emmasmom60

My pre-op diet is a minimum of 12 days of 2 Protein shakes/day, plus one lean cuisine and all the (green only) salad that I can stand (with low-cal dressing of course). I can drink 'diet' drinks - Water, soda, but not too much. Half a day down, eleven and a half to go. The hardest part is preparing my daughter's meals...and I don't even like Spagettios Good luck everybody, Laura

Hi Caroline, I am a Canuck, too. I live in Victoria, BC and I am going to have surgery by Dr. Ortiz in May. I'd be happy to help you any way that I can. Cheers, Laura

:roll:Wow, who knew that South Beach works?? Lots of folks obviously. I have a surgery date with Dr. Ortiz in Mexico on May 23rd, and I decided that I would get a jump start on my weight loss (so that the last two weeks isn't so horrifying!). I started South Beach last weekend, and I have actually lost 5 lbs! Yay! Thanks to all on this forum for all your collective wisdom! Oh by the way - for anyone who travelled with their CPAP machine...did you take it on the plane as your carry-on or did you pack it in your luggage? Cheers, Laura

Hi, I am going to TJ for my band in May and I was wondering whether anyone could recommend a good restaurant near the Hotel Lucerna for my 'last supper'? Thanks, Laura

Thanks Jack, but I already know what I will be eating for my first supper post-op (jello and broth - body willing). I don't really have 'last supper syndrome', I'm just looking for a nice place to eat. Cheers, Laura

Hi, For those of you that went to Mexico for your band...what did you bring with you in terms of cash/travellers cheques? Did you leave it in USD or change it to pesos? I am going in May and I thought I should take some spending/tipping money, but I don't want to take too much. Do many shopping places have debit machines? Did you have any problems using it? Thanks, Laura

Hi all, This forum has been a fabulous source of info and I want to say thanks to all. I think I am going to book my surgery today with Dr. Ortiz - now I am very nervous! Neenagh, you get to hang on to your Dr. Mumford action figure because I think I will go with the guy from Mexico who looks like the star of a Mexican soap opera...:clap2: (that doesn't sound very respectful, does it?) Cheers, Laura

Now what do I do? I was all psyched up to go to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico in May. Then, I was talking to a person (not really a friend, but more than an acquaintance?) who had a band done here in Victoria and has done really well. She thought I should talk to her doc (I didn't think he was taking new patients, as he is getting close to retirement) and their office happened to call her on Monday and she spoke to the doc's assistant and asked whether they would take me (oh, and I am a recovery room nurse in the hospital in which this doc operates) and they said he probably would and I should call. So, I called yesterday and he will take a few lapband patients, and since I work at the hospital and etc., and now I have an appointment for a consult with him. My dilemma (and it really is a bit stupid I think, maybe) - I am mentally prepared to go to Dr. Ortiz and have a date that they figure they can work with. The lapband here costs 15000 Cdn, and in my machinations with the band in Mexico, I had planned on a little vacation in San Diego before the band with my 6 yr old and my hubby and the cost for banding in Mexico, plus another flight to TJ for my first fill, a consult with a doc that is a couple of hours away for follow-up and fills would still only come to 16000.00. I am very keen to take my daughter to SD and I really like Dr. Ortiz's stats. Am I being too short-sighted? Is local better because of the 'what ifs'? You folks are so good at helping with perspective, etc., so I am hoping that y'all can offer some sage advice. Thanks Laura

Danielle, I am a pre-bander too, and I was scared about the changes that this will make in my life, but I don't think this is the easy way out. NatalieC said something that really sums it up well - something that every young woman should get printed on a card or tattoed on their forehead so they can see it every morning...'Do what you need to do to make yourself happy and healthy and leave behind those who would have you settle for otherwise.' Truly great words! Good luck Laura

Hi folks, I am planning a vacation/lapband trip to Mexico. Pre-banding, my husband, 6 yr old daughter and I will be staying in San Diego for a bit of sightseeing (SeaWorld, the Zoo, etc). Can anyone suggest a good place to stay? I don't think we will be renting a car, so something convenient to transit, and maybe with a pool would be great (I am leaving my dh and daughter in SD while I go to Dr. Ortiz). We'll be there for about 9 nights in total. Thanks, Laura

Canadian Bandsters, When you went to Mexico for your surgery, how did you plan for any complications? Were you able to buy supplemental insurance in case anything went wrong, or do our plans cover these contingencies? Or did you just assume everything would be ok? I am thinking a bit about Dr. Ortiz, and my husband is concerned about the 'what if' part. Thanks, Laura

Hi Paulax, I think I will go back to Mexico for my first fill, then if all goes well, I will either go to Dr. Woodhead or to Arlington, Washington where a nurse practitioner does them (assuming my port is not hard to find). I am keeping my appointment for April 1, 2008 with Dr. Amson (just in case, or I will throw myself on his mercy one day when I see him at work). I liked your post about joining the gym/hiring a personal trainer - you are very funny, and I'll hold you, if you hold me (in a support forum, long distance way, of course) Cheers, Laura

Donna, I have sent you an email. Cheers, Laura

Hi, I live in Victoria, and Dr. Amson is maybe a tiny bit cheaper than Toronto, but he has a looooonnggg wait time. I saw my GP in January and I got a referral date of April 1, 2008. Dr. Leung in Surrey is cheaper than Dr. Amson, about 13000.00, but I'm not sure how long the wait is - I am waiting for a referral to him, but I haven't quite heard yet. I will be talking to my GP's office tomorrow, so maybe I can give you more info tomorrow. Cheers, Laura

Andrew and Becca, Hope all goes well for you in T.O.! Laura

Hi Bandiva, Thanks for your post. No, I am still working it out. I have asked for a referral to Dr. Leung in Surrey and hope to hear something in the next week or so. I got a referral to Dr. Amson...April 1st...2008! I like Dr. M. in Toronto (don't tell Neenagh), but I am leaning towards Mexico (maybe Dr. Ortiz - he looks like a television star in his picture, or Dr. Aceves). I am hoping that I can have my band done in late May. Cheers (and congrats on making your first goal!) Laura

:clap2: My name is Laura and I live in Victoria, BC and I have my consult booked with Dr. Mumford on Thursday! Anyone have any comments about Dr. Mumford? Now I'm scared...and I'm a nurse (sheesh!) Cheers, Laura

Hi, usually we tell people to leave the steristrips in place until they fall off themselves (usually in 7 or so days). They often come off when you are in the shower. However, after my C-section those some of those little suckers just hung in, so after 10 days I just peeled off the ones that had come loose a bit while I was showering. Laura

:scared: Hi, I am thinking about buying a Mac for web surfing, word processing, some light gaming, maybe some photo stuff. I have a PC now that is running Windows and I am sick of the freezing, blue screen of death, etc. Don't want to spend a ton - I'm thinking low end Mac or used. Any advice? Thanks, Laura

Hi, I am an RN (with surgical experience) and after surgery you can see clear yellow discharge (serous Fluid - a normal component of our blood and body fluids). That is normal, and it's ok to come out (don't force it though). If it gets 'mucky' looking, or you have pain or increased redness around the site, then get it looked at. Otherwise, you may just want to put a piece of gauze over it to catch the mess (change the gauze at least daily or more often, as necessary). Hope this helps ease your mind, Laura

Thanks La Madam, I'll give Inamed a call asap. Laura

Neenagh, I understand why you 'heart' Dr. Mumford, and I only got to talk to him on the phone (just a few minutes ago)! You can be his main 'squeeze' (ha, ha, what a riot I am), but could I just borrow him for an hour or so :confused:? Laura

Thanks, this is very helpful. Cool program. Ok, so I have an AMD Duron with a max speed of 1.3 GHz. A 40 Gig Hard Drive, and 240 mb RAM. The rest is about the same. Thanks, Laura

Hi, Ok, first off this is MY thread - My name is Laura and no, I have not been banded. My question is directed at CANADIANS who have been banded in Mexico (that is why I posted it on the Canada forum). I appreciate replies from people in other places, but I am looking for specific advice. So, if you guys want to get huffy with each other about surgeons, etc., start your own thread, please. I will repeat my question. Banded folks from Canada who went to Mexico - did you get some kind of supplemental insurance in case something went wrong, or do you know whether our provincial plans would cover us. Thanks Laura (I have posted this because it is distressing to read a copy of an angry post in my email, and then find out that the person is not even responding to WHAT I SAID!)

Hi all, Thanks for all the advice, and offers of assistance. I am so embarrassed about the dinosaur of a system that I am using. I have a PC that was built by a local computer store. It has a P4(can't remember exactly what the speed is) Athlon processor, 240 MB of RAM, 40 Gig HDD, and I run (gasp!) Windows 98. I have an ethernet card and an external ADSL modem. I did have Norton Internet Security 2005, but got a lot of Lucomserver and Ccapp errors, so I installed System Mechanic Pro 6's antivirus program and that part has improved things. I bought SMP6 to try and fix some problems (but I think I need more RAM), but when it tries to fix HDD problems it seems to get stuck and doesn't go any further. The computer when I am on the net (I run IE and Outlook Express). So, what's the verdict? Thanks, Laura