Anyone else getting cold feet?

[Shamrockgirl60 1]

Right now I can't wait for this to happen. I am so wanting it "right now". Waiting for approval, with BCBS in MA and two co-morbidities...Sleep Apnea and Type 2 Diabetes I shouldn't have a problem. My BMI is 39.

I think the closer to surgery day (August 7th) I get I might get a bit scared. But then again

I think how cute I am going to be LOL in a year.

Most important thing now is hubby is having Open heart surgery on July 14th to replace his aortic valve. He has no other heart disease or artery problems thank heavens. He will be out of hospital for 2 weeks when I have my surgery. My daughter who lives with us with her fiance' and baby will be a big help with driving us to the hospital. I have all my pre-op meetings before his surgery which is great. We are going to the same hospital and they are coordinating appointments to make it all easier for both of us.

Everyone feels something like fright before any surgery it's normal.

But think ahead to how great your going to feel and look.

[kimaly 57]

Sorry to hear about your hubby, you have alot to deal with right now. It's a good thing the kids are there to help ya'll. I'll put you both in my prayers, I'm self pay, I guess the good thing about that is I didn't have to go through all the stuff so many of you have to quailfy. Just the right BMI and a medical questionair. OH and the blasted money. But no hassle. Just wanted to let you know I like your atitude. thx for the advise,I do think about what i'm gonna look like, I keep telling my hubby that i'm gonna look better at 50 than I ever did 30!

[Altoonasoup 0]

Ok, now I'm nervous. They called me to say that my insurance will cover this. I should be happy. But all I feel is nervous. My feet are not so cold that I plan to back out, but I sure could use some socks!

I went to see my general doctor today, and she was very supportive. She said I will have to have a stress test before surgery, so she is scheduling it for me. So now I'm thinking, What if I fail the stress test? What if I don't give the right answers on the Psych evaluation? What if I don't qualify for the surgery? What if what if what if... This is not my normal personality. I've had other surgeries, but this is the first one I've asked for.

I know I'm blessed with a wonderful support system. My husband tells me that I will be a great success at this. My mother , my sisters, my son and daughter-in-law, my nieces, my doctor, this forum are all supportive.

So what's happened to my normal confidence?

Worst of all my surgeons are so busy that they say it will probably be September before I'm actually banded. I don't want to feel this way for the next 3 months! :thumbup:

[SSB812 0]

Hello everyone. I just found this site tonight and I'm glad already. Thanks so much for all the info. I have an appointment with my Primary Care Dr to see if she'll recommend me and I'm nervous as can be. I mean I have a couple of med problems and I'm definitely morbidly obese but I still worry about having all the right answers.

I'm not for sure if I'm posting right. Sorry if I did it wrong but can someone tell me what a fill is?

[orea15 0]

Altoona, I think we all go through this. I worry about uncovering a health problem, too. As for the psych evaluation, all they need to find out is if you are rational, know what you are doing in terms of getting into this, can you follow directions, etc. Nothing more than that. Don't worry!

I think because this surgery can mean so much in terms of our quality of life, because it is the kind of answer we prayed for...well, speaking for myself, it's scary to get my hopes up about this just in case they are dashed yet again.

Most of my preop testing is next week, so that will be another hurdle I'll be glad to get past.

Orea

Ok, now I'm nervous. They called me to say that my insurance will cover this. I should be happy. But all I feel is nervous. My feet are not so cold that I plan to back out, but I sure could use some socks!

I went to see my general doctor today, and she was very supportive. She said I will have to have a stress test before surgery, so she is scheduling it for me. So now I'm thinking, What if I fail the stress test? What if I don't give the right answers on the Psych evaluation? What if I don't qualify for the surgery? What if what if what if... This is not my normal personality. I've had other surgeries, but this is the first one I've asked for.

I know I'm blessed with a wonderful support system. My husband tells me that I will be a great success at this. My mother , my sisters, my son and daughter-in-law, my nieces, my doctor, this forum are all supportive.

So what's happened to my normal confidence?

Worst of all my surgeons are so busy that they say it will probably be September before I'm actually banded. I don't want to feel this way for the next 3 months! :thumbup:

[sparker1 0]

Yes! And I haven't really made a good start yet. I've been researching and reading and lurking at WLS websites since the 1st of the year. My primary care wrote a predetermination letter for me and last week, she got back the request for my full medical records and other information. Her office called me and told me that it was time to make an appointment with the surgeon. Well I did and today, the surgeons office called and said that my insurance had been verified with no exclusions and they can see me on the 17th. That is next Thursday. I wrote it in my appointment book and then thought to myself "what am I doing? I've must be out of my mind." Deep down I feel like I shouldn't have to resort to surgery just to be able to stop eating. Then I feel like a total loser because I can't stop. My brain is on overload and I am scared to death. Actually scared of death. Afraid to die during the surgery, and afraid the food will kill me with out the surgery. Then I see the conflicting reports here and on the other sites about how careful you have to be, how you can never eat certain foods ever again, how this thing or that causes unbearable pain-then again some people say that they eat anything with no problem, just anything at all. It all sounds crazy. But at age 50, I've dieted my way all the way up to 330 pounds and don't see any other way out, but oh boy am I terrified and so unsure that I can even go through with it. My feet are very, very cold.

[orea15 0]

We weigh about the same and we are about the same age. Trust me on this: As you can see below, I've been a good bit heavier. You don't want to go there!!!! I can't begin to tell you how awful it is 50 pounds ahead. We need to take the pounds off and we need to do it NOW.

Don't feel guilty about needing a tool to help you. If our hunger turned off when and as it should, we wouldn't be needing this kind of help. But mine doesn't, it hasn't for years, and I bet yours doesn't either. We need the band. We deserve the chance the band will give us. Take your time and learn all you can. Start now to improve your eating habits. You still have time to change your mind, but I hope you won't.

Just think, if you follow most of the rules most of the time, you can lose most of the weight! Won't that feel incredible? And you can take off 50 to 100 pounds in the first year. Maybe more, since, like me, you have a high BMI.

I'm directing this pep talk as much at myself as at you. :-)

Orea

P.S.

The mortality rate for this surgery is extremely low! Or I wouldn't be doing it.

[kimaly 57]

I think we wait so long for it to become real when it does your mind just goes crazy for a little while. I'm much better this week. started my pre-op diet today, hubby had a steak baked potato with the fixins I had a Protein Shake, yep it's real. 15 days and counting. wish it would hurry up and get here.

[kimaly 57]

orea 15, how did you lose so much weight pre-op? what type of diet are you on? did you have to do 6 mo. diet? sorry so many questions.

[orea15 0]

orea 15, how did you lose so much weight pre-op? what type of diet are you on? did you have to do 6 mo. diet? sorry so many questions.

No problem re the questions. Here goes!

Well it all started for me in April of 2007 when my blood work inched over into diabetic from prediabetic -- by one point! Suddenly it got serious for me. I was determined to to everything I could to stop the direction things were going. I went into a big poor me funk for a week or two. Then something happened that completely turned me around. The massacre occurred at Va Tech. My son was there, two buildings away. I could have lost him that day. Suddenly I realized that my husband and kids are alive and well and nothing else mattered. I could handle my health challenges! They didn't matter compared to that. Somehow it put steel in my spine, and I've never looked back since. It's kind of odd that something so terrible and tragic could give me a gift, but there you have it. I've never felt sorry for myself since. I know I'm darn lucky and I am going to make the most of what I have.

I hadn't even heard of the band at that point. I started by doing Suzanne Somers' diet which means no "funky foods" -- no sugar, no white flour, etc. She doesn't even allow carrots! It was really hard at first, I had major cravings and hunger. I let myself eat whatever I needed to that wasn't on that list as long as I needed to, which was at least a month. I cooked with heavy cream and cream cheese and snacked on Proteins and more cheese. Just to keep sane. And I ate lots of vegetables, too. Butter and oil were legal, so I had big salads and buttered my veggies. Anything to keep myself off of those bad carbs.

When things got better, I cut back on that stuff, but I needed to do it for a while. My fasting blood sugar dropped every time I had it rechecked until last time I was within a point of absolutely normal. I may well be there by now. I lost 28 pounds Somersizing and put back all but 11 by the end of the year.

By this time I had heard about the band, and researched it thoroughly. I joined SmartBandsters at Yahoogroups and saw that the bandster way of eating was pretty much what I had been doing: Protein and produce, and high Fiber carbs. So I stuck with it. There I also started learning new ways to think about food and dieting, much of which is based on The Beck Diet Solution. (Check it out, this really is effective!) I started seeing food as fuel for my body, not something recreational. I started thinking in terms of lovingly giving my body the best possible fuel instead of what my taste buds were in the mood for.

After the New Year, I started in again. I realized that while I wanted my band yesterday, I could still lose 1-2 pounds a week while I waited, just as if I were banded, and be that many weeks closer to my goal.

I lost about 13 pounds and stalled by early March when I saw the hospital dietician as part of my 3 month intensive for Aetna. She helped me tweak what I was doing. I started weighing and measuring and cut way back on my fats. I switched to fat free mayo, for example.

With time, I picked up some of the Smartbandster mottoes and made them mine:

It's not how much you can eat, but how little you can get by on.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

If hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the answer.

Am I trading what I really want, for what I want right now?

Do I like that food enough to want to wear it?

I also joined CalorieKing.com and started journaling everything I ate. Wow! Was I in for some shocks. There were a lot of foods that had a lot more calories than I realized! The first couple of weeks were punctuated with my screams of horror when I looked things up. My favorite Panera sandwich had over 1100 calories! Not including the chips and lemonade I usually ordered. I kept saying, "No wonder I'm so fat!" :cool2:

We all know that journaling is one of the most powerful tools for successful weight loss, but Calorieking took it to a whole new level for me by showing me the breakdown as my day progressed of Protein, fat, Fiber, Calcium, etc. By the end of every day I knew how many calories I had left and if I had enough room in my fat allowance to put butter on my popcorn.

The other thing that the dietician said, that really stuck with me, was, "Look for easy ways to cut 100 calories." I eventually went from counting out my serving of 6 Triscuits (one of my mainstays) to thinking, "Do I really need all 6? Will 3 do?" You get the drift.

Oh, and once I identify a food I I lose control over, it is out of here! Goodbye to Wheat Thins and Domino's Pizza! I don't know what they put in that pizza, but not only did I scarf half of one for dinner, I was also extra hungry for two weeks afterward! NOT worth it!

Once the weight started coming off again, I was even more motivated. I set my goals 2-3 pounds apart so I wouldn't get discouraged or overwhelmed. Right now I am panting to get below 330! You wouldn't believe how good I've been this weekend, no junk, lower sodium, no eating out even though I want to. I want this more.

Hope this helps! I'm absolutely amazed to have made it this far. I lose, then stall, then lose again. You've just got to stick with it through the hard parts knowing that the eventual thrill of a lower number on the scale (and your pride in yourself) is worth it.

Orea

[Shamrockgirl60 1]

Going today and Friday for my pre-op meetings. Hubby got a call today, and he has to go in and have his kidney function checked they think he has a slight infection, so I am sure they will give him an antibiotic to take before next week's surgery.

I will find out today if my insurance OK'd things. It takes a week or so to get approval.

Hot as all get out here 90degrees and will go for a swim before I go to cool off.

take care everyone I sure apprecitate the support from all here.

[kimaly 57]

orea15, Thx, you should be proud of yourself. i'm proud of you and i don't even know you. Isn't it amazing what can open our eyes and what we can do when we finely decide to do something. Way to go keep up the great work. :biggrin:

[kimaly 57]

Going today and Friday for my pre-op meetings. Hubby got a call today, and he has to go in and have his kidney function checked they think he has a slight infection, so I am sure they will give him an antibiotic to take before next week's surgery.

I will find out today if my insurance OK'd things. It takes a week or so to get approval.

Hot as all get out here 90degrees and will go for a swim before I go to cool off.

take care everyone I sure apprecitate the support from all here.

our prayers are with your husband.

[orea15 0]

Thanks, Kimaly! :-)

Orea

[sparker1 0]

Thanks for the support. I guess it is really is a case of cold feet. Thinking about something and going through with it are 2 very different things. Or maybe just fear of the unknown. Its the same fear you have when you learn to drive and find out that it is about more than just looking cute behind the wheel. And maybe, fear that after so very many failures, you will fail at this too and then you really will be a failure. But after all the reading and research I've done I'm not going to throw in the towel before I at least meet the doctor. If I can ask you, when I go for this first appointment, what should I expect? I'm guessing it will be more about questions both his and mine than much else. Am I anywhere near close?