laralynn86

I have a fear I'll be in the same boat. My period is pretty irregular, so I can never know for sure, but I get banded a week from tomorrow and I'm totally afraid I'll be on my period. What do you do? Blek! I suppose I can hope that the nerves and the travelling make it non-exitent this month. If you don't mind, let me know how it goes. Best of luck in your surgery!

Also, forgot to mention. Dr. Rodriguez includes 2-years free fills, as long as they're in Monterrey. I won't do it, because the flight alone was $500 for me, but if flight cost is not an issue ...

I know a lot of people have serious issues with Mexico surgery but ... Dr. Arturo Rodriguez has performed over 4000 surgeries. I know three people who have been banded by him, and all are very happy with it. He does something called the Swedish Band which, I believe, holds more volume than average (don't quote me on that). He has three plans, depending on which hospital you choose. Two of the hospitals are brand new. I was told they are "exactly like any new hospital in Phoenix" (the largest city within a few hours of where I am). They will give you information on fill doctors in your area before you decide for sure. All three of the plans are under 10 grand, which was my budget llimit as well. You're required to stay in Mexico at least two nights (one night in the hospital, one night in a hotel that they cover). As I said, many people have concerns about surgery in Mexico, but of those I know, I've only heard seriously positive feedback.

I'm about a week and a half out. On one hand I'm so excited I can hardly stand it ... on the other hand it makes me ill to even think about it. I think I'm generally a fairly calm, non-dramatic person, but this is killing me. Am I nervous about the actual surgery, about doing it in Mexico, about how this will affect my relationship with my boyfriend, about the fact that I'm not telling my family, about abandoning work for a week??? I need to do deep breathing exercises or something.

Welcome RightSize! I get banded next Saturday. The anticipation is killing me. Keep us posted about how it goes!

I think I've had a lot of luck in the men I've dated for any significant amount of time - there's not been a lot, but with all of them I've felt they're genuinely ok with me as I am. However, I'd get all weird and insecure and start asking what, exactly they liked about me. If you like me because I'm smart or funny or cynical or whatever, and I'm ok with it. But if you like me because I'm attractive, it clearly means you're either lying or have serious issues. It's hard to be OK with someone loving you when you hate yourself. My boyfriend now is great and amazing and wonderful. I honestly believe he loves me exactly as I am (he's not so crazy about how I dress, but I dress as I do because of my weight). He's also very supportive about my getting banded, without crossing over into too pushy about it. HOWEVER, he does give me the "you're going to leave me when you're skinny" line a bit too often. He did get divorced from his (ex)wife immediately after she was banded, and likes to say I'll leave him like the last one. However, it was a long-time coming and she really didn't leave him because she got skinny. It was more something she did to jump-start a different life as she was getting divorced. I understand where she's coming from - I just have to remind him of it. I think he's joking usually, but I also that he has some genuine insecurities here.

I have a sister who's 14 months older than me. In all of our younger pictures our outfits are interchangeable (there's actually one picture of her wearing the top and me wearing the bottoms to one outfit). So at age two and a half, I was wearing the same size as my sister who was almost four. I try to accept blame for my weight issues now, but at a year or two old - it's not something personally controlled. I remember this same sister explaining to me around age 5 or 6 "you're too old to still have baby fat, now you're just fat" (aren't siblings just fabulous?). We started our periods within a week of each other (me first) and I wore a bra before she did. I really wasn't a particularly large child, but compared to this sister (compared to all five of my sister's actually), I was enormous. And to make matters so much better, this sister ate constantly (and still does - and she's as small as ever). I guarantee she's consumed 15-times more food than I have in our lifetimes. A year ago or so I realized I had to get over the bitterness that life's unfair cause I was stuck with the crappy metabolism. I'm still trying. My goal is listed at 145, which is my "ideal weight" but honestly - I'd give both my legs to weigh under 200. I weighed 175 in highschool and, like everyone else, thought I was GIGANTIC. I look back at pictures now and think, what the heck - I looked great.

On Labor Day 2006 I weighed 279 - one pound more than my previous all-time high in October of '04. I've lost about 15 lbs since then, but not really enough to feel like it makes much difference in my clothing. I'm currently at 265, and a size 22 or 24. Here are a few things I really look forward to: Down 15-20 lbs from where I am now - I'd be back to the weight I was at in July 2005 just before going to Denmark ... purchased several business suits in size 18/20 that I would love to fit into again. Currently I wear Levi's to work almost every day, and look forward to having nicer clothes to wear. Down 35 lbs (to 230). This will put me back to where I was when I moved to California at age 25 (lived there four years, gained 40+ lbs, no longer live there). I hated being at 230 at the time, of course, but long for that number now. Plus, I have a ton of clothes from this weight that I've never been able to bring myself to throw away. Less that 230, I can't even imagine. It's been so long since I was below this weight, I don't even recall it. I used to wear cute skirts to work, and I had a pair of knee-high boots before my calves were to thick to accomodate such shoes. I look forward to all the miniture milestones, even if I never see the 140s ... or even the 170s.

I had an Upper GI Endoscopy a few years ago. Basically, they stick a small camera on a bendy pole down your throat to check for ulcers and the like. It really wasn't bad because they gave me anesthetic which completely knocked me out. One second I was listening to the doctor telling a story about his son going to New Orleans, and the next thing I knew I woke up as they were wheeling me to a recovery area. There was no sore throat or anything afterwards, and my doctor gave me full-color pictures of my innards (really quite creepy).

As of July I bought part of my parent's company when they moved to Africa (long story). Therefore, I am part owner (with my sister, and my father who still owns a portion) of a Copy Shop (think mini-Kinkos), a Sign Shop, a UPS Store, and a Xerox Sales Agency. For the most part I co-manage the Copy Shop and run the Sign Shop. I love the work, I adore the business, and I'm even beginning to take some joy in my relations with the customers. Employees, however, are a different story - People Management was never my strong point. I was a Data Consultant for a major telecommunications company before this ... numbers are more my thing.

I felt like I've been immune to this "last meal syndrome" so far but ... I watched an employee eat a Subway sandwich today and just wanted one more than I could handle - hence my dinner tonight. Also, I look around at the food in my house I'll no longer be able to eat and think 'I have to eat this all before I get surgery.' I live alone, so there's no one else eating it. Really though, I need to give it to my sister or throw it away or something. I should not single-handedly finish all the bad food in my house over the next 10 days.

On Labor Day 2006 I weighed 279 - one pound more than my previous all-time high in October of '04. I've lost about 15 lbs since then, but not really enough to feel like it makes much difference in my clothing. I'm currently at 265, and a size 22 or 24. Here are a few things I really look forward to: Down 15-20 lbs from where I am now - I'd be back to the weight I was at in July 2005 just before going to Denmark ... purchased several business suits in size 18/20 that I would love to fit into again. Currently I wear Levi's to work almost every day, and look forward to having nicer clothes to wear. Down 35 lbs (to 230). This will put me back to where I was when I moved to California at age 25 (lived there four years, gained 40+ lbs, no longer live there). I hated being at 230 at the time, of course, but long for that number now. Plus, I have a ton of clothes from this weight that I've never been able to bring myself to throw away. Less that 230, I can't even imagine. It's been so long since I was below this weight, I don't even recall it. I used to wear cute skirts to work, and I had a pair of knee-high boots before my calves were to thick to accomodate such shoes. I look forward to all the miniture milestones, even if I never see the 140s ... or even the 170s.

I'm scheduled for surgery in Mexico in two weeks. I've spent many hours here the past two days. I find some of the information comforting, but some of it just increases my anxiety. My flight leaves from Phoenix at 3am the morning of my surgery ... I'll probably be dropped at the airport at midnight or earlier. So I have the wait in Phoenix then the flight, then a three hour lay-over in Texas, then the remainder of the flight. Feeling this anxious now, I'm not sure how I'll make it through the 12+ airport/airplane hours. I just keep thinking once I get the actual surgery in my past I can begin to get on with my life. I'm the second youngest of seven children - I have five sisters (all quite small, none have weight issues). I own my own business with one of my sisters. I've told the sister I own the business with, and I've told my younger sister. That's all I plan to tell. I've told my employees I'm going on a week's vacation in Mexico at that time (I'm prepared to miss the full week of work if need be, if I feel OK I'll go back earlier). Once I fly back into Phoenix, I still have a three hour drive to get home. I'll stay with a friend in the Phx area (I guess I've told him as well, so three people in all) until I feel like I'm up to the drive. I'm way excited, but more nevous than I expected, and it's still pretty far away. Have I mentioned I just want it all behind me? This forum is great - even with the stuff that's scared me, I've really appreciated being able to read about the experience of others.

Thanks for the responses and encouragement. I decided to have the surgery in Mexico mostly due to the cost. I am self-employed and have no health-insurance, so there was never any question that I'd be anything other than self-pay. I curse the fact that I didn't do this a couple of years ago while working for the large company with amazing health benefits ... but I'm in a better place mentally for it now, so it's OK. Another major factor was the pre-op requirements. I know they're there for your own health, etc., but to not have to worry about the psych eval and some other things is worth a lot to me. A friend of my boyfriend's had it done in Monterrey last year, and he says she has only good things to say about it, so the decision was made for me. Honestly, I didn't ever give much thought to having it in the States once I decided to do it. I researched it last year, and the price just depressed me. I've heard great things about my doctor. I'm not so happy about the long flight, but feeling very secure in my decision other than that. I'm still scared to death, but the emotion is mixed with overwhelming excitement and impatience to have it done. I'm trying to eat healthy now and kick start the weight loss. Some moments I'm so good and feeling great. And then I lose control, make bad eating decisions, and get depressed all over again. Such is the cycle of my life.

I actually have no pre-op requirements - only not to eat or drink after 11:00 the night before my surgery. TammyJ's pre-op diet inspired me though. I decided to try to do liquids as much as possible for the next 12 days until surgery. I went this morning and bought a variety of soup-at-hands and protien drinks, etc. I had a tomato and cottage cheese for breakfast - not exactly a liquid, but not too bad. I had cream-of broccoli soup-at-hand and a cucumber for lunch ... and then all hell broke lose and I had two 32-ounce Dr. Pepper's and a foot-long Subway sandwich to top off the night. Stopping soda is going to be hard for me ... but I want to do it now, before I'm "forced" to by the band. I wish I had more will-power. I try to tell myself the "Don't sacrafice what you want long-term for what you want right now" business, but if I want it right now, I can't seem to talk myself out of it. I guess that's why I'm (we're) in this position to begin with. Tomorrow's a new day, right? I'm trying to incorporate more exercise in before the surgery as well ... goal number one is to actually walk my dog when he gets up in the morning (instead of simply letting him outside then going back to bed) ... I've had this goal for three days, and have managed to accomplish it once. Goal number two - take half an hour out of my day to go to Curves ... had this goal for one day, and already failed. I can't seem to find a free half hour ... but I need to MAKE the time for it. I have to show I'm truly into this. That's enough from me.

I'm scheduled for March 3rd. Whoo hoo! I go through all the emotions, but my current one is just so ready to get this over with.

Negativity is no way to begin this. I've changed my mind - it will work because I will make it work. I shall make it successful (if I meditated, this would be my mantra). I've been really good about what I've eaten for the past two weeks ... well, kind of. I've not controlled my dinner portions as much as I should, but I've been eating real, homecooked meals (no fast food in two weeks - a miracle for me) and starting with the protien when I eat. I had Taco Bell for lunch yesterday though (and not just Taco Bell, but too much Taco Bell) because I had a bad day and guess I thought it would magically make it better. And then I won't even tell what I had for dinner tonight - seriously reverting back to bad, bad ways - bad binge eating like I haven't done in a couple of years. I think I let myself slip into the mindset of 'I'll have the band soon, so it doesn't matter what I do for the next two weeks.' I can't let myself continue like this though. I need to show to myself I'm dedicated now, before I have the band forcing me to stop. One day at a time, right?

Negativity is no way to begin this. I've changed my mind - it will work because I will make it work. I shall make it successful (if I meditated, this would be my mantra). I've been really good about what I've eaten for the past two weeks ... well, kind of. I've not controlled my dinner portions as much as I should, but I've been eating real, homecooked meals (no fast food in two weeks - a miracle for me) and starting with the protien when I eat. I had Taco Bell for lunch yesterday though (and not just Taco Bell, but too much Taco Bell) because I had a bad day and guess I thought it would magically make it better. And then I won't even tell what I had for dinner tonight - seriously reverting back to bad, bad ways - bad binge eating like I haven't done in a couple of years. I think I let myself slip into the mindset of 'I'll have the band soon, so it doesn't matter what I do for the next two weeks.' I can't let myself continue like this though. I need to show to myself I'm dedicated now, before I have the band forcing me to stop. One day at a time, right?

Kara - good to see you on here. Thank you so much for recommending this forum to me ... I've spent hours here the past two days. It's helping a lot to have an outlet for the obsessive thoughts and questions that have been bouncing around in my little brain. Only 15 days away for me!

I think I'll be the one for whom it fails. Negative, I realize, but that's just me.

I think I'll be the one for whom it fails. Negative, I realize, but that's just me.