SpideyMom

Congratulations and welcome! :thumbup: I know exactly how you feel... excited and nervous all at the same time. I just got approved this week also, and will be going in the day before you! Welcome to the journey, fellow Mayo Bandito!

Hey, John, thanks. I looked and looked, but can't seem to find a text maker that offers graphics with it. Then I tried adding some clip art, but it won't add. Maybe someone else is more advanced at doing these graphic things than I am! Anyone? Happy Friday, mi Banditos!

Hallelujah, you crack me up about baby's got back! I am shaped the same way. Maybe that's why I only have to do one week. :sad: If you are allowed some choice as to what kind of Protein drink you can have, I just tried unjury chicken Soup, and it is very good. It's a tasty broth with 20g of protein, 90 cal, and 0 fat. For my pre-op diet I am restricted to SlimFast only, but I will definitely be drinking this soup during my two weeks of liquids post-op! In fact, I'm going to switch to Unjury post-op for all my Protein drinks. I've tried them all but strawberry (which I've been told is nasty). You can only buy it online, though, at their website, which is the only downfall. But, just thought I'd pass along the tip on the chicken soup/broth. Cheers! :thumbup:

Hello, ladies! How is everyone doing? I wanted to pop on here and tell Lili -- I'm thinking of you today as Lisa gets banded! What an exciting day for you both! Please stop by when you can and let us know how it went. (((HUGS))) :sad: And I would love to hear updates from the rest of you. You're all a great encouragement to me! I just got my date approved yesterday, and I'm very excited now -- 4 weeks from today! :thumbup:

OMG, I can't believe it! I just got a call from my surgeon's assistant, and she sent in all my paperwork this morning and got a call just an hour later approving me!! She said they have never had anyone approved so fast. Gosh, I guess the insurance company really thinks I desperately need this, huh?! I have CareFirst BlueChoice, btw. And I didn't have to do a 6-month diet because I had done Weight Watchers for the last two years and was able to get records of my attendance to show the insurance company. So there is hope for a quick process! Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be approved SO quickly though! I'm on cloud 9! :glare:

Thanks, John! Same here! :glare:

Hi, Amy. I have to do one week of nothing but SlimFast. I can do 6 or 7 cans of Optima or High Protein each day, nothing else. The Slim Fast is good, and I have agree with John, it's hard not to chug them!:glare: It's interesting to me how different each doctor is! I'm learning so much on this forum.

I'm so excited, I'm about to burst! I just got a call from the surgeon's office and I am definitely approved! My insurance company (CareFirst BlueChoice) approved me in just one HOUR! She said no one has ever been approved that fast. I guess they figured I really, really need it with all my comorbidities. So, May 7 it definitely is! :glare: I go for my final pre-op consultation w/the surgeon on April 28, then start my pre-op Slim Fast diet on April 30. Yummy.... Have a great day, everyone!

Oh, yeah, the sipping! I forgot about the sipping. :glare: I love to chug water also, especially in the morning. Good idea about rinsing out your mouth after a meal! I heard one woman in a support group say she brushes her teeth after each meal... and then watches the clock like a hawk! lol Hallelujah, Hallelujah, on your date! Hopefully I will be the day after you. It does feel good to have a date on the calendar to work toward. Regarding the chewing, I agree, smaller bites are better. I was eating stir fry last night and took some big bites that after 30 chews, it still needed a lot more chewing to get to the consistency of applesauce, as my doc says it should be. WOW... the enormity of all of the life changes facing all of us are overwhelming!! But I am so determined that this is IT. The rest of my life is going to be healthy!

Hola, fellow BANDitos! :sneaky: I just got my "target" surgery date today: May 7, one month from today! Yay! It still has to be approved by insurance, though, so I'm still holding my breath and crossing my fingers and toes. :thumbdown: I've struggled with my weight since childhood. I've been successful several times at losing large amounts but I'm even more successful at putting it back on! :confused: Now I've got a BMI of 40.5 and have several comorbidities: PCOS w/insulin resistance, fibromyalgia, arthritis, CFS, GERD, IBS, and history of cancer. I take 10 pills in the morning and 12-14 at night just to function... and I can't stand it! I'm really ready to make a big change in my life, get this weight off and keep it off! And hopefully I won't have to take all those pills anymore! Also, for once, I'm going to address my sugar addiction. I'm so addicted to sugar, it's pathetic. So, I'm weaning myself off now and will go low carb w/no refined sugars once I'm banded. Anyone doing that? I have a one-week pre-op diet (all Slim-Fast) that I have to do, followed by 2 weeks of liquids, then 2 weeks of pureed food (ugh). I have tried chewing everything 30 times, and it is a chore! But it's not as hard as not drinking with a meal and not drinking for an hour afterward. Has anyone tried that yet? The best solution I've found for that is to end the meal with something very moist (orange slice, yogurt, etc.) so it's not torture. Then get up and go do something to keep your mind off of the water. Anyone else have tips for enduring the no water rule?? Looking forward to getting to know you all!

I had no idea! :scared2: I haven't been banded yet-- waiting for approval, and I just found out this news about the cost of a fill! Does anyone know if CareFirst Blue Choice pays for fills? On average, in your first year after banding, how many fills have you had? Thanks for your help!

Thanks, Jodi! I hope my insurance will cover some of that charge. You have done so well!! You are really an inspiration. :eek:

Hi! I haven't gotten a surgery date yet, and I've just stumbled upon this very interesting section of LBT. I have suffered from GERD for 15 years and I have a small hiatal hernia. Will this get worse with LB surgery? From a lot of the posts I've read, one of the main problems with the LB is reflux. I'm very scared now and wondering why my surgeon would think this is a good idea for me. Thanks in advance! :crying:

Yes, I've been reading a lot of the complications, and it can get a bit overwhelming. Thanks for your insight. I will definitely talk to the surgeon about this at my next appointment! :smile2:

Brighterdays, thank you for posting this. I have been reading a lot of the complaints lately and it's been scaring me, also. I'm glad to hear that so many people are not having problems!

Same here! I haven't finished my supply of Diet Coke yet, but once it's gone, it's gone. I have reallly cut back on my DC consumption/addiction, knowing that I will have to give it up once I get banded. I agree with everyone else, this is an exciting journey, and knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel is just wonderful!

Thanks, Amy! That gives me hope... and reminds me that I need to make an appointment with my gastroenterologist! Congratulations on your banding!

AMEN! :eek: Glad to hear you're all doing so well. Congrats on all the weight loss TamTam and Lili! :smile: I bought two small cases of Slim Fast this weekend, in prep for when I have to go on the pre-op diet (whenever that will be). Tastes okay -- like a creamy chocolate milk. Don't know how I'll feel about drinking 6 of them a day and nothing else. How did you all manage? I guess we must keep thinking about that light at the end of the tunnel! Tamara, I had also heard that sometimes that referred shoulder pain comes from acid reflux. Are you having any of that? If so, talk to your surgeon about it. Apparently it is extremely common after banding. That really dismayed me because I have had GERD for 15 years now, and I was hoping that the LB would help get rid of that problem!! Have a great day everyone! Chins up and look at the sun -- it's shining for all of us! Cheers! :thumbup:

Thanks, everyone! My surgeon said nothing about repairing the hernia during surgery. I think I need to have another talk with him. I am really hoping that the surgery will make my medical conditions better -- not worse! :tongue_smilie:

I've heard others talk about this Walmart powder. I may have to check it out! Thanks.

Ky, I'm new here, so I don't have any advice, but I did want to say I'm so sorry for what you went through. My heart goes out to you. :crying:

You crack me up, Rachel! :crying: I just tried my first Muscle Milk today, and although it didn't taste like sweat socks and bile to me, I did get an immediate stomachache and headache. Don't want to try that one again. unjury sells single-serving powder samples on their website for $1.75 each. I just bought vanilla, chocolate, unflavored, and chicken Soup. I've only tried vanilla, and it was okay. I've heard the chocolate is very good. My dietitian highly recommended that brand, so I figured I'd test them out. She said stay far, far away from the strawberry, though. Oh, and I got the order in the mail the very next day! (Found out they are in Virginia.)

Hello, ladies! Wanted to post quickly before I head off for a busy weekend. Kiwi, hello! Congrats on losing 11 kgs! That is amazing. I just hope once I get banded I can do as well as you gals. Lili, I loved the photos! You made me hungry for Burger King today. haha I tried a different Protein drink today (Muscle Milk) and although it didn't taste too bad, it gave me a terrible stomachache and headache immediately after drinking. Perhaps there is something in some of these drinks that can cause headaches? Sare, congratulations on the job and on the healing process. I'm sure those antibiotics will have you well in no time. TamTam, Good for you going out and buying jewelry and having your nails done! I was thinking the same thing! I've never done acrylic nails either. I did just buy myself a new ring at a silver party last week, and it came in the mail yesterday. I call it my promise ring -- a promise to myself to really work this plan and get healthy! Happy weekend to you all! :crying:

Hi, Tamara, Sare, and Lili! I haven't been online for awhile. It's good to know that you all seem to be doing fairly well, despite a few bumps in the road. TamTam, I cannot believe you have lost 10kg already! I had to look that up to see how much that was in pounds and I was astonished -- 22 lbs. in two weeks? Or was that three? Either way, that is amazing! Congratulations! Veal, I hope you will check in and let us know how you are! :w00t: Lili, I thought Hungry Jacks would have been pancake place, because we have a pancake mix in the U.S. called Hungry Jack. Good for you for starting the Optifast early. I just tried a shake myself today for the first time, but I tried unjury vanilla. Yeah, smelled like play-doh. Not so hot. Looking forward to the chocolate flavor. And this company sells chicken Soup flavor also, which I'm hoping is decent. My pre-op diet has to be SlimFast for some reason. Each doctor is so different! I've gone to all the appointments I was required to attend, but I'm still waiting to get all my letters in from all those people. Then the surgeon's office will send the "evidence" to the insurance company for review. I'm hoping it won't take long for approval. In the meantime, I've made a ticker. Thanks for your help with that, Lili. Oh! BTW, Lili, I can't see the picture you posted for some reason. Take care, gals. I wish you all well!