wannabelean

hey friends... I know there are a lot of you in CA looking for a great fill Dr. Well I found one!!! Dr. Powell is in the Cardiff Medical Center and is affiliated with Fill Centers USA. He will fill patients banded in Mexico and because of his affiliation with Fill Centers USA you are entitled to a bunch of useful resources to help you on your journey. For starters... his staff is incredible... really helpful and sweet. His office is EASY to get to and beautiful, exactly 1 hour from Orange County. His fills are competitively priced. Fill Centers USa provides you with a binder full of useful information that answers many, many questions as well as, a great website with lots of helpful features, such as, calorie tracking, progress tracking spreadsheets, recipes, support staff, etc. etc. If anyone would like more information about Dr. Powell, I would be happy to talk to you. I really wanted to find a Dr. close to home to do my fills as many of you know, and now I have..... and I feel REALLY LUCKY! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

JBoy, this is not some kind of coverup. I feel the same way as you do about Dr. Huacuz. I had a fantastic experience with him. I am the one who basically made the mistake in identity between Gadgetlady and Misfortune. I am really not sure how I screwed this whole thing up, but I wish you would let it be, and know that you are suspecting an innocent bystander based upon MY MISTAKE! I apologize if I fed your desire to uncover some big conspiracy... but unfortunately there is no truth to Gadgetlady being involved in ANY WAY to Misfortune. I don't know anything about Misfortune, but I do know that she is not the same person as Gadgetlady. Please accept my apologies.

Oh my GOODNESS!!! I feel absolutely HORRIBLE!!!!! This is my MAJOR BLUNDER and Gadgetlady is now suspect for no reason!!!! MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES GADGETLADY. To the rest of you, I am SOOOOO VERY Sorry about my confusion. I am relatively new to computers and chat lines, but after this mistake, where innocent people are having to defend themselves I think I would be best to never participate again. Gadgetlady and Misfortune are 2 totally different people. My original post was completed at 1:00 am and I was not thinking clearly, therefore I thought that Gadgetlady was Misfortune. SHE'S NOT!!!!! Please feel free to PM me, and I will gladly tell you that the only victim here is Gadgetlady and it's all my fault. I apologize from the deepest spot in my soul for all that I am putting you through Gadgetlady. I will be more careful in the future. Although, I really believe that I must leave these chat lines now, before I do further damage! Good luck to all, and please be considerate of both Misfortune and Gadgetlady.

Hey Gadgetlady, did you ever look at what time people are posting.... I have a theory, that most people don't really think clearly at this time of night! Hope you are well!!!! Thanks! Sorry to throw this in the middle of this thread.. I'll but out now! Carry on!

Hey Feb. friends... it looks like a few of us have been missing for a while. I hope you are all well! In response to your question, Janet, is anyone considering an unfill???? Here I am!!! I had a fill on Wednesday, and thought it seemed tight and mentioned it to my doctor before I left. He asked me to stay a little longer to see if it really was too tight, but I was concerned about getting back to Orange County from San Diego in time to pick up my 5 year old.. so I thought, I would just work through it. Yikes... let's just say, I hope he can see me Monday morning. I am soooooo tight I can't sleep at night. Every ounce of water in the morning and at night is being slimed back up! Mid day I have been able to get a protein shake down, and that is ALL!!!!! Since Tuesday night.... I have even thrown up the few things that I have tried to eat. I am really unhappy like this... I too hear the gurgling in my throat. I also burp from the minute I lay down on my bed... little annoying burps. Pray for me! I hopeyou are all well. I will try and do some reading and catch up on everyone's progress. Any suggestions besides hot tea???????????

I hope your health improves Misfortune. That must have been an incredibly difficult ordeal!

Hey guys.... I am finally back . The kids and I drove to Arizona for spring break to visit my mom and dad. I have missed the daily updates and just spent the last hour reading what you all have been up to! Janet has been.... Sewing??? Falling??? Recovering chairs and teaching online exercise classes. You amaze and entertain me everyday! Tammy has been suffering with God ONLY knows what!!!! I am praying for you sister!!!! My guess is that it is a cyst or something that they can remove EASILY!!!! (Not that I'm a doctor or anything) Hang in there! Becky is living the dream life of a bandster!!! I am so jealous... you have had the same experience as I have had all along... until now!!!! Go Becky! Anyway... I miss you all and I am glad to be back. My laptop is in for repair, I am on my husbands laptop right now... but I should be back on line as of Wed. Hooray. In the meantime... I continue to struggle with my ridiculous weight loss of 8lbs!!!! I must admit... I do not always maintain a real positive attitude. Afterall... as you all know, this surgery was NOT CHEAP ... and swimsuit season is only one month away... okay maybe two.... but I am going on vacation to the BAHAMAS May 15th and I have to be in a bathing suit in front of my husbands coworkers!!! UGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! Pray for rapid weight loss. Another question... I have had what I think has been really good restriction, and yet very little results.. I don't want to go for another fill for fear of pbing and sliming even more than I do now!!! I may have to try your downloadable program.... I can't imagine I am eating more than 1,000 calories!!!! Okay, until Wed. Be good! I look forward to your updates!!!! Thanks for always being here!:clap2:

Hey... has anyone had a similar situation. I had my fill last week and I had really tight restriction. I could not swallow the meat off a chicken leg, or a hard boiled egg or chicken salad.....I PB'd on all of the above. This weekend we went out to dinner several times, I managed to eat about 100 tortilla chips and salsa and 1 slice of a quesidilla at one meal, I ate mozarella and tomoto salad, I ate 1/2 eggroll and some orange chicken and finally at the Angels/Yankee game I had a hot dog with bun (over about 1 hours time) and about 3 handfulls of popcorn. This was not a typical weekend for me. It just happens that we ate out alot. The wierd thing was.... I still ate less than I usually would have, but more than I think I should be able to. I gained 2 pounds of the original 7 that I lost!!!! I am very discouraged and not sure why I am not as restricted as I was... how will I ever lose weight and let go of the feeling that my band is not functioning properly????? Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions!!!!!!

Lisa... typically Dr. Powell does not recommend more than one fill within a four week period... however, he was NEWLY trained... and I was his first solo fill... everything went fine... except... because I had never had a fill, I did not know what to expect and therefore did not know what a fill should feel like.... One week after my fill, I was able to eat a ballpark hotdog at my daughters softball game and a full quesadilla at El Torito.... I felt very much the same. (you should know that even after my surgery I had NO RESTRICTION)... anyway to make a long story short... After two weeks Dr. Powell had me come in and tried to extract the 1.2 he had placed in my band... only to find that it had "disappeared"... Needless to say, he decided he should fill my band really tightly and then back it off.... I am now DEFINATELY restricted.... I now know what all of those nasty things are... PB's, slimes, restrictions...... Hopefully now... I begin my journey to a thin summer!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have any questions about Dr. Powell feel free to PM me.... by the way, you have to forgive me.... I don't know how to respond to someone's message or quote within mine so they know what I am talking about... so please bear with me... that's why my posts just show up randomly!!!!!

Hey Nanster.... I have had the EXACT same thing happen... last weekend I ate all kinds of foods with very little problems (I was filled two weeks ago Tuesday)... the last three days I have slimed and PB'd all over Orange County... CA. I even christened the parking lot at Trader Joes... as someone was in the bathroom when I was caught off guard. But as I mentioned in one of my other posts... my band is extremely finicky... one day REALLY restricted and others.... no problems. I too spend a great deal of time hungry. At least you are continuing to lose weight. I lost 7 pounds... gained 2 and now down 6!!!!!! We will figure this out.... I AM SURE OF IT!!!!

Hey Janet... not that I am doing much better... but have you given any thought to the circumstances around what your eating..... I know for me if I am PMSing I look for what I call SOUL food.... being a nice Italian girl... there is no problem that a delicious bowl of PASTA can't solve!!!! If my inlaws call for any reason..... I EAT and I EAT BIG!!!! If my husband is in a rotten mood.... I EAT!!!! If I am in a bad mood.... I EAT!!!!! although... writing all of this I just had a lightbulb moment! I used to teach fourth grade and one of my students had Compulsive Behavior Disorder... when he would cronically pick his nose... we gave him silly puddy to replace the behavior, when a smoker quits smoking they...chew gum or eat lollipops.... we need a behavior to substitue for eating.....Can anyone think of something as satisfying?????????????? I am open to suggestions. Anyway Janet, I got a little side tracked.... but hang in there.... hey by the way, anyone know how many calories are in a bowl of matzaball soup???? 1/2 cup? Have a great "Good Friday" and let's make some "Good Choices"!!!

LisanJason.... Dr. Powell will fill Mex. Banded Patients and he is in Cardiff, California (just past Legoland). I live in Yorba Linda and it takes me about 50 minutes to get to his office. I am really pleased with him. You can get his phone and address from the Fill Centers USA website. Good luck.. I hope you have a great experience. To the rest of you... thanks for providing some great reading material. I am still waiting for the weight to fall off. Sunta... I can relate to your experience. I can't eat without pbing or sliming, and yet I am not losing... My portions are DRASTICALLY smaller and yet... no weight loss. HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I LOVE MY BAND ENOUGH TO GIVE IT A NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :faint: Have a great day!

Thanks for the encouragement... that is exactly how I feel!!! Not a day goes by that I don't worry if my band is functioning properly! I only wish that I had greater success so that I could believe that this was all a wise choice.

Can anyone tell me what the average fill is that would be needed for me to feel restriction? I had my surgery on February 3rd..., I had the smallest of the Inamed bands put on and had absolutely no restriction...... Lost no weight.... went for my first fill and had 1.6cc's put in and still feel NO restriction. I was reading that I should only be able to eat 1/4 cup of food at a time.... as it stands right now... I powered down a hot dog at my kids baseball games with No problems.... I could have eaten more, i have eaten almost a whole quesadilla.... etc., etc., etc. The problem is... I keep thinking I should eat as though it will be my last chance to enjoy some of my favorite foods and therefore I am gaining weight. I want my journey to weight loss to begin... but I really want to have the aid of restriction to help me curb my appetite and begin my healthier eating! Thanks for any advice.

Hello. I was banded in TJ in February... and while it was not the US it was really not bad. I was banded by Dr. Huacuz. The surgical center was quite clean... the hotel they put my husband up in, was Really quite nice. The day after the surgery... my husband and I went shopping on Revolution Blvd. It was MUCH better than I would have thought... I have heard Very good things about Dr. Kuri... if you are looking for a closer fill Dr. than having to return to TJ.. you should check out the Fill Centers USA web site. Dr. Powell is in Cardiff, CA which is in the Carlsbad area. He will fill patients banded in Mexico... and his office is great, his staff is wonderful and he himself is the best!!!! I have been really happy with all of my choices, Dr. Huacuz, Dr. Powell and Fill Centers USA!!!!! Let me know if you have any other concerns. Oh Yeah... also have your wife brings lots of reading material. The full day in the hospital can be quite boring... Our hospital room only received one channel of English speaking Television.... i have never seen so many episodes of COPS in my life!!!! Lucky for me I had plenty of reading material.. but it was a little boring for my husband. Good luck to you!!!

Tina.... I get those HICCUPS too!!! How EMBARASSING!! It is horrible. Especially if we are in a restaurant. Will this always be this way! Between the first bite issue, which I have also and the hiccuping!!! There is absolutely NO JOY IN EATING ANYMORE. The idea of this makes me pretty sad!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey all, I was just reading your response to bandedshopgirl about her first bite pain. I am experiencing the SAME thing! With my second bite of food I end up clutching my heart... I can barely take the pain...I have slimed up food, saliva and nothing relieves the pain as I can see except time. However, my question is... it was recommended that she drink hot tea before meal times... however I am under the impression that liquids should not be consumed at all one hour before and after meals..... Am I misunderstanding?

Nanster, Sorry to hear about the low weight loss numbers... it can be pretty frustrating when you think of the volumes of food you used to consume compared to now.... I feel like the weight should just be falling off!!!! I am having HUGE problems with PBing and Sliming. The only foods I can actually get down without problems are protein shakes, slim fast, cereal and lean cusine ravioli.... So far I have had really BAD incidents with Chicken Salad, Hard Boiled Egg, 1 El Pollo Loco Chicken Leg, Shrimp... am I just trying to eat the wrong foods too soon. I am only able to get 1 or 2 bites in before the UNBEARABLE chest pain sets in... and I start squirming to get comfortable... the pain usually last at least 30 minutes... Any suggestions???? Also does anyone else feel like they are mourning the idea of eating as much as they want? My husband loves to eat out... and it is really frustrating to not even be able to stomach a chicken leg.... I guess on the bright side... it HAS to work.... after all how can I not lose when I really can't eat anything! Tammy... sometimes I think it's best to take it meal by meal rather than one weekend at a time. Don't be too discourage... temporary set back , that's all! Also I LOVED the poem!! Janet and Mike... you too are so cute.. Very inspiring! Tammy... It is so hard to not wish BAD things for that guy!!! How inappropriate. Sherry... you are definately "the voice of Reason".. great idea to contact the moderators Stacy... How did you get the cool, sparkly signature?????????????? All other Feb. Bansters... thanks for keeping this thread so strong... interesting, informative and funny.

I had a BMI of 31 at the time of surgery... I am 5ft. 5 and weighed 183 at the time of surgery.. I had my surgery on Feb 3rd. with Dr. Huacuz... and have had my first fill with Dr. Powell in San Diego last Tuesday.. I have finally lost 7 pounds.... Hooray.. let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you!!! I am so glad to know I am not losing my mind... plus.. it's nice to see that I do not have a leak..... I have since have my second fill and OH MY GOODNESS.... WOWWWWWWW Very little goes down. Actually.... I had a hard time swallowing a half of a turkey sandwich, (actually two bites of a sandwich got stuck)... I also had a hard time getting down some chicken salad (two bites).... no shrimp...hmmmm pretty much nothing, other than cereal, protein drinks and cookies....... I know it's not a good choice, but homemade cookies tend to slide down so easily...... If only my nine year old didn't LOVE to Bake!!!!!! Any one else experience problems with foods giving them the feeling of having a COMPLETE HEART ATTACK??????????? I have decided that mushy land is really not much of a bad place after all!

Hey Kel, GOOD LUCK for your big day on the 14th! Which doctor is doing your surgery? Where are you in Orange County? I live in Yorba Linda. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I had my surgery on Feb. 3rd... and I had my fill last Tuesday. Dr. Powell did my first fill last Tuesday and I have really great restriction! Let me know if you have any questions.

Hey Geller Girl... I just thought I would let you know that Dr.Powell in Cardiff, CA (Carlsbd Area) is filling Mexico banded patients.... I have been filled by Dr. Powell and they are all wonderful in his office. I live in Yorba Linda, CA and I am really pleased. Let me know if you have any other questions. For me.... going back and forth across the border was too much of a pain for me... I have two young kids to pick up everyday... so the trip to Cardiff is much easier for me (1 hour door to door). Anyway... just thought I would let you know.

You may want to try Dr. Powell in Cardiff California (San Diego). He is one hour from Yorba Linda, CA ... I am not sure where you are in LA but I really like Dr. Powell. He is affiliated with Fill Centers USA... so in working with him you are entitled to all of the perks of Fill Centers USA... binder full of information just for the banded... web sites that track your calories and chart your progress. 24 hour a day support, etc. etc. If you need more information let me know.... Dr. Powell and his staff are incredible.

I have been enjoying reading your thread and hope you don't mind if I join. I was banded on Feb. 3rd and believe it or not, I have only lost 5 pounds, but thats okay because I have had 2 fills, the first of which disappeared into "who knows where" and the second I think has finally taken. I feel just a tiny bit of restriction.... but it's pretty hard to tell yet as I was just filled on Tuesday and I am still eating mushies. I was REALLY frustrated with my husband last night... after two full days of liquids I decided to make two soft boiled eggs for dinner... my husband walks in and says, are you sure you should be eating all that!!!!! I couldn't believe it It was TWO EGGS FOR GOODNESS SAKES AND THEY WERE SOFT BOILED!!!!!!!! He has never had to worry about his weight and although he has never said anything about my weight, he has known my struggle over the years and willingly paid for it!!! But he is the ultimate sabotager!!! I sent him to the grocery store for High Efficiency Tide, and the man returns home with Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches, Chocolate Pudding, Whip Cream and Butterfinger candy bars...... NOW THAT's Support!!!!!! Then he wants to know why I won't sit down at the table with him and the kids while they eat it all!!!!!!! SCARY!!!! Anyway, thanks for providing me with support over the last few weeks... I have enjoyed reading your stories.

Missy, I am not sure where you live, but there is a great doctor in Cardiff San Diego who will see patients who were banded in Mexico. Let me know if you need more info.