atwoodka

1/19/2009 After thoroughly savoring every morsel of my "last supper" at the Olive Garden last night, this morning began the full liquid diet to shrink the liver prior to surgery...the next 11 days will be limited to protein drinks & broth. Driving through one of the prettiest snow storms of the season so far (winter has just begun here in PA), I met with my surgeon, Dr Tull, this afternoon for the Pre-op visit...EKG, blood work, chest x-ray & consent forms. Everything is ready for next Friday; now it is just a matter of patience...never was my strongest virtue :-) Also took the obligatory "before" pics & measurements. UGH...but it helps knowing that this will soon be the "old" me. STARTING STATS 1/19/2009: Height 5'5" Weight 230 lbs BMI 38.3 Bust 52" Waist 43" Hip 52" Thigh 23" Calf 16 1/2" Upper Arm 17"

1/17/2009 It's official...we'll be in Paris for my 50th birthday! The City of Lights took my breath away and captured my heart during a brief stay as part of a France/Italy whirlwind tour several years ago. I promised to return someday to immerse myself in the city at a much slower pace. A romantic evening at Le Jules Verne restaurant located high within the Eiffel Tower on the night of my birthday, followed by a slow cruise on the Seine river. Chic shopping on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a fashion show at the Galeries Lafayette, resting my feet at sidewalk cafes. Strolling through quiet museums and glorious cathedrals...and even a fun-filled day at Disneyland Paris. What more could a girl dream of !!! To be THIN of course :-) Not model thin, just normal weighted... - to fit comfortably in the plane seat for the 7 hour flight - to hold my head up high walking into the Paris fashion boutiques - to willingly jump in front of the camera for vacation pictures - to be fit enough to climb the 387 steps up the north tower of Notre Dame to sit with the famous gargoyles for magnificent views of Paris! Louis Vuitton...Christian Louboutin...HERE I COME! www.lejulesverne-paris.com www.galeries-lafayette-paris.com www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml "The Sweet Spot" Karen's Lap Band Journey

1/17/2009 It's official...we'll be in Paris for my 50th birthday! The City of Lights took my breath away and captured my heart during a brief stay as part of a France/Italy whirlwind tour several years ago. I promised to return someday to immerse myself in the city at a much slower pace. A romantic evening at Le Jules Verne restaurant located high within the Eiffel Tower on the night of my birthday, followed by a slow cruise on the Seine river. Chic shopping on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a fashion show at the Galeries Lafayette, resting my feet at sidewalk cafes. Strolling through quiet museums and glorious cathedrals...and even a fun-filled day at Disneyland Paris. What more could a girl dream of !!! To be THIN of course :-) Not model thin, just normal weighted... - to fit comfortably in the plane seat for the 7 hour flight - to hold my head up high walking into the Paris fashion boutiques - to willingly jump in front of the camera for vacation pictures - to be fit enough to climb the 387 steps up the north tower of Notre Dame to sit with the famous gargoyles for magnificent views of Paris! Louis Vuitton...Christian Louboutin...HERE I COME! www.lejulesverne-paris.com www.galeries-lafayette-paris.com www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml "The Sweet Spot" Karen's Lap Band Journey

1/16/2009 My journey, almost 50 years in the making, is about to take a turn. 2 weeks from today I will begin my life as a "bandster", the recipient of a gastric lap band. I am grateful that this surgery is available as a tool to assist me in my journey to health. Come friends.....you are welcome to tag along with me on this adventure, the more the merrier ! "The Sweet Spot" Karen's Lap Band Journey

1/16/2009 My journey, almost 50 years in the making, is about to take a turn. 2 weeks from today I will begin my life as a "bandster", the recipient of a gastric lap band. I am grateful that this surgery is available as a tool to assist me in my journey to health. Come friends.....you are welcome to tag along with me on this adventure, the more the merrier ! "The Sweet Spot" Karen's Lap Band Journey

Congrats on your surgery in less than 2 days!!! One suggestion....bring lip balm with you to the hospital. My lips were so dry afterwards and could only take small sips of Water. Good luck !

tiffanygrace, A few more additions to my previous post... Please clear with your Dr first ! - Gax-G strips - helped with gas, thankfully I never had discomfort - Liquid Vitamins - Calcium Chews - Biotin - (don't need right after surgery) helps prevent hair loss when Protein intake is low

Hi All, Lap Band journey details on my blog ......all are invited to join as a follower ! "The Sweet Spot" Karen's Lap Band Journey Wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for all the great information everyone has posted. Helped me understand what to expect before, during and after surgery. Wish everyone the best on their own journey !

Hi tiffanygrace, Good luck with your upcoming surgery ! It will be so worth it. Let's see....the only thing I wish I had on the day of surgery was lip balm. In the hospital, after surgery I could only take small sips of Water, and my lips were very dry. Lip balm would have helped a great deal. :cursing: COMFORT - Get any prescriptions filled that your Dr gives you, don't hesitate to take them ! - Be prepared to sit up or in a recliner for a while (maybe even the first few nights). - Have a pillow nearby to hold tight against your tummy if you have to sneeze or cough. - After surgery take very deep breaths often. EATING - The baby spoon has really helped me slow down my eating once I was able to start back on soups. Have a baby fork too, that I'll be using shortly. - Have plently of water available to sip on to stay hydrated. I like the Fruit2O. - Warm decaf tea (no hot or cold drinks). - Ice pops were a favorite. I kept different brands in so I didn't feel i was eating the same thing all the time. - Jell-O was OK (let it melt in your melt first before swallowing ! ) - There is a Danon Lite & Fit yogurt called Carb Control that has 5 G Protein & only 3 G carbs. found it at Wal-Mart. So much less carbs than regular yogurt. Small portions too, which is great for post surgery. - When your Dr says it's OK. start getting your protein intake back up ASAP. - I got so tired of Protein shakes, my Dr just recommended Isopure....it's protein water (zero carbs). I need to water it down however because I really don't like the smell of any protein liquid. But 1 bottle a day adds 40 G of protein a day ! That is all I can think of for now. Good luck, keep me posted on how you are doing !!!

Hi Kimmie79, Congrats on your surgery ! Hope all is going well "band-mate". Depends on if your Dr still wants you on Clear liquids or if you can have creamy Soups too. Sticking to the pre-diet was harder on me than it has been after surgery....I was so hungry before surgery. Now I sip on lots of Water (Fruit2O), sugar free Jell-O, Protein shakes (prefer Muscle Milk lite), Soup broths, and a wide variety of popsicles, warm tea & coffee. After few days I could add 1/4 cup of cream soups once a day (like heaven), but the only brand allowed was Trader Joe's (a health food type of store) because their soups are very low in carbs. See if you have one any where near you....I LOVE the tomato roasted red pepper soup ! Getting my protein in was tough after surgery....because I got to where I couldn't tolerate the Protein Shakes any more. My Dr just recommended "Isopure" -a liquid Protein Drink (40G per bottle) to keep my protein up. However, I water down the Isopure to 1/2 strength however because I don't like the smell of protein. I also use 1/2 scoop of unflavored unjury Protein powder in coffee twice a day as well. After my post-op check up yesterday, the Dr said I could also add 1 very small "mushie" meal a day. I had less than 1/4 cup "smashed" cottage cheese last night, very slowly, and this morning I was a little nauseous. So tonight I am going to try a little mashed potatoes, but have to add protein powder when making them to balance out the carbs. Basically, every time I eat or drink a carb, I have to have a protein as well. Hope this helps! Love to hear if anyone else has suggestions. :cursing:

Banded yesterday, the 30th, and feel absolutely great !!! Just soreness at the incision sites when standing up or rolling over. So glad this step of the journey is behind me. All the details & pics are on my blog, feel free to check it out.

Can't believe the big day is almost here....finally !!! The 2 week liquid Protein diet seemed like an ETERNITY, but I actually have gotten kind of use to it. Treating myself to a pedicure this afternoon, and am all set to do all the other necessary "girly" things tonight Packing a bag just in case....but generally are discharged home the same day. Will update my blog along the way, so stop by for a visit. Feel free to contact me. Good luck everyone, write and let me know how you are doing!

CONGRATS TO ALL THE JANUARY HOTTIES!!! Banded yesterday, the 30th, and feel absolutely great !!! Just soreness at the incision sites when standing up or rolling over. So glad this step of the journey is behind me. All the details & pics are on my blog, feel free to check it out :-)

AngelWithHorns.....CONGRATS ! So glad to hear all went well. Feel better every day. Good Luck on your journey.....Keep me posted how you are coming along.

CHI-Girl....GOOD LUCK tomorrow !!! I'll be thinking of you :thumbup: I am SO ready for tomorrow, no doubts, no fears. Be sure to let me know how you are make out. You can e-mail, would love to chat during our journey. atwoodka@comcast.net

bandfun4me.....THANKS for the great advice. I love the nurses comment too !

sil....wonderful to hear that your recomvery has gone well for you. CONGRATS on your weight loss....amazing and you are an inspiration !!!

Thanks everyone for the well wishes !!! Knew to hold off on the nail polish....tough trying to convince the manicurist not to use any :-)

coloradobanding.....thanks for the comforting advice. So glad to hear you are feeling so well. Congrats on the 15 pounds! I am all ready to get my band tomorrow (30th) !!!

Amy .... girl, you make me laugh. Thanks for posting so soon after surgery. Good luck with your recovery !!! I'm following just a couple days behind you.

Congrats on doing so well :tt1: I will be banded in 3 days (Friday), you make me feel more comfortable hearing your success. Thanks for posting, and continued good luck !

Michele.....congratulations, your story (and you) are amazing! Would love to hear more of your journey over the past two years!!!

Here is a link to an MSNBC video report on the studies that TQUAD64 mentions..... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22785441#22785441

Hi, and welcome !!! Just to be clear, the band doesn't "cure" diabetes, it is simply a tool that enables us to eat less with less hunger.....we still have to do our part and make the right food choices...protein first, vegetables second, and carbs if necessary. As diabetics, this is how we are suppose to eat anyway, but for whatever reason, we have found it difficult to do so....the band helps us. But we still have to do the work and commit to making the right food choices after surgery. There is a much greater long term success of getting diabetes under control with the band compare to diet and exercise alone because of our improved eating behaviour and amount of food we eat with the band. Gastric Bypass resolves blood sugar quicker because of the "malabsorption" component that lap band patients don't typically have since out digestive tracts are not re-routed. As for how long to expect improvement in blood sugars (of course everyone is different).....I am scheduled for surgery this Friday and have been on the pre-op high Protein liquid diet for 1 1/2 weeks now and have already seen an improvement in my blood sugars (and my weight) !!! Just spoke to my endocrinologist this morning, and she has already decided to cut my Metformin down from 1000mg twice a day to 500mg twice a day, and I haven't even been banded yet....so I can only expect more great progress in the upcoming weeks !!! I am on 3 diabetic meds and Byetta injections twice a day....insulin was the next step. Hope this helps ! I too opted for the lap band mainly because of my diabetes. Weight loss will be great, but good health is my main objective. I want off those meds (or at least cut way down) and greatly lower the risk factors associated with diabetes going into my 50's and beyond. Good luck. Keep in touch and I'll be glad to let you know how the blood sugars continue to do after surgery.

Hi laohann...being banded on 1/30 at Abington Lansdale Hospital, unfortunatley their program is closing in April, so I will have follow-up care and fills at Temple Jeanes Hospital. Met Dr Patel, Dr Grand and Dawn at a public information seminar last week and really feel comfortable with them and their program. I have 5 days left on the liquid diet, and have had good and not so good times. Had a headache (carb withdrawal) for the first few days, and am more tired and less tolerant than usual, but am not very hungry. Using unjury powder, Muscle Milk Lite Protein drinks, and just went to buy Trader Joe's low carb, high protein, low sodium Soups yesterday for lunches. The good news is that my blood sugars are much lower and I am down almost 13 pounds already...which is a great start ! Good luck and keep in touch !