Vangirl

I agree that my comments were heated (and this is the first time I have ever responded to a post in a heated manner, on any online forum). However, they were heated for a reason. It is one thing to share your own research and your own opinion, it is quite another to make point after point (many of which had questionable accuracy) with the purpose of directly discouraging others from deciding to go out of the country for their surgery. I feel this is inappropriate, and felt it necessary to say so. I am sorry, Canadianchubbling, if you felt that I was harsh on you, particularly if you meant it in good will. Unfortunately, I don't think many people realize what negative impact those kinds of statements have on the reader, as much as those statements may be made with good intention. When I made my own decision to go to out of the country for my band, I had many of the same fears as others do here, but I did my research and came to my decision, and I do not believe this decision is any less valid or correct than the decisions made by those to go to a Canadian clinic. Whenever people have asked me about my experiences, I have always spoken highly and have recommended the place I went to. But I have never discouraged others from going to any place in particular, when I have had no direct experience of that place. I don't feel it is my place to do that. People will choose what is right for them, for their own circumstances, life, financial, or otherwise, and one person's circumstances do not necessarily apply to someone else's. As to another comment made about not wanting to hear people banded in Mexico complain about their lack of aftercare, I would argue that any person who has been banded at a distance far away from a clinic would be in the same position. If you are living in northern BC, Newfoundland, northern Ontario, etc., you would have the same issues as you would going to any clinic that is not within easy distance of you. Many of us are fortunate that we live close enough to have a choice about going to a local clinic or not. Yes, it is a business, but business does not override ethics in providing emergency health care to individuals in an emergency. There is a lot I could say about that particular subject, but my basic point is that I felt the original post was inappropriate. That of course is my opinion, and others obviously disagree, which is fine.

It always amazes me, reading on here, how much people have to say about going to Mexico (or elsewhere) for surgery, when they have never been! I wouldn't comment on going to a Canadian or US facility, because I don't have any direct information to comment on. There is something to be said for getting direct experience with something before pronouncing such a strong opinion about it. I had my surgery in Mexico by a dr. who has trained many of the surgeons who are now working in Canada and US. I considered surgery in Canada as well as US before ultimately settling on the surgeon I went to. I have worked in many hospitals (in Canada and US) and have never seen such a clean, well-run, professional, and efficient facility as I did in Tijuana. I was so impressed with the level of professionalism and expertise from everyone there and could not have imagined having a better experience anywhere else. I frankly trust my doctor more than I would trust surgeons here, because of his level of experience and expertise. Having said that, I wouldn't presume to comment on the expertise or experience of the doctors here (or in US, or in other clinics in Mexico) because I know nothing about them. I can't vouch for their own accountability and training for the procedure. I can't vouch for the number of patients they have seen or how many patients they would need to see before they are considered competent to do the procedure. And I can't vouch for the standards of hospitals or clinics here any more than I can vouch for them in Mexico. Do you know what those standards are? And do you know if those standards are actually being met? Even if you go to a facility in Canada or US, you still have to sign waivers to say the surgeon is not responsible if anything happens. I had to do that when I went for my first fill at a local hospital. And if anything does happen, suing a doctor for malpractice or getting restitution is not as simple as one might think. At the end of the day, whether you go to Mexico, Canada, or US, you have to do your research. Look at the stats, evaluate how the patient coordinators respond to your questions, contact the manufacturers of the band, go to the support groups. And most importantly, talk to people who have been to those doctors. You will get the best information that way. All clinics will promote themselves, no matter where they are located, and hearing about experiences directly from people who have been there (not just hearsay and what you read on the internet) goes a long way to making an educated decision. And take it all with a grain of salt. People generally are going to support whatever doctor (or country) they have gone with, so talk to people who have been to different doctors. With all due respect, Canadianchubbling, I was not impressed with the fear-mongering tone in your post, despite good intentions you may have had. Many people considering surgery are nervous, scared, and pretty much on their own. Their doctors likely know little to nothing about it, and people need to be supported in doing their own research and making their own decisions in a responsible, fact-finding way. And ultimately, supported in the decisions they choose. Don't assume people are ignorant and can't make their own decisions. You don't need to do their reasoning for them. Good for you for coming to your own (and obviously extensively-thought out) decision but allow people to make their own.

Hiya :laugh: Sorry about the delayed response, I've been away/busy for much of the holidays. Send me your email address in a private message, and I'll email you my contact information (I don't send telephone numbers over forum accounts for security reasons). Or else, I can give you my information directly if we're both at the next meeting. I just find that it takes a long time to write out all the details of my experience, and I've personally found it very helpful to actually talk to other people who've gone to Dr. Ortiz and be able to ask them all the questions I have at once! Hope you have a great new years, and hopefully talk to you soon! -vangirl

kbf1, I paid 7950 USD for Dr. Ortiz, but I would go onto their site and request a price quote, in case it has changed. -vangirl

I really REALLY wanted to come to the group tonight but I just couldn't risk driving from VGH area to North Van and then to Burnaby in this snow. So I'm sorry I missed seeing everyone this time. Next month for sure, weather permitting.

Bartman22, I don't know what clinic you are thinking of going to, so I can only speak from my experience at the clinic I went to in Mexico. I was banded recently at the OCC by Dr. Ortiz and had a fantastic experience. I have worked in several hospitals in Canada, and no place has impressed me as much as Dr. Ortiz's clinic. I would also recommend that you have some plan for where you will be going for your fills after your surgery. If you google Northwest Fills Management, you will find a list of fill doctors, and there are a few of them in your area. You can also ask the patient care coordinator to send you a list of fill doctors. I plan to go back to Dr. Ortiz for my first fill, as they do it under fluroscopy and since they did my surgery, they will have their file on me. I may likely get my subsequent fills from a local dr. As to aftercare and who to talk to when concerns about the band arise, Dr. Ortiz's clinic is within reach by telephone at any hour, day or night. When you are discharged, you are given the cell phones of all the doctors there as well as the direct lines to the clinic. I am three weeks post-surgery and have not yet had to call them for anything. They also have their own forum called lapbandforum.com, which I have found very helpful in being able to share my daily paranoid reactions to various things that happen post-band. Most of the posters have been banded by Dr. Ortiz, although several have been banded elsewhere, and I've found it very helpful to be able to talk to people who have been banded at the same place and have followed the same pre-op and post op diets, etc. This isn't an advertisement for the clinic I was banded in, but I wanted to share what my experience has been. Educate yourself and continue to get more opinions from others who have had their bands done in Mexico, as this will give you more information on how the aftercare experience actually is for these particular patients.

I don't have a mushie stage actually. It's one week clear liquids, two weeks full liquids/creamy soups, and then solid food on day 22 onward. I'm just starting out with oatmeal because I want to test the waters first before diving right into the solids.

It's funny, I had wanted to have a last supper of sorts, but never really had a chance to do it. From my decision date to surgery date four weeks later, I was on a mission to lose a certain amount of weight, and the threat of having my surgery postponed if I didn't reach my pre-op weight loss goal prevented me from deviating form my pre-op diet even one iota. On the day before my surgery, I allowed myself to have some Mexican food for lunch which I wouldn't have been able to have on the pre-op diet, and after eating about half the amount that I would have normally, I felt overly full and actually ill. So I didn't get to enjoy that one last meal. I still think about how I would have liked to have had that last hurrah and eaten all of the foods that I loved, in the quantities I used to have them in. Post-band, I wouldn't be able to eat like that again, but I know that it's all psychological, and won't kill me if I don't give into it. I'm also sure that months and years later, it won't matter that I didn't have the last supper. I'll be in such a different frame of mind that I won't have that same concept of deprivation that leads to the emotional need for that last supper.

I'm looking forward to coming next week and spilling all about my experience so far. I'm thinking I might have oatmeal as my first solid meal that day. Mmmmm oatmeal.... :wink: -Vangirl

Kreeny, I was banded by Dr. Ortiz just over two weeks ago, and was able to get a surgery date within weeks of my first calling. I personally had a great experience there and would definitely recommend it to others. If you decide to have your surgery outside of your area, make sure to plan ahead for your fills, and budget this into your anticipated costs. You can look up Northwest Fills Management to find fill doctors in your area. I personally will be going back to Dr. Ortiz's clinic for my first fill, because they do it under fluoroscopy. I may go to a local dr. for future fills.

Hi, I am two weeks post-op, and most of the pain from the surgery has gone, except for my abdomen, particularly around the port area. It feels like a stitch in my side, which it is, literally. I am wondering how long does this pain typically last for? -Vangirl

Don't worry, it does get better. Just hang in there, sip your water, and go for little mini-walks as often as you can, as it helps to move the gas out of your system. I had a lot of pain first few days after surgery, from both the gas and the surgery itself. But each day was gradually a little better than the previous day. Now I am two weeks post-op, and so much better than when I was in the beginning.

Very much looking forward to next week's group and hearing on everyone else's progress. Next Wed. is also my first day back on solid foods. Yay!

I am 10 days post-op and on the full liquids stage of my post-op diet. I have had periods where I feel like I've overdone it on the liquids. I haven't had any pbing or sliming, but just a really uncomfortable pain and pressure in my chest and upper back area, which stays for a long time, sometimes more than an hour. Is this what it feels like when you overeat or overdrink? I don't seem to get any warning, it just happens all of a sudden after I have my meal, and then I have to stop. -vangirl

Today is day 9, and sadly I have only lost 1 lb post op. Reading the vast majority of people here have lost a lot more than that, it's frustrating to see such slow progress, particularly as I didn't cheat at all on my pre-op or post-op. I was slow in my pre-op weight loss also.

The first four days after surgery, I hardly could drink more than 2 cups of any liquid per day, which included my water. And I could only sip little bits at a time. The 6th day was a drastic increase, meaning from 2 cups to maybe 4-5. I'm on day 8 and have had I think about 4.5 cups of liquid so far today, about 2.5 of which are water. I'm pretty sore still, and didn't have a hiatal hernia repaired.

Hi Chrisshell, Since I got the band a week ago, I've lost just 1lb. And my pre-op weight loss was quite slow, compared to what others have reported. It seems from reading the posts on here that weight loss post-surgery can vary from 10lbs the first week to next to nothing, so it's really hard to guage what is normal. I'd be interested to see others' opinions on this as well. -vangirl

Holy crap, I just got the hiccups, and it scared me like anything. My usual remedy is to drink down Water, but I can't do that now! Tell me I'm being paranoid, and that hiccups don't cause the band to slip or anything! I'm on day 7 post-op. -vangirl

Congratulations Babe! I'm so happy for you! When is your consult?

I got my login back, but I think I inherited kygirl31's account and posts.

Hello fellow Canadian bandsters. I was banded today. Will give a much more detailed description of everything when I'm feeling more up to it. I'm not gonna lie, there is pain! A lot of it. Both from the incisions as well as the gas I've heard so much about. Been trying to stay up and walk around as much as I can. There's nothing I'd love more right now than to go lie down and sleep it off, but I'm forcing myself to be up and about, walking, etc. I'm typing with one hand as the iv port is in my left. Anyway just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone for sending me their good wishes. Will write more and respond to my private messages later

I'm feeling much better day 5 compared to day 4. And somehow miraculously I'm able to drink a whole lot more liquid than I could before, although this has corresponded with significantly increased hunger and reactivity to food around me. I'm missing the honeymoon of not being hungry, but glad I'm able to get more water down, as I was worried about getting dehydrated.

Yeah I just noticed that too. This is really weird. I'm not even able to login with my old login and password. It says it's invalid.

Hi Anne Marie, I am 32, also diabetic, and until I had the lap-band 4 days ago, I had never had surgery before either. I had all the same fears as you about surgery and imagined all kinds of awful scenarios. I'm a baby when it comes to pain, have a poor pain tolerance, and am scared of hospitals, needles, and medical procedures of any kind. So I absolutely know the fears going into something like this. What I can say is that each person's experience is different. Some people report little to no pain after, some people have a lot of pain. I'd say I am in the latter category. I had more pain than the others at the clinic the day I had the surgery. But even when the pain was at its worst, at no time did it feel so unbearable that I regretted having the surgery. To be honest, the worst pain I experienced from the surgery was the shooting pain from the gas in my left shoulder, and thankfully that was fleeting. And as for fears going into the surgery itself, they gave me an ativan right before, and that really helped me not have a panic attack as I was getting onto the operating table. They also talked to me the whole time going into it to distract me from my anxiety. One minute I was looking at the lights above me and chatting with one of the doctors, the next minute I was having a dream. I woke up, saw the same lights, and it was all over. Yes there was pain after, but as I said earlier, it was never so horrible that I felt I couldn't take it. And this coming from someone with a low pain tolerance! Right now, it feels like I've been in a car accident or have worked out so hard that all the muscles in my body are crying out in protest. Plus there's the gas, which is really hard to describe unless you experience it for yourself, and walking is the only cure for that. The incisions don't bother me, as my surgeon used surgical glue to bind them, so I'm able to shower without problems. That's the best I can describe the experience after surgery. Good luck with everything, I am sure you will be fine. I am so glad I made this decision and fought my own fears to take this life-changing step. I'm sure you will be too.

I had that shooting pain on my left shoulder the first night, but thankfully not since, because that was unbearable! I was almost in tears with it. Now, I find the main problem seems to be my diaphragm and back and everything hurting when it moves - breathing, drinking water, etc. I didn't have a hiatal hernia repaired, but I remember when I came out of the surgery I had a hard time breathing because it hurt the incision area. I hope it goes away, because it makes it hard to drink water and move around.