staplegater

Please remember in doing your research that forums may notbe the most accurate representation of what having the band is really like. People come to forums searching for help when they have a problem or complication. Of course you're going to find horror story after horror story because people who are complication free (which are most) are out living their lives and check in once in awhile if they PB or something. It would be like only asking democrats how they feel about about an issue and then applying it to the general consensus. It just isn't an accurate representation. Also, what you can and cannot eat is different with every person. I have 5 banded relatives and only one can't eat bread. Everyone else eats everything, but tend to stay away from most carbs because they're counterproductive to weight loss. Try going into the support forums by surgery month. That would be better than the general post surgery one You will find most of them are fairly dead because everyone is out enjoying life. Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. As a low bmi bandster I understand how it's hard to get people to be supportive.

Don't worry! Be strong! Remember the tips I gave you. Let me know if you have any last minute questions. I'm day 24 post op and feeling really good. My weight loss has stalled after losing 12 pounds, but that's okay. It's getting towards that time of month so I'm sure it's related. I am not gaining and am looking forward to my fill in June. Best of luck! Don't be nervous. ITS SO WORTH IT!! They have computers in the hotel lobby, so log in and let me know how it went!

I flew down to Mexico with a BMI of 31. You will most likely have to pay out of pocket for surgery, so that's why the next best thing is Mexico.

I was banded by Dr. Zapata. I've heard rumors that he's on the Mexican version of Extreme Makeover, but I haven't been able to find anything on that. He was so nice. It was an awesome experience overall. I would highly recommend him.

Forgive me father, for I have sinned... I had a piece of cake at a potluck at work on May 5. I had a couple ritz crackers a few days after that. I also had a piece of garlic bread last night with dinner. It's funny because up until I was cleared to eat normal foods again I was absolutely APPALLED at people who cheated on their diets. Now I get it. Sorry for judging :thumbup:

I was banded 4/21 and the surgery was $5,900 by one of the best surgeons in Mexico. Airfare was around $250 and hotel and transportation were part of the surgery package. Cheap and awesome and haven't had any problems as of yet! I would say that anything much more than that is a rip-off because you are getting no follow-up care because it's in Mexico. Fills were NOT included, even if I were to fly back to the doctor. Let me know if you have any questions at all.

My list has week 3 as including fish and moist meat patties (no chicken or beef yet, so I'm not sure what that means, maybe soy products? I have to email and ask), eggs & beans. I'll be comfortable eating anything that texture and consistency. Week 2 was mushy foods for me, but I made sure to start the week more liquid and move into cottage cheese and such towards the end. I have a pretty relaxed food plan so I'm mostly restricting myself from certain things on my own. I'm so afraid to cause damage.

My aunt was a BMI of 35 and she's 46, but she's been cheating like crazy. She's 2 weeks post op and is eating everything, so I'm afraid her weight loss won't be so good. My mom was also banded by Dr. Zapata at 52 with a starting BMI of 35. He actually made my mom gain weight to reach a BMI of 35 because he didn't used to do very low BMI surgeries. I'm down 12 pounds in 12 days by not cheating and exercising. Very exciting! If anyone has any questions about Monterrey or Dr. Zapata or the surgery or after effects or anything, please feel free to ask. I was lucky enough to have my mom to answer all of my questions, and I'd like to be able to help out everyone I can. Best of luck everyone!

I was banded there on 4/21 and no one had even heard of the swine flu. You'll be in a hospital anyways :thumbdown:. I think the whole thing is just being blown out of proportion. So, I'm going to tell you what I went through and give you some tips on making your experience better. My aunt and I had surgery at the same time and same place and we both had very similar experiences as far as recovery. Dr. Zapata is a VERY nice man as well as his staff. He's very soft spoken and a cutie too. alma, his coordinator, and Santos, his driver are SO nice and helpful. The hotel they put you in is gorgeous. The hospital is amazing. Ask Santos to take you to a restaurant for your "last meal". He took my mom, aunt and I to this restaurant that was probably the most beautiful and delicious I've ever been to. It was GORGEOUS, not expensive and not something I would even expect Monterrey to have. Don't get scared by his actual office location as it is less than appealing because your surgery will be in the most gorgeous hospital you've ever seen. The office is kind of in this weird neighborhood in an older building. No one really speaks English, but you will be given a packet of information with some translation cheat sheets in it to use in the hospital. The drugs they give in Mexico are different (or just not as widely accepted/used) than in the US, so you will not be off in la la land like a lot of US stories that you hear. The surgery hurts, but it's manageable. The gas is just uncomfortable. You have to be active and walk. Seriously, you hear people say it in these forums and in person, but WALK. It does WONDERS. I was walking 30 minutes after surgery. Push yourself. You're going to feel silly walking through those hallways farting and burping but it will make you feel so much better. Everyone will encourage you to do it as well. If you're worried about the IV, ask them to give you a local anesthetic before they put it in. I asked and got it, but my aunt didn't ask and didn't. If you're in pain that night, ask for a sleeping pill. It knocked me out all night. Tell them you're nervous! My heart monitor and blood pressure were off the charts. They are sympathetic and will do what they can to make it better for you. A lot of US cases have people going back to work quickly after. You will not be back to work in 3 days. I had surgery on Tuesday and flew home Saturday, and that was kind of pushing it. I returned to work after 6 days and it was a struggle. I'm also young and healthy for the most part. Post-op day 10 is when I actually felt 95% of myself again. Anyways, Dr. Zapata is an EXCELLENT choice for a doctor, and you will feel a million times better about the procedure once you meet with him. He really puts you at ease. I would tell you to go for it. Pain comes and goes QUICKLY. You can't expect someone to poke around inside of you for 35 minutes and not feel some pain. If anything, you should be most concerned with how your life will change overall. Aside from pain, the first few weeks have been rough. After re-reading this post a few times, I realize that it sounds kind of mean, but I don't mean for that at all. I just want you to have the facts. Please, please, please feel free to PM or email me or AIM me if you want any more information. I would love to help you in any way that I can.

It's always nice to know we're not crazy :thumbdown: I forget how long my doctor told me to wait to take my steri strips off (lovely pain meds), but the curiosity of what my port scar looks like is driving me crazy. I have 5 incisions and no idea why so many, so I'm slightly peeved about that. I took one set of strips off that were already falling off of another incision, but that port one looks pretty gnarly. The strips are starting to peel off on the edges, but I think I'll wait a bit. I'm one of those gross people that loves to pick at things. My incisions are all bumpy feeling too, like there's fluid underneath them and they're swollen. How's everyone's incisions doing?

Maple and brown sugar Cream of Wheat smells and tastes just like pancakes! Or at least I've convinced myself that it does. :thumbdown: I can't wait until Tuesday when I get to move into more real food!!

I seem to get some discomfort after I eat, too. I don't really eat very much at each sitting though. It feels like someone pumped air into my stomach and I get these stabby pains that get worse when I move around. They eventually go away, but it still seems odd. Makes me think I'm overeating or something, but I'm really not. I still get these random pains where it feels like I'm going to burp but never do, and then a big awful cramp goes through what feels like my upper stomach. I'm not sure what that is either. It seems to come randomly.

I must say, today I woke up and felt a WORLD of difference. I felt energetic and just really good. I've noticed that my cravings for food have almost disappeared (until I smell something yummy) and I really have no desire to snack. I kind of get annoyed when I feel hungry because then I have to find something to eat and take the time to eat it. I feel like my life is revolving less and less around food everyday. I'm so glad my relationship with food is changing. It's so refreshing. I even walked on my lunch break today because my body just felt so great. These last 10 days have been a much harder journey than I ever expected. The emotional aspect of having this surgery is HUGE and not something to be taken lightheartedly. It's all about food and nothing about food at the same time. It's so strange. I've told the few people who know that it's the biggest mind trick I've ever felt. I have had a really hard time with it but it looks to be turning around. Best of luck to everyone! The struggle will be all worth it in the end. :thumbup:Everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be alright, no woman no cry

I haven't felt much restriction since being banded on 4/21. I haven't chowed down yet, but I feel like I could. I think I may not know what "full" truly feels like, but I definitely have not gotten a just-had-a-chinese-food-buffet full feeling. Restriction will come with fills. Now is time to heal.

Only 1 cup of food? Wow. I would starve! Hopefully it's working for you though! I'm 10 days post op and am definitely getting some hunger pains. If I don't get 60 grams of Protein in I am HUNGRY in a bad, bad way. I think I average around 800 calories a day right now, and my body is telling me it isn't enough. I'm not too worried about calorie intake at this point, just afraid of pushing the limits on accident. Tuesday I get to move to a new food step, and I am really excited about eggs and beans!

Thanks :drool: I'm kind of feeling like a crazy person at this point but I'm sure I'll get over it.

My bmi was 30 and 1 week post op I have lost 10 pounds. Everyone in my family is severly overweight and it was just a matter of time before I joined them. I actually had the surgery the same time as my aunt. There's 5 in my immediate family that have been banded and they've all had great results. Dr Zapata didn't do low bmi surgeries until a few years ago when he realized the preventative benefits of it. We had a long talk about it. Like my mom said, there's no use spending your youth struggling with weight. As far as pain meds go, I really wish I could tell you it didn't hurt. No meds that my aunt and I were given seemed to make a difference. It hurt, but with walking and staying active it was manageable. I honestly think he's just cheap and that's why none of the meds worked. I've had surgery before and I know what the meds are supposed to feel like but this was not close. Try to wait until night time when the nurses will consult the night doc instead of Zapata. I managed a sleeping pill that way. Or bring your own. I took some good pain meds the min I left the hospital that I bought at a Mexico pharmacy. Dr Zapata and his staff were so nice that I wish I could report a better experience in regards to pain, but everything else was wonderful. Just remember- you will get through it. You can't expect to be a bombshell without some pain.

Tomorrow is my 1 week post op, and today I was really hungry most of the day. Last night at 2am I woke up from how hungry I was. I felt like I ate plenty today, as for the first 5 days I had pretty much Water and chicken broth and was fine. I think it might be dehydration. I find it so hard to drink the 64 oz of water. I feel so weak that exercising seems out of the question too. Its so frustrating to be so hungry so early on

I have the same problem too. It falls right where the middle of my bra rests. Today was my first day back to work and I had surgery on 4/21, so I think I had enough time to heal to where it didnt really bother me. I was very aware of it though. Maybe try and cover it with some thick gauze?

Just got back from Monterrey, Mexico. I must say, the hospital that I had my surgery in was far nicer than any hospital I've seen in the US. The staff was much nicer, too.

I was banded on Tuesday, 4.21. I actually GOT my period either during surgery or recovery. When the nurses, who only speak spanish, moved me from my recovery bed to the bed in my room, they saw the blood on my gown and were freaking out. I think they wanted to code blue me! I speak a good bit of spanish but could not figure out how to explain to them what had happened. I just kept saying chica and roja and making a downward motion coming out of my nethers. It was very comical but they eventually got it. I swear I said menstruacion but I guess they didnt understand. Then the nurse brought me these giant pads, like the one in the movie Dirty Love, so I said thank you, hid them and sent my mom on a search for tampons.

I had surgery on Tuesday. It was a pretty rough experience. I usually tolerate pain well and have had surgery before, but this was just horrible. Gas pains were BAD but today I woke up and actually felt better. My doc seems to have a very loose nutrition plan, but I can tell you right now that there is no way I could last on Clear Liquids for 3 weeks. My little brochure says 2 weeks of thin liquids, watered down plain yogurt being the thickest thing. I am already so weak feeling. I feel like all I can do is sleep. Im actually having pretty bad hunger pains right now so I guess its time for some broth. I cant really tell if I feel full or not. I cant really tell if I feel anything. I'm so excited to fly back to the states tomorrow and get myself some Protein shakes or something! My doc said Protein Shakes are fine after 5 days, so thats where I'll be.

I found some Atkins protein shakes at Target the other day with 15g of protein and I think only like 3 grams of sugar. Cant have them until next week but they look tastey!

I had a BMI of 30 and was banded on 4.21 by Dr. Zapata in Monterrey, Mexico. He also did my aunt on the same day and she is at a 35 bmi. Ive had some pain but everything has been perfect otherwise. He did my mom a year ago and she had a BMI of 35 and has lost 80 pounds. She surpassed her goal weight in a year. There are a lot of good options for low BMI in Mexico. The hospital here in Mexico was much nicer than any one Ive ever been to in the US. Lots of people do it and theres nothing to be afraid of.