VickyR

I wanted to share my experience, even though it wasn't perfect, in case others have experienced or might experience something simmilar. First of all, everyone I met at the Lucerna and associated with the OCC was friendly, helpful and professional. Francisco was there to meet me right on time, and was very helpful. my luggage was lost, and he had to go back and get it later when it arrived on another flight. All the driving back and forth across the border he does would drive me crazy! He brought me to just before the border, and due to traffic slowing us down, had to go back to the airport to pick up the next people arriving. Mrs. Ortiz met us in SD and she brought me the rest of the way to the hotel. She is lovely and charming, and very helpful. The Lucerna was fine, others disliked the harder beds, but they were fine with me. We got picked up the next morning, and after the pre-ops and dental visit (just a formality), and IV start it was into room 6 for a nice set of paper underwear, compression stockings and gown. I met several of the Dr.'s and assistants before Dr. Ortiz came in. I had all my questions answered, and wasn't really nervous. They gave me the standard Ativan tablet, and after that I really don't remember anything else....not going into thr OR, or returning. Not really having any pain afterwards either. However, due to some unjust twist of fate or evil genetics, I have problems with motion sickness and nausea post anesthesia, and despite discussion about this beforehand, and attempts to minimize this issue, I was horribly nauseated, having dry heaves etc. They did a fluro to make sure the vomiting hadn't done anything to the band, and that was fine. The question was whether the nausea was just my physiology or due to gas, were the medications for nausea actually making things worse etc., but I ended up having to stay there two nights and never went back to the Lucerna, but left for the airport from the clinic. So anyway, all those others who have this issue are prone to motion sickness etc., make sure you let them know beforehand...who knows, maybe it would have been even worse. Everyne was VERY attentive while I was feeling so awful, and seemed genuinely concerned. There were Dr.s available whenever the nurses (who deserve medals for their care and the long shifts they work sleeping over etc.) were concerned. Josefa and Carmen, you are wonderful! Thanks to all the Dr.'s who helped me while I was feeling so wretched. Anyway, after many hours of wishing for cyanide, and wondering how I would ever get home, I slowly did get better. The trip home was a little hairy, as I had optimistically come by myself. I wouldn't recommend it. Thanks to the fellow patient and her husband who helped me with my suitcase! I feel I was and am still about 2 days behind where I should have been as far as recovery based on others' experiences posted here. I am home now, still having gas pains off and on, but I'll take that any day over the nausea. I hope I never need surgery for anything again, because I will be really nervous about the nausea.

Kiedas, thanks for that post. It made me cry! Thanks for the perspective from your kid self and your now self. That was really interesting and helpful. I am having the surgery in 3 days, and really looking forward to it My daughter is still not on board, but things are better. Thanks for the good wishes.

Yay, snowbird, glad to hear your endoscopy went well. Let's see: an endoscopy, root canal, abdominal surgery all in the space of a month! If you could add a Pap and a mammogram, it would be all a woman could hope for! I am getting excited about my surgery in 5 days, but the pre-op diet is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I am not cheating (unless broccoli isn't part of a "green salad" ) I haven't lost any weight in the first 2 days.....I hope things pick up. I am scared Dr. Miranda will cancel me. Has that ever happened??? AAAHHHH!

Thanks so much for the offer, I will try to find you guys! I will be arriving on Sunday also, and we will probably all be on the van to the center in the morning, if we don't meet up before then.

I will be having surgery October 1st. I didn't want to take the kids out of school, so hubby is staying home and I will be by myself. I am not worried about that, but it would be nice to know who else is going to be there, and have someone to walk with etc.

I know people have also had good luck using OTC products such as Mederma for reducing the appearance of scarring. I think you can stsrt using it once things are starting to heal.

Things like that are sent out in bulk on an automated basis from these sites, just to see if they get any hits, not by actual forum users. The moderators seem to be doing a good job of deleting them when they come in. If people actually on the forum open them, then the spammers will know that is a real address and keep sending stuff, and they may share the site address with other spammers, so.....don't open them and let them be deleted by the forum moderators.

Snowbird, Hmmmm, tricky! I think what I would do is make sure your last RECORDED weight is keeping you above the 35 BMI. Make sure you have an official medical visit stateside where you get weighed and get the written approval from your insurance company, and then start the pre-op stuff. The tricky part will be your weight when you show up for surgery....maybe that can be an "unofficial' part of your record, but I am not sure how that goes, as I am not getting surgery until the 1st of October.

Tom, No problem. It didn't seem like a diatribe to me. It is helps relieve the guilt to hear your side. I don't think the issue for me is whether my daughter would give her blessing, so to speak, to the surgery, but rather would I be sending the wrong message for her as far as body image, acceptance of HER as an overweight kid, what is important or not in life, etc. etc. The scenario you mentioned about consulting kids about family issues made me laugh, because my parents would always have these "family meetings" to try to make it seem as if we were being consulted and then just go ahead and move us/choose the vacation/ etc, themselves anyway. I think this is a management style where I work, too!!

Yes, I have also stopped telling people of my plans because only folks who have had the band really are supportive, with rare exceptions. I was actually surprised at the amount of negativity. Fear? Jealousy? True concern? Avoidance of change? Hubby says he is worried about safety and wants to make sure I have a recent will (!) made up before I go. People at work give the "have you tried: Jeny Craig/Weight Watchers/ insert your favorite plan or medication here/ etc. etc.?" Read "weight loss and family issues" in another thread if you want to see my daughter's views on the idea. Sigh. I think Clynn is exactly correct about people judging by their own experience, and I also think a there is great variation in how people view any kind of surgery. Some really find this a horrifying notion, and others are much more blase about it. I was thinking yesterday that I will be giving up some things WHEN I become thin: one gift I have received from being overweight is that I am less judgemental of others' appearances: especially other overweight people. I have seen ( as we all have) people get overlooked or underestimated because they are overweight....So, I guess there can be a good side to judging based on our personal life experiences! I hope the gifts stay after I look different. I hope all my overweight friends/family don't see me as one of THEM afterwards. That would be weird.

I am scheduled for October 1st. Pre-op diet is starting to loom largely!

Thanks to all of you for the thoughtful insight and support. For now, I am sticking with my plan and will try some of the suggestions for talking about this with my daughter. I think focusing on the health issues in my discussions with her will be most helpful....although I would be a big liar if I said I didn't want to look better, too! Starting to think about the pre-op diet...oh boy, should be interesting. Looking forward to meeting whomever is there on Oct 1st!

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum. My surgery is scheduled for October 1st, and I would love to hear from anyone else who is going to be there then also. Thanks to everyone else who has posted here, ALL the posts have ben very helpful. I am a 45 year old woman living in the Pacific Northwest. I have struggled with weight all of my life, and have managed to be normal weight only during periods where I was willing to "extreme diet." Things got REALLy bad after I had my 2 children. My kids have never known me as anything but overweight (right now I am 5' 9" nd 242, BMI 35 or so). My daughter, who is 14 has also had weight struggles her whole life, ever since she was born as a 9 1/2 lb baby! I have done exercise programs and jenny Craig with her before, but always felt as if she was not motivated and so I have been leaving her alone about it,trying to find the balance between unconditional love and helping her- just having healthy foods in the house etc., but her problem is just love of eating, like me. I was so surprised when she sobbed as if she was broken-hearted when I told her I was going to have the surgery, saying it was "cheating" and "not fair" and that I should just "maybe try harder". I am really worried about what message I am sending her, and also don't want her to feel "left behind". ( She is not interested in the surgery for herself, and I wouldn't want to encourage it unless it was what SHE really wanted.) On the other hand, I am a typical mom who always puts everyone else first, and this surgery is the only thing I can remember planning just for myself since I became a mom. (OK, maybe a pedicure or two). I was wondering if anyone else had experiences with family/kids that are similar and can have good advice about how to do the best thing for everyone. Thanks everyone. VickyR