rachieroo

Hello fellow banditos! I'm so excited to report that I am in ONEderland now! It's been a long time since I've seen this number. I recently kicked up my workouts to 6 days a week for an hour each day. It seemed to get me off that plateau and into the 100's. I don't have a lot of restriction at this time even though my last fill was 11/17 (filling me to 2.1 cc's). I'm having to exercise more will power, but that's okay. This is for life! Good luck to everyone in the upcoming week!

Hello! Congrats to everyone - even if the scale didn't move in the right direction. We are all making great progress. I lost 3 pounds this week for a total of 66 lost. I'm at 207. SO thrilled to be close to One-derland - my next goal. I hope to hit 199 by Thanksgiving. I'm on my way! Keep up the great work everyone. Stay strong! :thumbup:

Hello Banditos! I had a good week this week. I weighed in this morning and I lost 2 pounds since last Saturday. I'm thrilled to be two pounds closer to my mini goal of 199 by Thanksgiving! 12 more pounds to go... Congrats to all! Keep up the good work & stay strong!

Hey there Banditos! I weighed in this morning and.......... I lost 2 lbs this week for a total of 57 lbs lost! I am SO excited and happy to see the scale move after a 2-week lull. Congrats to all! Keep up the great work & good luck this week...

I've been a BAD girl! I have been craving chocolate all week, and indulged several times. Despite all this, I still managed to workout 3 days. Unfortunately, I didn't lose this week. I didn't gain either, so I will not complain. I'm back on track as of this morning. Have a good week everyone! Congrats on all the losses!

Hey there Mayo Banditos! I had my first fill this past Tuesday (1.6cc in a 10cc band), and I've lost 2 pounds as of Friday. I am down a total of 50 now! I am really excited to hit this milestone. Congrats, good luck, and stay strong!

Hi everyone! I think there are only two of us on the list for surgeries today, so I thought I would get it started. I had my surgery this morning at 10am (PST). Everything went well. I arrived to the surgical center yesterday and had blood drawn for labs, and then I was released to go back to hotel for the night. The hotel shuttled me and my hubby to the surgical center at 7am this morning. As soon as I arrived, they conducted a breathing test and EKG, both of which I passed with flying colors! I got my IV started as well. I also met with the Nutritionist, who reviewed the post-op diet with me, and had me step on the scale. To my surprise, I've lost another 4 pounds since my last weigh in. That means I've lost a total of 24 pounds on the 4-week pre-op diet! Wow! I credit this to sticking to my pre-op diet AND keeping a journal of what I am eating daily. That has helped me stay accountable. After I was done with my pre-op appointments, they took me and my hubby to my room where I got into this comfy gown and the infamous and hideous paper panties. Ha ha! Moments later, the nurse gave me my saline drip with Dramamine to counter the motion sickness side effect from the anesthesia. Before I knew it, they wheeled me into the OR, I got on the table, and they sedated me. Overall I feel good. I am experiencing gas pains, but I am walking up and down the hallways to help get rid of it. The port area is quite tender. It feels kind of like I just did a bunch of ab crunches, but it's tolerable in my opinion. I do feel the band on my stomach, especially when I take a sip of Water. I will be released from the surgical center at 8am tomorrow and be driven back to the hotel. We fly home on Saturday morning. Well, that seems to cover it. I hope everyone else who is banded is doing well, and everyone else who is coming up next - good luck! You will do just fine! Your fellow BANDito...

Hello out there! I am trying to network with anyone who is traveling to the OCC Mexico to have surgery by Dr. Ortiz. I have not officially scheduled the procedure yet, but I am thinking of having it mid/late-May. I just have to call the office with my decision. Like many, I had my heart set on having the procedure here in the US, but then my insurance plan changed to exclude LB surgery effective 4/1/09. So, here I am back to the proverbial drawing board again... Let me know if anyone out there would like to connect! Rach

May 14th in the house! Woohoo! :cool2:

Hi there! I know how you feel since I went through the same thing with my hubby. He felt that I should not eat as much, eat better, and exercise, which would save us thousands of dollars. Easy for him to say! So, after many conversations, I convinced him to at least go with me to the free seminar. He did. He actually opened up and asked the surgeon questions afterwards. It was almost like he needed to hear it from the "horses mouth." Since then, he has been supportive of my decision to get the band. My surgery is set for May 14th. I couldn't have gone this far without his support. If you can get your hubby to attend the seminar with you, perhaps it will have the same affect it did on mine. You may also want to try and network with other patients of the surgeon you are wanting to use. In my area, there are monthly support group sessions and anyone is welcome to join, regardless of "band status." I wish you luck!

Thank you! I booked my surgery today. May 14th is my BIG day! Woo hoo! I'm excited and anxious all at the same time. Good luck everyone!

Congratulations!

Hi there, Cajunmomma! It's been a while since your original post. Any updates? Are you still set for 4/4? I am considering Dr. Ortiz in mid-May, but I am concerned about the current border issues in Tijuana. I am also having a hard time finding any MX May bandsters. Keep me updated on your status! Good luck! Rach

Hi Sue, I am your neighbor to the north in Mt. Dora! I have not had the surgery yet, but I am seriously considering Dr. Ortiz. Who are you using for your follow up care? I see you have gone to St. Pete for the fills. How is everything going thus far? Any issues getting across the border in TJ? There's a lot of scary stuff going on down there now, so I plan on adding this to my list of things to discuss with his Pt. Coordinator. Any feedback you can provide would be GREAT. Thanks! Rach

Hi there everyone, My name is Rachael, and I have been researching the Lap Band procedure off and on for the last two years. I've had enough of this roller coaster ride we call obesity! I recently found out that my insurance plan will cover the surgery based on medical necessity; however, I haven't ruled out Mexico. I've been lurking on this site for about a year now reading a lot of posts and also researching on the web. I know someone who had the surgery 2 yrs ago in Mexico and she's doing great! I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of you fellow bandsters. Rachael Seminar 8/13/08 BMI 42

Thanks for the input. I hope the weather cooperates while you are here. I'm a native, so if you need pointers on what parks to visit, etc. just let me know. As far as the band goes, I understand that I have to work it and not let it work me. I see it as a great tool to assist me in getting my weight under control.