Merry Christmas!

[TheFox 0]

Sghat, that rocks! I'm with you. Maintaining is always a problem. Hell, I can't seem to maintain weightloss for a week. I've lost and gained 15lbs this week. (208...204.5...209...202.5) The scale is just toying with my emotions.

Hungry - Where are you flying from, if you don't mind my asking? I'd be flying from Philly and it's kinda pricey.

My Mom is trying to beg me into giving a low carb Atkin's type diet another try before having the surgery. But like we all know, all to well, diet's don't work long term. I can't Atkin's forever and as soon as I stop the pounds will come back...and they'll probably bring some of their friends with it too... Of course, even though she knows it she doesn't want to hear it. I don't know why she thinks that if she struggled with her weight all of her life that I'll be any different. In fact, I'm heavier then she was until she was in her late 40's. In the same conversation where she's trying to get me to do another diet she's telling me how she was always overweight her entire life, struggled to lose, etc. argh.

[TheFox 0]

Don't mean to spam the thread, but I'm closing in on my surgery details. As of right now it looks like I'll be having surgery Dec 28th with Dr. Aceves.

EEP!:faint:

How is everyone else coming along?

[hungryforchange 0]

Glad to see that you are progressing along TheFox. I'm currently looking at a US Doctor that is about 4 hours from me. He does the surgery for $10,000 and that includes 3 fills. I would have to pay for the preliminary test myself though. All in all once you add up all the expenses of travel and what I would have to pay for fills if I went to Mexico, etc the cost difference would be about $500 - $1000 less to go to Mexico.

Now if I do it here in Oregon, my husband and son can come with me and I will only be away from them for a few hours instead of 4 days.

I would not have to stay in the hospital and could rest on my own and would then go back the next morning for a swallow test and could then go home to my own bed. Also, my husband would be doing all of the driving and I would not have to worry about riding with strangers and catching airplanes when I'm not feeling well after the surgery.

I just need to do further research on the doctor to make my final decision.

I'm also looking at pushing the surgery up to the end of November. I just want to get this done and over with.

[sghatl 2]

Another banner week. I lost 3.2 pounds this week. I started gradually adding food back 3 weeks ago and it must have kicked in my metabolism. That's 10 pounds in 3 weeks. I love it.

Just waiting for surgery date now. I see the surgeon again on October 5. I have received all approvals including my insurance company.

[redsaffron 0]

Hi all. I too am looking to be banded in either Dec. or Jan. Cant wait to feel like I have some control. Merry losers sounds like a good name for the Dec. group.

[TheFox 0]

Glad to see that you are progressing along TheFox. I'm currently looking at a US Doctor that is about 4 hours from me.......

Argh! Very jealous of you. I can't find a local doc with any sort of reputation who will do the surgery for anything near what MX will cost me. I expect to spend $9500 on the surgery and fills, and all Doc's around here are twice that. Kirshenbaum is close to that, but I'd still have to cough up extra $$ for airfare and fills. You'd think that living within a day's drive of Chicago, Baltimore, DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston that I'd have better luck.

[RedTulips3 0]

Hey All! I'm planned to have surgery January 9th! There is no thread for January 08 Bandsters, but Dec. is close enough. I can't wait, I'm counting down the days(as you can see from my ticker) I am a full time student so I had no choice but to do it during my break in between semesters.

Sghat, that rocks! I'm with you. Maintaining is always a problem. Hell, I can't seem to maintain weightloss for a week.

I totally understand! The maintaining is the hard part. We always go back to the way we were eating before. Even though I am getting the surgery and I will lose weight, I figured I might as well do something until then. I decided to do a low-carb diet, for many reasons: First because I feel healthy(and I am healthy) when I cut out all the empty carbohydrates and sugar. Second, because it worked well for me before. Third because anything I lose this time and keep off until surgery will be gone forever, unlike the last time I did it and lost 50lbs and then proceeded to gain it all back plus more, because...well...because that's how it goes! You go back to eating the way you did before. Fourthly, I will have less to lose with the band and I will get to my goal weight all the more quickly. It's a great motivation for me to persevere and stick with my diet until January.

Luckily, my brother got the band in August, so he's been a great support and motivation to keep me going until January as well. I'm going to be using the same Doc as him because he had a great experience with him.

Even though we can't post about post-op, fills etc, LBT is a great place to keep us going strong until we join the world of Bandsters. Good luck everyone! Keep it up!

[Hilary 0]

Hi everyone, I hope to be banded in December or January, which are the summer holidays here in Australia. I cannot wait!! I have tried every diet under the sun, but like you said earlier we all know diets don't work long term (or short term for some of us). My surgeon has told me I must not diet or weigh myself before I next see him at end November for my next appt. I guess that is to try to get me out of the diet mentality. Look forward with chatting with you all and comparing notes on our banding journey.

Hilary

(Current weight: 248.6 lbs/113 kg BMI 39)

[brez1015 0]

so ladies, have we decided on a name for our group???

[hungryforchange 0]

My surgery date is set for November 5th so I guess I'll be moving to the November forum.

Good luck to everyone here with your surgeries!

[mendypoo 0]

Hey all! I'm booked for Dec 18th for my surgery. I'm approved with my insurance but I work retail and someone else is already out on medical. So, my xmas present to my self..Surgery! I was told when I first saw the surgen that I had to lose 30lbs before surgey so I've been working on that. I switched to a high Protein with fruit and veggies and anything as natural as possible. Most of the time I do pretty well, and I'm dredding the 10 day liquid diet my doc will have me do before surgery. My goal right now is 2 lbs a week and that will get me to my 30lb weight loss.

Merry losers sounds great to me!!

[sghatl 2]

Wendypoo, good luck with your weight loss goal. I, for one, know how hard that is. I have been dieting since February. Seriously, since the first of June with a liquid diet. It's a long slow process.

I saw the surgeon for my second visit on Friday after I had an upper GI done at the hospital. I signed my consent form while I was there. All my i's have been dotted and t's crossed. I am so ready. I was extremely disappointed when I didn't get a surgery date while in is office. He told me I would but his girl was too busy with patients and won't call me until Tuesday or Wednesday with the actual date. I am planning on December since I have a cruise scheduled the last week of November.

I feel like I can organize my life again when I have a date. I have a lot of planning to do like a trip to Pennsylvania to see my father (either mid-Nov or early Dec). I have to order my Vitamins, Protein shakes, and other meds and helpers. I'm sure y'all know the drill. I guess I will have to decorate for the holidays in November before my cruise.

I got my pre-op instructions. He would like me to continue losing weight and said it would me in surgery. I only have to do two days of a liquid diet before surgery and have some pre-op lab tests at the hospital. My liquid diet will be Clear liquids only for those two day.

Again, good luck.

[mendypoo 0]

I'm kinda glad it's so far out...gives me time to get everything done and wrap my head around the fact that I'm doing this. I've already started eating without drinking, that's the hardest for me. I've always been a long chewer and eat slowly (learned that in 6th grade while in weight watchers and for some reason always stayed with me...)there are soooo many apts to get in before surgery as well...I have to have some labs re-done before surgery because Dr. likes fresh labs, pre-opt appt. with hospt, pre-opt appt with Dr for surgey I still have to get the Dr to fill out my medical forms for work; so I have to give him a couple of weeks for that. I'm a manager at Fred Meyers and it's hard to plan days off in a short time so the long notice will work better. If I had my surgery sooner I wouldn't get paid for the time off in a timely manner. So it's all working out and I'll get Christmas off this year...my family will enjoy that. I plan I taking 4 weeks for recovery, from all that I have read I'm just not clear to how well I'll be able to lift after surgery and I walk a lot at work. Mostly I think I just want the time off.:rolleyes

[sghatl 2]

I have been reintroducing solid food now for 4 weeks. One of things I am trying to do is practice and make a habit out of small bites and chew, chew, chew. I was a very fast eater and tended to gulp down my food. We are opposite in that. I have never drank while I ate. I drink after I am through. I am having to work on waiting to drink too. Going to be hard when eating out with others.

I am retired and will be glad to take all the time I need to heal before having to tackle anything. I may be looking at holiday decorations until February.

[sghatl 2]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I got a surgery date today. I will be banded on December 6 at DeKalb Medical Center in Dectur, Georgia by Dr. Scott Steinberg. I am so excited to have this part of the journey over with. Now I can start the next one - getting ready for surgery.