... or, It Only Hurts When I Laugh.

(Warning: this will probably be long.)

First, I have to say that this board helped me get through the first few days of banding. Before I went into the hospital, I read a lot of old posts about pain, the joys of the liquid diet, etc. -- and that heating pad suggestion was great.

I was banded by Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey on August 26. There were at least three other women having the surgery on the same day; we kept seeing each other in the hotel lobby, at the medical testing facility, and at Rumbaut's office. While this did make me feel like I was on an assembly line, I grudgingly admit that this is not a bad thing. The docs here have routines and procedures in place, based on long experience.

Dr. R's patients stay at the Hampton Inn, your basic Americanized corporate motel. If you’re looking for local charm, you're out of luck. But the staff are very helpful, especially the van drivers, and the place has all the mod cons we Yanks are used to, including internet connections and HBO.

Dr. Rumbaut and his staff were great. Easy to talk to, answered all my questions. Dr. R had two assistants – medical residents, I think – talk to me a couple of times in the hospital. One of them explained the best way for me to take the take-home pain medication (crush it into small pieces) and assured me that the worst was over. After the surgery, he also gave me a tour of my abdominal cuts: liver retractor goes here, port goes here, band was placed through here, etc. I was grateful for the information, although I could have done without the prolonged look at my iodine-yellow belly!

The nurses were all sweet and competent; our US medical staff could learn a lot from them. Best of all, the IV in my hand, which I had been dreading because of my past two experiences, was practically painless. She gave me a local anesthetic, then in went the needle, perfectly placed the first time.

What would I do differently? Well, I wouldn't go alone. Two friends offered to go with me, but the last-minute airfares were awfully high, and I thought they'd be bored senseless, so I demurred. Probably a dumb move! I also would have stayed in the hotel an extra night; I flew home less than 48 hours after being banded, and while the flight wasn't as uncomfortable as I expected (and Mexicana has pretty long seat belts), I was very weak and had to rely on the kindness of strangers for help with my light luggage.

Now it's Monday. I've been banded for four days, am doing fine on the liquid diet since I have no appetite, and worked half a day today (although I had to push my chair back into a reclining position while at my desk). My belly is extremely sore, especially near the cuts on the left side. And thank you, everyone, who warned us newbies about gas pain! Mine is pretty much gone, but those first two days were rough.

I had ovarian surgery years ago, so I knew that abdominal incisions dictate shoes that don't need tying or buckling, no socks, free-flowing clothes without waistbands, and big baggy underwear, if any. (I'm mentioning this for the benefit of anyone who's going to be banded and hasn't thought about recovery clothes.)

Of course it's too early to make grand proclamations, but right now, even as I shift position to get my big yellow belly comfortable, I have no regrets. My only caveat to American patients regards language. Dr. Rumbaut and his staff speak fluent English, and most of the hospital nurses speak some, but you might be frustrated if you think you can rely on Dr. R’s phrase chart to help you through all situations. I speak Spanish, and my stay was made much easier because I could communicate exactly what I wanted -- especially when it came time for pain meds! Maybe I’m selling the nurses short, but every time I forgot & started muttering in English, I was met with looks of kindly incomprehension. (Of course, I *was* pretty stoned.)

That's all for now. I've lost a few pounds already... maybe Water, but I'll take it. Thanks again for your support. You have created a valuable resource here.

Glad everything went well Zoe

Don't push yourself..you still have alot of healingto do. We areall here for you for any questions you may have or any extra support

Take Care and rest up

Congratulations on officially being a bandster!!

Zoe, so glad that everything went as smoothly as possible. That's what we want to hear for everyone! Now you'll probably be feeling a little restless and frisky in a day or two. Please take it easy and let your body recover. Welcome to Bandland!

Glad everything went well for you. The discomfort sitting will get better soon. After my surgery my 2 belly rolls squeezed my port between them, so I had to recline while driving and keep my pants unzipped quite a bit. It didn't take too long to get better.

Hope you feel better each day.

I am so glad everything went well I was worried about you. Please keep us posted with your progress. Well at least you have that behind you. I went to the market tonight buying stuff for when I get back from mexico. Like smoothies and all that. what are you eating right now?

So glad to hear you made it home okay, Zoe! Thanks for the update and good information for those who come behind you. I hear Dr. Rumbaut is top-notch! I'm real glad you were able to get through it all and get home!

Take care of you for this first 6 weeks. There will be plenty of time afterwards to tackle that weight monster, I promise!

Leatha

Zoe - Glad things went really well for you. Thanks for all the information, it helps a lot for all of us that is following you.

Betty

Zoe what a great name. It sounds like you had a great experience. Good luck on your journey!

7 days until banding for me. I had a dream last night that I was in Mexico with Dr. Rumbaut getting banded. The whole experience was so real. And my belly was so sore I guess I was really feeling what Zoe was saying. I was so bummed out when I woke up and it wasent over. I didnt have my band yet..... well soon enough. But hey My experience in my dream was not to bad.

Sheeanisland, so "You felt her pain"! I remember dreaming about being scared to get married. But when I woke up, I realized I was already married.

Zoe, great to hear of your positive experience with Dr. R. I was planning to use him if I had to self pay (which looks like I won't). Hope your recovery is short and uneventful!!

It's Tuesday morning, day 5 of band life. I am grateful for everyone's concern. Funny, isn't it, how total strangers can connect via the internet? (I'm old enough that it still seems miraculous to me.)

About liquids: I've been drinking fruit juices, liquid yogurt, Campbell's tomato Soup, soy milk, and Protein shakes (the best-tasting one I've found so far is EAS smoothie Light, orange flavor; the EAS chocolate shakes are too chalky for me). I'm fortunate in that I have no appetite, so even when I'm near food I don't really want it. A coworker brought a huge gooey brownie to me yesterday, and I amazed myself by not only turning it down but having no desire for it! That's a first in my 47 years.

Dr. Rumbaut advised me to be on plain liquids for the first two weeks, then soft foods for another two weeks. So by the end of September I should be eating some regular food.

The hardest part of my newly-banded day is getting out of bed, although it's a little easier each morning. I slowly swing my legs over the edge, take a deep breath, hold a heating pad against my biggest incision, and force myself to sit. And it really does hurt when I laugh. I had to turn off Monty Python from the TV because it was making me double up. . . so I guess it's just drama and tragedy for a few more days.

I have a large exuberant dog, and walking her has been a challenge. She seems to know that there's something off, and has been a little less rambunctious than usual, but when a squirrel or rabbit crosses her path I have to grab onto something for support. And I take a cane on our walks so that I can lean on it while picking up poop!

That's all for now. I'm trying to go easy on myself. But by temperament I am impatient, so I have to remind myself that I need some quiet time to heal.

lolol... Thats funny I am planning a wedding now next year I will be getting married. I am just finding its hard to concentrate on what im doing at work. I am just so anxcious.

by the way that response was to new hope. zoe hang in there. Do you think I will be able to go back to work in a 6 days after surgery? I am a hair dresser.

Sheeanisland, it's worked out great. We celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary tomorrow!!!

Sheeanisland, I went through the same thing you did during the week before I got banded. Everything became a countdown until the big day. Banding is a big step, so I think it's perfectly normal to be totally obsessed and distracted before the surgery.

I went back to work after four days, and I probably shouldn't have. I have a desk job, and now I can only stay seated for short periods. I worked about 4-1/2 hours yesterday and six hours today, and lean waaaay back in my chair most of the time.

Of course we all heal at our own pace.

As a hairdresser, you must be on your feet for most of the day. You might not feel like standing for so long. . . then again, you might be ready to roll just a few days after surgery. I don't think there's any way to predict your exact response. It might be worth telling your boss that you might be a little incapacitated for a while -- if you work for a person who'd be willing to cut you some slack, or at least rest a bit when needed.

I should mention that I went to a Mexican restaurant with my boss and a colleague today. I had a huge bowl of soup (caldo) and an horchata. It felt strange to pass up the chips and salsa, but at least I discovered that I could lead a semi-normal life during the first stage of banding.

Hang in there, S. Those calendar pages are going to turn, no matter what, and you'll soon be banded.