justwaitin2b

Hi Dana & Penny - thanks for posting, Dana how did you lose 10lbs in that week? Penny - I hear you, my surgeon told me that the surgery will be nothing compared to my 2 ceasarians.........I am focusing on that! I have found these messages great for taking your mind off your fears, for being inspired by those who have succeeded, and..... when you are on the computer, you are not at the fridge!!! hugs to all - Karen

hey Janey - I am in Queensland, Australia....we don't have quaker oatmeal - but I'm thinking that must be the same as porridge?? we don't have spelt or flax bread? wild blueberries - I tried some when we were on holidays down south....not readily available here though - too warm! and as for little lunch packs of applesauce - I don't think so, but we do sell it in big jars to have with roast pork!! Man - 21/2 hrs a day of exercise..............geez, when I'm being good, I'm lucky to get in 1/2 an hour...........crikeys - I hope thats going to be enough??....... xx Karen

Hey Alex, I know just what you mean..... the fear of "will it work for me", because nothing else has, and I know i will feel like a complete failure if it doesn't............... but I was speaking to my surgeon about this fear, and he said it was completely normal - he said it was his job to work with me, in making sure it does work.......... keep in close contact with your weightloss team, be honest, try your best, and don't throw your hands up in disgust......ever!!! You are worth the effort!!! Respect thy self!!!! Dont worry about being put to sleep, it is so quick you won't even realise, and hey presto you are waking up again - seriously these people do this day in day out, and the statistics on problems with anethestics are less than car accidents. Do you drive? Do you walk across a busy road? Do you fly on a plane? you can do this - we will support each other................ where are you? hugs Karen

Janey - that is cool, even though we don't have half of those products here, I got the gist of it - your descriptions are great! what about exercise......... much? (i'm a big couch potato at the moment) talk soon - Karen

Hi sbee, I know Oregan Holly posted an invitation on my thread in that area, that's how I found y'all..............cheers Karen

Diane, You can wear your own cotton knickers into surgery, so you could have halloween messages written all over them...... giggling at the vision! lol cya Karen:eyebrows:

Everyone having a great day??? Maxine - congratulations on a successful surgery, and thanks for sharing how you felt, it does help put our minds at ease....... keep us posted, i would love to hear about your journey, day by day, or whatever you can manage.......... hugs Karen Janet - GOOD LUCK with your Gall Bladder surgery today, let us know when you are back home & safe. BIG HUGS FROM OZ - Karen

hey Twyla - nice to hear from you today, go sleep my friend, you have done a great job, bringing all those precious bundles into the world...K

Hi winterwish - that is so great to hear, Big hugs to you!! What would you be eating in a normal day - what foods and what quantities??? thanks for sharing and caring - Karen

Good morning, How is everyone feeling today? Would you beleive I have an appointment with my surgeon today, and thanks to all the support and advice on this site - I don't have any questions for him!!! Might have to work on a few, so that he doesn't feel bad...lol!! Only 6 weeks and 6 sleeps to go now................ have a great day - Karen

Hi Nitenurse and Michelle, Thanks for sharing, I am feeling so much better, and much more confident that so many people are having the same feelings, and are having the surgery with great results - please keep chatting, it's great to hear from you all. Cheers Karen (australia)

Hi Diane, Thanks for that message, now I don't feel so bad...lol!! Wow - your a brave girl - halloween!! Are you going to put a spider tattoo or something gross, on your tummy, for when they do pre-op stuff????? cheers Karen

Hi Guys - Karen from Queensland, Australia here......can i join, can i, can i???? this is great, just what I needed - thank you for just being here.... I am scheduled for Oct 29th, and feel exactly the way most of you do - full of self doubt, fear, nerves, excitement, and happiness. I look forward to sharing our journey..... have a great day - Karen

wow - an October Team - great idea!! I am scheduled for Oct 29th, I seem to be the last on list, looking at everyone else's dates. But thats good, I will be here cheering you all on, and there will be more of you to cheer me when it's my turn (or less of you, if all goes well...lol) I'm in Queensland, Australia - but just a keyboard away....... Cheers Karen

Hi Twyla and Beth, Ditto to all those emotions you mentioned, and as you say they are apparently quite normal, but crikeys they don't feel that way when they are churning through your mind hey? My op is booked for Oct 29th - only 7 weeks to go!!! I would love to stay in touch through this journey, and support each other, come what may............. Have a great day - Karen

Hey RN, Welcome, and I hope we can help you put those nerves at ease. Even though I am not a nurse, I have probably enough nutrition, diet, and exercise info in my head to be able to teach weight loss to a whole nation...........but it doesn't work for me, and that has been a long and frustrating challenge. All this time I beleived it was me, I must be doing something wrong, I must be harder on myself......... and those thoughts still break through, they are just hiding under the guise of pre-op nerves...... self doubt and fear! I loved it when you said you are "getting rid of lbs", instead of losing them.......... a sentiment we all share - good for you!! My surgery is booked for Oct 29, and my pre-op diet starts 4 weeks b4. Where are you from? Cheers Karen

Ebeth, I think you will find most of us on this site, wish we had the opportunity to have surgery earlier. At eighteen it is hard to imagine another 20 years of being big, of putting your hopes and efforts into every new diet that comes along, only to be dissappointed time and time again. I am now 38, and have been big for the last .....forever (battling for the first 5 years, and then big for the next 15...and getting bigger) yes - in that time I have had my 3 gorgeous daughters, but you can have the band during pregnancy..............I regret missing out on a lot of "life experiences" in my twenties and early 30's due to being self conscious and physically unable to participate.............. If you promise to change your life, and not regret one moment of time - then go for it!!! Be thinner and happier - give yourself the power to participate!!! Good luck - Karen

Hi Janet, Ask your surgeon if he can take your gall bladder out, the same day as putting the band in.........I know quite a few people online who have had both done at the same time........... the article I posted, is really reassuring about everything too, have a read luvie. Talk soon - big hug Karen

oops........p.s. for those not sure, you click on the underlined bit in my message, and it will take you to the article automatically..... cya K

Hi Guys - this is a fantastic article that I printed, and read often, its by Robin McCoy - who is banded herself, and now is an expert author on all things lapband... Lapband Lifestyle - We are here to help you in your changing life! I loved it, and I hope you do too.......... my kids are running riot, so I best go feed and water them, please let me know what you think of the article............... hugs to all, Karen

thanks Res, you are very motivating you know................ how far have you come so far?

Hi Crystal - just wanted to say welcome! I am not anywhere close to you at all, but I am scheduled for surgery 29th October, and feeling pretty nervous too! Yesterday I would have said scared, but then I found this site, and I have been getting remotivated and inspired. i have researched just about every thing there is - so medically I am ready, I see the surgeon on Tuesday coming, and start pre-op diet 4 weeks before surgery.............. that alone is very daunting!! Anyhoo - on with the journey - good luck to you, keep in touch if you need a chat, Cheers Karen

Hi Valerie, I am scheduled for Oct 29th. Glad to meet you, where are you from? how much weight are you hoping to lose? Good luck, Karen

I love Country music - like Trace Adkins, Sugarland, Joe Nichols, Keith Urban (oh-yeah he's ours) Lonestar, not quite...........old Buck Owens, but at least it's country!! Hey maybe you'll get the same date as mine, and it is all destiny, that we started chatting.......lol, as I write this it is 4.30pm in the afternoon, what time is it there? cheers Karen

Hi Megan, I'm not sure about your surgeon, but mine (in Australia) insists on a pre-op diet of Optifast, for 4 weeks. This does include 3 meal replacements, green vege's, diet jelly and calorie free liquids. The reason for this is to help you adjust to the liquid, then mushie stages after surgery, but also to shrink your liver, which is kinda in the way during surgery, and sometimes needs to be lifted. It also can help detox your stomach etc, that is full of crap from years of abuse. I hope this helps.............. you can also google "optifast before bariatric surgery"... cheers Karen