bloomerific

Judy, do you mean that you had it, or you received the results? If it's the latter, did you request the results? I never got anything so I'm wondering. Though I'm pretty sure someone would have called me if I was loopy.

Judy--my appt. with Dr. Hoffman is 8/19 at 8:30 a.m. I really really want a September appointment, maybe the 15th? I have a sinking feeling that my falling off of the wagon will have dire consequences when I weigh in on Wednesday. I starting out so strongly then bit the big one when I had my BFF's shower! Oh well, I'm starting all over on Thursday!

I like South Beach, but I have definitely gone off the wagon a few times. Rather than moving to phase 2 I've pretty much been sticking with phase 1. It's more strict, and I haven't certainly starved yet. But Judy, I think I'm having the same issue as you---I'm eating too much. See, books should NEVER tell you to eat until you're full!!! :frown:

Dr. Forbes was totally awesome at the seminar, very interested in people's questions, stayed for a while afterwards (I was at the May seminar as well), she's great! I'm going with Dr. Hoffman but it was based on what people were saying here, I don't meet him until August, though! He doesn't have the track record with GBS because he only does Lap Bands. :frown:

I never thought I would like the ricotta cheese thing until I did it...now I'm like, addicted. It's like the inside of a cannoli or something. I mean, I know that's marscapone but still!!! I'm big on almond flavoring. Mmm. Bru--I'm glad your husband's out and feeling okay!!! Yay!! Judy--I think I'm eating too much as well, I have a feeling that things aren't going to go well at the dietician check-up. I've had a few off the wagon days but for the most part I've been good. Outside of ONE day, no bread-no potatoes-no rice. I've stuck with phase 1, I think maybe I should go to phase 2 to see how I do. I dunno. It's all so frustrating.

Make the ricotta cheese/splenda/vanilla extract/baking cocoa concoction! Or, get some sugar free chocolate syrup and put it on it. :wink_smile: It usually kicks the craving for me. I'm not a chocolate person, luckily, but just sometimes!!!! Argh!!! I've had a bad week: wedding shower, hanging with friends, etc. I don't know how my appointment with Jeanne is going to go next week, I'm nervous!! Saturdays are now officially out of the question since I go to camp on the 27th and until then I've got thing after thing on these last two Saturdays but when I come back from summer camp; I'm in! And DEFINITELY after I have my surgery. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long. :biggrin: Oh well. I'm hoping for success.

Awesome, as soon as you get it---FAX it back, there is less likelihood of it being lost. If you get it in the mail tomorrow or the next day, fill it out IMMEDIATELY so that you can get it back to them ASAP and hopefully make the June seminar date. If you can get into the June date, you might get a September surgery date if you can get everything done ASAP. I wish it had taken that little of time for me, but unfortunately I mailed my app in and they lost it. Good luck, Bugs!

Yes, Judy, good luck!!! Be sure to report out!!!

Awesome, Bugs!!! You will have to go through a 3 hour visit before you see Dr. Hoffman, so after you go to a seminar, you'll be able to see him. Have you applied? Make sure you do that...that's the only way to start the process. :biggrin2: And good luck, every step you get through feels awesome!

lol, posted at the same time!!! Random!!! :sad: But again...SoBeach is SO easy for me. Then again, losing weight has never been the issue...it's the keeping it off!

Judy, don't worry about questions---that's what this place is for!!! :sad::biggrin: I have to wait much longer for my surgery (looks like September) so that I can get a lower BMI because I'm a bigger candidate than most but that's okay to me...I'm kicking butt on SoBeach right now! I'm a week in and it's quite possibly the best "diet" I've every been on! I'm hoping that my 2nd dietician appointment goes smoothly, then my 2nd nurse practitioner appt. and finally seeing Dr. Hoffman in August. I can't schedule my surgery until mid-September, though, because of the new school year starting. :eek:

Hey kids!!! I had my 3 hour blitz today and it was a little nervewracking at first because my thyroid is so off and stuff so when she said we had to get it under control I got really nervous and she asked me some question about my doctor and it set me off and I cried a little (because my doctor's an ass), so my sister had to explain how sensitive I can be, etc. Plus my blood pressure was through the roof because of the nerves, but everything worked out in the end. I loved all three women who work with the patients in the clinic. I have to go back next month with the nutritionist, then back again with the NP in July because I need to lose about 50# (I'm bigger than most lap band peeps) in order for surgery to happen. I've got to have a venous doppler for blood clot detection, one more giant blood work workup, my medical clearance, and I'm good! I also made my Dr. Hoffman appointment for August because I'll be gone so much in July. So I'm looking for a mid-September surgery date, I hope! I spent about $150 on new food so I can start South Beach tomorrow and I'm totally psyched! Thanks for all of the support, everyone! The process is taking longer than I had hoped but that's okay. I'm patient and I understand why. :scared2:

Bugs: from what I've read it's not Dr. Caruana that does the Lap Band, it's his associate. They both seem to have a lot of insurance restrictions as well, so read-read-read!!! :tongue2: :thumbup: I have heard good things about his program though. And though it takes a while, you can go to Buffalo General Hospital's program as well.

Brubear...I'm so jealous!!! Congratulations!!!!

Great, another appointment!!!! I know why they make you jump through the hoops but this is getting nuts, especially for people who have to take sick days (like myself) in order to go to these appointments. Man-o-man.

As far as I know, Dr. Caruana only does gastric bypasses, and he does them open. Perhaps he's added the lap band into his repertoire, but you might want to check.

Brubear...how come you had to go back for a 2nd dietician appointment? Was that to check your weight or what? I went for my psych today, he told me that BGH has "their own" psych that they use and he asked how I came across him, and I told him it was you guys on this website! :wink2: So who knows if he'll come by "looking!" But thanks for the referral, guys--Dr. Lelito was really nice and welcoming, especially when I told him that my PCP was a tool. Ha ha. So--that means all I've got is my 3 hour blitz next Monday! Unbelievable! I'm hoping that I can get squeezed into Dr. Hoffman's schedule ASAP after that. I just wish that I could meet him prior to my blitz...but being out of town this coming weekend does not help that plan! Of course I have to have all of my tests faxed and all that jazz as well. But it's all just so exciting!

No, unfortunately I have not met Dr. Hoffman yet, I tried during my seminar but he wasn't feeling well and kept getting called to the ER. And I haven't been able to get out to the park, and this weekend I'll be out of town...it's hard for me to get out there so early! With regards to speeding things up after the initial, did he mean after the 3 hr. or after his initial visit? I hope we all can help each other out through all of the red tape! Colonoscopy??!!!!??? They never mentioned that...dang....

Hey Judy, My 3 hour blitz isn't until the 19th...I'm of the mind that if they can't schedule my appointment with Dr. Hoffman that day, then I'm going to call Dr. Hoffman's office directly. I don't like this month thing between everything either...first they lost my application (which I sent early February), by the time I was able to reach anyone about not hearing anything it was March, then they couldn't get me into the March seminar so I had to wait until April, then they can't get me in for my 3 hour thing until May...seriously, this is getting a little nutso. I know that they're overwhelmed, but I'm feeling the same way you are. I'm still willing to do everything but it's just disheartening. I feel like I'm losing precious time because they say not to start a diet until you have your 3 hour blitz...it's driving me nuts. I'm going to be really vocal at my 3 hour about getting an appointment ASAP. You've gone to Delaware Park...and there are others out there too...has Dr. Hoffman said anything about all of the waiting?

Val-- Thanks for that info, I keep forgetting about the South Beach thing, I have to get my sister's book from her! 5% shouldn't be a big deal for me, whenever I go back on Weight Watchers I drop 13 lbs. in a week. But I know they want to get my liver down. I think I also might put myself on a liquid diet for 2 weeks before my surgery in order to REALLY shrink my liver...I just read from a girl on the boards that she went in, they put the scopes in, and her liver was too big to put the band on her stomach and they had to pull out and reschedule! Worst nightmare!!! Judy--- I had Cynthia (LiveLoveLaugh) giving me the heads up on most things, but they talked in the seminar about the other things one would need. I figured that I would get EVERYTHING done that I could think of or had heard of so that my insurance wouldn't have an issue with granting the surgery. Plus, it would make the time smaller between having the 3 hour appointment and meeting with Dr. Hoffman and then getting a date. My sister called me "Ms. Enterprising." It's been an interesting road, especially delivering the jug of urine to the lab, how embarassing! :laugh: Now I just have to get my butt out of bed and get to Delaware Park on Saturdays!!! It's so hard because all week I get up at 5:15 and my weekend sleep is SO precious since my dog will never sleep past 8:00. So I may make the 9:00 meet and chat. Where do you guys end up to do that part of the morning? --Sally

Well what if you're Ms. Enterprising and have completed all of your tests by then? :) They DID tell us to do as much as possible! I think all I'll have to do is like a fasting blood test or something.

Oh I don't have a date yet...I'm just hoping for June. :thumbup: :smile:

It's so great to hear how things are going for others...things seem to happen faster and faster, I just want a surgery date!!! I have been rocking all of the pre-tests like I said, one-by-one, week by week!!! :smile: One of these weeks I DEFINITELY need to get to the Park for walking and chatting. My sleep study last week ended up being a surprise, even though they can't tell me anything until I meet with my doctor, she did have to put the CPAP machine on me at 2:00 a.m. so any person who knows anything knows what that means. :thumbup: But hey---that's a GOOD THING for insurance purposes, and really, if you have something, don't you want to know you have it? :lol: Especially when I had absolutely no symptoms, so weird. My psych appointment is a week from today, and my 3 hour blast is 2 weeks from today. Then hooking myself up with Dr. Hoffman then hopefully surgery VERY SOON after that. I'm willing to tell him, "give me 2 weeks, dude, and the weight you want off will be off." I've always been good at losing, not the keeping-it-off which is why we're all doing what we are doing! I would love for a date before June is over. Yay. :thumbup:

For those who have had their surgery: do we have to do any pre-op liquid diet or anything? I'm just curious as I go through all of this stuff. I've got my psych scheduled, my sleep test is on Thursday night, I'm movin' and groovin'! Now I'm just wondering what kind of pre-op diet I have to face...if there is one. Thanks!

Where exactly in the park do you all meet to have your chat---I want to come on Saturday but wouldn't be able to get there until 9:00.... Thanks! --Sally