hopeful

You guys are the greatest! Where are those tissues....sometimes a good cry is as theraputic as a laugh. hopeful banded Sept 24 2004 hit a plateau

This is one reason to be sure you are ready for banding and know how it will effect your lifestyle of eating for all the wrong reasons (lonliness, Celebrate,sad, happy, sick, well, and any other excuse to satisfie the monster within) none of which have anything to do with to nourishing the body and fueling it to function properly and efficiently. Of course no matter how ready you think you are, some days it hits you and you feel like you have lost your best friend in the whole world and why bother with the unexciting and unfullfilling substitutes called healthy choices. Sorry I got carried away there. hopeful

As scary as it is the advances in medicine make this not as life threating for Mom and baby as it once was. Bed rest and doing what the Dr. says will work, and if not, as in my case we both made it without any after effects. A C-section was required and the baby is now 34 years old with her own youngen. Prayers are the key, your sister has mine. hopeful Dr Ortiz and Dr Martines banded Sept 24, 2004

Thank you, you will never know how much I needed that encouragement today. Bless you and keep up the good work hopeful Brenda banded Sept 24, 2004 Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez one fill 1.5 ready for another fill holding at 43 lbs and up then down and up then down

It is not a silly question and every bandster will answer it differently because each of us has a unique experience with the banding and the experiences afterword. I have had alot of bp's because I am trying to change a lifetime habit of eating fast and big bites. I also eat while reading, watching tv or talking on the phone, not so much anymore because a few bp's will correct some bad behavior. You can spare yourself the problem if you are not an old dog that has a long lifetime of bad habits to break, or if you learn more quickly than this old dog. hopeful Brenda

Vera you have been one of my major inspirations on this website and I am so sorry to hear you are having problems. Please keep us informed as you will stay in my prayers. hopeful Brenda

I wore some elastic waist cotton pants, that were p.j.'s and very compfy. You really couldn't tell they were not street pants. I wore a sports type, no wire, soft cotton bra in order to keep the mamory gland off my incision. It worked real well. hopeful Brenda

Has anyone that has a band ever had the stomach flu? Just wondering what would happen if you got it while banded. It is going around in this area and I can't picture what would happen if you started barfing with a band on. Sorry, as if we don't have enough to think about. hopeful Brenda Banded Sept 24, 2004 Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez 1st fill Nov 17, 1.5

Bless your heart young man, you will be in my prayers. I was having a hard time keeping anything down after my first fill and every few hours I would try again, bad idea, the Drs staff told me to only have a teaspoon at a time, and wait for at least 15 minutes between those teaspoons, after 24 hours of this I tried to drink a small sip, it stayed down, then I tried a drink and I could feel it so I went to small sips for about 6 hours. It took one week of being very careful before the swelling was down and I could eat some very very chewed up small bites. I feared I would starve to death, but my gearth kept me alive (ha). Hang in there you will get through this and in doing so you will learn how important you have let food become. It is so hard not to have it on demand when that is how you have lived for years, or at least for me. Good luck and blessings hopeful Brenda Sept 24, 04 1st fill Nov 04

Thank you for the good info. I will call my Dr and get a prescription for the phenergan. You are all a wealth of information and encouragement. hopeful Brenda

I agree this is an excellent source of information for all that need support and direction and I would not want to make Dr Ortiz the source of any undue critizm or attention. If we are being truthful about complications we must all take into consideration that we ( obese ) are the most likely to have them, with this or any type of surgery. Again I had such a positive experience, as well as the others that I met at Dr Ortiz office and those I recommend the surgery to and have had the same great experiences that I am a little defensive for Dr. Ortiz and Dr Martinez. Sorry if I have offened anyone cause when it is all said and done we are the ones in this together. Going to Mx for fills still is as cheap as having one here without insurance with or without the hat drop. hopeful Benda Sept 24, 2004

I am new, and I have made a mistake or two when posting, which may make you not take me as seriously as a perfect typist and speller....(Ha)..but Michelle is so right about Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez. I went to 3 area (Midwest) specialist is obesity surgery, researched the surgerys for over a year, and the same with fills, and still will go back to my wonderful Dr's in Mx. at about the same expense I would have going to some of the less experienced and not using florascope Dr's in the U.S. I could have had surgery in the U.S. but I choose not to, I wanted to go where the Dr had a few more of these surgerys under his belt. I sympathize with those that don't have the money or the insurance to have this life saving, life changing surgery done in the States and would hate to see them scared off from going to Mx to a good, competent Dr like Oriz and Martinez. I don't know all of the Dr.s in Mx but I know mine and would recommend him to anyone that wants excellent care, compassion, 1st rate hospital and office care and wonderful staff. hopeful Brenda Sept 24 2004

Julie, That is right on track. Anywhere from 1 to 3 lbs a week is good. Have you started walking or exercising some? It seems that always speeds thibngs up a bit. Also don't forget to drink plenty of Water. Hang in there the scale is tipping in the right direction now. Also the slower weight loss will mean less baggy skin. hopeful brenda Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez banded Sept 24 2004 one fill 1.5 down 45 lbs

Blessings and prayers. You will be so happy for this step toward a better and longer future. hopeful

Michelle, I will say it again, you are one of the most knowledgeable people around. I must need a fill I am eating more and more. It took a while before I got used to the last fill, now I am sorry I did. The nature of the beast is to push to the last bite. I thought after surgery I would rarely struggle with overeating again, but that just isn't so is it. It continues to be a daily struggle, but now with some help from the band and all of you. hopeful Brenda Dr Ortiz banded Sept 24, 04 one fill 1.5 307lb...now 265lb

We are trying to break a life style of bad choices in a few months, it can't be done. Come on we have taken the first step by being banded, the next steps will come but not if we forget that we are a work in progress and today is a new day to make some progress. Cut yourself some slack and start thinking success not failure. By the was this was a reminder to me for the most part.

I cannot coment on this Dr as I have had no personal experience with him, however I did go to Tijuana and saw Dr Ortiz and Dr Martinez. They were the most referred and respected in all of the research I did. My experience was excellent. Don't be afraid to ask specific questions, and do your research so you will know who is giving the right answers. Hopeful banded 9/24/04 Dr Ortiz Lost 45 lbs

There is no comparason if you check the long term studies from Europe. In the U.S. the lap band is the new kid on the block and has gottan some bad press because so many of the U.S. Doctors are not qualified to do the surgeries, or haven't done very many of them. This procedure was only approved by the FDA in the last couple of years is my understanding. When I went to two specialist in bariatric surgery and requested banding they were both condesending about why I would choose this over bypass surgery. There was a suggestion that I was not as serious about weight loss if I chose banding. The new book on banding by Dr Ortiz "Lap Band For Life" should show banding in a more positive light. This book will answer alot of questions other Dr's have as well as the layman and seeker of help for life changes through weight loss surgery. Hopeful Brenda Banded September 24, 2004

What a great place to learn about things that can happen, or have happened and we didn't know what it was or is. This is my first message but I met you in Mexico at Dr Marteniz office when we got fills. I did not know that I should go on liquids for 24 hours after a bp episode. What else did I miss? Does bping alot cause erosion? What else can it cause? Hopeful, (Brenda) Dr Ortiz, September 24, 2004 307lb. now 264lb