I am still banking on October but I keep hitting roadblocks. I decided against Mexico and began looking into surgeons here that were not monumentally expensive (because I am self pay) and had a specific set of credentials and experience. I've actually found about 15, 8 of which are in Texas. I settled on one, Dr. Victor Gonzalez after talking with his coordinator and feeling satisfied with the information she provided. However things would not be as smooth sailing as she made it seem. Dr. G requires all his patients have a sleep study which would cost me an additional $1500, an upper endoscopy which I would also have to pay for, plus he won't do a consultation over the phone and requires two visits to Dallas, one for the consultation and to attend his seminar and then for the surgery. He won't do them in the same trip which means two flights for my husband and I on top of everything else almost brings his price up to Southern California inflated costs! (I live in Southern California) Needless to say I still do not have a surgery date and I am bummed but the search continues. I have a phone consult with another Dallas surgeon today so hopefully that goes well. I'm happy for all of you who have your dates. Hopefully I can join you soon!

I am hoping to shed 75 pounds, although those pesky weight charts say I should lose 87 pounds.

A DOCTOR actually told me to stop eating until I start losing weight and then do that for a couple weeks! My Mom and Grandmother went with me. That was the first day I ever cursed in front of my Grandma. I was so pissed!

Can you tell I love Amazon? lol

I'm so glad this topic was posted because it's something I'm concerned with and learning about. These are two good products I just recently started using and will use with the derma roller as soon as it gets here. http://amzn.com/B009CZR3Y0 http://amzn.com/B0013QOIGC

Here's a great explanation on how they work and a chart that shows what size should be used for different conditions http://www.skincaretalk.com/t/17232/derma-roller-choosing-the-right-needle-size