magkai1

Enjoy your evening RevyD. I am an RN, too, and was very impressed with the clinic and staff.

Well, Margaret, what a lovely name you have! Margaret

I concur with the others who have posted. There's a risk with everything but the lap band surgery is one of the safest surgeries - in the right hands. Dr. O and Dr. M are great at it. I have two small kids and I'm hoping they won't remember me fat (just started the journey; still fat now!). Part of the reason I did it is for my kids, so they can have me around to harass them for a long time. Margaret

Trying again. Hey everyone! I'm home. The surgery was a breeze. My "happy" (insert correct word yourself; I can't use it here because the forum filters it as spam!) boyfriend and I left my house at 6:15 and were at the Mexicoach parking lot at 6:45. OCC van was about 15 minutes late. When I arrived at the clinic there were other patients arriving from their respective hotels. I was first: talked with Dr. Miranda, got my IV started, got my EKG, changed into my lovely gown and panties and I was wheeled into the OR. Dr. Ortiz wasn't there yet. I spoke to Dr. Martinez. He is an awesome guy. Dr. Martinez told me that he and Dr. Ortiz have done over 7,000 lap band placements without one fatality. Of course I have no way to objectively verify this but I believe him. Apparently they used to practice at a hospital in TJ but quickly decided to opened their own practice. I laid down on the OR table and Dr. Martinez asked what kind of music I would like to listen to. I thought that was funny since I would be drugged up and told him so. I think he decided on Journey, which totally works for me. Seconds later I glanced over to my hand where my IV was and saw the anesthesiologist administering something and........I was out. I woke up in my room and Dr. Ortiz was sitting on the chair chatting with Dave (GBF) and I. I don't remember a damn thing! Dave told me later that I lifted up my hospital gown and showed him my betadine stained belly - boobs and all. I kept falling in and out of sleep all afternoon but there was no pain. Hardly any swelling or gas, either. Dave and I discussed just going home at 4 when the shuttle came to take everyone to their hotels but I realized I would get a much better night's sleep if we went to the hotel since I have squirrely (normal) kids at home. The shuttle came to the Marriott at 8, as scheduled. We picked up some people at the Lucerna and off we went. I was home, with coffee in hand, by 9. One thing that really surprises me from the 21 day post-op diet is that non-dairy creamer is allowed with coffee. Not a very clear liquid! But I'm not complaining! I feel tired, that's all. Here we go! Margaret

Hello again, I am trying to post again. Chad, I thought the problem was that I was copying and pasting some text (when I didn't get thru the first time I copied what I wrote and tried pasting it into another post, which also didn't work) but it happens even without copying and pasting. Will try to post NOW. MArgaret

I also wanted to say that the whole experience was seamless and super easy. Is anyone else surprised that we're allowed to have non-dairy creamer with coffee on the clear liquid part of the post-op diet???

Thanks all! I hope this posts! I'm having a heck of a time posting - I get the "Forbidden" sign. I wrote up a lovely diatribe of my OCC experience and it's all for naught! Oh, and they lie about not being hungry post-op. I am hungry. And it's not just head hunger. Stomach rumbling, feed me hunger. But I'll get by.

I give up.

Maybe my posts are too long? Was just rejected again!

So weird! My laptop has decided that I can't post on this forum anymore. I tried different browsers, restarting, nothing worked. I've been wanting to post and ask for some advice since my surgery on 9/25/09. So now I am on the regular desktop dinosaur and I am able to post. Wacko.

test

I'm done! Feel great!

You can email Lori or Carolyn at the OCC and they will give you details. There are three options. I'm on Option #2 - two protein shakes and one Lean Cuisine per day. I believe there is an Atkins induction type diet, and I can't recall the third. Good luck!

Dave, Thank you so much for posting. When I first saw the title of your post I thought yours was going to be the first horror story I'd read about the OCC. I'm relieved that it was yet another fabulous report. I am an RN and had my doubts and so I visited the clinic myself and spoke with Dr. Ortiz for at least 30 minutes. I have never experienced health care like this in the States. EVER. I'm getting my surgery on Friday. Margaret

Thank you all for your insights and opinions. Frankly, I just wanted to inquire as to whether I can eat something other than Lean Cuisine! I want a little variety but I won't go overboard. I am very excited about my surgery. I am not scared one bit! (Knock wood.)

Hey Deena, I hope to return home on the 26th and I live 25 minutes from the border so I don't think we'll run into one another in person. See you around here though! Margaret

I understand the band is not a miracle, though 2 protein shakes and one lean cuisine is not food.

One more thing - does my picture how up to the left?

I'm pretty much on target to lose the 12 pounds required of me before surgery. Here's my sick thought that I know ways loads about my relationship with food. I'm thinking about having a regular meal the night before surgery - not an effing Lean Cuisine - and then following it up with dessert. Did any of you do that? Am I nuts? Margaret

Hey girl, I think full honesty is ALWAYS the way to go with medical care. Also, you can email Dr. Ortiz directly at drortiz@obesitycontrolcenterDOT whatever it is. I believe PCOS is one of the conditions greatly improved by weight loss, so I would be surprised if you were denied your surgery on that fact alone. You still have one more week on the diet option #2. You just may well lose that last 5 pounds!! I would be surprised if you didn't. Let us know how it goes. Margaret

Sabrina, You can do it! If smoking wasn't so bad for me I would smoke, too. I LOVE it. In your case you also have to worry about your voice, right? Go girl! margaret

I'm going to buy Benefiber tomorrow! This pre-op diet is tough for me. My surgery is on Friday! I had a dream last night that I went to have the surgery and it was in a warehouse off of a local highway and, for some reason, I had my three year old son with me. Now, what I was going to do with him while I was "out" was not even in question in the dream. The pressing issue was that my son was hungry and I had to pee. So, in my gown and IV heplock, I pile kid and self into the car and then spend 2 hours looking for food and a bathroom, all the while freaking out that I wasn't going to have my Lap Band!!! So....yeah, I had to pee.

Thank you both for your replies. I had 12 light wheat thins today to stave off the hunger. I'm going to look at the Atkins link.

Any idea why this happened? I'm having the band "installed" in one week and your story is inspiring and also scary. Can you get another band? Would you want to?

Hey peeps, I am on day 6 of the pre-op diet and I woke up in the middle of the night wishing for a bean burrito with hot salsa. I am hungry almost all of the time. I've never thought about food so much! Did any of you go through this? I am down about 6 pounds, which is half of what they want me to do. Bean burrito............ Margaret