GeezerSue

I forgot to mention that I now order poached or soft-boiled eggs and concentrate on the yolk.

Yeah and...once she loses the weight she'll want plastic surgery and THOSE guys are sticklers about it, because smoking REALLY compromises not only the surgery, but the healing process.

Because eggs seem to never really dissolve; they just get smaller. Peanut butter eventually dissolves, and does so before it plugs you up.

YOU JUST MISSED HIM at Kuri's Bandster Bash at Rosarito. At least he was scheduled to go. Aviasca Airlianes (not Avianca) has had direct flights from Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Although it's way cheaper flying out of Tijuana. Aviasca is kind of Mexico's version of JetBlue. The first time we went, we had airline family benefits on the Star Alliance, so we went on Mexicana, via Mexico City. Not gonna do that again. We were in the so-called business class, and all I can tell you is that you can take the caballero out of the campo, but you can't take the campo out of the caballero...if you get my drift. And I was SO freshly banded and they were so drunk and kept kicking my seat, but at a discount, it's inappropriate to complain...so I just hated them all quietly and wished them an eternity in an alcohol-free zone. Rumbaut is of Cuban heritage. He was born in Venezuela, but then his family moved to the US when he was a kid and he went to junior high in Ohio. Then the moved to Mexico. He's a nice guy. He sent me to his endodontist. She's a teeny little pony-tailed lady who said, "Jooo know...I knew Rrrroberto when he was fat and poorrrr, and I know him tin and rrrrich. He's da same pair-son." And she was rrrright. Think flying into Houston or San Antonio and then a really long drive. It's Monterrey...the third largest city in Mexico. http://www.mexperience.com/guide/majorcity/monterrey.htm And he's a cutie: http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/teamdiaz.html

oops

Ryan, I debated with myself and then sought sage (?) counsel before sharing this info. I'm not sure if you're saying that your surgeon has plenty of LapBand experience, but limited experience with male patients or if you're saying he has plenty of experience with RnY, but not LapBand. I think the general consensus is that it's akin to parallel parking an 18-wheeler. If you've previously parked a car, you have the idea and will probably get there eventually...but those who have parallel parked an 18-wheeler a few times really do have a better safety record than those doing it the first few times. You're a literate fellow, interpret these as you will: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12582760 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14625767 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12841906 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11975229 ~~~~~~~

W'daddy, Is your surgeon pretty new at this? Could it be he's heard the tale and wants to play it safe? I think that the more experienced surgeons, who have the appropriate equipment, tend to be far more relaxed about this diet thing. Anyway, I forgot to mention that my BMI teetered around 50 at the time I was banded. No pre-op diet. No problems. (Surgeon had done over 1400 bands at that time.) Sue

Yeah, but...you guys and I all went to Rumbaut. And there ARE some doctors working in places not far from the ones Zoe describes. Lurkers!!! If you are researching, be thorough! I've read comments here which have alerted me to the fact that some people think that ALL Mexican doctors and hospitals are somehow alike. People have posted stuff like "I'm going to Doctor A at the little clinic in Sleepy Village, so I really want to know how it goes for you, with Doctor B in the high rise university hospital in City Center, because I need some reassurance." As though one had anything to do with the other. There are also very rustic facilites, very far from big city hospitals, in Mexico. People need to be careful not to generalize, either positively or negatively. Kinda like asking "What's it like to live in New York?" There are many, many answers to that question!

For over two years now, I've read the pre-op diet to shrink the liver stuff. I wrote to the doctors (in New Zealand) who were promoting the theory, to ask if they had definitive answers to whether their diet had any impact at all on the liver. One of them wrote back saying, essentially, that they didn't yet have results, that they'd publish when they had results and that if patients didn't want to cooperate they didin't want to do the surgery. Segue to the present... I haven't found anything published anywhere that says that certain diets shrink the fat around the liver. I asked Dr. Rumbaut about this diet and he told me, post-op, that my liver went this-a-way as opposed to that-a-way, and it wouldn't have made any difference in my case. My two cents.

The pool picture...I swear I almost bought that house and pool once...but it was in Henderson.

I should hav

What leatha said...and things that MELT at room temperature or body temperature or DISSOLVE on contact with liquids (saliva) are liquid. So, cotton candy is pretty much liquid. It's a gawd awful choice, but it is not a solid when it gets to your stomach.

I think it's a good idea at the beginning. But once you get the picture...you've, you know, got the picture.

"Dr." Janet Starr Hull is a graduate of Clayton College of Natural Health, accredited by such interesting organizations as: * American Association of Drugless Practitioners * International Iridology Practitioners Association * American Herbalists Guild * National Association of Nutrition Professionals * American Naturopathic Certification Board We can all sign up and "earn" online degrees in pretty much whatever we want to "study." This doesn't automatically make her wrong. But her "credentials" are less than reassuring. It would be nice if someone who had a real degree and went to real science classes would chime in on the topic.

Now that your band is not too tight...you may be able to eat solid food...and lose weight. I hope that's how it works for you. I wouldn't want to THROW something because of a problem with it; I'd want to EAT something. Keep us posted on the Wellbutrin.

Don't be loving me too much...because once you go back to solid foods, ice cream = liquid calories = a bad choice. It was NEVER my drug of choice before surgery...but now, I've got a problem. I just can't have it in the house.

First, your weight loss is totally on target. Then, a plateau cannot happen in three weeks. You're not on a plateau until you've stalled for months. (Focus on what you've lost per month, not per week or per day.) Finally, I think we put WAY too much effort focusing on getting to certain numbers by certain dates. Say we DO get to some magic number by some special date. And, then what? We won't be "done" with our "diet." That's the way we used to think...."if I can lose these x-number-of pounds, then I can go off my diet/fit in the dress/ whatever." But this is forever. You just need to keep on keeping on. You have done great. And you're on target. Try not to rush things. That's when we get fills that are too tight (or taking silly drugs or going on silly diets) and end up damaging things.

Thanks, Teresa...'preciate it.

I'm pretty much into topping-licking, here. Once in a while I sneak a teeny little bite of crust.

Yeah...relax. He is one of the most experienced lapband surgeons on the planet. He's a nice guy. And he knows from obesity because HE has a band. You couldn't be in better hands.

With a "snug" fill, I cannot eat anything doughy...bread, donuts, cake...nuthin'. Also, "hidden bread" does me in as well. That includes bread crumbs hidden in meatloaf or meatballs or crab cakes. If you want ot know if there was bread in the recipe...feed it to me and stand back.

Congrats on the date. The second hardest part is waiting for surgery. The hardest part is waiting for the first adjustment. I know the surgery is on the list somewhere...but it is not anywhere near the top. Occasionally, exhale...

Perhaps you missed the part where Teresa said "Remember this is a board where we are ALL losing weight. Forgive all of us if we just jumped in and made assumptions about the criterias for banding." Teresa took it upon herself to speak for "all of us." I was just opting out of the representation. I'd rather not have a spokesperson. My comments were certainly not "necessary." But, given the circumstances, they were my right. I can't speak for others, but I know that I'd rather speak for myself or choose my spokesperson myself. I wasn't given that option in this situation. So I reiterate: Not everyone is losing; not everyone has hormone issues; and I neither request nor need "forgiveness." This is the second time in this thread where someone took it upon themselves to either castigate others or apologize for others. I think we can speak for ourselves. If I don't agree with something someone else says I can email them or post my opinion. I don't think it's my job to scold another member for his or her opinion or to apologize for the stated opinions of another. Opinions vary. Except for in Stepford. And I'm pretty sure Alexandra is the moderator.

Ice cream IS a liquid. When deciding what is a liquid and what is a solid, you have to consider what it is at room temperature or body temperature. I'm not kidding. If it melts before it gets to your band, it's a liquid.

Do you have one of those doctors who wants the unreasonably long pre-op and post-op liquid diets?