Kaiser Richmond Pre-op

[riley4183 0]

Hi Nadinerl, welcome! You're on your way! The pre-op diet worked for me bacause I really believed that it was the last diet, ever. Every 5 lbs I would lose, I would text all my friends "10 lbs gone forever, 15 lbs gone forever" of whatever - and it really is. This is the last time that you have to do it! You still have to watch what you eat after banding of course, but it is SO different. Just keep at it! Oh and I had to do all 3 things to lose .. . 1200 cals (900 sometimes), 64+ oz. of Water, and excercise - walking 5-6 miles a day.

Christine, yay for breaking that plateau, and WOO-HOO on your first fill!!! You will lose after that, for sure - he puts you back on clear liquids! Have a good fill! I'm so glad you are video-ing it, I need a fill video to share with the 14-week class up here :-)

Tina, Nicole is right Robin is crazy!!! 1-2 lbs a week is a normal loss for lap-banders, Dr. Baggs was thrilled that I had lost almost 20 lbs. in 6 weeks and that's not much more than you have lost. I just went 3 1/2 weeks losing only 1 1/2 lbs the whole time, so 10 lbs a month woulda been fantastic!! Most people do not have restriction until their 2nd fill at least. I eat LOTS more than 1/4 cup, there is no way I could make it on 1/4 cup right now - at least not until my next fill. And I do log everything I eat, and I am consistently between 900 and 1200 calories a day - that's just what my body needs right now I guess. Jeez. I really like Robin & all, maybe she is really wanting you to lose as fast as a RNY or something. You look GREAT to me!!! Oh and I think everyone has to meet with her to get the 2nd fill, and bring a food log, so you'd have to do it anyways even if you hadn't asked questions. She's gonna FREAK when she sees my log!!

You said Dr. Baggs is doing all of his fills in Pinole now??

[swrktp 1]

Well I was wondering yesterday if Robin got confused and thought I had RNY..............I know all the way through Liz thought I was doing the RNY I had to keep reminding her it was lap band.

No I have to see Robin before the 1st fill.

I have 2 more weeks so I hope to be down another 4-5 before than. That would make me close to or over 15........

I would be happy with that.

Robin said he is doing all his fills in Pinole now. I don't know for sure if that is true!!

Ah my port is a little better today!! Of course I wore elastic pants the last two days and that helps........jeans rub funny on the incisions as I learned on Monday!!

Can' t wait to see the fill. I wonder how Dr. Baggs will react to that? Like he said "you can see anything on youtube nowdays!!!"

[swrktp 1]

I had Dr. Fischer for orientation too. He was a bit more far with the lap band at mine. Said it had pros and cons.........but it was very clear to me he preferred RNY!! Maybe that is why I debated so much about RNY for so long.......I really got the feeling that kaiser prefers RNY all the way through.

Dr. Baggs was more fair but I also felt he leaned towards RNY. Although when I asked him straight out what was best for me he told me it was my choice and depended on what I thought was best.............he did say 42BMI and under tended to do well with the band........and than the vegetarian thing...........he said if I was set on no meat lap band might work better.......but he was very pro choice with me!! He wanted me to decide and didn't really guide me either way to much........

[momcof3 1]

Good Morning Ladies -

I do think Robin needs to walk a week in our shoes. If we only eat 1/4 cup Protein at each meal and nothing else we would be malnourished - in my opinion. They won't be happy with me at the end of June if 10 lbs in a month isn't enough. I am down the 2 lbs I was up last week so maybe that is a good sign. Hopefully I can lose some more before my June 25 appointment. I am not planning on bringing a food log with me. Do they really expect us to keep a food log for the 5 mths between appointments?

My stomach is swirling right now - maybe the yogurt I ate for Breakfast didn't agree with me. I am not really a dairy in the morning person.

[riley4183 0]

That's what I figured too, that she thought you had RNY - it would explain the unrealistic expectations on her part!!!

I think you got the extra Robin appt. 'cause you're vegetarian, then :-) She wants to have a sit-down with me before I stop eating meat again, too. I guess that's her specialty.

I just checked my appointments with Robin & Dr. Baggs next Friday online, and it still says Richmond. When I was making the appointment, he said "any day but Thursday" so I just assumed they were in Pinole on Thursdays . . . . I'll go anywhere for this fill tho, I NEED it! I'm starving right now . . . of course I have not eaten since last night, but still! I don't like hungry

Oh and Nadliner, I had the same coffee withdrawel experience . . . . tried to quit cold turkey right after orientation, had horrible headaches, cold sweats, it was awful - like drug withdrawels I guess. I started right back up! Quad shot latte 2 x a day, a real addict . . . Dr. Zimmerman (Psych) told me to get some real good ground coffee from Starbuck's or Peet's or Wolf's, have them grind it "1/2 caf" and ENJOY my coffee. Once I was down to a single 1/2 caf cup a day, I was fine. I literally weaned myself off of it. But here's the thing: it really is an appetite stimulant, so they sooner you can cut down the sooner you will lose your appetatie. Weird but true!

Riley

[riley4183 0]

5 months between fills? Yikes! Pam was that at your request or do they actually try to make you wait that long?!?

[roseyyyd1 0]

Good Morn Ladies!

Riley woman, how are you? Sorry I didnt make it the other day, was so surprised when I saw that you were gonna be there, shux! Did anyone take pics? Still would like to stop by there sometime when maybe coming home from the bay for a fill. Do you work during the day?

Christine, go momma go! Will be waiting to hear/see how it went! Cool a real life vlog of a fill!

Tina, don't beat yourself up about the weight, sounds like you are going at a good rate, one your body is working with, for it to be gone forever! You are working the tool and that is where its at!

Nicole how is your knee? Pam, u work it! Candi, hope to see u soon! Reggie, u are in my prayers...next batter up!

For the new 'Pre-ops' congrats on EACH step you are taking now to get healthier, it WIll pay off!

Edited May 14, 2009 by roseyyyd1

[meandmyweightloss 0]

Hey everyone!!

Rock on Christine!!! I'm so happy for you.......I can't wait to see the fill footage!!!

I got an appt card in the mail for my first fill with Dr.Baggs on June 12 and it says Richmond also.....I like the Pinole facility though, its so much nicer

[momcof3 1]

I had my first fill in Oct at my 6 wk appt, my 2nd fill at my next appt which was 3 mths later in Jan. At the end of my Jan appt Dr. Im said he would see me in 3-5 mths again. My appt in June is 5 mths 1 week from the last appt. I guess that is the intervals they see you. I had to have bloodwork done before my Jan appt so he could check my levels. I am not sure what happens at this next appt which will be 10 mths since my surgery - I don't have to have bloodwork - I called and checked.

[Desperate1 1]

Good Morning Ladies, I've been reading your posts this morning and am so glad that everybody got the same feeling from Dr. Fisher. I thought I was trippin! I have my appt with him on June 3rd but since he seems so anit-band I'm wondering if he's the right Doctor for me...

So this 1200 Calorie diet isn't as easy as I initially thought!! I did great till 4:00 yesteday evening - routinely I sit on my bed with a bag of almonds and snack away while watching The Doctors. Not yesterday and hopefully not today. I now fully understand the term "head hunger" I wasn't physically hungry but I absolutely could not watch my show and not snack so I had to go wash my car & keep busy. I missed the doctors.

I had a slight headache still from the diet coke withdrawl so I took more excedrine after dinner and laid down - then it hit me! Excedrine has caffeine in it - grr!! This is where all the anxiety kicked in - can I really do this for the rest of my life - "forever" is such a long time - and "never" is even longer - never have Pasta again, never have diet coke again, never have Peanut Butter again...

So I woke up this morning happy that I made through yesterday but worried about today. I got on this site and read everybody's logs, saw all your progress and I WILL do this. THANK GOD FOR THIS SITE AND ALL YOU GIRLS THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE ME - LOL.

I come from a long line of drug addicts & alcoholics and did my very best not to become an addict - I don't drink, smoke or do any kind of drugs but turned out to be an addict anyway-food addict! So I will approach this like atticts do: Take this one day at a time and keep it as simple as possible - forever will come on its own!

Have a great fill, Christine!

[riley4183 0]

Holy cow! That's a LONG time to wait for a fill if you need one. I wonder if I can call or email Dr. Baggs if I think I need another one . . . if I lose fast so the band gets loose again, I'll need one again in a month or 6 weeks! Oh well I will try to remember to ask him at my fill next week. Thanks Pam!

Rosey I'm great, thanks My scale is my friend again!!! And realloy loving my 3-mile walks into the sunrise every morning

[momcof3 1]

Candra -

I was a serious Diet Coke drinker. I tried to cut down on my Diet Coke during the 1200 cal pre-op diet, but I didn't give it up until my surgery. I actually had a 44 oz Diet Coke the day before my surgery. I went through the caffeine withdrawal after my surgery while I was taking Lortab so I didn't notice the headaches etc. I have not had any soda or caffeine at all since Aug 26 and I don't miss it. I occasionally associate certain events with wanting a Diet Coke (like my kids' track practice), but that doesn't happen very often. I know they say we can have some caffeine, but I figure if I haven't had any since Aug 08, why go back now? I sleep better without out. Hang in there.

[Desperate1 1]

Thanks Pam. Don't know why I'm having such a blah day!!

To make things worse, I just tallied up my calories for yesterday on fitday and I went over - 1287 oops! Will try to do better today - it's a learning process and still way less than I usually eat. hahahaha.

Now about exercize... Where to begin! Would love to hear how you girls started with your exercize regiments!!

[roseyyyd1 0]

Hi Candra...good for u journaling that food, I am stilllll working on that! For exercise, I continue to walk, which is important before AND right after surgery, although, then will be slower pace & increments. Also, don't know if you have the Wii, but the Wii Fit really helped me to get moving! Started losing with just that alone!

[nadinerl 0]

Thank you everyone for your support.

Riley - I love that way of thinking about this - my last diet, etc...

So, I'm over yesterday's hump and back on track. I really have to start kicking in with the exercise. I have a Wii - so I guess it's a good time to start actually using it!!!!

I have my psych. appt next week - can anyone tell me what I can expect from that?

Nadine