michiganer

Hey HeavyHeartland-We have the same band day! I went online and bought some chocolate unjury and I got a few samples of the other flavors. This liquid diet really sucks. Most of the shakes in the cans make me want to gag so I have to plug my nose and just go for it. It feels so weird to not be able to eat any solid foods except for crunchy veggies. I can honestly say that it is the first time in my life I have looked forward to eating vegetables lol!!

Thanks wishes4444! I am waiting on a bottle of chocolate Unjury to arrive. I called my doctor and they said that any soup broth would be fine too. That really helps because I get to have something warm and tasty instead of cold and sweet. I can feel the pounds melting off so that is good. Hopefully after my surgery when I am on mushies, the diarreah will go away I am kind of embarassed at work when I have to go to the bathroom so much. Anyway, I will keep you updated on my progress. Thanks for the suggestions! Trisha

I am in my liquid diet pre-op stage right now and it has been very difficult. I have to be on it until Dec 4th, then a few weeks after surgery. My advice to all those just starting, you MUST drink enough Protein every day. If not, you will feel very weak. Also, after you get through the first 3 days, you should feel alot better. I know I did. I have been drinking muscle milk. I am switfching to unjury chocolate once it arrives in the mail. Muscle milk has a little more fat and carbs than what my Dr. wants. I am hoping the Unjury is good like everyone says. I also ordered a few sample packets of the other flavors. I also like the isopure. I shouldn't say 'like', I should probably say, tolerate. It is kind of like Gatorade but it leaves like a weird film in your mouth and then like jelly stuff. Anyone else get that? It is worth 40 grams of protein though so it is worth it. My Dr. told me to get some metamucil because people get constipated on this protein liquid diet. I am having the opposite problem (I'll spare you the details ). Does anyone know if metamucil works for constipation and diarreah? I don't to take it and end up in the bathroom all the time....

I am drinking the muscle milk as part of my preop diet. It doesn't quite fit into what my doctor wants (5 grams carbs, 5 grams fat) but it was all I found at the Vitamin Shoppe that came in packs. I also bought a few cans of other things. I am waiting for a tub of chocolate Unjury powder. It should be here tomorrow or Friday. Once I get that, I am stopping the muscle milk and going with Unjury until my surgery on December 4th. This is day 2 of the all liquid diet (and half a cup of crunchy veggies) and I feel much better than yesterday. I feel more rested and less weak. The veggies really helped alot. I am getting some diarreah thought. Do you think metamucil will help with that or make it worse?

My surgery date is 12/04. I went to my nutrition and exercise education class today and they were talking about what is going to happen to you in surgery. They mentioned a catheter. I was wondering if someone can tell me if they had one and if they put it in before or after you are asleep. I prefer after but am just curious. Thanks!

I went for my pro-op appt a few days ago. He is very nice. He told me he wants to try a new band from johnson & johnson. He wants to gather results. I told him I would prefer the allergan band. I don't feel like being a lab rat. I trust Dr. Kim but this event is too big for me to risk it. Right now, I am on my liquid diet. Any suggesstions? I was told I have to have 4 protein shakes a day, 1 cup of crunchy veggies and water. That's it! I have to do this until Dec 4th! I will make it but it is going to be super hard!!

When I went for my pre-op appt, the nurse said they generally will not do one for lap-band. Whew! I guess that answers my question. Thanks to all!

I started my pre-op liquid diet today. It is not fun! My surgery isn't until 12/04 and it seems sooo far from now. My doctor told me I have to drink 4 protein shakes a day, I can have a small amount of crunchy veggies once a day and lots of water. This until December 4th?! I am determined to do it but it has already been a real challenge. I don't really like the shakes (muscle milk) and ordered unjury powder. Passing lunchtime at work has been hard. Someone just walked by my desk with a Burger King bag :scared:. Believe me, I won't wimp out, I just need some encouragement. Anyway, can anyone on this thread relate?

Same here. I start my liquid diet tomorrow and I will have to stay on it until my surgery 12/04. I am really nervous about the diet. I am dreading it in fact. Most people on here say that the liquid diet is the hardest part. I went shopping yesterday for all of the stuff I will need. I got coq10 Vitamins, a daily Vitamin, an electronic food scale, a blender/food processer, clear measuring cups, isopure Water and some Protein shakes. I think I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $200. I am trying to figure out which type of shakes to drink. I got some called muscle milk and two other kinds. I really need to get a powder because I can't afford much more of the pre-canned ones. Anyone out there tried some they liked? I was really on the lookout for unjury but Vitamin Shoppe and Vitamin World hadn't even heard of it. I would appreciate anyones's opinion. Thanks!

I had a reall bad experience today with my brother. He does not know I am going for surgery but he suspects something. He lives in Michigan and Ilive in Florida. I was up there a few months ago for my annual summer trip and apparently he became worried about my health. He called my mom and reamed her out for not making me take care of myself. My mom was like 'she's an adult woman and I don't tell her what to do'. BTW, I am 26 and my brother is 28. I guess my mom said that I have a plan and he shouldn't worry about it. Then he pounded her to find out if it was surgery. She finally told him to ask me himself. He is very aggressive and he gets mad if he doesn't get answers he wants. Its really weird because all growing up, he never said anything about my weight. I have been overweight since puberty. My Dad on the other hand has been awful and always criticizes me about my weight. Well, my brother called me a few days ago but I was busy so we didn't talk. At least my mom warned me in advance. In the meantime, my surgery got scheduled for Dec 4th. I had planned a Michigan trip for Thanksgiving but cancelled because I want to be stress-free before surgery. I told my Dad that I have a new boss at work (true) that told everyone they cannot have any holiday vacations (not true). I told them I had to cancel because my job was at stake. It took some selling but he finally bought it. I know it sounds crazy but I have some major issues with my dad and I felt like taking the path of least resistance. I decided not to tell anyone except my mom and a few friends about surgery. The last thing I need is my family telling me how lazy I am and to 'just stop eating so much'. That is how my dad and brother can be. Well, my dad must have told my brother that I cancelled the trip and he called me tonight. He wanted to know why I am giving them a 'bullshit reason' for not coming up. He basically is convinced I am having surgery although I know that no one has told him. We had it out big time. I basically told him that my story was true and even if it wasn't I don't owe anyone an explanation. He tried so hard to hurt me. He was so angry that I was 'cutting out my family' and that I lived a 'sheltered' life. I have no idea what he is talking about! He thinks that me and my mom are joined at the hip and that she is 'filling my head with bad things about dad' (my parents are divorced). He was really insulting. For the record, I moved out of my mom's house when I was 18, rented an apartment, have a full time job, and just got my bachelor's degree. My mom and I have a great relationship and we speak almost daily. According to my brother, that is an unhealthy relationship and I am sheltered. He knows nothing about me! My brother went to live with my dad when I was 12 years old. We have seen each other only when I take a trip up there. I told him that he barely sees me and to make these judgements about my life is insulting. There was definitely some cursing going on! I am not hurt by what my brother said, I am hurt that he tried to hurt me. Does that make sense? The worst (and best) thing he said to me was "I hope you don't think that you are going to surprise everyone by coming here skinny next year and thinking that dad and grandma are going to be so proud of you and happy for you, you won't get anything from me, I'll give you zero!". I told him that's a good thing because if I come back there skinny it is because I made a choice about MY life and I don't want anyone there to think that all of there negative comments about me drove me to do something. I will change my life for ME and not anyone else!! He still had some more barbs to throw at me which ran the gamut from 'you only want to talk to dad when you want something' to 'dad has never said anything bad to you and what's wrong with a little criticism anyway'? Also just for the record, I told him that I have NEVER borrowed a dime from our dad or grandma and that HE is the one that has borrowed money. I have a $20000 student loan hanging over my head right now. I don't understand why all of the sudden, he is all over me. I don't know if he is truly worried about me or if he is jealous of me. He has always been pretty accepting of me but now he has brought all kinds of anger and hurtful things to the table. I don't know where to go from here. I want to have a good, loving relationship but he is, and has always been, emotionally unavailable. If there was one good thing that has come of the conversation, it is that I am going to call my dad tomorrow and tell him how I feel. I have a lot of anger and hurt feelings built up inside and I have never told him. I am tired of him hurting me and putting me down. I have been so intimidated by him my whole life. That just makes me more angry. I am angry at myself that I have never stood up to him. When he says stuff to me, I am like a dog with my tail between my legs. Well no more! I think the best way to have a good relatinship with him is to let out all of my feelings. Have a good talk about the things he has said and how we can move past it. I want to tell him that he has hurt me and that I am angry about it. I am also going to tell him about my surgery. I want him to know that it has NOTHING to do with him. I don't want him to think for a second that all of his years of torment have pushed me to have surgery. He will not get that satisfaction. I will tell him that if he cannot accept surgery, then we have nothing more to say to each other. I will not continue a relationship that is detrimental to my mental health. I really think he will come around and we may end up having a good relationship. The older he has gotten, the more he has mellowed. Pretty crappy story huh? Sorry to dump on you all but I can't sleep. I am really angry at my brother. It is obvious to me that he has bottled some feelings towards me that have nothing to do with my weight. He brought them all out tonight. When he argues, he always goes for the lowest blows. But I am not hurt by the blows, just the fact that he was aiming to hurt me. I really don't understand it and it makes me sad. Well, I am going to go pray now. I want to have the right words for my dad tomorrow. I have been building these feelings for 26 years now. It is time for me to be an adult and speak up for myself. If I can have surgery, I can let my dad know how I feel. Thanks for listening! Trisha

<p><p> Thanks to all for your encouraging words. After my brother hung up on me, we have not spoken. I think it is better that way anyway. Our relationship turned toxic very quickly. Sarah-I think you hit the nail on the head. Because my brother has never acted this way until now, I think it is clear that he has some resentment towards my mom. My brother went to live with my dad when he was 14. Even though it was his choice, I think he feels like my mom abandoned him and didn't fight for him to stay. I think he resents me for the great relationship I have with her and I think he is hurting greatly inside. I also think some of his problem could be what others said, the success of me weight loss may make him afraid that I will get positive attention. There really could be many things going on with him that I wouldn't know the first thing about. I thank God so much that my mom has taught me to turn to the Lord when I need help. She has also been very supportive of me throughout my life. I guess I forget sometimes that he didn't get the same experience because he was with my dad. It makes me sad to think that he is hurting inside. Maybe one day, he will be able to work through his feelings and he will be happier. I think when that happens, we can have a relationship. I told him and my dad that I am done being talked to like crap. I mean it. I am changing my life, becoming healthy and I don't care who has a problem with it. I am doing it for me and me alone. It took me 26 years to say that to my dad but I finally did. Fourtunately, I think my dad and I are on the way to having a better relationship. I will not forget what was said in the past but I am beginning to feel like I could forgive. Just because I got my hurt feelings out doesn't mean they are gone. But at least I got them out, my dad acknowledged that he hurt me and that is a huge step for both of us. Again, thank you all for your words. I am moving on with or without my brother. I hope some day we can speak again. Until then, I am not worrying about it and I am looking forward to my new life which starts Dec 4th!

Went to my pre-op appt a few days ago. It went really well. Since the first seminar I went to in the end of January, I have lost 20lbs. I know it has been almost a year but I haven't really been trying until lately. I went through insurance. I have to start a liquid diet on Monday. I went shopping today for shakes and stuff. I could not find unjury anwhere! Oh well, I got lost of different stuff to try. I also got a few bottles of Isopure to try out. Bought a good blender so I can puree foods after surgery. My doc said that Johnson & Johnson came out with a band and he wants to put them in all of his patients for the next two months so he can gauge the results. He completey gave me the option if I wanted to use that one instead of the Allergan (?). Even though it has been approved by the FDA, I felt uncomfortable trying something new for something so important to me so I opted to go with the Allergan. Anyway, I am not looking forward to this liquid diet...I have heard it is the worst part of all this so I am glad it is only for a while...Ok, well its off to bed. I hope all of us December bandsters will talk about all kinds of things!

80s Chick- Why yes that IS jem in my avatar. Isn't it truly outrageous? About the 6-month thing, I have not heard of anyone getting approved before finishing it. They are sticklers about it. The good thing is that you only have 2 more months. You are on the right path and as soon as you are done, you can submit all of your paperwork. This really is for people that are very determined. After jumping through all of these hoops, we have proven to Cigna that we are worth approving. Again, good luck, and keep posting here so we can follow each other's progress. Trisha

Ahhh, the turnstile...It will be nice to not worry about those one day Also looking forward to airplane seats, restaurant booths, plastic lawn chairs and movie seats.... *sighs*

Gotta give a woot woot to a fellow 80's lover! I love the 80's too! Also I wanted to pass along my good luck to you. I started with all of Cigna's hoops in the end of January and I finally got through everything recently. My surgery date is 12/04. This is a great thread because we can all relate to the insurance battle. Good luck! Trisha

I know how you feel Jamie. Sometimes it feels like there are threads where everyone already knows each other. I like this thread because I feel like we all have something in common. Everyone is really nice in this thread too which is why I like to check up on it. Welcome!

Yeah, my brother is so hateful. He is usually calmer but all of the sudden he is just all over me. I called him today to tell him that I want to have a good relationship with him but I will not be talked to like that. It all spiraled out of control and he came right out and said "I won't support you, you're taking the easy way out. All you need is some self control. Just quit eating so much junk and excercise and I guarantee you will lose weight". It was no use explaining that I have all kinds of medical conditions that contribute to weight gain. He won't listen. He thinks he is right and that is it. I did speak with my dad today and I finally got a lot off my chest. I told him that he has hurt me a lot over the years with things he has said about my weight. I told him that I have a lot of anger towards him about it. He actually apologized and said that sometimes he has said things to me that he wishes he hadn't. He said that he thought if he kept saying things that it would somehow "jumpstart" me into doing something. I told him that I have tried many times and that my medical conditions really don't help. It was a really good talk and he is supporting me. I am really happy about it! As for my brother, well I guess we are going to be like those siblings that never talk to each other. My mom is really sad because she thinks that we are all each other has once her and my dad die. When I asked him why he has all of these angry feelings towards me and I started talking about feelings, he hung up on me. I think there is more than meets the eye with his anger but I don't know what it is. I told my mom that until he apologizes for his behavior, I am not speaking to him. The last thing I need in my life is another negative person. I just wish I didn't have to cut my own brother out of my life

Hi togu! I am being banded by Dr. Kim on Dec 4th. How did everything go with you? I really like him a lot!

Are you kidding? I love Jem! "Jeeeemmmm is truly outrageous, truly truly truly outrageous, ohohoh Jeeemmm is truly outrageous, Jem is my name, nothing else is the saaammme JEM is my name!!" Thanks for the hugs too! I think it is time to clear the air with my dad. Hell, I told my brohter exactly how I feel and I think I need to let my dad know where I stand. I am not going to be the whipping girl anymore...

Anyone have Dr. Kim from US Bariatrics as their surgeon?

My surgery is the 4th! Good luck to all!

I finally have my surgery date. December 4th is when my new life begins!:clap2:

I went to the pulmonologist yesterday and he thinks I have sleep apnea. I don't have any of the symptoms and I told him that. I sleep great, don't wake up gasping or choking, feel rested etc. He looked in my mouth and apparently because I have large tonsils, he thinks that I might have it. Tomorrow night I have to wear this oxygen thing on my finger. If my oxygen level drops overnight, I guess that means I stopped breathing. I just hope this doesn't delay my surgery! I just got approved and now I feel like I am hitting more bumps in the road! Grrrr!

That stinks April! Maybe you could have another family member take you or a friend? My mom is going to fly down from Michigan (I live in FL) to be here for my surgery. At first she wasn't going to come at all but I kinda gave her a guilt trip about it and now she wouldn't miss it. On another note, I went to the pulmonologist yesterday and he thinks I have sleep apnea. I don't have any of the symptoms and I told him that. I sleep great, don't wake up gasping or choking, feel rested etc. He looked in my mouth and apparently because I have large tonsils, he thinks that I might have it. Tomorrow night I have to wear this oxygen thing on my finger. If my oxygen level drops overnight, I guess that means I stopped breathing. I just hope this doesn't delay my surgery! I just got approved and now I feel like I am hitting more bumps in the road! Grrrr!

I waited until I heard from Cigna. I was lucky because the insurance coordinator did all the leg work. She kept on top of it. Give it a little time and if you haven't heard in 15 days, call Cigna. I don't know of any way to speed up approval. Unfourtunately, you are at the mercy of the insurance company. I also wanted things to get done before the first of the year so I just made sure to do all my extra stuff while I was doing the 6-month diet. I got my 1st psych eval done, my cardiac clearance done and gathered my letters of medical necessity. That way once I got approved, I had less to do. Good luck and I will be praying for a speedy approval!