Kat817

Not much time tonight, just checking in to see if Mandy had checked in since Abi's surgery. SOOOOOOOO glad t hear the good news! I bet you feel like you are floating on air Mandy!! I am so happy it all went well!!! Big hug from another cyber Auntie!!! Will be back to check with the rest of you loverly ladies tomorrow! Kat

We did contact Olive Garden, got a standard apology letter, which was not the purpose really. As I say we have gone to others since, without issue. The obvious problem as I saw it, was management had a crappy attitude, so allowed that in their employees. It was not a corporate policy obviously. We almost went in to the infamous OG not long ago, my DH and I figuring surely the management had changed since 6 years ago!!! But it sits right next door to a Texas Roadhouse....and they are SOOOOO accomodating to us, we went with what we knew!!! I do have to say, the one thing I read on here that surprised me most was that a restaurant would prefer you to ask for a special order--an entirely differently prepared meal, as opposed to serving others off of the senior/childrens menu. I NEVER would have thought of going in and ordering something cooked in a manner not shown on the menu!!! Live and learn!!! Kat

Muffie---with your age, I would ask myself if I was finished having children. Pregnancy with the band allows you and the baby proper nutrition, not always so with bypass. Also if you have any concerns over re routing your insides. Teh band is completely removable and your body has not had parts removed if you should react adversely. If next year they find a way to eliminate obesity through our genes say (just a hypothetical) with the band, you are as elligible as any other to use that for weight loss, your body has not been altered permanently. There is a girl on here---JulieNYC--she and I were banded the same month April of 06----she has lost over 200 pounds! It is possible to lose at a rate comparable to bypass---it depends on you--how much YOU want to work with the band. You will learn portion control, you will have a knowledge of your body, so regain might not be such an issue. My reasoning, was I am a cancer survivor, I have higher odds of recurrance---so with that in mind I wanted something I could adjust dependent on my needs at the time....if I do need to take in additional nutrition, I can be adjusted to allow for that. Another issue I had was quality of life in my own perceptions. I wanted to be able to have birthday cake with my grandkids----I do not do well being told I cannot have something. The band limits the sweets I eat, but allows them without a dumping issue. These are MY reasons----bypass patients have their reasons for choosing what they did. It is a very personal decision----at your young age, one I would think long and hard about. Read, research, ask lots of questions. Good Luck in making this important decision!! Welcome to LBT! Kat

I would say call your Dr. If you need more. I was one of the lucky ones, I had a shot for pain shortly after surgery, but from then on nothing was needed. I took a dose of Tylenol for the flight and drive home, but nothing was extremely painful for me. Sorry you are having a rougher time!!! It will get better!!! Kat

You will have to ask your Dr. about a catheter, I was not catheterized....and I did not go to the OR naked. I went in a hospital gown---and come back in a hospital gown, in between that time, while I was unconcious, I likely was---but never to my awake knowing about it was I ever nude. Once again the person to ask about the girdle would be your Dr. he might even adjust where he places your port with that in mind. I know any type of plastic surgery requires a compression garment so I cannot imagine it would interfere with your incisions, but ask him--------it should not be a big deal. I carried 90% of my excess weight in my stomach-I did not have any issue cleaning myself. This surgery was not a seriously painful surgery for me. I have had others that made this seem simple!! I am heading for dental surgery Tuesday & would much prefer to be banded again! I really doubt you will have a problem that way---and look at it like this--if you do.....due to this surgery you never will again! I bet your back feels lots better once you begin losing weight too--a bonus!!! Welcome to LBT!! Kat

I am one of the former Olive Garden posters. This particular incident happen at the Olive Garden on San Mateo in Albuquerque, NM. The waiter informed us of this prior to even bringing the salad or anything else to the table. They had brought iced tea for some of us, and wine for the others. We were all in Albq. for a meeting, and had nowhere for leftovers to be stored. We had been talking about an Olive Garden commercial while we waited for the table--a wait of about 20 minutes. In it(the commercial) everyone was passing around these bowls of different types of Pasta. We thought why not? So....we made our decisions....one of the diners was NOT planning on even eating what we planned to share, she was planning to order soup only. The waiter never even got to her part of the order before copping the attitude. I will say we were not loud, we were well dressed, we had not demanded a seat in a certain section, we had not been needy customers in any way at all. My DD's waitressed - I am NEVER rude to them, and tip well! We chose the 2 appetizers we wanted, ordered them first, then one of the women proceeded to order the 5 Entrees we chose. We did not choose another, based not on the amount of food, but instead that those 5 rounded out the different pasta bases and sauces we were all going to share. IF the waiter had acted differently, we may have settled on ordering another entree, but our one friend should be allowed to simply eat soup if she wants! For all he knew one of us might not be eating at all! But his insistance that there were 7 of us and each person at the table must order an entree, was totally ridiculous! At first the man training us thought he was joking and laughed. He finally realized the waiter was serious, and pointed out that Laurel was not eating pasta, she would be ordering soup. The waiters response was that soup is not an entree. At that time he ask to speak to a manager. We discussed it quietly among ourselves while we waited. 10 minutes later we decided they did not want our business. We went and found a manager---who shrugged us off, apologized for the waiter, and stated that is their policy. And he held up a finger at us, like to hold on, and he walked off!!! We stopped in the bar, ask who we needed to pay for our drinks, paid the bar tender for them, and left. We were at a Victim Impact Panel training--the man who was training us was an attorney---he did not throw that up and demand they abide by policy etc. we simply chose to spend our $200.00 + elsewhere! Which we did. We found a Johnny Carrinos, went in, ask up front about ordering that way, got no resistance. The waitress went above and beyond, making sure we were all set with plenty of plates, brought out additional sauces for a couple of things---and made herself a hefty tip in the process. And they were BUSY!!!! It really wasn't the policy that turned us----it was the attitude. Tell us that if we want to order 5 meals, then only 5 come with salad---would we like to order 2 additional salads to go with that? Simple! We treated him the way we would have liked to have been treated by both him and the manager, and were disappointed both times. I know this is not about being banded, all this happen before I was banded. It was stated there must have been more involved and there was not! I have been to many Olive Gardens through the years, and several since---but never that one again! I have never been told I must order an entree anywhere else. Ultimately as has been said----it is your $$$$ and your decision where to spend it. If you feel you want to use your card, you should not feel belittled for simply asking. How the restaurant responds is up to them---and whether you go back---up to you. I cannot imagine I know enough bandsters locally to ruin someones profit margin by recommending them, if they allowed me to order a senior or childs menu because I have a WLS card. I have no doubt that many aspects of restaurant work are hard, demanding and often low paying work---they rely on tips. BUT I will always tip based on service! I will not short the waitress because my steak is tough! I will if she rolls her eyes at me, or ignores our table. There are lots of jobs out there, and if you do not like waiting on people, then I think it is time to find one of those other jobs. Kat

Stevenbek---call your Dr. The fact that you have stopped losing is one of the factors they use to determine that you need another fill! There is nothing to be ashamed of--that is how it works! When you lose weight, often the band loosens due to the fat pad around or over the stomach diminishes some, and allows the band to loosen--requiring another fill. Just call, they will get ya fixxed up! Lots of surgeons figure about once a month is average for fills----you fit right in there!! As time goes on, you will be more able to feel your way forward with whether you need another fill or not, right now it sounds like you do! NOTHING to be ashamed of, and only 5 weeks, girl there have been people on this site, who have avoided the Dr, for years!!!! tchilambe---what stage of foods does your surgeon have you on at this point? Mushies or a full diet? You know society says we are supposed to have breakfast foods in the morning, but it is not a law!!! Find somethings you do like to eat and have them! Sorry, I just re read, you are eating meat......ok! I do not eat strictly Protein. I eat salads, and lots of veggies---less fruit than I would like to---but it is something I have to eat really slow, because most of it has such a high Water content, it tends to try to make me PB! I do it, just very slowly!!! During mushies, I ate lots of cooked carrots, and still do! I eat Cereal for breakfast---I just cannot eat much of it! I eat yogurt for breakfast most days---it is easy, I can eat it as slow as I need to, I am tighter in the morning---so breakfast is small and slower than later in the day. I eat lots of Beans....peanut butter....that type of thing, good protein, they are higher in carb and calorie counts, but I do not over eat them, so have ate them all along. I am not a perfect bandster!! I eat everything in moderation! I try to keep healthy in mind---as opposed to a certain diet. Picture the size of your new pouch, and attempt to fill it with healthy food! With that in mind, I will eat my meat and green veggies, before I eat the starchy ones...but I will still have some. I drink tea....lots and lots of tea!!! I did switch to decaf tea-----and it is with Sweet & Low--not the healthiest, but it is how I drink it! I try to do some water each day too---but I subsist liquid wise on tea. Not the ideal, but I like it! I do drink Crystal Light too, and know of people who live on it for fluid! You will probably notice some difference when you get your fill, you might not get restriction right off the bat. But if you are at a point of being filled you should be back on a full diet, and you CAN have vegetables! And even fruits--just be careful, and thoughtful as to a health point. You do not have to eat nothing but meat for the rest of your life! Find foods you do like, and stock up! Bandster Hell will pass--------it just FEELS like it lasts forever!!! Crazy4myK9---yes, my surgeon had a band he let us mess with and handle. He used the sheet on my hospital bed and showed me this is your stomach...this is what I am going to do. And showed me where he would stitch, and how the scar tissue would form. Where he would be holding the liver back....all the little details of that sort. He was VERY thorough---and I was full of questions!!! And what I didn't ask, my DH did!! Kat

Morning girls--- Wow, so we are all confessing our sins of yesterday? Let's see I ate.... 1/2 a container of apple pie turnover yogurt with 1/4 c. granola about 1 cup of vegetable Soup for lunch 1/2 cup of baby goldfish crackers about 3/4 of one of the cinnasnacks Manda had. 1 full taco and about 3 bites of another for dinner. I drank almost 2 quarts of tea at home, then had tea with my dinner out last night as well, and drank a bottle of Water while we were shopping after dinner. Not the greatest day, but not too bad overall. The baby goldfish...I snack on slowly. The bag says they are 140 calories per serving---but that is like 89 fish. I never eat that many at a time. A bag lasts me all week! I get full VERY fast if I eat them, so maybe a dozen or 2 dozen max each time I snack on them. They "fix" my salt & crunch cravings!!! I had such high hopes for this weekend....well my weekend was supposed to have started because Rick is off, but his folks have already roped him in, and he left mad---so it is not boding well for the weekend. His Mom calls, and his Dads 4 wheeler won't start, so he is going to walk down and take care of the cows, and she is going to go out and watch him---she'll be back in to call and let us know if he makes it ok without falling in all the mud. OMG I want to call her names!!!!!! If you want him to fix the damn 4 wheeler, be an adult and say so, quit with the friggin' manipulation! So I let him rage for a while, and he was getting ready to leave and go fix the ATV, and she called....if he decided at some point to come out today could he maybe run into town and pick up the woodstove they bought. The stove is used, it weighs no less than 350 pounds, so what he is supposed to go get it by himself, and then what???? So yep, he will fix the ATV, get the stove, loaded, unloaded. Move out the old stove, and install the new one. He is in for a shock, because somewhere along the line a parts run will come up--they always do, and I am boycotting, let them do SOMETHING for themselves! OR ask. Treat him well. Maybe Tuesday when I rip the receptionist, I should stop by their house and tell them off too! I am seriously mad at them right now. But I do love them, and I do understand they are 80 years old. I know they need help. So all I want them to do is appreciate what he does. The entire time he is spending his days off taking care of them, and all their needs, he will have to listen to the stories from his Mom about his brothers trip to Hawaii, and how successful he is to be able to take these trips, and how he offered to pay for his married son to go....and how wonderful they are. Yet when his brother is here or calls and we say Rick did this or that out there, he has not heard a word of it--they NEVER brag on or compliment, nor appreciate the things he does and the time spent doing it. I am sorry for harping on this again----and I thank you so much for listening! It is such an issue with me--and I cannot mention it to my kids---they get mad, or my folks---they get mad----and they will treat them different, and I don't need that!!! I figure it is easier for y'all to scroll past me, than for Beck to hang up on me!!! LOL Pamela, I am so glad Susanne made it back, and seems to be sleeping. Awesome figurine Laura. There is a store here in town that sells the cards like the one I sent you---but the cards are huge--like bigger than a sheet of paper! maybe 9X12. I always think of you when I see the fairy ones!!! My first husbands uncle was not normal mentally, he was quite slow, and as sweet as the day is long. He posed for Gerald Farm, an artist who did lots of cards, and posters etc. for Leaning Tree. Mr. Farm looked out for him, made sure he always had money and clothes. He was such a sweetheart. The ignorant family was ashamed of him. The day we got married, was this fairly formal evening wedding, candlelit mostly, with dimmed chandeliers. On my way down the aisle I stopped and give my Mom a rose, and on the way back out, I stopped to give his mom a rose. There in the aisle across from the family was this little man, in denim striped coveralls & work boots. Sitting next to him in the pew was his bright orange hard hat, and his lunch box on one side. He was grinning his toothless grin his eyes were beautiful and sparkly, he looked so excited, and sitting next to him was my cousin Trish. That kind of confused me....she said the family all treated him like he wasn't supposed to sit there. Well Trish was manning the guest book, so he ask if he was in the right place, and was so ill at ease, she went to sit with him for the ceremony. She said he was wonderful....once I knew who he was and about him, I come to agree! I have the entire collection of cards he was on. His name was Leroy....I will always love him. The fairy cards you like, are sold in many of the same places Mr. Farm sold his, including the ones with Uncle Leroy. Sorry I have rambled for so long....but thinking of Uncle Leroy diffused some of my anger---along with unloading on you girls!!! Big old Thank you hugs!! Kat

I have the card, and use it once a month at a buffet place we go to---our entire extended family meets once a month for Breakfast. They charge me for a kids portion. I use it there. I do not eat more than a child of 9-12 yrs. No one is making my meal. It is on a buffet, I get up and get what I want. I do eat less than an average adult. Most places DH and I go now, we will order some sort of appetizer, or an extra salad, and then we share. I have also been told if I am sharing a meal I have to pay for the extra plate....fine so we can share a plate this time, and next time I will go elsewhere. I understand the restaurant business has to make a profit as well. But I make the decision on how to spend my $$$ and whether I will go back again, and what I tell people. I DO tell people! Good and bad. Most places do not have an issue with us sharing. Like the above poster, Olive Garden did it to us. There were 7 of us, and we went in, and chose 5 Entrees, and we ordered 2 appetizers, and were all going to make a shared meal, they refused....said they had to have as many entrees ordered as there were people per table. So we left!!! Kat

Well I am home, the surgeon thinks (get this!) we don't want to wait too long, we are risking infection! I have an appointment Tuesday afternoon at 3. Anyway he was VERY nice, he did not hurt me! He is going to give me Versed and Nitrous Oxide to do the surgery. I have some allergy issues, and he is uncertain about knocking me all the way out due to them. I got my prescription in liquid form....so thinking I am set. Might just use the guise of the laughing gas and tell the staff what I think of how they run the desk! I did not eat a tub of frosting....but....I did eat something, and it was GOOD! My DD stopped at Sonic on her way home --she come by to get Kinsey's blanket---and she had gotten an order of the little cinnamon roll things---cinnasnacks---mmmmm I only ate 3/4 of one---and I am full of cinnamon roll---but it was yummy!!! She and Kinsey had a couple each and it was over! We both bit into it and went mmmmmmmmm! Kinsey bites hers, and freaks out-wanting to know is it poop? Because it is brown. Manda asks her have I ever given you poop to eat? Kinsey calmly answers, I don't think so. It was hilarious! My head is still throbbing. I have nothing for pain, he said to use ibuprofin, I explained my band, he said Tylenol then. My head hurts worse than my tooth half the time. I am doing my best just to cope with it. I am so ready for Rick to be off work, then he is home for 4 days---yay!!!! I don't have anything exciting like a wedding-----but....I still like having him home! Any good ideas for dinner--it is time to start it, and I am drawing a blank---nothing is started...we may end up calling out, or going out. Personally I had a cinnamon roll, I am good!!! LOL My Mom went to the Dr. today, and she was told she HAS to lose weight, her liver enzymes are off the charts. So I told her what my pre op diet for shrinking the liver fats entailed. She is being sent to a nutritionist/dietician. So kind of blew me off, like I did not know! I had surgery---so I know nothing about health related losing. HELLO? I did it many times, it was adhering and maintaining I sucked at---not losing it!!! So I ask her if he took her off of her cholesterol medication....she says no. I told her they are notorious for raising liver enzymes---her Dr. did not even mention it!!!! I insisted she remember to mention it to the nutritionist. I do not like her Dr. at all!!! Well I have tried to get this post up for over an hour now and the phone keeps ringing!! Guess I will just get it done! TTYL~~ Hugggggggs Kat

Go to the first sticky in this forum-------it is WAB's thread on choosing a Mexican surgeon, the info in it is invaluable! Click on the heading Doctors and Hospitals Under it there will show all the different threads. Those with recurring pertinant information have been made into "sticky's"---it is the first one. IT will explain to you how the Dr.'s both there and in the US manipulate the percentages they advertise, and will tell you how to ask the questions you need to. It is a great help!! Kat

GOOD ones too!!!! LOL Kat

Sending ood wishes your way Nicole!!! Kat

Heading off for my oral surgeon consultation here in a few minutes. My folks are keeping Kinsey, and she is napping, so going to let her get all the sleep I can, if you wake her up---grumpy does not even begin to cover it!!!! let ya know what he says..... Kat

When my BIL had his colonoscopy done they took pictures for him, to show him where some polyps had been removed. We took it, and took a different picture of him....made a black & white print copy of his picture, cut out the head, laid it down and printed another picture with his head inside his.......! Told him yep the Dr. come out and told us he did for sure have his head up his a$$!!!! I am sure yours is not there----as sure as I was that his was!!! Wow that was a mouthful even to type!!! LOL Kat

I think her problems will be serious long before she has leaking as her #1 issue....which is terrible. I mean we do not always see eye to eye, but she is my DH's sister, I don't want anything to happen to her! I worry---then I think about it and it ticks me off, it will go down as a band statistic---unfairly! But what can you do???? Kat

Well there are 2 things working here----one is the less you weigh the less your body burns at rest, so you have to increase your work out to burn the same calories. And two, the more fat you lose inside, then the looser the band can become. When it gets to be too easy to over eat or you are hungry too much of the time, it is time for another small fill to get you back to the sweet spot you had. Congrats on doing so well with your weight loss!!! Kat

All I can say that might help you through this waiting game..... It IS WORTH IT!!!! Kat

There have been lots of threads concerning Dr.'s in MX, and a poster by the screenname WasABubbleButt---has an awesome list of questions to ask, and ways to check out the Mexican Surgeons. Try doing a search of the site, I bet you get more info than you realize!!! Good Luck with whoever you choose!!! Kat

I think Deniecy is right on the money--be nice, but let them know you are hurting, and worried about future damage this could be doing, and that NO is not the answer you will accept! IF they have the means to unfill you and are balking on a money standpoint alone, I would be major pissed! And would let them know if I had ANY problems, THEY would get the bill. I am so sorry you are hurting, and worried too, that only makes it worse when the stress hits. Please let us know how it goes! Kat

Haydee, I could probably get pain meds from my dentist, but they give me such a rebound headache, and often cause constipation---so....my head hurts so bad already....and I truly don't need the other problem, so I am doing my best to cope. I have Demerol....which is about all I can take. I am allergic to morphine, and codeine---so it limits my options. Laura, Kinsey eats those little Debbie oatmeal things, I took a bite one day, she is always trying to feed me---and as I chewed it began to feel like it was a mouthful of grease, it coated my teeth, and my tongue----it was so beyond gross I spit it out, I did not swallow it!!! I never chewed them that well before. Never wanted one since!! I thought about your special bracelet working too Terry---the emotional response was amazing, as soon as she got it her whole attitude changed---the next job was going to be hers, no ifs, ans or buts about it!! Yay you!!! Kat

LOL-----beleive me, I get the cookie thing, it is knowing they are there!! Mine from last year, are still in the door of the freezer!!! This year I supported the girls, and bought the Cookies, and put them in the Troops for the Troops box----they will be mailed out to military troops, they gave us a Sharpie marker to write messages on the box.....the woman next to me wrote "Standing here trying to decide what to write, these cookies have already lasted longer than the last box!" Made me laugh. Hope the sale is over soon!!!! Kat

We were observing in a drug court one day---I spoke on a victim impact panel, and we were getting some info concerning drug abuse related to domestic abuse--- and one of the defendents was named Richard Head. Now tell me that his name might not have been a start to his issues..... I had a girl in day care named Snow White And like your Barbara LaBarbara teacher--my teacher was Donna Lee Donnelly!!! And another child I had in day care was this little tiny boy---he was almost miniature in stature, except for his ears he was sweet as the day is long, but they stuck him with the name Adonis! I tried calling him Donnie, his Mom ---from whom he did not get his size---about ripped me in 2!!! A woman I worked with had 2 daughters, Stormy and Misty, when she was pregnant with her last, we teased her about naming it Overcast! And finally (for now) I had a grade school principal named Mark Titt. Don't ya know that made 4th & 5th graders giggle!!! Kat

PM'd you the delivery confirmation # Mandy. I finally found it, right where I thought it was all along, and missed seeing.......heaven help me! Kat

I agree with heartfire....what is your plan for your DD while you are in the hospital for surgery itself? If you can use that plan as an emergency back up plan if you should have a problem, then I see no problem in it being doable. As for needing help in and out of bed, put a dining table chair next to your bed, you can use it to sit things on so they are close at hand, and it also works wonderfully as a leverage in and out of the bed. Your stomach muscles, where they stitch the port in especially will be sore. Plan ahead. But new color books and crayons, a new movie or 2, maybe some play doh, or a little Polly Pocket set----small things she can entertain herself with. Buy up some small Water bottles, or juice boxes, have meals prepared and frozen....or have frozen dinners for her---you need to stock your broth, and Protein drinks up for you as well. Have all the laundry done, and everything you can prepared before hand. Then it should be pretty straightforward...veg out while you heal, you 2 can take short walks together. She does need to be taught how to dial 911 if she does not already know. There is risk of blood clots etc., as with ANY surgery. She needs to know to get you help if you fall or something. I would discuss it with whoever you plan on having her stay with while you have the surgery itself. Maybe one of her little friends Moms could help you out in exchange for you watching hers in a couple of weeks. Or maybe someone from church.....look around and I bet you can find some support! Emotionally we are always here, the site is up and running 24/7! Good Luck! Kat