StephC

good luck Carol - I'm only a week behind you - are you excited? I'm struggling with the pre-op - RIGHT NOW - I just drank my first protien drink but I have the urge to binge ... on anything. I just ate a rice cake and some salsa hoping that would take the edge off but its still there, I'm not even hungry.. just want to eat.

I was told absolutely no gum - it can get stuck. I feel like if I have to pay to have an unfill over a nickle stick of gum I will do without. I'm not banded yet but have already broke the habit.

My doc is also married with kids but dang he's cute! Thanks for the encouragment, I need it and it works. My dd left a half eaten candy bar laying on the counter and I almost picked it up, I felt that hesitating in my step as I walked by but - I said no... no cheating today.

yes - its all about the liver

Ok so tell me if you think I am totally out there with this. You all know I'm doing my sucky pre-op, which consitsts of 2 protein shakes and a 300 cal dinner. So today I had other plans, dinner and a movie with dd. So I didn't eat all day, went to the 4:00 show and had buttered popcorn and water (popcorn is in my top 5 fav. foods) then went to Eat n Park and had a chicken portebella salad with ff balsmic - the salad was 320 calories. Thats it, do you think I blew the day by not having the shakes instead of the popcorn? I didnt' eat a TUB but I ate a med. size bag - ugh! ok - so the worst of it is I don't feel guilty, kinda like.. ok so it wasn't a shake but I don't think it was a 1000 calories either. I have one more day - next wednesday - when I know I will "cheat" - am I horrible? It shouldn't hurt my surgery ... right? and I don't think dr marley will know unless he reads this - and if he's reading this ... (you are cute as a button!) Which takes me to another poser... anyone crushing on the doc?

Linda - I would like the recipe, please?

wtg cheryl! you are probably the last of the november bansters. I think you throat is probably sore from the tube they have in it during surgery. Very normal - I've been under the knife about 7 times - the band will be #8. They put a tube in your throat and it can be a bit uncomfortable for a few days. I hope you're feeling better soon.

MaryS - If you have a reputable doctor I wouldn't worry too much about the test part - my doctor had me take so many tests I thought I was in school again - jk - seriously I believe Geezersue had problems but I think that it was isolated and if you have done your research and found a good doctor I don't think you have any need to have extra tests done. Be honest with your surgeon and your family history and he will order all the appropriate tests. Sue keeps stressing that this is a regrets thread - Sue has regrets as do many others, but there are many many more who have no regrets - for all of us who have yet to be banded we just have to realize that we may at some point have regrets too - we all hope and pray its not us - but life throws as a hard ball once in a while and IF that happens to one of us we will just have to deal with it. I don't think Sue is out to scare anyone out of having the surgery but she's just very vocal in her opinion. I've read her posts and it hasn't changed my mind in the least.

GeezerSue - so you don't think we have a clue, that we aren't informed, that we didn't do research? You think that after we are banded and some of us MAY have problems that'll be entertainment? I for one never even heard of the band until I started to research wls - I know MANY people who have had other wls, and still I choose the band. I really don't think the people on here are uninformed and that its your job to show them the light, I think those of us who are on here are here to find out all we can. Will I base my decision to be banded on one persons results. Absolutely not! I have based my decision on what I feel is the safest wls and what will work for me. Will I have problems post-op? Maybe, but its a chance I am willing to take.

just another note about the diet - I don't do it breakfast and lunch like they suggest because I'm not ready to eat until noonish - so I have my shake then, by 5 I'm starved and ready for my dinner which is never enough - I could eat 3 of them before I feel full. Then I drink my second shake in the evening when I get the snack fever - it helps me get past the attack. I make mine with frozen slimfast - half a can frozen, 1/4 cup skim milk and a handful of berries or half a banana and I feel like I've got a treat. I don't feel too guilty about the rice cake - its not many calories, and I like the crunch - and the other thing thats helped me in the snack department in sf jello - the homemade kind - its like 10 cal. and I like it. Like I said the diet stinks but its my last diet and I know theres an end in sight where as all my previous diets I never could see an end.

I am on the same as Sunsreturn - protein shake (for breakfast and lunch) no more than 240 cals each lean cuisine for dinner - no more than 350 cals with out the greens. I'll be honest and tell you that today is day 4 and its been HARD!!! I haven't cheated in the calorie area but I have added a ricecake in the evening for a snack. I don't want to do this but I do want the surgery so I'll do whatever it takes. And I know its for my best interest. I think everyone cheats to some degree - and I dont' think its a huge deal as long as we get right on track again. I have made my head ok with this by telling my self, promising myself that this will be the LAST diet of my life. Post band I plan on eating healthy first and letting the band help me get past the bad choices I've made in the past.

itsuptome - thank you for that post. We aren't perfect and why we beat ourselves up constantly is beyond me. But the great thing is we are here for each other and to encourage each other - I find its much easier to resist cheating if I get on and read some posts. And I keep telling myself - this is the LAST - LAST - LAST diet I am going to be on!!!! My goal for the band is to learn to eat healthy FIRST - then if I want a cookie after I've eaten my protein and vegies - maybe the band will let me have a bite and maybe it won't. But I promise myself that I won't have to diet like this again. Really its crazy - who in their right mind could actually live on protein shakes for any length of time without cheating? I don't care what kind of will power you have its impossible which is why we all know diets fail. I plan on making a lifestyle change - eat healthy, exercise and enjoy life. It is possible and we can all do it!

We're all so proud of you! To us who haven't been banded yet it gives us hope that even if things don't go "perfectly" we can still achieve the goal, which is long term weight loss.

I didn't see the whole thing but hubby called to me when it was on "hey is this what you're getting?" LOL Geesh I love that man! I thought they could have gone into it alittle deeper. Have you seen the new commercials with the lion?

Truth be known - I haven't read a book this month because I'm at this website every spare moment of the day!!!!! I have a stack of books that are begging for my attention but I can't pull myself away from these posts to meet with them. But after I'm banded I will try to spend more time with them.

:welcome: Victoria - nice to have you with us! Glad you could join our excitement!!!

Ariel - why is that the scale is always higher at the doctor? I come home get right on mine and get it to match hers and then the next time I go in its off again? Angyl - I'm glad you're not scared anymore - its funny but we all have days when a bit of nervousness ... am I doing the right thing comes in ... then we are like oh yeah I can't wait... then its ..what if it doesn't work for me... its been an emotional rollercoaster for me for the past month. Laphappy - I forgot to tell you I hope you are feeling better soon. I'm sure you'll be healthy by the 11th.

hey laphappy - we have the same surgery date! I'm being banded by Dr.Marley in Windber Medical Center. I'm so excited! I am online constantly reading posts - I just can't get enough!

Nathalie - LMAO - you are too funny! I never heard such a thing about the DS which btw I have no idea what that stands for - gastric bypass? And calm down - you didn't do anything HORRIBLE so you had a moment of weakness - its ok - and you'll do fine at work - you'll be too busy to even think about food - right? And finally talk to your dr about maybe not being so strict on those three days - whats it gonna hurt. I just ate a rice cake - I felt like I had cheated - good grief! We are human we're gonna mess up but tomorrow is a new day and you did the right thing by getting rid of the cookies - no more temptation.

Hey Beversman - I got sucked into that thread - yikes! I had enough of that! I just don't know why she'd still be on a lapband site when she isn't even banded anymore - oh well it takes all kinds. So Sunshine call your insurance company! You heard how I started some fire under their butts and got approved in one day. It was driving me crazy waiting to get approved so I called the insurance co. and they said they hadn't received anything - I was like NO WAY! So I call the dr and they told me to just give it a few days - the very next morning dr's office called and said the insurance co had called late yesterday afternoon to say I was approved. I'm proof it doesn't hurt to call. You know I actually had to pick up insurance at my job because hubbys said absolutely NO wls at all. Be persistant find a way. I am so ready. I am almost done with day three of the diet from hell - ok so its just the pre-op but it still stinks.. I have found the sf jello is very satisfying. Its not on my list but I figure if I'm still in the 700 range that it should be ok. So I'm not getting my hopes up or anything but I got on the monster this morning and he said I was down 5 lbs. Go figure - 2 days? so this monster in my bathroom has lied to me before so I decided he's not going to be smelling my toes anytime soon. I think I'll hold off weighing myself until I go in for the surgery.

LOL - the margaritas got you going? LOL actually I don't like them, but the girls are do. Btw - when I say neices I'm talking ages of 34 down to 22. Ok so I was in walmart the other day and I saw the magic bullet blender - I put the bug in dh ear hoping santa will bring it to me. My new concoction - chocolate slimfast with a 1/2 c. of frozen raspberries. I loved it - dd said she could still taste the slimfast - beware of the seeds in the bottom of the cup. I've always loved choc/rasp flavor so this was great for me. I still have a couple more cans of slimfast to use up then I'm going to try something better. Tell me your favorites.

Angyl - I can completely understand what you are going through. I have had several surgeries and never a fear until I needed my wrist operated on, I knew what to expect - I'd had 4 surgeries before but suddenly I got this fear of dying from the anethesia - like they would put me under and I wouldn't wake up. My way to get through things is to call on my driver, Jesus, so I went to church and had my pastor anoint me with oil and pray for me and the fear left. I don't know if you are a believer but if you are He can take all your fear. I'll be praying for you.

BKWalling - do you have to lose another 20 lbs by the 12th or another 4 to make the 20? That really stinks! But don't get discouraged you just stick to the diet and it'll happen. I did ww several times and I loved the meetings, I definitely am one who needs a support group, but I never lost more then 20 lbs - I would get so frustrated! Finally I gave up. But I think doing this pre-op that my dr has me on will make me lose weight. I've only had about 500 cal. so far today and know I will only have another 200 before bed. Did your dr give you a diet to follow or just tell you do it?

I haven't had too bad of a day today - I've been busy and that kept my mind off of food. I devised another shake - I took half of a strawberry slimfast and 1/4 cup of skim milk, tsp of splenda and a handful of frozen berries. I blended it all together and it was good, kinda like a sorbet. I have one more to drink yet tonight and I was thinking about using some frozen berries, diet lemon lime soda, a scoop of vanilla whey protein - LOL I feel like a mad scientist - sounds kinda mad too - oh my ... I'm only on day 2 of the pre-op diet! yikes! My blender hasn't seen this much use since my neice was here making margaritas!