KarenK

Hi Deanna - Thanks for the info. I had my psych eval (I passed) and "band class" today. Everyone seems really nice. I go back up next Friday to meet with Dr. O'Byrne. I would love it if they could do it the week of the 8th of Sept. I have tickets for my daughter & I to go to a concert in SLC Sept. 23d, and hope to be able to keep the date. Thanks again, Karen

I know this will have lots & lots of repeats, but it will do me good to write it down! I will not miss: 1. Sweating (unless I'm at the gym) 2. Airplane seats (and belt extenders) 3. Cameras (the last photo I have of me with my daughter is 4 yrs old) 4. Sending my daughter off to do things without me 5. Not going horseback riding because it's not fair to the horse. 6. Not going bike riding because it's not fair to the bike! 7. Having to assess that lawn chair very carefully - will it hold me? 8. Nasty comments from mean, narrow-minded people (Dad included) 9. Putting on my make-up and doing my hair without ever really focusing on myself, because I just don't want to see 10. Avoiding the guy I knew in college who now lives around the corner, because I don't want him to see me looking this way. My psych eval is tomorrow Surgeon meeting is the 22nd Hoping for surgery in mid-September

Hi Deana - Thank you for the reply. I watched your slide show. Wow, what a difference. I saw the bike riding pictures. My daughter is turning into quite the bike rider. I'd really like to go with her, but right now I'd feel sorry for the bike! I think I just need to get over that. Thank you for the information. I'm going to be a self-pay as well, so I'm hoping it goes fairly quickly. My apt. for the band class and psych eval is on Wednesday, and then I go back the next Friday for a meeting with the surgeon. Do you remember the pre-op diet? I'm curious about what to expect. Thank you very much. Karen:smile2:

I'll be thinking about you on Tuesday. Hope all goes very well. I know you're busy and may not have time to answer, but I hope you don't mind my asking a couple of questions anyway. :wink2: What is the diet the use like? Is it all liquid? How long has this whole process taken? After you first met with the surgeon were you scheduled fairly soon - a couple of weeks, a month? Thanks, and good luck.

I went to a band seminar a few weeks ago - the person running it said that she found Tricare very time consuming to deal with. Glad you got involved and got the results you needed.

I'm self-paying too, and am impatient to get everything underway before I lose momentum. I had actually been approved 2 years ago, until a week before my surgery date they discovered my Iron was extremely low (normal is 50 - I was at 10). No lapband for me. Instead, I got a hysterectomy and iron therapy for two years. Now that I'm back at normal, I'm in a hurry. My psych eval and band class are Aug 13, and my meeting with the surgeon is Aug. 22. I'm hoping by early September it'll be time. Good luck with the waiting game, Jonnycat1. We'll all make it.

Good luck with your banding - soon! I finally checked the docs out at the health sciences library, and they all sound great. I told Carolyn I have no preference so she assigned me to Dr. O'Byrne. My first appointment (banding class, psych eval) is August 13th. I'm finally on my way. I'm nervous and excited, and would love to hear how things work out for you. Thank you.

I am just getting started again on getting the surgery done. Almost two years ago I made it within 1 week of my planned surgery date before they discovered I was severely anemic (normal Iron is 50 - mine was 10). So, in the interim I have had a hysterectomy and downed more iron pills than anyone should ever have to, but my iron level is finally normal. Tomorrow I am attending a seminar at a hospital about a 45 minute drive from my home. On Wednesday, I go to another one about 20 minutes away. Then it's decision time, and I try again. I'm excited, but nervous. Has anyone else dealt with false starts before finally getting it done?

I am now officially no longer a September bandster. In fact, I no longer have any date at all set. I am apparently anemic enough that they want me to take about 3 weeks to try to build up my Iron levels. Unfortunately, I also have developed something wrong with my throat (I'm coughin up quantities of blood), and need to go in for an upper scope on my esophagus tomorrow. They're afraid it might be Barrett's esophagus which would not be good news at all and may take me off the list for a lapband permanently. In the meantime I'm trying to take things one day at a time. KarenK

One more pre-op doctor's appt. tomorrow. I have to see someone about anemia, and then I'm hoping I'm good to go. Of course, I also woke up this morning without a voice. I have a little over a week to get rid of whatever is causing it this time (happens to me a lot - usually acid reflux & allergies). I don't know if I'm more nervous about it happening or about it not happening.

missSD - thanks for the advice. I can't do the molasses (diabetes), but will look for Floridex tonight.

It's starting to look as though my surgery date is less than certain and I'm really disappointed. Just when I thought I had jumped through all their hoops, they come up with new ones. I now have to see another doctor about anemia, even though I told them I have really heavy periods. They also want a stool sample (lovely) to rule out blood there. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up pushed over into October - dang!

katt - Best of luck to you tomorrow. We'll be thinking of you and waiting to hear how it all goes.

As a single parent, I feel I need to do something to make certain I'm around for my daughter as long as possible. However, it needs to be a safe something, and the complications of banding are nonexistent compared to those of bypass. The mortality rate alone scared me off of that.

Wow want2lose Congratulations. You too BigBZ. How long were you out of work? Or are you still? I had my last pre-op appointment today. Finished the blood work and got an OK from the Gyn Dr. Looks like I'm a go for the 28th. The pre-op diet seems to be working. I'm down 10 lbs. Best of luck on Thursday gonnabethin and everyone else going in the next few days!

Ashlee - glad to hear things went well for you. I have one more hurdle. I have polycystic ovaries, and have to go see the gynecologist tomorrow. Since PCOS can cause weight gain, they want to make certain they're under control. Not sure what they can do, but I told him I'd go see one. I've been working on the high protein, low cal diet already - wow am I hungry! How strange will it be to eat a few bites of cottage cheese and actually be full!

I'm excited to read everyone's experiences as more of us September bandsters reach the other side. Has anyone given any thought to how they're going to control the snacking impulse? My entire life I've snacked my way through the evening. How do you avoid the urge to open the fridge? I wonder if a new hobby to keep my hands busy would help? Knitting? Quilting?

I am trying to figure out the best time to tell my daughter, age 9, about the upcoming surgery. I am scheduled for the end of September. I don't want to blindside her with the news a day ahead, but also don't want her to spend time worrying. When did you tell?

Ok, I told Emma on Saturday. We sat down and talked about it and I showed her the brochures they sent home with me. I've left it up to her whether she wants to come to the hospital that day or go to school & dance class (my daughter is very active - I absolutely refuse to have her go through this later in life). She did ask a few questions. The hardest was "what happens to me if something happens to you." (Her dad died when she was 1) I told her it was a very safe procedure and I would be fine, but if I ended up in the hospital longer than expected she would stay with grandma & grandpa. Overall, I think it went well. Thank you again for all the advice.

James - I love your ticker. Just had to get that out there. I am so excited for you and really hope you'll tell us more soon. In fact, I hope we'll hear more from many September bandsters as more of us reach our dates. I told my daughter over the weekend - it went well. Better than the dieting! I should have known better than to go to the fair! Back to the regimen today, though.

I belong to Curves. It's nice. I go 3 times a week. There is a nice mixture of ages and weights and no spandex! I'm hoping that once I get the food under control with the band that I'll see good progress.

Had my cardiologist's appt today - he okayed the surgery (since I had a heart procedure done 3 yrs ago, I had to get his ok). I've lost 4 lbs since starting on the high protein diet (not liquid yet). On one hand it seems great, and on the other is seems like just a drop in the bucket. Do you set small goals while looking to the large goal? Does anyone think "Dang, how am I ever going to get ALL that off?" (Congrats Chabutter & good luck on Tuesday)

My thoughts are with okiegirl and TexasBr@t - both scheduled for tomorrow. I hope it goes wonderfully and that we'll be hearing from you soon! Welcome aboard Christy. Honestly, it still seems unreal to me. I have had pre-op appointments and have a date set, and it just hasn't sunk in yet. Maybe the high protein low cal diet I started today will make it more real with every hunger pang?

The bike thing will be a big thing for Emma. She wanted us to ride our bikes to work & daycare this summer. I tried getting on a bike, and immediately felt sorry for the bike! I think I am going to tell her this weekend. Thanks for all the input.

I do Curves three times a week, and walk the dogs (a mean little chihuahua and a scaredy sheltie) for 20-30 min. most nights. I have free access to the University gym, but that would require exercising around size 2 18-yr olds in spandex. Not quite up for that.