bandgroupie

Super wonderful Hanna!!!!!

Dear Bandsters,

This has nothing to do with banding but I just wanted to tell you that I won a trip to Disneyland for 4, literally just 2 hours ago! We were just browsing the Disney Store in our local mall and the King5 evening news, John Curley came barrelling towards us with his mic and camera man announcing we have just won a free trip for four to Disneyland. Part of a Disney promotion for new rides they are having. Get a load of this the total prize is about $2,700 but we pay the taxes incurred. I've never won anything in my life. This is so cool... I'm going to time this during my crown placement from the tooth implant I have just had, yes we can go anytime within a year per the paperwork I was asked to sign.

So those of you who live in the Northwest... watch out for me and my two little girls, Kajsa and Anneliese w/John Curley on King5 Evening News tonight at 7pm!!! What a surreal experience. To top it off, I looked terrible. I was wearing old sweats that had a tore on the leg, no make up and my girls were clean but not dolled up like I would normally dress them. Oh well this has taught me a lesson to always be prepared.

That's all folks.. was excited and had to just share my good news!

Hanna

She has a myspace.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endID=157479019

Yes, I watch GL. It is my favorite soap - it deals with more real life issues than just who's sleeping with who (although there is some of that in there). Anyway the character's name is Ashlee and since she started the show a couple of years ago she has been dealing with weight issues (on the show). She was taking diet pills at one time and she always made her weight an issue in her relationships. So a couple of weeks ago she started talking to Coop (her BF on the show) about gastric banding (not necessarily calling it Lap Band - as that is a trademark Brand). Of course he did not want her to do it and keep insisting that he loved her the way she is. Which is great and all but she finally had a breakthrough episode and proclaimed to him that everything was not about him and that this was for her and her alone. She just had the surgery last week and she was not on the show today so I am not sure how they will play the story out. I hope they are doing this to promote the band and show people that although people may support and love you the way you are - you are not wrong for wanting to better yourself for YOU and you alone. I will keep you posted as the story plays out.

PS I kinda figure the person who plays Ashlee really did have the surgery so they worked it into the show so that the audience would know why she was losing weight.

On one of the videos, they show the surgeon cutting excess tubing.

maybe it's because I haven't been banded yet or can tell how long that band is in the bottom photo, but that looks really long!! where does all that long cord go or am I misinterpreting the length?

thanks for the pics, Michelle - great info!

Alana

Hi and welcome Bandito

I was banded on April 4 and became HUNGRY this weekend. I did have growls and weird noises coming from my stomach, but did not feel hungry.

Drink a lot of water, crystel light or special K protien water - that will help you with your hunger, especially the Special K protien water.

Buy my favorite - banana popcicles They are yummie and fun to eat.

You can do it

I was banded on April 17th. Everything went great. I feel fully recuped, but I have hunger pains. I am really hungry, I realize that I need to get my first fill, but I thought I would be able to handle the liquid diet easily. Did anyone else experience this? I had a hard time with the pre op diet, so in my mind I thought that after the surgery I wouldn't be hungry. Any suggestions? Does is get easier?

By the way I've never been part of a forum so I don't know how to set up my profile. So sorry if I don't have my information posted yet. I will figure it out! Thanks

Amber,

This is what I did on my preop diet.

I lost 18 pounds on my preop diet. I did this for three weeks. I chose the 2 shakes and 1 lean cuisine meal a day diet but was told I could have a green salad with tomatoes, green peppers and mushrooms, so this is exactly what I had:

Breakfast (always) - 1 Slim Fast Optima Milk Chocolate shake. I would put it in the freezer for about an hour so it would taste like a McDonalds' chocolate milk shake and I actually enjoyed it! I usually drank this with a "fun" straw .. a pink staw with a flamingo on it, etc. Somehow, this helped

Lunch - if I ate lunch at the office I had a lean cuisine (my favorite was the meatloaf and mashed potatoes). If I went out to lunch with friends, I ordered a small salad/side salad and they almost always had the items I could have: Lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. I used very little dressing, if any, but once in a while used salsa as a dressing. I would always ask them to leave off the cheese and carrots.

Dinner: If I had a salad for lunch, I had a lean cuisine for dinner. If I had a lean cuisine for lunch, I had a shake for dinner. Don't forger the "fun" straw!

I really didn't find it necessary to snack on anything between meals.

I drank a lot of diet lemonaide and water. Special K Protien Water and Crystel Light packs. Gave up diet Coke, quit salting my food at the table, and got my chocolate fix from the shakes.

I hope this helps.

Hey ladies and gents!

I'm scheduled for surgery with Dr. Ortiz on May 15th, and was wondering about the pre-op diet. The info packet I have is very vague about a few things, but I knew that some of you would definitely know the answers to my questions!

1 - when it says "protien shakes" - what exactly does that mean? Slim Fast/Ensure/etc?

2 - it mentions that I can "substitute a salad for the ministrone soup...so does this mean I can have soup/veggies/salad?? If so, when - like with my dinner or as a snack, etc?

3 - if both my breakfast and lunch are under 225 calories each day, and I have a Lean Cuisine for dinner (say...300 calories there) - that's only 800 calories! I know I can add SF jello and popsicles but those are only like 10 calories each...will I starve to death!?!?!

thanks so much for any help you guys can give.

anyone else out there flying in to San Diego on the 14th and having surgery on the 15th of May?

~Amber

YIPEEEEEE!!!

I have an appointment for May 27th!!

Starting my diet now.. to lose those 'pre-op' pounds!!

Thanks Chip Licker eeeeer I mean Dontondan

I confess, I am a chip licker :lb4: ! I wish I could tell you there was a magic cure, but there isn't. Just got to push your way through it. I still have the urge to lick the salt off of chips, sometimes I do. My family thinks this is hilarious

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!

Hi Ladies,

I have my psych assessment on Saturday, April 26 and a tentative surgery date for June 10/08!!!!

I am on the road to band-ville!!! Whoot Woo!!

I can't thank all of you enough for all of the support and information thus far!!

Cathy

Congratulations "Sunshine" Sue!

Well I did it, I'm officially booked for May 28th. I booked through Medicaledge in Calgary and he said there are a few people booked for that day. It will be great to meet you.

Sue

I wanted to say that while waiting for surgery at the OCC, you really don't get bored. You instantly bond with the other patients and they soon become your friends... you'll be visiting each other. And at nighttime, you sleep unless you're like me, then you'll SNORE when you sleep

Denise... would you have been able to use your laptop in the hospital? Just wonder if it would be more convenient to have it with you in your room in case you get really bored.

Depending on the car rental company, insurance to drive into Mexico is between $25.00-30.00 per day in Mexico in addition to the daily rental rates.

Are you sure you can take a rental car into Mexico?? You need to buy special insurance to drive down there. We drive to San Ysidro, then walk across the border and catch a cab to the clinic when we go.

I will be there

A few of us 4/4 bandsters are headed back to TJ to get banded for our first fill.

One of our buddies needs a travel buddy. She wants to get her fill on Friday, 5/16. The rest of us are doing it on Saturday, 5/17.

Is anyone taking the trolley or getting a ride across that morning? We'll be landing in SD just before 10am.

Thanks!!!

We took one laptop and had a great connection at the hotel. Our laptop came in handy because our cell phones didn't work at the hotel, so we were able to use our Vonage I Phone with our laptop, allowing us to call home for free. To do this, you must have a vonage account and purchase their I phone. Just plug it in your laptop and dial anywhere in the U.S. Calls free.

Thinking of bringing my laptop.. do you know if they have wireless internet in your rooms, in the hotel? Thanks...

Have your friend accompany you on your trip to Tijuana - that'll change her mind

I am just needing to vent right now, and to possibly get some support and advice from all of you veteran bandsters. My girlfriend is very skeptical of this whole banding thing, and especially since I am going to TJ to get it done. When I mentioned to her that I wanted to do it, she didn't say much, then like 5 days later when I told her my final decision, she was like 'well, I support whatever you want to do, but I don't agree with it. I think you can lose weight by dieting and exercising alone, I don't think you need something this extreme - and I don't think TJ is the BEST place to go. Its dirty there, and I have researched this extensively.' Just going on and on about how horrible TJ is and how do you know this isn't a scam, and what if something happens when you get back - who is responsible? You will have to pay for all the hospital/Dr. fees once you are back here... and I explained to her that if something happens once I return, if it was not my fault and if it was the fault of something they did, then they fix it without any charge to me. I also explained to her about this forum, and that NO ONE has had a bad experience - well, I think I have read maybe one or two stories like the girl who they left at the airport or something lol. Anyhow, I explained that I have read nothing but EXCELLENT stories, and that everyone was so pleased with Dr. O and his staff, and that everyone on here said that TJ is really nice.

I also brought up to her the fact that just because its Mexico, doesn't make it any different from having surgery in the USA. I told her that in fact, the USA is NUMBER 37 (right above lithuania) for healthcare... and also brought up the point that if you are travelling to another country, and you need to go to a hospital, they will treat you FOR FREE. Without asking for a dime... they don't care what insurance you have cause they are not money hoarders like some americans (like all health insurance co's and hospitals). I had a lot of good counter arguments and she was just like 'I'm done talking about this' ... I am sick of her talking to me like I am stupid - like I haven't researched this. HELP! What to do what to do?

Thanks everyone!

Ramona,

Well you describe me exactly. I was a chocolate/sugar addict and very seldom did I eat chips.

I want chips!! Very interesting how our cravings are alike. Maybe Dr. Ortiz put a hex on you too - "Chocolate is your enemy!"

Fuuny, my craving used to be chocolate and sugar, but now it does seem to be salty crunchy things. For me, thats a good thing. I was to obssessed with chocolate and I am glad to get rid of that!

When I finalized my surgery date, I had plans on not telling anyone except my husband, my parents, and my children. Then as I started my preop diet, my eating behaviors changed so dramatically that it did not go unnoticed. For instance, a girl who usually arrived at work carrying a diet coke in her hand, one who went out to lunch every day with her buddies, and one who had a sweet tooth, now was drinking a slimfast shake for breakfast and eating in (lean cuisine) for lunch???? The lunch invitations and my attempt to say no thank you gracefully, just made everything difficult.

I also was going to be off work for three days and I didn't feel comfortable about lying as to the reason I needed the time off. Although, I did NOT want to tell my office administrator because well, I don't feel close to her in any way.

I figured once I started to lose weight, I would want them to know how I was doing this. I at no point yet have felt ashamed about my choice to have lap band surgery. I will say, however, that I was worried about telling people that I was going out of the country to have it done.

So I told my family, my employer and staff at work, and my closest friends. I had even planned a girls night out to tell a large group of my girlfriends together. They are my friends, and were so very happy for me. They would ask me where I was having the surgery and I'd say, well I'd rather not say. So they guessed Candada? Mexico? I told them that I'd rather not say so they don't freak out about it. Then one said, come on Dawnie, tell us, we won't say anything about where. So I told them Tijuana and her response was: YOU'RE KIDDING!!!??!??!!? haahahh just goes to show ya friends don't hold back their thoughts very well!

Anyway, once I have progress, I don't care who knows. I'll be on a billboard, I'll be on a video, I'll stand on the highest mountain and thank the lap band and Drs. Ortiz and Martinez in MEXICO and myself for working so hard to lose weight!

Obviously I have a weight problem. That's not a secret.

Obviously I have tried to diet over the years yet to only gain more weight back. That's not a secret.

And I'm just way too open about my life. That's not a secret either.

I would love to get some input on what you all told people about your weight loss.

I just don't know how I will handle it. I have feelings of shame that I didn't have enough will power to do this on my own but I feel I just can't live this way anymore! The only people that know right now are my immidiate family and they are VERY supportive but I cannot decide what to tell everyone else. I won't lie about it but don't know how or what to say. HELP!

I would appreciate some of your "coming clean" stories and the reactions you got. :lb12:

Thanks so much!

Caro

Hi Sunshinegirl,

I lost 18 pounds on my preop diet. I did this for three weeks. I chose the 2 shakes and 1 lean cuisine meal a day diet but was told I could have a green salad with tomatoes, green peppers and mushrooms, so this is exactly what I had:

Breakfast (always) - 1 Slim Fast Optima Milk Chocolate shake. I would put it in the freezer for about an hour so it would taste like a McDonalds' chocolate milk shake and I actually enjoyed it! I usually drank this with a "fun" straw .. a pink staw with a flamingo on it, etc. Somehow, this helped

Lunch - if I ate lunch at the office I had a lean cuisine (my favorite was the meatloaf and mashed potatoes). If I went out to lunch with friends, I ordered a small salad/side salad and they almost always had the items I could have: Lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. I used very little dressing, if any, but once in a while used salsa as a dressing. I would always ask them to leave off the cheese and carrots.

Dinner: If I had a salad for lunch, I had a lean cuisine for dinner. If I had a lean cuisine for lunch, I had a shake for dinner. Don't forger the "fun" straw!

I really didn't find it necessary to snack on anything between meals.

I drank a lot of diet lemonaide and water. Special K Protien Water and Crystel Light packs. Gave up diet Coke, quit salting my food at the table, and got my chocolate fix from the shakes.

I hope this helps.

I was looking at the 3 different options for the pre-op diet and I think I want to go with the Atkins induction. It would be extremely difficult to just drink 3 protein shakes a day. I lost 80lbs on Atkins before and I'm very comfortable with the Induction phase. Of course it will have to be tweaked because atkins allowed fats and told you to eat if you need to. The beautiful thing about this diet is that you lose all cravings a few days into the diet. Of course cutting back on the fat might make a difference.

What option did you follow? Did you still have coffee?

Here is a photo that I found on the internet of what appears to be a reporter holding a band. It was helpful for me to see this photo and thought others might find it helpful too.

You're a brave woman Redhead!!!!

I'll compliment you all the time if you come stay with me and prepare great meals

I'm craving a few things (i.e. popcorn) but it's all just the mental thing because I LOVE TO EAT!!! Most of the time I'm not really hungry. I can't say I never am because every once in a while I'll get this incredible rumbles in my stomach followed by a gut-wrenching cramp. That must be hunger, right? Gosh... at my age, and years of eating just because I thought I was hungry, I'm not sure what hunger really is. How pathetic is that?

Since my surgery, I've been cooking (and baking) some wonderful dinners for my boyfriend and kids. It really doesn't bother me at that I can't eat them (even when they tease me about it). I just enjoy the food experience of preparing it, cooking it and serving it and of course the compliments after (especially the compliments... ). It's been said on this forum that 'food is a love affair'. I still enjoy the romance involved in preparing it.

No you're the best! Wait a minute, I think Doug thinks he's the best of the bandsters:)

I already need my first fill. I realized today that what restriction I thought I had was just the swelling. The bruising is almost gone and obviously so is the swelling. I'm hungry and I think it's definitely bigger than a walnut now

I can't wait to see you my BBB and the others again Counting the days ...

You're the best Dawn!!! Miss Sunshine I'm glad we got "banded" together and I can't wait to see you soon for our first fill!!!

Cat >

Do we really have to tell you the truth

Okay bandsters - I want the truth....who ate before week 3????? I know there are several of you.

I was banded by Dr. Ortiz, but I read some online post-op guidelines by other surgeons that direct their patients in week 3 & 4 to eat mushy, soft foods.

I'm just wondering who's done what for post-op!!!

When did you start to eat?

What did you eat?

I'm on day 15 of the post op diet and noticed that I have been craving salt. Dr. Ortiz told me that chocolate was my enemy and I wonder if he put a hex on me because I have no cravings for chocoloate but salt...........................

Ate some chips today and wanted to throw myself off a cliff. How could I?

Anyway, anyone else craving salt?

Hello April 4th Band Buddy :)

A certain person wants to know if you have both of your kidneys Ha ha

Hi...you don't know me but I had my surgery on 4/4 and am also going for my fill on May 16th. Wondering if any of you ladies would like to be adventurous and take the trolley/bus down to the border with me that morning. I'm due to arrive friday morning around 10am. It would be lot cheaper than using OCC transportation and all you have to book is the hotel room.

This is who we tipped:

1. The driver who picked us up at the airport.

2. The bellhop who carried our bags to our hotel room.

3. The servers in the restaurants.

4. The bellhop who took our luggage from the hotel lobby and loaded it in van for our return to the airport.

5. The driver who returned us to the airport.

6. The airline employee who checked our bags for us outside the airline terminal.

We tipped the servers at the restaurants 15%. With regard to the drivers and bellhops, some people didn't tip at all. Some tipped $1.00 to each person and some tipped $5.00. Plan an extra $20-25 to use for tipping the bellhops and drivers.

Hi everyone I am new here.. I have a question to add on here.. My husband travels alot and wants to know about Tipping the Drivers and stuff.. does anyone know or remember who all they tipped..

Lafffffin, my husband wanted to take a picture of me wearing the paper thong. Did it rub? Sister! It rode, it rubbed, and, in fact, got lost ROFLMAO

I love your sense of humor LOL hmm paper thong.. does it rub much??