November Bandsters!!!

[RaleighGal 4]

I am excited to be a November Banster too I was fortunate to get my surgery for November 17th (my birthday). This is the begining of the new me!!! I am so lucky to have found this amazing site...the support is fantastic! Good luck to all the other November Bansters out there, may you have a life time of great success!

[bander11 0]

I hope all is well and please post your experience as soon as you are up to it for all of us that will follow you in the next couple of days - weeks.

I will be banded tomorrow! I've lost 10 lbs so far just from the pre-op diet. Nov. 3rd is going to be the start of my new life! So excited to see what the future holds

[rdobbs69 0]

Thank you so much for your inspiration Cheri ! I for one needed to hear all of that plus some. What a great note for all of us on this road to a new and better life. I would really enjoy talking to you if i have questions or issues if you would be willing to listen. Please add me on Facebook or either my email rhondadobbs69@yahoo.com and really thanks again !

So sorry I had no idea I had wriiten that much . . . sorry!

Cheri

[Olie O 0]

I'm November !5th! Wow, this came so fast! So excited!

[lisa_marieg 3]

Hi all

A quick up date, I had my surgery at 1030 this morning and I am feel good. The incisions were tiny and I immediately took some gas-x strips when I got home to help with the air they pumped in my abdomen during surgery. I still have a little discomfort in my left shoulder and a heating pad seems to help. The incisions were sealed with dermabond so not stitches or staples so it is much more manageable. I am taking some liquid hydrocodine that was prescribed for pain too. Maybe that's why I feel good! Lol. If you have had your gallbladder taken out, this procedure will be a cake walk. I had mine removed about 4 years ago and was in much more pain. Please ask me any questions I forgot to address. I will snap a pic of my wounds and post them on my profile shortly.

I hope all is well and please post your experience as soon as you are up to it for all of us that will follow you in the next couple of days - weeks.

[lisa_marieg 3]

Hi all

A quick up date, I had my surgery at 1030 this morning and I am feel good. The incisions were tiny and I immediately took some gas-x strips when I got home to help with the air they pumped in my abdomen during surgery. I still have a little discomfort in my left shoulder and a heating pad seems to help. The incisions were sealed with dermabond so not stitches or staples so it is much more manageable. I am taking some liquid hydrocodine that was prescribed for pain too. Maybe that's why I feel good! Lol. If you have had your gallbladder taken out, this procedure will be a cake walk. I had mine removed about 4 years ago and was in much more pain. Please ask me any questions I forgot to address. I will snap a pic of my wounds and post them on my profile shortly.

I hope all is well and please post your experience as soon as you are up to it for all of us that will follow you in the next couple of days - weeks.

[A.Cupcake 0]

I had mine done yesterday at around 8:15AM. Arrived at hospital around 5:45AM. Prepped and ready by 7:45.

Stayed overnight. Had the pain pump until 8AM this morning. It was fine but made me feel really loopy.

I have moderate discomfort in my stomach and have some difficulty getting in/out of bed.

I was walking around after surgery yesterday, ate broth/jello in the evening and Jello before I left hospital today.

At home I have had only Water and carnation instant Breakfast.

I'm ordering a heading pad and more gas-x thing strips from Amazon. I didn't realize you take 1-3 for each dose.

I will say I underestimated the amount of pain/discomfort I would feel. I assumed I'd be all up and about by today for sure. This is not the case!!

Good luck to everyone with surgeries coming up!!

[Britneygirl 65]

I will be banded tomorrow!!! I'm not excited anymore. I'm now scared. I think it's my nerves more than anything else. This has been a long journey for me. I started in 2009 and got the ball rolling but then lost my job and couldnt go forward. I was unemployed and gaining so much more weight. Which needless to say lead to deep depression. Until last November I got a call for a job that I never applied for. They found my resume on caljobs website. I took the minimum wage job just for the fact that I was offered medical benefits after 90 days. A bell rang in my head and told me to take the job and get the surgery I wanted 1 year before. I took it and have been there to Celebrate my year anniversary And what a gift to myself. Im doing this to Start a brand new life that will help bring me back to the happy beautiful girl I once was before. I am dying to break free from this horrible body and let my new Life begin. Lol. I'm almost there. Wish me luck.

[54Shirley 105]

When I was on my way to surgery, We stopped right outside the room, and I was asked "ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW LIFE !" I never gave it a thought, and "YES!" popped clean out. I never regretted it.....

I know it's nerve racking, and scary, and a lot of emotions all rolled into one.

But trust me when I tell you, that I have had Dental Surgery, that was far more painful ! That's the Truth !

Try to Relax, and take care of your last minute things, make some calls, keep busy.

Tomorrow, you start a whole new life.

Congrats.

Shirley.

[depressed_bandster 72]

I too was banded yesterday morning! I am so excited! I do have some discomfort from the gas...wish I'd known about the gas-x strips. I will have my daughter get me some when she gets home this afternoon, that is the only pain I am in. BUT not enough pain to make me regret it! I'm excited to start this journey of being healthy and looking good and feeling good about myself again! I have been walking around every few hours, which seems to help with the discomfort. Thanks for sharing about the gas-x strips!

Hi all

A quick up date, I had my surgery at 1030 this morning and I am feel good. The incisions were tiny and I immediately took some gas-x strips when I got home to help with the air they pumped in my abdomen during surgery. I still have a little discomfort in my left shoulder and a heating pad seems to help. The incisions were sealed with dermabond so not stitches or staples so it is much more manageable. I am taking some liquid hydrocodine that was prescribed for pain too. Maybe that's why I feel good! Lol. If you have had your gallbladder taken out, this procedure will be a cake walk. I had mine removed about 4 years ago and was in much more pain. Please ask me any questions I forgot to address. I will snap a pic of my wounds and post them on my profile shortly.

[Linna 1]

Hi all. I am right now on my way to my pre op date with the doc. I am nervous. This process has been like dream. I am worried that there will be something wrong and it will be pushed back from the 8th. Wish me luck!

[Angela the Breeder 1]

Wow Cheri,

These are awesome words that couldn't come at a better time. I am scheduled to get banded on the 29th of November. Everyone in my life is fit and trim. It's like I have built my own private country within some other one. I'll be sure to utilize my optimum losing months wisely.

Angela

November is the month of my birthday. I have been banded for over 2 years down 84 lbs. I love my LapBand and will always be happy I to decided to do this. I thought I might give you all some advice even though you did not ask for it and I am not a November Bandster but its something I wish I had known when when I got banded.

The surgery is not bad, and the recovery time for most is very short. I think you need to go into this already knowing you will be hungry for about a month afterwards. You will not die if you feel some hunger pains. But if you go into it with the mindset that it is only one month out of your life. You can spend this time getting ready to really lose weight.

The first 6 months to a year is when most people lose the most weight. You are getting banded right before the holidays it is a hard time since people make everything about food during the holidays. I tell you it is a must that you do not give in to temptation, be strong and see food as what it is just food. It does not mean you can not enjoy the holidays just because you can not have "All you can Eat" on all the food. I do not know about all of you but I can not just have a little of a food that I should not be eating so stay away from it one bite and it can start you on a roll.

Be as strict as you can during that first year eat only what your are suppose to and work your butt off once you get an okay, but remember you do not need an okay to walk. You will see the weight drops pretty steady the first year and then it slows and for some people it really stops. I wish I would have worked out more during that time period. I did workout but and extra 30 minutes could have pushed me along faster. But if you are not careful the holidays can really hamper your losing from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve. that is 2½ months of peak losing you time could miss out. There will be plenty of years of holidays to come, by next year you will be ready to face the holidays and know how the whole band thing works.

Also something seemed to happen to me and a couple of my banded friends about the 6 month post op, we had drop a lot of weight and we kinda dropped the ball on our diet. It was like we rewarded ourselves with food for being so good the first 6 months (What were we thinking.) Some of us gained some weight and that really upset the ones who gained. Also it is not always easy to get back on track when you give in to the bad eating habits. I need to lose another 15 lbs and I have been playing with that for a good six months. I know that if I would just step up my exercise it would take just a couple of months. I have made a promise to myself that this holiday season is not gonna be about food. Yeah, we have to eat, but not pie, cake, rolls, Cookies, etc. figure out another way to not make food be the center of the Holidays you will be so happy when it is New Years Day and everyone is wanting to lose you will be so far ahead. Since most who post here will be getting banded in November (unless some other crazy like me invades your thread) you should make at least one contact and exchange e-mails or phone numbers and get that add touch of support. I met a lady on these boards and she was banded 2 days after me and we met for coffee alot and we talked on the phone everyday or text each other. Then you are with someone in the same stage you are. Do not compare yourself with each other on pounds lost or fill amount as everyone is different, just support each other because nobody will understand you like someone who is going through the same thing.

Also stay on these boards for support too and find a support group you can attend in person. I always hated when the support group meeting is over. Also I would find you a couple of books that deal with the LapBand as when you really need some support or understanding you can read them. (amazon has some great ones I have about 5 )One last point always listen to your surgeon over what you read or someone says on these boards. Sometime you have to decide what is best for you, but always follow your Doctors rules. You trusted he/her to cut you open and mess with your inside listen to them. If you think at some point you surgeon is wacko find a new one. We all have to remember food is food it is NOT our friend, or a shoulder to cry on and getting something you know you should not when you are sad, upset. That is when you should workout. Oh and how can I not tell you all what you have heard or been told "The band is just a tool" it does not control what you stick in your mouth, drink all your Water and just my opinion never touch Ice cream in your peak losing time as it takes only one bite to get you hooked as it goes down smooth and taste so good and will become a habit just because of those reasons Also chew, chew and chew some more.

This time next year you will be wearing your pretty, smaller clothes looking good and feeling great. I believe in prayer and before I sign my name to this I am going to pray for all of the Novermber Bandsters to have and great surgery, short recovery time, courage during the holdays and a great band experience. YOU CAN DO IT. starting picking your buddy now, buy your books and go for it!

Cheri

[abc123 0]

I was banded November 1st!!

[A.Cupcake 0]

I cannot for the life of me get rid of these terrible hiccups!!!

[abc123 0]

I was banded November 1st!!