LisaA

ok i'm here at the airport, and i had a thought to share with anyone thinking of coming alone. it is fine, they take great care of you. i'm glad i had a net book so i could easily get on the internet. but the big thing is pack lite. i have a back pack (like a school bag) and a small suit case. on the way here i felt i had packed very lite. but now i,m wishing i could ditch one of the bags. i'm not really all that sore just tired, and really i probably shouldn't be picking stuff up. i'm fantasizing that if i had just brought clothes i didn't care about and just left them behind, with my toiletries etc. lol. one bags thats what i wish i had- i probably should have paid the 20 to check my suitcase, duh.

Hey there freshstart, I've been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing. You must be off the liquids now. Congrats to you too, don't be nervous about the fill. you've done the hard part.

I didn't discuss which band, he says he uses different ones I think one kind for the extrememly overweight. I don't know. I just left it up to him, he is available to talk to and I even emailed him a question that he replied to. there is also a section in the OCC forum about what bands he uses, I thiink it's in the lap band section, usually one to the first choices. there is a patio for your husband, and a tv in the waiting room but it shows programs like oprah going to the clinic etc. it is quite fast really, there were only two of us, I went first, - we left the hotel at 7 am, and I was awake by noon. if you decide to go back to the Marriott, and the doctor agrees you that happens at 4 and thats when your husband can get a ride back. I'd say the meds you get are better there, I guess if you went back that night theyd give you extra. the hotel is also preped with broth and popsicles and juice if you say you are an occ patient. today has been boring, a lot of walking, and reading and tv, I'm ready to go home. I think many go shopping downtown and if someone was here with me I probably would but I'm just internetting and walking.

ey lillyegg, how are you doing now, is you pain lessening. i was just checking in. and Cathy CS with all those fills, are you in your sweet spot yet- you've been banded the longest an had 2 fills, what's it like - are you on you 'normal' sirt now- one last thing, i swear i don't get money for pushing this book, but the instinct is great recipes for everone- quick meals on the run, home cook meals, vegetarian or meat. the recipes are all clear on how much fat, carb and protien- plus she has tons of 1200 cal/ day meal plans and lots of substituting where she clearly lays out like a 300 cal meal and a 400 val meal etc. pre op we made some of the 300 cal meals instead a lean cuisine, they were great. it's my new joy of cooking

ok i'm day after, feel quite good, of course i'm on pain meds. they have been great here, it's funny these women i meet from canada got banded and are now getting some dental work. anyway feeling good and missing me family, glad to read all the stuff i have to llook forward to.

ok so i'm here, i made it, today, vey nice facility and docs, i feel good, right now, tv is filled with food commercials. i'm going to walk some. lisa

ok so i forgot to say good luck everyone, i'm a bandster, and recovering pretty still a bit lightheaded. weight was down 18 from preop diet. i hope i'm not repeating, i'm sstoned on painmeds. think ill go walk some

paigy, i had a head cold and am not used to the hotel style climate control- i was dry i though oh i must be able to drink some water- they didn't like that, but we went ahead. i,d say 12 hours before no nothing is the best sorrty pookey im glad you are home, i hope it gets better

so the way the staying thing works, is they like you to stay here so they can keep a close eye on you. but if by 4 you request it, and the doc feels eveything, is good you can go to the maiott.the main reason to that innstead of staying here is if you guest is here, they will have to go back, here at the OCC the hone is free for calls to us and canada, and there is free wifi plus computers set up if you don't have laptop, and the tv here has moe english seaking programs, there are some in the maiott and you can rent a movie there. this tv has som sort of device that I wr if you could briondeng a movie with you my procedure went well, very fast, i feel a little tight but wlking helps. everyone is very professional. going alone is fine, and I think at times there are more people, Ive met another gal from cali well time to walk more later

alright now, I'm in the Marirott, have to be in the lobby at 7 am, finding the driver was easy, he is very nice, and crossing the border into Mexico was very easy, no id necessary. just a little look in the van. more tomorrow

ok i'm at the airport, here i go, tomorrow's my day, i feel scared and nervous.

I have read that on the OCC forum that they have on their site I go sunday. some folks have mentioned deciding to stay there at the occ and that it was a good bonding experience with other people who were recently banded. but I don't know. I know some stay at the hotel after surgery

Hey I wonder how Brian LA is doing, I feel like he was our only guy, but I miss so many posts he probably posts every day, Hope you're recovering well Brian, and everyone else of course, I love seeing all the different recoveries, I too am 40 so hopefully I'll be laughing like you all are. hope all goes well with the scale, too, I got frustrated, I stopped losing weight when I weaned my daughter, I don't know if it cause I'm not letting the same fluid out or what. but I'm on strike from the scale, I don't even feel hungery where I used to feel revenous, so that's good. sick of shakes, I'm gonna miss making shakes with ice in the blender, I hear that is awful post band, is this true, I love the shake like texture. Made the most gross shake today, some premixed vanilla and some diet orange pop, dont know what I was thinking, not a fan of orange pop even with sugar. Oh gotta go make the kids a snack, happy equinox and full moon

I want to!!!! i need this so bad.

jayden, I'm on the same day as you, horah, there are so many pages in the thread, with tons of people who have been banded, it's great reading, very time consuming. good luck, and sounds like expect pain in the shoulder, gas, and no hunger the first few days post op. Pooky, sending you support, I fear losing my comfort crutch too, foods always been there, maybe for now we can help with comfort, and I like the walk idea. Cathy, onto onederland, wow!!!!

Maxi2010 One thing I can say is that my doc requires a week of clear fluids only, no think protien shakes, popsicles, isopure, watery juice, gatorade, water, broth, that's it, maybe it's too soon for you butterfly2010 super great news.

Younghippiechick- OMG why, what causes the need to be rebanded so soon, that is scarey, call right away with the fever, don't hesitate, could be an infection. I'm sending you good thoughts girl. okie- darn it! well at least we'll both be being banded. Monterey sounds a lot nicer then Tijuana for sure. does rodriguez have a forum of his patients? I"ve talked to OCC people there, and on this forum. It will be fine. are you taking a method of being on the internet. to log onto the forum. Lisa

ok so wow Zen down 44 lbs already is that for real, I can't believe it, you are great. Chriper, why the quitting fish oil, is that something specific? I've never heard that. Maria_r, I am the 27th too, yeah! Congrats all on the finally sleeping on tummies, I loved that after birth recovery, although the chiropractor is very against sleeping on tummies I know it can feel like prison not being able to. Also Gracerev that is awesome, the blood pressure thing is a big worry of mine so I love those stories too. I am still stuck at 8lbs lost, maybe I"m getting to 9, my scale varies a bit. I think I'm retaining water from the weaning, but also this is my pattern, just stop losing weight, I hope the surgery makes a difference. Also, i"m still asking about target sodium, like say for a bowl of soup, what is reasonable. Lisa

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Good morning, ah Monday. I'm starting to fear the dreaded shoulder pain. i feel for you all. Welcome Newbies. I can't remember everyone's name with all the reading I had to do, but Neenee717 this is a good place for information and support. sorry your family isn't still being supportive. My husband and I seem to be arguing, I don't know if it's all the changes or what. My weight loss has stood still at 8lbs, very frustrating, I think I'll switch to all liquids for this last week. The weaning seemed to cause some Water retention, but now it's like my metabolism has adapted to the lack of food. This is my fear after the band too. My body always seems to slow down to match my food intake.

O man Realtor, I am going to Mexico and being banded on the 9/27 too. I am going to Ortiz at the obesity control center. Are you from Cali, or are you flying in? Is your doc in Tijuana, and are you staying at the Mariott. I don't know how the different Docs work. I fly on Sunday the 26 and my surgery is on Monday the 27. Maybe somehow we will see each other. I am bringing a netbook so I will be on the forum I'm sure too. good to meet another mexico gal for the same day. I still haven't found that yet. Lisa

thought i'd share this t is Not about Restriction Terry Simpson, MD The Lap-band® is NOT about Restriction. When talking about the band, some patients talk about restriction. Let's first be clear about one thing: the purpose of the band is not restriction; the purpose of the band is to lose weight by suppressing the appetite. When band professionals talk about restriction we are talking about something totally different than "restricting what a person eats." In fact, many band surgeons avoid talking about restriction so as to not confuse patients. The band works by dimming the appetite, and this provides a conscious control and decision made by the patient, it does not work by "making" a person do something, or keep them from eating too much. The Lap-band® works by suppressing your appetite. As a result, you are less interested in food between meals, making it easier to resist temptation. The analogy is when you are near a vending machine when you are hungry-- what do you do? Probably find yourself with some junk food that is not a part of your plan. But, when you pass a vending machine when you are full, it may not even catch your eye. Having the appetite dimmed makes you less tempted by the many food choices modern living throws at you - -this is what the band does, by suppressing appetite you become less interested in food. What you should not feel, with the band, is the sensation of being "stuffed." When you eat Thanksgiving dinner, you can feel stuffed. Contrast that with the sensation two hours after you eat your big meal, at that point your appetite is suppressed. It is the subtle dimming of the appetite that the band should provide. Being stuffed after a large meal is a complicated sensation of the abdominal wall stretching and a lot of gas in the bowel, in addition to feeling a diminution of appetite. You will not, and should not, feel the abdominal wall stretch with the band. You should not feel the "near nausea" and you should not feel bloated. Key point: You should NEVER eat until you feel full. It is best to stop eating before you "feel full." If you do eat until you feel full you will most likely be overstuffed. This leads to the universal key to success -- patients who eat a small volume of food (which, if you measure, is consistent) will be successful with the band. If you want to succeed, you need to know how much you are eating, and then stop eating -- it is in your control, but the band will help you -- not by stopping you, but by allowing you to feel satisfied after the small volume. Early on, most Lap-band® patients do have a sense of "restriction", particularly, after the first fill. When we place the band on a patient the stomach above the band typically will hold one to two ounces (by volume, not by weight). The stomach has a lot of muscle fibers, and the wall of the stomach is fairly thick. When food is consumed, it arrives in the pouch, and meets some resistance, first against the newly adjusted band, and then against the stomach which does not stretch easily. People love this feeling! It is a sense of control over food -- a leash. But it is not permanent. It makes it difficult to eat more, because the top part of the stomach and the band will resist it. If you over eat you will feel uncomfortable. This is the honeymoon phase, you feel full with less, no appetite, and if you try to eat more it doesn't work. They eat a small amount of food, they feel satisfied, and they are losing weight. For patients who rely on this sensation, they will find it will take ever increasing volumes of food to obtain this sensation. The initial response is to have their band adjusted so that they can "feel full again." Against a tighter band, the upper stomach stretches a bit (and if they eat fast it stretches more)and they again have the sensation of "feeling full." This becomes a cycle, a tighter band, the stomach stretches more-- and then instead of going back to its original size, the stomach stretches more and more, to where it takes more to fill it. The person, who continues to eat until they have this sensation, will find that it takes more and more food to obtain this feeling. Two things happen -- first the stomach stretches to where it accommodates more food, and to stretch it means you have to eat more. The second is that to "feel full" it takes the brain time to register this sensation -- this is not the sensation registered by the hypothalamus, but registered in the conscious cortex. So your stomach can be full, but your brain won't register it for a while, and if you keep eating you can overeat. As a result, the pouch dilates. Similar to a balloon, when you first start to blow up the balloon it takes a bit of force. As you continue to fill the balloon, the wall of the balloon stretches (thins out), it is easier to blow it up -- the same is true with the upper pouch. Early on, before the pouch is stretched, it takes a little bit of food to cause it to stretch, but with chronic over-eating the pouch will accommodate more and more food. The stomach wall is thinner, it is easier to stretch, and to get that sensation it takes more food than at first. Often patients will complain that they "don't feel restriction," and wish to have the band made tighter. There are two potential results to this: one is the patient will passively stretch the stomach and esophagus and not be eating a small amount of food. These patients simply do not lose the weight that the surgeon expects. The other is that the band will be forced down the stomach, the band will slip, which generally requires operative intervention to reposition it. For those patients who are rigorous about the volume of food they eat, and do not let the stomach to tell them when to stop eating - they do very well. This is one of the keys of successful patients: only eat a certain portion of food - period. If the band is properly adjusted, the appetite will be dimmed for several hours. Once your brain realizes that a small amount of food keeps you satisfied your eyes will adjust to the amount you eat. Some describe a "soft stop." Where before a sense of fullness occurs, there is a signal from your body -- this can be a runny nose, a sigh, or a subtle ache in the left shoulder. Patients who find this "soft stop," do very well with the band. The other advantage of eating small portions is it becomes a lifestyle change -- you will have the ability to gauge the amount of food you can comfortably eat, knowing it will keep you satisfied for several hours. You can always -- always, always, always, -- eat more food, because, contrary to what we believed for a long time-- food passes by the band within a minute and then into your stomach. But the key to successful patients is not how much they can eat, but how little they can eat to suppress hunger. The band goes around your stomach, not around your brain, or your lips. This simple concept, of eating a specific volume of food -- eating it slowly, and then walking away, is the key to successful eating habits of patients. This means that the band works with effort from you -- not by it doing everything for you. You have to make the decision to eat a small volume of food, and let the band work with you. The sensation that we would want the band to produce is the "soft stop." The soft stop is when you eat a small portion of food and walk away. Sometimes this is difficult, like most things, practice makes perfect. To set yourself up for success -- we recommend you use smaller plates, along with smaller utensils. If you go out to eat, ask for the to-go bag immediately, and remove the excess food from your plate. You can physically always eat more food, but the advantage about practicing small portions and walking away, is ultimately your eyes will get use to what the stomach is telling it, and it will be much easier to eat smaller portions as time goes on. It isn't uncommon for patients to want an adjustment because they say they can eat more. The first question we ask is, "Why are you eating more?" The typical answer is, "Because I can." The typical response, "Just because you can does not mean you should." Since the band's job is not to restrict the amount of food you eat, do not leave that to chance -- that is your job. Part of personal accountability is to account for, to measure, to know how much you are eating at a time. The band is empowering; if you eat an appropriate amount and make appropriate food choices, you will be satisfied for several hours. This results in either weight loss, or weight maintenance (if you are at your goal). The purpose of the band is to assist you to lose weight -- and this occurs only with active participation by you: you chose what to eat, you choose how much to eat, and you practice walking away after eating that amount. The band is a tool to allow you to eat less and have your appetite dimmed resulting in weight loss, or maintenance. It is a tool to help you adopt a healthy lifestyle -- you still have the choices to make, but the band allows you to be satisfied with those choices. "If I could eat less and walk away, what would I need this band for?" -- a common question we are asked. Without the band, if you eat a small amount of food and walk away your appetite would rise within a couple of hours -- you would find yourself hungry and wanting more food, possibly leading to unwanted snacking. You would also find, if you willed yourself to withstand the hunger, your weight loss gradually decreases. The band fools your brain into thinking you ate more. Think of it another way -- the hypothalamus does not have eyes -- it doesn't know how much you ate, it doesn't know if there is a lot of food around and you are not eating it, or if there is a band on your stomach. The hypothalamus reacts very simply to the stimulation provided by the upper part of your stomach. Stretch that thermostat, it thinks you are eating a lot -- do that consistently over time, and it behaves as if you are eating a lot all the time and will allow your body to release fat stores and not cause your body to go into a metabolic slow-down. Conversely -- if you go on a diet, without the band --and that part of the stomach is not stretched, your hypothalamus thinks you are in a famine -- it doesn't know that there is a lot of food around you. The purpose of banding is weight loss. Patients who are successful do not "feel tight," or "feel restricted." Instead, successful patients report that they rarely have an issue with the band; they do not "feel restriction." Successful patients come for adjustments when they notice that their appetite is returning between meals -- patients who are not successful rely upon the band to tell them when to stop eating. The band, in successful patients, is empowering. While, on occasions, the band is "fickle" the proper way for the band to work is for it to allow you to eat less and not be moved by an appetite. There is another group of Lap-band® patients who do not like any sensation of restriction -- a group we call volume eaters. They want to eat a lot, when they want to eat, and they do not like the sensation of a "hard stop." Nor does this group want to eat a small volume and walk away and allow their appetite to be suppressed. One patient even asked for pills for nausea, because she could not eat "a quart of chili." Yes, this person thought a quart was a normal serving size -- not a cup, a quart! Sometimes these patients come in for an adjustment, then come back thinking that the band is too tight, because when they overeat they become acutely uncomfortable, or feel as if they are "obstructed." Often these patients will come in for a fill, then an unfill, then another fill. It does take a bit of work to change a person's perspective about the volume of food they eat. For some there is a feeling of deprivation, a period of mourning, but ultimately the band can become a tool to overcome this sensation, and allow the patient to eat. Remember, if you want to be a 125 pound person, you have to eat like one. The band allows your body to re-set the thermostat to the amount of food that it takes to keep you satisfied between meals. To be more specific - food does not stay in the pouch above the band for a long period of time. Typically it travels through this area fairly quickly, usually less than a couple of minutes. The effect of the band is NOT to have food stay above the stomach in that small pouch - the effect of the band is on your appetite after a small amount of food stimulates that. Does this mean you can eat more -- yes, you can. That is always in your control.

hi all i'm going a week from tomorrow, wow. i hve a question about sodium, what s the right level not to go above. kmommy, hi , i too have told no one and plan not to. my husband knows, i just can't. my family struggles with wieght and they are like3 hours away, i will probably end up telling them- but i fear failure and negative commnts at this point. this is my support besides my husband has cathyy from tx been on latelet, haven't seen much of her, but i' m sure i miss stuff good luck everyone

hi KA Haldeman, i am getting banded on 27 and going alone, Ill let you know how it goes.. i think on the occ forum there might be others that can talk about going alone.

yeah unfortunately Ortiz only does the install in Tijuana. I won't be doing any tourissty stuff there. Although a lot of people seem to go shopping, I just am not a shopper and I'm sure a shopping mall in tijuana is not that different then one in san diego (well except for cheaper) I am taking a lap top and got my cell phone all set too for Mexico, I hope to meet other banders there, and probably spend a lot of time walking around the Mariott to move the gas. and of course I'll post here too. I think it might be possible to get filled in Cancun, from Ohio flying to cancun is almost as cheap as San diego, and really more interesting.