HolliJ

OMG, just got approved by insurance!!!! My surgeon was optimistic about the approval and scheduled the surgery for the 28th. They submitted the paperwork on the 7th and it was approved today (the 23rd). It was getting close, so we were a little worried.

I started mine today and it's only 7 days. I have my surgery (hopefully) on 7/28.

I'm starting my pre-op diet today. My surgery is a week from today, so it's not too bad. I say that now, lmao. I'm already so hungry and it's only noon! :bored: I have a low-carb, liquid diet. The most non-liquid I can get is yogurt, Jello, and cottage cheese. I could really go for some Soup right now, but I don't have any available to me.

I'm starting my pre-op diet today. I bought a bottle of this a few days ago, while at GNC. So I just tried it. It's ok at first, then it turns weird tasting, then it has a chalky-ish aftertaste/feel. I think it's tolerable, but I wouldn't call it "good". Unfortunately, I don't have many options. :bored: I haven't tried a Protein shake yet.

She means, "Reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, reapply, x700"

Why did I start drinking coffee right before getting the lapband (like a month)? I'm such a dork. I like mine with a lot of cream and sugar (since I'm a newb), so it's not like I can keep drinking it. So bye bye coffee after today Starting the pre-op diet tomorrow.

I actually just started drinking it because the ladies in the office like their coffee nice and smooth. I never liked coffee because it was always way too strong (I liked the taste, though), but this is perfect. So now I've been drinking it just about everyday at work (Mon-Fri for the past month). I can live without it, but I do like drinking it.

I think my doctor is ok with drinking coffee, as long as you use Splenda or something (and probably decaf). Do they have Sugar Free Hazelnut flavored Coffee Mate? Maybe that will work for me.

Oh, I'll definitely keep drinking iced tea - it's one of my favorite drinks. And I've been using artificial sweeteners in my tea for yeeeears. I can't remember the last time I used actual sugar in it.

Yeah, I'm totally addicted to Carmex. For years. It's like crack. If I need it, and don't have it, I'll freak out. Ok, not freak out, but I'm very uncomfortable. I'd even be willing to use someone else's and I never do that with anything else (don't eat/drink after people). I don't know what will help you, but STAY AWAY FROM THE CARMEX.

I don't have them yet, so I don't know how they are. Hopefully they'll get here soon, since I'm starting my pre-op diet on Tuesday. :scared2:

Yeah, I'm going to be MISERABLE not being able to sleep on my stomach for a while. Not looking forward to that at all.

I haven't had my surgery yet, but I'm expecting to be out from Tuesday-Sunday. That gives me 6 days to recover and then I'm going back to work on Monday. If I HAVE to, I can take off longer. I sit at a desk all day, though, so I think I'll be ok.

I think that would be called "getting stuck" more than "PB" (which means you're burping up junk). But I'm a n00b and don't have a band yet, so what do I know? :thumbdown:

I'm glad I never liked beer, hah :thumbdown: Wine, on the other hand... I do like. I'm not a big drinker, though, so I have no problems waiting until I'm "allowed" to start having a glass of wine a couple times a week or so.

And I'll let you know two weeks from tomorrow

LOL!!!! That's hilarious.

Yeah, I googled it when I got home I think there were several factors to my reacting that way. I had taken it the day before and was fine (other than staring blankly out of the window for hours, like a zombie). But then I took it late at night and got all weird and paranoid about the effects. I'd never felt like that before (never had even been drunk), so I think it just scared me to have my perception altered. And I think because it was a chemical, it caused me to have a panic attack instead of just being worried/nervous/scared. The same thing happened when I took Lexapro. I had panic attacks from that. So now I just stay away from medications that start with "L".

I haven't had the surgery yet, but my surgeon gave me my prescription. First he gave me one for Lortab, but I was like "Uh, yeah... is there anything else I can take instead?" The last time I took Lortab (when I got my wisdom teeth removed), I had a severe panic attack... I was throwing up, had chills, chest pain, etc... I didn't know what it was at the time and thought I was dying, so my parents took me to the E.R. Never again. So he gave me Dilaudid instead (which I've never even heard of).

I'm not banded, so I don't really know what you're going through right now, but I'm sure many others have experienced the same things. Do you go to any support groups? Have you tried counseling to try to figure out why you're self-sabotaging and possibly attempt to control it? As far as self-sabotaging goes, I know exactly what you're going through. I think I did that in almost every diet I tried. For me, it's fear of getting close to people that causes me to do it. When I lose weight, I become more social. That leads to getting attention from guys. Then I freak out because I'm not comfortable with that attention. When I gain the weight back, it stops, and I'm comfortable and safe again.

Must...resist...the urge....

Well, I'm pretty sure that a LOW CARB diet is what shrinks the liver for the most part... And Slimfast shakes are FULL of sugar/carbs. Bad idea So it's typically a low-carb, low-fat diet. The usual healthy stuff. And many surgeons require a one week (or longer) liquid diet prior to surgery.

It's crazy for me to see people talk about all these horrible experiences they've had with people in response to their weight. I've never experienced any of those things. No one has ever yelled out at me, I don't notice that anyone treats me differently (or if they do, it's not enough for me to give a shit), and no one really acts like I'm big at all. And I am. I'm 260lbs. I think the only times people have pointed out my weight was when people I knew were "trying" to hurt my feelings (like in a fight or something). Although it typically came from someone bigger or as big as me, so it was almost laughable. Actually, no matter who it came from, it was almost laughable. I think it's funny how someone tries to insult me on something that is so obvious and cliché. Seriously? Of all the things you can say to hurt my feelings, calling me fat is probably the least likely to bother me. Maybe I don't notice these things or people don't treat me that way because I give off the impression that I won't stand for it. I may not be confident about my looks, but I'm confident about who I am as a person. And I'm more than willing to respond to someone that is rude to me. I will NOT allow someone to treat me as if I am lower and undeserving of respect because I'm heavy. I will not allow someone to treat me poorly for ANY reason, actually. Plus, people who try to bring others down by insulting them are not worth my time. I find these people to be pretty damn pathetic and sad. That just tells you that they must not have a lot going for them if they have to get their kicks or feel better about themselves by attempting to hurt others. I'm more likely to laugh in their face. That'll get them really pissed, lmao.

The first surgeon I looked into asked for a $3,700 program fee. I said forget it. My surgeon has no program fees at all.

I agree with Restless. I know many surgeons charge program fees, which I think is ridiculous. The surgeon I was originally looking into had a $3,700 program fee. I said, "Forget it!". I'm so happy, because my current surgeon is such a wonderful person! And the best part is that he has ZERO program or administrative fees.