RE: I AM A BANDSTER NOW!

September 10, 2006

,

You must have been a funny looking lady at the airport, I am sure it

was not funny at the moment but I see you can laugh at it now.

First time I have heard this happen but we need to plan on this, we

did have a lady that traveled with extra underwear in her handbag,

she did not need them but she was prepared. I am going to tell my

mom about this so she mentions it at the hospital so anyone can be

prepared if they want to, at least it won't come as a surprise.

I am sure glad that it did not happen again, can't imagine what you would have

done.

Post some pictures when you have a chance I would love to " meet "

you.

Take Care.

Nina

>

> Hello All! This will be a little long, so pour a cup of tea and

> relax. I returned from Mexico about 1:00 a.m. this morning. It

was

> a full day of travel as we left the hospital at 9:30 on Saturday

> morning and got to San Diego around 1:00 p.m. Crossing the border

> on a Saturday took a little longer although it was not bad.

Because

> I live near Tampa, I changed planes in Dallas/Ft. Worth for the

> connection home. Very long day of travel two days after surgery.

>

> To all of those who went before me and offered so much information

> and encouragement--(, , Dee, Jennie)--I thank you!

> To those of you who are pending surgery or who are considering the

> surgery I tell you this: Everything I had been told about the

> doctor and his staff, the hospital, the experience, the procedure,

> IS ALL TRUE.

>

> Everything was as I had expected. I had ABSOLUTELY NO

APPREHENSION

> AND WAS NOT NERVOUS IN THE LEAST BIT. My sister traveled with

me.

> She is a retired nurse (with surgical experience). My husband

> wanted me to have her as my companion because of her background.

As

> we arrived home early this morning and she was transferring her

> luggage back into her car, she hugged me and told me that when I

> first asked her to do this she felt some apprehension. She had

> never been to Mexico before. She confirmed her confidence in the

> doctor, the care, the cleanliness of the hospital, the cooperation

> of Dr. A's staff (Ernesto, Yolando, ) and the hospital

staff.

> Most of all she admitted that she had been impressed with it all.

> All of the Doctors, Aceves, Campos, Dr. Loma (Interist) and

> Dr. Sinhoui (Anesthesiologist), were as thorough as any US

> doc I had ever used. Thank you, Nina, from being there for me by

> phone and email. They are all very kind and not rushed as our

> medical professionals here. The lab work was just as thorough as

any

> here in the US as well. All of those test results were sent home

> with me as well as all of my x-rays before and after the surgery.

>

> Hospital Cleanliness:

>

> My room was mopped twice daily with a lovely lemon scented

> cleanser. In fact, all the floors in the hospital appeared to

> mopped multiple times during the day. One morning, I was brushing

> my teeth and my sister was sitting on the " oh so comfortable, full

> length, leather sofa in my room " watching the cleaning lady across

> the hall. She gasped, " She's dusting the wall, she's dusting the

> wall! " I turned to look at what she was talking about and the

> housekeeper was actually cleaning one of the patient rooms by

using

> a damp towel at the end of an extension pole to clean/dust the

> room's walls. She then mopped the floors and FANNED them dry. I

> had heard someone else on this site mention the " fanning of the

> floors " and thought it might have been a unique situtation--but

> every housekeeper fanned the floors dry after they mopped a

section.

> AMAZING the pride they take in their hospital and their work.

> Everyone smiled and I heard no grumbling or complaining at any

level.

>

> Hotel Stay:

>

> Yolanda picked us up from the hospital after my test and took us

to

> the hotel. We had dinner in one of the hotel restaurants the

night

> before my surgery. A full menu was offerred. The food was very

> good and well presented as in any fine restaurant here in the

> states. We went to bed early (about 6 p.m. Mexico time because we

> had been up since 3:30 A.M. Eastern time in order to make our 6:00

> a.m. flight from Tampa. At around 7:08 p.m. our phone rang and

Dr.

> Campos said " , I believe we had a 7 p.m. appointment in the

> business center. " OOPS, I had brain fart and was more tired than

> interested in discussing my procedure, but I threw on some clothes

> and went and met with him. He is such a sweetheart. For all

> younger girls I hear he is 28 years old and single.

>

> Surgery Day:

>

> We (not me) had breakfast in the hotel cafe. The cafe was

beautiful

> in its Spanish and beautiful tile. The food was very fresh and

> looked delicious. Lots of fruit and choices. " Sis " enjoyed it

very

> much. Yolanda picked us up and off we went to the hospital. I

was

> assigned to my room and got to put on the most comfortable drafty

> gown (LOL)that I wore to surgery. Lots of doctors come in that

> morning--Campos, Loma , and then TA DAAAAAA - Dr.

> Aceves! He was just as I expected, professional, respectful,

> informed, kind, and handsome!!

>

> I was wheeled into surgery around 9:30 a.m. I must tell you again

> that I had all the confidence in the world in the treatment I was

> about to receive. I recall laying there on the gurney thinking

and

> realizing that I was not in the least bit nervous. There was

> absolutley no apprehension on my part. My paper work shows that I

> was under for a little over an hour and that the surgey took only

43

> minutes.

>

> I awoke in recovery with no difficulty and got returned to my room

> sometime around 1 p.m. or so (I think). As previously mentioned,

> there is no clock in the room. My sister wore my watch which we

> kept on Eastern time and shekept her watch on Pacific time. We

did

> this because of all the people we needed to touch base with by

phone-

> -you know hubbies, children, other sisters, best friends, work

> associates, and the like.

>

> Pain Levels:

>

> I know that everyone and their pain tolerance is different. My

own

> experience with pain was so minimal. I never asked for any pain

> meds. The day of surgery, they did give me meds on two or three

> occasions through my IV. I agreed to it in order to maintain the

> status quo. I will admit I was pleasantly pleased that there was

no

> pain. Now I know 1) that I have a high tolerence for pain, and 2)

> that I expected to have some level of discomfort.

>

> This is the God's honest truth: I can honestly say that I have

had

> NO PAIN with this procedure. Mild discomfort, yes, to some

degree.

> The incisions are sensitive to the touch and I took great care in

> protecting my wound areas in large crowds at the airport and on

the

> plane. Yolanda gave me liquid Tylenol to use, but I have yet to

> open that bottle--plus it had to be packed in my luggage anyway.

> Even with the long trip home--and the last hour or so was becoming

> quite weary-there has been no pain.

>

> I walked quite a bit in the hospital to rid myself of the surgical

> gas. Bib Burps and little Toots took care of that and I

experienced

> little, if any, shoulder pain.

>

> Hunger:

>

> Thus far, and I am only four days post surgery, I have managed

> well. When I feel a little gnawing feeling, I drink something.

The

> smell of food right now is appealing but not tempting. I know

that

> will change over time--especially as my physical activity

increases--

> but I have my protein drinks here to assist in detering the hunger

> feeling.

>

> Negative Experience:

>

> I share the following information with you because we are all

honest

> on this web site and I believe our experiences can be beneficial

to

> assist others on this journey. And because it is in the past, we

> are laughing about it and will probabaly share it with close

friends

> only for years to come. Here it is: Diahhrea.

>

> It was my understanding that the big " D " generally arrives four or

> five days out of surgery. Well, my surgery was Thursday, and

my " D "

> arrived on Saturday (travel home day) JUST AFTER WE GOT THROUGH

> SECURITY AT THE SAN DIEGO AIRPORT. We were airside gathering our

> bags, shoes, etc. when I felt a little gas bubble. Because this

had

> been a minor issue since surgery I just stepped aside and " let it

> slip " OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A MISTAKE! It was NOT air as

anticipated-

> -but dampness. (I'm being polite here, my friends). Well, a

ladies

> room was within 50 feet where I walked as " tightly " as possible

with

> no success. I probably looked like a transvestite in high heels

> trying to walk, keep tight cheeks, and look like a lady at the

same

> time. I would have failed as a transvestite and I'm afraid it was

a

> real, real, disaster. Thank goodness my sister walked behind me.

>

> To think I had considered doing this alone: HERE IS ANOTHER

REASON

> TO HAVE A SAME SEX TRAVEL COMPANION: I spent about 30 minutes

alone

> in a stall while my sister 1) rinsed out my clothes and looked for

a

> hand dryer in ours and other ladies rooms---none to be found in

San

> Diego's airport--they only use real paper towels--bummer for us.

2)

> Sis started looking for me to find something to put on my lower

half

> that she could purchase at a gift shop that would fit me! (The

> impossible dream)

> 3) she came back at one time and said she had found some San Diego

> Charger plaid pants in XL but besides being rather ugly (no

offense

> to Charger fans) but she also felt they weren't big enough to fit

> me. Now I had a White tee and a white overblouse so from a

matching

> perspective, that would work if it had to--but they don't sell

> underwear in the airport anywhere.

> 4) She finally found a store that had some Mexican looking peasant

> skirts and so she purchased me a bright red skirt for $33 and

> brought that to me. (SIZE L with an elastic waist) YUK, way too

> tight for the tender tummy.

> 5) I had been shaking, fanning and blowing on my light weight

linen

> capris to get them dry--did I tell you that they are lime green as

> were my sandals?

> 6) The ever prepared grandmotherly 70-year old sister nurse had

some

> minipads in her grab bag. Those became my security, my capris

> became my underwear, (with rolled up legs) and the lovely Mexican

> skirt was snipped with the Sales Clerk's scissors and safety

pinned

> together from the ever productive nurse's grab bag. Well, there I

> was five minutes from boarding call in my red skirt, white

blouses,

> and a navy jacket that I carry with me everywhere because I am

> always cold--and my cute little lime green sandals--that

originally

> coordined with my linen capris. I was the real " Spirit of the

USA "

> in my patriotic colors and cool, damp under garb. WHAT A HOOT!

>

> The rest of the trip went well, we made it to Dallas/FW and on to

to

> Tampa. I looked like something from Hollywood or a New York

Village

> in this garb--but I held my head high and pretended I always dress

> that way. Also, I figured, What the Hay, I was in two strange

towns

> and no one would know me----WRONG! My flight to Tampa contained a

> colleague travelling with her mother. We are in a professional

> group together. We smiled, said hello and boarded our flight.

Once

> again, I preteded that all was normal and I was my usual chic,

self.

> LOL. I could not wait to get out of my garb and into my shower

as

> soon as I arrived home.

>

> Suggestions for Gonna Be Bandsters: TAKE AN EXTRA SET OF CLOTHES

IN

> YOUR CARRY ON. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS WOULD EVER BE A

PROBLEM--

> BUT, IT ALMOST CAUSED US TO MISS A FLIGHT. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN

> HORRIFIC!

>

> Regrets:

>

> I was the only person banded during my stay. Two others were

> originally to be there with me but their schedules changed.

>

> Blessings:

>

> My new bandster buddy from Tampa, Dee, was getting a fill so

we

> rode from San Diego to the hospital together. That was another

> story: Ha Ha.

>

> So there you are my friends, my trip in a nut shell. I am home,

> going through my mail, and setting up my meals, vitamins, taking

> calls from my fan club LOL and expecting the little

granddaughter's

> visit later this afternoon. It is a great day!

>

> Love and Best Wishes to you all! I look forward to hearing from

you

> and your successes. I shall keep you posted on mine.

>

> C

> Tampa FL

> 240/235/150ish????

>

September 10, 2006

Dear ,

Congratulations, and thanks so much for sharing your story with us.

I was planning on wearing red white and blue tomorrow (for Sept

11th) but sadly, I must admit that I have no lime green footwear to

complete the look!

Best Wishes!

P