Bea1128

I'm to be banded in a week. I've told my immediate family and a few close friends. I've just felt like it was a very personal decision and it was a hard decision to make. It's not easy. Nothing about this process so far has been easy. I don't think most people understand what an ordeal it is. This pre-op diet is about to kick my rear and I still have a week to go. My main concern is who to tell at church (I don't work and that's my network, so to speak). I just don't want to have to repeat myself over and over, nor do I want to keep explaining myself. I'm there several times a week and I know people will eventually notice. I think that after surgery I'll be so happy with it that I won't care who knows. Maybe give yourself some time to get it done and then make that decision. Maybe after she will be so impressed by how well you are doing that she will then become supportive. Maybe not. Some people will always feel that way probably because they don't understand the procedure or how it works. In the mean time, I agree with what others have said. If it comes up just be honest that because of her negative reaction to the procedure you'd rather not discuss it all with her. Isn't this the same girl who is a nursing student? I thought I remembered you from another post. If I'm wrong, never mind. But if she is a nursing student then she really needs to learn how to show compassion for someone even though she might not agree with their choices. Even though you might not reap the rewards, I guarantee that this girl will some day look back on this and realize she could have handled it differently. Even though you might not realize it, you are teaching her something right now. She just doesn't know it. Remember it's your decision and your life. You have to do what is right for you. Good luck!

Thanks for all of your responses. It helps just to know that someone else is out there and I'm not alone. A week ago I would have eaten a banana, but this close to surgery I'm paranoid. I'm afraid that anything I eat that's not on the list he will be able to look at my liver and tell. I know that's ridiculous, but I don't want my surgery cancelled because my liver is not shrunken enough or whatever. I'm a rule follower by nature. I'm kind of a freak about doing exactly what my surgeon has told me to do. You guys are right, we're almost there. We can do it!! If I can just get control of my emotions, I think I'll be okay. Good luck all! Keep in touch!

Thank goodness!! I thought it was just me. I know I can make it through this, but I'm not sure if my family will be able to stand me that long!! My DH has been so great. Today he just hugged me and asked if there was anything he could do for me. He asked if I wanted him to go get the hot tub going so I could soak. Sweet. Or maybe he just thought I'd be out of the house and not crabbing at him for an hour! LOL Anyway, good luck! Let's stay in touch and help each other through this.

My pre-op diet is high protein, low carb. I have a kidney disorder and didn't want to eat an over abundance of animal protein as it is hard on my kidneys. So, I try to get in as much soy protein as possible. Instead of whey protein powder, I got a soy protein powder that I mix with lite, low carb soy milk. There are many very good meat alternatives if you look for them. One of my favorites is Melissa's soy chorizo which I find with the fresh veggies at my local store. I know most people cringe at the thought of soy anything. Especially since most people think tofu. It's not that bad and you get used to it. When I found out about my kidneys I bought several vegetarian cookbooks. There are many creative ways to eat soy protein. I never would have thought that I would eat it, much less like it. We've always been huge meat eaters. Don't get me wrong, I still love my animal protein, I just try to eat less of it than I used to. So anyway, if you are worried about your kidneys you might want to try it. It's still protein, but is easier on the kidneys. That's my two cents. Good luck!

Both of my evals were great. I absolutely loved the psychotherapist. She had actually been banded by my surgeon 18 months ago so she totally understood my struggles. She asked me about my family support. She told me about her experience with the band and before. She asked if there was anything I was worried about. I told her my worries. She gave me some pointers and that was that. She sent over the approval letter the next day. She was great. I really liked my nut as well. She was very helpful and nice. She told me all about the diet I would need to follow after being banded. She let me try some samples of Protein drinks and gave me samples of Vitamins, etc. She gave me my recommended protein intake. She told me where I could purchase the products she told me about. She gave me a list of foods and their nutritional content. She was just a wealth of info. Both of these ladies made me feel comfortable and very relaxed. All in all, it has been a very positive experience.

Hello all! I'm Brook from Texas. I've been married for 15 years and have two girls, 8 and 4. I've been a stay at home mom since my youngest was born, but I've been going to school as well. I've just applied to nursing school for the fall. We have two crazy, pain in the rear cats (Stunky and Lion) and one very large, but very sweet Great Pyrenees named Holly. My surgery date is April 16th! Good luck everyone!

Congrats Kara, I go on the 16th! Good luck ColoradoChick! Keep us posted. My surgery is in 11 days! I can't believe it! I'm so ready, but last night I had my first attack of "what the heck am I doing?". I was a little surprised by that reaction because I've felt so good about my choice. I still think it's the right choice for me, but I think it's finally sinking in that I am about to change my life forever! I'm ready and I have no doubt it will be the best thing I will ever do for myself. I can't wait! Good luck all April Avengers! I can't wait to hear how all of you are doing!

I've been keeping a food log for my own benefit to see what I've been eating over the last few days. I plugged in the numbers last night and was horrified by how much fat I was eating. That kind of scared me, so today I made a conscious effort to lower my fat intake. I did good today except for the treat I allowed myself, Starbucks!! :smile: I get fat free, no whip, and only 1/2 the syrup. Still had 29 grams of carbs. I couldn't believe it was that much. I would have guessed at least 10g less. Oh well, now I know. What an eye opener. B- coffee w/ sugar free creamer L- Thai shrimp soup with lime and cilantro S- Soy protein shake (1/2 skim, 1/2 water) D- Chinese steamed chicken w/ broccoli Slip-up - Cafe Mocha

LisaB411 - You are not alone. Like everyone else has said, it is a huge lifestyle adjustment, but one that I am so ready to make. I want to be free of the hold food has on me. I want to be able to say, "no thanks" for once in my life. I too have struggled with my choice. It's something that I have seriously thought about for the past year. I've tried to educate myself through reading books, this forum, speaking with those who have gone before us, and my docs. Yes, we have to understand that this is surgery and there are risks with every surgery, but they are small. You have to trust your doc. If you don't, find a new one. LapBand is all my surgeon does all day everyday. He is banded himself as is most of his staff. The psychotherapist I saw has also been banded by him, so I really feel I'm in good hands. I actually have nightmares about having a heart attack. It's a very real fear as I have a huge family history of heart disease and diabetes. I find it so ridiculous that I should be so afraid of something just because of my weight. I can do something about that. I want to be a better wife and mother. I feel so bad most of the time I don't want to do anything or go anywhere. I'm cranky a lot and my poor kids are suffering. I want to be the active mom. I'm tired of feeling intimidated by the other moms at my daughter's preschool because they are all thin and healthy looking. I've applied to nursing school and if I don't get this weight off I will never have the energy it requires to be a mom and nursing student. I feel, like the others, that the benefits far outweigh any risks that might be associated with this procedure. I consider this a gift to myself, the gift of life. I've lost 15 years of my life to this disease, I'm ready to break free. I hope you find the peace you need to get through the next couple of weeks. Good luck!

I had to see a nutritionist before I could set my surgery date. We talked a lot about what I could and couldn't eat after surgery. The kind of things I wanted to avoid. She let me sample several protein drinks for right after surgery to see which ones I liked. She told me how much protein I should eat on a daily basis after surgery. She gave me samples of vitamins. She gave me a list of things I might want to have on hand for right after surgery and where I could buy them. She was very helpful and I'm glad I had to see her.

I had a better day today. I think I'm finally adjusting to the low-carb diet. I felt satisfied and didn't really have those cravings. I also had a lot of energy today. It's been a while since I've felt this good. B - 2 eggs w/ 1 slice ham 1/4 c salsa L - Atkins shake D - 3 oz salmon w/ salad

I really want a piece of bread, but I didn't do it. Today was a hard day. B- 1/2 ham and cheese omlette L- Salad w/ baked salmon S- Atkins shake/salad D- tuna salad on lettuce

Good luck on insurance approval. I'm sure you'll get it soon. I'm so addicted to this process. I've really got to stop and get some other things done. It's all I can think about too. Once I decide to do something, I want it done yesterday. :ohmy: I'm ready to get it done so I can stop obsessing. LOL Keep us posted on your progress!

Congratulations Lizalee! 40 pounds off, what a great start. You must be having surgery the week before me. Keep us posted on how you are feeling. I'm so excited to be so close and to be making some progress towards my ultimate goal. Good luck to you. Thanks for the advice Dogluvr! Good luck on your surgery next week. Keep us posted.

I agree. I've noticed the same thing. The more you chew, the more you taste. I'm not sure I'll be able to do salad after the band. Even if I can get it down, it's a texture thing. The more it's chewed, the worse it gets. I'm bummed because I love a good salad. I'm finally getting the hang of chewing and it doesn't seem such a chore now. I do enjoy my food a lot more. What a shame to have spent my whole life wolfing down food and not really tasting it.

Hello all! I've started my pre-op diet today. My surgeon requires a low-carb diet for several weeks or a 7 day liquid diet. For me, it was no-brainer! He wants me to eat protein and veggies. No fried foods, no cereals, pasta, etc, and no starchy veggies. It's been a lot of years since I've done low-carb, so I'm glad this thread is here. I'm in. Refresh my memory, do you eat beans? On the South Beach Diet you can have beans, but not on Atkins. Any thoughts? L- 2 oz baked chicken salad greens w/ low-carb dressing 1 oz cheese D - 6 oz talapia 1/2 c okra 1/2 c black beans S - HB egg

Today I received my marching orders, so to speak. I received a letter from my surgeon's office with my appointment info. It said that today I was to start my pre-op diet which consists of protein and veggies basically. No starches or carbs. It also informed me that today would be my last day to drink carbonated beverages. It also said if I couldn't follow this diet, I would have to do a 7 day liquid diet. So, I'm thinking I can handle three weeks of low-carb. My pre-op appointment isn't until next Monday so I was a little surprised by the start of the diet today, but I'm okay with that. I feel like I'm finally working toward something. Three weeks from tomorrow! Yee-Haw! Maybe I'll loose a few pounds these next few weeks too.

Keep in mind that I have told very few people so far, but in my experience, the most negative people are those who do have a weight problem. Their fear is different. They are afraid they will loose their "fat" friend and that I'll be someone different. I don't really know how to make them feel more secure in the fact that I am their friend, overweight or not. Now, my thin friends like to say to me "why don't you go back to Weight Watchers, it's always worked for you before?". Yeah, it worked so well that each time it worked I gained back more than I lost! How can that be considered a success? I can't do it on my own and I'm tired of feeling bad for that. I haven't even been banded yet and I've never worked so hard at any other diet plan. Yeah, this is the easy way out!!! Puhleeze!!!!

I'm April 16th! I can't wait! I start my pre-op March 31st. A friend had the surgery by the same surgeon and he required her to do a low-carb thing. I'm hoping that is what I do as well. Lisa - I have UHC as well and I didn't have to jump through any hoops at all. I got approval in a little over a week. Good luck!

Hello All! I too have over a 100 pounds to loose, but I don't care about that. Yes, I understand that to be truly healthy, those 100 pounds have to come off and they will. What's important to me is what I can wear and how I feel. I have two closets crammed full of clothes in many different sizes, plus a couple of boxes still unpacked. I've organized my walk-in closet and arranged those clothes in groups according to size. They run from small 12's up to 3X. (Yes, I know I'm crazy for keeping them all, but I new one day I would wear them again!!) My first goal is to get back into my 18's. I figure that's about 20-30 pounds. I plan on having a "shopping session" once a month where I try on clothes in my closets. I'll put the things I want to wear up front where I can see them and they can be an inspiration. All clothes that are too big will go away. The way I figure it, I'm successful when I can get everything, comfortably in one closet. :wub: When there's nothing left, I'm there to maintain for the rest of my life! :frown: I want to feel healthy and run again, I want to be the person I know I am on the inside, but most of all I want to go into my closet knowing that everything in there will fit!!! Good luck to you all.

Gigi - Very cool spreadsheet. I look forward to sharing info and cheering each other on! Good luck all April Avengers!!

Okay, so I've really been concentrating on chewing and taking my time. I'm exhausted! :embaressed_smile: Evidently, I've not been really chewing my whole life because my jaw is actually sore now. Although, it took me longer to eat and maybe for the first time, I really tasted and enjoyed my food. There were moments during the day when I had to stop chewing to rest my jaw. I never would have thought eating could be such work! Amazing!

Thanks so much for all of your advice! I'm not worried about the acutal surgery at all. I know I'm in good hands. It's the chewing that concerns me! :thumbup: That sounds ridiculous, but true!