WAgal

Good for you!!! You're taking the initiative to change now. I slipped up yesterday!!! I was so determined the whole day and then all of a sudden I found out some old friends on Classmates.com had been looking for me... they were urging me to post pics of current me (Mind you I was normal as a kid in high school 115 lbs.). Anyways I started to feel anxious... started to eat meatballs (from IKEA)... I stopped myself just in time 'cause when I checked my weight this morning, I still lost a lb. Whew... maybe my scale is broken. Anyways.. this is terrible... how am I going to avoid putting my picture online.. I'm just gonna tel them I'm not ready 'cause I want to loose some weight before I post .... Hehehe... You take it easy... We'll see each other soon and can laugh about this kinda stuff. Hanna

Kissyfur, We have the same date for surgery. Let's keep in touch for support. I'll be leaving on the 27th of Feb. so we'll see each other for sure. I'll seek you out at the hotel or the center if you don't find me first. Don't know about the light beer drinking... but from what I've read, when your into solid foods... you probably could drink beer. I'm sure someone will know for sure here or ask Dr. Ortiz for sure.

Pammie, Thank you for sharing your journey... the pictures are wonderful... it really gave me an ideal path to follow. It was so nice to see the Dr's and nurses/staff you dealt with. To see them on pics puts me at ease more. You did it all! Congrats on your success and hard work (I'm sure), you look fantastic. =D> I was especially happy to see your tummy tuck surgery! How are you doing now? I can't wait to get banded! I wanna go now if I could. Blessings, Hanna

Hi Mackenzie! I'm doing the slimfast shakes breakast and lunch... then dinner I do the lean cuisine. Actually it seems I have cut down enormously on food consumption that I seem to be loosing a pound a day! Nice, but I do take a south diet protein bar (atkins bar) for a snack when I feel the craving to eat when I'm not suppose to. I also did someone's suggestion here about chewing food that you want to eat and then just spit it out. That was hard but at least I felt like someone didn't stop me from doing this, I tasted it then didn't want it anymore. This has helped and I'm finding it's a head hunger thing I'm battling. I've tried to just get out of the house and dream about my diabetes going away and no more worries about my health deteriorating and looking good in clothes that I've wanted to wear that will actually fit and look good. I think about a happier and healthier me. I was reading on this forum about the success patients of Dr. Ortiz on the plastic surgery section... Lipo, tummy tucks etc.... and they were where we are about about a year before their surgery! That inspires me so much! I wanna be there next year talking about my problems about loose skin and lipo suction too. Blessings to you... keep up the good fight... we do it for ourselves (banding tool) and for our loved ones that need us still (my kids). I'll be banded on the 28th... Hanna

Congratulations Kissyfur! We have the same surgery date! We will definitely see each other at the center or the hotel. It's nice that you have your husband coming to support you even though he's skeptical about it. My husband wants to go too but we have our 3 & 4 year olds that will not do well w/both our absence for 3 nights. They've always had me around everyday of their lives since they were born! Anyways I figure I'd get more rest after surgery if they all just stayed home and I talked with them on the phone. A little nervous about them missing mom (or mom missing them) while I'm gone. On the pre-op diet. I'm doing slimfast for breakfast and lunch and then a lean-cuisine for dinner. During breakfast you can eat a slice of multigrain/wholewheat bread with 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter, then lunch I'm suppose to have a small green salad with low fat dressing. Go online and do the www.slimfast.com support. I signed up to see the options of what I can do for a meal plan. We'll see how it goes because I've only started yesterday. The Slimfast Optima drink "rich chocolate royale" is fantastic. I put it in the freezer for about 10 mins. before drinking it with a straw and it becomes a slushy chocolate drink.. delicious! There's quite a bit of diff. flavors out there now, so buy a sampling of each and then buy in bulk when you've decided which ones you like. I hope this helps...I'm still figuring this out myself. Hanna

Aataylor, I'll be praying for your pain and discomfort to subside and disappear all together. Have you called the doctor? I hope they are able to prescribe you something. In sympathy, Hanna

MamaMichelle, My surgery is on the 28th.. a day after yours. I'm sure we'll cross paths. Let's hook up when we get there! How's your pre-op diet going... any tips you can give me? I've been asking everyone here on the forum, lol! I'm determined to get as much pointers as I can so I will not be discouraged and loose the weight asked of me before surgery! Blessing to all and many thanks for all of you that have responded or will respond.

Snabin, Hi! Just read your post and your surgery date is the same as mine! Let's talk, I see you are from Oregon... I'm about 4 1/2 hrs. from Portland, OR. I'm excited and want to sort of buddy up with someone doing the pre-op diet. Have you started. I did the slimfast thing today... dinner I was suppose to eat my lean cuisine but decided to eat Adobo (chicken in a tangy broth) with my family that I cooked. Anyways, I'm proud of myself. I ate just what I put on my plate and didn't eat more servings. I think I have to eat earlier though... my husband gets home at 7pm and that's such a late time to eat dinner when you're trying to diet. K...email me anytime.... Sorry, I sound so eager... I hope I don't scare you. Hanna

Hi Shampoo! Yes, I think we will be able to see each other. I'm arriving on the 27th to do pre-op assessment then 28th for surgery. You must be coming on the 26th. We can definitely do lunch, dinner? I mean sip clear fluids and broth together at the hotel Lucerna, lol ! I'm coming in from WA state, how about you? Hanna :-)

It totally makes sense. I did the whole Atkins diet thing too and then fell off the wagon 3 months later. Thanks for letting me know your experience. I just started my pre-op diet and bought some slim-fast drinks. Rene, from the TJ clinic said that if I do a slim-fast in the morning, a small green salad for lunch and then another slimfast, then a lean cuisine for dinner. I'll see how this goes for this week... I'm determined to make this diet work. He even asked me to practice eating already...by taking small bites and chewing a lot before swallowing. This will be an adventure in itself. I do the meal preparations for my whole family, 5 of us. I'll see how I stay away from the food I cook while we dine together. I actually told my whole family to be supportive by not tempting me about food during meal times. Pray that I'll hang in there and not cheat before surgery date. I want to get a head start loosing weight. I was told that once you loose the weight it stays off... you don't regain it. That sounds soooo good to me. You take care and contact me anytime you feel like it. I'll be checking on your progress, if you continue to post. Hanna

Staci, How are you doing? I'm set for surgery on the 28th of Feb. I'd like to know how things are going with you since you just had yours done. Did you get the shoulder pain that bandsters get? How are you doing on the liquid diet? I'm trying to figure out still what I'm suppose to be stocking up on for aftercare food. I pray all is well with you. Hanna

Hi all, I faxed paperwork and paid the deposit!. I'm set for a surgery date on Feb. 28, 2008. Anyone going to be there for the same date for fills or surgery? If you are then we can support each other. I may have to go alone, which I don't really want but it's just how things are working out right now. Anyways I'm excited!!!! Hanna

Hi MamaMichelle, I am curious too. Although I'm not planning on scuba diving in the near future after surgery, it would be nice to know if that is going to be an issue? Actually what about swimming in the pool? Any experienced bandsters out there know the answer to this, or maybe we should ask the doctors?

Kudos for you.. Thanks for your input. You made me feel better about my decision.

Hi Calicat! I understand you completely... Quite a bit of people responded since I last checked this forum as you can see. There seems to be one close to you in Olympia. I have heard good reviews with the Arlington location which is closer to me. I actually went to a seminar locally, I thinks it's called the Northwest Weight Loss Surgery Center in Everett and I was told that if your surgery is/was done out of the country then they would not do your fills because you become a liability. NWWLS seem like nice people too but the cost of surgery for self pay is 18K! I became concerned about doing the surgery out of the country because I was affraid that even my own health insurance will not cover my care if an emergency arises. I called my health insurance (Aetna HMO), the employer opted not to have weight loss surgeries covered. Aetna, depends on your health plan, does cover weight loss surgeries but you have to jump through hoops to qualify and you have to have the right plan, there's a ton of them and your employer's HR benefit admin should be able to tell you. My bmi is 33 so I needed to gain more weight to qualify basically. I'm already suffering from diabetes and hypertension so I'm not willing to wait to get even worse. Aetna however does cover ANY emergency that may arise from your surgery. If you read in lapband forums you'll find new bandsters tend to panic (then consider non-emergencies as emergencies) but the wise thing to do is call Dr. Ortiz first then if an emergency does exist he will tell you to go to the emergency hospital. I didn't see the Oprah show, I've seen clips on the web though. So this is my assessment Calicat, it will cost 8K(Dr. Ortiz) vs 18K(NWWLS) self pay. I've spoken to the surgeon here and he is nice and has good reviews and same with Dr. Ortiz. You will have to pay for your flight and cost for fills to go to TJ but that's where some of the money you saved can go towards. And remember Dr. Ortiz proctored for Inamed for other surgeons to do this proceduce worldwide! He probably taught the Dr. I spoke with here at NWWLS. Anyways, the expertise of the Dr. is most important to me, cost and convenience is next. Since I've decided on Dr. Ortiz, I'm willing to spend that extra cost to travel back and forth for the fills (a lot of Dr. Ortiz's patients do it). I will also make arrangements to see the Arlington fill (Kitty) here, just in case I can't get to TJ fast enough for an unfill or it's not convenient to travel to TJ for a fill. My tentative date is February 28th for surgery, but I was holding off until my husband and I talked with Dr. Ortiz. I'm pretty set on the surgery but am scared and excited at the same time. It is after all a major surgery but then again it is the less invasive procedure being done Laparoscopically. From what I've read it isn't easy being a bandster either... we are going to work hard to follow the doctor's order for after care and eating habits. BUT the rewards....to be healthy!! No more meds sounds so great to me. To be able to have lots of energy to do things again that I haven't been able to for awhile. I'm also hoping for my diabetes to go into remission. The stats are looking towards my favor. Anyways... I am looking towards everybody here in the forum to give me a lot of support and resources for my journey Calicat, let's keep in touch with each other. I'll post after my surgery in how it went. Contact me anytime! Blessings, Hanna

Thanks. Congratulations on your success so far... It seems you're doing well. Do you know how much they charge and if they do fluoroscopy? Thanks for your reply!

Hi all, I've been following this forum for about a week now and have decided to get banded. I'm trying to plan in advance in how I would do the fills. Anyone here in WA state have recommendations for a fill doctor? I'd really appreciate your input, pros and cons. The closest FillUSA center to me is Auburn, WA... but when I do a search on the internet there seems to be quite a bit here in WA now. I'm located in the Everett area. Is it better to have the fill done in TJ with Dr. Ortiz's team? Oh yeah, I'm going to go with Dr. Ortiz on the lapband surgery. I wouldn't mind going to TJ for the first fill but if I have to keep going once a month then it could get expensive. Thanks in advance for any of your input!