ldeere2005

Today is the end of my liquid diet... lost 23 pds in 15 days. Tomorrow is my surgery day!!!! I'm so excited! Maybe a bit nervous but not too bad so far! Gotta be at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning and surgery scheduled for 7:30! I'll be the first of the day! Gotta stay overnight so will be released some time on Thursday. I'll postop post asap! Please keep me in your prayers!!! :thumbdown: __________________

Today is the end of my liquid diet... lost 23 pds in 15 days. Tomorrow is my surgery day!!!! I'm so excited! Maybe a bit nervous but not too bad so far! Gotta be at the hospital at 5:30 in the morning and surgery scheduled for 7:30! I'll be the first of the day! Gotta stay overnight so will be released some time on Thursday. I'll postop post asap! Please keep me in your prayers!!!

The preop diet does get easier. I didn't think I'd be able to say that when I started mine 15 days ago... and believe you me, I had to call my best friend (who had lapband 3 years ago and looks great!) for encouragement more then once when I was questioning myself... didn't think I could do it either... hardest thing I've probably ever done... but the first week was the most difficult. After that, only the aroma's of other people's food bothered me... and sometimes I'd just have to "hold my nose!" and walk away! But now, day 16, the head hunger is pretty much gone... oh, don't get me wrong, I could eat a pizza!... but the part of me that seemed to be "driven" by food has simmered down a bit and I'm even thinking about food differently. Just hand in there! It does get better and this will be so worth it!

AMEN Ashley! You said it! We are worth it! I'm quiet a few years older then you are, but I've been exactly where you are. I'm just so glad that you are discovering this at a young age. I didn't discover it until just about a year ago. I've lived my entire life for others and trying to find that "love". Truth is, we have to love ourselves (in a healthy way of course) before we can truly love others. And we have to take care of ourselves if we want to live life to the fullest and be there for our loved ones. I'm just now getting to that... but better late then never! At least it's not too late for me. I can have a better, healthier, fuller life then I've ever imagined. And so can you! My best to you and may God bless you!

I'm being banded on April 8th too! I'm also nervous and excited all at the same time! How have you done on your presurgery diet? As of today, I've lost 22 pds on the liquid diet. Very happy about that, but man it has been a hard thing to do. And I'm on clear liquids only for tomorrow... that's gonna be hard without my shakes, but I can do it! This is so worth it! I also had to fight with my insurance company, but only for a couple months. Not nearly as long as you've had to. But again, it is worth the fight and the wait! Congratulations on getting your approved and hope to hear from you postop!

I am on day 11 of post op liquid diet and I've lost 17 pds on this. My surgery is April 8th.... I've lost a total of 31 pds since the 11th of January. Hope all goes well with your liquid diet and surgery!

Congratulations on how great you're doing. I'm having surgery on April 8th... just a few days away. I'll be getting the Realize-C band. Which band did you get, if you don't mind me asking. I'm using Dr. John Baker in Little Rock.

Hello Fellow Arkansans!!! I am being banded on April 8th by Dr. John W. Baker in Little Rock, AR. I live in Pleasant Plains, AR. I'm excited about the surgery. The pre-op liquid diet has been difficult but I'm getting through it. Looking forward to hearing from you all! Any of you banded by Dr. Baker?

I'm starting day 5 of the pre-opt diet... waiting for it to get easier... not really "physically" hungry, just mostly head-hunger and that is an evil one to fight! But I'm doing it. Lost 11 pds the first two days... gonna weigh again today and see how it's going!!! Good luck to you all!!!

Hi all! I'm on day 3 of my liquid diet. Started on Monday..I get 5 shakes a day... can have broth, pickles, and 1/4 cup of fruit with my shakes if I want it. That's it! I'm determined to do it exactly like my surgeon requires... the head hunger is the worst at times. I'm not really physically hungry though, they keep me full for a while. I ate what I wanted to over the weekend, and gained 3 pounds. But I weighed first thing Monday morning for my pre-liquid weight... and I weighed this morning to see if I'd lost anything. I'd lost 11 pounds in 2 days!!!! That made it easier to stick to it today!!! It's not easy but I've read that each day gets easier. It'll be worth it!!!!

I understand the "Last Supper" mindset... had mine last weekend. Tried to be careful but I allowed myself some things I haven't had in a while due to I was starting my liquid diet on Monday... oh the many Monday diets I have started and failed on... oh well, that's the past. I weighed this past Monday morning and had gained 3 pds. But I started my shakes faithfully and have stuck strickly to what I'm suppose to have on this liquid diet. No cheating and I won't cheat... surgery April 8th and I want my liver to be slim and trim! I did weigh first thing this morning and SURPRISE! I've lost 11 pds in 2 days on the liquid diet!!! So don't sweat it too badly, you'll lose big time on your pre-op diet!!! And that will help get us ready for post op too! Good luck!!!

You made a lot of good points...babygrl1234. Don't get the one about most baptists being "cult-like"... I'm not baptist... but I don't agree with that statement. And to all the "atheists, agnostics, etc"... not trying to "convince" you of anything... just speaking the truth and what you do with it, if anything, is your choice. If you really want the truth.... you'll find it. And apparently you're not completely satisfied with your decisions that there isn't a God, or you don't know if there is a God... otherwise, why would you spend so much time trying to convince Christians that they are wrong. Must be a personal thing....are you trying to convince yourself? I hope that you'll search for truth... cause if I'm "wrong" I have nothing to lose, but if you're wrong and the Bible is right... well, you know...

I was also very worried about the excess skin being a problem after I lose weight. I have a load to lose... and because of my age, even with exercise, I'm sure that I'll have to have some removed. But so what???!!!! This is my one chance in life to finally get healthy and be able to do the things I want to do! I want to feel good....go on walks, be active without my feet and legs killing me for a week afterward. Walk from my house to my mail box without being out of breath! And if I have to have another surgery in 2 or 3 years to take care of excess skin, I've come to terms with it. I'll get through that too and I'll feel even better! No need to worry about the things we haven't had to face yet... ready to get healthy now!!!

I'm on day 2 of my liquid diet. Yesterday wasn't too bad... the shakes the doctor has me using are really good. I drink 5 a day, so I didn't get very hungry. By last night, I was feeling kinda weak and tired. But this is so very do-able and so worth it. We will get through this time and it will make the post-op diet easier to follow too. I've read a lot of posts that say after days 3-5, the hunger leaves. I'm not there yet, but I hope this is true!!! If not, I'll keep on going and drinking those shakes....got 14 days to go till surgery, April 8th!

Okkkk, started my liquid diet today! Not to bad so far... of course, it's only 10:25 am too, ha! The first shake filled me up pretty good. Been sipping on some broth that is ok... but nothing I'd crave for sure! Almost time for another shake... the offical countdown has started.... 15 more days till surgery!!!!

Is God real? What a great question. Or, how do I know He is real? Good one too. We can see Him in His creation. We can feel Him when we say His name. When we consider how wonderfuly we are made.... when we hear a heartbeat of a baby.... when I see my sister's sonogram of her unborn baby.... when I look into the eyes of another human being...seeing all the different faces out there.... all different and unique... when I looked at a sunrise or sunset... when I look into the dark, night sky and stare at the stars glistening...or look into the clouds or at a beautiful rainbow.... yes, He is real... He is as close as the mention of His name.... His arms surround us, His Love is beyond explanation... For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...John 3:16.... God loves you all whether you believe in Him or not... He surely believes in you!

I start my liquid diet tomorrow. Kinda dreading it and kinda ready cause it's really the "official" countdown to surgery!!! I'm so ready to get the surgery over with. I've been put to sleep 3 times for previous surgeries. There are risks with anything....but with my previous surgeries, I was asleep and awake before I knew it. Felt like I'd only been asleep for a few minutes. I remember after my gallbladder surgery, they were waking me up in recovery, and I didn't even think that they had done the surgery yet...didn't realize I had been asleep for a while. You'll be fine. Don't worry... in a couple months, we'll be so glad we did this and we'll be well on our way to our new lives!!!!

Hi Sita, Welcome to LBT! Congratulations on your weightloss!!! You've done an awesome job! My surgeon also "tried" to stir me towards bypass... and I had done my research on both surgeries and knew that Lapband is my way to go too. I will be banded on April 9th and my BMI is 67 so I have a lot to lose. My doctor's ins person tried to tell me I wouldn't lose as much with lapband... I told her "yes I will... just more slowly but in the end, I can lose just as much and have a better chance of keeping it off"... they didn't try and convince me further and he agreed to do lapband on me. My best friend had lapband surgery 3 years ago and started around 340 pds... 3 years later, she is maintaining at 145 pds and doing great! So there is no real limit on how much you can lose over time. So that blows that theory!!! You go girl!!!!

Wow! I haven't been banded yet...date is April 8th... but I can't imagine having to make myself eat... it's gotta be frustrating though... cause you need your vitamins and your proteins. My best friend was banded 3 years ago and she had the same problem. She would go and get a milkshake and drink it because she needed the calories and she lost 150+ pounds the first year... really too fast for her but that's just the way the band effected her. I don't have any "words of wisdom"... but I'm sure some post op people will be on here to give you some good advice! Take care and keep on trying to get enough of what you need in to keep you healthly!!!

Congratulations on your weight loss!!! I look forwards to being in the 200's myself! I'll feel great just getting there! :tongue_smilie:

I start my pre-surgery diet this Monday. I'll be on it for 15 days then the day before surgery, I have to be on clear liquids. One of my doctors patient's, that was in the office the same day as me, was going to be on the liquid diet for 6 weeks. I'll take my 15 days!

I think the pre-surgery liquid diet is pretty standard for most surgeons... or a lot of them anyway. I start mine this Monday for 15 days before surgery.... with only clear liquids the day before surgery. I'm being banded on April 8th.

I guess getting those jitters are normal, especially when you know this is a "life-changing" event!!! Thanks so much for your input and support! I'm feeling much better now....nerves have calmed down and I'm acutally ready for my liquid diet on Monday. I'll be in my "official" countdown till surgery! Best to you all!

I start my liquid diet next Monday, March 23rd... and then my surgery is April 8th. I'm so excited/nervous about this new life I'm walking towards. I've been very hiped up about it... but the last few days, I've been a bit nervous too. This is really happening and my time is really coming. When you've been dependent on food most of your life, it can be a bit scary knowing things are changing. And I don't look forward to having surgery either. But yet, when I think of the possibilities... how good I'm going to feel.... how much more I'm going to be able to do... it almost seems like a dream. Just wondering... the feelings I'm having... did most of you experience the same stuff before you started your liquid diet and had your surgery???? Thanks!