amey_idaho

I called the Lap Band center at the hospital today to talk to the nutritionist. I told her how hungry I was, about how shaky I am and weak I was even crying. Basically I got 'Are you getting enough fluids?' Uh...yea...you could float the titanic with the sloshing and gurgling in my stomach. And then I got 5 minutes about how it's so important to wait the full week on clear liquids and how Thursday at First Breakfast I can have full liquids. Well, I'm thinking that since I had surgery on Wednesday that this Wednesday should be my one week. Right?!?! I tried the soup from a restaurant and man oh man was that awesome!!! I sent DH to a deli that I love that has 4-5 Soups every day made fresh from scratch. They had a vegetable beef that was brothy...I explained my situation and asked for a cup of just the broth...and they did it :scared2: It was SOOO good!! AND they had my favorite soup today but it's a creamed soup so DH asked it would be good to freeze or keep in the fridge till Thursday. They said nope. BUT they made a special note to make sure they had it on Thursday so I could come and get some....how awesome is that???? DH just might redeem himself after wrecking my car after all :cheers2: Well, I have to go back to work in the morning so I better get to bed. It's so great to keep in touch with everyone like this. I don't think a real May Bandsters thread was ever started so I really like this one. Let's all keep in touch!!!

1st week - clear liquids, sf jell-o, sf popsicles 2nd week - full liquids, creamy soups, protein shakes, oatmeal, yogurt, start chewable vitamins 3rd week - soft blended meals, scrambled eggs, pureed chicken, mashed potatoes, soft cooked veggies 4th week to indefinately - soft regular diet

I had my surgery Friday. I'M BANDED YEA!!! It was quite a day... I had surgery at 9:30 AM but I didn't get released to come home until 8:30. The nurses were debating whether to keep me overnight or not because I just couldn't get the pain under control. DH was supposed to be to work at 9:30 and I didn't have anyone for my 12 yr old to stay with and he was home alone so I had to just suck it up and come home. DH went to get my RX filled while I was still at the hospital which saved some time, or so we thought. We got home and DH helped me get a comfy nightgown on and was setting up my meds and tissues on the end table when we realized that one of the meds was a PILL...ARGHHH!!! So, DH had to run back into town, 20 minutes one way, to get the RX fixed. Almost an hour and a half later he finally gets back. And he tells me that he has to call the insurance company in the morning....and he's in the mood for guessing games...pissed me off big time!! I finally just told him to tell me what the hell happened. Evidentally on the way back he hit 2 'big' dogs that ran out in front of him. The front end of my new car is gone! DH had to get to work so my oldest son went to see if he could find the dogs or the owners. He couldn't find them. About 5:30 in the morning my son comes upstairs and tells me he'll be back in a few minutes because he has to go pick up my husband...WTF??? Evidentally he was at work (night receiving at Home Depot) and his knee went out on him AGAIN. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and had to be given IV pain meds so they could put his knee back in. And he never even called me...said he didn't want me to worry because there was nothing I could do and I can't drive. He's scheduled for surgery June 7th to replace his ACL and put his knee cap back where it's supposed to be. So....DH is off work until Monday when he can get into the doctor to be released for work. I go back to work on Tuesday. I feel so bad for the dogs, we tried to find them and my son even went back the next day in the daylight but didn't see anything. So...it's been an eventful week so far. I'm feeling a little better....went almost 12 hours without pain meds last night! DH has gone to take his last final for this semester...his knee looks like a soccer ball. So far I've just been drinking Life Water and eating a little jell-o and popsicles. I might try some broth tonight. I hope everyone else has had a less eventful week LOL Looking forward to this awesome new life!!

Tomorrow is my new B-day...Cinco de Mayo girl! I have to be at the hospital at 7 AM, surgery at 9:30. I am having my done at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. And I am getting SOOOO nervous!!! I have no idea how I'm going to sleep tonight....anxiety, nervous, excited... I will ck in tomorrow and let you all know how it goes. Here's to us :thumbup:

I got thinking about all the things we do and how I would handle each situation that involves food. One thing we really like is going to a movie....we go at least a couple times a month. I love all of it...the movie, the SODA, POPCORN....you get the picture. So, do you guys take something and smuggle it in to drink/snack on, can you have a little bit of popcorn, or do you just watch the movie without a drink or snack? I'm not banded yet but I would like to hear how other experienced bandsters handle this situation.

My pre-op is low calorie, low fat, low carb. I can have turkey so for Sunday dinner we cooked a turkey and had steamed broccoli and cauliflower and DH made stove top stuffing....i insisted he not make mashed potatoes, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from them. I had my 3 oz of turkey, 2 cups of steamed veggies and I just couldn't help myself, I had 1 tablespoon of stuffing. I measured it. And I counted it with my daily calories, carbs, fat & Protein. I am at 556 calories, 5.16 grams of fat, 44 carbs and 67.06 grams of protein for the day. The weird thing is...canned mandarin oranges and pineapple are on my list and they have a BUT LOAD of carbs in them. I wasn't told to stay under a certain # of calories, carbs or protein, just to eat the required # of servings/ounces of food choices on the list. So far, besides the stuffing I've done pretty good. We had to to to dinner with in-laws Friday night and they do not know about my surgery and don't need to know. They went to a mexican restaraunt...I ordered the chicken fajitas...grilled chix with peppers and onions, both on the approved list. I didn't have any of the rice, Beans, cheese, or sour cream. I did dip a piece of chix in the guac a couple times but avacodos, tomatoes and peppers are all on the approved list. I think I'm doing ok.....kicking myself for the stuffing.....but tomorrow is a new day and surgery is on Wednesday. I pray for strength every day!

Yes, please tell more about your binder. My surgery is Wednesday and I think I would like to be able to get one before then.

I am in Idaho Falls. If you are closer to Idaho Falls Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center has an awesome Lap Band team. I am having my surgery there on Wednesday. There is a hospital in Bear Lake that also does Lap Band and they have offices in Logan, UT if that is closer. If you would like any of their numbers or any other information just let me know.

That sounds pretty scary to have your port coming through your skin. I would be very concerned as well. Are you going to see your doctor in Salt Lake or the doctor where you are at? I am also 3 hours from Salt Lake, where are you at? There is A LOT of great help on here, hopefully someone can offer some better advice. It would help if we know about where you lived so we could maybe find a doctor closer to you that would know about the band. Good luck and keep up updated on what happens.

My surgery is Wednesday as well. DH is making a list for me of things we will need on hand for that week. Thanks for all the suggestions...great thread!! I'll keep watching for more ideas :thumbup:

Oh YEA!! Thank you so much! I know the soda is a no-no but I was hoping someone would say they could still eat popcorn. While I know it's not exactly healthy, as a once in a while treat I am glad to know it could be possible for me to enjoy that again. I never liked the extra butter anyway. :thumbup: <doing the happy dance>

I noticed there are 2 May threads. Is it possible to merge them? It would be nice if we were all on the same page, so to speak :smile:

1st let me apologize for the length of this post. I would put in a blog but I don't know how.... A little background on the weekend.... Thursday night my son, Kyle (19) and his friend and his friend's wife (6 mth pregnant) left for Seattle for the weekend. They were going to see her mom and go whale watching. They were so excited. Kyle has been to Salt Lake overnight several times but never this far away. We live just outside Idaho Falls, Salt Lake is 3 hours, Seattle is about 11 hours away. Kyle and Isaac are very responsible and I had made the same trip when I was 2 yrs younger than him so I didn't worry too much about it. Friday morning I was to start my pre-op diet. No shakes, real food off an approved list..I was so excited. Thursday I made a very detailed menu for the next 2 wks of what I would eat and when. I shopped for the necessary groceries, I was set, psyched and ready to go. :thumbup: Friday morning I was getting ready for work when the phone rang. It was Kyle. He was hysterical and all I could understand was I rolled my car, Kalli can't feel her legs. :scared2:Isaac finally got on the phone, he was relatively calm. He told me they were between Spokane & Seattle and gave me the name of the hospital they were being taken to. At that point I was FREAKED OUT! I told my husband what was going on, I called my boss and told him I wouldn't be to work that day, found a neighbor to let my 12 yr old stay with and googled a map to the hospital. We threw an overnight bag in the car and left. Isaac couldn't find his phone in the wreck so he didn't have any phone numbers. He kind of told me where her dad lived so I had to go knock a strangers door and tell him his daughter had been in a wreck and ask for her mom's # in Seattle so I could call her too. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. On the way to Spokane Kyle called us back. They had life-flighted Kalli to a different hospital in Spokane. Isaac had stitches in his head and Kyle was ok. THE LONGEST 9 HR DRIVE OF MY LIFE....We get to Spokane. Kalli's mom had left from Seattle and picked up the boys at the 1st hospital, taken them to the car to get their clothes and what they could salvage, and was at the hospital in Spokane when we got there. We learned that at the 1st hospital they did an ER c-section but the baby didn't make it. Then they life-flighted her. She has a broken pelvis, broken ribs, bruise lung, and broken shoulder. Isaac has a concussion and 2 chipped vertebrae. My son, the driver, walked away and withstanding being sore and a few minor scrapes and bruises is fine. Kalli will be in the hospital for at least a week. Kyle feels so bad. He is really beating himself up. We left Spokane yesterday afternoon and would up staying in Dillon last night and finally getting home this afternoon. So, if that isn't all enough...I was trying to do my pre-op diet at the same time. When we left I grabbed the fruit and carrots, lunch meat and boiled eggs I had prepared for Friday's menu. I also threw in the case of Muscle Milk light we had bought a few weeks ago before I knew about the pre-op diet. I called the NUT when we got on the road, explained what was going on and asked if I got in a pinch if I could drink a Protein shake. She said ok but to really try not to and if I couldn't stick to it then we could reschedule the surgery. NO FREAKING WAY WAS I GOING TO DO THAT! The 1st day went ok, I was STARVING but my mind was on other things and I'm not a stress eater, I'm a bored eater so I honestly wasn't really hungry. I ate what I had packed for Breakfast at work and drank a shake in the car when we stopped for gas and DH ate Arby's in front of me :wink:. Yesterday was a little harder, I knew everyone would be ok so I wasn't as stressed and my mind was a little more relaxed. I had scrambled egg whites and a cup of cut up melon, all on the approved list, from Perkins. I was still hungry but didn't want to complain. We didn't stop for lunch. By 9:30 when we stopped for supper I was ready to kill someone! We found a place that had grilled chicken and steamed broccoli, list-approved and satisfying. Today has been Hell!! For breakfast I figured on the same as yesterday, egg whites and fruit. DH & DS wanted to go to KFC or Subway or McDonald's and eat in the car....I told them there is nothing at those places I can eat. They were KFC has chicken....ummm I don't think so!!! The restaurant we wound up at didn't have fruit, and the waitress said their applesauce was 'medium sweetened' WTF IS THAT?? I am only allowed 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce. So I said no thanks and ordered 3 egg whites with onions & bell peppers, all list-approved, and asked that they be prepared with fat free spray, she assured me it would be no problem. She brings our meals, DH has the Sausage, Eggs, Bacon, pancakes, and Potatoes....Kyle has the Farmer's Scrambled Skillet. And I got a pile of yellow runny eggs, not scramble hard, and definitely not egg whites. And it was swimming in bacon grease!! :eek::cool: And that's when I lost it. I started crying right in the middle of the restaurant, grabbed my purse and went to the car. I just couldn't sit there and watch them eat what I wanted when I knew I couldn't even eat what was in front of me. I dug a cup of warm unsweetened applesauce out of the trunk and some warm carrots and sat in the car and ate that. It really hit me hard that I would never eat comfortably in a restaurant again. When they got in the car I totally flipped out on them, for drinking pop in front of me, Kyle eating candy bars in the car the day before in front of me, Wade ordering the same things I like and not considering going where I could eat. I was crying so hard I choked on a carrot. Even better!!! It was a very long quiet 3 hours home. I am supposed to eat 800-900 calories a day. I entered what I ate the last 3 days on My Fat Secret and this is what it says...Friday 740 calories, Saturday 410 calories, and so far today only 85 calories. And YES I AM STARVING, I could eat my own arm!! DH is making dinner now...if I go in the kitchen I know I'm going to start cleaning out the fridge...right into my mouth. I'm really thinking this would be so much easier if I could just go open a shake....at least that would be something! I am bitchy and I just yelled at DH again. This is not me!! I hate this bitchy, screaming, psycho that I have been. I just need some food! At least the weekend is almost over and I can get back to my pre-op menu tomorrow morning. We still have to get everything worked out with the insurance co on Kyle's car and the hospital bills. But managing that from home will be a lot easier. I hope you all had a better weekend than we did!!!

I would have liked to put this all in a blog but I have no idea how to do it....maybe someone could take pity on me and send me some instructions. Thank you all so very much!! The last couple days have gotten easier - tomorrow means only one more week until my B-Day! YEA!!!

Personally, I like May Bloomers (as in April showers brings May flowers....and we are blooming into our new awesome show-off selves) But, May Magnificents is good too. I'm easy to please :thumbup:

March got March Marauders....and as a matter of fact it was btrieger that coined that one....and he is a guy too LOL so what the heck is a Marauder????

I am on day 5 of my pre-op. The 1st 3 days were HELL (see my post about my Nightmare Weekend & My Breakdown). My pre-op diet is: Each day: 9 oz lean Protein from an approved list 2 servings fruit from an approved list at least 2 servings of veggies but can have unlimited amounts from the approved list SF Jell-o & SF popsicles I am ranging between 708 calories on Friday to about 410 the other days. I will be about 500 by the time I eat dinner tonight. I lost 8 pounds between Friday and Monday morning. And to be honest, today I'm stuffed and having a hard time eating everything that I'm supposed to. In fact today instead of eating the 2 boiled egg whites and 2 oz deli ham for Breakfast I drank a Muscle Milk light shake because I knew I didn't have room for it. Good luck to everyone on their pre-op diets, my surgery is May 5th YEA!!!

My insurance company, Tricare, posts the approvals on the website so I was watching it like a hawk. It took a little over 27 hours from when the paperwork was submitted until I knew I was approved. About 1/2 hour after it showed up on the website and patient coordinator from Tricare called me and confirmed I was approved. The next morning my doctor had the approval letter on their fax machine and I was scheduled for surgery on May 5th. After the paperwork was submitted everything went really fast.

I use this on my Droid Eris (Calorie Counter) and it syncs with My FatSecret.com so I can access it anywhere. It also tracks excercise, % of Daily Intake, weight loss to goal, and will track Protein, carbs, fat, and a bunch of other things you can personalize. I love it!!

I've been divorced 4 times and my mom died when I was 23, my sister always told me it just made me stronger. I guess so. But I'd rather have not had to go through all that to get here LOL. :eek:

I'm crying reading what you all said. I really thought I'd get a lecture about how things are too stressful in my life and if I can't stay home then I shouldn't be doing this. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I ate dinner and I'm feeling a lot better. I had to eat 9 oz of Tilapia to satisfy the Protein requirement for the day. It was a lot of fish! LOL. With the veggies for supper, I'm at 370 calories for the day but I still have to eat a serving of fruit before I go to bed, so I'm thinking I'll be a little over 400 for the day. A long way from 900 but tomorrow is a new day and I'll do better. I have my breakfast and lunch packed for work tomorrow and ready to start fresh. Kyle has a lot of survivor guilt going on. He feels so bad about the baby and he's worried about making sure the hospital doesn't bill his friends for anything. He had just bought the car a few weeks ago, hadn't even made the 1st payment yet, had a new stereo and speakers put in it and it was so nice. - And he hasn't even once talked about how he lost his car, just how he should be the one in the hospital not them. I'm going to get some laundry done and get some sleep. The sooner I get to bed the sooner this weekend will be officially over. Thank you all for your encouragement....I love this place!!!

It's official...I'm approved!!! My surgeon faxed the paperwork to Tricare yesterday morning. I called a little after noon to make sure they had received it. Yup, all 80 pages (seriously, 80 pages and I didn't even do any thing but a psych eval, not even a 6 mth diet or sleep study...80 pages)!! She said it would take them at least 5-7 days to go through it all. I called back today about 10:00 because it didn't show up on the website yet as pending...I asked if they needed anymore info.....nope, just going through the review process, 5-7 days... blah blah blah. Within 1/2 hour it showed up on the website with the code for the port placement as approved, the band placement said pending. Not 15 minutes later the patient coordinator for Tricare called me personally to tell me it was all approved. I was so excited I started crying. She asked me if I was having the surgery on May 5th.....that's what the surgeon put on the request :thumbup:. I hung up and within minutes the approval letter was online...click & print and it's in my hot little hands. The lady at the surgeon's office that does the scheduling won't be in until tomorrow and Tricare will be faxing the approval letter for them 1st thing in the morning. So tomorrow I should have a definite date....I really need a Thursday because of my work deadlines so the 5th doesn't work so well...we'll see. If the 5th is all I can get then I'll make it work....no way I'm putting this off another week! So....I guess I'll be finding an avatar pic and making a tracker. I didn't want to do it until I knew for sure I could be a real bandster...but now I know and I'm so happy I could scream and dance and do cartwheels (if I could ).

Looks like this is a very good week for some of us :thumbup: Rsilversea - don't get discouraged, just keep at it and don't let them get you down. If your doctor says you're qualified then keep fighting!

It's official! I was approved by my insurance today. When the patient rep called me to tell me I was approved she told me that the doctor put in the request that I would be having surgery on May 5th. The 5th is a Wed and I really need a Thursday, so when the scheduler gets into the doctor's office tomorrow I'll see if there is any wiggle room on that date. Looks like I'll be starting my pre-op diet either tomorrow or Friday.....they call it the very low calorie diet...like 900 calories, high Protein, low fat, very low carb...no Protein shakes YEA! So do we have a catchy May name for us yet? With a glitzy banner for our signatures? How do we get one of those? Any ideas?