Hey all,

I'm new to the boards here and wanted to introduce myself. I was banded on 7/2/04 by Dr. Rumbaut in Mexico (I've already seen him mentioned here). To date I've lost 25 lbs. I have one fill and I'm at 2cc's in my band. After I got my fill I ended up in starvation mode. It hadn't even occurred to me that I might have TOO FEW calories. Holy crap! So, I eat more often in the day, and dropped 4 pounds in the last week.

I think I differ from a lot of bandsters in the sense that I don't have a goal weight/time. I figure if I lose like an 'average' bandster I'll probably be around 145 in about a year, but I don't have a date in mind, and the number 145 isn't anything magical to me. I guess I feel like I've beat myself up over so many diets in the past that I don't want to 'set myself up for failure'. Fortunately I haven't yet learned how to 'eat around' my band. So at this point the only way I can go is down, if I keep doing what I'm doing.

Anyway, just wanted to give a little background and say hi.

Great job so far! So glad to hear how well you're doing! I really don't have a set goal either. I just want to be healthier and happier. I'm already feeling the good effects of my band. RXs, health problems drastically decreased. Physical and mental energy greatly increased. No complaints here!

Hello! I just wanted to say you have done a great job. You have a great outlook too!

Betty

Sounds good to me - Welcome!

Originally posted by Marimaru

I think I differ from a lot of bandsters in the sense that I don't have a goal weight/time. I figure if I lose like an 'average' bandster I'll probably be around 145 in about a year, but I don't have a date in mind, and the number 145 isn't anything magical to me. I guess I feel like I've beat myself up over so many diets in the past that I don't want to 'set myself up for failure'. Fortunately I haven't yet learned how to 'eat around' my band. So at this point the only way I can go is down, if I keep doing what I'm doing.

That's exactly how I feel about it. I think for most of us, it's pretty common. All I know is that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Welcome to the group! Sounds like you're doing great!!

Hi! I'm not banded yet, but I will be soon. I love your attitude about not rushing things along and having no magic number. This is exactly how I feel about it! My goal is health, Health, HEALTH!!!

Welcome!

I really envy you folks who had the courage to just get 'er done.

I needed to lurk here on this forum for a while to just make the decision to get it done!

This is a great group of people. They are caring enough to give each other the support we all need, and they are sane enough to help each other through the tough times, but they aren't so sane that they can't have a great time.

I've just had more fun here.

Good luck with your journey.

I guess I'm not quite as different as I thought I was.

whippledaddy- I read your prison post. That was really amazing. I really hadn't thought of it that way before, but it really does fit perfectly into how I am today as well.

I'm a really lucky person when it comes to my surgery. A little over a year ago I was looking into the Gastric Bypass, but thought that it was a little extreme for me. I was at 280, and I didn't want to stay that way, but it just seemed like too much. Anyhow, I later heard about the band, but dismissed it for lack of funds and insurance. Then I was going on vacation with my mom, and we were talking about a person we know who had the bypass, and I mentioned the band and told her a little bit about it, and she asked how much it costs, and I told her what I'd found, and she told me that she'd pay for it. Just like that. I started crying in the airport. I'm kind of a procrastinator when it comes to doing major things, but not this time. Whilst on vacation using the laptop we'd brought I submitted my profile/application to Dr. Rumbaut's office and got all the info I needed. I talked to my local doc to make sure that she didn't have any major aversion to the surgery, because I didn't want to have to argue with my doc about things like that. Then I scheduled it and was in just a little over a month after mom said she'd pay for it. She said it was the fasted she'd ever seen me do anything. lol...

And then, she tells me that I'm her hero. I laughed at her and said "I'm YOUR hero?!?!" She said that she knew alot of people who might have tried to find a reason not to do it, or put it off or whatever. It was a cool thing for her to say.

Anyway, I kind of went on a tangent there. Mostly I wanted to thank everyone for the warm welcomes.

Welcome Sarah,

I had my surgery in Mexico also with Dr. Lopez on 5/8/04. I had done a lot of research on it once I had heard about it but couldn't afford it nor would my insurance cover it. My father in law finally brought it up and offered to pay for it. Like you, I was down there lickity split (within 2 weeks). I figured I had done all my research, had a list of doctors in order of preference and was ready to get it done with. Best of luck, Teresa

Dr. Lopez

5/8/04

362/300.3/???

no fills yet

Hi Sarah,

Welcome to LapBandTalk... it sounds like you are doing a great job with your band. Congratulations on your loss!

This is a great site and the folks her are so nice and helpful. I hope you get as much out of it as I do.

Take Care,

Welcome Sarah!

It looks like you have a very healthy outlook about your future expectations and what a wonderful gift your mother has given you! Wishing you continued success and health with your new band!

Darcy

Hello I am getting banded By Dr. Rumbaut and I am starting to freak out. I am getting really nervous. Any last minute advise you could give me?

-Andrea

oh and also did you go to Dr. Rumbaut for your fill?

It's very normal to be nervous. I think it's our bodies way of preparing us for something so big. Surgery is always scary. The thing that helps me the most is gratitude. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have this surgery. Either their insurance won't pay or they aren't able to self pay, but they still really need it. Those of us who can find a way have a really great opportunity to change our lives and to be an example for those who come after us. I think if you can re-frame that in your mind, it definitely helps going in.

I happen to have a higher power whom I thanked all the way into the OR and whom I woke up thanking on the other side. It helped!

You'll do fine! We'll be here waiting to here how it all went too!

Good luck to you!

Leatha

Originally posted by sheeanisland

Hello I am getting banded By Dr. Rumbaut and I am starting to freak out. I am getting really nervous. Any last minute advise you could give me?

-Andrea

Yeah...relax. He is one of the most experienced lapband surgeons on the planet. He's a nice guy. And he knows from obesity because HE has a band. You couldn't be in better hands.

Dr. Rumbaut is a really great guy. I don't know how close you are to surgery, but I scheduled mine, and a couple days later he called me to make sure I didn't have any questions or concerns or anything. His staff is all super fantastic also. He's got 2 assistant surgeons that help him with the surgery, and they are also great. I'm a little cloudy from when I wake up, but at least one of the surgeons was there when I woke up to make sure I was ok. I'm 8 weeks out, so it's still pretty fresh in my head, I'll go through my experience for you;

I got to the hospital and filled out a little bit of paperwork. Mostly just emergency contact type stuff since the payment stuff is taken care of by Dr. Rumbaut since we pay him directly. Then they take you into a little room to change into your hospital gown and slippers, then you walk to the prep room (whoever goes with you can be with you for all of this). You lay on a bed and either Mario or Raphael (his assistants) will come talk to you. Then the anesthesiologist comes and explains what he is going to do while the nurse puts in your IV. Then Mario or Raphael come in (whoever it wasn't before) and explain about the gas they put in your stomach and whatnot (my boyfriend told me about this last part, I don't actually remember anything after the anesthesiologist ^^;. Then, you wake up. I think they've already loaded pain medication into you at the time, but the pain is still surprising. At least it was to me, I've never had a surgery like this before. Sitting up a little helped me. Then they wheel you into your recovery room (which is SUPER nice). The nurses check up on you every 2 hours (ish), take your temp and check your pain medication. There was never a time I wanted to ask for pain meds, if I even begun to think about wanting to ask, a nurse was in putting them in my IV already. After they wheeled me into my room, I was able to walk to the bathroom and back to bed. They encourage you to walk as much as you can, but doing so made me a little sick the first day. I slept alot. I would sleep, and then wake up feeling super refreshed and wide awake... for about 15 minutes ... and then I would sleep again. I was able to lay on both of my sides, with a little scootching to get comfortable. The next day all of your surgeons come to see me. They looked at my belly and took the tape with the gause off (they had fun with this for some reason, lol). I didn't have any stitches, just tapes to hold me together. The incisions were pretty small for the most part. One was less than a quarter of an inch. Then three that were about an inch long, and then the one near the port was 2 or 3 inches. Your belly will be yellow for like a week. Whatever it is they use to clean you up with stains pretty bad and doesn't like to come off. lol. I was discharged about 1pm from the hospital. I was walking around alright, but slowly. When you get back to the hotel, Doralisa has a basket of new-bander-friendly foods waiting for you. V8's and broth and all sorts of liquidy stuff.

And that's about it. I had my surgery on a Friday, flew home on Monday, and was back at work on Tuesday. I know lots of people take time off of work, but I have the benefit of a cushy computer job, and my boss is my mom, who was adament about me telling her if I felt I needed to go home to nap or anything at all.

Oh, also, the pain meds they give you don't make you all woosy or whatever, so if you feel like you want to drive somewhere or something after taking one, you can, which is nice.

I hope this helps you. I got super nervous a couple days before my surgery too. I cried like a baby the night before. I'm not even sure why, I just burst into tears all of a sudden. The band takes some getting used to (obviously), but I'm really happy that I got mine, and I'd do it all over again if I had to.

If you have any questions, you can email me (mari@mysticmari.com), or I'm almost always on AIM, MysticTaeza.

Good luck