JoannMarie

Wow - that was a happy change for you! I don't think I have heard of anyone actually getting their surgery moved up instead of back. I am with you on the unprepared scene. I would have a heck of a time trying to get everything together for an earlier date (but would take it if they told me to!! teehee). Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress!

You are all such an inspiration to me. My emotions are all over the place these days. Anticipation, nervousness, excitement, a little fear -- I can't believe it is finally coming into view. 22 days. Thank you all for sharing your feelings about all this. In spite of all these emotions, I do not feel like I am alone in this, and that means so much to me. It's amazing - not only does He open the doors, He provides the friends and support in the most unlikely of places... God bless all of you.

Welcome to all our new December bandsters! I am alternating between a lingering disbelief (is this really happening???), excitement, and extreme nervousness! Happy, too, I might add. Wow - lots of emotions during these days of preparation. I am feeling like I should be "nesting." LIGHT BULB - not unlike the preparations for the birth of my babies... hmmm.

I think Mall of America is actually a good idea. We can do a local hotel w/pool and other amenities, close to MofA, but shopping does not have to be the focus of the trip. (Personally, I'm not much of a shopper anyway.) I love the idea of Colorado - a resort w/cabins, beautiful mountains, cool summer breezes...lots of time to visit, hike, shop, etc. Lori - do you know of such a place? Would semi-local research be something you could do?

Thanks, Carol. I'm not too concerned about it. I'll come up with something that sounds good. DIL has one sister who has absolutely no people skills - asks (and says) anything that pops into her head whenever it pops, no matter how it sounds. Drives me nuts!! Apparently it drives others nuts, too - I've heard through others DIL and this sister are on the outs right now. She probably won't be there and if she is, she'll be watching and waiting for DIL to mess up. I have not told a lot of people about banding; primarily my husband, my kids, and a couple of close friends. I assume my son has shared the news with DIL, but I have asked that it not go beyond them. I did this knowing DIL may have a hard time with that, but I hope she respects my privacy. If not, it will not be the end of the world. It will all work out just fine. :laugh:

Nancy, that's a great tip about the almonds and flax seed. DH and I have used flax seed for a couple of years now - he is more apt to use it than I am. No reason - I just forget about it! It is very good for you, and so are the almonds as long as you don't overdo. I was concerned that I might not be able to eat nuts, but it sounds like they will be okay. Orea, I hear you about the fruit. My blood sugar reacts very badly if I eat high carb or fruit by itself. A small piece of cheese to accompany the fruit works like a charm. Beautiful sunny fall days are great - but days like this are so hard for me. It is gray, drizzly, cold - and I hurt all over. I'm trying to stay out of the kitchen! Fortunately there is not much there that can hurt me too badly - I tossed all the bad stuff long ago. But overeating on good stuff doesn't do much for me either. "Overeating" is the operative word here. I hope everyone is doing okay today.

Thanks, Pete! It's probably a good thing to let this go until 11/24 - With the holiday and offices closed for that, most of the December dates will probably be assigned by then and they will be starting to work on January. We have just a little over 3 weeks - I am starting to get excited!

Congratulations Najah on your date! Nina, you are right - time is really flying by now... When do you start your pre-op diet? All the docs are so different - some are saying 3-4 weeks! Mine normally says 10 days, but told me a week. That puts in right smack on Thanksgiving! I think I will be super careful on T-Giving, and go to the full-fledged pre-op on the next day. My pre-op visit with surgeon is the day before T-Giving - if she does not like my idea, I will go with hers!!! I really wanted to avoid all the questions with the family - my kids know, but many extended family (DIL's parents and siblings, etc.) may be there and believe me - they will be very curious about a liquid diet! I love 'em to death, but they can also be very determined. I'd like to say nosy - but just hate to call it that...(but they are! teehee) DH and I have to be there, family celebrations are very important to all of us. So we will see. I guarantee you I will not miss my surgery date. I'll make up a stomach ailment or something even more distressing - might as well really get them talking! Hope everyone is doing well tonight!

WooHoo Becky! Congratulations! That's a great accomplishment and I am so happy for you.

Orea, I hate to think you were having such a difficult time with hunger. You have come so far, please stick around for the rest of us. We need your sense of humor, your can-do attitude, your great suggestions. You are such an intelligent and gentle woman and we all need that influence. I was so glad to see you this evening - you had been on my mind all afternoon. I hope this fill gives you the boost you need and you will be back on track. and I hope your hubby's job situation will be resolved soon. DH and I have been through those situations, too, and they are tough. You are in my prayers...

Clempier, He knows what you need whether you can put a name to it or not. Most of us think we know exactly what we need and we need it NOW! He knows better, and He sees to it our real needs are fulfilled at exactly the right time. We are so blessed with a wise and loving Father. Praise God

Orea, it's good to hear from you! You always have such good suggestions for us. I hope you are doing well. Several weeks/months ago you mentioned your hubby was interviewing - has he found something he likes? I have 26 days to go as of today - I think it's beginning to sink in finally! I've been at this for so long I was beginning to think it was all going to happen by osmosis - or something. Keep posting - I really enjoy hearing from you.

Welcome to all the new people joining us. I hope you get your December dates. It will be so good to have that part behind you and begin the New Year with a whole new outlook! Keep us posted on your progress. Wow - there are so many things we have to do to get this banding done. I began my research in early February! My first seminar was March 5th... I went to 3 seminars before I found the group I wanted and they took a long time to decide (after all that testing, etc.) they wanted me! 26 days to go!!! It is beginning to sink in. I think two of you hit the jackpot with your questions. Everyone seems to have two major issues - eating slowly/chewing everything to obliteration - and being motivated to exercise. I don't think I'll have too hard a time with eating slowly - I tend to be a slowpoke anyway and almost always the last one to finish. But I do have issues with exercise. I can always come up with an excuse, sometimes pretty good ones - but of course that is still just an excuse. The important thing for ME to remember - the only way this is really going to work and work forever is if I exercise. period. If you have not voted on a name for the December group, please go to the Dec 2008 forum and the "Let's Choose a Name" poll and vote for your favorite.

Pete - that is great! You are a very creative man. And you are right, it looks like Holiday Hotties is taking a commanding lead.

Lori - you are in Vermont having dinner right now, I'll bet. That sounds like a lot of fun - and what a celebration! 80 pounds!!!!!!! That is fantastic and I am so happy for you!

Hi Aviva, Weather changes fast! Esp early winter in the northland. I'm in Kansas City area - we had a record 74 two days ago. It will be 47 today and it is windy. Still not Manitoba cold, but the first cold snap is always a shock for Missouri. I think Winter Wonders has several votes - be sure and add yours for the names you like. Many have voted for 2 or 3 - that's okay with this election!

I like the new look, Alex! One thought about color - those of us with eyesight problems have trouble reading color on color - and that depends on what colors are used, probably different for everybody. My hope is that you will have sufficient contrast between the font and the background no matter what colors you are using. As the font gets smaller and smaller - with less contrast - it quickly becomes impossible to read. Thanks for doing a great job, Alex.

Welcome "40" or is it "20?" I keep telling myself 40 is my new 60! I agree with the name situation - not all celebrate Christmas, and we have a man in our midst (Florida Pete), so we need to be mindful of names that are too feminine. I have 2 questions - what is your band date? and just what is the coldest major city in Canada? I was raised north of Duluth, MN (on the North Shore of Lake Superior), so I can identify with cold and snow. brrrr. This morning I was watching tv footage of the North Dakota blizzard that hit yesterday - it brought back memories... My thoughts go out to those who are trying to dig out this morning. If you have not voted, please do!

Welcome, StartingOverNJ! I have not read back over the posts again, but I believe your date of Dec 2 puts you at the head of the class! If memory serves, I think we have one on Dec 3rd, three of us on Dec 4th, and a couple on the 5th, then many others... (Dec Posters, please correct me if I am wrong!) My date is Dec 4th (27 more days!). I alternate between excitement and nervousness, but I've been working at this since February, so I've had lots of time to research and learn. That has been very good for me, as I am one of those personalities that needs to do that. I actually made my decision quickly, but needed the reinforcement to know I was doing the right thing with the right surgeon and staff. Please go to the Dec 2008 forum listing and find the Name Poll posted this week. We are asking everyone to vote on a name for the December bandsters. We hope to have a clear choice by Monday morning, so please vote soon.

Good for you, Lori! I'm not sure I would be able to watch the surgery - maybe, but since I've not been asked I don't think I will raise the issue. I hope your knee injections work well. I am scheduled to have my second round starting December 1. I know I need some help with the knee in order to get any good exercise at all. By the time I 've had the second of three, I'll be cleared to go to the gym and can do some easy elliptical stuff or water exercises. My Euflexxa takes about 6 weeks to really be effective, so maybe it will help as the pounds come off. I have been doing the recumbant bike here at home, and that is going well. Never too late to make a career change, girl. You have already proven you can meet a challenge and win!

Hi Pete, Check out any job fairs in your area. Local TV channel last night was highlighting MANY jobs in the KC area that aren't necessarily advertised in the papers, but contacts are made through job fairs. DH and I were surprised to see there were so many good paying jobs available. These companies were saying they could not find enough qualified people to staff their needs. Seemed many of them were good administrative positions. Might be the same in your area... It would be worth a look.

I have not yet done the small plate/little silverware. I think it's a good idea, though. I'm also going to look for a small bowl - that will hold just a cup of food. Maybe I'll pick something up this weekend. Funny how we have to "trick" ourselves, but I'm all in favor of whatever works!!

Well, I think Indian Summer is over for Kansas City... Sunny but kinda cold and windy out there today. Long sleeve weather may have just begun. Everybody who is new to the thread, please check out the poll set up to choose a name for us. As of this morning 18 had voted and there is a 3-way tie (you have to check it out to see which 3!) I think we will give everyone until Monday morning to vote, then we will either post the top 3 for a final decision - OR - if there is a VERY clear winner we will just go with that name. Those of us who are scheduled for Dec 4th - we have 28 days to go. Not time for nerves yet, but it is time to give thought to picking some aspect of the new way of eating (small bites, chew-chew-chew, no liquid w/meals, etc.) and beginning to practice those things that may be the most troublesome for you. I've had serious "last meal" syndrome for several weeks. I figure that's not all bad to say goodbye to some of those things I will miss - but have to watch out for carrying that too far. I've decided to follow the SoBeach plan - aiming for high protein these next couple of weeks until I start my pre-op liquids. What are the rest of you doing?

Hi Gnana! Did you check out the poll that is posted in this forum? Be sure to vote there. In a few days we will either be picking out the top 3 and offering them for an final decision - OR - if the numbers are very strong for one name we will just go with that one. I think ALL of us will be Holiday Hotties next holiday season!

Smilin' Apple - no wonder you are smiling! Congratulations on your wonderful success! You are an inspiration to all of us.