Rid

Just thought I'd follow up with this. My surgery was at 7:30 in the morning. When I woke up from surgery, my port site was VERY painful. They treated it with pain meds. By noon, I was in a room, and out of recovery. I took a nap for a couple of hours. By 2:30pm, I was walking around, trying to move around so I wouldn't get gas pains. At around 4pm I was discharged. Still sore, and not comfortable, but definitely tolerating everything. I had a function for work that evening. I got home, got dressed, and had my wife take me out. I walked around the function, smiling and shaking hands with people, none the wiser. The next morning, I had a court appearance for a new client that I couldn't miss. Got back from court, checked into the office, then went home and slept. That was the Friday before last. I really took it easy all weekend, but was back to regular work on Monday. Granted, my energy level was low, both from the surgery and the lower calorie intake, but I managed. I'm now a week and two days post-op. I don't think I'm ready to work out quite yet, but I'm very close. Obviously, everyone has a different time table, but this was mine. Good luck.

Thanks for the post, Chelley. Holy crap. Just sneezed. OUCH. I would strongly recommend you don't do that when you are a week post-op. I'm seeing Dr. Waldrep tomorrow. They've called to check on me three times since last week. I'm very impressed. Still doing well, and I'll report more after my appointment tomorrow.

I posted this in another thread, but I have some information on MY doctor, who was not Ortiz. I have a little more info on costs and doctors after my experience. Dr. Ortiz is VERY well regarded, and if you are comfortable going to Mexico, he is a good option for you. I found a doctor in Thousand Oaks, which is about an hour and half west of you along the 101 freeway. His name is Dr. Donald Waldrep. He has done a lot of bariatric surgeries in Sacramento, and is expanding his practice in so cal. He is currently offering a cash price discount for so cal patients in the amount of $11,011. That covers surgery, and the pre-op appointment. Pre-op labs, consults with a nutritionist and psychologist, and fills are all extra. I also had my regular doctor do a pre-op clearance. He does the surgery at the Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital, which is REALLY nice. Feel free to respond back, or send a personal message if you want. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Waldrep. I'll be a week post op tomorrow, and have already lost 30 pounds from the pre-op diet and since the surgery. I'm VERY glad I did this. You can also check out my more detailed postings about my exerience on my newly banded thread: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=657

Wendy, I agree with most of what has been posted so far. I have a little more info on costs and doctors after my experience. Dr. Ortiz is VERY well regarded, and if you are comfortable going to Mexico, he is a good option for you. I found a doctor in Thousand Oaks, which is about an hour and half west of you along the 101 freeway. His name is Dr. Donald Waldrep. He has done a lot of bariatric surgeries in Sacramento, and is expanding his practice in so cal. He is currently offering a cash price discount for so cal patients in the amount of $11,011. That covers surgery, and the pre-op appointment. Pre-op labs, consults with a nutritionist and psychologist, and fills are all extra. I also had my regular doctor do a pre-op clearance. He does the surgery at the Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital, which is REALLY nice. Feel free to respond back, or send a personal message if you want. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Waldrep. I'll be a week post op tomorrow, and have already lost 30 pounds from the pre-op diet and since the surgery. I'm VERY glad I did this. You can also check out my more detailed postings about my exerience on my newly banded thread: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=657

Actually, it really didn't help me. I walked and walked, and still felt like my stomach was going to pop. I walked afterwards, I walked all after the surgery and most of the night. And then it wasn't until the second day that I felt all the gas in my stomach. And it wasn't the bad shoulder pain. Good news is that it is certainly all gone now. My port site is still sore, and I have to move a little slowly. I'm also tired, which could be from the surgery, and could be from the reduced calories. But it is still going really well. I didn't want to jinx myself by getting on a scale. I figured that I was doing everything right, and if I hadn't lost weight, I didn't want to know. I was going to wait until my post-op appointment with Dr. Waldrep on Thursday of this week before I knew my weight. But I didn't. Weighed myself, and I've lost TEN pounds since my surgery Thursday. So I'm almost down 30 pounds from my start weight already. This is pretty damn cool. Once you move to full liquids, I have a suggestion. Campbells makes gourmet soups in a box. They have a portabello mushroom that is almost all liquid. They have two tomato soups, one with red peppers, and one with basil and garlic. Haven't tried those yet. But the mushroom was AWESOME. So when you so on full liquids, I highly recommend it.

It's Saturday, and I was banded Thursday morning. I have to say that the pre-op diet sure helped me deal with the all liquids now. My pre-op was a little different than Dr. Miranda's. I had two VERY small meals a day, small enough to fit on a desert plate, and nothing fried, greasy, or sweet. Then I had as much clear liquids as I wanted. Now that I'm in my first week post-op, it doesn't feel like that big of a difference. I really think that if I had not done a pre-op liquid diet, this would be a lot harder. My take on it is this: if you are truly ready for this surgery, then why hold onto food that much longer? I think that surrendering to this new diet and way of life is something you do sooner, rather than later. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy my last few meals before the surgery. That's also not to say that I don't really want some cinnamon donuts this morning. I'm just saying that MY way of doing things got me really fat. Maybe it's time to try someone else's plan. Off the soapbox, and back to liquids.

I am right with you on the rumbling. I didn't feel anything at the hospital, then last night before bed I felt really bloated. This morning I woke up and was rumbling LOUD! But I've heard from other people that this is common. I really don't think the Gas-X strips are doing anything for me, so I'll need to find something else. I'm still a little sore today, but still got up and went into the office for a little while. I'm certainly not comfortable, but doing really well.

Wow. I'm a bandster. Started early this morning. At the hospital at 6am, and was in by 6:15 to do the pre-op questions and get the IV. They brought back my wife at about 6:30, and we sat for about 10 to 15 minutes before I walked into the operating room. I think this was when it really hit me. I guess my face was pretty expressive. I walked in, and saw a row of surgical tools that looked a little scary. The anesthesiologist asked me if I was nervous. Told him I was, and he told me he'd give me a little something to make it feel better. I wonder if I got pale, or just real tense. He gave me a little something, and within 10 seconds I felt buzzed. That was a lot better. I cracked myself up. He was talking to me, and asked me what I did for a living. I told him I'm an attorney (which I am). He said that was great, and asked me what kind of law I practiced. I told him medical malpractice (which I do not). You should have seen their faces. I told them I was just kidding, and we had a laugh. I got leg cuffs, but no catheter, thank God. I woke up hurting at my port site. They got me pain meds, but to be honest, even tonight it still hurts. That was the main thing when I woke up. I didn't have the gas pain that I read about in other posts, although I'm getting a little of that tonight. Mostly, it's just my port site. I stayed in recovery for a few hours working with my oxygen level and the correct amount of pain meds. I then moved to my private room, and planned to be discharged by about 3pm. The radiologist wasn't available until 3pm, which delayed my discharge. The radiologist did a small upper GI to test the position of the band, and my flow-through. All was well. As a side note, this upper GI was WAY better than my pre-op one. The liquid was really pretty tasty. More vanilla than lamp post. They also took an x-ray. All was well, and I was discharged and out of there by around 4pm. I'm doing great. I continued to keep walking after reading all the posts here about the gas. I had a committment tonight at 5pm, and even made it to this event! It was a little rough putting on nice clothes when I got home, but I was able to go and put on my game face. Did a lot of sitting, and a little walking, so it was okay. A few of my friends knew I was looking a little tired, but that's it. Tonight, I'm feeling bloated. Since I'm a guy, I'm not used to that feeling. It's strange, because I didn't feel this way all afternoon. I'm sure some of it is gas, and maybe I'm full of water. But all in all, it's great. I am very excited to see how things progress, and I'll post again tomorrow. Also, my incissions look great. I'm going to post them at lapbandtalk under their scar pages sometime tomorrow. It really isn't that bad at all. Thanks again for all the support. I know I wouldn't have had this procedure without the info I've read on this board in all the posts. Thanks for the prayers and the thoughts today.

Certainly ask her. However, if you follow her diet, you will lose the weight you need to lose. It is not a magic number of pounds, but rather reducing the amount of fat around your stomach and shrinking you liver. That is what is most important, and her diet will accomplish that. But certainly ask her.

Well, 12 hours to go. Not much more to say that hasn't been said. I'll try to post tomorrow, and let you all know how the surgery went. I guess we'll see how my ideas hold up post-band. Thanks again to everyone for all the support and advice. I can't wait to get this started tomorrow. I wouldn't have scheduled this surgery without the support and posts here, especially Chelley's detailed report of her experience. Plus, I know I'm going to have a better time of it because of all the words of advice I've read here. Hope I can pass those on through my experiences in the weeks to come. Still wishing I could change the title of this thread. If there's a moderator, it would be great to do that. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip on the Crystal light from Target. That's awesome. I also don't like full strength, so that's a great tip. Really appreciate it.

I had very good luck with eMedicalFinancing.com. Mindy over there was awesome, and they loaned me enough for the entire surgery. I don't have as much discipline as you. I wanted it NOW and didn't want to wait any more. Send me a personal message if you'd like, and I'll give you more info.

Try Crystal Light or the sugar free Lemonades! They fill that sweet fix, but are allowed on the diet. Not that you won't still crave the carbonated drinks, but it will definitely help. Also, I really enjoy propel. It really helps.

Thanks! The pre-op is going great, although with only about 12 hours until surgery, I guess the "pre-op" is basically over. I found Isopure protein water at a store in Thousand Oaks called Vitamin Shoppe. I went into more detail about it on my newly banded thread at http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=657 I really think it is a good thing. Some of the other things I've tried include Top Ramen flavor packets and apple cinnamon decaf tea with some splenda in it. Plus, sugar free Jello and tropical flavored sugar free popcicles have been Godsends. Of course, we can see how I do over the next few weeks when I'm REALLY on liquids. I've been able to have some solid food so far, so it hasn't been the real test. Thanks for the support!

Since they have to get under your liver to do the surgery, it REALLY is a good idea to do what they say and do the pre-op diet. It has another unexpected side affect, especially if you do the liquid fast. It makes it a lot easier to do the first week of liquids. My pre-op diet was two small meals a day, then all the clear liquids I can drink. I've been drinking Isopure protein water that has 40g of protein per bottle, no carbs, and about 170 calories. I've lost almost 20 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks, and I'm not dreading the week of pure clear liquids any more. I've read a lot of posts from people who complain about how hard the liquid diet is after surgery. I really think that a good pre-op helps a lot.

I tried two more things today that count as liquids, and really helped. I really don't enjoy broth, so I asked my doc if the top ramen flavor packet would count as broth. They said okay, and I had a GREAT bowl of oriental top ramen soup. No noodles, of course, but it really was great. Then I found some decaf apple cinnamon tea. Got some hot water going, added a splenda packet, and really enjoyed something that tasted like apple cider! Again, clear liquid. I know we can have juice anyway, but I don't like all the sugar in most juice. Thought I'd share. Between this, and the Isopure protein water, I really think I should be able to get through my liquids after this Thursday. Here's hoping. Oh, by the way, you guys all talking about food dreams. I laughed about that. Until my last dream this morning was about cinnamon crumb donuts! MAN!! Made it hard to get through my "breakfast". But I guess I've joined the food dream group...

You should read Chelley's post in the newly banded section that describes her experiences with fills and the VG band. I was really glad to hear her difficult experiences with getting a good fill with the VG band. I made sure I asked my doc ahead of time, and he assured me that I'm getting the 10 band, and not the larger band. As far Ortiz's policies regarding fills and checking them, maybe Lori could comment on that. Seems like if you didn't have fill when you left... Lori? GOOD LUCK!

Thanks! Coming from you, that means a lot. Especially since you are a "Supreme Member" now! Wednesday, Thursday, and the start of Friday were not that great of days. A little depressed about the delay. But since I had cleared my schedule for Thursday, I got a lot of work done. That's a positive at least. Then on Friday I got a personal call from Dr. Waldrep, apologizing for having to reschedule. That meant a lot. I've been trying out Isopure protein water. It counts as a clear liquid. It has no carbs, but 40g of protein in a bottle. Really sweet, though, which I don't get because of the zero carbs. Several flavors, and I'm using my extra week to try them out. So far, Passion Fruit and Blue Raspberry are TOO sweet. Ice Orange is a lot better. Alpine Punch, not too bad. I still have to try a Melon one, and a Peach one. I've been told to get 80g a day in protein, so these drinks are going to be a great thing. At least I'm losing weight on my pre-op! Down 16 pounds without a band. Still really looking forward to Thursday. P.S. If anyone knows how to change the title of a forum thread, please let me know! I'd really like to change this thread to my new date of August 24th.

Is the solution maybe finding a fill doc closer to home? I've read a lot of posts now on people who have concerns about spending the money and the time for a fill trip back to TJ. People who are closer to their fill docs seem to have an easier time of coming back in more often to find the "sweet spot". I know that if I go through all of this and get no restriction, I'm going to be very disappointed. However, since I live close to my doc, I can come in several times with no travel time and get fill adjustments. Just a thought...

This is a good topic. I've had the following ideas, and let me know how far off I am: I work a desk job like Roger. I'm in charge of my office, so I don't have a boss to report to. I heard that they want you walking around right after surgery to walk off the gas. I figure if you need to walk around right after, then you should be able to... walk around! I figure I'll be grouchy after my surgery, and will probably need to use a little of the liquid vicodin they gave me (YEAH!). But I don't really plan to take any time off. That's also due to the fact that running my own business, I don't really have vacation time. Seems like if you're required to do a lot of walking, sitting at a desk shouldn't be a problem. Right? Rid

Thanks for the nice wishes. Unfortunately, as I posted above, my surgery got postponed until next week. I'm disappointed, but a week isn't that long. I guess. Thanks! I actually told someone that just the other day. I can have almost any food I want in moderation. However, I also know that I can drink enough wine and milkshakes and eat enough french fries to ensure that I lose NO weight at all. I'll probably stick with the really healthy stuff until I have a lot of weight off. I'll be looking for a few cookies at Christmas... By the way, does anyone know how to change the title of a post? I really don't want to start a new one with "Getting Banded August 24" and lose all these good posts. Can I just change the title of this thread?

I lost enough. However, MY SURGERY WAS RESCHEDULED! Last minute, my doctor had a family emergency and had to postpone. I'm now on for next Thursday, August 24th.

36 hours from now, I'll be banded. I seriously cannot wait. I know it won't be all sunshine and light, but I'm really looking forward to having it. I'll post a Chelley-esque recap of it when I'm up to it. I have to go out tomorrow and stock up on my protein water and popscicles. Keep me in your thoughts Thursday at 7:30am. Thanks to everyone for your support and info. Rid

Yeah, I can imagine how it would go. After reading your posts and others, I've only told a few people about it. Family, closest friends, and two of my business partners. I'm glad that I resisted the urge to tell everyone, because that's what I would normally do. But I also decided that I didn't need that validation from everyone. I got it from my wife and closest family. I told other people only because I wanted to talk about it, not for validation. I'd rather them ask me in a few monthly how I lost so much weight and THEN tell them. But everyone has different ideas.

Do the cards actually work anywhere? In a specific chain or anything?