Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🌈 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins

monicapv

LAP-BAND Patients
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    44

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by monicapv

  1. monicapv
    Hi! I'm being patient to see how this goes, but I need some input. I was banded 2/14/09 - I've lost 20 lbs! Yippee! This represents about 1/3 of my final goal. However, the last 2 months have seen only a 3 lb loss. : ( I've had one fill. If I'm reading my card thingy right, my band is 4 cc capacity and on 4/09 I had 1.8cc put in. Here's my confusion. Sometimes, after just 3 bites - I "choke" and wish I could just spit it right out. I'm pretty vigilant about chew-chew-chewing, so I'm not sure this is the cause. Yet other times, I can eat a full serving (3 cups). Literally - I can eat 3 bites of a sub sandwich and choke or I am practically able to finsih the whole thing. WTF?!? Do I need another fill??? I can't seem to wrap my head around how this band is supposed to work. I don't see how it controls how much you can eat - more like it controls how quickly you can eat. Guidance is needed and requested :smile2:
  2. monicapv

    Banded and Confused...

    monicapv replied to monicapv's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    It just happened again. Last night I had 3 pieces of toast with jam for dinner (a craving!) - no problemo. This morning, I took three bites of toast and I started getting that panicky "choking" feeling. It took 1/2 hour to pass. An older platform band?? Now I am even more confused. The doctor said that he used a "smaller" bad on me. It all depends on your own personal plumbing I guess. I guess the long and the short of it is, it's not working the way I thought it would. I had no idea that my 2 eating outcomes would be 1) bottomless pit or 2) choking after 3 bites. I'm not complaining! I've told my facilitator all this stuff and she just keep throwing me the whole "learning curve" spiel. (sigh)...
  3. monicapv

    shoulder tip pain...OMG

    monicapv replied to davidsmom08's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    Ice and a lot of self pity helped me.
  4. monicapv

    "Stuck" Explanation please...

    monicapv replied to 303'sJourney's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    You'll know. It hurts - like your choking. You'll panic and want to throw up but will have a hard time doing so.
  5. monicapv

    weight.png

  6. monicapv

    Major "discomfort"

    monicapv replied to monicapv's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    No - the pain isn't that bad. I have back pain, but I attribute that to my back having to overcompensate for my abdomen. I feel a little better after eating soup. Might be extreme hunger. Thank God I'm moving to mushies this weekend.
  7. monicapv
    The last two days I've had on and off pain in what I think is my gall bladder. I was banded on 2/14, so I'm still on liquids and blended things. It woke me up last night - I sipped some Slimfast and it kinda went away. Maybe it's just extreme hunger?!? I "eat" about 3 shakes, 1 soup & 1 yogurt (about 1200 cal) a day. Is this not enough? What am I doing wrong? I thought the shoulder pain was bad. That passed and now this?? Ugh... having regrets...
  8. monicapv

    Major "discomfort"

    monicapv replied to monicapv's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    Port on the left. Pain is below bottom of sternum , where your bra pushes. I took mine off by the way, but it isn't helping. I just ate some soup - it seemed to help. Maybe it's just hunger. God knows I wouldn't be in this situation (w/lapband) if I knew what hunger was like. I feel good - downright perky - in the morning, but this afternoon I'm tired and can barely manage to speak to people. ugh......
  9. monicapv
    I was banded on 2/14. I have been making my own shakes - milk, vanilla yogurt, banana and chocolate powder. My step mother actually managed to liquify mashed potatoes and meatloaf for me (with a little broth) and it was awesome!! She even liquified a salad - it wasn't bad. I felt like I was eating "real" food again.
  10. monicapv
    I'm so nervous!! Thank God my boyfriend found his birth certificate today - otherwise he wouldn't have been able to go into Tijuana with me and I would have had to be alone. We're leaving L.A. tomorrow in the early a.m. to be in San Diego by 10:00. Testing and other stuff tomorrow and surgery on Saturday. How romantic! (not!) I'm afraid of a few things: I hate to admit this, but I am fiercely scared of needles. :thumbup: It usually takes 2 to 3 nurses for a blood test. I know that's stupid - but that's me. So I am therefore dreading the pre-op blood work and the insertion of the IV. I had an IV 6 months ago for something else and it hurt SO BAD. Next thing I am afraid of is the pain after. How long will there be pain? I've read descriptions of the feeling like someone puched you repeatedly in the upper gut. Is it bad? When will it pass? Are there any other Bloody-Valentiners out there? (silence...)
  11. monicapv

    Pre-surg jitters!?!

    monicapv replied to presleysyndrome's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    I'm nervous too - I'm checking in on Friday (13th) and my surgery is 14th - Valentine's Day!?! Yup. Howz that for date combo? I'm nervous as hell - mostly about the pain. Secondly about the possiblity of failing and letting everyone (especially me) down. Good luck to you. :thumbup:
  12. monicapv
    Hi - Monica here. I haven't scheduled my initial visit yet (chicken). Since my insurance isn't paying, I am contemplating having the surgery done by a Dr. who also does it in Mexico (I'm in L.A.) for almost half the price. I would like to talk to others that went this route. I would also like to talk to people like me - I'm 39, 215 lbs, 5'6" regarding what to expect. I'm nervous about making this life change and feel that I should be able to lose the weight without resorting to surgery. Words of encouragement and reality would be great.:laugh:
  13. monicapv
    Congrats! Nervous? I am. I get pumped by reading postings here. Feb 21st is my big day. I have three full recovery days after that (back to work on 2/25). I too hope that's enough!:thumbup:
  14. monicapv

    I am self-pay so price is obviously a concern. I am scheduled for "banding" on February 21 with Dr.Pedro Kuri. I've heard lots of good things about him and his staff and so far, my experience has been good.

    I'm nervous - not nervous about the procedure itself - but about whether I will lose weight. I understand that the band is a tool, not a solution and that I need to treat it as such. I am grateful for my family and botfriend's support, but Im worried about letting them and me down.

     

    I broke the news to the b.f. (Alex) of my scheduled appt. and was relieved when he didn't pass judgement or try and talk me out of it (not his style). He's going to drive me down to Tijuana on Friday and stick around with me for

  15. monicapv

    I am self-pay so price is obviously a concern. I am scheduled for "banding" on February 21 with Dr.Pedro Kuri. I've heard lots of good things about him and his staff and so far, my experience has been good.

    I'm nervous - not nervous about the procedure itself - but about whether I will lose weight. I understand that the band is a tool, not a solution and that I need to treat it as such. I am grateful for my family and botfriend's support, but Im worried about letting them and me down.

    I broke the news to the b.f. (Alex) of my scheduled appt. and was relieved when he didn't pass judgement or try and talk me out of it (not his style). He's going to drive me down to Tijuana on Friday and stick around with me for the day. My dad and his wife will pick me up on Sunday. My mom volunteered but, she would stress me out too badly.

  16. monicapv
    I'm with L12 on this one. It bothers me a bit too. I think the bit about the stretch marks and not wanting to ever be fat. Like fat people are worthless and flawed. Those are hurtful remarks for someone that is sensitive (like me!). If he had said his reasons were health related and not purely vanity, then it would be different. Then again, who cares? We've all got our issues. I'm glad to see with these responses that there are more people like me - on the "lighter" side (for once to be on the lighter side of anything). My BMI is 35. I guess I need the validation that it's okay to nip this weight thing in the bud before I get bigger.
  17. monicapv
    I'm not coming from very far, but I too am going ot Tijuana. I'm scheduled for 2/21 with Dr. Pedro Kuri. $7500 and he does them day in and day out. Check him out.
  18. monicapv

    I give up!!

    monicapv replied to Policeman116's topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

    I'm going to Tijuana next month to have the procedure done by Dr. Pedro Kuri - $7500! Can't beat that! Even with airfare you're out ahead - they include two nights hotel and pick up from the airport. Do some research on him.
  19. monicapv
    I too am in the Los Angeles area and have just scheduled my appointment with Dr. Pedro Kuri (you can Google the name) in Tijuana. $7500! I was originally working with Dr. Owens office- but they charge $10500 for their surgery in Mexico. There are a few of Dr. Kuri's patients on here (again, do a search). I'm a little aprehensive about the whole Mexico thing, but apparently Dr. Kuri does several of these every day.
  20. monicapv
    Please - be honest - be brutal - be gross if you have to (anyone whose ever taken Alli knows what gross is). Why shouldn't I get this done? What aren't all of you telling me? I want to be as well informed as possible before I do this and I NEED to know! Help me help me.
  21. monicapv

    Tell Me the Bad Stuff

    monicapv replied to monicapv's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    Thanks for all those responses. You all are downright inspirational! Marathon burping I can handle but hair falling out is alarming... (yikes)! :cursing: I'm getting closer and closer. If I finally get the nerve, I am going to Dr. Kuri in Tijuana. I'm paying myself and he does about 6/day and is a bargain at $7500. Other patients have good things to say though I would appreciate hearing from more. I'm trying to analyze my true problem (over eating? wrong foods?) to see if this device will help me. From what I am reading it seems to help everyone if you let it. I'm nervous and scared - trying to ease myself in to this idea.
  22. monicapv

    Tell Me the Bad Stuff

    monicapv replied to monicapv's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

    It's not that I want to be talked out of it - it's more that I want to hear about the stuff I should really know. For example, I read about constant stomach rumblings and noises. Is this common? What else?
  23. monicapv
    What was the cost of the procedure in Monterey?
  24. monicapv
    Wow! Thanks for the pep talks. You guys are great. I definitely know where to go when I'm feeling "iffy" again. THANKS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
  25. monicapv
    Hi. Thanks for the quick reply. Does this mean you have to go to CO for your fills?

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Bariatric Forums

For Patients

Health Professionals

Search Surgeons

Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

×