wishin4

Sufina, Good luck to you in your banding next month. I am glad you were able to find a doctor willing to give you fills locally. I know it is hard because many doctors aren't willing to take on a patient from a doctor in Mexico. Hope all goes well for you........Kathy

Brandy, The bloodwork can still get to the DR in time. The lab usually faxes it to them. As for the brand I believe the brand is Allergan (Lapband) and the two sizes they use are the 4cc and the 10cc. The 4cc is the most common size they use. At least that is what I was told. Hope this answers your questions. Any questions I can answer for you I will, and I don't think Rosemary minds answering questions either. She is a very nice lady.

Hi Sufina, I am sorry nobody answered your posts. We weren't ignoring you, at least I wasn't. I don't know Dr Fitzpatrick, is he in Eugene? I notice you are in Portland is he there? The only surgeons I know in Eugene are Drs. Umbach and Yarbrough at the Oregon Bariatric Center at Sacred Heart Medical Center....Kathy

I had my bloodwork a week or so before the pre-op so he would have the results in hand by the time the pre-op happened.

Hi Brandy, I only know what I experienced at my pre-op appt and what took place was preadmission in the hospital, and EKG and lots of informative paperwork was given to me. I also met with the surgeon again and was weighed to make sure I had lost the required amount of weight before surgery. Then I also met the Anestheisiologist. All in all I felt it prepared me for the actual day of surgery. I had many questions and they were all answered at that point. I hope this helps to give you an idea of what will take place........Kathy

Good Thread Harley, I am Kathy and I too live in OrYgon. I am retired from the telephone company in Los Angeles and am enjoying the good life with my hubby and our RV. Right now we are doing some remodeling of our house so we are pretty busy with that.

Great victory Frances. I love that idea. I'll have to do that also when I reach a milestone........Kathy

Bratz, I too had those pains the other day and thought I would die each time I got one. When I went to bed they stopped and I haven't had them since. I just chalked it off to more gas. I have had gas in more places than I care to mention the last week.....Kathy

Hi Brandy and Natasha, I had the same experience. After my insurance approved me they gave me a choice of dates and the pre-op was the week before. It will be here before you know it Brandy. I hope Natasha is doing well after her surgery yesterday.........Kathy

Eve I am so glad you have relief from the nausea, I had it in the hospital after one of the antibiotics they gave me and I know how awful that is. I am sorry you have to go thru the pain of the gas and the incisions again. Sounds like your doctor is a skilled surgeon alright. Fenton, you are too funny. I sure enjoy reading your posts....Kathy

Good Luck Brandy, I also was to have Dr Umbach and actually had Dr Yarbrough perform my surgery last week. I was very pleased with him as well. He is very personable and I think you'll like him also. Good luck on your journey. I am doing well. Had quite a bit of gas pain in my neck and shoulders and it is tapering off now. Can't wait to get to Stage 3 of the diet. Kathy

Wow! Many more than I thought there were. Thanks Special K.........Kathy

I am glad you are alright now. I am doing well, had surgery last Wednesday and I feel pretty good now. Occasional neck pain and my stomach hurts if I bend over but other than that pretty good. Kathy

Wow! Texgirl you are lucky, most of us can't get our first fill until 6 weeks. Let us know how it goes.....Kathy

Busy I too am having really bad shoulder and neck pain. I used the blender to make my shake yesterday and it had bubbles in it. I can't burp yet. I try and it goes somewhere other than out, so I ended up so bloated and miserable I couldn't sit or lay down. I had to stand. I finally took some Phayzyme caplets and within 20 minutes I had relief. I have to be very careful not to take in air when I eat or drink. Feeling better today but still have the pain only not intolerable. Hope everyone is doing better today....Kathy

Jennifer I was just wondering what the outcome of your pains was. Was it just gas or something more serious? Kathy

JDUB0414 I bought some liquid calcium at the health food store since they are usually so large and I didn't want to have to cut them into halves. The liquid I got is orange flavored and also contains vitamin D and magnesium which the lady in the store recommended. Makes it much easier to get down...Kathy

Hi Bimby, I had my surgery in Eugene, OR but I live about 70 miles away in Roseburg which is south of there. We moved here 5 1/2 years ago after retiring. We love it here. Except the winters. I am used to sunshine and there aren't that many sunny days here in the winter. But when it shines here, it is gloriously beautiful. Kathy

Hi Phyllser, We live in Roseburg, OR and spent 6 weeks in Arizona and Nevada from December to Feb in our RV. I wasn't banded then and wondered what it would be like to be away from the security net of the drs ofc. I would like to be able to leave every winter for a couple of months. Being from Southern California the winters here are hard to take and the sunshine down south is like medicine to me. Where in Palm Springs do you stay? Is it a park or do you have property there? Kathy

I am 2 days out now and feeling pretty good. I woke about 5 this morning and felt awful. I took a couple of Advil (my doc said that was ok) and they did the trick. I had a shake about 11 with the peanut butter and instant coffee that you suggested Fenton and it was really tasty. By the way, those eggs you talked about made me salivate. mmmm. I still have soreness in the stomach area and tenderness in my neck from the gas. But walking definitely does help. Hope the other newly banded shamrocks are doing well also....Kathy

Welcome Bimby, You'll love this forum. I was just banded yesterday and I am looking so forward to getting in shape again and feeling good. This forum has helped me so much. Any questions I have had always seem to come up here and get answered. Kathy

Wishin4 is back and on the band. I had horrendous pain in both shoulders upon waking from surgery. I ended up staying the night in the hospital cause I couldn't see riding home 1hour and 15 minutes in the car feeling that way. I felt much better today. Didn't sleep much last night. Between the IV, the leggings that inflated every 15 seconds and having to pee every half hour, AND the nurses coming in just as I fell asleep to take vitals or refill my IV. UGH!! Looking forward to a good nights sleep in my recliner tonight. I tried my bed and my inscisions are pretty sore today so the chair is looking good. Walked the halls with 2 other newly banded folks while I was there. Hope you are all doing well today.....Kathy

Hi all, Best of luck to Charity, Midwest Carol, Debbiecatal, Reen, stellabella, mrodr41. I too am ready to head out for the long drive to my surgical appointment. It's raining outside and thankfully my DH will be driving. I don't like to drive in the rain and the dark. I have to check in at 7am. Surgery is at 10. I'll write again when I get home. Good luck and smooth sailing for all my fellow shamrocks going under the knife today...............Kathy

I am so thankful to have you all as my support group. I haven't been online for a couple of days and just caught up on the posts. My surgery is in 2 days and then I will be able to use the info you are posting about now. I don't have to do a liquid diet before surgery. I only have to stop eating twelve hours before surgery. I am trying not to go hog wild and have my "Last Supper" for every meal. I am eating sensibly and know that it's all going to stop reallll soon. ...Kathy

Hey that is awesome. I am glad to see some of us coming home the same day. Maybe there is hope for me to do the same next week. Harley and Scrappy you take care and get lots of rest. Hope all is well with you both...........Kathy