BanTam

I'm really bummed. My surgery was cancelled because the anesthesiologist was surprised to hear that I needed "awake intibation" although I made it quite known whenever I spoke to the surgeons office and the surgery center. My husband has also fallen off my "fan wagon" and is not very supportive of me going through with the surgery. Have I mentioned that my husband has like 5% body fat and has no idea what it feels like to be fat ??? ..or that we just celebrated our 26 anniversay ? The surgeon rescheduled it for Wednesday at noon but I just can't have surgery w/o the full support of my husband. It really hurts me and I just don't know how to handle either situation. Most likely I will not have the surgery.

My sincere thanks for all of your supportive messages. I appreciate them and I am feeling better now. Turns out it didn't matter what either of us wanted, the doctors office told me that to have the surgery at the hospital with my complications would be about $3,000 more than we original planned. So the surgery is out of the question for now. I am going to try to stick to my post-op diet because I've done pretty well and have lost 14 pounds. I've also told my husband he is my new trainer; he's in excellent shape. BUT if this is another one of my (many) failed attempts to diet, my husband and I talked and I will try to have the surgery again next year. This is a really great bunch of people, you know ?? I know that neither the decision to have the surgery or the lifestyle change is easy. Good luck and prayers to everyone on their new life ! My myspace page is myspace.com/anonamoose

I'm pretty bummed right now. :thumbup: I went in for my surgery today and I was told my doctor was running an hour late (it ended up being closer to TWO hours late)and during the wait I was talking to anesthesiologist and I mentioned how I had to be intibated while still away for my last surgery. He seemed surprised but nothing too bad. My IV's were in place, I'd been given the shot in my belly for blood clots and the anethesiolgist gave me one to "dry up mucus"...I'm still feeling that one. I guess the intibation thing was a big deal because before it was all over with I was give a choice by the doctors...either have it done at the surgery center and take a risk of something going wrong and then have to pay for the ambulance ride PLUS hospital expenses out of pocket (I'm self pay) OR wait and reschedule for a hosiptal surgery where they will have the special equipment but it will costs about $1,500 more. What was I to do ? I knew that to cover his butt the anesthesiologist was going to have me transported to check for swelling or tears in my throat and I can't afford that. As we left the two doctors came running out after us and said they had set my surgery for Wednesday at noon. Now...my husband is telling me we just need to wait a year because maybe insurance will cover it. Not MY insurance, I've been told that. I've told HIM that. So now not only am I dealing with the surgery being cancelled as I'm about to be wheeled in, but now my husband is acting like he's mad at ME and now he doesn't want me to have it. No one can go through this surgery without the support of a loved one. Now I don't have that so I probably will not have the surgery. All I can do is cry.:crying:

Thank you everyone. Your words of encouragement are wonderful. I found out today that to move my surgery to the hospital with my complications was going to be cost prohibitative. I'm going to try to stick to the diet I've been on for the last two weeks...I've lost 14 pounds doing that. And I've told my husband he has been hired as my new trainer and MY workouts take priority over his!! :thumbup: But if this does not work then I will plan to have the surgery next year. This site is AWESOME and I'll come back again and again for helpful hints. Take care.

I'm still a little chicken, but I think we will all be just fine ! God Bless everyone.

I'm getting the Realize Band on Monday. The main reason I wanted that particular band is because the port is much flatter. :laugh: My doctor really likes the website after care part.

GNC sells a cup with a lid and a ball wisk at the bottom. It mixes up Protein shakes quick and smooth. I think they are about $10. ...cramadan...interesting smileys.....!

I'm excited and a little nervous. But finally I feel like everything is going to be okay. My surgery is at 2:45cst. I'm getting the Realize Band. There are many of us getting banded on Monday. Did you put your name on the list ? It's under the June Line Up thread. What time is your surgery ?

Nope, not a misspelling. It was a message. While driving to my exercise consultation I was still mulling over in my head the decision to get the band. I am self pay and we had to take a loan out to cover the $16K surgery. The little bit of savings that we were putting away is going to have to be used to make the loan payments for the next five years. That brings a lot of guilt. BUT on the other hand if my husband needed this surgery I would not hesitate to spend the money. So, you get the idea of the war going on inside of my head.:thumbup: As I’m driving a white car cuts in front of me at a red light. No big deal. Then the license plate caught my eye….IMREDY….! Instantly I knew that message was for me. I am ready. I am ready to be more active with my husband. I am ready to do yard work and not have to sit on the ground to pull weeds. I am ready to be able to put my shoes on without sitting on the bed and pulling one leg up at a time. I am ready to see body parts that have been hidden by other fat body parts. I am ready to look good (ahem…BETTER) in a pair of tight jeans again. I am ready to begin my new life. ….and that life begins on June 2nd.

Nope, not a misspelling. It was a message. While driving to my exercise consultation I was still mulling over in my head the decision to get the band. I am self pay and we had to take a loan out to cover the $16K surgery. The little bit of savings that we were putting away is going to have to be used to make the loan payments for the next five years. That brings a lot of guilt. BUT on the other hand if my husband needed this surgery I would not hesitate to spend the money. So, you get the idea of the war going on inside of my head. As I’m driving a white car cuts in front of me at a red light. No big deal. Then the license plate caught my eye….IMREDY….! Instantly I knew that message was for me. I am ready. I am ready to be more active with my husband. I am ready to do yard work and not have to sit on the ground to pull weeds. I am ready to be able to put my shoes on without sitting on the bed and pulling one leg up at a time. I am ready to see body parts that have been hidden by other fat body parts. I am ready to look good (ahem…BETTER) in a pair of tight jeans again. I am ready to begin my new life. ….and that life begins on June 2nd.

I had a similar emotional experience after going to the seminar. I was gung-ho until I saw the device, then errrrrrt! Screeching halt. For me, I think it was fear of the unknown so I confronted it by learning as much as I can through this website. That approach must have worked for me because as the time gets closer I am getting more and more excited about the FUTURE. The short term future isn’t going to be a lot of fun, but I think about how I would have felt a year from now w/o the band and how I will feel a year from now WITH the band. Protein drinks are not a problem for me. I personally like the EAS low carb drinks but they are a little pricey. You are lucky that insurance is paying for the procedure which is probably why you have to go through the six month diet first. Some insurers require a YEAR of dieting. I am self pay and had my first appointment with the surgeon on 05/13 and I will be banded on Monday, June 2nd. I have a lot of faith that God sends us messages when we least expect it. Well, I guess I’m a little dense because last week while driving to one of my appointments a white car cut in front of me at a red light and the license plate read, IMREDY…now, you can’t get more clear than that !! Hope this helped.

I loooove this recipe: 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/16 tsp pepper 1/16 tsp salt 2 cloves garlic, crushed (about 1 1/2 tsp) 2 tsp sugar free honey (I get it at Walmart) 1 tsp Trappey's Bull Louisiana Hot Sauce (similar to tobasco sauce) Place all in a jar and SHAKE! Don't drown your salad because a little bit goes a long way. If you like the sweet/hot flavors...I also mix some of the tobasco hot sauce w/the sugar free honey and I use it as a dip for my chicken.

If you all have never had Tilapia Loins, they are the best! Tilapia filets seem fishy compared to the loins. In Texas I buy them at HEB. I put the frozen loins under the broiler with a sprinkle of lemon pepper, then a squeeze of lime when it comes out. It only takes about 15 minutes from frozen. I have also used a fat free Miracle Whip mixed with sugar free pickle relish to make a tarter sauce.

The holiday was a little tough. We went to a friends party and there wasn't much for me to eat on the lc phase. We had taken some fried chicken and I pulled the crust and skin off and ate that. I DID have a small piece of cheesecake; no crust or topping. Considering I didn't eat a whole lot yesterday, I think I'm fine. Today I think I had even fewer carbs I need to check fitday. AND...I rode my stationary bike for 30 minutes. Something I hope to start doing every day. Tomorrow...another day, another dollah.:cursing:

The holiday was a little tough. We went to a friends party and there wasn't much for me to eat on the lc phase. We had taken some fried chicken and I pulled the crust and skin off and ate that. I DID have a small piece of cheesecake; no crust or topping. Considering I didn't eat a whole lot yesterday, I think I'm fine. Today I think I had even fewer carbs I need to check fitday. AND...I rode my stationary bike for 30 minutes. Something I hope to start doing every day. Tomorrow...another day, another dollah.:thumbs_up:

I only had to have a one hour session with a therapist, not a pyschologist...and it was my choice so I picked someone on my insurance plan. But, I am self-pay too.

I wonder if those of us who have had surgery before (any major surgery) if we are more anxious than those who have never had surgery ? We have a Memorial Day function to go to tomorrow and it is expected that I bring my Texas Sheet Cake...not this time. I love our friends but I have to put myself first this time. This time they get Betty Crocker Brownie Mix ! ...but I'll throw some walnuts in there, too!! It's still going to be a little tough. :biggrin:

:scared2:Dear Blog MonSTAH... I am scared or worried or anxious or ALL of them. But never ever before have I wanted to look into a crystal ball and find out what my future brings more than I do right now. June 2nd could be the greatest or the worst day of my life. I keep pumping myself up and telling myself if I don't do this where will I be a year from now? Fatter. I know that. If not fatter, then struggling to keep my weight "down" to 285...not quite bikini weight, is it ? Today I had my blood tests and my psych eval. Tuesday I have my exercise consult and then Thursday is my nutrition consult (although I thought I was supposed to have the nutrition consult at least two weeks before...hmmm). I am on day five of a self-imposed low carb diet. I've been keeping my "net" carbs around 50, logging my foods on fitday.com and trying to keep my fat below 30%. ...regarding my work issues...they are now trying to give me TWO days off with no pay. So I have gone from being fired, to five days no pay, to no action taken to two days no pay....can someone pls make up your mind ? :cursing:

:scared2:Dear Blog MonSTAH... I am scared or worried or anxious or ALL of them. But never ever before have I wanted to look into a crystal ball and find out what my future brings more than I do right now. June 2nd could be the greatest or the worst day of my life. I keep pumping myself up and telling myself if I don't do this where will I be a year from now? Fatter. I know that. If not fatter, then struggling to keep my weight "down" to 285...not quite bikini weight, is it ? Today I had my blood tests and my psych eval. Tuesday I have my exercise consult and then Thursday is my nutrition consult (although I thought I was supposed to have the nutrition consult at least two weeks before...hmmm). I am on day five of a self-imposed low carb diet. I've been keeping my "net" carbs around 50, logging my foods on fitday.com and trying to keep my fat below 30%. ...regarding my work issues...they are now trying to give me TWO days off with no pay. So I have gone from being fired, to five days no pay, to no action taken to two days no pay....can someone pls make up your mind ? :thumbs_up:

Another Texan here, just a bit east of Austin, out in the sticks. I work for a law enforcement agency and have been there for nearly 17 years...all I can say is my early retirement date is 10/31/2014 (..find my happy place..find my happy place). Married for nearly 26 years, no kids...cancer "survivor" which is reason for no kids. I say survivor but mine was caught very early and was cured with the hysterectomy. I have been struggling with my weight for over 20 years. My employer has weight loss surgery specifically excluded, so I am a self-pay. The possibilities of being able to move again w/o a fat gut getting in the way excites me....but ummm, I'm scared.:cursing:

It may have been mentioned earlier, but I use fitday.com I really like how I can create a "library" of my own custom foods.

My self-pay price quote from Southwest Bariatrics in Austin, Texas is $15,000 plus there could be miscellaneous fees depending on what insurance have. That includes all follow-ups/fills for one year. They give no discount for self-pay clients. My insurance does not cover the surgery but I can utilize my Employee Assistance Program for the pysch eval, and I can have my regular doctor perform the physical and blood work (because I need a physical for this year anyway). My exercise eval is $60 and I think my nutrition consult is $150. I called another place (I think a "lapband chain store" type) and they also quoted me $15,000 but first they asked in what town would I have the surgery. I asked if it would be cheaper to have it done in Houston and there was a loooooong pause and she very slowly said nooooooooo. :thumbdown: ...sure.

My doc's office called with a June 2nd date! I missed the call on Friday but you bet I'll be calling first thing on Monday with a HELL YES! It's all moving so fast! I mean, I just had my consult this week. I kinda want to let out a girl scream, but I AM a girl, so YAAAAAAAAAH! ...okay, I feel better.:thumbdown:

Wow, talk about FAST! I was expecting to have surgery the mid/end June, not the first Monday in June. Hmm...I don't have my psycho eval until June 4th, so wonder how that works? Will they do it after ??? All of my appointments are all lined up over the next couple of weeks with my physcial scheduled for Friday. I guess that's enough time for the blood work to come back. STILL no final freaking outcome to my job issue...more than two months now....I wish ED on them all. :thumbup: Okay, tomorrow I start the low carb diet on my own. I have fatty infiltration of the liver and I had better start now before my nutrition consultation. It looks like I'm gonna be a June Bandster !!!

Wow, talk about FAST! I was expecting to have surgery the mid/end June, not the first Monday in June. Hmm...I don't have my psycho eval until June 4th, so wonder how that works? Will they do it after ??? All of my appointments are all lined up over the next couple of weeks with my physcial scheduled for Friday. I guess that's enough time for the blood work to come back. STILL no final freaking outcome to my job issue...more than two months now....I wish ED on them all. :thumbs_up: Okay, tomorrow I start the low carb diet on my own. I have fatty infiltration of the liver and I had better start now before my nutrition consultation. It looks like I'm gonna be a June Bandster !!!