midwestchickie

Fantastic!!! What a great video you made...I loved it! Brought tears to my eyes! :wink2: You have done great, I hope to do as well...!

Fantastic, this is just what I needed to read. I start my preop diet Sunday and I'm excited and nervous. I'm nervous when I read about people gaining weight and not losing...it's hard for me to grasp that if you use the tool correctly, you won't succeed. I will take those posts with a grain of salt and I will have success! Great job!!!

Thank you everyone for your kind words! So nice to hear, and my avatar pic is terrible~hehehe~it's one of those "take it with my computer while I sit here pics"!! :w00t: You are right, I told my dh that next year, I was going to wear "slutty clothes" to Vegas. I'm going to try and stay focused on that and have a good time and start my new life shortly after we return.

My surgery is set for Sept. 24...yay! We are going to Vegas for 10 days starting Thursday. Since I've spent about the last 2 months talking about and preparing for this surgery..I'm feeling so self conscious of myself. It's almost like I'm 16 again, and I think everyone in Vegas will be snickering at "the fat chick who goes on vacation". How stupid is that? Like anyone is paying attention to me..or like I would ever think such a thing about anyone else. I keep thinking thoughts like, "people at the pool will look at me"..."I don't want to go to a nightclub...I'll look fat"....ugh. I just wish I could relax. We have gone to Vegas the last three years and I've weighed exactly the same and I didn't think like this then...it's just cause I'm so focused on my weight right now....I'm hyper sensitive about everyghing.... I just wanted to know if I'm a big freak..or if this is kinda normal??

Hi, I did mine last week, and I was very nervous too! I had to do the 300 question thing too...that was a breeze..I was open and honest and the results had me pegged! Then I had a 30 minute interview in which she asked about my past diets, weight, my habits and how I will change them...and my family life. I decided honesty was the best policy and I had no problems. I'm pretty sure they will detect it if you give "what they want to hear". I think most people do this for their health in addition to a multitude of reasons and there is nothing wrong with telling them what those are. I wanted to be healthy and AVOID problems down the road in addition to being more active and setting a good example for my children.

Hi, I will be either Sept. 22 or 24...I find out next week! I will have to go check out the september group too! :Banane37:

Wow! I came on today, to express the same feelings!! I am hoping to be banded in late September..I actually have my preop nutrition, PT, psych eval tommorow! And I put my down payment down...hooray! I have to wait a couple weeks to set my surgery date though. Anyway...since I found it all was good and I would be having the surgery, I've been eating worse than ever...EVER! I feel horrible. One good thing about my program is that they will not allow you to gain more than 5-10 pounds from you initial weigh in at the seminar till surgery time. I haven't gained anything, but my overall choices have been 100% HORRIBLE. It's almost like a panic state that I need to eat everything I will not eat the rest of my life. I've been eating out more than ever and even if I haven't gained, I feel like a slug. I think I feel like that dude who ate mcdonalds for a month straight!!! I'm completely ready and commited to the change that will happen in my life next month, but I'm completely out of control at this moment. One positive is that I'm going to start weining myself off carbanoted beverages and coffee before my preop liquid diet starts...less soda seems to make me feel better. Just wanted to let you know you are not alone, and I'm glad I'm not the only one. I think it's a pychological issue...knowing you are making these total life changes and it's almost like you are scared and rebelling while you can.

I seriously think people still believe this kind of junk. :wink_smile::huh2:

Hi strike! I just popped on here b/c Sylvia just called me with my appt times! Hooray! I'm so excited. I should have my psych eval, nutrition, and pt on Aug. 7 and then see Dr. Pitt on Aug 26. She said my surgery could be as soon as the week of Sept. 8. I'm self pay too, I'm insurance doesn't cover it no matter the situation. Hard to believe this is all happening!

Speaking of school, I just read that you are from Trenton. That name has always been stuck in my head b/c the first year I went MU, I took Spanish and there was a boy in my class who I studied with and I had a huge crush on him, but he had a girlfriend *back home* in Trenton! Poor me! I can't for the life of me remember his name and I think I ended up taking like 10 hours of Spanish with him.

strike, Yes, there are lots of docs closer, but there were several reasons I picked Columbia. First, I'm self pay, so it is the cheapest (yet still great) doctor I could find. The places I checked in KC were $17,000 and up. Secondly, I'm on the east side of town, only takes me 1.5 hours, so not bad. Thirdly, I went to school in Columbia so it's not like I'm going to a *strange* new town. Then I read good things online about their program, so I decided I wanted to go there! I'm sure I could have found someone closer at a more affordable self pay price, but it's all good. I researched a little, and couldn't find anything. I went to the support gorup mtg last Thursday, I really like everyone I have met on staff.

I'm hoping to be banded in the next couple months, I'm not telling my extended family/inlaws. So....we go down to inlaws for 4th of July. They have hot dogs, burgers, brats, sausage, chips, dip, potato salad, Beans, the usual stuff. Also, Cookies, home made chocolate cupcakes and ice cream. I had a cheeseburger and some sides. As I sat there contemplating my desert and what not, my super sweet grandma in law says, "hon, are you on a diet? Get up there and get another burger or hot dog!" Later, I laughed with dh and said, I'm in trouble. They will be picking me apart when I'm banded if they think one hamburger equates a diet. :biggrin:

You guys are funny...assuming I stopped eating at one hamburger.... I must admit I did have a hot dog about 20 minutes after the burger. Didn't want anyone to worry that I might waste away right there at the dinner table. My in-laws all live in rural...and I mean rural....areas and are a bit judgemental (ignorant) when it comes to elective surgeries and they just don't seem to know much about it, or anyone who has done it, etc. I will not tell them, and my plan is to tell everyone that my doctor said I was prediabetic (which I'm sure would happen eventually) and I cannot imagine someone pushing food on me if I tie it closely to the state of my health. Funny how being fat isn't a good reason not to push food on someone.

great post, and I'm glad you are feeling better about the band today!

Why do you have to get a chest xray? Ekg? (not even sure what that does!) Is it to check for pnemonia? I had cosmetic work done two years ago and that wasn't required, so I'm just curious.

I've been hypo for 2-3 years, and I still have to adjust my meds everytime i go to the doctor. I'm getting closer though! My advice, find a good endo who is very up to date...my original doctor was going to let me levels continue to be elevated b/c they were in the "range".

I love (loathe) these type of debates. As someone who was a regular for years on the weight watchers message board, you were hardly allowed to speak of any *diet* or pill w/o the same tired arguements, "why would you do that, ww really works and it teaches you to eat right and you get support, etc." Make the mistake of asking "should I take Alli while on WW" and you get a bunch of sarcastic shitting your pants jokes and how it "doesn't teach you to eat right". Ask about Lapband over there and you get the "why would you have surgery when you can just follow the plan and lose just as much. Besides, my brothers uncle's 3rd wife-in-law died after getting a piece of sushi stuck in his band!" Ugh. Sure, the sprinkles diet is a fad, it's silly, whatever. But doesn't everyone have to make their own mistakes? I know I've made mine..cabbage Soup, metabolife, alli, etc. Even Weight Watchers, about 15 times. Yes, I know how to eat, I just don't do it. I expect the band to be my tool and I'm confident I'll do great, but I don't expect it to be a pychological wonder that gives me insight into why I overeat. I just do. For me, I eat emotionally. I know that, and for whatever reason I can't seem to control it, so I want help. I don't feel the lap band gives me that knowledge, it helps me overcome it. So I guess my point is, everyone has to travel down the road of failed diets and some of us will land at weight watchers, some of us with sprinkles, and some of us with the band. If it works in the long run, then good for you, and if it doesn't, you move on to the next big thing.

So things are moving along, attended the seminar, filled out paperwork. I'm only telling my dh, and my mom. I have a sister, who I'm completely comfortable telling, but she is in contact with our father, who has not been in my life since I was 17. Long story short, I don't want him knowing things about me, and I think my sister would keep quiet, but she speaks to his extended family. I'm worried that it might slip and there is a very real chain of people that could leak this back to my town and then everyone would know. (In addition to my sperm donor/doner...sheesh, I can't spell today.) My sister lives out of state, so it's possible for her not to know, but I do kind of feel bad...then again, I'm not comfortable with people knowing. That might change in the future, but not now. ??? Anyone else have this situation...? My mom has swore not to tell, not even my step dad, b/c of his connections to my friends...and their parents....ugh! Makes me feel like it's a big shameful secret..but it's b/c I don't want people watching me and constantly talking about weight....I'm sick of it!

Sheesh, my thoughts are all over the place! This August was to be our 3rd annual Vegas trip w/our good single guy friend. They do a football draft and then the three of us whoop it up and have a good time. I'm focused on having my surgery, hopefully within the next 2-3 months., and I want to skip Vegas. My dh isn't soo much down with my idea. Way deep down, it's b/c I'm thinking, "I don't want to go, b/c I'm fat and I want to wait till next year and I'll feel so much better" Silly, b/c I went last year and the year before that.... It's almost like I want to stop living until I can start living with the band! I think it's making me kind of grumpy in day to day life. ?? Sorry to be a pain in the butt with all my concerns...!

You guys are right....I'd laugh if one of my *larger* friends didn't want to go somewhere b/c of their size. I especially love saying, "fu*k it!" Thanks!

What are the differences? Is one better than the other? Thanks!

yep, yep...I found some! There was just a long thread yesterday. Silly me...I know to look first. Thanks!

Funny...we did post the same thing! Well...I guess we both have to do what is best for us. I've been so tempted to tell different people, but like a pp said, people talk.... Shannon

If you are paying some of your medical copays, prescriptions, etc., with money out of your flex spending plan, you can't use those expenses as a tax deduction, can you?

Thanks Bonnie, that stinks about your insurance. Hopefully, you won't too many problems!