divaofsongs

I really wish I could make it. I will be there if I am up and hoping an hour after surgery!

Tiedtobefit - Thank you so much for asking about me, we finally made it here yesterday after a gruelling 28 hour drive, which should have only taken 12 hours. The roads were ice and snow covered and it was horrible. I hope that it is not this bad when we drive back on Saturday. I am trying to find something to do today, I am already bored, LOL. As a matter of fact, within an hour of arriving last night, we were at a bingo hall on Havana. I am staying at the Radisson off the I-255 and Parker. It is not too far from Dr. K. Please keep me in your prayers for my surgery tomorrow. I almost went back home I have been so nervous. I have been having an emotional breakdown the past 2 days. I hope I am making the right decision. Thanks all for your support.

I am not sure if I posted the wrong date before but my surgery is December 13th, this coming Thursday. Good luck to all those getting banded in December!

Thanks Dee, I really appreciate the info. I will make sure I keep it with me.

I am looking forward to getting the band but not to the drive. I will definetely keep your advise in mind. We are making a 2-day trip out of it so we can drive in daylight only. Keep me in your prayers.

I just checked weather.com and it is going to be like 20 degrees this week in Parker! Is that normal? I am from Phoenix and not used to being colder than about 60 degrees. Will I need boots, scarf, etc?

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is having a great week. I am getting packed and will be leaving on Monday morning to begin the looooooong trip to Colorado. We will be stopping half-way through to get a hotel Monday night and then arriving on Tuesday early afternoon. I have a question......I had a sleep study done 2 weeks ago and they told me I had moderate sleep apnea with a score of 20? but I am unable to get a CPAP machine to bring with me. Do you think it is important that I have the CPAP machine for after surgery? I have lived 38 years without one so far.

Parker, Colorado.....Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum.....$9950.00 includes first 3 months of fills, after that fills are $15.

I would love to meet any local banders, I will be in Parker on Tuesday and my pre-op appointment is on Wednesday the 12th at 4:30 P.M. then surgery on Thursday the 13th at 12:30 P.M. If anyone wants to meet, let me know. I am so excited, I cannot stand it! I can't even get any sleep for work because I am so excited and nervous.

Hmmmm, that's a great question. I would suggest doing it when you are stuck so that way it will mix with the slime:puke: and may be more tolerable. I know I certainly can't stand the taste of that stuff! Also, if you do it daily, it may help with your Protein intake and allow you to cut out one of your Protein shakes, and ultimately save you money!

Hey Michelle, I will be having my surgery at 12:30 P.M. on Thursday, Dec 13th :-( Wish I could make it.

I had a sleep study done a little over a week ago and I was told I have moderate sleep apnea, my "level?" is a 20 and my oxygen saturation dropped to 83% during the REM cycle. They are telling me I need a CPAP machine and I need it for recovery. The problem is that during the sleep study, the technician came in to put me on the CPAP machine because she said I was having moderate apnea during the dreaming stage of my sleep. I tried several times to use it bbut everytime I opened my mouth I felt like I was choking because the air was blowing up my nose. After several attempts, I just told her to take the mask off because I hated feeling like I was suffocating. My question is......how important is it to have the CPAP machine on during recovery? Doesn't the hospital staff monitor your breathing to make sure you don't have issues during and after surgery? What about the anesthesia? Do I have to wear it during the surgery itsself? I would appreciate any help or advice from anyone with sleep apnea or anyone who has any experience.

I don't know what could be causing the cravings, but maybe you can try a low-carb chocolate, there are many of them to choose from now. Also, drink a chocolate Protein shake. I used to have a real craving for chocolate and I am diabetic. So, one time I intentionally dipped my chocolate in salt and that pretty much cured me. I stopped craving it so much after that.

Aubrie, your body enters a state of benign dietary ketosis once you have burned all of your available carbohydrate stores. Your body burns carbohydrates for fuel to keep your brain and organs working properly and to give you energy and basically keep you going. When you greatly limit your carb intake, your body has to find another source of energy, so it turns to it's second choice, which is your own body fat. When your body begins to burn it's own fat for energy, ketones are produced. Generally, if you are consuming less than 30 grams of carbs a day, you are most likely in ketosis. One of the best things about ketosis is that is greatly reduces your appetite, which is why many Atkin's dieters will tell you that they are rarely hungry. It is the strongest "natural" appetite suppressant. Basically, when you are in ketosis, your body is self-canabalising to keep you alive. You are literally living off of your own fat stores. So, when your body is producing ketones because of greatly reduced carbohydrate intake, it is proof positive that you are indeed burning fat. Last year I lost a large amount of weight on the Atkin's Diet and I remember that my fat felt really soft and spongy. Almost like a wet sponge. That is because your body is depleting the fat from the inside out. You can purchase strips at your local pharmacy. Make sure you are drinking as much water as you can because ketones accumulate in your kidneys and can cause issues if they are not flushed out. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info. My Dr. said I will more than likely need the AP Large because of my high BMI. I hope it doesn't affect how much weight I lose.

Mandyjo, My Dr. put me on a low-carb pre-op diet for 2 weeks and I am on day 7 right now. I did check and I am in moderate to deep ketosis. Not for nothing, but I have lost 20 pounds in 7 days. I know it is mostly Water but I can tell you from past experience that being in ketosis really makes your body burn fat. Last year I went on the Atkin's diet and lost 120 pounds in 5 months. I gained it all back as soon as I went off the diet but that was because I ate everything I could put my hands on, and I am not exagerating. I counted one day and I ate over 6000 calories in one day and it was only 4:00 P.M. when I counted. :embarassed: The carb cravings are almost unbearable when you go out of ketosis and most people find it hard to go back into ketosis once they are out. I am a carb addict, so it is just like giving an alcoholic a bottle of booze after they have been sober for 5 months. It is disaster in the making. If you can maintain a ketogenic state, it may be helpful for you. Just be prepared to deal with the worst cravings when you eat too many carbs abd come out of ketosis.

I can't wait to get the Lap-Band on Dec 13th! I had an awful day today that confirmed just how badly I want and NEED this surgery. It started out with Black Friday shopping. I got halfway through the store and my back locked up so I had to have my husband go get me an electric riding cart. I stopped in the middle of the aisle and bent over to get something off the bottom shelf, and I lost control of the cart because my fat stomach pushed the lever to make it go forward and I didn't notice it. That made me go forward and I slammed into this old lady in front of me and knocked her down. It just so happens that she was bent over in front of me, picking something up. When my cart slammed into her rear end, she went flying onto the floor.:faint: Thank God she wasn't hurt but I was so embarrassed and humiliated, I just left the store without finishing up my shopping. Then I went to the salon to have my hair cut and sat (or squeezed myself rather) in the chair to look at the style book and unfortunately, the chair had arms. (Arms on chairs are not a good thing for me at all.) Somehow, the area between the arm and the seat seemed to act as a suctioning device and all of the fat on my thighs got sucked into the sides of the chair. They called my name to get my haircut and when I went to get up, THE ENTIRE CHAIR CAME WITH ME!:embarassed: I sat back down with the chair attached to my *ss and figured I could inch myself out of the chair, since I had done it many times in the past in similar situations. But NO, NOT TODAY, not on my worst fat day ever! I was STUCK! And I mean stuck. I could not get out of the chair, the sides of my legs were in so much pain. To make a long story short, they had to get a screwdriver and TAKE THE SIDE OF THE CHAIR OFF for me to get out! Meanwhile, two little kids were watching, pointing, and laughing, as if it were some sort of a circus act.:angry Needless to say, I did not get my hair cut today. To top my day off, I got home and took a nap because of all of the frustration. I must have had a bad dream because I woke up on the floor in front of the couch. THAT was just what I needed. I darn near rocked myself back to sleep trying to get up off the floor, which I finally accomplished with the help of my husband and sister. I am SOOOOOO ready for this surgery. I just needed to vent for a minute, thanks for letting me. Hopefully, someday in the near future I will look back on this day and find humor in it, but for now, it is NOT cute!

Shelli, what an an incredibly true statement. I am 1/2 way through my pre-op diet now, I realize it could mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful outcome to my surgery, yet I still find myself trying to "cheat" and I am only cheating myself. I really have no self-control when it comes to eating. A true prayer for me would be "Lord, please save me from myself!" I am truly my own worst enemy. I cannot wait to join you and not be a slave to food any longer. I am here for you if you need me as well. Be blessed.

Please see your doctor asap. My cousin had the same problem and her blood sugar was dangerously low. Hope you feel better.

Ok, let's try this again, I had a senior moment with the last post. Congrats on all the weight you have lost! I can't wait to join you. I have over 200 pounds to lose and I can't even imagine what life is like without having to scope out the room first to make sure I don't walk through an area where I can't fit, or have to sit at a table because when I sit at a booth (if I can even squeeze in), I end up wearing it and can't get out. I think it just takes time. A freind of mine who has lost over 100 pounds said every time she gets her jeans out of the dryer she thinks, "Whose jeans are these in my dryer?" She said it never fails, every time she washes she thinks the same thing. Eventually your mind will catch up with your body.

<p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Congrats on all the weight you have lost! I can't wait to join you. I have over 200 pounds to lose and I can't even imagine what life is like without having to scope out the room first to make sure I don't walk through an area where I can't fit, or have to sit at a table because when I sit at on, I end up wearing it and can't get out. </p> <p> </p> <p>I think it just takes time. A freind of mine who has lost over 100 pounds said every time she gets her jeans out of the dryer she thinks, "Whose jeans are these in my dryer?" She said it never fails, every time she washes she thinks the same thing. Eventually your mind will catch up with your body.</p>

That's just awful Lindata, I am so sorry to hear that happened to you. Kids can be so cruel. That song is from MADTV and I was always offended by it when it came on. Those kids better be glad I wasn't there because I would have asked my husband to take off his belt and I would have lowered their expectation of sitting down for a few days and they would have been the ones crying all the way home! :heh:

That's great news! I hope the same happens for me. It had to be scary to hear that from the man you love. The best to you and your husband.

I will be banded by Dr. Kirshenbaum on December 13th at 12:30 P.M. Merry Christmas to me! This is the best gift my family has ever given me. I am 38 years old and my mom and dad are paying for every dime of my surgery. God bless them and everyone on this board.

I am getting banded by Dr. Kirshenbaum o Dec. 13th at 12: 30 P.M.