NM Sunshine

Voon I thought we are supose to get fills once a month until we hit the sweet spot. I'm getting my fills in TJ Mexico. That is why I am slow at getting them...airfare and 150mile drive. I had my 1st fill on Oct 25. I don't feel restriction and can eat about anything.

green Shoeless braless hangout. Now that is the place to be!!!! It was held at a doctors office:cry no cute guys. No guys at all. I did show off my belly scars. Everyone had gastric bypass except for one lady who is thinking about getting lap banded. I was truely amazed to see how much people had lost. One lady had lost 180 pounds!!! It was so hard to imagine her 180 pounds heavier. How is your face feeling? Bet you are feeling like a gorgeous actress or something. Seems like the biggest motivation for me to lose the weight is for the face lift. I have these ideas of feeling like a gorgeous actress. :whoo:

KikiVal congradulations. :bounce:

I've read that Dr. Ortiz does 5 bands each workday. That seems to me like too many to do each day. Seems like it's a way to get sloppy. And when would he have time for fills and for aftercare? I think his popularity is mostly because he wrote a book on banding. I don't know much about Lopez, but he sounds like someone to avoid.

:bounce:I just got to share my good news with you. There is a meeting in my town tonight, it's a Lap-Band Support group. This is in the little town of Silver City, New Mexico. We're poplation 13,000 hidden in the foothills of the Gila National Wilderness. I am so surprised.:clap2: Will let you know how it goes

I jumped into the lap band thing very fast. I'd read about the lap band in a book by 2 doctors, called 'You on a Diet'. Luckily I had an appointment with my PCP a few days later and he was very much for me getting the lap band. The next day I researched lap bands on the internet. I joined this forum and just began by reading the posts. I narrowed my search down to 3 docs within my price range, one US doc and 2 Mexican docs. I chose a certain Mexican doc because everyone who'd used him was very happy with their choice. Within a month from the time I had forst heard about Lap bands, I was banded. I had a very good experience. Also I was very lucky considering the way I went about it all. I'm bipolor and my kids & friends are sure that what I did was a manic episode. Perhaps they are right. I just thank god that it all ended great. I know that I should have researched more. Yet, I know I made the right choice. VagasBones Who is Diane and what is her handle? Why was she in such a terrible condition? Was it caused by lap band surgery????

KikiVal Congradulations on your step forward. VERY LUCKY to be so close to TJ and a place to stay..........

I feel a bit embarrassed because I didn't 'check out' Vicky until later. I was moved by her terrible experience, knowing it could have been me. Later I did check and saw that she had never posted on this forum before, nor has she repied to anyones post. If what she said was true, I'd think she would hang around a bit. But I don't know. The whole patient co-ordinator is a bit of a mystery to me. :cryI think someone who understands patient co-ordinators should start a thread in the intro section that outlines ways to tell or to be suspicious. A Newbee needs this info.

OMAGIRL congradulations!!! Glad you had a good experience. Look forward to hear about your experience.

Christine I guess I'm a bit naive :owhen it comes to believing what I read on the forum. Later I checked out the handle of the person who wrote about the horrid experience with Dr. Ortiz and found that this the first & only post this person had done. I would think that could be a sign that someone could be claiming something that didn't happen. I do belong to other threads. Most of them I had joined before making a decision as to who to go to. This is my main thread. You mention an article by Ken Mills. Where is it at? I'd like to read it. Newblew Before my surgery, I felt just like you.; anxious, nervous and waiting for that magic day like I waited for Santa when I was a kid. It marks the beginning of a new life... As for keeping ourselves from cheating on diet, I think that is why we are getting banded. It will help us do that, especially in the quantity area. Remember that what you are doing shows lots of courage and desire to lose the weight. Be easy on yourself. oneonly Sorry to hear about your parents attitude. My kids felt exactly the same as your parents do. :paranoid Like my kids, your parents probably some the 'truisms' created through media horror stories. It's best to realize that you are making the best choice, that you know how to, for you. Once they see that you made it through surgery safely and begin losing weight, they may feel different.

Someone wrote about a very bad experience with Dr. Ortiz. The thread is http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/mexico-38588-new/ On page 3. I was really shocked as I thought Dr. Ortiz to be a good doctor (just not good at post-op). He does have a booming business in TJ. I had originally planned to go to him after research but changed over to Dr. Gonzales. Of course I do favor my doc. because I had such a good experience with him & his team. And I haven't heard any complaints from anyone who used him. There is a lot of stuff going on about 'patient co-ordinators' who get money for bringing in new clients. I don't know how to tell who is and who isn't a patient co-ordinator. After I'd read the story about Dr. Ortiz, I took it to be true. Later I wondered if patient co-ordinators make up bad stories about doctors????? I did check out the handle and this was her first post. Enlighten me if anyone knows anything?

I am so sorry to read about what you went through. It's truely frightening. And all that money! Perhaps your insurance will pay for a different type of surgery here in the states? I doubt it, but I wish it for you.

The cardiologist did an EKG on me in hospital Angeles before my surgery. The EKG was fine but, because I had some symptoms of possible heart problem he gave me a treadmill stress EKG test to make sure my heart was OK. If I had failed it he said there would be no surgery. I passed it with flying colors. I have asthma, which is the cause of the symptoms and why I had to have my surgery done in a hospital rather than a surgery clinic. As it turned out, the operation only took 25 minutes and I did great. If you have a heart problem you probably shouldn't get the surgery.

Mandyw I guess this is what the band is about. Slowing us down and teaching us how to eat. AND of course weight loss!!!:clap2: I just sent a reply to you on our old thread. I read about someones recent experience with Dr. Ortiz and I was shocked. I knew that Dr. Ortiz had poor aftercare but I thought he was a good doctor. Guess I was wrong. He was my other choice before I decided to go with Dr. Gonzales. I am repeating the address and message here for others to check out.:omg: It is 'Mexico?' thread on our forum. The writter is vicric1 and the post is on page 3 at the bottom. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/mexico-38588-new/ check it out everyone. It's .

That link is on page 3 toward the bottom written by VICRIIC1 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/mexico-38588-new/

WOW I just read this from the thread 'Mexico?' on our forum. It's about Dr. Ortiz and is VERY scary. Here's the link http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/mexico-38588-new/ Mandyw I'm with you. I just cannot see Dr. Gonzales or his team ignoring anyone post-op. Be sure to check out the link above that I sent. It truely is frightening.

I read what 'bewaremexico' wrote and it is so out of character of Dr. Gonzales that I have a hard time believing it. It sounds like a patient co-ordinator of another doctor wrote it.

judy2291 I'm with you. I want to know what restriction feels like. It's 2 weeks and 2 days since my first fill. I seem to be getting tighter also, just don't know. I could eat without chewing a lot, now sometimes when I don't chew a lot or overeat I get strong pains in my stomach. I think the pain is due to something getting stuck. Also sometimes I can feel food traveling down slow. I think that is restriction. When I got my fill the doc had me drink water while he added fill to my band. He did this until I could feel the water stop in my esphagus and a burp came out. Then he pulled some fill out, I drank water and didn't have that feeling nor the burp. That is when he stopped the fill. The two week later is a mystery to me. Seems like swelling is what would do that but after 2 weeks the swelling is gone. Will be interesting to read what others say.

Here's an article I found on PS in Argentina. Want a bargain nip-tuck? Visit South America - Skin & Beauty - MSNBC.com

Denise822 Be sure to keep us posted on any news you get about PS outside the USA. Green: If you went through 9 hours of anethesia with asthma, then maybe I shouldn't worry about it. I use to have that problem where every cold went right to my lungs. I quit smoking 10 years ago and no longer have that problem. I recently won a judgement of $13000.00 from a malpractice lawsuit against a lawyer that really screwed my over on my divorce. Turns out that he doesn't have malpractice insurance. I've done an assets search and his house has several other malpractice suit leins, IRS leins, and a forclosure on it. Looks like I won't see a cent, but if I'd have gotten my money I could go to the best PS surgeon. On TITS. I've always had large breasts, very round and firm, thankfully not the drooping kind (2 kids but only breastfed a month). When I weighed in at ideal, they were 34-36 B cups. Now they are D cups. My ex of 37 years never seemed that interested in them (think he was more interested in men than women) so I figured all those men that were attratected to me was because of my brain (or if you're a Freudian, a closet triangle). My BF of 10 years is wild over my breasts. So I learned it wasn't my brain.....:cry I want a reduction/lift when this is over. I had no idea that men were so breast crazy. I've always wanted those little tits that allow you to run without them bouncing all over the place. Now I see on cable TV all the porn stars and such have these jugs that look totally out of proportion to the rest of their bods. And the nipples are almost on top of their boobs:rolleyes:!!!!!!!

OMlagirl Be sure you take plenty of gas ex with you. The strips work great. You will have a swollen abdomen, but very loose tops will handle that. You may be fine. I hope so. Your idea for this thread was fantasic.:whoo: Another tasty treat for pre-op diet..applesauce. Get the one that has no added suger. Blue eyed:D I did a similair last night. Our neighbor had birthdayman, BF or DH & I over for a Bday treat. It was chocolate and almond filled bearclaw pastry. I could not resist. Ate the whole thing. But that is the first sweet-treat I've had since preop diet. Hey All Short C is definately one of us. You can trust her. Her fill was just before mine, so I got to watch Dr. G do A fill. ShortC waiting for my next fill to begin to get restriction like you have.

Green Thanks. 9 hours is a long time to be out. I wonder if I could even get a FLift because I have asthma. My band surgery went real fast,(25 minutes). When I came to, my lung felt like I had pnuemonia. It took days to clear them of mucus. I know one needs to find the best surgeon. Don't think I could come up with $25,000. Seems that full face lift may be out for me. I guess you stay in house or motel, until you can go outside and avoid stares.

Wow impressed. I'll bet some of those 'extra' pounds are pure muscle. I need to be doing what you are doing.

green how much does it hurt to get the kind of lift you have? Did you go to a doc outside of USA?

one Hi, congradulations. You can also eated steamed veggies that are mushed up. Diet puddings and diet jello are fine, as is diet shakes and diet popcycles. You get use to the diet after a few days.