WELCOME all new bandsters! It is so nice to have a place to go and read everyone else's thoughts, feelings, and concerns that just validate your own. I have the skinny biotch sister with the skinny attitude. I just haven't felt the need to tell her yet. Thanks everyone, for sharing!

Hey Aqua -- Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I suspect the liquid diet is really HARD -- w/o the band as a back-up tool its just another diet -- which none of us are very good at or we wouldn't be on this site. Don't get me wrong -- my understanding its important to really follow the pre-op diet to shrink your liver so the surgeon can get unfettered access to your stomach but I don't think the post-op diet will be as tough as the pre-op b/c we'll have our bands there as support -- good luck -- I am sure you are going to do great.

Hey ya'll! I will admit, I have been a "lurker" on this site for a while now. I am scheduled for May 13th - just 3 weeks from today in Dallas, TX. I am so freakin excited I can't stand it! I even called today to make sure everything was still set! I have waited so long and sometimes it feels as if it is too good to be true.

I am finishing my Bachelor's degree in Nursing and it is so difficult to be fat in nursing school! I mean, every day we learn more and more side effects of obesity. It really affects every organ system in so many ways. Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death in women. I am just so glad that I am going to finally get control of my life and become healthier! I am only 33 and the rate I was going, I would probably not make it past 50. I am still a baby and I have way to much to do in life. Ok, enough of me on my soapbox...I am just so excited and I hope that we can all be supportive of each other through our journey's

I am so excited too.... a lot to soak in about the life we are all going to live in the future... but instead of living for food like I do now... I will be eating to live. I have never been thin or even remotely close, so it is going to be an adjustment... I have heard you don't stop seeing the fat person in the mirror for 2-3 years after you have lost your weight.... I am going to work on it so I can see her before then! I am so thankful that we even have an option like this to change our lives! It's terrific!

Kammi in Everett, WA
soon to be banded 5/27/08
Dr. Kuri - Mexico
BMI 52

It's nice to meet you, AJKAMK!! You're right, you are a baby!! Consider youself fortunate to be able to do this at your age. I'm 46 and I honestly wouldn't have considered this 10 yrs ago because it wasn't as "common" of a procedure as it is now.

Obesity is definitely a "killer" and I feel that it will claim my life if I don't act NOW. With diabetes and sleep apnea added to the list recently I feel that it is time to be aggressive and take action!!!

You will be a great role model as a nurse if you take care of your weight issue.

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

Welcome all new May Flowers!

I started my liquid diet today to shrink the liver, and boy!, is it difficult. But I heard that by day 4, I will be like, "Who needs food? This is great!" We will see if I feel that way...

I scheduled some of my pre-op appts today. Friday I do bloodwork. Wednesday I see my PCP for medical clearance and an EKG. Then I will schedule my Upper GI.

I am so excited! Only 13 days...

BTW, I had something happen that I was hoping to avoid. I realized a couple of weeks ago that my 20 year reunion is in a couple of years, and I should look fantastic by then (I never thought that was possible). I did not go to my 10 year for various reason, one of which was my weight. I was hoping that no one from high school would see me looking this way :(
I was at The Coffee Bean ( I had to get in my last blended mocha for a long time!) and this hot guy says, "Angie?". Well, since high school I am known as Angela, just cause of work and such. So whenever someone calls me Angie, I know they are from my past or family. So I was like, "yeah?" And he goes, I am so and so. Remember? Well this guy had a crush on me in high school. And I liked him as a friend, but not more than. And now I'm thinking he's probably relieved that he didn't ever date me! The worst is, well besides that he is HOT, he still talks to a bunch of guys from high school so now they will all know that I am obese! It sucks!!!

Oh well! What can I do but just keep on my path to better health!

Well Angela... he might, might that is, go off and say something... but then you will show up at the reunion all skinny again and they will all think he lied! HEHE! You'll show them!

Kammi in Everett, WA
soon to be banded 5/27/08
Dr. Kuri - Mexico

Thanks Kamicola, that is true!!!
Thanks for the supportive words...

that's exactly what i was going to say!! you will show up all hot and they will think he lied! or if not, it won't matter how you used to look because you will be smoking when you see everyone again!

i totally know how you feel, i see people from HS out sometimes and i'm so embarrassed when i do...i have gained so much then, even though i thought i was fat then. its just hard, like you i cannot wait until i am not ashamed to see people i know out!

On the day of graduation from nursing school, my high-school sweetheart proposed to me. But then he pulled out 3mos before our date. After 7yrs of knowing him, he still coudn't give me an honest reason why. He moved on, I moved on. Well, recently I found out that he's a 5th grade science teacher at a school in my district (he lives 45mins from the school). And I find out he's a health nut. So that alone tells me why he broke it off. Still, I lost a wonderful friend. Knowing he's so close now, because one of my BF's grandchildren go to this school and know him.....let's just say, I could be anxious for that one day..."oh hey!!!" but, I'm at peace with what happened, now. And now I'm doing this for my ONLY meant to be DH and 2 beautiful kids!!!!!! God is so good!!!

Hey guys, I'm dying over here!! I never thought that I was someone who emotionally ate, maybe a little boredom eating here and there, but nothing out of controll, I was just always hungry!! Right?

Er... well now my whole family is on vacation this week. My brother and sister have school vacation this week so my sister went to Greece on a class trip, and my parents took my brother to New Hampshire. SO its just me!! The first day I was home alone, I took my moms credit card and hit the stop and shop!!!! I filled a cart with cereal, popcorn, mac n' cheese, yogurt, orange soda, pasta, popsicles, and just generally nothing healthy. Its not too bad when I'm busy, but I had the night off from work and all my friends are busy. I've been sitting here since like, 3 p.m. shoving everything in my mouth and staring at the TV. I went for a walk earlier since it was so nice out today, but after that I just kept eating. I'm dying of boredom and now I am starting to realize JUST how much I rely on food for company!!!!! :(

NEVERB4 we have alot in common. I am pursuing my nursing career and we are both getting banded on May 13th. How cool is that? I am so proud of myself, I have been completely off of Cokes since Sunday...thats a biggie! I told my friends at school to bolus me a liter of Coke if I went into shock in their presence! I start my 2 week pre-op diet Tues and I am kinda worried about that a little. It is the last week of school and I am worried about my energy level/headaches/hunger/possible hypoglycemia. I am not diabetic, but you know how it gets when you first start a diet. It sucks! I guess I will just try and keep busy and hopefully the next 2 weeks will fly by!

Good for you! Both of those things are very difficult, giving up soda, and becoming a nurse. One of my best friends just graduated from college and is now an RN, she worked her toosh off!!! So kudos to you!!! And giving up soda!!! I used to be ADDICTED to soda. I have tried weaning off and now I won't even touch coke or pepsi, I hate it now! Its gotten to the point where I'll occasionally have orange soda (mmm) or shirley temples, I don't even like any other kind anymore, so it can be done!

Wow May Flowers...so much has been going on on here....

I know the feeling of the Reunion thing..see, even though I thought I was fat in High School...compared to all the twiggy girls...I was in the pom line all 4 years so I kept in shape. I remember I got voted "roundest butt" by the guys one year and I thought...great...I'm fat! Now I realize it was actually a compliment..LOL..

Anyway, I only went to a bit of my 10 year reunion...yes my weight was an issue but at that point I had just had a baby and I weighed like 180??? I'm 5'6 so that was not too bad but I of course thought I was HUGE!!! Then to add insult to injury...a tiny old Nun came up to me and said, "Oh dear! You did always fight with your weight!" Thanks!

Then last year was my 30th Elementary Reunion....and all 330 lbs of me went! I was a bit...sad about my weight but I felt good about who and what I had become in life and figured...Hey, it is me and that is life...I was at least Brave enough to show up!! I had a great time by the way!!

So, now when my 30th High School comes along in 2010!!! I plan on marching in as loud and fun as I used to be!! Hey, I still have a pom outfit...think it will fit???

So, Hurry up May 28th!

BTW...had all my preop appointments today,,,,EKG, abdominal ultrasound, chest x-ray, blood and pee!

I hope it is all OK...I don't go back until May 20th!

Also saw the Sleep Doc...She gave me Ambien for sleeping with my very bothersome cPAP machine...

So...TTFN Shelley

ajkamk....WOW!!!
Welcome aboard to our journey together!!
After I wrote to you yesterday, my phone rang. It was the surgeon's office notifying me that my date's been moved up to the 7th. But we'll still be going thru this together!! I've been on the pre-op protein shake diet for 4wks and it does get easier as the days go by. It does curve your appetite for unhlthy stuff...sweets for me!! Good luck with your banding and we'll be keeping in touch!