Hello Junbies ......

I haven't seen a June Band Crew thread yet so thought I would start it .

I'll be banded on June 9th in Texas. I'm getting very excited about it. I know that the band is just a "tool" to aid in my weight loss journey and it will take a lot of hard work on my part to make it successful. I've been overweight my whole life with the earliest memories being around age 4. Although no one else in my family is overweight, I am extremely fortunate to have full family support in my decision. I know that there are many people who's family doesn't offer the support they need. I would love to meet other pre-bandsters being banded in June to walk with me to the banded side of life and offer each other support.

I wish you all the best.

Melissa Lea :hippie:

Pre-bandster 240 lbs

June 9, 2006

Spivak

self-pay

Barbara.... welcome to my world. LEFT SHOULDER PAIN IS terrible EVERYTIME I EAT.( drink) My doctor said that it was nerve pain but the diaphram. NOT gas pain. He said it should go away in a couple of weeks. Otherside I feel like a millions bucks........ I dread drinking because It starts to hurt... OH well.

I was banded yesterday at around noon. Dr. Rumbaut released me at about 11 this morning and said the surgery could not have went any better. My liver was tiny and he was able to stitch the band all the way around my stomach.

I am sipping on Gatorade and chicken bullion. There have been two episodes where I have drank too fast and almost thrown up. One was with the cup of herbal tea I got after surgery and again this morning with drinkable yogurt. I guess those are signs that the band is already working and that I am swollen.

Happy to be on the banded side of life! Thanks for your thoughts and any encouragement is welcome as I get through the two weeks of liquids!

June 27

Dr. Rumbaut

256/243/170

Hi everyone! and good luck to those being banded today! Today is my last day on clear liquids only! :clap2: Yeah! I haven't lost much weight this week, but I still think it is due to the swelling and retaining water. I think once I start getting some protein in my body it will be much happier and will stop thinking I am "starving" it. I haven't had any problems with shoulder pains, but I do burp a lot! I am still amazed that I haven't been hungry, and when I see food I tell myself I'm not hungry and I don't need it. So far it has worked.

This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself! Dr. Ortiz is awesome. I highly recommend him and his staff. His Nutritionalist has her Phd! She must know what she is talking about when giving us a diet plan to follow. She has also worked with DR. Ortiz for quite a few years so knows a lot about the banding process.

I too can't stress enough how important it is to follow the instructions given by your Dr. I do however feel that losing as much weight prior to surgery helps in your recovery. Not eating any solids 7 days prior to surgery and even doing a colon cleanse and a candida cleanse helps!

Eating habits are definately going to change around my house! Maybe I can save my children from having to go through this surgery!

Keep up the good work everyone! I can't wait to see how everyone here is doing in August after we have all had fills and really losing!!!

Janelle-

I'm glad you are doing well. I was wondering how u were.

Dancing Queen-

Congrats! I hope it goes as smoothly for me tomorrow.

I'm all packed and my fridge and cupboards are stocked with low-sodium broth, apple juice, water, Crystal Light, etc.

Send all your good vibes my way!

SoCal, everything will go fine. Just resist eating prior to surgery. I think it really helps in your recovery process. Also, walk as soon as possible. I found I got light headed after walking once around the clinic, so the Dr gave me some medicine in my IV and bammo I was fine. I guess I had some kind of reaction to the anesthesia. The day I was released, I walked about 2 miles. I think it really helped cause I never got severe gas pains or shoulder pains. I haven't even needed the pain (Aleve) meds they gave me! I say Aleve, cause the pain meds they give are similar to Aleve. It is just one you put under your tongue and it dissolves. It does help with inflamation! I still have some bloating and I take Gas-X occasionally but nothing severe. I also never had any problems drinking. I can drink quite a bit at a time. I did however just read that we shouldn't drink more than a half cup of fluid at a time.

Dr. Miranda, the nutritionalist is awesome. You will really like her. Ask lots of questions. She will tell you a lot of women get pregnant soon after this surgery. I wish I could remember why. If you remember maybe you can tell me! I'm not worried because I have had my tubes tied and I'm not married or in a relationship...but I thought it was interesting.

My thoughts and prayers are with you! Can't wait to hear from you later this week. And yes, the rumours are true...Dr. Ortiz is very handsome as is Dr. Martinez:D

I'm 1 week out now. I don't have too much pain - until I try to walk too much, then I feel the incisions.

I drove yesterday - so I feel normal in many ways.

I continue to just drink. Diet Jello. I'm going to do that for a few more weeks - knowing the rest will follow soon enough.

If I start to think about "what will I eat" and "what will make me slime" I get tense... so, it's easier for me to just drink, for now. I don't think I'm hungry - until I watch tv, and everything looks so good.

I'm encouraged to read all the boards, gives me a better perspective of what to expect, what not to worry about, what do look for at the stores.

I think - just as we were required to go to support group meetings, this board should be mandatory prior to surgery too!

JuneBandRocks!

I think ladies get pregnant because your hormones go all wacky with weight loss. I have been doing pretty good on the pre-op diet- down 6 lbs. I can't have anything after 10pm tonight. I promise to walk!! It really assures me to hear everyone doing well.

Randi-Last night I was watching TV and it seemed like every commercial was for food! I had the remote so I just quickly clicked away! Don't look!

Janelle,

You're not married or in a relationship? I thought I was the only one. Did you have to do your post-op stuff on your own? Did you travel by yourself? I'm a little worried since I'm doing this on my own.

Liz- I'm butting in on your comment to Janelle...

You aren't the only one doing this on your own! I am too. I am travelling by myself and doing this alone. But we aren't really alone cuz everyone here is with us in spirit.

I'm gonna take pre-op pics tonight and maybe I'll post them. Or maybe I'll wait til there is progress to share.

woo hoo for people in my boat! well... i mean i guess it would be better if we had significant others, but look at us- we're educated independant females. Go us. I do like to know I'm not alone.

:clap2:

another question-

Did you take your computer to mexico? Did you have a way to even plug it in?

Liz

Congratulations to the newly banded, and I'm excited for all of you about to be banded soon! Keep positive and healthy! I'm exactly two weeks out today and feeling better than I've felt in a few years. I have loads more energy and feel more alive. I've been battling with severe depression for a few years now, and lapband has given me hope to regain some of my lost life back. I have heard that losing weight changes you hormonally, and so that is probably what is effecting peoples fertility. We store a lot of hormones in our fat, and as we lose fat it releases those hormones into our systems. I have read that some people have changes in their menstruation, in their PMS symptoms, in their menopausal symptoms, in their skin, etc, all because of hormone changes. Some people have increased problems, some decreased. I have always had very dry skin all my life, and dry hair, and have notice just this last month more oil production on my face and scalp. So it does seem to be effecting me a little already.

My incisions are all healed too, and I started swimming yesterday, a day earlier than the two weeks recommended, because we've been travelling across Canada in an RV to do this lap band surgery, and I normally live on the West Coast and I really wanted to swim in the Atlantic instead of the Pacific! I was amazed at how much warmer the Ocean is here on the East Coast. I'm on Prince Edward Island (home of Anne of Green Gables character) and it's beautiful. We're going to travel some more, and go down through the States on our way back to the west coast, take a couple of months break in my home town of Vancouver in the fall, and then go south to California and then Florida for the winter.

Take care everyone!

XO

Leila

Barbara,

I have the same pains in my left shoulder. Just happens, can't figure out what causes it. It's not constant but it does hurt!

So cal and Liz,

I too did it on my own. Met up with 2 other banders when I got there. It would have been nice to have someone in the room when the Dr.s come in to speak to you. I had just taken the pre surgery pill and was a little dope so I didnt quite hear everything.....

I'm glad for Dr. Ortiz's diet instructions! I am down 17 pounds the first week! Yoo Hoo........

Liz - The hotel has internet connections for the room and they have a computer in the lobby......

Good luck to everyone.