reconciler

Thanks, Mischievous, most helpful. I hope I will have your experience. Any others have a different experience than mischievous and have difficulty on the plane ride? Also, with a lower BMI, do you tend to have fewer fills, or more than average? Any and all comments welcome, I'm very curious.

I've been told that lower BMI's (I'm 32) lose weight more slowly. Is that really true if you follow the program carefully? I'm getting banded in Mexico by Dr. Rumbaut and feel comfortable about the surgery. I'm concerned about the adjustment afterwards and hope whoever I go to up here - NYU or Dorre from Long Island for my fills - won't be incremental but will go for the "sweet spot" right away. I'm nervous but excited and really hope this will curb my compulsive overeating. The last 2 weeks I have been stuffing my face! Looking for words of wisdom....

Hi - I'm a new bandster, going to Dr. Rimbaut in Monterrey for a July 17th banding. My BMI is 32.9. I'm nervous about flying back on Friday to NY after my surgery on Tuesday, squished to death in those economy seats (I'm 5'7" with long legs). I'm concerned about the gas in the shoulder, not being able to stretch out. Anyone deal with this? Any suggestions? Otherwise, I can't wait. I'm going to a dr. in NY for fills who's more on the aggressive side, like the drs. in Mexico, so I'm hoping I won't have a long, drawn out weight loss.

One week is fantastic! You will get into a zone and be fine. The more you semi-fast, the easier it is, truly, truly. By week 3 you'll be coasting. Not that this isn't hard. It is, and you're doing great. Keep us posted. And it's fine to complain...

Chimboree, you forgot me - I'm on the 17th. This is a hard thread to keep up with!Good luck to tomorrow's bandsters, mommiranda and snaggletooth. I am truly excited for you - I cannot wait until the 17th! Has anyone flew back from their operation? I'm getting a little nervous about that now, reading how Lynette and Laurend have to be in recliners. And I'm going to be squished into an economy seat from Mexico back to New York. The operation is Tuesday, the flight back is Friday. Any suggestions???

I don't think it's shallow to be well-groomed, Chimboree. It's easy to let yourself go when you're heavy, at least it is for me. I don't want to go out so I stop caring about my apprearance. I do believe people should be clean and neat-looking- stop worrying!

Gladster, are you with Dr. Rumbaut? I get in on Sunday because I come from NY and have to have a layover - there are no direct flights from NY to Monterrey. So in order to make the 12 noon pre-op tests deadline on Monday, I have to go on Sunday. Are you staying at the Hamptons Inn?

Gladster, I'm on the 17th, too, with Dr. Rumbaut in Mexico. There is wifi in the hotel, the Hamptons Inn, I found out. Icy Breeze, I'm I'm a one-day liquid diet pre-op. I was told that's because I'm a lower BMI, in my case 32. Hope that helps. Why am I embarrassed about my weight? Because whenever I'm out socially, everyone is a normal weight except for me, so I don't feel attractive or sexy, and I feel shamed as well, because everyone I know watches her weight to one degree or another, and I just watch it go up...

Yes, totally, completely, all the time.

Vixie, I have to say I agree with you and Bubble. I'm getting banded on July 17th with Dr. Rumbaut in Mexico and I would want as much information as possible. Then I can evaluate it and make a decision. It's like being defensive when your kid screws up. Is there anyone we love more than our kids and wouldn't give our lives for? But some parents are always defensive about them, if the school says they're having a problem, they think the school is wrong, rather than dispassionately evaluating the situation so you can then help your kid as much as possible, with all the facts. My two cents..

Chimboree, very thoughtful and interesting question. It's fascinating to read everyone's replies, because even though we have so much in common, some have different histories and current feelings about themselves. I think it's truly wonderful some of us still feel hot and sexy at their current weight. Even when I was 130 lbs. I still felt too heavy, could have lost another 5-10 lbs. (I'm 5'7"). I was a perfectly fine kid until I hit adolescence and then always felt I was too heavy. I was heavier than the other girls - wore a size 13. But I never lacked for friends or male attention. I always liked boys and still do, at 62, and I'm in a wonderful marriage of 41 years, with 2 great daughter, with the first grandchild on the way. But my body image has never been good. At college I got down to 130 lbs. from 160, got married at 21 and had my first daughter at 25. I put on 50 lbs., taking me to 180, but lost it within 5 months. Here's the deal and what I'm finally realizing - I am and always have been a compulsive overeater. I managed my weight by dieting and mainly smoking; it was much easier to diet and control my weight (although I was always going up and down 10-15 lbs.) because of the smoking. But even with the smoking I could never maintain my weight - it always fluctuated, but I was never more than 150 lbs. So the smoking camoflaged the fact that I was a compulsive eater. When I stopped, I put on weight, went to a new level. Tried fenphen, which was the only 2 weeks in my life I fet like a "normal" person who didn't think obsessively about food. But that incredible drug wears off too. At age 49 I got back down to 137 (through Diet Center) but immediately started putting weight back on. My new level the last few years started hovering around 190. And now I'm at 210 and in Last Supper mode. I have stopped working completely. Having a job masked to me the fact I was a compulsive eater who binges a lot - because the eating is much more controllable with a full time job and real workaholic tendencies - you just don't have as much time to stuff your face! Now that I'm not working I find that I'm in a wonderful mood all the time - I have no real stress in my life - and I have the time to see my patterns clearly. I don't know why I'm a compulsive overeater outside of the usual, genetics, food as friend and comfort, but I do know it's worse as I get older. I now have a CPAP for sleep apnea (which is just never comfortable sleeping with) and feel I'm on the verge of getting diabetes. Even though I've never had a good body image and have always struggled with low self esteem and chronic low level depression, I have always considered myself attractive, especially my face, and have never avoided looking at myself in the mirror until recently. Now I avoid it and am upset when I see myself. I have been on every diet, taken every medication, even off label diabetes drugs. So I'm looking forward to July 17th, in fact, I can't wait. I think this surgery is the only hope I have of controlling these crazy cravings. Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. This kind of sharing is very helpful.

Suggestion, Dini. You should definitely let him know what you need from him at such a vulnerable time, so speak up. But make it an "I" message, not what he hasn't done, but what you would appreciate from him. Maybe something like - this is a tough time for me, you've been great, I don't want to ask for more but it seems I need more contact from you but just very short text messages during the day, a quick phone call. Could you do that - it would mean so much to me - or something like that in your own words. I agree, it is a serious matter. Good luck.

Lynette, that's wonderful. You're a quick healer. So glad you're keeping us all posted on the day-by-day.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and support, and for your analysis, Chimboree. I think I do have a Last Supper mentality, plus my daughter is pregnant and I think I'm reliving my pregnancy with her through her, when for the first time in my life, I ate what I wanted. I was 130 pounds then and put on 50 which came off fairly fast. Now of course everything's different but I don't think my mentality has shifted, unfortunately. I'm excited about the surgery and Rebecca, would love to hear from you when you can post again. Best, best of luck to you. All details welcome. I'd love to bring my laptop and will have to find out if they have wireless at the hotel.

Thanks, MsPris, I did. TenGal, you must have me mixed up with someone else - I'm not concerned about what to tell people, although I'm not going to volunteer the information , but if they ask I will tell them the truth. As far as what to tell your church friends, here are a few suggestions, without lying: _ oh, I just had to be away for a bit. And leave it at that. If they ask more, - I had to have a minor surgical procedure performed. In my experience if you say it the right way, you will not invite another follow-up question. If someone tells me that, I never follow up because I think if they wanted me to know, they would have told me. - you might tell the people you're closest to the story and ask them to treat it as confidential. - tell them the truth if they ask, but keep it short. I had a minor procedure my doctor recommended to help me with weight control. If they want to know more, tell them. You have nothing to be ashamed of!

I have a date for July 17th with Dr. Rumbaut in Mexico I have been stuffing my face for the past 2 weeks. Instead of my BMI being 32 when I go for the surgery, it's going to be closer to 34! Any ideas? I don't any diet restrictions until the day before the surgery. Words of wisdom welcome...

May I ask how much you paid? And did he himself do the surgery? Thanks.

I've read the first few days are hard but then you will "settle in". Stay with it, it's worth it. Remember, it will pass. Good luck.