docsdeb

I read the same post weeks ago too, and put it on my shopping list then and it sits, awaiting the probably inevitable PB episode in my refrigerator as we speak. Like a first aide kit for bandsters!!! Great advice and always welcomed!!!

Vancouvergirl74 I said I would not post on this board again, didn't say I wouldn't read it, just that I wouldn't post, after reading your 2nd post I thought I would speak my mind as well. If you read ALL the posts as you stated that you did, then you would have read where the op did respond again, did apologize for her original post and did follow the advise of this wise and supportive board and had a slight unfill and was feeling much better. I disagree that this thread "beat" up on her as you stated, rather I feel like the outpouring of support was overwhelming in her defense thus the now 9 page thread. She as well as all of us come to this board for SUPPORT and ADVICE and that is what we get. She even pm'd me when I was one of readers who read her post and literally freaked out. She said "I take my thread back" and also advised me to "grow some balls" and you know what, I took HER advice and I have grown some. We welcome the supporting advice of those that have been banded for a while now as well as the newly banded. We also welcome the tough 'band love'. The key word being "love". They have been there and done that. We learn from them and will continue to do so. BUT, If I may, offer some advice to you. It's ok to 'speak you mind' here. It's ok to not be 'timid or meek' here, what is not ok here is to jump on this board like a roaring lion with an attitude and immediately start dissing the other posters who have been here for years and months offering their words of wisdom to the rest of us. There was kindness and support as well as criticism for the op. As I stated before, she learned from it and got the help she needed. If you don't want to contribute to the support of this board and ALL of it's posters, then maybe another more aggressive type forum may be more suited to your personality. Just a thought. I truly am not trying to be rude or condescending, and I could be wrong but your post did seem to have a little "attitude" in it and I apologize in advance if I am misjudging you. If you have already been banded or are still awaiting to be banded, you will find answers to just about any question you could possible have and lots and lots of support, esp in the monthly support groups of the month you were banded. So much so, that it brought me back from the edge of not getting banded to going full speed ahead. I have a long way to go to reach my goal and I'm sure many obstacles to overcome, but I look at this board as my security blanket and my friend and I will defend it to the end!

May God bless you good!!! I will send up my prayers for each and everyone of our september bandsters, esp for those of us getting it done this week. I personally will be banded at 10:00 am cst in Monterrey, Mexico. I too would appreciate your prayers. I dread the gas, but was told if you take a little mag, citrate or fleets before surgery your gas it MUCH relieved. I will be doing this on Tuesday night since I don't want to be "going" at the airport or on the plane. I hope that works. I have dealt with gas pains before after having a gynogram years and years ago. It is not pleasant and usually hurts worse than the procedure itself. Again, blessings to those of us be banded this week and may God speed your healing. Post as soon as you feel like it and let us know how you're doing. I will do the same after I return home Sunday evening. Cleone, if you read this, thanks for the "tap", it seems to still be working and I'm good to go for the flight and so far no panic over the surgery. I LOVE it! Blessings:pray:

I have read all of your responses and I appreciate them. Even the op responded and told me to "grow some balls" I will take no offense as she does not know me or has any idea what has happened in my life that started the panic to begin with. I am not,nor was I ever looking for pity or sympathy in any shape form or fashion. I admit to having pre-surgery jitters but I definitely don't think I need a phych exam. I work in the medical field and have been involved with and seen my share of trauma and devastation. I feel that my post gave the impression that I am weak, I am not. IMHO the op posted hastily on her experiences at the time without thought and irresponsibly. Thank goodness for the post bandster brigade who stepped in immediately to do damage control. I think they did an excellent job taking the thread in a calming and positve direction. I have made my decision to go ahead with my banding as planned and this will probably be the last time I will post on this board, but I do appreciate those of you concerned enough to post positively in what I call my "threader panic". I can and will do this on my own and keep my problems to myself. If I have a question I know where to find this board and how to use the search field. I'm sure I'll find an answer. So much good can be re-inforced here and provide so many newbies a place to come and get the answers they seek. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. You just have to sort the crap out on you own. Thanks again "losers" best wishes and keep fighting the good fight. Blessings and

Wow, what a little cheerleader you are, you go girl, I up for it!!! I won't be banded until Sept 28th, started my liquids the 18th, but am doing well on it. I will post my weight on Oct 1st and lets just see how we all do by the 31st. This is an exciting journey for me and October is my most favorite month ever, I am looking forward to it!!! docsdeb

Hello Wannabe thin. I too have a surgery date with Dr. Zapata and am very disappointed to learn he does not use the new AP band. I am self pay also and really can't afford the extra 6900.00 to have it done locally. My surgery date is only 10 days off and the reservations have already been made. Now I too am in another dilemma as to what to do. I would definitley rather have the newest availabel technology put in me and not suffer the after affects that the others have with the older band. What are we to do??? Let me know your thoughts or what you have decided to do??? Docsdeb

Mrgrta, Wow, I almost did the same thing. I didn't even have to go through half of what you did or the time you put forth to do it. I simply (uh yeah?) made up my mind on Sept 3rd and called on Sept 4th and got the ball rolling and I am to be banded in Mexico on the 28th. I started reading this forum like a drug addict. I read everything I could. Then one night I read a horrible thread about one person's bad experience with her band and I freaked! Almost had a total meltdown and I am not that kind of person. It had me almost cancelling my appt, losing my deposit and getting a refund on my plane tickets. What happened next is what this forum is really all about. SUPPORT!!! The responses I got almost immediately were supportive,firm and to the point, and just what I needed at the time. I was and am so grateful for them.They were from newbies as well as being years post banded and it very much helped. To those of you who responded (and you know who you are), if you ever read this thread, thank you very much!!!! I am a stonger person everyday and my decision to go through with my band has even more empowered me. You have to think this through and work you way through it yourself. I sat back, took a deep breath and did some pretty hard thinking. In my mind food is no different than heroin is to a drug addict or nicotine to a smoker. You get the picture. I need help and that is why I am going through with it. I am 51 years young and I figure this is my last shot at being as healthy and I can before God calls me home.Am I scared? Hell yeah, everyone on here will probabaly tell you the same thing. I don't know a single person who LOVES to be put to sleep and have surgery. It's just a necessary step and will be over and done with before we know it. You just have to make the right decision for you. Just find a quiet place and really noodle it out. The best thing is, this forum is not just about the complications. It is about the support no matter what is going on. If you decide to go ahead and I hope you do, you couldn't have a better bunch to have your back afterwards. Best of luck to you no matter what you decide and God bless you good! docsdeb

Donna, I have a band date with Dr. Zapata in Mexico on Sept 28. Any and all info about the doctor and staff would greatly be appreciated. I haven't read very many posts on this board that mention him at all and I was wondering if I made the right choice in doctors. I have surgery fear of course so please let me know how yours went and how you are doing now! Thank you so much and blessings to you! Debbi (docsdeb)

Ok everybody, to the tune of "Row, Row Row your boat" Chew, Chew, Chew,your food 'till it's liquified Merrily ,Merrily, Merrily, Merrily downward it will slide! Now that will get stuck in my head. Every bite of solid food I eat I will be chanting that over and over, LOL (when and IF I get to that point) I'm a little freaked out after surfing the board last night and came across a post entitled, What life REALLY is after the band or something like that, do not read it! It will scare the bejesus out of you. It did me and has me seriously doubting I can go through with banding? I panic so easily and most of the time am by myself and a lot of the time I feel like my throat is closing in on me and food gets stuck anyway, I feel it will just make my situation worse. I'm still 'weighing' my decision. Kinda a little late since I have already paid my deposit and made our plane reservatios, but I have to be sure if I can make it after the band and not panic myself to death. I'm just not as sure as I was before I read that post. Sorry, didn't mean to be such a whiner or a downer, but even right now thinking about it makes me feel like my throat is too tight and I KNOW it's just anxiety I have fought it since I was 21 and had my first panic attack. Sometimes it's hard, but most days and nights(the worse time) I'm good now. So I'm wondering if anybody else that has panic attacks has been banded and how they have managed??? I would love to know that? Blessings to you all! Debbi

Yup, I'm freaking out! There is a lady that is being banded in Mexico the same date as I (big IF, now huge IF I go through with it) just with a different Doc and location. I am suppose to call her tomorrow and let her "tap" me. She is trained in energy tapping (never heard about it, started reading about it, find it VERY interesting) and she is going to tap me over the phone, because on top of everything else, I hate to fly! She also said she has a tap for panic too and believe me, even if I don't go through with the surgery, I still need that. If I don't go through with it I probably lose 1300.00 deposit another bummer. Well I'm mess, I've been reading this site for 4 weeks straight, it's become an addiction and I may have a little brain overload. Maybe I just need to relax a little and do a little less reading for a while, if I can, go through with the tapping session tomorrow(certainly could not hurt at this point) and re-evaluate my decision tomorrow or Monday. The dang plane reservations are made and everything too. Oh Lord!

I have read every reply to the op that started this 7 page thread. I have been reading this board for the past 4 weeks like a mad women trying to educate myself as to what to expect and for encouragement to go through with getting banded. Now I am having very serious doubts. Personally I panic very easily. I am alone at night very frequently as DH works a weird swing shift so I have NO support close by if I PB, which I apparently will or get that stuck feeling. For me, that 'stuck' feeling would be asimilar to choking, not cool, I would panic myself to death, also the golf ball feeling in my esophagus, same thing, panic to death. I am a self pay patient as my BC has the "clause" no cov for any tx for obesity. I opted to go to Mexico for my surgery and have a date of Sept 28th. Another problem, I do have a doctor who will take over my care and do my fills but he is 2 hours away. So now I'm thinking, after reading all of this, with the way I panic, and being home alone, if a problem does arise, my doctor is 2 hours away, I have no close friends to call for help or support, I'm screwed!!!!! :omg: and now very depressed because I seriously am doubting if I can go through this by myself. I thought I had this all worked out in my mind but the truth is, with all the adjusting to the band problems that can and probably will take place I just don't see me coping that well.I have certainly done a thorough job of letting this op talk me out of my band. I could cry and I don't cry. It will not be a good night for me. Poor poor pitiful me:( Well crap!

Telling people has also been an issue of mine. In general I am a very private person who doesn't share a lot of info anyway. Fortunately for me I am the boss where I work and I only answer to the physician I work for. I had to tell him and at first he was against me going to Mexico, but after I gave him the doctor's CV he gave me support and told me to take off as long as I needed. No one on my small staff, office nurse, receptionist or x-ray tech know for now, I may tell them later down the road, but they are a very sarcastic bunch and would put me under the mircroscope and I have failed so many times before and heard their barbs I chose to avoid it this time. My husband is going along with me for support only because he knows I will do it with or without him as I am a very bullheaded sort and he chose to do it with me. I wasn't going to tell my 2 boys until after, but DH convinced me to tell them saying if worst case scenario did occur, they at least had a heads up as to what I was going in to. Then I told my younger brother who is my best friend and confindant. He has to doggysit for us and take us to the airport so I kinda had to tell him anyway. He is not real happy about my decision, and as someone else mentioned, asked why can't you just try weight watchers, and I replied again??? Isn't 5 times enough?? Everyone who knows is a total of 6 and this is too many for me but only necessary. I told them all, I am not asking for your permission, I'm just informing you of my decision. If for whatever reason somethng bad should happen, no one need feel any guilt, it was my decision. At work no one has asked why I'm off for 4 days, and because they know I won't tell them what I'm doing anyway, they won't ask. They already have seen me changing the way I eat lately and that I have been climbing the stairs at lunch, so when or if the weight starts to come off, they won't even be suspicious. I think I'm pretty well covered.

Well I'm greiving right along with you guys and I haven't even been banded yet. They say you are what you eat, well then I'm a pound of "real" butter and a loaf of bread, ANY bread. I have read on hear that you just don't do well when you eat bread so I will give it up, but I will grieve for it I promise you! I won't even start the pre op diet of liquids until this Friday the 21st so I have yet to let go of any of my favorite foods. I weighed myself on the heaviest old doctor's scales I could find, you know the kind, the one that stands upright with the weights you have to move back and forth. UGH! It just so happens I work for an orthopaedic doctor and he has the biggest, badest, ugliest old scales you have ever seen, won't give a pound up for nobody. So it was with trepidation and fear I approached them on 9-5-07 and they hit me hard right in my gut with a whopping 239 pounds. I was 'weighed' down by scale-a-tor. Well it just so happens I started walking up 4 flights of stairs back in the middle of July, not to lose weight mind you cause that never happens, but just to make myself breath deeply. I never did anything that made me acutally take a deep breath and this bothered me, hence the stairs. There are 84 steps round trip to my office on the 3rd floor. I started out slowly as I almost had a heart attack the first couple of times I did it, but I was determined. Everyday first thing I climbed those stairs to my office, everyday after lunch I made myself go up and down them 3 times. I have done this 5 x a week since mid July still eating as I normally would. Yesterday I heard scale-a-tor call my name, it was a scary sound, but I approached him anyway. I was feeling brave so them I stepped, and I was triumphant to see he had to give up 3 pounds to the dark world :whoo: I was shocked! I could only attribute it to the stairs. I said all that to say this, that was just a little exercise, something I could fit in during my work day. Just imagine what I can accomplish after the band and adding a little more exercise!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't a train after all!!! We CAN do this, by setting up small goals and after reaching them set new ones. I know it is easy for me to sit hear and say all this, after all I'm not banded yet, I haven't gone through all that goes with it yet, and I may be the biggest whiner afterwards you guys have seen yet. I hope to be tougher than that. I made the mistake of reading the thread, "I want my band out", and the reasons they gave. I wonder too, will I always 'feel' like there is 'somethng' in there??? Will it feel like a golf ball in my back all the time? Will I choke on every morsel I put in my mouth, will I be scared to eat solid food again?? I don't know, what I do know is, I am sick and tired of looking at ALL the clothes that hang in my closet that I pull out one by one and say, "nope, can't wear that anymore, nope, those have gotten too tight, nope, I think those must have shrunk or something". I want more than anything to reach into that closet and pull out ANYTHING and slide it on and say" OMG, look how loose this is!!! I must be in someone else's closet, these can't possibly be mine"!!! I want just as much to go to my doctor and hear " My goodnes,your blood pressure is so good, you no longer need your medication, and you are no longer pre-diabetic, and oh my just look at those ankles, I can acutally see them!!!" To me that is what this is all about. I want my mojo back, I want to feel and look good and be healthy again, I don't care that I am 51 years old. In my mind I am only 30 and besides all that I am so worth saving!!! Blessings and good health to all of you! You are all worth saving, you are all worth it. Do not give up the good fight. We can all be here for each other and we'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you, we'll stand by you!!!!

Hello everyone, I will be banded Sept 28th, it is fast approaching and I am both scared to death and excited. I have been reading this fourm since I made my decision to be banded. I have read the pros and cons, the PB'ing, getting stuck, the nausea, being too tight to not being tight enough. That being said, I still feel like I can do this and come out lighter and healthier on the other side. BUT, the one thing that disturbed me most of all was the hair loss. I have long blonde baby fine and thin hair and have had all my life. It is in very good condition and it has taken me over two years to get it the length it is, mid back length. So to read that at approx 4-5 months post op or 50-60 pounds lost I will lose my hair is heartbreaking. So I have decided to be pro-active as Dr. Mike suggested. I will visit my ob-gyn doc and discuss what is going on before it starts to happen in hopes of a prevention, but if that does not help, and since my surgery in self pay, I chose to get the extra money needed to go to a reputable salon close to home and have human hair extensions put in until my own hair is restored enough to have them removed and start all over. I have decided I will not let the threat of hair loss deter me from my course of a healthier me. I don't know if this will help anybody but me,but just writing it down helps. When our family has faced difficulties in the past, we always had a mantra that we would say and do. Make a plan and work the plan. It helps to organize the chaos that is happening at the time and gives you direction. Be proactive and take charge. Read about the difficulties that could take place during and after your lapband journey and take the necessary steps now to get ahead of the game. Just my 4 cents worth! I wish everyone their heart's desire, to be their normal weight and healthy! Blessings, docsdeb

Well I still don't see my name on the list but that's ok, I know when I will become a banster!!! Good luck to all the septembersexies2b!!!

poohlvr, Thanks for adding me! I found the scale when I went into my signature profile to update it and it had all these smiley faces and other neat emoticons to add. I found the scale and thought it so funny I had to add it. I hope you can find it, if I could send it to you I would.

Mdicurn, you can add my name to the bottom, I will becoma an official lapbandito for the sexy-septembers 9-28 in Monterrey, MX!! Thanks! docsdeb

Cleone, I clicked on your name from your last post, that is suppose to be where you can do a pm(private message) but you don't have any contact information on your profile so I can't send you one. I don't mind giving you my work email addy here so you can contact me that way and we can exchange phone numbers and infor that way if you wish. Contact me anytime at mgrdeb@volfirst.net. I warn you ahead of time, I'm so afraid of getting on those planes and flying and missing our connecting flight that instead of tapping you may need to use a sledge hammer and do some banging!!!Lol Debbi

Sorry cleone, I will be banded by Dr. Miguel Zapata in Monterrey at Santa Egracia Hospital. Yes I will try anything to get me over my fear of flying. Just let me know what I need to do!!!! I get more anxious as they day gets closer. I will start a self imposed liquid diet 7 days before surgery to shrink that ole liver. Have a good day and thanks for keeping in touch, us sexy septembers need to 'band' together!!! Debbi

Cleone, I would love to be your band buddie, and I'm game for anything that will get me through this. I am terrified of being sick on the plane ride home, not only embarrassing but what if I tear something loose??? I'm usually a very positive person and my husband is wondering where she went and why am I constantly thinking of all the bad things that can go wrong??? Don't understand it myself, except I'm very terrified of flying so just getting on the plane is a major hurdle. I live in East Tennessee up on the beautiful Cumberland Plateau. I just turned 51 on April the 13th, I was born on Friday the 13 anyway so 13 is a lucky number for me, all good things seem to happen with me that invlove 13. Keep posting, I'm loving this forum and all the support and information. And just a note, ghostbuster I hope you get over that nausea, I can't stand being sick to my stomach and hope to avoid that. You seem to be very strong willed and that will get you through it. Oh and I can't remember but someone ask me where I got the scales, it was on the page where I was updating my signature, I clicked on 'more' emoticons and there it was, I think it's cute too. Toodles Docsdeb(Debbi)

Hey Julia, I'm a 9-28 bander to be too! I will be having mine done in Mexico but we can still be band buddies if you want. I am 5'4" tall and last week when I weighed I was at a whopping 239 pounds, My highest to date!!! My goal and where I should be is 125. To say the least I will be making our plane reservations today, and then it will be final, and to tell you the truth, I am scared s---less, I am just about sick to my stomach thinking about it and can I really live the lifestyle afterwards, with all the PB'ing and getting stuck, which will make me panic cause I will think I'm choking, sorry this probably isn't helping you at all and that was not my intentions. I guess we will muddle through like all the other bansters on this forum, we are not alone and I know I'm not the first one to be so scared, Keep in touch! Debbi

Thanks Laura, I will need plenty of support. Just this evening talking with my DH, I started what I always do when starting something new about my weight. I can't do it. I start by saying why the hell am I going to put us through this, I will only fail at it, and from everything I have read and told him, he's like me, it's going to be really hard and I just so afraid I can not do it. I will be the exception to the surgery and be the one it fails miserably. I start thinking about actulally going through it and I get sick to my stomach, the I think about actually getting on that plane and I get sick, I'm seriously wondering if I really can go through with it and can I get my deposit back???? Whats the point, I have been overweight for so long and nobody cares anymore except me, everyone is used to seeing me this way, why can I not just except the fact and live my life as a fatty?? You know 2 weeks pre op liquid, 2 weeks post op diet, 3-4 weeks mushies, in between you got to have this much protein, this much water, don't eat that or you'll have a PB, bowel problems, sliming problems, fills, not enough fills, unfills, fills again, no weight, slow weight loss and on and on and on. I guess I'm just a weenie and maybe I'm not prepared for this. I look at every bite I eat now until the 14the when I start the liquids and I think, bye bye, no more of this or no more of that and how much I will miss 'normal' eating even though it is that normal eating that has gotten me this way in the first place. I'm warped!!! Geez I guess I need to just shutup, sorry for going on. This whole banding thing has just about got me crazy! Debbi

Hi I'm Docsdeb to be banded Sept 28 by Dr. Miguel Zapata in Monterrey, Mexico

I am a pre bander, going to have my band in Mexico on Sept 28th. Please pray for me as I am nervous, anxious, scared and excited! I just wanted to say Hi to all ya'll and it's great to read about people from where I live. You all are doing so good and I hope to be a frequent poster here as I go through this journey also. I am very apprehensive as I have so many concerns before I even get banded. I am scard to death of surgery to begin with, I have been put to sleep 2 times previously and both times I woke up vomiting. The last anesthetist even said he put something in the last time so I wouldn't be sick and I still was, so major concern. My husband and I both suffer from sleep apnea (we are self diagnosed) another concern. Just flying down to Mexico gives me hives as I hate to fly, huge sacrafice on my part right there, but I am determined! Waking up from surgery, that would be nice, flying back to Tn (if I wake up)...hives again and on and on, major basket case here. The only thing I got going for me is my #1 fan and support system, dear hubby. Retired chiroprator and medical person and someone who will be very strict in my post op instructions. I have had a lot of questions answered just by reading and reading and reading this forum. So much so that I have lists written out, word documents and all sorts of ideas from hours and hours of sitting in front of the computer. I love the before and after pictures, I sat here last night and went throguh everyone of them like a drug addict. I just can not fathom that that will ever be me. Those people are just like me though, when they took those before picture they too did not know what their futures would be. I know they too could not fathom losing so much by being banded just as I can't., but just look at them in all their glory, they are sucesses at last. I have just failed so many times at so many attempts it is very hard for me to be able to wrap my mind around losing more than 5 lbs, which for me would be a huge sucess all it's own. Losing 50 lbs, a dream, more would be what my fantasies are made of. I would love to hear from any of you at any time. I will need encouragement I'm sure, esp next Friday the 14 th when I start the ole liquid diet, vodka is a liquid isn't it, wonder how much of that I can consume before boarding the plane??????lmao!!! Just kidding, I'm not even a drinker, but I could become one reall quick here. Ok enough ramblings from Crossville, Let me hear from you Tennesseans, it makes me feel so good to know ya'll are out there!!! Debbi

Hey Toots2, Hang in there, this forum isn awesome! So much so that I can't stop reading it. I bet I was here 6 hr straight yesterday and here I have already started again today. My band date isn't until Sept 28 and I start my pre op liguid Sept 14 but I have found invaluable information and tips just from reading this amazing board. I have read where people have just breezed through their surgeries and some who have really had a rough time. You are definitely have a rough time right now but we will all pray that it will be over soon and each day will begin to see you feeling better and stronger and ready to lose those extra pounds and get healthy! Keep reading and posting and let us all know how you are doing. I know I will esp keep reading and counting down until I too become a bandster! Blessings, Docsdeb