prettyone

Okay, I am new here. I was banded in August 2004 in Mexico by Dr. Lopez. I had believed that after a year of research that I had found a great doctor. Now I am not so sure. I have read the thread that so many of you have responded to about the puncture of a patients stomach. I just got back from Dr. Lopez's office last week. I went and received a fill. This time they found that my port has shifted and is not laying flat. Does this happen often? Is this a kinda normal thing? With everything I have read tonight (it is 2 in the morning here in CA) I am very worried. Maybe it is my own imagination, but my port is pertruding a bit more than usual tonight and it feels uncomfortable. I am not in major pain, it just feels odd. I know that if I eat too much, the saline tends to go back through the tube a bit and makes my port feel this way, but now I wonder if it is more than that. I am only 15 pounds or so from goal. Can this be because of my body shifting (shrinking) from weight loss? Please help me. I can't believe that just a few minutes ago I felt like I had the greatest doctor in the world, and now my world is upside down prettyone

Yes, that is the one. Thank you for finding it. prettyone

That's what I thought. It looks to me like Inamed is making some very important decisions about their reputation and services. I think this is a good sign. prettyone

What was the name of your hotel? The hotel I used was called the Lucerna. It diffinately was a top of the line hotel. I had surgery almost a year ago with Dr. Lopez. Yes, I agree that the nurses need to speak English if they are going to continue doing so much American Business. I just heard from a friend that went to Dr. Lopez a few weeks ago that they had a nurse or office staff there all the time who spoke English well. Maybe this point is getting across at last? I like many others on the site don't know how to speak Spanish. I used Belighter to find me a good doctor. I think he is a good surgeon, but Belighter was horrible. They made it almost impossible for me to communicate with his office for aftercare. Once I stopped trying to use them to schedule appointments, everything ran smoothly. I have had 4 fills in the past year and each one has been well done.

Renee, I have just heard from another board that the Molding Clinic is having their ability to use the Inamed band taken away. I guess too many proper charges over the years. Is it true that if the band isn't Inamed that the doctors here in the states don't help you? prettyone

I have had the opportunity to email personally back and forth with Penni60. I do believe that the comment made about perceptions is very relative to this situation. That is why I for one would agree that the thread needs to go, but I have digressed. Penni has only written to me in the kindest manner. I wish I knew how to post our emails on here, but alas I do not have any computer knowledge. I can not locate the thread anylonger of which I was reffering. It must have been the one mentioned as locked. That above all makes me feel good. DeLarla, I am not reffering to one person in general, but the overall emotion coming from the thread. it really doesn't allow for anything but panic amongst newbies. Maybe there is room for that to be okay for a short while, but I personally disagree with allowing it to go on for months. It pains me to think of anyone going through the difficulty you ladies have, yet keeping it up month after month does not seem to allow those of us with good experiences to feel welcome to comment. Just the idea that I or someone else would say good things with those stories up seems virtually impossible. Now I am not sure if I am making any sense. lol Well, if nothing else this has maybe opened up the possibility for dialog here. The way this site is set up is very different than other sites I have "lurked". This thread stays up with the alarming and highly charged title for everyone to see the moment they come on the site. Thank you for all of you (well, I know I ruffled some feathers, sorry) who responded so elequently to my post. I appreciate it. prettyone

That's my point. They do know about it and allowed it to stay. They even commented on it themselves. Yet, a thread that is vindictive and slanderous continues for such a long time and no one ever gives a bit of evidence to support their accusations! They themselves (moderators, in my opinion they are more like coordinators for other doctors) keep the emotions high on a thread that just scares people and shows no sign of ever allowing intelligent responses to be posted without one of them replying rudely. Prettyone

Thank you for asking. I am very satisfied with my experience with Dr. Lopez. I know that this site seems to be very anti Dr. Lopez. But I have been checked out and I have also been in contact with many other clients of his, and we are all quite happy. I get the feeling that because a few on this board are extremely verbal about their experiences, that many people are being turned off to the possibility of checking into him as a viable choice. I hurt for those ladies, but I still can't get around the fact that on this board alone, sooooo many seem to put down just him, and no one others. I have been reading the threads, and those who speak up with some kind of logical thinking are put down for speaking up. This really does look like a board run by people with an alteriar motive. I even notice that some doctors are purposefully give threads of advertisement. prettyone

Hello, My name for the board is prettyone. I never thought in a million years that I would actually feel that way about myself. I have been banded for 10 months now. I have gone from a size 1X to a size 8 petite. I am only about 10 pounds from my final goal!!! I am very happy with my experience. And until just last night, felt really great about my experience with my doctor. Dr. Lopez in Mexico. I have read a few horror stories on here, and I do not want to downplay the sadness and heartache these few ladies have gone through, but I am happy with my surgery and Dr. Lopez. The only difficulty I have is that my port has turned a bit sideways, so I will have Dr. Billy (a local doctor) check me out to make sure everything is still okay. I have a completely new life now. I don't hide away like I use to. I enjoy my life and my 4 children. My husband didn't quite know what to think when I first told him about my desire for the lapband, but now he is a believer! I look into the mirror and I see the lady that married him 14 years ago looking back at me. Well, hello to everyone else on here. I hope that I haven't upset anyone regarding Dr. Lopez. I just don't think that after over 1,200 surgeries that three problems should be allowed to go without someone saying something decent about him also. Prettyone

Hi, I am new here, but I have had my band for 10 months now. When I first came home from the hospital I truly thought it all was a big hoax. You can't feel it at all, until you have restriction. then you can feel the effects of it, but not the band directly. I eat and live so much like a bandster that it is never far from my thoughts. But when I am being social, at church, etc. I am not thinking about my band. It is only when I go to drink or eat that I remember "oh yeah, I've got to eat this way." prettyone

DeLarla, Did you have any symptoms? I haven't had any symptoms of anything wrong. Just a bit of protrusion. I was under the impression that protrusion is to be expected when you lose as much weight as I have. I am quite thin in that area now. I am going to call Dr. Billy's office this coming Monday. I would just like to have everything checked out before I continue to panic or something gets out of hand with my health. Thanks, prettyone

Thank you Penni, Please, anyone else with info or an idea of what I should do next please respond. I feel like I am going out of my mind. prettyone