RoseNewLife

Please call me Rose! I'm so happy to have found these forums, I feel like I've been on a very lonely and scary ride. I do have an excellent lap-band doctor (Dr. Deol in Michigan) and I've been to her seminar, had my first consultation, and I'm currently going through a lot of tests from other doctors, to make sure I'm healthy for the lap-band surgery. I've seen many doctors so far, but still have a ways to go, no surgery date yet. My starting weight is 248 pounds, my height is only 5'2", making my BMI 45.4, putting me into the morbidly obese catagory (sigh). I have a lot of health problems in my family history, including diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer. My current problems are "only" high blood pressure, degenerative joint disease, and *possible* coronary artery heart disease, but this has not been confirmed yet (seeing my cardiologist next week). I want to lose this weight first to improve my health, and hopefully avoid further health problems, second to improve ENERGY (don't we all need some of this! :whoo: ) and last just to look and feel better about myself! I'm so tired of baggy unattractive clothes. Being short, it's even harder to find clothes - I think the clothes stores assume all heavy people must be tall! So that's a little about me . . . I'm hoping to get all these tests done and get banded SOON! I could use any support and suggestions anyone cares to offer :help: I don't have much in the way of family at all, and could use someone to really talk to. My husband supports me 100%, and he's a good listener, but he's just not the best talker. I have an 11 year old son that has autism. I just need someone who really understands all of this! Thanks so much, looking forward to talking to all of you!

Hi IndioGirl! Wonderful to hear about your new banding! Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing, I always like to hear what happens right after the operation! That's a lot of pre-op tests you had to do! I too failed the cardiac "stress test", but I didn't do the treadmill (I hear ya on the couch potato stuff, lol) they injected a cardiac medicine to make my heart rate speed up, just as if I was working on the tread mill. It was NOT pleasant! My heart rate went up to 130 and they had to inject another medication to reverse the first one. Oy! But I failed it, it's possible I have a blocked artery in my heart, so now I face the nuclear test you mention, or a possible cardiac cath before I can progress further in my Quest for a lap-band (sigh). I was hoping to lose the weight and avoid these problems!:think Good for you for hanging in there, going through all those doctors and finally getting your band! and for losing 20 pounds! :clap2::clap2::clap2: That's awesome, I know that must have been a rough road for you. I think I'm burning out on doctor visits, but I'm hanging tough in there! :whoo:

Hi Kirajh! I live in Waterford, near Pontiac. Congrats on your band! :clap2: How are you doing with it?

Yeah, that pre-op diet doesn't sound fun! I think I would agree with you, to get the ready-to-drink stuff, rather then to mix it up. I just hope there is a lactose free formula, milk and me do not get along at all! I'm very lactose-intolerant. I have spoken to the nutritionist, and she is going to look into it for me. You only had to do two weeks of this pre-op diet? Mine will be three weeks . . . I wonder if it's different from patient to patient.

Hello Peggy and Jen! Thank-you both for the information and such warm welcomes! I am already feeling better about many things, and feeling right at home here in the forums. I wasn't sure if I should join before I was banded, but now I'm glad I did! It's a much smoother journey when you have friends who've gone before you, to help guide the way. I've been looking around the forums, excellent information available here! Thanks again, looking forward to chatting with you some more!

Hi Margi (and others!) I'm new here myself (just joined yesterday) and I'm from Michigan, the Waterford/Pontiac area. I'm not banded yet, still working on the test (got a Cardiology probelm to test yet, then the sleep study, then hopefully I'm ready!) Who's your doctor? I have Dr. Deol, cant say enough good things about her and her staff!

Nice to meet you Karen! Congratz on your successful surgery with Dr. Deol!:clap2: 20 pounds lost so far for you, that's excellent. I met Rebecca briefly when I first started in Dr. Deol's office, but have been working with Debbie the most, she is awesome. How did the pre-op diet work for you? Was it difficult? Maybe I'll see you sometime in the near future at the support group meetings!

Hi Tracy! I just wanted to say what an excellent response :clap2: . . . I'm new here myself, and what you wrote was so helpful. I'm really looking forward to getting my lap-band more and more . . . just gotta get through all these tests first! Thanks again!

Hello Donna! Thanks so much for the positive feedback, I need to hear these success stories (I know the risks and complications, lol). I'm so happy to hear you are pleased with this, congrats on the weight loss so far!