ConB113

My surgery has finally been scheduled for the 13th and I must say I am totally scared to death now!! I've been doing pre-op diet since last Wednesday( Sept. 1) and am already so sick of eating the same things every day. Broccoli, broccoli and more broccoli, lol. Just wanting to know if any of you were this apprehensive before your surgery? I keep thinking, do you really want to do this? Deprive myself of all the foods that I love and enjoy so much. I know most people say that after a few weeks they can eat almost anything, just in smaller amounts, but what if I'm not one of those people and get chocked on Everything!! My doctor is very strick, no potaoes, breads, sweets or fruits so basically there's not much of anything left except for meat and you guessed it BROCCOLI! Please help me, I really need some encouragement here or I might find myself backing out before long. I have been following the boards but just haven't posted in a long time. September bandsters, please help me out here!! Thanks and God Bless

I am SO surprised that you could eat that so close to your surgery date! Your doctor is definately not as strict as mine. I have the surgery scheduled for the 13th and have been on a low carb (no more than 30 grams a day) since Wednesday. Next Saturday and Sunday I will be on all liquids with my surgery being Monday. This is my 5th day on low carbs and I must say I hate eat!! I can only have meat and some veggies and am so tired of it already. I mean, how much broccoli can one person eat. Hope you do well with the procedure and am not as scared as I seem to be.

I finally have my surgery date, Sept.13th at Memorial Hospital. I have to start the pre-registration next Monday. I must say after waiting all this time I am reaaly scared!! Not so much of the surgery itself ( I had a liver transplant 2 years ago and that surgery is about as bad as they get) I think I'm more worried if I'll be able to stick to all the guide lines and I don't want to be hungry all the time. I have a friend that had hers done about 2 months ago, not with Dr. Cywes, and she has done really well. She has got to the stage now where she can eat almost anything, just a lot smaller portions, lol. The doctor she went to is certainly not as strict as Dr. C but she has already lost 35 lbs. in 2 months. Not so bad in my book. Any tips would be appreciated. I'm glad everyone on here seems to be doing good. Wish me luck!!!

Thanks for the info. I am definately going with Dr. Cywes. I am calling Monday to talk to Dana again and get back in for an appointment. I have spoken to my insurance lady in the bariatric division and since I have a letter from my Liver doctor, (which they already have) she says there will be no problem getting it approved. My doctor wrote me a very long letter stating that it was a medical neccessity since he saw signs of fatty liver in my newly transplanted liver. I think I mentioned I had a liver transplant at Mayo in April 2008? Anyway, I'm more than ready to get this ball rolling again, lol. I have a neice that had the surgery almost 2 weeks ago and she has already lost about 18 lbs. Isn't that amazing!! I also have another friend that had hers done by Dr. Cywes over 2 years ago and she was eating out with her daughter at Olive Garden today and I ask her what she was eating. She said she usually has the soup and salad but today she had chicken fingers and some kind of parmesian thing. I laughed and told her that it's good to know that you will be able to eat normal foods again after this surgery. She eats about anything she wants, just not as much now. I think she lost about 75 lbs. Well, need to get to bed. Please keep in touch and let me know how everything goes. Here is my e-mail address so you won't have to go through here to get to me. Connie_Blackmon@bellsouth.net Thanks again and good luck on Monday. Oh yeah, what hospital are you going to?

Hay Donna, hope that's your name. I am considering going with Dr. Cywes for my surgery but wanted to ask you a couple of questions. I went to him in November of 2009 and had surgery scheduled for January of this year but had to cancel due to some complications. I have heard through the grapevine that he has changed his protacal for the diet before and after the surgery. Would you mind telling me what the before and after surgery diet consists of? I really hope you do well with your surgery. What side of town do you live on? Maybe we can keep in touch, if I ever get mine done. I know a few people that have had their surgery done by him. Most have been very satisfied but a couple of them are trying to discourage me from having it done. The main reason besides the weight for me is I am diabetic and can't get my sugar under control, I know that losing weight would help tremendously!! Hope to hear back from you. Have a Blessed day. Connie

I don't know if yours will be the same as mine but here goes. 12190076997 Hope this works for you and Good luck on your weight loss. Mine was scheduled for January 7th but I had a liver transplant in April of 2008 and my hepatologist decided he wants me to wait until my next biopsy this coming April before he will give me the go ahead to have it done. I am very disappointed but this NEW liver is far more important to me that the weight loss . Merry Christmas to you and all of your family.:rolleyes2:

A lot of you January bandsters read on here that my surgery was scheduled for January 4th. Well it was until today! I don't know if any of you remember me telling about my liver transplant last year in April at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville? Anyway, my family just kept insisting that I call my liver doctor before I went through with this so to please them I gave in. Well, my transplant co-ordinator (nurse) called me back today and said that my doctor said no way, no how. He wants me to at least wait until I have my yearly check-up with biopsy in April before he will make a decision. He said that most liver transplants have to wait 3 years before they will ok this procedure! I am so discouraged, have been crying ever since the call and don't know what I can possibly do to lose this weight! lapband was my last resort as I'm sure it is for most of you! I am still going to visit here often, and hope that maybe I will be able to get it in May after my tests at Mayo. I'm sure the doctors know what's best for me and I don't want to take the chance of messing up this NEW liver so I guess I will just stay fat for the time being. Good luck to all of you and May God Bless.:thumbup:

Where in South Florida can you get lapband for 10k? I live in Jacksonville and it is costing me 16k.:thumbup:

My doctor says the procedure is only about an hour and most people get to go home the same day. I am going to have to spend the nite though because I had a liver transplant in April of last year and he wants to keep an eye on me to make certain i am doing o.k. Good luck if you decide to go through with the surgery. Visit here as often as you can, you will really learn a lot and get most of your questions answered.

1.What is your current and goal weight? C-205 G-150 2.What is your surgery date Jan. 4th 2010, if I don't chicken out! 3.What is your age? 56 4.Where do you live? Jacksonville, Fl. 5.Where are you having surgery? Shands Hospital 6.Who is your Doctor?? Doctor Cywes 7.Insurance or self-pay? Self-pay 8.What was you "deciding factor" for having this surgery? I have diabetes and high blood pressure and am sick of looking terrible in my clothes!!

What a beautiful Gingerbread house, your kids did a great job. My problem would be that I would probably have a hard time not eatting it, I dearly love gingerbread!! Your table is beautiful too, I was noticing the piece of furniture in the picture and it brought back memories. My dear mom had one very similar to this one, and I really can't remember who in our family has it now. Hope you have a Blessed Thanksgiving. We are leaving for Alabama in the morning to spend the week. I guess I'm glad I don't have my band yet or I wouldn't be able to eat all the terrific things my sister-in-law will have. She is a GREAT cook! lol

I have my LAP-BAND® surgery scheduled for January 4th but am now getting really anxious about my decision. You see, I had a liver transplant on April23rd of 2008 and so far have been doing great. I had my second meeting with the LAP-BAND® Dr. yesterday and he explained that in order to place the band they have to lift your liver to place it. This really scared me and I told him that but he assured me that he knows what he's doing and it will be ok. He used to work in transplant before going to the LAP-BAND® surgery so I think he should know what he's doing and what I'm up against. He also said that because of my transplant I have a lot of scar tissue that he will have to work around so that kind of made me feel even worse. I know I need to lose this weight but I know that my liver is more important to me that the weight and a liver transplant is an awful thing to go through and I sure don't want to have to repeat it if something were to happen because of this surgery. I'm asking everyone to please pray for me to make the right decision, I don't have long to make up my mind. I really only need to lose 50-60 lbs. so I do wish I could do this on my own but I have tried many times and failed. Thanks for listening and I hope all of you are having a good day and have a Wonderful Thanksgiving next week.:confused:

Thanks for your reply and tell your husband that I wish him continued success with the transplant (was it his liver?) As far as my liver doctor goes, I really haven't spoken directly with him but have talked to my nurse coordinator about the LAP-BAND® and she seemed to think it would be o.k. I am definately going to call him on Monday and get his opinion before I go through with it. I know that 6 months after my transplant I had a very large hernia on my stomach, about the size of a canaloupe, and he did surgery to repair that (same surgeon) so I am thinking he will be ok with the LAP-BAND® too. I will post again after I speak with him. I do know that prednisone makes you gain a lot of weight but I was only on that about 6 months after transplant so I know that's not my problem with this weight I now have. How have you been since your LAP-BAND®? Are you finding it easy or having any problems? I am still trying to get peace about having it done and so far that hasn't happened so I will just keep praying that my answer will come soon!! keep in touch and let me know how you and your husband are both doing. I love to talk with other transplant patients and their families. You can e-mail me personally if you want to at Connie_Blackmon@bellsouth.net I would be happy to hear from you at any time. God Bless :thumbup:

I am a transplant patient and have to take anti-rejection meds. One pill that I take is pretty large so I took it with me when I went for my 2nd app. yesterday. I showed it to my doctor and he said I would have no problem getting it down. I would say that it is about the size of a large vitamin and it has rubber like coating so I can't crush it or break it into. I sure hope he knows what he's talking about because I can't even live without these pills. :confused:

:tt2: I wish I could help you with the weight tracker thing. I tried it once and it didn't work. Maybe someonr here will take pity on us and tell us how it's done! By the way, good luck on your up coming surgery and keep in touch with all of us.:biggrin:

Congratulations, you are an inspiration to all of us!!!

Hey everyone. Just thought I would check in and see how all the January bandsters are doing? I have been reading on here and noticed a few people are considering doing the sleeve instead of the band. I think I will read up on it and ask my doctor a few questions about it when I see him next Wednesday. He didn't even mention it to me at my first meeting or the seminar before that so I'm not sure he does them or not. Will let you know what I find out. Hope everyone is having a good day and have a safe and happy week-end.:thumbup:

Count me in on the January bandsters thread. let's try and keep this thing going! Since I have been scheduled for January it just seems like I am eatting more and more. I think it's because I am scared that I won't be able to eat my favorite foods like this after banding. If I keep eatting like this I will probably gain 20lbs or so before January, I have got to stop!!! Are any of you having this problem? Hope everyone here has a great day.:thumbup:

I am scheduled to be banded on January 4th. ( if I don't chicken out) I have been going back and forth with this decision for about 6 months now. One day I don't want to do it and then the next day when I can't fit in my clothes, I am all ready to get it over with! I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way. I am going to be 57 a few days after the surgery and I keep asking myself do I really want to do this at my age? I am diabetic and take insulin 3-4 times daily and also have high blood pressure so I know that losing this 50 or so pounds will probably help me there but I get so scared when I think about giving up all the foods that I love and also the throwing up thing. I HATE throwing up!!! Anyway, good luck to all of you January bandsters and I hope I will be one of you. Maybe we can start some kind of special thread just for us so we can keep up with each other. I would do it, but not sure how to. Maybe one of you can start one.

I guess all doctors are different concerning diet sodas. I had a consultation last Thursday with my nutritionist and asked her about drinking diet drinks after my surgery and she says my doctor has no problem with that. As long as they don't bother you we are allowed to drink them.

I totally understand how you are feeling. I am scheduled to be banded on January 4th, it could have been sooner but I chose to wait due to the Holidays, traveling, etc. ( or maybe it was because I knew I would be able to eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas) lol. Anyway, I certainly understand how you feel, one day I am so excited to do this and the next I am having second thoughts. I have been reading about all the pain that people experience after the surgery and it really scares me. That is kind of funny, because I had a liver transplant in April,2008 and made it just fine. You would think this would be a piece of cake compared to that!! I wish you luck and will try to keep in touch with you. If you would like to e-mail me my address is Connie_Blackmon@bellsouth.net. It would be good to have someone to talk to who is going through the same questions and fears that I am.

I loved it!!

Linda, I don't think having a hiatal hernia qualifies you for the lapband. The reason my doctor is doing it (endoscopy) is if I do have one then he can turn the amount over to my insurance for the operating room and the anestigiologist. He says he will put the reason for my surgery as a hernia repair first and lapband as second. He is really good at trying to help you save money!! Where do you live and what surgeon are you seeing? I live in Jacksonville, Fl. and I am going to one that 2 of my friends have went to, they have both done great. Good luck to you and May God Bless.

I am also going to Dr. Cywes and my surgery is schedueled for November 30th. I may postpone it till the first part of January due to the Holidays and a lot of traveling out of town. So far, Dr. Cywes and the entire staff have been so great and seem to really care about their patients. I am having my endoscopy Thursday and a couple more appointments next week. How is everyone doing on here? I am so glad I found others that are using Dr. Cywes and Dr. Baptista, I like them both!!

This was so great, I just love your sense of humor!!!