momx29503

Hahahaha My family and my mother's friends lump the whole region together. My fav was back when the typhoon/cyclone thing hit Oman. I live in Amman. My mother kept calling me asking about the weather. Her friends called her to check on me. My aunt called her. They thought I was in the storm. Hahaha I said, "Mother, Oman is a country, Amman is a city. The two places are no where near each other." The only large body of Water near me is the dead sea, I don't think much is going to happen there. :glare: It's very Americanized here. There are a lot of different nationalities here as well.

Wow. I've never noticed any restriction while flying. I live overseas, and flights "Home" average about 13 hours. If I'm flying in the area then flights average 2 to 4 hours. Hm.. I wish I could have extra restriction. Somehow, when I fly I get ravenous, I just want to EAT, EAT, EAT.

Hm.... It was a joint decision for me to come here with the kids. I reside here and my DH lives in the US. We switched countries, haha It's nice for the kids to know their family here and learn a new culture. Living in the region, we've had the opportunity to travel to many places and seen things that some people only read about in books. My kids have swam in the Dead Sea, been to the Great Pyramids, Petra, seen Roman ruins, travelled around Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Paris, France. While I am in the "middle" of everything - roughly 8 hr drive from Baghdad, 1 1/2 or so from Beirut, just under an hour from the West Bank, and about 1 15min from Gaza. As an American, I've never felt afraid for my safety. There are many Americans here, working at the Embassy or married to Arabs. Jordan is a safe place. In regards to the TV, they are going to only show the "Bad" things, regarding the ME. But, that's Iraq, etc.. Not Jordan. I am more worried about getting food poisoning than being bombed. haha You should make a trip here. You'll be surprised. Everyone is hospitable, speaks some level of English. etc.. You'd like the Dead Sea, Petra, Jerash, etc. They have liquor stores, nightclubs, Applebees, Fuddruckers, Bennigans, Burger King, Hardees, KFC, McDonalds, TGI Fridays, pizza Hut, and Dominos. Heck, I took the kids to ChuckECheese in Saudi Arabia, of all places. In Dubai, there is a Dairy Queen in the airport. But, it is expensive. There is a 16% tax here. I could order stuff through Safeway, but there's a $15 fee just to order, then the price of the product, then the charge for weight. That could get expensive. I appreciate your tips and advice regarding the band. I just haven't recieved the follow up care that I would/could have received if I had the surgery in the States. I've had 2 fills and 1 unfill. Thanks.

Greetings I am an American expat in Amman, Jordan. I was banded 9/05. I have seen there are other people in the ME on this forum. Let's make our "own" check in place (open to everyone else, but mainly people in the ME) to encourage, gripe, etc.. It would be great to share recipes and tips that would be beneficial for us and we know what products or good substitutes that are available in the region, etc. What do you say? How about a daily check in, bi weekly? I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone. Thanks.

I was banded 9/05. It hasn't been the best experience for me. I lost 33 lbs and gained it all back in the past year. Sometimes I don't know what to do. I want to "start over" and do the liquids/mushy/solids for the recommended time to get my brain in "lapband" mode. Other times I think if I just limit myself to x meals/snack that I would be ok. But then these old habits creep up on me and the day is blown by Breakfast. It's a never ending cycle. One of my problems is that I am used to consuming a lot of liquids. This little bit of food isn't enough for me. So, instead of eating, I drink. I gave up cokes the night before surgery, so to compensate for that I started drinking juices/cocktail. Here in the ME you can get a cocktail - like a smoothie- on almost every corner. I could easily drink 2 liters (about 1/2 gallon) of juice a day. Some days I'd just "drink" all day. I basically didn't lose much and I have gained all that I lost. Being in the ME, there are no support groups. I should have been more active on this group, but sometimes would feel too embarrassed to say anything due to my lack of success. I didn't get good support here from the dr or hospital. In the hospital, the first and ONLY drink they gave me was a juice box of ROOM TEMP orange juice. UGH. What do you think? Start over and get my mind into "Lapband" mode or just pick a better selection of food/drinks? Thanks

An example of expensive - can of Slimfast at WalMart is about $6 at my mother's in Alabama. A can of Slimfast in Amman, Jordan is roughly $20. And if you find it at the store today there is a BIG chance it won't be there next week.

I am an American expat in Amman, Jordan. I had my surgery here in Sept. 05. There is no support here. I didn't recieve any info. I got the info in Arabic, but I can only read basic words - cat, dog, etc.. I feel like I haven't gotten the proper care like I would have in the US. In the hospital, a good one, I was given ROOM TEMPERATURE ORANGE juice to drink. There was nothing after that. I just have a hard time here with food, etc.. There isn't any selection of sugar free, etc.. here in Amman. And, if I can find something, I'ts too expensive. Jordan is one of the, if not the, most expensive place in the ME. I try to stock up on things when we go to Dubai or when I visit my mother in the States. I wish you success with your band. I haven't been successful. I lost only lost 15 kg and gained it all back. It's a daily struggle with NO help.

Salaam Aleikum/Marhaba I see you were banded in KSA. I was banded in Amman, Jordan. How long have you been banded? I have been banded for about 6 months. I was doing pretty well, until I went to USA for visit in January. I went a little hog wild eating all the things I had been missing. Sure the things are here, but they are sooo expensive. Then DH came back with me, he lives in US, kids and I live in Jordan. He stayed for 2 months. I had to cook the "big lunches" etc... It's been tough. Now, that he has gone back, maybe I can get back on track. I am very happy to have contact with someone else in the ME that has had this surgery. I feel LOST. I learned everything from message boards, etc... The Dr office hasn't been much help. I get a little jealous when I read about support groups in the US, etc.. I've been basically on my own. I look forward to hearing from you. Masalaama, HallaB