the countdown begins

[squiggle 1]

i'm all set for my banding on monday morning. i'm not exactly nervous, but there are some dark thoughts swirling around.

in no particular order:

1. what if i don't make it? i'm a single mother with an 8 y/o son. what if i get wheeled away from him and never come back? he's very aware of what's going to be happening. he went with me for my pre-registration at the hospital and was even able to play with an actual band, tube, and port. we did have a talk about what the surgery meant, and how there's always a risk any time you go under. i reassured him that he'd be fine and well taken care of by his father, blah blah blah, and that both myself and my doctor thought that nothing bad would happen to me. (this was a VERY kid friendly conversation, really.) he actually seemed better with the surgery after we talked about what might possibly go wrong. he hugged me and said "i know you'll wake up and come home. i hear that those doctors are real professionals." :faint: that kid has a tremendous capacity to break my heart.

2. what if i didn't follow the pre-op diet correctly and they won't perform the procedure once they get in there? my doc uses a high-Protein, low carb diet for two weeks. day before surgery Clear liquids only, nothing after midnight before. the first week i was WAY great, really really limiting my carbs (way below the 30 grams a day i was allowed) and i could tell that i was dropping weight. this second week, i haven't cheated AT ALL by eating breads or sweets or anything, but i think the carbs have crawled up via nuts and sugarfree popsicles, etc. i'm probably hovering right around 30 grams. am i just freaking myself out and borrowing trouble? should i go all Protein no carb at all tomorrow?

3. what if this whole experiment fails?

i'm probably just thinking about this too much.

[Bettina 0]

Amanda,

Why wouldn't you make it thru surgery? You got the okay...they wouldn't do it if you were in danger of not coming out of it.

If you didn't follow the pre op diet ---they would know before they open you.

This is not an experiment...200,000 bands were done in the US last year...they are quite successful!!! And the GB was too and that is a way worse operation.

Cheer up you will be fine.....no worse than any other non-invasive surgery.

And you survived childbirth, so that should tell you something.

Don't fret, you'll be great!!!!!!

Just remember its a tool and a gift....so treat it nice and you'll be great!!!!!

Your son is gonna be so proud of you!!!

(and so are we!!)

Best Wishes!!

[squiggle 1]

thanks for your response, bettina. i appreciate the feedback.

i guess it's just nerves. still worried about the diet, though.

good luck with your banding!

[henderson925 0]

Amanda,

I was bandedon 8/17/06 and came home this morning. Surgery went well however I did develope some swelling on my right side where the port is they kept me an extra day to make sure it went down. I feel better except I feel really bloated and Im not passing gas or belching I feel like Im 7 months pregnant. Im sure you will be fine. Im a single mom with 2 young kids and I came home safe and sound. Good luck keep in touch

Cher

[Bettina 0]

thanks for your response, bettina. i appreciate the feedback.

i guess it's just nerves. still worried about the diet, though.

good luck with your banding!

I understand . Sounds like its time to treat yourself to some extra help (I am also gonna do this !!) Amazon.com has a few books on lapbanding and a cookbook esp for banding!!! In their search bar just type weight loss surgery or lapbanding - Not too expensive either!)

I'll be thinking about you...let us know how you made out!!!

[Bettina 0]

Amanda, don't worry about swelling its perfectly normal!!!

There is gonna be a camera and tools in there .......if you didn't have swelling to some degree it wouldn't be normal. You'll be great!!!

[Yoda 0]

don't worry Squiggle....all those thoughts and anxietys are perfectly normal!!!!

[JulieNYC 4]

1. what if i don't make it? 2. what if i didn't follow the pre-op diet correctly and they won't perform the procedure once they get in there? 3. what if this whole experiment fails?

Squiggle,

Your concerns are 100% NORMAL and I had the exact same top 3 concerns prior to my surgery. You are doing the right thing -- just get this behind you and you'll be on track for a wonderful new life.

(1) What if you don't make it? OK, the chances of this actually happening are MICROSCOPIC. You've been through all the testing and have been cleared. This is among the safest of all operations performed under general anesthesia. You have confidence in your doctor. That said, what helped me through this concern was planning (even though many think it's over the top given the mere tiny chance of not waking up, it made me feel better to know things were in order). I updated my will, I wrote a letter to my SO (that he only got to read if I didn't wake up), I left a list of financial information for my Mom (bank accounts, significant assets, etc.). My letter to my SO said that I truly believed that this was what I was supposed to do and that I didn't regret it, even if he was reading the letter, but that I regretted not being able to spend our lives together. I told him I was doing this to be able to have the best life together possible. If this approach appeals to you (some find it morbid), maybe write a letter to your son. The only purpose is to give yourself peace in going into surgery, because you WILL wake up.

(2) You followed the diet well enough. I really obsessed on this point too, so I know how you feel! If you went a carb or two over (or even 10), you're still going to have lost weight. I predict you're going to be AMAZED at how much weight you've lost. I started at about your size (a little less in LBS, but I'm only 5'2) and I lost 15 lbs on the pre-op and though I gave it my best effort, I really didn't follow it as closely as I should have. And I still lost 15! It's going to be the same for you. You've done what you can, forgive yourself for the rest, and go into surgery knowing that you trust your surgeon.

(3) Your lapband will not fail. I frequent another bandster group where the leader always answers this question with a curt "you're not that special." The band works -- particularly if you work with it (get your fills, DON'T let yourself stay overfilled, even if you think it means you'll lose faster, because it doesn't mean that, eat healthy foods most of the time). You're starting an amazing journey. I'm so excited for you!

[Elisabethsew 50]

You're going to GREAT and your worries are normal. I was very close to your weight (351 pounds, 5' 2") when I went into surgery but I also have a heart condition and I did fine. ALL surgeries have risks but you're running a risk daily by NOT doing something about your weight.

Explain to your son that he's going to have to help you stay active by making you play games with him and take him to sporting and school events, etc. Before you know it, you'll be PARTICIPATING and no longer just be a spectator.

Good luck with the surgery and update us when you get home.

[Iluvharleys 15]

All the feelings you are having are totally normal. It's always scary to go through major surgery, and yes we all do the what "if's". Try to think about the other side of things, like how much more you can do and play with your children afterwards. Keep busy! Go shopping, for a walk, visit a friend, just stay busy!

Good luck and let us know how you are when you reach bandland! :D

[squiggle 1]

well, i'm home! so, i guess i woke up and did the diet correctly. two out of three down.

i had to spend the night because i'm a high bmi patient, and because i'm on cpap. had an uneventful night; slept a lot, walked a lot, didn't need too much pain medication.

had to do a leak test in the morning, and they made me drink this truly dreadful liquid. tasted like damnation. but that was fine and i was able to start on liquids in the morning.

the pain isn't very bad at all. i've got some gas pain in my side and my shoulder, but it's bearable. my incisions all feel and look good.

the only strange thing is i was given lortab elixer for my prescription. i asked the nurse if i could take one at the hospital to make sure it wasn't going to make me sick, and i started to get a very weird reaction to it. started off as a red spot on my jawline and spread to all over may face and neck. not raised like a hive, but certainly producing heat. so, obviously i'm not going to be filling that script. i just got some extra strength tylenol adult liquid...my pain isn't all that bad, so i think i'll be able to stay on top of it just fine with the otc stuff.

thanks again for all your good words!

[PhotoNut 7]

Welcome to Bandland!

Remember to sip, sip, sip that Water and keep yourself hydrated. Walk when you feel up to it, the more you move around the faster you're going to feel better.

Keep us posted on your journey!

[Bettina 0]

YAY SQUIGGLE!!! Told ya you'd be okay!!! Whoo- Hoo!!!!

[Constance 0]

Yay! Good for you! Uneventful is a GOOD thing when it comes to surgery.

[jumbojet 0]

hi everyone, im kind of new, been trough the insuance ho ha before, i have even been to mexico, on the table with my lapband in sight, when they stoped every thing, thinking i may have a problem with my hart, that was a year ago and i just saw the doc yesterday, looks like this time will be a go, in a month or so,yes i know this is just a tool, but from the people i have talked to and seen the wonderful results, and all of your positive feed back, makes me want nothing but to getter done as soon as possable, yes it sounds like the chalange adjusting to foods will be a on going task for all of us ,but if food was so good or good to us we would not be in this mess ,every one of us have herd our parents say dont let your food go to waste, well all of mine went to my waste, all 330 lbs im looking foward to it, and its grate to have you all to help ,there are so many of you showing fantastic results ,even when it feels like its coming off to slow just remember, now with the lapband this gives us all that extra help to keep reaching our goles, slowly moveing foward never turning back thanks everyone.:clap2: