NM Sunshine

CLAREMAE I've heard about doctors making 55 the cut off point for the band. I wonder why? people older than 55 go through all sorts of surgeries :faint:I'll be 63 in 2 1/2 months. But my doc is doing my band in the hospital rather than his surgery center.

Dynamo Boy, do I understand where you are coming from about slow weight loss. I've been on my pre-op liquid diet for 4 days and have lost 1 pound!!! At first I lost 3 pds and then today I gained 2 back. Part of my problem is lack of excersize. I have a back problem that only lets me stay on my feet for 7 minutes then it kicks in and I can't bear the pain. But I can go to Wally World and push a cart around for hours. Only thing I can figure is that I am redistributing my weight to the cart?

MistyMoon :)thanks..... I have only lost 3 pds. It seems just about impossible for me to lose. :nervous Hope your surgery went well for you today. We'll probably be hearing from you in a couple of days. Denise :bounce: hooraY How I hope my surgery goes like yours. claramae post me that over 60 link as I've been looking 4 it 2.

:help: I have some new questions. Who do I tip and how much? A driver (Laura) will be picking me up and taking me back to airport. Do I tip her? Each time? I'll be staying at the Camino Real hotel.....big expensive place. Do I need to convert some money into paso's when I go to TJ Mexico? Because of a mistake I made on air tickets I will be in Mexico an extra day. Will I feel like walking and shopping some on the 2ed day after surgery? Surgery Sept 11 at hospital (not surgery clinic) I fly out on Sept 13 at 7pm.

:bounce:Mehan Yes my asthma medicine is perscription. I will bring the boxes they belong in as that has my name and doctor on. What you say REALLY helps me. Thanks. And whew it's nice to know that my medicines don't count for my plastic bag that has gels & liquids in. I have 12 prescription medicines that I will need to take daily. Laura contacted me and I just use my cell to call hers and let her know which door I'm at. :embarassed: Annie5, I think I messed up with a few things. I've been eating cream of mushroom and cream of chicken Soup. I think I'm only surpose to eat broth type. I've also been drinking too much coffee. I checked with DR. V and he said one dup a day only. Yesterday I had several glasses of wine which I think is a no no. I'm finding out a lot about myself through the food diary I'm keeping. Often I just crave to eat something though I don't have hunger pains. My biggest craving time is at night. So I make up a package of instant diet pudding w/skim milk and eat the whole thing (a bit over 2 cups). Or I start on the creamcycles at 20 calories a bar and eat 4 because that only equals 80 calories. It's like I always want to stuff my mouth. I'm not the type who craves sugar or fast food meals. I tend to eat the healthy food, just too much of the healthy food. It's all calories. I've been trying to do better each day.

I'll be banded on Sept.11 (9/11) by Dr. Gonzales in TJ.

Fall Smalls

my pre-op diet is diet drinks, popcycles, fudgecycles, broth soup, steamed veggies, milk, yogurt, cottege cheese. All are to diet, sugar & fat free. It helps to shrink your liver and begin your training of what you'll be eating after banding.

I'm a carb addict or rather my body acts on carbs like alcohol acts on the alcoholic. The Southbeach diet is the best diet I know of that helps cure that. But all I have to do is binge on something like pies or deserts and I go right back into my cravings.

Gean thanks. And that is the right attitude.

Add me to the Sept.11 list. My banding is one week away. Anyone going to Dr. Gonzales on Sept.11?

My banding date is Sept. 11. I see there are other nonsupersticous 9/11's around. But I am anxous about it all.

Today I read something about the lap band not working for people who are certain type of eaters. If they are a high sugar eater they can bypass the band by drinking high calorie shakes. Is it possible that the surgeon sugested the bypass because of that?

Mildredmach I'll let you know how it went when I get back. Laura just called me and she will be picking me up at the airport and taking me back to airport. She gave me her cell phone number and told me to call her anytime. Dr.V stays in touch with you and whenever I have emailed him he emails me back the same day. This sort of attention really helps to relieve the anxiety.

Lap Bandit Thanks. I'll be there an extra day. Am going to try and get it all in one carry on. Thanks for the website. Will go check it now. Laura hasn't contacted me yet, buut she is supose to soon.

New Life, I have to self pay for all. But it will be worth it for the lap band as long as I have no complications. On my 2nd day of pre-op liquids. Seems like it is liquid in, liquid out. It's hard to feel like I am digesting anything for very long. I'm sure this will be much easier once I get banded. Band date....next Tue.

:help::help:Hi All, I am getting ready and have all sorts of questions especially for those who've had the banding. I haven't been on a plane since 9/11. Security has changed so much. I'd like to bring everything I need with me on plane so I won't have to check in luggage. I have a ton of prescription meds. I know that they must be in their prescription bottles. Do I have to put them in the one quart baggie along with toothpaste, soap ect.? Did any of you check in luggage? I have asthma, will they let me bring my 2 step airosal sprays? (cannot go anywhere with out them). When the driver picks you up at airport, where does he/she do it?

Terri, In my research I found who is surpose to be one the best facelift plastic surgeon. He's in Reynosa, Mexico. He's Dr. Raul Lopez Castillo and here is his site: McAllen,Reynosa Plastic Surgery by Dr Raul Lopez Castillo I had read an article about good/bad plastic surgeons in MX and he came out on top. All the women from Houston go to him. Do an internet search, to find information about him.

ShelbiCallie Thanks, I'm on the liquid pre-op diet now. Woke up in middle of night starving. I'll get use to it.

DynamoMini I went through a tax audit in 1980. We built a house and I contracted it. There were a lot of write-offs. I knew I had screwed up on one. When you write off the points you pay for a morgage, you are surpose to write them off over the life of the morgage. I wrote the whole of them that year. Nervous that they would catch it, Anyway, I had every receipt and paperwork in perfect order. I seperated them into classes and from there into envelopes. Each envelope had the balance on it. Because I had done such a good job of organizing, the auditer quickly glanced through one envelope and then just starting to add the balances I'd entered on envelop without checking the contents. She came up with the government oweing me $500.! Which I knew was wrong, but I didn't say anything. Yep, I got that $500. in the mail.:eek: I think the key to an audit is have it well organized. Good luck.

Christene, I didn't realize that I could have yogurt, steamed veggies and cottage cheese on the preop diet. That makes the diet easier. I noticed that walking helps stop hunger and after this morning, my hunger has really lessened. Congradulations on that daily loss of weight. Got to feel really good.

gabe4X4 Thanks. I'm beginning to get a taste of the liquid diet. I am beginning my 8 day preop diet and I'm hungry. I think, hopefully the hunger lets up after a few days.

New Life I read somewhere that medical insurance will pay for the 'apron' because the skin under it is irritated and you can get infections from the apron. It is considered a medical nessecity. That is why your doc said medicare will pay for the surgery.

I'm looking to find out how long it takes to heal from the band before one takes trips and goes on vacation? Also how long does Dr. Gonzales keep you at the surgery clinic? At the hospital? Anyone have to go to hospital rather than clinic for the band? How long did you stay?

LadyHR Was it at the Hospital or a surgery clinic? That hospital is costing me $1,000 more than his usual price. Maybe the doc's are different there. Mine is DR. Gonzales and I was told that most people have their banding done at the surgery clinic. I also understand that at the surgery clinic people stay overnight. I'm guessing that the $1,000 difference covers an overnite in hospital. I'll ask him about all this and if he feels I can, then I'll change my air ticket. The $120 a night in hotel in TJ is expensive. The protein is for healing and if your hair comes out, I'd guess that one wasn't getting enough protein. Luckily I have never experienced extra hair coming out of head, but I do have thick hair; so it wouldn't bother me much. I'm going to check out that New Way on internet. I did stock up on the powders. Whey powder and a high protein powder for muscle builders. Thanks for the sleeping advise. I sleep on my stomach and have a hard time sleeping on my side or back. I have a real soft recliner couch and will sleep on it with some sort of pro to keep me from rolling over during night. I need to be in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the 18th for a hearing. We will take the RV. It's about 270 miles and I will be traveling on day 6 after surgery. We had wanted to travel from there on up to Montana then to Canada. Do you think this is too much too soon? How long does it take to heal? New Life Medicare covers plastic surgery? WOW. I've lost lots of weight on Atkins too, over and over again and gained it back and more. Everyone Any one that can let me know how long it takes to heal enough to go on trips and vacations?