DonnaB

Hi Valentinebaby, I was just banded on Tuesday in Monterrey, Mexico by Dr. Rumbaut. I can't burp AT ALL. I'm a little jealous about that. The occasional burp is a previously and totally unappreciated pleasure! Dang it - another thing I can no longer enjoy. Are you still on antibiotics? My doc said the high doseage (500 mg x2 per day for me) is probably what's causing my "splats" and he also said to completely avoid yogurt until off the antibiotics. According to him, and in my experience (!), the combination of the two has a rather, shall we say, unpleasant symbiotic effect! In layman's terms: diarrhea followed by a few hours of 'shiardts'. :phanvan Now I'm totally avoiding yogurt and am still suffering from the occasional splat. Sigh. I expect it to go on until I'm off the antibiotic in another 3 days. Other than that how are you doing? I tried a very thin Cream of Wheat today. No go. I walked around the house for 10 hours (OK it was really only 10 minutes but it sure felt like 10 hours) with a "FLAMING chicken bone" stuck in my chest (golf ball my @ss!) till it finally went down. I'm going back to chicken broth for lunch. Again, sigh. Good luck to you.

Hi everyone, I just got home from Monterrey, Mexico! Dr. Rumbaut is a genius! GENIUS! I had a great experience. I was banded on Tuesday the 7th, back to the hotel on Wednesday, went shopping in the city on Thursday and Friday, then got on a plane and now here I am at home, safe, sound, happy, and pain free. I only took two doses of pain meds once I got to the hotel after being released from the hospital. My port wound hurts occasionally - when I bend down too fast - and my naval wound hurts a bit when I'm in the shower. Also, my back hurts a bit between my shoulder blades because Dr. Rumbaut was able to stitch all the way around the band which isn't always the case. He says it hurts a bit more but the band is virtually slip-proof with the the back stitch. "Hurt" is actually too strong a word, pressure or mild discomfort is closer. All in all, I feel pretty great. The San Jose Hospital in Monterrey was awesome. It was nicer than some of the hospitals I've seen in the States. As a Rumbaut patient you get a private room with a sofa and recliner, private bathroom with gorgeous tile-work walls and a roomy shower. The nurses check on you every hour or so during the night - alternating pain meds, antibiotics, Malox, and probably some other stuff I don't recall! After you're released from the hospital you go back to the Hampton Inn Hotel where a "goody" box is waiting for you full of Isopure, Crystal-Lite, Chamomile tea bags (good for reducing the bloat), boullion cubes and a big mug to make soup, Gatorade, flavored Water, and a note from Dr. Rumbaut congratulating you on your bold choice for a better future. How great is that! Dr. Rumbaut's associate, Dr. Rodriguez, visits you in the hotel the day after your return there to check on you and give you your post-op report to take home to your primary care doc. I can't imagine a doctor in the States visiting you in your hotel to check on you. The treatment I received from everyone in Monterrey - from Dr. Rumbaut and his staff all the way to the hotel staff and taxi drivers - has altered my perception of Mexico. I will definitely consider Mexico when it comes time for a tummy tuck or a breast lift. Good luck to all you March bandsters - here's wishing you the same experience I had no matter where your surgery is performed!

Hi everyone, I need your support now and the sooner the better! I have begun my pre-op liquid diet this morning. It's only 11:00 am and I'm already thinking about food - non-stop. I drank my protein and a bottle of water and now I'm thinking about making some soup. And then maybe I'll sneak a cookie. See? How am I going to make it through till surgery date on Tuesday? I've always been a horrible secret eater and I know I can't do that here. I have to stay on liquids. I'm starting to get a headache. How did you distract yourself from food during this phase? I'm going to vacuum the house and do laundry. But as soon as I take a break I'm going to want food. What kind of food/liquid were you eating? Thank you for your help. DonnaB 03-07-06 Surgery date Dr. Roberto Rumbaut, Monterrey, Mexico 282/150 5' 9"

Thank you all for the posts. This has been heartbreaking and I'm so in awe of your bravery for sharing your stories. I started to type out mine and realized . . . I'm not ready for that yet. Maybe I'll be able to live up to the courage you've shown when I get more perspective. Sincerely, thank you again.

Hi fellow March Bandbabies! I'm having surgery on March 7th in Monterrey, Mexico - yep, self-pay. My surgeon is Dr. Roberto Rumbaut. I'm on day 2 of my 5 day pre-op liquid diet and man is it killing me. I did Opti-Fast several years ago as a diet method - not a pre-op but THE diet! Who are they kidding? I gained it all back plus LOTS! I bet no one in here has ever heard THAT story before, right? lol By the way, I couldn't agree more - Opti-Fast is disgusting. Opti-Fast is elixer from Satan's buttocks! The only way I could gag it down was to take several breaths, head turned away from the glass, then hold my breath and take as many swallows as I could handle before I needed to breathe again. I can't remember if breathing was better through the nose or the mouth though. My Protein (elixer from Satan's etc. . . ) of choice THIS time is from Wal-Mart (substantiating my claim about Satan) and is called Body Fortress. It's not as great as say rolling around with George Clooney would be but it's infinitely more palatable than Opti-Fast. I blend it with low-fat milk, fresh raspberries, Splenda and crushed ice. Then I take several breathes, head turned away from the glass, hold my breath and . . . you get the picture. lol My biggest worry right now is that my plane is going to crash after take-off and all this fasting misery will have been the last f*$&*%#g thing I got to eat! Man would I be pissed! lol Best wishes everyone, please check back in to let us all know how you're doing.

My surgery is on the 7th and I'm struggling HARD with the pre-op diet. I feel like crap. I went to bed shakey and with a headache last night. Woke up at 4:00 am -and couldn't go back to sleep -with a painful, hollow, "hot pipe" feeling from my esophogus to my stomach. I ate about 1/3 of a chicken breast around 6:00 am and it all disappeared. I had about a cup of SF jello and a can of Swanson's chicken broth around 8:00 am and now I'm gagging down 8 oz. of protein drink in low-fat milk mixed with fresh rasberries and Splenda. And this is the best tasting stuff on the market? I just want to die and get it over with. Or at least lie down and give up. I swear I think I'm only half-kidding. I mean, after all, what's so bad about having a big butt? What's wrong with ginormous boobs. Why can't a protruding belly and thighs that rub-together-so-much-when-you-walk-you-could-start-a-forest-fire be sexy? Not to mention the lovely way pants and shorts kinda crawl up and stick between them. There's nothing embarassing about having your chair stay attached to your @ss when you try to stand up. It's not humilating to have to ask the stewardess - I mean flight attendant - for a seatbelt extender. Or the smile on their faces when they hand it to you. It's not frustrating to wait to see a movie till it's been out a couple of weeks because you know you're going need a little bit of the seat next to you. Ya, OK. I'll gag down some more of my protein drink and see if I can find some Excedrin.

They have more experience doing the RNY and I'm sure it's more profitable with less risk because of that experience level - but this is your body and it should be your choice. Having said that, your doctors know your medical history, I do not. Your doctors are making recommendations taking your medical history into consideration (at least if they're ethical they are). Get another couple of opinions and compare. If you keep getting the same reaction it's probably accurate. Good luck to you on your weight loss journey whichever path you walk.

Good morning. OK, not so good morning. I woke up at around 4:00 am with an achy 'hollow' feel in my chest. Almost like I had a hot pipe between my asophogus and my stomache. Couldn't go back to sleep. It's not quite 6:00 am and I just ate about a cup of sugar free jello and the hot pipe feeling has gone away. Achy hollow feel is still there though. It hasn't even been 24 hours and I'm wondering - if I can't do the liquid thing now, how am I going to make it for 5 days pre-op and 7 days post-op. I'll call my doctor's office in a little while and ask them for some help or at least some advice. Thanks everyone for your support. Breathing in. Breathing out. One breath at a time. I have to survive this.

Your posts on this thread, and yes on other threads as well, do come across as being VERY judgemental. They sound as if you are not only asking, but DEMANDING that others think/act/be like you. If you are truly looking for answers and not flame-wars you might try using language which is nurturing and supportive rather than hurtful and confrontational. "Are people just stupid or lazy" is not a good way to either ask a question or show support. If you feel the "meat" of your message would be lost without harsh or declarative statements, you can always defuse the emotion with a little humor or by simply declaring your true intentions. For instance: "I know it sounds like I hate you, but really I'm just frustrated with the situation." Good manners and mutual respect go a long way toward expressing feelings/emotions on a message board. Having said all that, I would like to address the subject of people asking medical questions here before contacting their doctors. First, I hope that the questions we see here are IN ADDITION to speaking with the doctor or while waiting for the doctor to return their phone call. Furthermore, if the situation isn't life threatening, what's wrong with asking people who are in the same circumstances what their experiences have been for comparison's sake before calling your doctor? Second, I think the people on this board have been very clear about the need to contact your own doctor or to follow YOUR doctor's advise if there are discrepancies in experiences. I guess that was more than 2 cents worth huh? :confused:

I'm on day one of my pre-op liquid diet and am miserable. I've just learned that laughter STOPS hunger pangs in their gigantic, all consuming tracks. Hmmmmm. I think I might have just stumbled onto something important. Excellent post Mikey, thanks. Janet you lucky girl! Congrats.

I've had 2 protein drinks, 2 cans of Swanson's chicken broth, lot's of water and about 2 cups of sugar free jello. I'm going to bed with a headache and the shakes. I just hope I don't dream about food! lol My sweet husband just walked in the door - he stopped at the grocery and got me some low cal, low sugar, low fat "fudgesicles". mmmmmmm. I hope you'll all be here for me again tomorrow.

Hi Tanya, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. I'm being banded on March 7 in Monterrey, Mexico by Dr. Roberto Rumbaut. So in addition to being scared about the surgery itself I get to worry about surgery in Mexico! Actually, I'm pretty comfortable with that after doing a lot of research! lol HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi Dannygirl, I'm being banded in Monterrey, Mexico by Dr. Roberto Rumbaut. The cost will be $10,600 which includes everything but my airfare and food. The hotel is covered, anesthesia is covered, transfers to and from airport and hotel and hospital are covered, any problems with the band, erosion, leak, infection all covered in that $10,600. Dr. Rumbaut will do all fills or even remove the band if necessary in that same $10,600 - for the life of the band - in other words, foreveer. I know Mexico sounds very scary but the hospital has an extremely good reputation and is very modern - I understand this is the hospital designated to care for the U.S. President in case of emergency when he's in that area - and Dr. Rumbaut has done THOUSANDS of lap-band surgeries, has a below average percentage of complications - less than 1% - and is banded himself. He TAUGHT a lot of the surgeons in the U.S. who are now doing the surgery. If you want more information his website is www.gastricband.com. Good luck to you on journey whatever path you choose.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi, Welcome to LBT. When I first came here I kept wondering and asking about abbreviations in conversations. To make it easier for yourself you might want to check out the “FAQ’s and Resources” Forum. There are a couple of threads about abbreviations which will help you understand what people are talking about. HTH (hope this helps!) and good luck to you.

Hi mom, Go to the Lapband Talk Lounge and read the thread "NSV anyone?" It's a great thread that makes you see the positive side of banding and it will make you face your fears and decide you want to LIVE your life again! BTW: NSV means 'Non-surgical victory' and the thread is all about the stuff that sneaks up on you when you've lost the weight. Good luck with your decision. If you're having a hard time finding the thread I'm talking about, use the 'search' function at the top right corner of the main page.

Are you kidding? Of COURSE they're stalling for time. They're hoping you'll give up and go away. They're not there to make you happy OR healthy. They're there to make money. If you go away, they've saved money. Unfortunately you're going to have to learn to push without being pushy - get what you want without rubbing them the wrong way. They can make things easy for you or make your life a living hell. Did I mention I'm a self-pay because of the &$*#*(%*ing insurance? :tired

I kinda HOPE someone asks me if WLS is the easy way out. I'll be happy to reply: Yep, is sure is! Thanks for asking, now get your boney ass back to your rowing machine and don't even think about taking a break OR having something indulgent even if you know better. EVER! FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE! Having said that, (and calming down a bit, ) I honestly have no intention of telling anyone I'm having WLS. I'm not ashamed of it but really, who needs that self-righteous, condescending, know-it-all, watching-every-mouthful, bullshit? Not me. Sorry Vines, I know you're looking for some real answers but I get way too emotionally charged to be introspective. Besides, I don't really think there is an answer to your question. The closest I can get is that EVERYONE has a chip on their shoulder about something. Each person's unique experience is their own and cannot be fully understood by anyone else. To have someone pick at the metaphoric scab of your particular chip is not only foolhardy but can only lead to irritation and an eventual slap-down. (You GO DanaClark2 - I'm with you 100%) DonnaB 03-07-06 Surgery date Dr. Roberto Rumbaut, Monterrey, Mexico 282/150 5' 9"

Welcome Michelle, Where are you from? Who's your surgeon? Where are you being banded? How much are you paying? lol I know, overload! I'm Donna, I'm also a self-pay being banded in March. Next Tuesday the 7th in fact. My surgeon is Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico. It's going to cost $10,600 which includes pretty much everything except airfare to Monterrey and food while I'm there. Anesthesia, hospital, hotel, transfers, follow up care, removal of band if it errodes or I have some complication, all fills - all covered in that price for the life of the band ie forever! I've seen self-pay in Mexico for less but I'm pretty sold in this doctor. He's got a great reputation and LOTS of experience. Anyway, enough about me. What about you? DonnaB 03-07-06 Surgery Date Dr. Roberto Rumbaut, Monterrey, Mexico 282/150 5' 9"