March 2007 Bandsters

[Mommy202 0]

I wanted to start a thread for those of us who are waiting "with bated breath" for our surgeries in March.

I am supposed to start Optifast on February 26th. I am currently waiting for the shipment, including my surgical package to be delivered. Once I get my package I am supposed to call the clinic.

Ever since committing to this surgery (which I am paying for myself via a personal loan) I have been obsessed with reading everything I can about it and about people who have had it. I am still kind of hoping for some kind of "divine word" about whether or not it is the right thing for me to do.

I am "only" 75 lbs over my ideal weight but am type II diabetic. I am trying to figure out if my reason for doing this is my health or my vanity or a combination of both. The diabetes needs to be gone (when I am 20 lbs lighter it is gone) but I am sure looking forward to losing the weight and actually keeping it off for more than 20 minutes...

[Sophie248 0]

Thanks for starting this thread! The feelings you describe are exactally what I'm going through - it's crazy. I am trying to stay strong in my decision and wait patiently, but am also torturing myself by obsessively reviewing information and searching for that sign that this is absolutely right or wrong for me.

I am hoping all will be approved through my insurance with no problems (Federal BCBS). My Dr. didn't think there would be a problem at all. I have high blood pressure, and have all my adult life - with my weight fluctuating 185-225. I don't need my HBP meds when my weight is in the lower range, but it is getting much harder for me to maintain/lose because of all the yrs of yo-yo dieting. I also want to look good again. I don't think we should feel guilty about wanting both - to be healthy and to look good. We deserve it!

I'm going to be doing Medifast 1 week pre-op. My surgeon wanted me to do low carb Slimfast, but I can't stand the stuff (yuck)! The nutritionist said anything high protein/low carb & fat will work. I really like the flavor of the Medifast products and they have a lot of Protein too, so I will continue to do it post-op also. I havn't tried the Optifast. What is it like?

Stay strong - I know deep down this will be the right decision for me (I'm a binge and emotional eater - and this will force me to finally deal with this issue and stop these sabatoging behaviors). Getting through these next several weeks will most definately be an emotional challenge!

[Mommy202 0]

Sophie,

thank-you for replying. It is nice to have someone in the same boat (kind of a misery loves company thing maybe!). I am also a binge and emotional eater. Unfortunately I am also a purger (see bulimia post) and struggle with how that is going to tie in as well. We are very similar in that even our weights are. I see your goal is 155 - how tall are you. My goal is 140 and I am 5'4. In dealing with your issues are you seeing a therapist at all? I am but I do have more issues - the purging.

Keep in touch and hopefully some more March people with check in here as well

[TracyinKS 7]

HELLO!!!!!!! I started the feb thread when I thought I would FOR SURE be banded in February.. NOT SO...

I still don't have a date, but I know that the hospital I need to go to is alredy booked through March 8th....

Add me to the list please!

I've had my psych eval and my nutrition assement, now I'm waiting on letters from them to my docs office so that they can submit to insurance.

[Glogirl 0]

My surgery is in March...March 5th. I am still a little nervous too. I was waiting on ins. They denied first then we resubmitted and they approved so it was not fun while waiting....Iwas so nervous and unsure while waiting that I finally just said..OK lord I am giving this up to you if you want me to do this you are going to clear away the obstacles (ie insurance approval and my fears) and until then I am going to be a positive and proactive with my health...next day they called and said my inusrance approved it. There was a mistake in the original paper work. Don't know if any of you are religious but if you are prayer can help.

Thanks for starting the thread hopefully we can support each other and make it through. I start my pre-op diet Feb. 15! My Birthday is this weekend so I am feeling like one last hooray before my life makes a change.

You with regards to eating disorders I have one I am bulimarexic (not sure of spelling but it means both) Mostly right now I am a binge eater. I was never a purger as in vomiting. I asked my doc why would this work for me when nothing else has...He said because when you make a mistake it will be small because you will only have a small stomach. That really helped me.

Hope to hear from all of you soon.

[Mommy202 0]

Quote "Don't know if any of you are religious but if you are prayer can help"

AMEN to that. I am a firm believer in a higher power and the power of prayer. I think that giving our lives over to that higher power is going to be a crucial step in our success (those of us who believe). This is particularly true when we have eating disorders and are "addicts".

One of the ways that I try to deal with my stress and emotional eating is by trying to keep things in perspective and remembering that God has his hand on all aspects of my life. I have a sign on my printer that reads "I am too blessed too be stressed" the second part of that saying is "and I am too annointed to be disappointed" The Stress part is most relevant to me - I am a lawyer. Also my pastor says that sometimes we eat because we are trying to fill a hunger that only God can fill. I am working on this and trying to have more faith and to give things over to God. However, this is much easier to preach than it is to practice!

I would be interested in hearing what other peoples thoughts are on were God plays in on our issues.

[Sophie248 0]

Great to see more people joining! Welcome Tracy - sorry you have had all this waiting time - Stay patient! What insurance do you have?

Glogirl, You're story is amazing and truly a testimate to your faith - and your prayer was answered the next day even! I'm feeling better able to leave things in God's hands lately - but during my initial phases of coming to terms with this decision, I was having a bit of a power struggle with God.

Mommy202, My height is 5'6" and I really would be happy with 165, but I set my goal at 155 so that it's in the "healthy" range. I just ordered two books online - "The Taming of the Chew" and "Body Clutter" - to help me deal with my food issues. Lots of people on here say you should start working on the emotional side before getting the surgery - and these books were recommended. No therapy at this point (small town and not comfortable with services/providers here). I agree that we often times neglect our spiritual needs, which causes another void in our lives that we try to fill with food. I plan to have a holistic approch to this process - the band meeting the physical needs, working on the emotional part through self-help books, exercising my physical body, and furthering my spiritual development. I'm so glad our group will be here to support all of these areas!

[Sophie248 0]

I forgot to mention - I met with my primary Dr. yesterday - and she was very supportive of me getting the surgery! I was worried that she wouldn't be. She told me that one of her friends had the surgery and is doing very well. She wants to see me in 5 months because she doesn't think I'll need my blood pressure meds after that due to the weight loss I will experience! wow!!

[TracyinKS 7]

Hello fellow March bandsters! Work is a bit crazy right now.. so I'll just post a quickie to bump

[Mommy202 0]

I posted about another book on a different thread called "the right weigh" I will try to remember to get the author and post it tomorrow. It has meditations, exercises and some really good tips about healthy eating which are directed less at giving us yet another diet to follow and more on helping us to really internalize and put into place the goals and ideal we all have first thing in the morning right before we head to Tim Hortons and forget about them.

[TracyinKS 7]

Hello ladies (and all that follow)

I'll start the list, but if I get bumped to April, I SWEAR I'm going to stop making lists! LOL (as I have done that for the Feb Thread) :faint:

Here we go......

Sophia248 - 3/5

GloGirl - 3/5

Mommy202 - 3/12

TracyinKS - Pending

[Mommy202 0]

Thanks Tracey! My date is scheduled for March 12. You indicate that you are an "expert at regaining lbs". Me too. This makes me afraid that the the band will be the same thing. You have been waiting for a long time - do you ever have second thoughts.

[TracyinKS 7]

Mommy202... yes, I have lost 80 lbs 4 times in my adult life... the last 3 were adhering to a strict low carb diet. I have hypo thyroid and PCOS.. so for me the Low Carb is what helped SO MANY things..... but something would happen and I would go off plan and then it would spiral til I was all the way back up and this last time was no exception.....

I have thought long and hard about the band, and it took me a year of debating it in my head before I really decided to go for it. I was really ticked off that I just couldn't maintain a loss on my own. So, for ME I view the band as a FORCED committment to a LC way of eating WOE.

Protein First, Veggies Second, Carb 3rd.......

Yes, I know I will be able to eat around the band, but I KNOW what my body needs.. so I believe I will be fine.. most of my problem is VOLUME, and the band will help with that too.....

I am the first person in my Real Life that will have a band. I do have 2 friends that went the bypass route (now 2 and 4 years) post op.. I always knew that surgery wasn't for me..........

Lemme see.... I am 37, divorced in 2002 but with a great guy now going on 2 years... we share a life and kids but not married.. I have a son who is now 3 and the light of my life.. although he is often to smart for his own britches... I think my light bulb moment was at his skating party I could not get up off the floor of the rink without help (I was in skates, and on one knee to tie his laces) I was humiliated and p.o.'d!!!!!!!

I want to be the active mom not the "let mommy rest" mom.... so here I am with baited breath (as you said it perfectly) waiting for a surgery date, so that the rest of my life can begin!

[Mommy202 0]

Well, I might not be getting banded on March 12 after all. On the advice of some of the people on this board and my husband I 'fessed up and told the nurse about being bulimic. She is going to have hte Doctor call me to see if surgery can procceed as planned. If he says no maybe I will take that as a sign it is not meant to be. I have been agonizing over this decision.

I am just so frustrated. I don't want to be a Goddess, or a model or a perfect size 6. I just want to have energy and to feel "normal" not like I am either depriving myself or eating myself into an early grave. I'm scared that I won't be able to do this on my own and that my diabetes is going ot either kill or maim me. I am scared that if I don't do something I am going to keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger.... I am scared that I will spend the money on the band and still not lose and still get bigger and bigger and bigger....

I want to be able to run with my children and ride my horse without feeling that there is some question about who exactly should be wearing the saddle. I want to be able to get on my horse without having to use a stool. I want to have sex with my husband without having to be self conscious about what my fat is doing and what noises it is making.

I want to cry.

[TracyinKS 7]

Mommy202: oh hun...... I'm sorry, but I have to agree.. you need to work on your eating disorder... Let us know how it goes.