I'm with the Band Pt 4

The weeks are just flying by - I can't believe surgery is just three weeks away.

When you decide to get any type of bariatric surgery, there are requirements you have to complete before you can actually do it. I'm pretty sure they are for insurance purposes, but I'm so thankful I was made to jump through these hoops. So what have I had to do?

• Blood tests
• Ultrasound of my liver 
• Sleep study - it turns out I have mild sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome! 
• Psychological evaluation - I had to meet with a psychologist and talk to him for an hour. I was so nervous about this! But he was very nice and pointed out that I tend to take responsibility for negative things that are not my fault. "Guilt" could be my middle name! It was nice to have him point that out so that I'm more aware of when I blame myself for things out of my control. 
• Written psychological exam - It was LONG and at the end I had to finish sentences. For the first one it said, "I like to..." and I wrote, "eat apples and bananas." (Cue the Raffi song!) I was certain they would determine me crazy after I forgot to erase that...but surprise! I'm sane!
• Meet with a dietitian once a month for 6 months. Her name is Whitney and she is so nice. But she's also not afraid to tell it like it is. I'll continue to meet with her through out this entire process, so I'm glad we get along. 

I also tried to read everything I could get my hands on about Lap Band and bariatric surgery in general. This is a huge step and it would be silly to go in uneducated. Somethings I found especially helpful are:

• Blogs! Honestly there don't seem to be many up-to-date blogs about lap band. But I really like Lap Band Gal!, The World According to Eggface (RNY, not lap band. But still excellent info!), and Bariatric Foodie.  
• Books! My favorites have been 
• Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribble (Not about bariatric surgery, but EXCELLENT for those with food issues!!)
• Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny by Nick Nicholson and B.A. Blackwood
• Bandwagon by Jean McMillan - my favorite so far. She breaks the book up into time frames and explains everything. I can see myself going back to re-read this book several times! 
• Facebook - I belong to a FB group specifically for Lap Bandsters. Some are new, some have been handed for years. It's been an awesome resource for all my questions. 

I start my pre-op diet next Wednesday! Want to hear all about it? Then ya'll come back now, ya hear?!