Calling all A11s!!

[ctarantino 13]

I'd like to introduce myself. I'm 61 years young, a mother of 3, grandmother of 5 perfect grandchildren and I've been married for 41 years. (Probably longer than most of you have been alive out there!) I'm joining here a little early because I am having my surgery Thursday. I've doing 2 weeks pre-op Optifast and have lost 4 lbs in 8 days. No bad, but I had hoped for more. I'm from NC and my grandkids call me GG (georgeous grandmother? or really because our last name starts with a "G").

I have had a weight problem all my life and currently have high blood pressure. When my Dr asked what diets I'd been on I laughed and asked if he had an hour or two! If I don't loose this weight soon I will end up with a lot more co-morbidities like both of my parents. Right now I have pretty bad back, feet and knee problems from arthritis. I had foot and knee surgery last year and lots of my joints are now bone on bone. Not a good thing. I am a breast cancer survivor of 22 years and am very familiar with surgeries, 8 over the last 21 years. I am not really afraid of surgery, just don't like IV's after having had 6 months of chemotherapy. If you are a praying person I'd covet any prayers from you concerning the insertion of the IV on Thursday morning, 7:15 am.. Sometimes they get it the first time, sometime they don't because of my bad veins. I usually get sick in recovery and that's not fun either. My husband and children have always been very supportive and I am a very blessed person, just have this little weight problem. He, of course, is the same size as he was in college and has never been in a hospital except for his tonsils when he was 6. We are OLD!

You younger folks keep up the good work and get that weight off now. It gets harder the older you get. When I had my cancer there was not an internet, just a library and not much there in 1989. It is so neat to have lots of people to share this new venture of mine and I've enjoyed reading and learning on this site for a few weeks. I am looking forward to lots of help for this old grandma!

Hi GG!! You certainly have been through a lot and so happy for you for having the surgery. The recoup is really not that bad and the benefits will outweigh the small pain the first few days.

I have bad veins and the nurse in pre op missed my vein...ooops she wanted to try the other arm..I said NO get someone who knows what they are doing. They then sent in the IV TEAM...had I known there was an IV Team I wouldve called straight for them. Thats the ONLY thing that bothers me cause Im now 10 days post op and I have this GIANT bruise from that pre op nurse that missed.

I will say prayers for you for a good experience and a speddy recovery. Wishing you all the best!!! You will look terrific and be healthier than ever, you will feel it soon the energy, rejuvination, and off your medication soon!!! Good Luck!! Cara

[cakegirl 12]

Yeah, my guy tried one vein, hooked the IV up and the vein collapsed. So then he had to try another - on the same hand though. But that hand is pretty bruised up now!

[LJM 1]

HI .. I WAS BANDED 8/18, SO I AM ON DY 3 OF POST OP, FEELING A LOT BETTER TODAY.HAD REALLY BAD GAS PAINS YESTERDAY, THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMED TO HELP WAS THE MEDS. DONT KNOW IF THEY RELAXED MY STOMACH OR WHAT.. BUTY THEY HELPED.

I AM 28YRS OLD. PRE-OP WEIGTH 215 AND I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I WEIGH NOW.. NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE scale, SINCE I CAN ALREADY SEE IT IN MY FACE!!

[Melissa1978 0]

I was banded 8/10/11!!

http://melissawendland.blogspot.com/

<a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/w9cPCbf/">

<img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w9cPCbf/weight.png" /></a>

[Rebeka McLean 0]

Hi all!

I'm Bekki, I'm 25 - Just banded August 17th. Today is my first day with less gas pain - so excited! Weight at banding: 298pounds

[Mscaramel38 5]

Okay am being banded on August 23rd and I am nervous as heck!!!! I hope that it works. I don't want to do all of this just to lose 20 pounds and have a massive amount of complications.

I am sooooo nervous and scared I don't know what to do!!!

[kristenaz 0]

Sending prayers your way! Good luck.

I'd like to introduce myself. I'm 61 years young, a mother of 3, grandmother of 5 perfect grandchildren and I've been married for 41 years. (Probably longer than most of you have been alive out there!) I'm joining here a little early because I am having my surgery Thursday. I've doing 2 weeks pre-op Optifast and have lost 4 lbs in 8 days. No bad, but I had hoped for more. I'm from NC and my grandkids call me GG (georgeous grandmother? or really because our last name starts with a "G").

I have had a weight problem all my life and currently have high blood pressure. When my Dr asked what diets I'd been on I laughed and asked if he had an hour or two! If I don't loose this weight soon I will end up with a lot more co-morbidities like both of my parents. Right now I have pretty bad back, feet and knee problems from arthritis. I had foot and knee surgery last year and lots of my joints are now bone on bone. Not a good thing. I am a breast cancer survivor of 22 years and am very familiar with surgeries, 8 over the last 21 years. I am not really afraid of surgery, just don't like IV's after having had 6 months of chemotherapy. If you are a praying person I'd covet any prayers from you concerning the insertion of the IV on Thursday morning, 7:15 am.. Sometimes they get it the first time, sometime they don't because of my bad veins. I usually get sick in recovery and that's not fun either. My husband and children have always been very supportive and I am a very blessed person, just have this little weight problem. He, of course, is the same size as he was in college and has never been in a hospital except for his tonsils when he was 6. We are OLD!

You younger folks keep up the good work and get that weight off now. It gets harder the older you get. When I had my cancer there was not an internet, just a library and not much there in 1989. It is so neat to have lots of people to share this new venture of mine and I've enjoyed reading and learning on this site for a few weeks. I am looking forward to lots of help for this old grandma!

[kristenaz 0]

Day 5 here and I am having bad gas pains in my chest and around port area. Seriously feels like a heart attack! Supposed to go back to work tomorrow. Not sure if I can handle teaching a class full of kindergarteners feeling like this. I guess I will have to wait and see how I am feeling. I hear many of you are frustrated with the liquid diet. So am I! Just remember that we agreed to this when we decided to do this. Hope all of you are having a great weekend.

What kind of Protein Powder are you all using? I am looking for some that doesnt have that yucky taste.

[CherieElise 1]

Okay am being banded on August 23rd and I am nervous as heck!!!! I hope that it works. I don't want to do all of this just to lose 20 pounds and have a massive amount of complications.

I am sooooo nervous and scared I don't know what to do!!!

you getting the band to lose just 20 lbs?

[ncgg-5 2]

NCGG, I've also got foot and knee problems. I've got arthritis in my feet, and I hurt a knee wrestling some years back and that required surgery. I am holding out hope that when I lose some weight, the feet won't hurt so much and I might be able to wear pretty shoes!

I am hoping the same thing. I've got it in my feet, back, hands and knees. My back is the worst and there is not a surgery option for it or I'd do it! Surely if I loose the equivalent of my grandson (70 lbs) on my back I'll feel better! Ive got a friend that lost 90 lbs and she said it helped her arthritis. Praying for you!

[ncgg-5 2]

Sending prayers your way! Good luck. Thank you sooo much!

[ncgg-5 2]

Hi GG!! You certainly have been through a lot and so happy for you for having the surgery. The recoup is really not that bad and the benefits will outweigh the small pain the first few days.

I have bad veins and the nurse in pre op missed my vein...ooops she wanted to try the other arm..I said NO get someone who knows what they are doing. They then sent in the IV TEAM...had I known there was an IV Team I wouldve called straight for them. Thats the ONLY thing that bothers me cause Im now 10 days post op and I have this GIANT bruise from that pre op nurse that missed.

I will say prayers for you for a good experience and a speddy recovery. Wishing you all the best!!! You will look terrific and be healthier than ever, you will feel it soon the energy, rejuvination, and off your medication soon!!! Good Luck!! Cara

Thanks so much Cara. I'm so happy you are doing so well and I'm going to ask for that IV team Thursday. Last fall I had foot surgery and after 2 sticks they sent in their "specialist". He was about 35 and so good looking! Of course I have a son 38 but who says I can't look and enjoy a good looking man! I may be old but I'm not dead yet!!!!

[theodoru 0]

Today I felt completely normal all day. No gas pains or bloating. Oddly, for the first time I actually felt a little pain by my port incision. It was probably there all along but was masked by the other pain. I am in day 12. I am still on sick leave tomorrow, but on Tuesday I start on line training for 3 days that I am going to do from home. A couple of other people are doing this training from a training room at work. One other is doing it from home, but works remotely from home all the time because he is in Florida and we are in Connecticut. On Friday I am going back to the office. Until today I could not imagine going back to work and was actually worried about the training.

[ncgg-5 2]

Today I felt completely normal all day. No gas pains or bloating. Oddly, for the first time I actually felt a little pain by my port incision. It was probably there all along but was masked by the other pain. I am in day 12. I am still on sick leave tomorrow, but on Tuesday I start on line training for 3 days that I am going to do from home. A couple of other people are doing this training from a training room at work. One other is doing it from home, but works remotely from home all the time because he is in Florida and we are in Connecticut. On Friday I am going back to the office. Until today I could not imagine going back to work and was actually worried about the training.

So glad to see you're doing better now. I have found sometimes it takes about 2 weeks to start to feel normal after any surgery. You sure have done well with your weight loss! I hope I feel as well after my first 12 days.

[Booboofachi 1]

Hello Dorian here was banded on august 19th.. Still alive drinking my lovely chicken broth n clear drinks every 30 mins 3-4 ozs... I am married to my best friend he and I have been together for 10 years but married for 4. We have 2 children together 5 yr old son n a 2 yr old daughter and my husband has 3 children from his previous marriage, 16, 13, and 12