Babe

hi shady, i was just banded with Ortiz on monday. the first week is broth, popsicles, gatorade, tea, and diluted juices. on day 7, you can introduce liquid yogurt, protein drinks and creamy soupls. they advise against doing physical activity until about 3 weeks post op, and then nothing around your core (abs). everyone at the OCC is very friendly and the nurses are super sweet. good luck. babe

yay naz! you remembered your password! hope you´re enjoying your recovery. i´m already bored sitting in my room here the marriott. mom and i will probably go out later to explore TJ. take care

whohoo! i was banded yesterday! only have some incision pains and a bit of shoulder stiffness. the walking really help. everyone at the OCC has been super friendly. I was banded with Loris and Nazish, they say hi too! i'm hoping the pain won't get worse. but i've got my gas-x ready if it does. to all you soon to be banded, the procedure is over really quickly and the drugs they give you are lovely.

i'm staying at the marriott right now (i was just banded today...yipee). while the hotel is quite nice, it's far from the center of town and no one from the OCC is staying here. i sort of wish we had stayed at the lucerna instead. even thought the staff is friendly and there are some great amenities, i feel kind of separted from the OCC stuff. my mom might switch hotels while i'm over night at the OCC.

hi shady, congrats on booking you surgery and on quitting smoking... i'm from vancouver, and my surgery is on monday. i'm flying out of seattle (cheaper than vancity) and managed to get direct flight down. your best bet is to fly into san diego as it is only 10 miles away from tijuana. i'm not sure about tijuana, but from what i gather most people fly in to SD as it's an international airport and easily accessible to TJ. since you're flying from T.O. across the continent most flights will be at least 5-6 hrs. from past experience i know that flying in the US is very difficult to do without a stopover unlike canada. have you considered flying out of buffalo or another us city close by? you might get a better flight from there.

congrats butterfly!!!

CB, i'm going on sunday and rene offered me a choice between Lucerna and the Marriott... i chose the marriott. it looks so luxurious and has a gym, a tapas bar, business center, pool, etc. check it out (hope this link shows up): http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tijm...marriott-hotel/

hopeful, i completely relate to you. it'll be my first surgery too and i'm more nervous than i thought i would be... we will get through this and probably end up laughing about how anxious we were beforehand oh yeah, about the sleep thing - i asked something about stomach sleeping earlier - other bandsters recommended using extra pillows on the port side of our body when we sleep that way it will be well padded. it might be a smidge uncomfortable but it's better than risking port problems.

Kim, I can't comment on the restriction yet as i'm not banded, but I'm curious about your urge to snack after dinner... are you sure it's driven by hunger or is it something else like boredom or habit? i know for me even after a filling dinner, i tend to want some kind of snack while i'm watching tv at night because that's what i've always done. i've noticed during the pre-op that my snacking was more because of old habits or anxiety or boredom and not because i was physically hungry.

are we allowed to drink protein water (kelloggs) during the clear liquids stage?

kim, congrats on the successful banding!

Anybody flying in on Sunday 02/15? I get in around 6:30ish. I know there's 2 or 3 of getting banded the 16th...

thanks, i'll follow your lead!

sharon, how soon after the surgery did you start applying the Vitamin E oil?

hi hon, i have no doubt that the op. will go smoothly. remember that your surgeon is well trained and has done countless procedures. as for what to bring, PJs are a good start. bring some slippers or flip flops for when you are walking in the hospital hallway, a hoodie/robe/sweater in case it's cold, toilettries, ipod, book/magazine, change of clothes (loose fitting), sports bra & panties, pain meds (anti-gas, tylenol), prescription meds, and a mobile phone. if you've got a friend or family member accompanying you, you can always leave your valuables with them during the surgery. good luck and let us know how it goes.

naz, it's totally understandable that you're scared... i am too! from what i've read, the OCC gives us a package of info after our surgery telling us what and how to eat. we'll be on clear liquids for the first 7-10 days post op, then mushies. i'm stocking my house with broths and kellogg's protein water. i think we're also allowed SF popsicles to suck on. focus on the clear liquids stage, you can always shop for the next stage when you get home.

sharon, what a load of your back! i'm glad everything turned out ok.

it sounds like a cross between a rowing machine and an eliptical... my two faves! i'd love to see a pic.

mona-camille, what's the cardioglide?

thanks cujo. with less than 2 weeks to go, i've got a million things running through my head that i hadn't even thought of before. i guess it's just nerves.

so do they give you information about your diet and caring for your band, or should I ask a bunch of questions or Dr. O and his staff when i get there? i don't want to leave there un-prepared.

i read somewhere that omega oils act as a blood thinner and therefore i should stop taking them prior to surgery. Is this true? I tried asking dr. miranda, but she never answered my question. also, post-banding, were any on you able to continue taking you omega oil pill or did you switch to the liquid type?

Naz, if you're really that concerned, talk to Dr. Miranda again, and maybe she can suggest some modifications to what you're currently eating. from the sounds of it, you should be fine. watch your portion sizes and make sure you're eating enough protein and getting some exercise in.

i've slept on my stomach for years, and despite every attempt in the last few week to train myself no to, nothing works. from what i've read here & on other boards, sleeping on my tummy after band is a big no-no (at least for a few days while the incisions heal). I'm being banded in a couple weeks, and I really don't want to risk my port flipping because i can't sleep on my back. what to do?

1. Name: Babe 2. Location: Vancouver, Canada 3. Age: 30 4. Band Date: 02/16/09 (2 weeks to go!!!) 5. Married: nope 6. Children of the human or furry kind: none yet, but hopefull a furry pooch sometime this year 7. Hobby(ies): shopping... mostly the window type (i need a winning lottery ticket!) 8. Work: mental health support worker 9. What was the deciding factor(s) on getting banded: i was tired of beating my head against a brick wall - i'm unhappy being fat and i'm not living the life i want to... it's time to change that 10. Interesting factoid: i'm really not all that interesting (ok pathetic cop out, i know, but i couldn't think of anything)