Will T

We were lucky... we were on AirTran. A slight delay, but a good jet stream put us in Atlanta just about on time. Tonight I had a couple of bowls of chicken noodle soup, with no probs. Sus and Andrew say hello back, and are glad you're doing so well !

Hello : ) I'm back at home, well, and anxiously awaiting April 29th! The day went quite well at OCC. I will have no problems recommending Dr. Ortiz to anyone who has a weight issue. There were several things I noticed I wanted to comment on, for us, and for future bandsters. For those who are being picked up at the airport, please don't be upset if your driver arrives a few minutes late. When we were leaving, we left in plenty of time for the driver to make a pickup, yet Customs were WAY behind, and it delayed our van by as much as 50 minutes or more. We stood, waiting for a long line of people coming into America to pass through. We went through quickly, maybe 4 minutes (my entire family), but the wait to get to the front of the line was something beyond the control of OCC. The driver was late to pickup new clients, but the delay wasnt his fault. We even planned extra time in the schedule in case of a delay, but the delay was longer than planned. Enough on that ! I didn't have near as much of a gas problem as some of the patients did. I felt like I needed to burp for a long time. I felt no shoulder pain at all. I did experience my first 'PB' and survived it. One issue I had was regulating a diet after the surgery. As we all know, we're on liquids for a while. I had the broths at the hotel, and Vitamin drinks from across the street, but felt weak and trembly. I sorta "fudged" a little, and ate some soup with a little substance to it. I did fine, and felt much better. I've progressed to yogurts and soups now, and am back on a regular schedule diet-wise. I feel strong, ready for golf, with only a little bit of discomfort where the large incision is... not pain, but discomfort. I've stocked up on soups, yogurts, jellos, and shakes looking forward to the dates for the first solids. (I actually slipped and had a couple of my son's fries at dinner last night without thinking.... "oops" !) But we are at home, safe, and preparing to plan to return for the fill perhaps the second week of June. I've thought about Roswell, GA for a fill, but all of us talked about it at Tijuana... I have all the confidence in Dr. Ortiz, and we probably will be going back. How about you? How've you adapted to the new way of eating for a few weeks? Did you experience any of these-type symptoms? I know one of the girls who banded on Tuesday had terrible gas pains (she needed to walk a lot AND the Gas-X pills). We enjoyed talking with you tremendously. I think all bandsters should meet out at the pool to get to know each other. It began a special bond for us all. We have started our journey.... I can't wait to see where we will end up! willT

This gentleman said he had to be reminded to eat, because he no longer felt the urges we all may feel to pull out a bag of chips and a cola. He misses soft drinks. He loved a cold Coke often, but he replaced it with non-carbonated drinks. He would go to family events and use a saucer instead of a plate for meals, and he would eat in small bits rather than crowding the fork (I'm guilty of that now). He added other benefits of the lapband that I'm looking forward to. His allergies (hay fever, etc) have improved greatly. So had knee pain and foot pain he experienced. His energy level had skyrocketed, and he started a workout routine three days a week and STILL had lots of energy. As far as pain, he had none, nor discomfort. He sang the praises of his surgeon, and I have all the confidence in the world that my experience will be as good as his. I'm even setting a goal of 15 pounds per month until i get back to my college football playing weight. If I'm short, I'm still doing great. If I exceed that, even more awesome. When i reach my desired weight, i've informed my wife that she and I are going to the Bahamas, and are going to do "something" on the beach in the middle of the night... then awaken to a sunrise. Something i would NEVER have done without this. To all you 4/11 people... you new future begins in less than a month! Godspeed to your goal!

Hello 4/11 bandsters... I'm in front of you by a few days. I have mine scheduled for 4/08. I've been big all my life, taught to 'clean your plate' and I even have issues leaving food on a table in a restaurant. I can't wait until my date. I have no apprehensions. I attended two local sessions for doctors in my area. The process was thoroughly explained, and all questions were answered. The cost HERE, for the two doctors, one was $25,000 and the second $20,000. In the first session I attended, the doctor showed a photo of a family that could have been my family. The father had a slat and pepper goatee (as I do) glasses (yep, me too) and the same amount of hairline recession. He even had two sons, as I do. This man came out looking AWESOME (in the weight sense...). He had lost an average of 20 pounds per month for 4.5 months after his surgery. His weight started at 12 pounds more than i weigh now. He said things that made me look forward to this procedure. He is never hungry. He never has cravings (omg... like i am having right now...). When he gets the urge for something, he eats it, and he stops when he can eat no more... and his craving is satisfied because he feels full. More in a moment