ibelieve

:tt2: yeah, I know how it feels... I went to my surgeon for weigh in last month, after losing about 12 lbs... and I step on their supercalibrated scale and I was about 8 lbs up!!! I could tell the surgeon was thinking I was cheating on my strict diet, and though I did little things (some corn nuts here or there) I was NOT cheating... then days later, I was down 10 lbs!!! So I have been eating a lot of asparagus and drinking about 3 cups of tea a day, and that Water retention has not been the problem that it was. Albeit, at the weight I am at, there must be gallons of fluids in my tissues... one day the cat accidentally poked a claw into my shin, no blood, but while I sat at the computer I felt something dripping onto my foot, and it was water... I figured it was sweat. So I sat back to read Lapband Talk and I felt drops going down my lower leg, finally I looked and it was water drops coming out of the little puncture wound. How bizarre is that?!? But it got me to consider water retention to be the problem and judging by the scale (and I use my 153-154 lb brother to calibrate that it is not insanely off since he does not fluctuate much at all) it is, now that I am using commonly found natural diuretics. It makes the dieting easier to handle to see steady results. But if you are on an all liquid diet, you may only get to have the tea if it is allowed, but maybe if you get a certain amount of veggies you can sub. asparagus in if you like it. :laugh:

I am educating myself while waiting to see the Surgeon on the 10th and hopefully get my surgery date for the band. Based on what I am reading about complications, I am leaning towards ~ if I have any complications with the band, that I might want to get sleeved, condition permitting. But I am also trying now to see the band as a medical device/prosthetic that can, and does, go wrong. I still want to take my chances with it, to start out. I have met too many RNY patients who had a heck of a time from the procedure...

Best wishes on your recovery, that must really be traumatic for you. Do you know exactly which band it was? Also, how many Lap band surgeries has your surgeon performed?

I am a patient of Dr. Robinson as well, working on pre-op weight loss right now and hopefully I will get my surgery date when I see him for a weight check on March 10... It does not look like I will be a March bandster after all though...

I hear you loud and clear on that! I gained all of this weight because all of the weight I lost on Phen-Fen, and then Phen, and then nothing but starvation to be 150 lbs. I just got tired of the weight battle and starving myself, and I was emotionally drained after a divorce... and I had a boyfriend who I know now was sadistic and cruel... but long story short, I just gave up. And then severe asthma and prednisone really made me amenable to packing on the pounds. I am trying to look at food as a life giving blessing and gift that can also be unhealthy for most anyone, based on what we now know. I was referred to the book Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, and he has brought together all of the information, starting in the 1800's, of the effects of simple carbs on health and weight. If we have the simple carbs in moderation, mindfully, then those yummy goodies will not get to our asses, even with the band. So my goal is to find a healthy medium, depriving myself of the defeatist "I am a loser anyway I might as well eat all the sweets I can stomach, instead of dinner" attitudes. And you are right, one slip is not the diet killer, it is a defeated attitude that takes you back to square one. Right now, the band is my hope for a normal life. Everyone deserves a shot, even those who do not think they deserve it.

I had to pick up the two boxes of Peanut Butter Girl Scouts cookies that I had ordered months ago, today, and after ignoring all of the samples in the kitchen at the office I passed them around to my colleagues!!! I had one peanut butter patty to satisfy my curiosity about them (never had those) along with my colleague who has celiac. 1 won't kill me, or him, I think. It's some extra calories today... maybe I had something emotional to fulfill after the battles I won over the weekend. But that cookie actually left a bitter taste in my mouth, so its not the usual rush, and then eat some more and skip dinner because I am full from cookies... nope... just one. My family can enjoy the rest.

LOL, no, he is not that type... :tt1: having worked for surgeons, I am most comfortable with a Surgeon's surgeon. I will be satisfied if he lets me get my surgery date set before I leave his office on March 10!!! I want a new life more than I need the foods I have given up! I think I am figuring out that the band is a tool, while the brain is the most important tool that will be utilized in this lifestyle change.

A healthy concession at the Movies! What a concept. It's funny because I only ever got a diet coke for the movie, and did not crave popcorn or hotdogs or candy, but the mostly liquid diet and resultant low carbs kicks in this whole other neediness!!! Dr. Robinson told me to lose 25 lbs... I was down about ten pounds when I went in for my second weight check, and to my dismay I had put on a ton of water weight in a matter of hours!!! So it looked like I had not even tried. And by all rights I should have been down the whole 25 lbs, but the Holidays... at least that was my excuse. So here I am months after my initial consult, no surgery date yet, and I had to find the willpower somehow, someway. I am determined that at my next weight check March 10 - I walk out of there with a surgery date!!! I made it through hours of the Pre-Red Carpet, and I too loved the glamour and the gowns, but I had to Tivo the Oscars since I did not get to 9:00 before it was bedtime... I need my beauty rest now more than ever, on 1200 calories a day... I finally cut the coffee out, now to ween off the baby coke zero's and tea. But those are easier to quit than coffee, which I cannot quit cold turkey or I get wicked ugly caffeine withdrawal headaches! First I switched from 1/2 and 1/2 to fat free creamer, now to no coffee, that is almost as big as losing this much weight!

The mental battles during this pre-op dieting phase come and go... some days are better than others. Some days I am wicked hungry, literally my cells are screaming for carbs. I am a little proud of myself because yesterday I went to see two different movies at two different theaters, and of course I am assaulted by the smells, hot dogs, popcorn with butter, pizza, candy etc etc etc. Not to mention the Chili's restaurant next to the theater in Burlington. I resisted all of it. I took my 4 o'clock liquid protein at 4 while I watched Kate Winslet in The Reader, and also ate my pre-peeled and sectioned 2 pm orange to get me past everyone snacking on popcorn and candy all around me. I had chicken breast and some carb neutral vegetables for dinner before going to the second movie, and gum during the movie. Of course the thoughts constantly surfaced, picture a devil on my shoulder "go ahead, have a small popcorn with butter, you can make up for it tomorrow" and the angel popping up on the other shoulder saying "yeah, go ahead, and have something and make it up later". That is when I realize that I am on my own, and this struggle will carry on all of my life, and the band will be a tool to help me win the little battles it takes to actually win the war. But the biggest tool I am finding is the mind, and learning to fight it out, and do without is making me a stronger person, better prepared. Dr. R. will be surprised at the scale reading when I come in on the 10th for a weigh in. I am determined to get my surgery date, especially with this economic uncertainty. The sooner I get this done, the better, while I am fortunate to have the insurance that has been approved already...

Keep working at it! I have a comfort gel mask, since the respiratory therapist felt that one was the most comfortable one out there. It took me a while to get used to the CPAP, but once I did it made a major difference to my life. I had gone to my PCP repeatedly for daytime fatigue and sleepiness until he finally ordered the sleep study. They found I woke up 60+ times that night!!! no wonder I was exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. Now, I will not sleep without it since it is much better for my mental and physical health, although I do hope that once I am banded I can lose most if not all of this weight, and reverse the sleep apnea and diabetes as well.

Hi Everyone, my little cat got sick Monday(UTI), so I had her at the vet for observation all day Tuesday and picked her up Tues evening so I had to miss the group... I am looking forward to next month to hopefully meet most of you. I am losing steadily but no progress on Surgery date until Dr. R can see me on 10 Mar, and I am weighed on their scale... I might end up as an April surgery after all. Oh well.

Jay, Thank You for sharing your experience. Sometimes I get a little scared about what I am embarking on. Hearing from someone local who has recently gone through this is helpful for me! I hope to meet you on Tuesday!

Hi Luv2Teach! That is something I sort of thought of... but I talked to Dr. R. secretary today and she said I should get weighed at my PCP to have them document, rather than try to get in to their clinic to be weighed weekly - I was weighed around 8 a.m. in Dr. R's office Tuesday... Right now I am holding steady around 7-8 lbs. lower than what I weighed Tuesday a.m. (both the morning and afternoon - fully clothed in the afternoon). So I will stop in my PCP tomorrow to be weighed. Since the clinic is across the street from my office, I will keep going in and seeing my PCP's nurses until I am 7.5 lbs down from Tuesday's weight, officially. Then I will send an email to Dr. R and my PCP so I can get scheduled ASAP. I really am ready for this emotionally and mentally, I want to get my new life started soon! I am going to stick to the pre-op diet and losing weight until I am scheduled and having surgery. I seem to be living quite well off my stores :thumbup: since I really am not feeling out of sorts from the diet (except for the wicked lactose intolerance that is now remedied) I have been on the strict pre-op for over one month now, except this time I will not take a day or so off on a weekend after a full two weeks on it. This is no time for lollygagging on my part. No more mexican restaurants! (I blame the combo platter on Friday night for this weeks disappointing visit with Dr. R. He must have thought I am wicked weak-willed... o well LOL I will see everyone soon I hope, on Tuesday at group!!!

Jay, Good Luck tomorrow morning!!! sigh :laugh: I saw Dr. Robinson yesterday morning, and as my luck would have it, my Water fluctuation was at a high point and all he saw was not much weight loss... He asked me if I had a diet that worked in the past, since if I am not losing on the pre-op I need to see the nutritionist and go on the diet that worked (vegan). So he scheduled me for a month out to come in for weight check and as soon as I lose 7.5 lbs. I can be scheduled for surgery... and of course, this morning, and this evening, my weight is down 6 lbs from when I was weighed at the clinic!!! I plan to be very strict for two weeks, no days off, then I will demand to be weighed in at their office and scheduled that day... well, not demand, but insist at least! :crying: I have to admit I was pretty depressed when I left his office... I was like, I am hungry right now and the first big mac I see, I am eating it... but I did not, I prevailed. I am not taking a day or so off on the weekend from the pre-op diet. It is easy to follow and I know what to expect. I also discovered I am wicked lactose intolerant with all those Carnation Instant Breakfasts... and since I really stocked up on the variety packs, and ordered a case of vanilla on line, well, I am stuck with lactose free organic 1% milk and a lot of lact-aid fast act. I have been exploring some other Protein shakes, mostly at Whole Foods. Online I bought an organic non-GMO Brown Rice protein, and a Peanut Butter powder (made from peanuts that have the oils pressed out of them) and two bottles of Hersheys sugar free strawberry syrup... One of the shakes at Whole Foods that had a single serving packet to try was a berry blend called Vega which I think I will buy and sub it in perhaps at noon instead of the milk based CIB. Has anyone out there experimented with any of the array of Protein Shakes out there? I am diabetic and lactose intolerant, and I kind of have a similar gassy intolerance of soy milk, so I am trying to find shakes that have none of the aforementioned ingredients. My understanding is that whey is tolerated by most people who are lactose intolerant.

Have you seen this surgeon yet? Do you like him/her? I think you should look for another surgeon, as well as write to the current surgeon with the problematic staff - let them(her/him) know what the process has been like with the front office thus far.

I see the surgeon on Tuesday for a weigh in, and I am almost of a mind to see if I can get the surgery done the last week of February, since they did offer the second and third week of Feb surgery dates... but I will still be a March melter, since that is when I will start melting away :thumbdown:

I told my Sister too, OF COURSE! :confused:

I've only told my best friend at work, brothers, one of whom lives with me, my mom, who is coming from California to help me... and I think that is it. So the only people who know is anyone they told. And my medical providers. And I never go to California (due to my weight and planes. I mean I can go, I just do not want to be so uncomfortable in a tight seat) so I do not care what anyone says out there. my friend at work is tight with me so he won't say anything to anyone. By the time I get to California again though, everyone will wonder where the weight went, but we will have so much fun no one will bother with it much!

The surgeon's office called me yesterday and offered me a Feb surgery date as they had open schedule and were calling the approved patients (so I am approved!!!), but since I have been emotionally preparing for March I and trying to lose a pre-op 25 lbs. I said I was working on the weight part and was planning for March... I think early March is soon enough! This is a lot to prepare for. It's not exactly the kind of thing I jump in a week or two away... I have been thinking about this since 2002-2003, another couple of weeks is not a big deal to wait for. Now that it is getting towards the time for this to happen, I feel a little scared of it... it is a giant step forward and I will have a tool to help me reach my goal of a normal life lived to the fullest. But I will have to get through the surgery, and the anaesthesia. I have had laparoscopic abdominal surgery - and I don't know if its just me, but I hurt from head to toe for days. Good thing I had a King Sized featherbed folded in half, to lay on it really eased the pain of living after that surgery. Is it the anaesthesia or the laparoscopy gas that makes you hurt all over? I think I am going to buy a featherbed, or two... it will help at least psychologically.

Hi AshleyB; I have been on the pre-op diet for over 3 weeks now. I take a day or two on the weekend off since I am not pre-op yet. The diet is a carnation instant breakfast at 7 am noon, 4 pm and 8 pm with an apple at 10 am an orange at 2 pm and at 6:30 4 oz grilled chicken breast with 2 cups salad. I started eating 1/4 cup Pasta sauce (a nice marinara that comes in a small jar) on the chicken since I was tired of dry boneless skinless chicken. You can sub 4 oz fish for the chicken, which I do sometimes.

Hey fellow MA bandsters! I was at the Oct LB Support group at Brigham, and I am sure I met a couple of you at least. I saw Dr. Robinson on Nov 4, he said lose 25 lbs... I went through the holidays... gained 3... then went on the pre-op diet for the most part, with an added salad for lunch and an extra yogurt... so I have lost some, and I see Dr. R next week. Someone from Dr. R office called me today to ask about putting me on the schedule mid-February... scared me, I have been looking at March surgery... because of the necessary pre-surgery weight loss... I am a third of the way there in a few weeks of dieting. So, glad to see everyone here!

I take Imodium when I am having troubles, and I take 1000 mg twice a day!!! (That was my PCOS dosing LONG before I developed diabetes, and I developed diabetes when I was off the Metformin for a few years... so taking it is best for your health long term. I believe that.

Thank you everyone for sharing your PCOS & Band stories. I am looking forward to losing weight and having normal life! I remember the shots of Progestrone in Oil in the lower back, that I used to get in order to have a mc (Provera did NOT work)... and the Metformin breakthrough in the mid-90's that changed my life. But no I have diabetes too, and Gyn says it came from my PCOS. So if the band can get me some semblance of metabolic order my life will be so improved!!!

I am practicing the liquid/low carb diet, and I was successful for around two weeks until I took last weekend off and ate, uh, sourdough bread... doing well, on the diet again today. CIB*apple*CIB*orange*CIB*4ozChk/GrnSalad*CIB

I have been "practicing" pre-operative diet for over two weeks now. The clinic I attend suggests Carnation Instant Breakfast - sugar free (It's the blue box) 4 a day, at 7 a.m. 12 p.m. 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. With an apple at 10 a.m and Orange at 2 pm and dinner 6-6:30 consisting of 2c. greens and a tomatoe or one cup of veggies and a 4.0z piece of chicken or fish or else 3 0z of other lean meats (no high fat meat at all) as a way to shrink the amount of fat in the liver so that it can be retracted for the banding. I am finding I am getting used to this decrease in solid foods and the mostly liquid diet. I can hardly wait until I have a band to speed things along, I am hardly losing anything actually.