How did I do it?

Leannie · December 30, 2003

Hello everybody:

Well it's official. I was banded Saturday in Monterrey by Dr. Sanchez. I still cannot believe I did it. I've never had surgery except for a tonsillectomy. Never had a baby, nor a stitch or a broken bone. I'm even afraid to have a pap smear. So how did I do this? My husband said that I wanted it so, so bad that fear wasn't even an option.

The whole time I was there, I wasn't even afraid, except for landing in Mexico and going through Customs and not knowing what was going to happen next. I can even remember laying in pre-op and thinking that I wasn't afraid and how strange and unlike me that was.

But I'm back and feeling pretty good - just really stiff. And oh yeah, down 4 pounds already.

Just wondering if anybody else felt like this and wondered if maybe it was all just a dream?

donali · December 30, 2003

Congrats on arriving "on the other side"! So glad all went well.

Kiwigirl · December 30, 2003

Leannie,

I was just like you. Had no fears, just knew it was the right thing to do. Three months out and I can't even imagine life without my band. It has become my new best friend.

quakergirl · December 31, 2003

Yeah, I know how you feel. Looking back, sometimes, it still seems weird I went through with it, because it was the first surgery I ever had. Now, my mother was REALLY worried about it and tried to talk me out of it, but I felt determined to do it and never felt all that scared about it.

But I knew I had to do something about my weight, and the lap-band seemed like the best balance of risks and benefits, so once I knew it was an option for me I never wavered. I'm now confident it was the right choice.

Good luck to you on your new journey!

Vera · January 5, 2004

Leannie:D

I was thinking of you over the Holidays. Welcome back and congratulations! I wasn't scared either, Annabell and the pre-op staff are wonderfull and caring. I remember jokeing around about Ricky Martin music and kissing Dr. Sanchez right before going under.

Did you get an AMI or an Inamed band?

Leannie · January 7, 2004

Thanks for thinking of me. I only told 4 people and everybody else thought we went on vacation, so it's nice to know SOMEBODY was.

I got an Inamed band (I didn't an instruction manual for it, so I hope that's what I got) as the doctor I think I'm going to for fills will only use an FDA approved band.

You are so right when you said that Annabelle and the rest of his staff were so nice. Did Claudia work there went you went? He also uses a "guesthouse" now for all his patients to stay in. He rents it in San Pedro. It had been vacant for 2 years and they just opened it the week before I went. It was really nice to be there with only people who knew what you were going through - because I was not quite as sociable as usual and felt kind of self conscious. I don't like to be sick when I'm not home. But you knew everybody else was in the same boat and you could compare stories.

Vera · January 10, 2004

Yes I remember Claudia, Sounds like a nice guest house. I stayed at the Hampton Inn, about 10 min drive from Santa Engracia Hospital. What's neat is alot of us went through the same airport... the same hospital..hotel... just in different times, maybe even the same hospital room. Just around the corner from my H room was a chapel room that has a 4 story's tall murral painted by the husband of Rita ..OK I forgot the last name.. but the valley there was named after her. She was an artist well know, a movie was made of her life.