MamaMichelle

Oh Chick Fil A... brings a tear to my eye lol. My husband and I are originally from Dallas and we ate chick fil a every few days, when we moved to Las Vegas (where there is no chick fil a) I thought I would easily drop 10-15 lbs but I ended up just replacing it with a different fast food place. There have been 3 occasions where we have driven to the nearest chick fil a to us, which is 2.5hrs each way in California - how bad is that? Again just a reminder of my sad relationship with food (and a shining example of how much my husband loves me since he was willing to make that drive with me) lol

So great to hear from you Kissyfur! Sounds like you are doing awesome and it is great that Josh is so supportive! There is another post somewhere (I think it is WAgal's post on the testimonials board where the entire group was trying to schedule fills on the same date- maybe they can move that discussion to this thread or we can do it by email or myspace! Again so glad you are doing well!

I can scan in the exact pages from Dr. Miranda at the OCC if that would be helpful to anyone, just let me know!!

Here's the pic for you Hannah- That way everyone can see it!

Here is mine- http://www.myspace.com/mamamichellelv WAgal- here is a clickable link to your profile http://www.myspace.com/hlapband (you forgot the http:// part which eliminates the need to cut and paste)

I am with you, I gave in to my (almost) 6 year old shoving a cupcake in my mouth at a BBQ birthday party this afternoon... I took a tiny bite then stood up and discreetly spit it out into a napkin. Like someone else said I used to be my child's garbage disposal- if he left half a hamburger I would always finish the rest even if I had just eaten one of my own! I need to make him understand that he can't offer me food like that (my husband is getting better about not automatically asking if I want something to eat every time he fixes something for himself or goes out to get something to eat) but that's hard for a younger child to understand. Maybe I will play the germ angle- tell him that sharing food can spread germs since his Kindergarten teacher has made their whole class afraid of germs.. lol Honestly cheating pre-op isn't a big deal, I cheated a few times on my pre-op diet (as did many other bandsters) and for me some of those memories are helping me not want some of my trigger foods as badly now because when I had them that "last time" I told myself that this food/restaurant/meal was no longer going to be part of my new life which helped my post-op cravings a lot. Tomorrow is a new day, so get back on the wagon girlfriend- I know you can do it!!

I swear I am the only person in the world that likes the Optifast... Of course I am firm believer that you can improve the flavor of ANY shake with the sugar free Da Vinci syrups... Here is what it says on the Da Vinci Websitie: No Calories. No Carbs. Sugar Free. Great Taste. Sweetened with SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener, our Sugar Free Flavored Syrups have the same world–class flavor as our Classic Syrups, but without the calories. SPLENDA is the only zero–calorie sweetener made from real sugar and as a result, it tastes more like real sugar This is what it looks like, you can order it online but I get it at Walmart but my walmart only has 2 flavors (Vanilla and Hazelnut) These are all the Sugar Free Flavors- Almond Sugar Free Syrup Amaretto Sugar Free Syrup B-52 Sugar Free Syrup Banana Sugar Free Syrup Blueberry Sugar Free Syrup Butter Rum Sugar Free Syrup Butterscotch Sugar Free Syrup Caramel Sugar Free Syrup Cherry Sugar Free Syrup Chocolate Sugar Free Syrup Cinnamon Sugar Free Syrup Coconut Sugar Free Syrup Cookie Dough Sugar Free Syrup Creme de Menthe Sugar Free Syrup Dulce de Leche Sugar Free Syrup Egg Nog Sugar Free Syrup English Toffee Sugar Free Syrup French Vanilla Sugar Free Syrup German Chocolate Cake Sugar Free Syrup Gingerbread Sugar Free Syrup Hazelnut (Original) Sugar Free Syrup (Untoasted) Hazelnut Sugar Free Flavored Syrup (Toasted) Huckleberry Sugar Free Syrup Irish Cream Sugar Free Syrup KAHLUA® Flavored Sugar Free Syrup Lemon Sugar Free Syrup Lime Sugar Free Syrup Macadamia Nut Sugar Free Syrup Malibu Rum Sugar Free Syrup Orange Sugar Free Syrup Pancake Sugar Free Syrup Peach Sugar Free Syrup Peanut Butter Sugar Free Syrup Peppermint Paddy Sugar Free Syrup Peppermint Sugar Free Syrup Pineapple Sugar Free Syrup Praline Sugar Free Syrup Pumpkin Pie Sugar Free Syrup Raspberry Sugar Free Syrup Root Beer Sugar Free Syrup Spice Blend Sugar Free Syrup Strawberry Sugar Free Syrup Sweetener Sugar Free Syrup Toasted Marshmallow Sugar Free Syrup Vanilla Sugar Free Syrup Watermelon Sugar Free Syrup White Chocolate Sugar Free Syrup

Thanks for the compliments, I had a 2 months pre-op to lose the 21lbs so I'm not a miracle worker, but I am very positive and excited about making these changes. Unlike many of the stories I have heard here I have not been overweight my entire life- I was always a dancer and athlete growing up. I was actually a college cheerleader who was 2 months away from trying out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders when I found out I was pregnant. I ended up gaining 70lbs while pregnant putting me just under 200lbs and in the 5 years that followed I added almost 50lbs. So a lot of my positive attitude comes from keeping focused on that old self and how much better I looked and felt about myself. My husband has never mentioned a thing about my weight and is such a positive and supportive force behind me also helps when things get hard and I just want to eat! I had a great day this morning when I had to buy a new pair of jeans (size 18) because all my other pairs of jeans were falling off! I ended up getting a cheap pair since I plan to be in a smaller size ASAP!

Ok so I will go first! I was banded on 2/28 as stated above and as of today I have lost 9lbs (in 9 days) plus the 21lbs I lost pre-op puts me at 30lbs lost total! My wounds are healing nicely, the glue is pretty much gone so I have been using Neosporin and band-aids at night to help the healing... I have been feeling great and am finally over the icky phase of the liquid diet- I have been having a hard time eating 800-1000 calories per day but I find that the days where I eat more(excuse me, drink more) I lose more weight. I have been walking, 1.5 miles per day - my goal is to do it in under 30min but as of right now I can do it in about 40min. My husband has been super supportive, a few times we have been out and he wants to eat so I have to sit and watch till I can get home to my Optifast but in a weird way it is helping me deal with my food options head on!! I think that's all for now!! Can't wait to hear from everyone else...

Just wanted to reconnect with those girls who (like me) were banded about a week ago, I found some names from the original post but I'm sure there are more! Tell us how you are feeling, how much weight you have lost since the surgery, how your post-op diet is going and anything else you would like to share! FEB 27 shampoo Mackenzie thesecreteater FEB 28 kissyfur MamaMichelle tootsie_lou WAgal ZnewMe33 Merry FEB 29 Claresta

I had sex and exercised (I walked a 30 min mile at the hotel Lucerna's Gym) within 36 hours of surgery and had no problems at all so you shouldn't be worried in the least!

Krista- You sound like me and my husband, I am the short chubby blonde and my husband is the tall (6'4) and lean one, you can see a pic if you click on my avatar picture. It sounds like you are all ready to go, I was banded on 2/28 and have lost 8lbs so far and I am feeling great... I think the excitement, fear and anticipation is the hardest part to overcome. Best of luck and keep us updated on your progress!!

This is what I found online about smoking and wounds from a plastic surgery doctor: The smoking is, in fact, a huge issue, as nearly every procedure that could otherwise be used to close this wound is highly dependent on blood supply; that blood supply is compromised by smoking. Tobacco smoking is one of the leading avoidable causes of death in the world. With time, it leads to cancer, hardening of the arteries, and to lung and kidney disease. Moreover, it also severely affects how active and passive smokers heal from injury. Wounds of smokers do not close well, potentially remaining as open sores which, with time, can become sites for local infection, spread systemically in the body, and become life-threatening. Moreover, problematic healing caused by smoke occurs in people of all ages (for example, in children living in the homes of smokers), not only in older individuals as is the case for most smoke-induced ailments. The problem of open sores is not only life-threatening but it also bears heavily on health care costs as people with open wounds frequently need to be hospitalized..

I noticed this really weird dry patch on my chin, it almost felt like lots of little acne bumps... I did do a micro dermabrasion mask (the at home Olay kind) a few days ago so it could have been from that but I've used it 10 times before with no problems. I have heard of people having weird reactions to anesthesia, but it could also be the changes in your diet- like the toxins from bad food you used to eat working their way out of your system, via your skin!

If anything it might be a side effect of the anesthesia...

I believe that it has to do with your lung capacity, for non-smokers or those who quit before they are better able to breathe while under anesthesia.

My Band's name is "Bruce" because I learned really quickly that it is "The Boss" I was banded on 2/28 and I flew home on 3/2, I felt fine until the morning of the plane ride home- I had to be in the lobby at 4:00am to go back across the border (our flight was at 8 but another bandster had a 6:30 am flight) I felt some nausea in the morning so I decided to get at hot tea from starbucks, I got the 12oz (small) which I thought was no big deal but I was wrong!! I was feeling fine after drinking about half of it (using a spoon as not to go too fast), but old habits die hard and my brain said I needed to finish the whole thing... it was obviously wayyyy too much for my band so soon and man I paid the price as I was soooo miserable! For the 2 hrs before our flight took off and all during the 1hr flight had a horrible PB/burping/nausea episode that gave me some serious second thoughts about getting the darn thing but I was fine after that 3 hours. What I learned from that episode is to limit myself to only drinking 1/2 c (4 oz) of liquid at a time and I haven't had any issues since. Today is 1 week out from my surgery and I've lost 6lbs since the 28th, and I am so happy that I made the decision to get Bruce we are going to be lifelong friends!

Claresta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great to see you posting here... This is Michelle you were on the van with my husband and I at 4am driving to the airport. Hope you are doing well, stay in touch!

Kim- My son is also named Brady and his best friend who lives across the street is named Bella, when ever I take the 2 of two of them out people think they are brother and sister and sometimes even twins (they are both 6years old, but Brady is blonde and Bella is a red-head so I don't see it lol..)

I was also banded on the 28th, but I arrived later in the afternoon so I was the last surgery of the day and was in the semi-private room nearest the door. Glad to hear you are doing well!

So here is my experience, it was all pretty wonderful… A little background on me, I first heard about Dr. Ortiz on Oprah and booked my surgery on the same day as the show aired. I was initially booked for surgery on 2/29 (arriving for pre-ops on 2/28) but after reading another bandster’s post about being about to get the surgery on the same day as the pre-op I knew I wanted to do the same thing if possible so I would have more recovery time. So I mentioned in an email to Rene that I would be interested in doing the same thing and he said he thought it would be possible but wouldn’t be sure until I arrived. Day 1 - Thursday 2/28/08 11:15 am – My husband and I arrived in San Diego with no delays or problems! 11:20 am – We found the driver quite easily, I’m thinking he was a sub-contracted driver because he was picking up the two of us as well as another woman who was there for another dr. not at OCC. We had our bags and were in the van by 11:35. 12:00pm – Arrived at the OCC, we were dropped off in the garage and told to go up to the 2nd floor. Once we were upstairs I gave Claudia the receptionist my name and she gave me some release forms to fill out, a information sheet for the dentist and also took my photo for an ID/restaurant card. She told me that I would be able to have my surgery after my pre-op tests were completed which I was very excited about!! 12:30pm – The first test was with the cardiologist Dr. Jiminez he took my health history (similar questions to the papers we faxed in before surgery) since I didn’t have any pre-existing conditions (no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no GERD) it was quick and painless. Then he asked me to take a breath test into a spirometer to check my lung capacity, you have to take 2 deep breaths then exhale for 6 seconds, my capacity was 97% so again no problems. The next test was for my heart, I was asked to remove my shirt and bra and put on a gown (opening to the front) then a female nurse came and placed the sticker stints on me (one on each shin, one on each wrist, and 4 around my left breast. Then Dr. Jiminez came in the room and hooked up the wires for the heart test, no problems here either so I was able to get dressed and return to the waiting room. 1:00pm – I was called in to meet with the nutritionist Dr. Miranda next, she gave me a packet with post-op diet rules and also showed us a power point slideshow that reiterated some of the more important dietary rules. She then took my height 5’3 ½ which was devastating because I always thought I was 5’4, lol. Then she took me to be weighed and I was 226lbs (which is 2lbs heavier then my home scale) but she was impressed that I had already lost 21pounds on the pre-op diet. Back to the waiting room again! 1:45pm – I had about a 15 min wait before getting in to see the dentist but I had the diet info from Dr. Miranda to review so I hardly noticed. When she called me in she did a 5min check told me what I needed (deep cleaning and a 1 cavity fixed) later I was given a price sheet that told me how much the dental work would be, much cheaper than in the US for sure! 2:00pm – I was told I would be going into the surgery room soon, which actually meant Dr. Romero would take me back to my semi-private room (which consisted of a curtained area with a bed and counter across from the nurse’s station, more on that later) I changed into a oversized gown (ties in the back this time) and some sexy paper underwear, lol there were also some surgical/compression tights that he told me a nurse would help me with later. 2:10pm – A nurse came in with a cart of IV supplies and meds, she first helped me with the tights and while she was administering the IV Dr. Romero returned to explain what the meds were for, not sure if one was a sedative but I fell asleep for about 30 min. 2:45pm – I was awoken by the sound of Dr. Ortiz speaking to the woman on the other side of my curtain (in her semi private room), he was very relatable to her and seemed quite genuine. He then came into my side of the curtain and spoke to my husband and I saying he was going to be doing her surgery first and then I would be next at about 4:00pm, once again I fell asleep (I was up late the night before, or maybe it was the meds but I was tired) other than that 5 min chat I never saw or spoke to Dr. Ortiz again though I imagine if I had asked to speak with him the staff would have made it happen. 3:45pm – My husband woke me up and told me I was going to be going into surgery now, I was kind of groggy but I remember giving him a kiss then being wheeled into the surgery room- it was bright while, very cold (for sterile reasons I’m sure) I do recall speaking to the Anesthesiologist and then I was OUT! 4:45pm – My husband says I was wheeled back into the room asleep, he had asked Claudia at the front desk about getting some food and she gave him a bunch of takeout menus to choose from he had ordered a chicken sandwich so he ate it while I slept. 6:00pm – I was woken up to walk, I had seen a few others walking before my surgery and I was going about 2x the speed, maybe it’s an age thing or maybe I was just happy to be up and about and ok after surgery but I made my 3 laps in about 5min. After getting back into bed the nurse asked me if I would like something I asked for hot tea with 2 splenda, (I later learned that others got broth, popsicles and ice chips) the tea was great, told Dr. Romero how much I liked in and he gave me 6 tea bags to take back to the hotel with me. Back to sleep for about an hour or so woke up and my husband and I played the travel scrabble game I had brought. 8:00pm – My neighbor on the other side of the curtain was asking to go home, she was a nurse and Dr. Romero said she needed to spend the night so they could monitor her for her safety. She reluctantly agreed to stay and her husband went home. About 10 min later Dr. Romero came to my side and asked if I WANTED to go home, I’m not sure if she had some other risk factors that I didn’t (she was a LOUD snorer so maybe she had sleep apnea or something) or maybe because I was able to walk so well and had already used the bathroom and kept liquids down with no problem, I was in the safe zone. My husband and I opted to err on the side of caution and spend the night in the hospital, I was given another pain pill and he went home and I went back to sleep. More to come!!

Hey God4Me, Great idea, I was just banded on the 28th so I would love to get together, I have been PMing with another bandster that is in las vegas so I will pass the message on to her.

Hey Guys, Thanks for all the well wishes and support, I was able to be be banded early on the 28th so I am in my second day of recovery and feeling great! I am in the process of writing a pretty detailed (long) full report on my entire experience that I hope to have posted sometime Sunday evening! Our flight leaves at 8am tomorrow which means the driver will have to pick us up at 4am so I need to pack up and get some broth for dinner so I can get to bed early. I look forward to sharing my extremely positive experience with everyone soon! MM

Just wanted to make one last post before I left for the airport! I will be arriving in TJ about noon and I've got my bloodwork scheduled for today and my surgery for the 29th but hopefully I can get my surgery in today as well since I am so ready to be banded! I will post a full trip report ASAP!

I am actually scheduled for Feb 29th and will be arriving tomorrow (the 28th) when I emailed Rene asking if it would be possible to have my bloodwork and surgery on the same day she said it shouldn't be a problem, just like you I am ready to get it done! My flight lands in San Diego at 11:15am and she said it work out, so hopefully that helps give you an idea about the arrival time issue.