June 2006 Band Crew

[Meme 0]

Good luck to everyone.

[SunnyDee 0]

Congrats to all the new bandees I'm 8 days out and feel really good. Today was the first day my Dr said to try solids. Solids for me is cottage cheese and green Beans. So far so good....Sometimes I'm amazed at how little fills me up. And then there's times when my head hunger is so severe I want to just stuff everything I can see into my mouth, even though my tummy is full.

That's when I reach for the sugar free pops, helps with my oral fixation that got me into this in the first place lol

Praying for all the bandsters to be this month and or those of us who already wear our band :Banane56:

Tried to upload my before pic, but I don't seem to be doing this right lol

[ARVEL 0]

I am an official bandster!! Got here at 7:30am and was banded by 2pm. Feeling a little dizzy and queezy.:embarassed: Also, pain in my port area but otherwise ok. Hurts only when I walk around. More later....

[chako_lady 0]

Liz, Yes I took my laptop. Ask the desk clerk for the password for the wireless. It worked great for me. Was nice to be able to let everyone know I was OK and catch up on new posts. It was also my way of keeping in touch with family and friends since it cost me .79 a min to use my cell phone, and my pre-paid calling card was useless cause the hotel charges you to use them...

I'm glad to know I'm not the only single overwieght chick on here!!! LOL

This is actually probably easier to do being single as I don't have to really cook full meals every night for my kids. They sometimes just have a bowl of Cereal or mac and cheese. Much less demanding than a man!!! Oh well, someday Mr. Right will come along...

Good luck! Are you having surgery in Tijuana with Dr. Ortiz? If so you will not be sorry! Just walk the night before, as much as you can and don't eat the night before surgery!!! I haven't had any shoulder pain or severe gas.

[SALEMKITTY 0]

Hi everyone,

I will be 4 weeks out on Friday. So far everything is going good. No port pain, gas pain, etc. The bad part is I am beginning to get my hunger back. I have begun to eat different foods. I feel great. I have lost about 22 lbs so I am happy for that. I know the next few weeks will be a challenge trying to stick to my new eating habits. We will see how it goes. To all the future bandsters, I want to wish you all the best. Just remember, any gas pains, shoulder pains, port pains, difficulty swallowing that some of you may experience only lasts for a short period. Once the pain subsides and you begin to actively lose weight, you will be glad you made this difficult decision.

Good Luck!!!!

[avilla 1]

Hello to all...I was banded on the 22nd...This is my 1 week anniv with the band...I have been so excited all week with about a 2 lbs loss each day...I was hoping for the same when I woke up this morning but not only did I not lose the 2 or even 1 lb I actually gained 1...So, I am to a 10 lb loss for my first week...I am not going to get discouraged...I am taking it as my body is trying to catch up, cuz I have been trying to stick to the rules like glue....I am just wondering if any of the girls have had problems with their "cycle" after the surgery??

[Leila 0]

I haven't had any problems with my menses which hit yesterday, actually, no cramps this time, and I usually have them. I have read here in the forums though that people do experience changes, because losing weight causes hormonal changes since we store hormones in our fat cells and they get released as we lose. I hear you about the scale not budging when you expect it to. I decided to only weigh myself on wednesdays, since my surgery was on a wed. - and yesterday at my two week post op day, my menses started, I -always- gain 3-6lbs Water weight, always, the first few days around it, so sure enough, when I got on the scale it was identical to last week. It can be a bit of a bummer - I've been tracking everything that goes into my mouth on fitday.com and when you've been eating 1200 cals a day for a week, and making sure you eat low fat and high Protein, and you know you've lost, it shouldn't matter what the stupid scale says, but somehow it still does. I'm over it today though, I just keep telling myself I'll see an even bigger difference next wednesday because I'll have lost more, and all the water weight will be gone!

Congratulations to all the newly banded, good luck and well wishes to those in the last couple of days of June, soon all the june bandits will be banded!!! The month is almost out!

Don't forget to drink plenty of water! If you don't know the deal on why drinking oodles of water is really important for weight loss... here is a great page that explains it - Drink that water!

XO

Leila

[socalgal3 4]

Ok...I'm up and headed for the border. Send good thoughts.........

[avilla 1]

Thank you so much Leila...I guess I was just needing cleaned out since it has been several years since the last...I know that I need to get away from the scale...I have just been adicted to it for the last week since the weight had been coming off so fast...I think that the once a week weigh in would probably be alot better for me mentally...I will try to start that on friday, cuz I was use to that being my scale day before the surgery

[avilla 1]

And good luck to you socalgal3...Your going to do GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

[barbara465 2]

Hey guys remember that this time is for healing. Any weight loss is a bonus. Don't fixate on that or you'll be disappointed. We are eating liquids or mushies and they all have calories. Once we start solid food we can get a better balance. For most, weight loss comes after the first or second fill. Grant it, those that have had extensive pre and post op diets tend to lose a great deal of weight upfront. This is your reminder what stage you are in and where are priorities are at this time. (of course, I can't resist getting on the scale either. :grouphug:)

Glad everyone is doing so well. I think our June group is coming through this with less complications than most. Let's pray it continues. I feel wonderful and have far more energy than I've had in a long time.

[chako_lady 0]

My prayers are with you SoCal! Can't wait to hear from you after surgery!

I to understand about that scale. I promised myself to only get on it on Sunday. Well, once I got home from surgery I was dying to know how much I lost so I pulled out the scale...same as the day I left. So the next morning, back on the scale down 2 #'s...thats more like it! I'm thinking I am only drinking Clear Liquids and maybe taking in 150 calories a day how can I not be losing weight? So every morning I have been on that stupid scale. Thank goodness it hasn't gotten the best of me. Today is my 1 week anniv and the scale says I have only lost 5#'s since the Tuesday prior to my surgery...I must really be retaining Water. I do still feel a bit bloated! Today I get to add 1 1/2 cups yogurt to my diet! I've never been so excited to eat yogurt in my life!

I believe once I get eating enough for my body to be happy...The weight will start pouring off! I'm not discouraged as I know this is going to work for me!!!

Good luck to those getting banded today and to those tomorrow! Then we will all be banded. This has been a fun month and you have all been such good supporters! I am so blessed to have found this site and to have found all of you! Our journey has just begun!

Here's to phenominal weight loss for all of us!:clap2:

[housecatgirl 0]

I am an official bandster!! Got here at 7:30am and was banded by 2pm. Feeling a little dizzy and queezy.:embarassed: Also, pain in my port area but otherwise ok. Hurts only when I walk around. More later.... I posted this message earlier but I am on the computer at the clinic so I forgot to sign in and it ended up on someone elses screen name...oops. I hope it gets to the point that I can walk around more without all the pain in the stitches. Right now I don't really feel like walking more that maybe 10 minutes. It hurts especially when I get up or down in bed or reach for something from my suitcase. Is this normal because someone else here says she doen't have that tight pain. I am able to get some liquids down but feel some gas...not too bad yet though. Also, I highly suggest packing someething warm for the clinic I was feezing last night.:grouphug: Thanks for all the support bandster friends!!

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[Melissa Lea 1]

Hey Laura --

Welcome to the banded side!! I was tight after surgery. It took a couple of days. I think it was on day 3 post op that I rolled out of bed and realized there was not any significant pain. On day 1 post op I had to start taking my pain meds. Not because of the incision sites, but because I pulled a muscle in my back trying to get out of bed without using the abdominal muscles. My doc wanted me to not use my abdominal muscles to prevent the stitches from tearing. But you know what --you use your abdominal muscles for more than you realize.

You will be just fine. Trust me --it does get better.

Melissa Lea

[BeacheeGirl 0]

Flew into Puerto Vallarta, beautiful city but didn't see much the 1st day. Was met by Natalia, Dr. Joya's Asst at airport. Taken immediately to the hospital, blood tests done, met Dr., surgeon's assistants and anestesiologist. I was put at ease immediately, all of the doctors were VERY nice and offered to answer any questions I had. Dr. Joya felt my abdomen and said "good, it's very soft, will make surgery very easy".

Next, I was Hooked up to IV and started on fluids, this helped with the hunger a tiny bit, was still ravenous though. I had not eaten any food since 12 pm the previous day - that was over 30 hours, NO FOOD, only some sips of Water and Decaf coffee the next morning before plane took off. Surgery done about 2 hrs later and lasted approximately 45 minutes long.

Woke up in recovery room with some mild pain in my abdomen. After recovering there for a while I was wheeled into my room. They told me surgery went well and that my liver was normal size so no complications there. I braced myself for the infamous gas pain that everyone talks about - it never came! The only pain I had was the incision pain. Now, my stomach was VERY bloated from the gas, however, I did not have any gas pain in my shoulder or anywhere. This may have been because I went to the bathroom A LOT before surgery, or, because I did not eat anything for over 24 hours before surgery.

The negatives - What I did not like about the care at the hospital was that after I woke up from surgery, I COULD NOT sleep. I complained about 5 times to the nurses and they would give me something for pain, but that's not what I needed and that did not help me sleep. They said they would call the Dr. but I don't think they did. They then gave me two pills but the didn't work either. Basically, I was awake from 10 pm and walked the halls until FINALLY I fell asleep for 2 hours at 4 am. This really irritated me because I was sooo tired but could not fall asleep and I really wanted my body to be able to rest after surgery. The night nurses you could tell they were getting irritated as when I rang the buzzer when I tried to go to sleep and couldn't and would ask for something to go to sleep with, they came in looking like they just woke up and would be like "si, si" and then wouldn't come back again until I buzzed them the next hour.

I also had a hard time peeing after surgery. That may be perhaps because they put a catheter in after I was asleep?? However, I would just have to sit on the toilet and kind of "push" my pee out. That has lasted through today....

A couple of hours before check out they brought me 2 cups of apple juice and some ice and water. I took slow slips and had no problems keeping anything down.

Oh, let me describe the room in the hospital: Beautiful! Had my own private room and bathroom/shower. Hospital bed VERY comfortable. Very cute, stylish and colorful couch and chair in the room. Flat screen tv and remote. Marble floors. The entire hospital was pretty it was called The Cornerstone Hospital in PV.

Check out time came and Natalie the Dr's Asst came and gave me all the paperwork, receipts, box for band etc. She drove me to the hotel, speedily checked me in and I was off to my room. (Room was VERY nice) Marble floors, open sliding glass doors and balcony and was right on the beach so I could sit outside and look at the ocean. I included some pictures of the resort and hotel below.

I pretty much slept off and on that day, drank some broth, juice and water, etc. - The next day I woke up and decided to bravely go downtown to buy some souveniers. It was a 10 minute cab ride and yes, I was in a bit of pain when he was bumping over the cobblestoned streets but I made it. I walked around holding my tummy and hobbled along, at one point a stor worker said "Oh, you having a baby?" I just nodded and laughed to myself not bothering to correct him. My stomach was sooo bloated I looked about 5 mo's along and I couldn't blame anyone with the way I was holding my tummy or walking along to think that - too funny, any other time I would have been insulted!

LOL - Look at name of store in pic below:

Shopped and bought some blankets, windchimes, art, and a good bottle of tequila for my husband. After about an hour I caught a cab and took a nap for 2 hours then woke up and headed for the airport. (I decided to check out a day early because even though the resort was nice, I missed my bed and I missed my AMERICAN TV, lol!).

At the airport after getting out of the cab and I asked for a wheelchair as I was wore out and sore and didn't want to drag my luggage around. This turned into be a great idea as I was whisked through customs and immigration and becauase I had a first class ticket back to LAX (TOTALLY WORTH IT ON THE WAY HOME BY THE WAY - IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO UPGRADE TO 1ST CLASS, DO IT, WILL MAKE THE FLIGHT BACK HOME SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE!)

All in all, it feels great to have had this done. Have not got on scale yet, will probably wait a few day. At home, feeling sore but good. Body healing, eating Jello, broth, juice, popsicles.

Oh, I keep getting an uncomfortable painful shooting feeling in my diaphragh area and it lasts for a few seconds every once in a while after I swallow something, then goes away.

Hope this helps anyone thinking of going to Mexico, so far, I highly recommend Dr. Joya....