I'M BACK!!!!

Well it has been a long time since I sat here blogging. Many things have been happening in my life lately I really do not know where to start.

LAP-BAND SURGERY

This process started well over a month ago. Lots of researching was done, talking to many people (and doctors) about the pros and cons of doing this. I finally made up my mind to get the surgery done. The day I decided, I e-mailed a lap-band (bariatric) clinic in Mexicali, Mexico. The town is right on the border with the USA. We set a date for August 3rd, and so the real planning began. I went on line to get our plane tickets. Never having done this before was a learning experience for me. Finally after booking our flights and then realizing I had made a mistake with the time we would be leaving Calgary I had to call and get it changed. They had not had enough time to put the original tickets through so there was no cost for the change.

My girls were all behind me in this. They were and are very supportive. I told very few people about what I was planning so I would not get any negative remarks.

We had to catch the plane in Calgary at 6:45 am Wednesday morning. This meant that we had a short sleep after supper and then got ready to drive to Calgary. We got there about 2:00 am and stopped at the Husky on Barlow Trail for something to eat. I remember years ago stopping there to eat. It really hasn't changed much. That was my last meal for quite awhile.

We then drove to 'Park and Jet' and took the shuttle to the airport. They were very accommodating there. We got to the airport around 4:00 and AmericanWest opened their ticket stall so we basically were the first ones through. Once through security, etc we found a couch to lay and to rest. By the time we got on the plane we were both very tired. I knew that I could not have anything to eat--of course they don't serve anything on the plane anyway. We tried to get some sleep but the plane was so small and cramped I could hardly believe what a tiny space we had to sit in. The seats were very hard, but the steward told us they do float if we landed in the water. Nice thought.

When we got to Las Vegas we had to get off the plane, wait awhile, then get back in line to get back on the same plane. Thankfully our luggage got to San Diego with us. Ernesto, from the clinic, was there waiting for Rudy and I. He had a big sign with my name on it. Sure was glad to see him. There was another lady, Kim, who was going to have this surgery, already in the van--she was from Seattle. The ride from San Diego took a bit over two hours. Wow, what a different country. I was blown away by the huge rocks and the mountains made out of rocks. Rudy and I both said that this is probably where the early westerns were filmed. You could just barely make out John Wayne waiting, with his horse, behind one of those big boulders for the bad guy to come along.

We arrived in Mexicali about 1:30. It was well over 100 degrees. Just like walking into a furnace. The clinic (hospital) was very nice and very cool. We were met by Nina, our coordinator for our stay. She was the person who took care of everything and I mean everything. She took me away quickly to have a blood test, a chest x-ray, an ecg, and a urine sample. Very professional people. Most did not speak English but it did not seem too much of a barrier. Nina told us to go out and have a nice supper--anything we wanted. Ernesto drove us to our hotel (which was paid for). Very good air conditioning. After supper I was so tired by 6:30 I thought I might get sick so I took my sleeping pill and went to bed. I had forgot that at 7:30 that night I was to meet with Dr. Acevas (the surgeon) and Dr. Campo (the anesthesiologist). They both told Rudy that they would talk to me in the morning before the operation.

Ernesto came to pick Rudy, Kim and myself up at 7:00 am to take us to the clinic. Already it was very hot. I was assigned room 24--a very nice room. Everything about the clinic was very nice and clean and lots of staff to look after you. Both doctors came to see me and explain what was going to happen and about the band--showed me one and explained how it was put in, how it worked, etc. Very thorough--very professional. They both said the main thing I have to keep in mind is to make the decision to eat properly after the surgery. The surgery will help with losing weight but the important decisions were mine as to whether I would follow their guidelines on how to eat or not. Even my nurse, (a nice looking young man) by the name of Carlo, emphasized that a commitment needed to be made about how we wanted to live with the lap-band and what we ate. This was a theme that was repeated many times.

Kim had her operation first. I had my operation about 1:00. It took 55 minutes. All done laparoscopically. I spend a few hours in the recovery room and then was taken back to my room. Rudy was waiting for me. I was very happy to see him. The recovery was quite remarkable in that there was very little pain and no after effect from the anesthesia. I slept on and off the rest of the day. I received two pain killers in my IV so maybe that was why I did not feel any pain. They made a bed for Rudy to sleep on in my room. I gave him a sleeping pill and he had a good night sleep. That was very nice of them because we did not have to pay for a hotel room for him for two nights--he just stayed with me. He did some wandering around Mexicali while I was 'out' but found it almost too hot to stay out very long. The day after the surgery was much the same. I did a lot of walking. Kim and Rudy and I and another girl Tina, who had the operation the same day we did, hired a taxi to take us to a big mall. There were probably 100 stores in there and at least 15 shoe stores. We looked around and bought a pair of runners for Katya, which she will have to grow into, that light up when you walk in them. Just too cute. So we spent $10 on the shoes and that was that.

The next morning we got up around 7:00 and Ernesto drove us back to San Diego. Kim was with us and a young fellow who had the procedure done, too. I have no idea how many people have this operation per day. All I know is that the doctor visited me many times, Nina took lots of time with us to make sure we were happy about everything, and everyone was extremely nice. I would recommend this place to anyone who wanted this procedure done.

If any of you, who read this, is interested in this clinic go to www.mexicolapband.com. You can read their website and get lots of information.

I have lost 7.5 pounds since the surgery and am doing well. Rudy is really wonderful. This surgery may not be for everyone but I am sure that it will add many years to my life. My diabetes was getting out of control and I really did not feel well. There were two reasons why I had this done. Number one is that I have been told by the clinic there and my own doctor that if I lose my weight I will most likely not have to take insulin anymore, and number two is that I needed to lose weight. I have already cut my insulin in half and my readings are all between 4 and 6. They say "4 to 7 go to heaven". I am counting on it.

Will keep you posted with my progress. As of right now I am doing great. Tomorrow I will venture out to do some much needed shopping--but not too much. I have also started walking around the block 2 times a day--a beginning.

KATYA

It was so nice to see her when we got home. She looks like she has grown a few inches. She has one tooth now. It took her 13 months to get that tooth so we are very proud of it.

Take care.