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I am scheduled for May 8th in Kalamazoo, MI. I can't wait. I went out two months from now so my employer would approve it. I have been working on this for 12 months and now BCBS of MI changed the medical visits to only 6 months recently. At least others won't have to wait so long to have the surgery. I am reading alot on these forums so I will be well prepared. It is so different for everyone and even I read that the pre-op and post-op is so different per doctor. I am so excited to finally have a TOOL that is promising to help me.

Sorry if you have answered this before about Vitamins and Calcium. I am now taking kids lilcritters' Multivitamins gummy's. I know they have a lot of sugar but I spent hundreds on many other kinds of chewables and just can't take them. I am sticking with these. Now - my dilema - I have tried many kinds of calcium citrate and again have a gagging reflex. I have to take the calcium citrate and everyone is saying that no longer are the choc chewable candies available. The Viactive does not have the citrate in their candies only carbonate. I wrote to Lilcritters and have not heard back yet to see if their calcium gummys have the citrate or the carbonate. The back label does not specify and I can't keep spending money on throwaways. So right now I take no calcium. Help, help me.

I need to take Calcium and a multivitamin everyday. The chewable multivitamin is ok, but I just can't ge the calcium chewables down. I gag on them and I have to take 4 of them to get all the calcium the doctor recommends. Please tell me if you have tried any of the liquid calcium. I wonder how this tastes. I have to buy some tomorrow no matter what. Tell me if these chewables bother you and how you get them down or if you have tried the liquid calcium.

Call your doctor again. I had that pre-op and thought it may be all the protein shakes and was told no. They told me to get stool softeners at the drug store. It did help a great deal. The office should let you take a liquid form of a laxative. I wouldn't think that would do harm. I am 4 days post-op and will do anything NOT to have hard stools. That would be painful I am sure. I would just take some form of a liquid lax to help myself. I truly feel for you and call again to the doctor's office and plead with them for help.

I don't read the posts and write as often as everyone else. I am now 4 days post-op and just now felt like getting on the computer. I am sore and the worst hurt is where the port is. It does hurt alot to laugh and cough. I did not have any shoulder pain. Today is the first day I feel like myself. I am still on liquid vicodin every 4 hours until this Friday when I have my 1-week post -op visit. I can stop it anytime or just slow up on it like I am doing now. All Dr. Verseman's patients spend have very realy surgery and spend the night and I went home at 4pm the following day. I was pampered by the staff. They were in the room all the time making me feel comfortable. The occupational therapist made a visit to ask about my home and if there might be any help I may need to manuever around. I hold myself with a pillow pushed up against my incisions when I get up from a chair as the nurses suggested. Actually, I was given a TUMMY TEDDY bear the hospital gives all patients to use in the hospital and to take home to use for that purpose. It feels better and the pressure on the incisions don't hurt so much. I am now on a 2-wk liquid diet and then onto mushy foods. Some of my liquid diet is Jello, cream Soups strained, f/f puddings and thin hot cereals like Cream of Wheat. I am doing well. I am so glad I asked off for a week of vacation until this Friday. I would have not been able to get dressed for the office. I am still in pj's and I really don't feel like putting on office clothes quite yet. I walk slow and cautiously with the soreness. They say soreness I say HURT. I will continue to post to let all of you know how things go. Am glad to hear all your stories and post-op recoveries.

I am also scheduled for Thursday, May 8th. I am so excited and look forward to a new me. I will be praying for all of us to have successful surgery and together we will succeed. Love to all,

May 8th here we come. I started my 2 weel liquid diet today. I am so ready but I need prayers to keep it going for 2 weeks. I want this so bad that I will do anything. This lap-band better work for me. This is my last resort. I want to get healthy and look nice for a change. Good luck to all May bandsters. Let us all continue to write to support one anothe thru these next 2 weeks with our preparations.

I started my 2 week liquid diet today in preparation for my May 8th surgery. I pray every minute that I can do this for 2 weeks. Mind over matter. Say that often to your self. I wan this surgery so bad, so what is 2 weeks out of my life. Good luck to you. Keep me posted on your journey.

Just got back in town again and saw this post. My surgery is also on May 8th. Hope all works out for you and your family to help that day. I started my 2 week liguid diet today in preparation for May 8th.

Lucie, Wow, you are almost there. I have awhile yet and I am getting excited. Take care and you go gril!

80s chick: Congratulations, I am almost there. I will be also looking forward to the future. Take care and take it slow.

I am not banded yet, but this does not sound right. I have been on these posts for awhile and go to support group meetings. I will pray for you. I would call your doctor again very soon and try really hard to get in to see him. Take care

You will most likely get a blood test, chest x-ray and did you mention an EKG. They have to have it all. Can't go into surgery without knowing everything about our bodies. That is a good thing. Good luck to you. My tests are coming up and the pre-surgical clearance from my MD and then to the dietitian again(this will be the fourth time) and then to the surgeon 8 days before for a good look over. Good luck

Yes, Don't give up. I have BCBS of MI and they will not give pre-approval for surgery. The doctor's office has to be on top of everything and do all that is required of the insurance company and make darn sure I have fulfilled the requirements. Other patients at my support group also have this insurance and said not to worry. Our Dr. Verseman is very aware of the insurance companies and have had no denials. I hope so otherwise I will be paying for this outright for a very long time on a charge card. I need this surgery and will do anything it takes to get it. Good luck to you.

My huband just asked me about alcohol. WE go out alot with friends and drink beers. I had heard abit about this but have been thinking more about food then anything else. I better be prepared to cut it out for awhile and stay home. That is a concept. Stay home and save money. Thanks all for the info.

Glad I looked here. There are things here that I never thought of having. Thank you for the list.

We have to help each other thru all this. Is there any one you can see or call locally to talk to privately and get help? I feel for you and we all know that we will be challenged through this pre-op all the way until death. We are here to feel better and look better and be free to live a good life for our ourselves and our family. I am scared and talk to myself alot to get thru this. I need this and it is the last option for me. Please try your best to do as the doctor asks and as soon as you see yourself in despair call the nurse and talk to her.

I thought I was the only one craving and eating alot before my 2 week liwuid diet starting April 24th. My surgery is May 8th and I really want to do good and true to myself witht this last effort to "Get it off". I am attending onthly support group meetings for just my surgeons patients lead by one of the doctor's team members. It is so great to hear from the one who have been through it already. Of course, these posts help me alot also. Good luck to all of us. We will do it no matter what.

Thank you BANDFAN1 for your thoughts. You have made so much sense about only telling the people you can depend on and all others scratch off the list. CRYSTAL, my MAY 8th buddy. We are getting there. Hope things are going good for you. I am so excited about this and yet worried about the pre-op two week liquid diet and if I can keep it a secret from some of my family. I guess I have to worry about the post-op liquid to mushy foods weeks also. I will do what I have to for my health and because I am so tired of just being over-weight. That is why we are all here. I love you all and continue to wish everyone well.

Hi, I am Mae. My real name is Chris and I am from Kalamazoo, MI. My surgery is on May 8th and am so excited. I have been thinking of this for years and was too shy to say anything, but finally I am almost there. My husband is very supportive and said he will help every way that I need him to. I was in gymnastics and swimming in high school. I was 120 lbs. After giving birth two times my weight just crawled up. It wasn't too bad as I was in exercise classes and loved to country line dance three times a week. By Nov. 2001, I weighed 200 lbs. Now I weigh 274 lbs. I tried WW for years, TOPS for 3 years, Diet Center for 1 year, Nutri-system for three months. I know this is just a TOOL also, but I feel this in my gut. This is the last resort for me, for all of us. I have to make it this time. I am so high on life right now and know that I can do this. Good luck to all of us, MAY FLOWERS.

I never heard until now having to gain weight just enough to get over a threshold to get this surgery. I hear so much about insurance companies and the demands they make of us. My doctor said that he has been with me so long that all it should take if for him to write a letter to the insurance company to tell them that I have been fighting this problem all my life. If it could be that simple.

I am testing different Protein shakes so when I start my two-wwek full liquid diet on april 24th for my May 8th surgery, I will be ready. The second week though, I need to have 2 Impact Protein Shakes a day and 1 other Protein shake a day. I may have sf Jello, sf popsicles, low-sodim brother, decaf tea, decaf coffee, and any other Clear Liquids. I do not look forward to this but I also hear from others that Why are we doing this? for our health and to also look better. I look at clothes catalogs and summer clothes that now I can say I will be able to wear next summer. I feel so good about that, so I will do this. I along with so many of you have tried and tried dieting for years and now this is it. Good luck to all of you and I am so interested in hearing about your next few days on you pre-op liquid diets.

I hope you get approved. My doctor's office said not to worry about mine that they deal with BCBS of MI often and they are very aware of all that needs to be sent in. I will pay for it outright if the insurance company doe not come thru. I need this surgery.

Put me in for MAy 8th Thank you

I was told by my BCBS of Michigan that they will not pre-authorize Lap Band. My doctors have to have everything in place and will send it in and I pray that BCBS pays for the surgery. The office said not to worry that they deal with BCBS of MI all the time and they know what needs to be sent in and we have almost everything and will be ready to go on May 8th. Whether they pay or not I am in this for the long haul and will just have to pay monthly payments till the $16,500 is paid off.