hagerteresa

Hello, Your pictures do look great. I can see huge differences in the before and after pictures. AMAZING and very inspirational. Best wishes to you, Teresa Hi Delarla, Hope you would is doing better.

I agree with everyone else. I can see a big difference too. Good work Alex!!! Teresa

Hello, Sorry to hear about the swollen, ouchy thing. Remember that 10 days of draining I had? I am now glad my local family doctor was so happy to see all of that draining. I am sure yours just healed over on the outside without ever properly healing on the inside. Good thing it got taken care of. I am also glad that I am able to talk to my family practitioner about band related problems. It makes me feel more comfortable. I still need to get Dr. Carmen and Nora to transfer all of my records and pictures up to Oregon. That sucks they are so hard to get ahold of and so unresponsive to possible problems. I loved Dr. Lopez but don't think much of Dr. Carmen or Nora. Don't get me wrong, they seemed perfectly nice and helpful for the most part in Mexico but they also seemed kind of chaotic and not real organized. Anyone else have any other experiences with these two people? None of them have ever even contacted me since I had surgery to see how I am doing or if I made it home. Thank god I haven't had any real problems. Anyway I kind of deviated from my message to you DeLarla, I really really hope you start feeling better very soon and life resumes its preband normality for you. It will but I know the sooner the better is what you would like. I truly wish the best for you and send good wishes, Teresa

Is that a pit bull and a gray hound? That brown and white one has gorgeous markings. Cute picture of him looking at the ducky. Teresa

Donali, If I find a picture I want of me, could I send it to you and have you put it on? I have no idea how to do it. Its my graduation weekend so I am sure I'll get lots of pictures taken of me. I'll try to pick one. Teresa

Hello, I know www.belighter.com lists several doctors in Mexico including some in monterey. It is also a very informative sight and has links to other support groups including the mexican bandsters. Best of luck on your search, Teresa

When I was banded May 8, 04, the nutricianist also told me no seeds from foods like strawberries and raspberries but i have had smoothies with the seeds still in and it has gone fine. I am with the others. If I can still take medications and eat many other variety of foods than I can handle the seeds aspect. T

I never realized how much I depended on all of your company and information until my computer crashed last week. We lost all of my favorites list and I have been hunting around desperately to find this sight again (now safely put back into my favorites:). Donali if you recently got an email from me from the mexican bandsters sight I have now found my way back to you all. Thank goodness!!!!!!! Teresa

Hey you! Give me a call sometime! I look for a way to email you but it looks like you have made your email unavailable. Email me and I can reply... Glad to hear your doing pretty good:) Teresa

I have been banded just over three weeks now. I loved diet soda before I was banded but have avoided soda since surgery. I was told by my nutricianist appointment the day before banding that soda does not work with the band. I have read from posts that most people just feel really uncomfortable from their experience post-band with soda. I have heard mixed reviews as far as medical evidence that it is bad for the pouch. I have tried the rare sip from my husbands soda and have never felt weird feelings from it. I have not had a fill yet so maybe I am just so unrestricted that it doesn't have any adverse affect? Is there any serious medical evidence that shows soda is horrible for the band (pouch stretching or ?)? I am willing to live without it for sure but life would be so much more pleasant with it. I am finding I am very limited on low calorie drinks. Juices are out. I do ice tea with splenda and of course a ton of water but I am getting a little bored with those. Thanks for any info, Teresa

Hello, Yeah, the no soda thing is one of the lamest things about the band for me. I accepted it when I got the band and have been very good about abiding to the rule but wanted to get other peoples experience and deductive reasoning too. I know I can live without it but it annoys me. I'll definitely have to try to find some new and different things to drink. Bandon, OR is beautiful! Have you ever gotten up here for a visit? We live about 2 hours from Bandon but enjoy going there when we get to the coast. Best of luck to you, Teresa

Thank you for all the helpful advice and support. I am sure they had a reason for telling me no soda also but I wish I would have thought to ask why. Like most of you, I have heard different opinions and theories and was just wondering if it was based on scientific data. Of course I wouldn't want to risk the band, I was a self pay also. Keep the ideas and theories coming though. Best wishes, Teresa

I have the 9.75 Inamed "Lap band." I am not sure why my doctor chose that size but the adjustability of this type of band makes this one the optimal one. As well, the Inamed band is FDA approved making it easier to find doctors in the U.S. who will do the fills. Teresa

I have checked around my state ( Oregon) too and all the places are about 2 hours away. They really range in price: One place is $600 the first time due to a required consultation but then it's $250 for future fills with flouroscopy, Another place is $350 flat but no flouroscopy, Another place is $350 with flouroscopy and lastly another place is $150 but no flouroscopy. I was hoping to have them done with the flouro but I am not sure now. I would like it done at least occassionally to make sure everything is still in place and functioning. For those veterans with the fills can you tell us newbies which method you have done and what has worked best? Thanks, Teresa

Hi everybody, I was banded by Dr. Lopez on May 8th and saw a nutricianist before surgery who gave me their recommended post op diet, it was the following: Week 1 Clear Liquids, Week 2 Protein shakes and mushy stuff including cream Soups, mashed potatoes and cream of wheat Cereal. Week 3 eggs, crackers (thought this was odd), seafood, cottage cheese, rice, pastas. Week 4 Pretty much anything else slowly. And beef and chicken must be gound after cooking. I have had a lot of things that work really well for me and then one unexpected item will make me sick. Only has happened a couple of times and I've learned to be cautious. One of my favorite things is to get a rotissorie chicken, debone it, toss it in a food processor and blend till gound, remove, blend celery, onion, olives etc and it makes a nice chicken salad pate' for those crackers I thought were odd. I typically followed the eating schedule but I also moved along according to my readiness too. My biggest challenges are eating slowly, avoiding liquids during meals and getting enough Water in. I have to force myself to change each of those habits and think I have done pretty well so far. Getting better and better anyway. Put myself on a regular eating schedule so I am not ravenous when I get to eat, completely remove my water before and after meals till the appropriate length of time has passed and I am working on the water issue. I carry a water bottle at all times but still only manage to get about a 1/3 of the recommended water amount in me. Drives me nuts! Best of luck, Teresa

Hello, I live in Eugene Oregon but thought I would just say hello. Dr Lopez did my surgery too. It would be fun to meet sometime. How far is Portland from you? Well best wishes, Teresa

Hi DeLarla, I am glad you were able to get the advice you needed from everybody. I too am the sappy romantic type:) I am going to just post my phone number and that way anyone who ever feels the need can give me a call. It is 541-302-6345. I live in Oregon. For the best long distance rates I find the $20 phone cards at costco or Sam's Club are the greatest. Its like 2 cents a minute or something. I get one and the 800 minutes lasts at least a few months between all of my family members and I (we all share the same card) and it is easily rechargeable at the same great rate. I don't know how people that don't know about this forum do it either. I find it so helpful to chat with other people in the same situation. Best of luck and call anytime, Teresa P.S. My husband works during the evenings so I am the lonely little wife in the evenings anyway. T

Delarla you can call me anytime. I love talking to people and have always noticed you because you got banded three days before me by the same doctor. I would love someone to chat with who is in the same boat I am at the same time. I haven't figured the whole system out either but I must have some restriction. Everytime I don't think I do I'll find the one food that will make me throw up. I don't think I have had more than a 1/2 cup of anything since before surgery and even 1 or 2 tiny bites of the wrong thing can make me sick. I also started out at 362 lbs so we are both in for the long haul. My email is hagerteresa@hotmail.com so if you want my number email me and I'll send it back to you. Best wishes, Teresa

I specifically called my insurance before I had my band put in (I was also self pay in Mexico) and asked them about emergency situations and they said that it would be covered even though they won't cover the band going in. We can only all hope and pray we are not one of the few that have these awful problems. By the way I live in Oregon. Not sure about individual states or companies. I was banded May 8th with Dr. Lopez and am doing great. Best wishes to you too, Teresa

I had my surgery May 8th with Dr. Lopez and really liked him as well. I have lost 24 lbs in 20 days! Best wishes, Teresa

Hello, I think initially I wasn't going to tell too many people but myself being one who can't hold a secret and was very excited about it and ended up telling all of my family, close friends and customers (that is except my dad). I had tried to tell him but he would not listen and remark rationally. The date hadn't been set in stone yet so I presented the idea to him as as that, just an idea. He just didn't think it would help change my eating habits much less the thought of having a medical procedure done in mexico:) I have told him now and though initially he nearly had heart failure he now is very happy about it. All of my friends and family I told were a wonderful support team and I am so excited everytime I go weigh in, I love to tell of my loss. They all call me the "pound crier" instead of the town crier (in good fun of course). They all Celebrate with me. Most of the people I know are not stick thin and the ones that are are just as supportive. I could see how telling other people in your medical profession could be challenging though. Honestly I was in the Oasis of Hope hospital in Tijuana and thought it was as nice and more comfortable than our local hospitals. No other patients in the room and a queen size bed for my family member. To this day I am happy with the fact I told people of it. I had done my homework for months and years concerning the different surgeries but never had any $ to get it done, so when my father in law offered to help me pay for it I litterally jumped at the chance and scheduled my surgery date for less than two weeks later. Best wishes and good luck. Teresa

I had my surgery two weeks ago and am also a smoker. I was told by a nurse not to try to quit right now too. I would like to quit soon though and was wondering what worked for other people? Teresa

Hello, I am almost to my second week post op and already concerned about even being able to eat solid food ever again. I have taken a few sips of V-8 or a protein shake and it will tighten right up for a long time. I haven't started the mushy food stage yet but am even a little concerned about that. How big is my hole anyway without a fill versus with a fill? Thanks Teresa

Hello, My doctor gave me a list and it tells me I can have blended items including fruits and vegetables during my second week which starts today. I am just slowly trying things and making sure they have the right consistency (very smooth). I have tended to be hungry too the last week and do better with the V-8 and Protein drinks. I had a few sips of one the other day though and I felt really tight in my pouch area and it took awhile to ease. It wasn't painful but not real comfortable either. It hasn't happened since. Must have just been more tight than normal that day. I wondered if this was the full sensation we were supposed to feel and wasn't real sure I liked it. On the other hand it will feel weird being able to eat more solid items later after so long on liquid and blended food. Can you tell me some of the favorite items you ate at the different stages from about 2 weeks on? Thanks.