muse profile

Loida Casares Ruiz

Wife, Mother, Writer, Advertising Manager

Loida Casares Ruiz grew up in Northeast Houston. She graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Minor in English. She received a Master of Arts in Communication in 2001. She works in advertising by day and is a mother, wife, and writer by night. She has al...

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The Lap-Band Adventure

Something I haven’t shared about myself yet is that I received a gastric lap-band on December 28.

I have been so surprised by how many of my friends and family have asked me about it and have told me that they have a friend who is thinking about it and would like to talk to someone who has been through it. I tell them to call me or e-mail me.

So far I realize that I have been very fortunate in that the surgery was such a success and that I haven't had any complications.  I've lost 20 lbs since a week before the surgery (pre-surgery diet) and with the post-surgery diet.  I still have a long way to go but with the help of the lap-band I feel like I can do it this time.

The thing is, you can’t think of the lap-band as a cure-all.  You have to see it as a tool.  When I start eating that lap band is there to remind me that I can’t, and shouldn’t, eat the same amount any more.  I can cheat my way around it, but if I did then the surgery would be pointless. The lap band creates a restriction and causes you to feel full a lot faster. 

These first couple of months are really more of an adjustment and the lap-band gets filled slowly so that it becomes tighter and thus the restriction. I’ve had two fills so far and I have moderate restriction. I keep hearing that by the third fill I will feel a lot more restriction and that it will make it easier to lose more weight. My third fill is either this Friday or next Wednesday. We’ll see. Hopefully I will drop another 20 lbs. 

I’m also exercising at least three times a week. I’d like to do more, but that’s all that my schedule permits so  far. Now that the time has changed I should be able to pick it up a notch.

I’ve been thinking of writing a book about my lap-band experience. There are books out there by celebrities, but I think it would be great to hear the perspective of an ordinary every day person. We are all intrigued by weight loss. I know I am. I picked up that copy of People with all the women who lost 100 or more pounds. I wanted to read how they did it. I think it’s great when people can do it on their own with diet and exercise but some people, like me, need an extra helping hand. I’d like to write a book for that audience.