divaofsongs

I started my pre-op diet a week ago. I am going to do the pre-op for about 18 days, to try to get my BMI under 60 and I have lost 16 pounds so far so my BMI is really close to dropping under 60 and should be there by next week.

Thanks Dee, I will call on Monday. I am also wanting to have the best outcome for my surgery. I am worried because my BMI is over 60 and I know that puts me at a higher risk. I am also drinking Atkin's shakes and eating low-carb yogurt. I have lost 16 pounds since I began the pre-op diet a week ago. I am sure it is mostly water but I am still happy to see the scale go down.

I need some advise. I have surgery scheduled for December 13th with Dr. Kirshenbaum. I have already spoken with the nutritionist and had my consult on the phone with Dr. K. I cannot remember all the details of the pre-op diet. Is it no carbs at all, or can I have 20 carbs a day like the Atkin's induction phase? I bought low-carb tortilla wraps that are 5 carbs each, are those ok? I want to ask because I don't want to mess up. Thanks for any advice.

OMG! If I had to write a movie script and create the most horrendous situation, I could not come up with a scenario worse than what I am going through right now. (Not to mention what my poor DH is going through, he is on the phone right now making reservations for a hotel room for the next 2 weeks to get away from me! ) This pre-op diet may be the end of me and everyone in my general vicinity before I make it to surgery in 2 weeks.:frusty: I started my pre-op diet officially yesterday. In addition to no carbs, my doc also had the nerve to say NO DIET COKE! What???? :omg: Doesn't he realize that is my CRACK? I can live without sleep, I can live without sex, I can even live without Water (And believe me, I can. I drink about a glass of water a year.) but no Diet Coke? I'd rather give myself a hysterectomy with a meat fork! Oh and I forgot to mention I also started my PERIOD! :angry I want to eat and I want to eat NOW! :hungry: I feel like a ferocious, hungry, rabid dog that hasn't had a meal in 3 weeks, smack dab in the middle of a room full of fat cats. I think I am going to go to work tonight and fire the first 3 people that say hello to me. And, nobody better even think about bringing in fast-food. If I post here tomorrow, you will know that I made it through today without committing murder or some other felonious activity. If you never hear from me again, please tune into your local news station. I'm sure the headline will read something like this, "Arizona woman, preparing for Lap-band surgery has been arrested for holding up a local McDonald's demanding Big Mac's, Fries, and Diet Coke's. She is currently awaiting trial at the Arizona Institute for the Criminally Insane."

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Chick-Fil-A!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Chick-Fil-A! Now I must get through this craving, LOL.

Ok, I made it through the night last night and didn't have to kill anyone or hold up a McDonald's. I am actually not very hungry this morning? I just cracked open an ice cold Atkin's shake, Mmmmm. I thank you for letting me vent. I feel much better today.

Thanks everyone so much for the wonderful compliments on my voice. My CD is not ready yet, however it will be available in March of 2008. For now, you can listen to it on MySpace.com - Mone - Everywhere - House / Club / Soul - www.myspace.com/divaofsongs or Mone DIVA OF SONGS. By the way, thanks to all of you for the compliments on my pictures, as you can see, they are all head shots. I would not dare put anything lower than my neck in the shots and I had to cock my head out like an ostrich to get rid of the double chin that so ungraciously sits above my neck (or what used to be a neck before it all just came together as one big roll from my chin to my chest! :heh:) I will keep everyone posted. I will also give a free download of my new song to any member here that wants one.

I am so excited I could just scream! 16 days left til I get banded and I doubt if I will get a minutes rest until then. I am so excited I can't sleep. And when I do sleep, I keep having dreams of little Dutch girls in wooden shoes dancing around windmills twirling Lap-bands around their arms singing "You're gonna be a small bitch after all! You think I might need a psychological eval first????? Just kidding. But, I am really excited. December 13th at 12:30 P.M., come quickly please.

I just got off the phone with Paula, she gave me my pre-op and post-op directions for eating. I am so excited I could just scream! 16 days left and I doubt if I will get a minutes rest until then. I am so excited I can't sleep. And when I do sleep, I keep having dreams of little Dutch girls in wooden shoes dancing around windmills twirling Lap-bands around their arms! You think I might need a psychological eval first????? Just kidding. But, I am really excited. December 13th at 12:30 P.M., come quickly please.

When I lay down, my boobs disappear. They fall under my arms and deep into my armpits. So, for about 7 hours a night, I am flat chested.

Thanks Karen, I will call her tomorrow. Can anyone tell me what Dr. K requires for the pre-op diet?

Thanks Gurly, I was scared they may be calling to reschedule my surgery and I am too excited to wait any longer.

I just had my sleep apnea test last night and it looks like I have it. Grrrr, I do not want to wear one of those ridiculous things on my face.

I missed 2 calls from Paula Pierce at Dr. K's office. She gave me a different number than the office number. Does anyone know who she is? I hope she is not calling to cancel my surgery date

I missed 2 calls from Paula Pierce at Dr. K's office. She gave me a different number than the office number. Does anyone know who she is? I hope she is not calling to cancel my surgery date

Right now, my mini-goal is not to kill anyone while I am on this pre-op diet. :angry :dead Seriously, I usually set my short-term goals in terms of 10 pound increments, or dress sizes, or even inches lost. If you set small, achievable goals, you will have more of them to look forward to and you may stay more encouraged.

Thanks to all of you for your comments on my vocals and singing. I cannot wait to get small enough to get back on stage and perform. I have not done a performance for over 8 years. I miss my singing career and I miss not being able to use my talent because I am too out of breath to stand on stage for more than 5 minutes. My new song is being released in March of 2008, it is called "Viva La Diva". You can hear a sample of it on my myspace site, the link is in my signature. I will make sure any of you that want a copy of the CD will get a signed copy for free.

Hmmm, it seems that one way to get unstuck is to BURP yourself.... I know when a baby doesn't burp well, if you put them over your shoulder with their arms up, it will usually do the trick. I guess my husband better get prepared, because I don't like being uncomfortable. I will very quickly jump on his lap, throw a towel over his shoulder and put my arms up and have him rub my back til the stick comes unstuck! Thanks everyone for all of the great advise. I will be carrying pineapple juice with me everywhere. I just hope someone doesn't make me mad, because I can think of some pretty interesting things to do with the slime everyone is talking about.:spit:

I am having my surgery on December 13th and have been hearing a lot about being stuck and getting unstuck. What type of foods cause you to stick and how do you get unstuck?

It's really funny that when these things happen, it seems like you are the ONLY person in the world that it has ever happened to. It is comforting to hear that others have gone through similar incidences. There are certain things that only we can relate to. I can remember last year I went to my aunt's house for some stupid party that she was throwing (she is always throwing parties, trying to make herself look like she's rich, when she really just lives paycheck to paycheck trying to impress all her stuffshirt friends.) I had on high heels, which I had worn the little black plastic things off the bottom of. You know, when those plastic things wear off, you have a little hard metal spike left. As I walked on my aunt's new kitchen floor, my heels were punching little holes in the floor! I didn't even notice at first until my aunt started yelling at me.:yell: "OH MY GOD, WOULD YOU LOOK AT MY BRAND NEW FLOOR. YOU HAVE RUINED IT! YOU ARE SO HEAVY YOU PUNCHED HOLES IN MY BRAND NEW FLOOR WITH YOUR CHEAP AZZ SHOES!" I was mortified AND PISSED that she embarrassed me and yelled at me like that so I yelled right back at her:argue:, "THIS IS NOT A FLOOR, IT IS CHEAP LINOLEUM, MADE OUT OF PLASTIC! THE PROBLEMS IS NOT MY CHEAP SHOES, THE PROBLEM IS YOUR CHEAP AZZ FLOOR! IF YOU WOULD SPEND LESS MONEY THROWING PARTIES TRYING TO IMPRESS YOUR STUCK-UP FRIENDS AND MORE MONEY BUYING FLOORING THAT WAS WORTH MORE THAN $10, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEONES HEELS POKING HOLES IN YOUR CHEAP AZZ FLOOR!":heh: Needless to say, we haven't spoken since. Speaking of heels, I have also had my heels stuck in the heat register at church. Grrrr, that is annoying no matter what size you are. I have learned to snap fight back when people make fun of my size.

Hello, I will be banded on Dec 13th, 2007. My doctor wants me to do the induction phase of Atkin's diet for 14 days prior to the surgery. I understand it is to shrink the liver but does the amount of fat intake matter? I know the induction phase has unlimited fat.

Wow, thanks everyone! You all have made me feel so much better. I start my 2-week pre-op diet on Wednesday, I tried to start early but unfortunately, that episode yesterday landed me smack dab in the middle of the fast-food drive-thru, or should I say SEVERAL fast-food drive-thrus. It's funny how things like that make you eat. I always said I was not an emotional eater, but I think I just proved myself wrong yesterday. I completely forgot about another experience that would probably be in the close running with yesterday. I was on a Greyhound bus one time and squeezed myself into the bathroom. And when I say squeezed, I mean I had to squeeze myself into that bathroom in sections. NOT CUTE! Once I managed to get all my sections in, I went to get leave and I could not get out. I was stuck! The door on the bathroom opened IN. I was standing on the toilet seat trying to maneuver myself out of there but it was just not happening. The story ends with the bus having to be pulled over to the side of the road and the door being removed from the hinges. Back then, I had an "I Don't Care What You Think About Me" attitude about myself. I made fun of myself before others had a chance to. When I finally got out, I announced quite loudly, "Well, I guess that'll teach me not to have that second piece of pie. Busdriver, can you stop at the store so I can pickup some DEPENDS? I won't be trying THAT again!" Of course, when I got home, I cried myself to sleep. Thanks again for the great encouragement. I hope to be of the same support to each and every one of you.

I live in Phoenix, AZ and the prices range from $13,500 (lowest) to $19,500 (highest) in this area. I am self-pay and cannot afford it so I am having my surgery in Aurora, Colorado by Dr. Kirshenbaum for $9950. It is the best deal I have found in the U.S. If you are willing to go to Mexico, there are some very qualified doctors that will do it for less than $8000, just be sure to thoroughly check them out. Good luck in your search.

Oops, I forgot to ask a question. Does Dr. K use the 10 CC bank on all of his patients or does he decide which band to use once the surgery has begun. I have heard that it is better to have a smaller band. Is that true?

I am assuming it would only be temporary, just to shrink the liver until the surgery is over. I wonder if the high level of fat will make the liver more slippery?