jenontheband

I'm sure it's fine Melissa and congrats on the banding! It IS a good feeling! I'm home and happy to be done with that part...ONWARD!

congrats vflores! My surgery was fine and I was a cheater too :thumbup: I came clean with them right before but I think because my BMI was pretty low they just went right on ahead with it. I am NOT condoning it...you should always follow your doctor's advice but I just want you to have the facts. I think we need to be truthful so that others can learn from our experience and decide for themselves what to do.

I'm a BANDER...yeah! I posted on the preop board and the surgery day thread for anyone who is curious! Can I just say that I LOVE GasX?!

Okay everyone I am back and didn't die! Imagine that! Below is an account of the surgery day from start to finish...I posted it on the Surgery thread but decided that there may be a few curious August Rushers out there who would like to see it. If not then just skip cause it's LONG! Once again, thank all of you for your support. I think I would have scared myself and backed out if it wasn't for all your positive comments! Happy to be banded!!! "Today was my surgery day. I can't believe I am sitting up and writing this so forgive the spelling errors and the rambling (Vicodin is my friend right now). My surgery day started with a call from the doc last night saying that my surgery time was changed from 7 am to 10 am. I was bummed because I then had to change all of my son's scheduling around AND without letting anyone know why. Everyone was great and no one pried although I am pretty sure they knew something was up. Doesn't matter now since I am now officially ON THE BAND This morning I got up super early and so made corned beef and cabbage for my husband and son (daughter is away at college) by putting it in the crockpot. It was somehow therapeutic to prepare, peel and place all the food inside and know that I would come home smelling the house like I had been cooking even though I hadn't. I don't know what it was but sitting here now I love it. Comforting or something. After that I had a shower and did all the usual stuff. MISSED my coffee but figured the Vicodin with mask the caffeine withdrawals and it did. We got to the hospital right at 8 and had to pay for the anesthesiologist and some last minute paperwork. I had to take a pregnancy test (YIKES if that had been POSITIVE!) However, all was good there and they said all my levels were positive. I then went back to the surgery prep room and changed into gown, calf sleeves and booties. None of these warm fuzzy socks so what's up with that? Anyways, not a big deal. The prep room was small and there were only four other surgeries that day (2 by my doc and I was the first for him). It was quiet and I had two nurses assigned to me full-time. Joanne was the best (not that the other one wasn't - Lee -but Joanne was my main nurse). They were great with my husband which was good cause he gets really freaked around needles and hospitals. He really was so good and supportive and tried hard to hold my hand at all the right moments. I am very lucky to have him. The doc ran late cause he had an emergency so I didn't have surgery till 10:45 am. I don't ever remember a Heparin shot. In all honesty they either forgot or I just didn't remember, which is very possible. I talked more with the anesthesiologist than I did with the surgeon. Everyone was pretty amazed that I had a lower BMI and absolutely no comorbidities, allergies, etc. I write this because I want anyone else who is like me to feel supported. I chose this because my ankles were just starting to swell up in the past year and my varicose veins are nasty and my knees were starting to hurt and I knew that for me, I wanted this done as a preventative measure against all the seconday risks associated with WLS. Anyways, in went the numbing stuff for the IV which STUNG and then the IV. Happy juice followed after. My husband said I wasn't loopy at all and he was worried about that but i told him it just made me press back into the bed, like a heavy blanket was on me, and it took away the stress. Up till that point I was asking the question,, "what would happen if I took these iv things out and took off" and after the shot I was like "Hey let's do it and let's do it now!" No more worries! They wheeled me to the OR and had me slide to the other table and strapped my arms down. They asked me to think of a favorite vacation, my mind was blank and I couldn't do it, and then I was out. The OR was the scariest. It's so official looking with instruments out everywhere and everyone is more serious there. So then I woke up and I was in MAJOR PAIN. I don't want to scare anyone but I want to be true to the experience so there are no surprises for you. It was gas pain and it was in the area just below my sternum. It was in my left shoulder too but not as bad. I was moaning because I couldn't vocalize yet and I couldn't open my eyes at all. I tried but it was barely. The guy finally gave me a shot in the rear but even that barely touched the pain. It was bad. He kept rereminding me that I had begged to go home today and so he was reluctant to give me more. I listened but I think if I could have vocalized more at that point I would have said "F$%^ going home, give me the F$%#ing drugs." It's good I didn't cause I am so happy to be home now. But THEN? Wow. finally he (the recovery nurse) said if I would walk the pain would go away so I told him I want to walk NOW and tried to get off the bed in recovery. He gently pushed me back on, packed up my stuff in a flash and then wheeled me into the surgery prep room again and dropped me off to Joanne. He was a nice guy and even came back to check on me before I went home. He teased me about how different I was by the time I could go home. Poor thing probably deals with that all the time! I almost started crying when I saw my husband but I could see in his eyes that he was so worried and then I knew how bad I must look. I immediately went back to sleep for 1/2 hour. I guess I should throw the times in there. I went in for surg at 10:45. I was out of recovery by 1:15. I walked in the door at home at 4. While in the surg prep room I had to walk and try to eat/drink and do the breathing machine thingy to open up my lungs so no pneumonia. I did these things but very slowly. Oh and also had to pee. Finally I got everything ticked off the list and was ready to go. They wheeled me out and my husband drove me home. (The jello was BAD for me. It hurt and felt solid going down. Terrible. My suggestion is to stick to broth and water and that's it. It hurt!) At home I immediately had two fat free/sugar free popsicles to wet my mouth and get a little sweet into me. I also felt good enough to drink more water. Within minutes I took a nausea pill and a Vicodin (I had ALOT of nausea but no vomiting all day after the surgery). Once the Vicodin kicked in I was out like a light. My husband had stuck a heating pad on my back and I SLEPT. I felt better when I woke up which was 1 1/2 hours ago. Now I can feel my stomach again and the soreness so I am about to walk again and then maybe more Vicodin :thumbup: I hope this helps with the journey for all of you. I am also on youtube with jenontheband and you can google me. I am going to do a video tomorrow which will be much of this same stuff but hey, you can see what I look like Thanks again for this community! Your support has been a blessing in my life!

Today was my surgery day. I can't believe I am sitting up and writing this so forgive the spelling errors and the rambling (Vicodin is my friend right now:thumbup:). My surgery day started with a call from the doc last night saying that my surgery time was changed from 7 am to 10 am. I was bummed because I then had to change all of my son's scheduling around AND without letting anyone know why. Everyone was great and no one pried although I am pretty sure they knew something was up. Doesn't matter now since I am now officially ON THE BAND:tt2: This morning I got up super early and so made corned beef and cabbage for my husband and son (daughter is away at college) by putting it in the crockpot. It was somehow therapeutic to prepare, peel and place all the food inside and know that I would come home smelling the house like I had been cooking even though I hadn't. I don't know what it was but sitting here now I love it. Comforting or something. After that I had a shower and did all the usual stuff. MISSED my coffee but figured the Vicodin with mask the caffeine withdrawals and it did. We got to the hospital right at 8 and had to pay for the anesthesiologist and some last minute paperwork. I had to take a pregnancy test (YIKES if that had been POSITIVE!) However, all was good there and they said all my levels were positive. I then went back to the surgery prep room and changed into gown, calf sleeves and booties. None of these warm fuzzy socks so what's up with that?:thumbup: Anyways, not a big deal. The prep room was small and there were only four other surgeries that day (2 by my doc and I was the first for him). It was quiet and I had two nurses assigned to me full-time. Joanne was the best (not that the other one wasn't - Lee -but Joanne was my main nurse). They were great with my husband which was good cause he gets really freaked around needles and hospitals. He really was so good and supportive and tried hard to hold my hand at all the right moments. I am very lucky to have him. The doc ran late cause he had an emergency so I didn't have surgery till 10:45 am. I don't ever remember a Heparin shot. In all honesty they either forgot or I just didn't remember, which is very possible. I talked more with the anesthesiologist than I did with the surgeon. Everyone was pretty amazed that I had a lower BMI and absolutely no comorbidities, allergies, etc. I write this because I want anyone else who is like me to feel supported. I chose this because my ankles were just starting to swell up in the past year and my varicose veins are nasty and my knees were starting to hurt and I knew that for me, I wanted this done as a preventative measure against all the seconday risks associated with WLS. Anyways, in went the numbing stuff for the IV which STUNG and then the IV. Happy juice followed after. My husband said I wasn't loopy at all and he was worried about that but i told him it just made me press back into the bed, like a heavy blanket was on me, and it took away the stress. Up till that point I was asking the question,, "what would happen if I took these iv things out and took off" and after the shot I was like "Hey let's do it and let's do it now!" No more worries! They wheeled me to the OR and had me slide to the other table and strapped my arms down. They asked me to think of a favorite vacation, my mind was blank and I couldn't do it, and then I was out. The OR was the scariest. It's so official looking with instruments out everywhere and everyone is more serious there. So then I woke up and I was in MAJOR PAIN. I don't want to scare anyone but I want to be true to the experience so there are no surprises for you. It was gas pain and it was in the area just below my sternum. It was in my left shoulder too but not as bad. I was moaning because I couldn't vocalize yet and I couldn't open my eyes at all. I tried but it was barely. The guy finally gave me a shot in the rear but even that barely touched the pain. It was bad. He kept rereminding me that I had begged to go home today and so he was reluctant to give me more. I listened but I think if I could have vocalized more at that point I would have said "F$%^ going home, give me the F$%#ing drugs." It's good I didn't cause I am so happy to be home now. But THEN? Wow. finally he (the recovery nurse) said if I would walk the pain would go away so I told him I want to walk NOW and tried to get off the bed in recovery. He gently pushed me back on, packed up my stuff in a flash and then wheeled me into the surgery prep room again and dropped me off to Joanne. He was a nice guy and even came back to check on me before I went home. He teased me about how different I was by the time I could go home. Poor thing probably deals with that all the time! I almost started crying when I saw my husband but I could see in his eyes that he was so worried and then I knew how bad I must look. I immediately went back to sleep for 1/2 hour. I guess I should throw the times in there. I went in for surg at 10:45. I was out of recovery by 1:15. I walked in the door at home at 4. While in the surg prep room I had to walk and try to eat/drink and do the breathing machine thingy to open up my lungs so no pneumonia. I did these things but very slowly. Oh and also had to pee. Finally I got everything ticked off the list and was ready to go. They wheeled me out and my husband drove me home. (The Jello was BAD for me. It hurt and felt solid going down. Terrible. My suggestion is to stick to broth and Water and that's it. It hurt!) At home I immediately had two fat free/sugar free popsicles to wet my mouth and get a little sweet into me. I also felt good enough to drink more water. Within minutes I took a nausea pill and a Vicodin (I had ALOT of nausea but no vomiting all day after the surgery). Once the Vicodin kicked in I was out like a light. My husband had stuck a heating pad on my back and I SLEPT. I felt better when I woke up which was 1 1/2 hours ago. Now I can feel my stomach again and the soreness so I am about to walk again and then maybe more Vicodin I hope this helps with the journey for all of you. I am also on youtube with jenontheband and you can google me. I am going to do a video tomorrow which will be much of this same stuff but hey, you can see what I look like:w00t: Thanks again for this community! Your support has been a blessing in my life!

Okay so here it goes, whether I'm freaked out or not, it's going to happen!!! I'll let you know what happens as soon as I can!

Sorry Kurby, I think I freaked you out with my own freak out:) You know what I think, here only 11 hours from my surgery? I think that if you are a serious, intelligent and dependable? is that the word? kind of a person then you are really going to weigh these things and think them out over and over. I honestly think that is what most of us lap-banders (or lap-banders to be) are. We are doing this to take control of our lives. We are doing this to prevent WORSE health issues. We are doing this to extend our lives and make them ever so much better or the people we have in them. I can't make you not be scared, but I can tell you that I am absolutely sure that this is the best decision I have made for myself and my family in a very long time. I am showing them how to live. At least, that is what I hope. Good night Kurby. Get some sleep, you have a big day coming up.

Well I did make it to the night before my surgery and only my husband, 2 children and one close friend know. They were the only ones I planned on telling and so now I have done that. I will say that it was good for me to do it that way. I needed to do this for me and be clear in the head and not have everyone else's thoughts pouring into my head. For the future, I don't know. I think the biggest hurdle was getting through the surgery and now I know I will do it tomorrow without anyone holding me back. My only other hurdle is work. I really don't want the people there to know, but then what do you do when three people at work are you closest friends? Again, something to think about. I don't feel guilt about it anymore. I feel like I took control and did it my own way. So that's it for now...as for shakes, the vanilla ones make me barf too! I'll let you know how the surgery was as soon as I'm up to it!

Tomorrow I am officially on this side of August Rush! Here I come....

I am banding tomorrow...wish me luck!

Well I guess it's my turn....I'm getting banded tomorrow, 8/11, at 10 a.m. I'm nervous, worried, excited, stressed. I just don't like hospitals and I HATE feeling sick/injured/etc. I just want to get past this part to the good part. Cross your fingers for me....I need it!

If it makes you feel any better, I'm freaking out right along there with you. Tomorrow is my big day too. I'm happy to be doing it and feeling lucky that I finally can but freaking out all the same!

Nice to hear how you are doing! Remember to join the August Rush thread on the postop side. Great support there! Congrats!

Here is a quote of mine from one of the other forums: I fight with [the binging] urge every time something emotional happens...loneliness, anger, frustration...you name it I eat. I remember getting into a fight with my husband over something dumb many years ago and we were sitting in a car in front of a cafe and I told him that this fight was making me want to walk right over to the cafe and buy a pumpkin pie and eat the whole thing right there. It was at that moment that I realized what an emotional issue this was for me. So I am wondering from some of you more experienced post lap band surgery patients out there...what do you do now when you feel that urge to emotionally binge and you can't anymore?

Thanks everyone! Great info!

I'm getting banded Wed, the 11th, and I'm stressed and nervous but excited too. I just want this part to be done with and to get on with the rest of my life. It will be so much better when this big "surgery" isn't looming out there. Will Thursday ever come?

Starting to freak out so it's nice to get the well-wishes! Thanks Diane! I'll be thinking of you AFTER:) Jen

Diane, mine's at 7 am. I wanted it over as early in the morning as they would do it! I wanted NO chance of having to stay in the hospital if I didn't have to!

Hi ladies, I was skulking around over here on the post-op side since I will be here myself in three days. I'm glad to find this thread. I, too, have worried about this "loss" part of it. food has been a friend and such a comfort when the loneliness or stress hits. I know I am giving up so much when I get banded on Wed. However, I know that for myself I have to remember that I am also taking such a proactive choice for myself. I can't let go of this "friend" any other way that I have found in the last 3 decades and I know that this is what I have to do. So, I am now very much looking forward to the lapband because I know that this tool will help me to let go of this "friendship." I hope this helps put a different perspective on it. You all are my heros since you have already done what I am just trying to do. Hang in there, I just know it's the beginning of something so great that we are all choosing to do with our lives!

Welcome Diane! You and I are getting banded the same day. Getting nervous? I'm starting too but excited as well! Good luck!

Amber, Melissa and Amanda, Thank you so much for posting! I go in this coming Wednesday and although I am nervous, I am so LESS nervous because of your updates. I can only hope that mine goes as smoothly! Thank you again!

Jamelyn, You will have to change your signature now...you ARE banded...not getting banded! Congrats!

I like that you all are talking about the emotional and psychological effects. I think those changes are my biggest concern. The physical side of it seems like all positives to me. The emotional/psychological seems more like a huge unknown. It's good to hear you talk about it. Thanks for sharing.

Froggie D, It's nice to read you story. I see all these people losing so much weight prior to surgery and I am realizing now that I will be lucky to keep my 7 pounds off. I am focusing as much as I can but I will tell you that preop just sucks. Anyways, glad to hear you have done so well postop! Thanks for sharing,