hi

My name is "Desertmom" and I am petrified at the moment....

I live in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.It is a wonderful place to be.Yes, it is the middle east but we all get along just fine here.I am from South Africa and well, it is not to safe there at the moment..(saying that with all that's going on in this region sounds so...crazy)It is a bit like "pleasantville".People are mostly happily married.fortunate to have enough money...can belong to a beach club...camping,traveling..wonderful life....it is all short term..4-6 years at most (mostly 3 years..)

Except of course me.I have been dieting, not traveling...(to uncomfortable)no beach for me...camping with huge effort.the heat is of course a nightmare at my weight(up to 115 degrees in summer) It is the desert after all....

I have been fat since age 23.I am always on a diet.90 persent successful and 10 persent very unsuccessful.I mean very......

I can stay on a diet for 9 days and day 10 make up for the deprevation and way more.I have literally dieted myself morbidly obese.

Anyhow,have been lurking on this site for almost an awfully long time.

Never thought I would have enough guts to do any operation cause my pet fear is anasthetics.I am a qualified nursing sister and always said never any ops for me.

I went for a "free" consult the 18th and well, within 4 hours had all the pre-ops done except ecchogram and bloods.....found I have high blood pressure (started meds only 24th) My lungs look like a 78 year old according to computer (I used to smoke before....)and my operation date is 30 April....

Will see phisician 28th and he will say yes or no..meds must work first..but I am still thinking maybe I can run away...only I cant get away from myself can I?

I am positive if I can make it through the operation that this band will work for me.My best friend had it 2 months ago (got tired of me talking about it...)and she is absolutely crazy about it.....

I have 2 girls and I desperately need to show them how to live a good, fun balanced life and I just cannot do that.I have to say do what I say not what I do...I also want to live to see them grow up and not have all the aches and pains that goes with being so overweight.

All this doesnt change the fact that I am PETRIFIED and that I might still run away never to be seen again by anyone....ok just joking..I think..

Thanks for having somewhere to say these things......I surely can say this anywhere else...

Desertmom

I am leaving for the hospital now.Quite scared but peacful.God is in control.

Talk to you all later.

Desertmom

Blessings to you as you go...and prayers for a great surgery! So glad you have found a peacefulness, may it continue! And by the time you read this...congrtulations!!!

hi

I'm back from the hospital.Was actually released yesterday already.Slept most fo the day and feel like sleeping today as well.

I walk around and have even climbed the house stairs a few times.

I was 7 pound heavier when I came home than when I left.I know it is the fluids they gave me but still.I busted myself to lose those pounds before the op.

Anyhow,enough for one day.

Speak tomorrow....

Hey Girl, i was thinking about you...glad to see all went well...I KNOW...I couldn't believe I weighed more AFTER the surgery than before...figured that thing must weigh a ton!

Seriously, you are exactly right, it's Fluid..lots of swelling....keep moving but take it easy!

Deb

Welcome home desertmom! See, you made it back!!! So glad all went well. Walk and sip, sipa and walk. All that fluid will fall off before you know it. congratulations!!!

Welcome to bandland! I know the feeling, I was 8 pounds heavier when I came home. The nurse actually said to me "You come here to lose weight and we pump you full and you gain it", I thought she was kidding me until I got on the scale when I got home! It comes back off really fast though!

hi

Thanks for thinking of me.I am 3 days pos-op and all in all doing ok.

Only thing is my pre-op aches are back.I havent felt any arthritic pains since Saturday because the Tramal they gave me obvioulsy helped for that.However I woke up during the night with the shoulder,foot,wrist ect ect.

I feel a bit despondent about that.I wish there was an easy way to treat this but it seems there's not.

Hopefully as I lose weight it will all go away.

Anyhow,I just feel as if I dont quite know what to do now..........

so how ya feelin today?

hi

not to well.I am very nauseas (cant even spell correctly...)I dont know what is going on.I feel very "full" and uncomfortable and even water makes me feel sick....help.......

hi

I'm feeling much better.........I am even having some chicken Soup diluted 2X strained 10 times......and it goes down ok.

Today I'm going to try some fruit juice.

My "food" for the past 6 days: 1 can of Ensure instant .....330calories

And well, Water water water.....

Weightloss 0.....I need to up my calorie intake to get moving and to feel better and today I am having a fantacy about a hotdog......

Ummmm, I had one of those fantasies one time, it is okay. Oh... were u talking about eating food? ((blushes))

your ticker says you have lost 45 lbs in just over a week????? WOW!

hi

I will change the signature.I actually lost 45 since end Feb when my best friend had her op.(didnt want to stay behind with the weight thing..)

I started my pre-op fluids 7 days before op and lost from 318 to 308.

When I got back from hospital I weighed 318 again.......

Today....303...

Fantasy gone....late afternoon tightness in band is back.....and it feels just terrible....

Hi Desertmom,

It is very nice to meet you and see your successful banding. I'm glad you didn't let your fear stop you. My blood pressure dropped like a rock since I got my band. My mother in law was born and raised in UAE. She has fond memories of her childhood there and has shown me many pics of her youth. You've done wonderfully and I hope your success continues. Best wishes, Teresa

hi Theresa

Great place,great people.It is developing so fast now that a lot of the old charm is being lost.Westernization (money...)is killing the traditional big time no matter what the locals say.I love it here however and dont really want to think about leaving again.

I am feeling much better everyday.I still have a considerable ammount of pain in my stomach but the doctor says that is normal.Or he thinks I am talking nonsense.....That said the feeling that my lungs are compressed to the size of a golfball at night is getting better.

Please tell me.Do you feel the band all the time?Can one really carry on with normal activities with this horribly squashed feeling inside?Will this start feeling more normal eventually?

Ok,enough.I am not complaining just wondering.

Have a nice day.OH,btw your picks are great........