Zoe

I had one plain scrambled egg this morning, with half a mushy banana topped with a teaspoon of Peanut Butter. Heavenly! My stomach isn't very hungry yet, but after two weeks of Jello and yogurt smoothies my brain has been craving salty stuff. I bought some gooey shrimp dip with microscopic pieces of seafood; it really takes the edge off those salt pangs. Of course I can't dip anything into it except my finger, but it'll do for now. By the way, I'm finally on the other side of 250. It sounds silly, but it's a big milestone for me. (I have friends who would be mortified to weigh as much as 150!) I can almost imagine being under 200 again... look out world, here I come.

Dateline Chicago -- Shoppers at a northside grocery store gasped in disbelief as a local woman went on a manic rampage Wednesday night. "Polenta! Hummus!" the Junoesque patron was heard shrieking as she threw item after item into her cart. The manager was asked to intervene when the woman was observed writhing in orgasmic delight while fondling a tub of cottage cheese. "Clearly deviant behavior," he observed with a sniff. The wayward shopper had only three words to explain herself: "Mushies start tomorrow."

Don't be too hard on yourself, Blossom. I think a lot of us give big bon voyage parties to food. On my last pre-band binge I got such an intense chocolate-induced headache that I actually looked forward to eating more healthily. Just remember, you WILL be able to eat almost all your favorites after you're banded. And the weight you've gained recently will come off.

Congratulations on the big day! Please let us know how you're doing whenever you feel up to it. I hope your surgery went well.

Veering even further off on this tangent... I discovered a good, cheap way to satisfy a Mexican food craving during the liquid phase. Campbell's makes a condensed Creamy chicken Chile Soup with poblano peppers; it's very filling, and not too spicy. The chicken bits are tiny, so you can either chew them into mush or ignore them. My earlier problem seems to have resolved itself. Thanks, everyone.

Teresa, I always enjoy reading your posts. 62 lbs. lost and a college degree gained? You've had one heck of a season. Congratulations! I hope you give yourself a well-deserved treat.

You might have to get your wedding dress at the last minute because you'll be shrinking all year! I'm glad to hear your fiance is going with you, and that he's supporting your surgery. About bras: Dr. R painted my belly with a sticky iodine solution all the way up to my rib cage. My 47-year-old breasts reacted naturally to gravity, so for two days my tits were glued to the iodine! I pried them away two days after surgery. It felt as if I were removing duct tape. Bras were out of the question for those days. Of course, if you're younger, you may not have this problem...

Hey Andrea, everyone here is such a big help to me, it seems the least I can do is try to pass it on somehow -- but all hugs gratefully received. I don't blame you for not wanting to fly on Sept. 11. How about Sept. 12 if you think you'd like another day? Here's hoping you're feeling good to go on the 10th.

Hi Andrea -- Dr. Rumbaut's office number is 011-52-818-333-6891 or 347-4881; cell is 011-52-818-277-6719. Of course once you're in Monterrey you only need to punch the last seven numbers. The guy WILL be there to pick you up from the airport; he'll be in the waiting area, holding a piece of paper with your name on it. I was worried about this too, because my flight was late, but he stuck around. If you have any problems just call the office or R's cell. One more suggestion: pack some earplugs, because the Hampton Inn air conditioners are very noisy. Let the countdown begin!

Thank you, thank you! I'll try to cut back on the yogurt. Today has been fine so far, but yesterday I just about lost it while sitting for a professional exam. . . at least they would have remembered me. Kim, I'm right behind you: mushy food begins on Thursday. Right now I'm looking forward to hummus, guacamole, and tuna salad.

One of the great things about LapBandTalk is that so many people who have gone through the procedure freely offer their insights to us newcomers. Andrea, before you know it, you will be one of the experienced ones, ready to support someone. I know, because it happened to me. You're about to start an exciting journey. In the days before surgery, it's normal to be nervous, excited, and incapable of thinking about anything that's not related to the band. Just remember, the time will pass. Wednesday is going to come around, and then Thursday -- your first full day with the band. In another week, you'll wonder where the time went. My only other suggestion is to travel light and pack for hot weather. I don't know this week's forecast, but during the week of Aug. 26 Monterrey was in the high 90s. Good luck! We're rooting for you!

OK, I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask this, but I haven't seen it addressed elsewhere, and I'm desperate: Has anyone else had diarrhea while on liquids? For the first several post-op days I had the bowels of a cheese-eating 90-year-old, but in the last two days I've had to dash to the bathroom a couple of times with the runs. I'm drinking lots of fruit juices and yogurt smoothies, but I didn't expect this week to be so, um, productive. My diet hasn't changed in the last few days, and I don't have any flu symptoms. Comments or suggestions? Stocked up on toilet paper, I remain,

My experience was very similar to Sarah's. Chris and Leatha, as I recall, I filled out a general health questionnaire and e-mailed it to Dr. Rumbaut's team weeks before I made my appointment; it included questions about the usual morbidities (sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.). When I spoke with Dr. R on the phone two weeks before surgery, I asked him about other tests, and he said they were not necessary. The day before the surgery, I got some basic tests (blood work, EKG, blood pressure, upper torso x-ray) from Dr. Gonzalez (in a different office), who also asked about my family medical history. I'm not sure what would have happened if any of my tests came back with questionable results. I think you can ask Dr. Rumbaut about this before surgery; he's very accessible, and great about returning calls. If you have an undiagnosed problem that won't be revealed by the tests -- say, sleep apnea -- it could pose a problem, since you won't be getting a full physical from the Mexico team. So if you have any doubts, you might want to get a more thorough examination before you leave. But I'm middle-aged, with a few of the usual suspects (joint pain, high blood pressure, mild apnea) and felt confident going into the surgery without a complete exam. I was running on nervous energy because I could barely sleep for about four days before I got banded, so the anesthesia was a welcome relief! Dr. Rumbaut doesn't do, or require, a psych consult. I went to my own US shrink a couple weeks before I got banded just to do a reality check; he wanted to know all about the band because he wants to lose weight himself.

Andrea, I'm sure you'll like Dr. Rumbaut. He's warm and unpretentious -- unusual in a surgeon! -- and is a Bandster himself. Among other things, he has a sample band in his office that he'll show you; somehow everything made sense once I had the actual object in my hand, instead of just looking at photographs. When you get to the hospital you'll be given something to relax you shortly before the actual anesthesia. I remember thinking, "This stuff isn't working at all!" and then, next thing I knew, the whole thing was over. Expect some pain and discomfort for the first few days. You'll get IV pain medication when you're in the hospital, but after that it's just a combination of Tylenol and a mild muscle relaxant. Remember, everything WILL get better. You're going to get stronger each day. We'll be here for you before and after the big day. Good luck!

Congrats, Ryan! Hey, if your wife would like to be a co-conspirator, the two of you can use your banding incisions as an excuse to have a quiet romantic Thanksgiving with NO FAMILY. "Gee, we'd love to come, but poor Ryan is in such pain..." Good luck. And do go to New Zealand. I've been there three times and would love to visit again. The 15-hour ride from LA will be a lot more comfortable when you can fit your bony butt into one of those narrow airplane seats!

Hi everyone -- Jemigirl, I could pack on 10 lbs. of Water just before my period, and due to my weight I tend to get swollen ankles and feet any day of the month. You've been banded two weeks longer than I have. For what it's worth, my feet have not been puffed up at all since my salt intake dropped to almost zero on the post-band liquid diet. I've lost nine pounds, and I suspect a lot of it was water. Pam offered some good advice: drink more water & avoid salt. Sheeanisland, a surgeon friend of mine (brain, not belly) wants to see my incisions ASAP out of bizarre professional curiosity, so I will hand her a digital camera this weekend and let her do her worst. But note the exchange between Pam and Leatha in this thread; other bandsters have posted their photos too, so you can have a wide range of bruises to check out! As for computer access in Monterrey, I don't remember anything about a computer room in the hospital and probably couldn't have used it anyway because I was so dopey. However, the Hampton Inn has a computer room/business center with a few PCs, and each room has a high-speed connection; the front desk can supply a cable if you don't have one. Don't worry, we will be here for you!

Thanks for the tip, Leatha. Walking helps me feel better, too. I have to walk around to go to others' offices, the computer printer, etc. -- not to mention the bathroom -- so I have some mandatory movement every day.

You can do it, Pam! This is my one-week anniversary, and I definitely turned the recovery corner last night. I got out of bed with almost no pain & struggle this morning, walked the dog at a near-normal pace, and haven't taken any pain meds. Those first days are just something we must all weather; having read a lot of advice on this board and learned what to expect, I was ready to face the difficulties, and I know you will be too. I'm going to try to work a full day today. . . not exactly strenuous, since all I do is sit at a computer, but I'm thinking I can sit up straight for longer periods. And I'm still blessed with no appetite. After seven days of feeling beat up by the band, I'm finally (sort of) normal. Pam, you asked about glue. Dr. Rumbaut placed Steri-Strips over the incisions; I peeled them off four of the five cuts this morning. It looks like I'm healing fine.

Sheeanisland, maybe I should have someone take a picture of my incisions so you could see them. They aren't pretty! But pretty tame stuff compared to major ob/gyn surgery -- no giant staples. Casual readers might want to skip this next bit, since it definitely falls under Too Much Information. Let's see if I can remember how the resident explained the various cuts: 1. Liver retractor; 2. place to slip in band; 3. port. Sorry, I'm stuck; I have five incisions and can't remember what the other two were for. Cut A is an upside-down T about 5/8" long horizontal and 1/4" high, in the middle of my belly about 4" above the navel. There's a nearly identical one about 4" to the lower right of Cut A, a small horizontal 2" above Cut A that's only 1/4" long. Then there are the two big kahunas: one about 4" directly to the right of A, and about the same size, but for some reason much more painful and currently surrounded by a lemon-sized bruise; and last, about 4" to the lower left of the bruise, a slightly jagged cut about 2" long. I believe that was for the port. (I should check one of the medical web sites to figure this out.) It IS hard finding comfortable clothes. I work in a corporate office. Fortunately we don't have to wear suits, but I have definitely been stretching the limits of both my wardrobe and the dress code. Anything loose and flowing is best. I have two ankle-length dresses (that fit me), so today I was reduced to the dashiki I mentioned earlier, and tomorrow it's either a repeat of Monday's baggy blue jumper over a clean t-shirt or a gaudy muu-muu. And I can't even think about shaving my legs -- it's too hard to bend down! I'm lucky in that I am regarded as an artistic eccentric, so no one expects me in pinstripes. But seriously, if your incisions wind up hitting your sore clothing spots, avoid waistbands, front pants zippers, and anything with center seams -- jeans would probably be the worst. Another tricky thing: shoes. I've been wearing clogs and sandals since the surgery. The thing is, it's now Wednesday night, and only a week ago I was on the eve of getting banded. The time has passed very quickly. I get stronger and feel better every day. And I remind myself: Labor Day will come, Halloween will come, Thanksgiving will come... etc. Sheeanisland, if you can distract yourself even for a moment from all things Lap Band (and I know it's hard during those days before surgery), you'll give your brain a break and help keep the rest of your life in perspective. I'm thinking of this period as a kind of chrysalis state, a necessary step to a major change. The first couple of days after banding are especially tough, but as any number of bandsters (more experienced than I) could tell you, it does get better. We're all pulling for you!

Thanks for the tip, Sue. There's a Jamba juice not far from my office. . . one advantage of big-city life. I'm not hungry yet, but it's just a matter of time. I felt a lot better this morning -- only 60 seconds to get out of bed, instead of the usual 10 minutes. I'm wearing a funky ankle-length dashiki (no waistband, no center seams). My co-workers are giving me strange looks, but technically I'm still within the limits of the corporate dress code! Sheeanisland, how are you doing?

Sheeanisland, I went through the same thing you did during the week before I got banded. Everything became a countdown until the big day. Banding is a big step, so I think it's perfectly normal to be totally obsessed and distracted before the surgery. I went back to work after four days, and I probably shouldn't have. I have a desk job, and now I can only stay seated for short periods. I worked about 4-1/2 hours yesterday and six hours today, and lean waaaay back in my chair most of the time. Of course we all heal at our own pace. As a hairdresser, you must be on your feet for most of the day. You might not feel like standing for so long. . . then again, you might be ready to roll just a few days after surgery. I don't think there's any way to predict your exact response. It might be worth telling your boss that you might be a little incapacitated for a while -- if you work for a person who'd be willing to cut you some slack, or at least rest a bit when needed. I should mention that I went to a Mexican restaurant with my boss and a colleague today. I had a huge bowl of soup (caldo) and an horchata. It felt strange to pass up the chips and salsa, but at least I discovered that I could lead a semi-normal life during the first stage of banding. Hang in there, S. Those calendar pages are going to turn, no matter what, and you'll soon be banded.

It's Tuesday morning, day 5 of band life. I am grateful for everyone's concern. Funny, isn't it, how total strangers can connect via the internet? (I'm old enough that it still seems miraculous to me.) About liquids: I've been drinking fruit juices, liquid yogurt, Campbell's tomato Soup, soy milk, and Protein shakes (the best-tasting one I've found so far is EAS smoothie Light, orange flavor; the EAS chocolate shakes are too chalky for me). I'm fortunate in that I have no appetite, so even when I'm near food I don't really want it. A coworker brought a huge gooey brownie to me yesterday, and I amazed myself by not only turning it down but having no desire for it! That's a first in my 47 years. Dr. Rumbaut advised me to be on plain liquids for the first two weeks, then soft foods for another two weeks. So by the end of September I should be eating some regular food. The hardest part of my newly-banded day is getting out of bed, although it's a little easier each morning. I slowly swing my legs over the edge, take a deep breath, hold a heating pad against my biggest incision, and force myself to sit. And it really does hurt when I laugh. I had to turn off Monty Python from the TV because it was making me double up. . . so I guess it's just drama and tragedy for a few more days. I have a large exuberant dog, and walking her has been a challenge. She seems to know that there's something off, and has been a little less rambunctious than usual, but when a squirrel or rabbit crosses her path I have to grab onto something for support. And I take a cane on our walks so that I can lean on it while picking up poop! That's all for now. I'm trying to go easy on myself. But by temperament I am impatient, so I have to remind myself that I need some quiet time to heal.

Hi Sue3. I apologize if my post, among others, made it sound as if I were judging you. I don't think anyone is doing that. It's just that I'm writing this from a reclining position since it hurts too much to sit up straight five days after banding, so I may have sounded too cautionary in my initial message; I wouldn't want anyone to go through this who had some easier options. But from what you've recently written, your significant weight-related health issues could make the band a great choice! I'm glad your husband has come around. Good luck on your journey.

I've started a new thread with a few comments on my surgery: http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2959

... or, It Only Hurts When I Laugh. (Warning: this will probably be long.) First, I have to say that this board helped me get through the first few days of banding. Before I went into the hospital, I read a lot of old posts about pain, the joys of the liquid diet, etc. -- and that heating pad suggestion was great. I was banded by Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey on August 26. There were at least three other women having the surgery on the same day; we kept seeing each other in the hotel lobby, at the medical testing facility, and at Rumbaut's office. While this did make me feel like I was on an assembly line, I grudgingly admit that this is not a bad thing. The docs here have routines and procedures in place, based on long experience. Dr. R's patients stay at the Hampton Inn, your basic Americanized corporate motel. If you’re looking for local charm, you're out of luck. But the staff are very helpful, especially the van drivers, and the place has all the mod cons we Yanks are used to, including internet connections and HBO. Dr. Rumbaut and his staff were great. Easy to talk to, answered all my questions. Dr. R had two assistants – medical residents, I think – talk to me a couple of times in the hospital. One of them explained the best way for me to take the take-home pain medication (crush it into small pieces) and assured me that the worst was over. After the surgery, he also gave me a tour of my abdominal cuts: liver retractor goes here, port goes here, band was placed through here, etc. I was grateful for the information, although I could have done without the prolonged look at my iodine-yellow belly! The nurses were all sweet and competent; our US medical staff could learn a lot from them. Best of all, the IV in my hand, which I had been dreading because of my past two experiences, was practically painless. She gave me a local anesthetic, then in went the needle, perfectly placed the first time. What would I do differently? Well, I wouldn't go alone. Two friends offered to go with me, but the last-minute airfares were awfully high, and I thought they'd be bored senseless, so I demurred. Probably a dumb move! I also would have stayed in the hotel an extra night; I flew home less than 48 hours after being banded, and while the flight wasn't as uncomfortable as I expected (and Mexicana has pretty long seat belts), I was very weak and had to rely on the kindness of strangers for help with my light luggage. Now it's Monday. I've been banded for four days, am doing fine on the liquid diet since I have no appetite, and worked half a day today (although I had to push my chair back into a reclining position while at my desk). My belly is extremely sore, especially near the cuts on the left side. And thank you, everyone, who warned us newbies about gas pain! Mine is pretty much gone, but those first two days were rough. I had ovarian surgery years ago, so I knew that abdominal incisions dictate shoes that don't need tying or buckling, no socks, free-flowing clothes without waistbands, and big baggy underwear, if any. (I'm mentioning this for the benefit of anyone who's going to be banded and hasn't thought about recovery clothes.) Of course it's too early to make grand proclamations, but right now, even as I shift position to get my big yellow belly comfortable, I have no regrets. My only caveat to American patients regards language. Dr. Rumbaut and his staff speak fluent English, and most of the hospital nurses speak some, but you might be frustrated if you think you can rely on Dr. R’s phrase chart to help you through all situations. I speak Spanish, and my stay was made much easier because I could communicate exactly what I wanted -- especially when it came time for pain meds! Maybe I’m selling the nurses short, but every time I forgot & started muttering in English, I was met with looks of kindly incomprehension. (Of course, I *was* pretty stoned.) That's all for now. I've lost a few pounds already... maybe Water, but I'll take it. Thanks again for your support. You have created a valuable resource here.