PamRN

Congratulations Betty!! What an awesome year we've shared, here's to the rest of your years being just as full of life experiences and joy as this past one! You've done an awesome job

I went to Tijuana, paid one price that was all inclusive, transport back and forth between san diego airport and Tijuana, preop tests, hotel, surgery... bought my own plane tickets and the only other money I spent was on my meals and shopping. I didn't have to send a partial payment deposit or anything like that. I think several mexican surgeons offer all inclusive packages. Research who you'd like to use, then call and ask for package pricing... I had a notebook full of info before I picked. Good Luck to you!

I didn't drink any soda after banding for a long time. Now I have it once in a great while if I really feel like it, but not nearly like prebanding. Prebanding it was normal for me to consume at least a 2 liter of pepsi a day. Now I have one can or glass a month. Usually when I'm at work, where my choics are limited, and I just really need a cold drink and some caffeine. It is a bad choice, as anything high in sugar is a bad choice. Sugar causes cravings for more sugar. Doing without is best, these bands were expensive and should be babied to the best of our abilities. If I were in an environment where I could have something refreshing other than pop I would make a better choice, but late at night in the hospital it's pop, coffee, or weird tasting Water if I forget or go through what I've brought from home.

pms cravings caused me to bake a double batch of double fudge brownies that I of course iced with chocolate fudge icing... I'm restricted and can only eat small pieces, so I managed to eat about half the stinkin' pan in a day, that's a whole box... one frickin' bite at a time. OH YEAH... model bandster... definitely NOT me. PMS should be a male disorder damnit!

I'm a hospital RN and we do lots of heavy lifting, I took off two weeks, but should have taken 3. I didn't hurt myself, but was still too tender. At 3 weeks I was back on track. I could have gone back to a no lifting desk type job in a few days.

Sue, I am in agreement with so much of what so many of the others have said. I think your input here is highly valued, your introspect is spot on, and your sense of humor is priceless. I'm sorry for all that you've had to endure, and also hope that you continue to come here and share your knowledge and wisdom. Down the road others will unfortunately have band related issues and need an experienced voice to guide them and help them remain strong. I hope you succeed in all your endeavors, and I too wish you good health and great results.

FOIL?? CRUD! No wonder I couldn't hear anything... (wadding up the saran wrap) :|

Yep I've felt that exact sensation several times. Usually if I've eaten too fast or not chewed well enough. It makes me VERY uncomfortable, but it generally passes after a few minutes.

The thing about celebs and endorsement deals is that the companies they represent invest alot to make CERTAIN these frontmen/women succeed. They get personal support in trainers, dieticians, chef's, counseling, personal attendants that the rest of us don't get when we buy their bottle of pills or prepackaged dinners. Sure I can believe Kirstie has succeeded simply with Jenny Craig, they come to her home to help her out, she said so on Oprah. Sure Anna is losing by taking trimspa...along with a sensible meal plan set up daily by a personal chef, workouts with a personal trainer... and a fat contract kick-back... hell if I'd ever had that kind of support and personal attention I might have had a fighting chance without surgery too. For as long as I had the support on hand anyway... we'll see long term how well they do. I wish them luck.

I do that too lynn, cut them into tiny pieces but not powder... some things can't or shouldn't be cut though. Some meds are made to dissolve at a specific dose rate and cutting them up means they either dissolve in a bad place and can cause irritation, or you can get too big a dose at once. Ask if you can get a liquid antibiotic, or if it's safe to cut it up. Be sure and up your yogurt consumption or get some acidophyllus chewables to prevent a yeast infection!

Thank you... yes I did... I bought a tanning package so I wouldn't lose my summer tan, (now that I'm not afraid I'll break the plexiglass in the beds), and new clothes in a size 14! This time last year I was wearing a 24. That change in itself was the best gift of all.

Diet soda has a fair amount of formaldehyde in it. Formaldehyde stores in fat cells and there by protects it from breakdown. So while you won't gain weight drinking diet soda, it's much harder to lose fat. Your body will break down muscle for fuel instead. With banding there are varying opinions as to the damage carbonation can do to the pouch, perhaps stretching it out, causing slippage or erosion etc. I'm not sure what your doctor thinks or knows, so on this subject you should definitely ask his opinion.

I would think, if wounds seem closed, a baking soda bath might be soothing, at three weeks wounds should be pretty sealed. If they aren't it's probably not a good idea, high risk for infection from a public bath... I'd skip the iron, it could be irritating, and arsenic could really be bad if it gets into the blood stream. Your best bet would be to call your doc's office and have the nurse ask him and call you back with a recommendation. Hell he might approve any or all of them. Good Luck!

My doc always gives free samples... I think I'd like Dr Lisa's samples better!

Shelley J has an excellent point. You can have anybody take your pictures, and you do get to decide who reads them. I'd give Dr.Billy a call and ask him if he'd mind having a look. It could be that your pics will be on a computer and he can access them right after they are completed. All of our radiology films are on computer now and we live in the sticks, Surely Vegas and CA are using the latest techno. Good Luck. No one deserves a break and good outcome more than you!

Read up on the zicam, I purchased a form of it that is a nasal spray and it is something you use prophylactically. It helps reduce or prevent symptoms over time. What I have says expect to take it over several days before seeing results. They may have other forms that work immediately, I'm not sure. I take tylenol cold in the liquid forms, they have a night and a day formula. I also really like the results of alka seltzer cold formulas but let them sit a bit to reduce the fizz. They work best for me. I use about half a 5 oz dixie cup of Water so I can get it down in one shot (the taste isn't that bad, better than some, but isn't great).

It's been a while, and I'm wondering if anyone has heard from Marie lately? I always enjoyed her posts. Marie if you're lurking out there, it's time to check in!

I also have trouble with fruit. The worst pb'ing I ever had was after trying to eat a plum. I can't eat banana's anymore either. I do ok with applesauce, but even watermelon gave me the chest lump. I haven't tried canned peaches, but love cottage cheese so I'm gonna try that today. It does sound good! I would think any of the fibrous fruits would be problematic.

Gorgeous Dahling... simply gorgeous... you make a pretty hot couple don't you?

Healing vibes to you Zoe! I hope you're feeling better soon!

I think something must be in the air, I've been feeling stomach soreness for a lil while now too. Does anyone know what the symptoms are for band slippage? I have central abdominal soreness/burning. Food is going down about the same as usual. It was flared up really tender in the abdominal region a week ago for about 2 days. I could barely walk upright, but rest reduced it to a constant soreness that I don't feel unless I sit or lay wrong. WTF could it be? I didn't over-eat that I know of, no recent pb's (over a month since last one), no reflux... weird.

You should be ok to be up and around tomorrow, just give yourself a little extra time, and listen to HarleyNana's advise not to over do it! On my second day I walked up and down Tijuana's Revolucion Ave shopping, 10 blocks down the first trip in the morning, 10 blocks down, and 10 blocks back up the otherside in the afternoon... and I carried my packages (nothing too heavy). Take it slow and easy, rest when you need it, and you should be ok. Walking will help dispel the gas they used to inflate your abdomen. If you don't move it, it will migrate upward, and you'll have some serious shoulder pain. After all the walking I did, I never had any pain. Gas, YES, pain...nope. Good Luck... & CONGRATULATIONS!

You should be ok to be up and around tomorrow, just give yourself a little extra time, and listen to HarleyNana's advise not to over do it! On my second day I walked up and down Tijuana's Revolucion Ave shopping, 10 blocks down the first trip in the morning, 10 blocks down, and 10 blocks back up the otherside in the afternoon... and I carried my packages (nothing too heavy). Take it slow and easy, rest when you need it, and you should be ok. Walking will help dispel the gas they used to inflate your abdomen. If you don't move it, it will migrate upward, and you'll have some serious shoulder pain. After all the walking I did, I never had any pain. Gas, YES, pain...nope.

I love the please do not feed the DeLarla sign idea...Priceless! Good going on keeping your momentum up, You CAN do it! You seem like a girl who loves a good challenge... And Erin is calling you out, perhaps she doesn't know who she's challenging. "And in this corner..." I got my money on YOU

Your hair loss is a normal occurence that happens after anesthesia. It usually starts a few months after surgery, but will grow back, so not to worry. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it does happen more frequently than not. Your hair will return to normal before you know it. As for the rest of it, I had a period of exhaustion that I'm sure was a symptom of surgery followed by major diet reduction, life change, etc. Good Luck to you however it pans out! BTW: There are posts about post anesthesia hair loss here somewhere.