christy

I don't think that I wasn't being compassionate. My insurance didn't cover my surgery, and I'm certainly not rich. I found a good doctor within my price range, and I did, in fact, get a discount (like I said, because I drove myself instead of taking their transportation) -- that said, I never would have ASKED for a discount. I wouldn't go to a doctor that would lower his/her price for me (unless I had some very very special circumstances -- like a medical rarity that a doctor would be interested in studying.)

I started shopping a lot when I couldn't eat. I was using food as an emotional release, and when I couldn't do that, I moved to something else... now I just need to figure out how to deal with my emotions instead of spending money!

I think that this is very different from what the OP was asking. I don't disagree with a discount for self-pay, heck, I got a discount because I drove myself to the facility I had my surgery at, but it's very different from NEGOTIATING a price with a doctor. And I think that it's very immature that you would call my comment "dumb." Maybe ask for an explaination next time, instead of assuming what my words meant.

I didn't feel this until I was laying in the OR hallway waiting to be pulled into the OR. I broke down and cried. I don't know that I'd ever been more scared in my life. Am I glad I did it? Heck yeah. My life has forever been changed for the better.

I'm not sure I would WANT to go to a Dr. that negotiated his/her prices. It's an operation, not the swapmeet!

Isn't that an awesome feeling?! I think softer foods are okay as long as they don't cause vomiting, which is why some doctors have you wait so long to eat (some people will immediately go back to overeating.)

Why would she annouce this? Sounds like a cry for attention from someone who's been out of the news recently.

Sounds like you had some fat leakage! Much better than an infection!

Lots of unhealthy foods will go down easy -- just because you can eat them doesn't mean that you SHOULD. The band helps you stop overeating, sadly, it doesn't make good food choices for you.

My surgeon also warned that it's normal to have some yellow steepage (although I had none) -- because the fat liquifies from the heat of the laproscopic instruments and will come out of the wound. Hope that you don't get an infection!

I went to Dr. Aceves in Mexicali (I live in LA, so it was pretty easy to get to) and had a wonderful experience. I haven't read a negative experience about him or his team. He has a few websites and a yahoo group -- www.mexicolapband.com

I'll be blunt -- just because you CAN eat what you want, doesn't mean that you SHOULD. The scars on the outside of your belly? Your insides look like that, too. You aren't healed yet and any PBs that are caused by being too tight (getting a fill) or by trying to eat a food you can't tolerate could cause slippage.

I'm having more stomach gurgling -- but nothing from my throat yet.

1) Right when I woke up I wanted to stay awake, but I just couldn't! I felt fine, just tired and sore around the middle. The woman next to me was dry heaving though, so I'm glad that I didn't have that experience. 2) I don't feel my port at all!

Woo! You look amazing! Congrats and good work!

Mines a little to the left of center between by belly button and boobs!

Most people take a week off after surgery. I went back to work Thursday afternoon (2 days after surgery.) I work with teens and I really needed to be at the meeting that night. I worked about 5 hours that day, and a few hours on Friday, and another 2 hours on Saturday. I think it was a bit much, and I probably wouldn't recommend it, but it also wasn't awful. I started a new job yesterday, and I felt fine... it's been hard explaining my strange eating habits though! It's now 1 week post-banding. I'm down 10.5 pounds (and totally on my period, ugh.) I'm not hungry, but I'm wanting to eat, it's not worth destroying my investment though, so I wait. A few of my tapes fell off, and my scabs are a lot smaller than I thought they'd be. My friends keep asking how I'm feeling and honestly? I feel great!

Most people take a week off after surgery. I went back to work Thursday afternoon (2 days after surgery.) I work with teens and I really needed to be at the meeting that night. I worked about 5 hours that day, and a few hours on Friday, and another 2 hours on Saturday. I think it was a bit much, and I probably wouldn't recommend it, but it also wasn't awful. I started a new job yesterday, and I felt fine... it's been hard explaining my strange eating habits though! It's now 1 week post-banding. I'm down 10.5 pounds (and totally on my period, ugh.) I'm not hungry, but I'm wanting to eat, it's not worth destroying my investment though, so I wait. A few of my tapes fell off, and my scabs are a lot smaller than I thought they'd be. My friends keep asking how I'm feeling and honestly? I feel great!

Woke up very early on Monday morning, September 25th. Everyone else getting surgery on the 26th would be there around 2, but I'm not very good at fasting, so I wanted to get the tests over with so that I could EAT. Took 3.5 hours to drive down to Mexicali, and of course my radio was busted. Crossing the border was no problem, and we had no problem finding the hospital once we were in Mexicali. We got there around 9am, and my appointment wasn't until 9:30, so the patient coordinator wasn't there yet. Iliana showed up around 9:30 and I went to have my blood taken (the nurse was excellent, because my veins are hard to find), my EKG (I felt like I was being jumpstarted like a car battery with all the stuff they had me hooked up to), and my chest xrays (which had to be taken twice.) After the tests Yolonda took me upstairs to go over the final paperwork, and give me an antibiotic. She offered my husband and me a sleeping pill, but we both declined. We followed her to the hotel to get checked in, then decided to head back across the border to grab a new fuse for my car radio (we never did get it in) and to eat. "Last" lunch was at applebee's, I had the cowboy burger and spinach and artichoke dip. It was wonderful. We headed back to the hotel and relaxed until 7, when we met with Dr. C. I met the other 4 people getting surgeries with me, and we talked with Dr. C about the band, the rules right after surgery, and the rules later down the road. I'd read all of these things on the internet, but it was neat holding the band and hearing it from a doctor. Dave and I went to Mezzasole (the restaurant in the hotel) for the "last" dinner -- I had soup and a 4 cheese pizza, it was wonderful. I slept pretty well that night, the bed was hard, and that was the worst problem. I wasn't really nervous about the surgery. Met everyone outside at 7am to head over to the hospital. We were immediately ushered into our rooms, changed into hospital gowns, and then... we had to wait. A nurse came to IV me (ouch, she had to poke around in both hands until she got it), then I met with every doctor who'd be working on me that day, and the attending nurse in the OR. I got a shot in my belly (blood thinner), and then... I waited. And waited. I was the last one to get my surgery that day so it was after 1pm before I went in. When they finally pulled me in... that's when I got scared. I was injected with anesthesia shortly after, so that didn't end up being an issue. I remember moving over to the operating table, the doctor wrapping my legs, and that's it. I woke up in the recovery room to the woman next to me dry heaving. I was lucky and didn't have any nausea. I was out of recovery in just under an hour. I spent the rest of the day sleeping and waking. I did a little walking, but my stomach was very sore so I didn't do a lot. I got some water a few hours after surgery, and a sleeping pill that helped me sleep through the night. I didn't have any gas pains, so I guess I'm pretty lucky. The next morning I got to see my band by floroscopy, and then I got to eat some jello, broth, tea, and more water. Everyone else stayed at the hospital another night, but I left that evening at around 5pm.

Did you let them fall off? Took them off after how many days?

This is a great tip -- I can't wait to eat sushi again!

The first weeks on liquid are HARD (I'm almost through week 1) -- I'm not hungry but I cannot WAIT to eat. It's hard, but I am motivated by the weight loss I see everytime I step on the scale!

Well, if you're able to do what you were doing before, and it's not causing you any problems, then there is no reason to remove your band. When you are ready, get yourself a fill and start making smarter choices!

I would try going and getting refitted? I've been banded less than a week and I've been okay wearing my underwire.

Just give it a bit of time, I was banded on Tuesday and it was difficult for me to move the rest of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday earlier in the day. It was so much better yesterday and today, I'm almost normal moving now.