Daisalana

I was skeptical about the Mexican hospitals at first too, from the botched plastic surgeries I've seen on 20/20. Save a dime, lose your life kind of thing. But, while doing my lap-banding research and from testimonials here, I was actually content to have it done in Mexico, except the trip and the fills would be impossible. I was like baybe though.. my fiance won't even listen to me try to explain, and my parent put their foot down. They put their foot down on gastric bypass a few years ago too. Their support means a lot to me, so I never did it.. then Lap Band came along and here I am! They are anti-Mexico but since they have graciously offered to pay for the surgery for giving me such horrendous genes (har har), that was a decision I was fine with. If they couldn't help me, I promise I would be making charts and booklets and getting all the REAL information I could on the Mexican surgeries so they would support me on it.

Hm.. got me second guessing my Matrix flavor decision! I saw someone mention it on another thread and ordered the orange cream/dreamsykle whatever. It had a lot of flavors, and from past experience with diet/protein shakes, the chocolate is always chalky, the vanilla makes me gag.. so all the chocolate or cookies & cream, I envisioned mixtures of the two.. I went with orange cream to spice it up.. but I love me some Dunkin Donuts.. might have to get the chocolate now!

LOL. I had something similar happen. Nearly 10 days. I thought I would die.. literally. When my fiance moved across the country for college, I refused to go out there (I eventually compromised and stayed 2 years there as long as we could 'settle down' in my hometown..which is where we are now).. So we would visit back and forth. He was living in a co-ed dorm on the guy's floor, so there was 1 big men's restroom, and one guest restroom downstairs in the lobby. Well, I am the same way, only place I can go is in my house with no one around (except fam or fiance). So I get there, and 3 days into it, I was hurting really bad. So I'd go down in the middle of the night, and hope no one was there, but some reason people were always awake!! I'd try to sneak in, turn the sink on.. but nothing. My body said no. I just can't! I did this every day until day 7.. and I met his best friend there (his RA), and his best friend's girlfriend, who had a house outside of campus. We went to her house before going to the movies, and I said I needed a shower since there was none in the dorms and I was grimey. So I went in there, and I was able to let it out.. finally. I was cracking the window while I showered so no one would know, and her house was old and I ended up breaking the stupid frame. That was so miserable. I didn't tell my fiance that story for years. It ended up after I moved there, I became best friends with his friends girlfriend, so I eventually told her the story too and she died laughing. Fiance thinks I'm just goofy. So.. I'm scared about having enima-effects on a 3 hour drive. EEK.

Yes.. I too take forever in the morning after trying several options because nothing hides the big ol tummy fat anymore. Let me tell you what I am worrying about right now!! I've never taken Magnesium Citrate.. so I googled and found all kinds of wonderful information basically saying it's like an enima.. out it goes. I have to drink it between 1pm-5pm the day BEFORE surgery. It says it will last 6-8 hours. We have to drive 3 hours to the hospital. My parents and fiance are going.. We are driving the day before surgery..so the same day as magnesium scariness. Is it really that bad? Am I going to be poo'ing my pants the whole way down there? Does it last 6-8 hours, or can I plan to take it at like 1pm and tell them not to leave till 5pm so I can get it out of my system? Help help! I can't poo all over my daddy's car..or in public for that matter, so no gas station stops in my future. LOL

Great link! Thanks for sharing, very informative for me.

That's true, a not-scammy loan with a reasonable rate for say 10k? (I think people have said you can get it for 8-10k in Mexico)... would be about 150-200 a month for a 6 year I think. And if you can save up any money by selling items you own, garage sell, etc.. as a downpayment, even better. 150-200 is a cable/internet/phone package bill at my house. Could give that up for a while.. revert to the old movies sitting on the shelf! I'm not perfect on the math of loans, just estimating based off of loans I've had.

I haven't thought much about the baby food yet, most baby food sounds unappetizing to me.. I glanced last time I went to the store. On a side note, baby food bananas. Mm.. that's something I like to get time to time as a treat. I'll have to look into nutrition in them for post-op, I could possibly live on banana baby food LOL.

Baybee.. I was wondering about your g/f's insurance covering you. I thought that was the big problem right now about getting same sex marriages, so spouses can rightfully insure each other as a heterosexual couple could. I thought maybe you had a very liberal insurance policy or something! My sister is a lesbian and I know her and her fiance have been fighting a lot due to financial reasons that would be helped if they could claim each other.. Does any insurance cover same sex 'spouses'?? Edit to add, not to sound inconsiderate. I sympathize with your situation and hope you can find a way to afford it.

I just popped in because I'm overly-anxious and excited for these 2 weeks to pass. I talked to my surgeon today about some questions I had and he was very obliging and didn't get offended at my drilling. Janie, I'm in the same boat. Due to the pain in my lower back, it's excruciating for me to be walking for more than 10 minutes at a time (SIGH). But I bought 'The Bean' as someone else here said they got it and yadda yadda. For me, who has a hard time walking, it's been great. It relieves the pain in my back for me to do crunches and stretches. Do what you can It will come to you in time. I can't wait!

wasabubblebutt- LOL. Haven't experienced childbirth.. knock knock knock. I am pleased to say tonight at the store I bought stuff to make that frozen frappucino someone suggested.. but I'm not going for strong coffee.. no.. I'm going with EXPRESSO! Can't wait.

Jachut- That's encouraging. And even though I believe, it just still seems scary because I'm on this side still

I'm same with wasbubblebutt.. I was told my insurance might cover it, but I'd have to jump through hoops. I was able to get the means to self-pay so I was not wanting to go through the long drawn out process. I just had my last back shots a week and a half ago, hoping they would last long enough for me to have my surgery and lose some weight and have less pain.. unfortunately for me, the back shots did not work AT ALL this time, so I'm in chronic pain and counting the days! I guess it depends on your situation. I don't think I can wait any longer, and I had the means. After the fact, I found out my insurance coverage would only cover GB.

I have to say, this journey has made me realize my addiction to food.. I actually have little panic attacks when I think about the things I won't be able to shove in my face after too much longer. I get a grip when I realize how silly this sounds. I do have fears about still being hungry.. I don't seem to 'get full' often, and especially lately I try listening to my body to tell me I'm full, and it still doesn't come. I just hope the lap band will help me get the full feeling and I won't want to binge. I started my pre-op diet early to make sure I'm in the mindset. So far, so good But I have thought about that 'last meal' and if I really want to do that. I am trying to tell myself not to let food control me and I feel like doing the 'last meal' will be like saying 'its ok to cave in just this once', premeditated. I feel guilty even thinking about it. Closer to time we'll see if I crack, but for now, I'm trying to just stay focused

LOL. I guess me and fiance will cut back. I thought it would end up being until 6 weeks post-op while I'm healing, so we've been trying to make up for it right now. Good to know

Well, since I don't normally have headaches or migraines, I assumed they're the same thing. My head was throbbing and my pillow felt like cement. Light was blinding.. and coffee ended it all. So take it for what you will

Good luck those of you who are doing it in the next couple days, make sure you come back and let us know how it goes!!

This is going to be one of my demons, I am not looking forward to not drinking while eating. I think I will have to take Kat's lead and not have a drink at the table.

No post-op wisdom from me, but hang in there! Keep your eye on the prize

LOL!! Actually, Asparagus is one of those things I was told not to have post-op..and asparagus is my favorite veggie!! Actually, one of the only ones I like. If you looked in my cabinets, I have 10 cans of Asparagus.. and rice. So.. I will miss it ::sniff::

I may be too optimistic but I am having it done on a Monday morning and planned to return to work the following Monday. That's what I told my employer, if I take longer it's ok, but my surgeon also said as long as I am not doing heavy lifting or over exerting myself, 3-4 days is enough recovery to go back.

I have been re-reading some threads trying to find direct information on it... My doctor mentioned taking pre-natal vitamins for pre-menopausal women post-op, chewable. The nurse mentioned takings a once daily vitamin-chewable. I know about protein shakes, but I've heard people mention unflavored protein powder you can add to food (which I'd prefer, I hate those shakes). I've looked at GNC, and some other online websites, and this is all greek to me. Should I get a chewable pre-natal AND multi-vitamin.. and what brand is the protein? Whey proten (All the Whey) doesn't say any of them are unflavored.. they say "a clean great tasting"..which does not appeal to me! Also told to do chewable calcium, already found a brand of that I like. So is there another thread or anyone have specifics on brands of things to get for post-op vitamins & supplements?

Good luck. I wouldn't get too excited yet, like you and many of us have said, insurance say yes, then they say no, then they say maybe..etc. I have to lose weight because of my back problems, I've been having to do cortizone shots for years now and it's getting worse, and shots are no longer working. To me, it's worth everything I own to get this done. I am 23 and having a hard time walking, it's very disturbing Not to mention the cost of the shots, which insurance pays for and I would think they'd be happy to have me stop running that tab up on them!! I am lucky enough to have someone paying for me to have it done, but if they weren't I would certainly have sold my car to pay the majority of it.

I'm with Niecyrenee. 2 weeks out, they want me off sugar to shrink my liver. I'm addicted to Mt. Dew. I've been 3 days without a soda. I don't replace it with diet, because 1. I have never liked the taste of diet sodas 2. It will make me want a real one.. So I've gone cold turkey, and last night I had horrible migraines. Kept me up most of the night so I made a pot of coffee (strong strong) and had a few sips.. headaches went away. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but right now as I wean off of cokes, I'm going to do the coffee thing. Regardless of what it does to my pouch size post-op, I was drinking 6-8 normal Mt. Dews a day which I know is way too much sugar, no need to get back into that!

This thread was a great idea, very informative for us getting it soon or debating it

I was told originally my provider (BCBS of AL) covered gastric bypass only. Then I was told they cover both, if you have the records of 5 years overweight and 6 months of medically supervised dieting. Then, when I went to the doctor, she pulled up my invididual plan and said, the company I work for does not cover it "You must be at a small company with less than 50 employees".. I said no, we actually have about 100.. but... she led me to believe it has to do with the size of the company you work for. I wasn't put out, because I was already going in there as a self-pay. I was told my insurance didn't cover lap-banding regardless. When I went to our consultation there were about 8 of us. Several of us using BCBS, and they got us all indivial information for our plan. Most of us would have to jump through hoops to get gastric bypass covered, but no lap banding.. which is another reason why a lot of the women in there were going with gastric bypass. One woman had Federal Mogul(sp??) and their list of requirements were minimal. You had to have a comorbity, and so she was able to get signed right up. I always thought BCBS was the best insurance.. but hum..