christy

A little late here, but I've gone through 2 pregnancies while banded, and you couldn't see the port with either pregnancy, but you could feel it, and my scar was a lot more prominent. When people touched my belly I usually would put my hand where my port is so that people wouldn't feel it and ask me if it was a hand or a foot.

I was also banded by Dr. Aceves, and have had nothing but a positive experience. I can't recommend him and his team highly enough!

I'm now nearly 36 weeks pregnant and my port doesn't stick out at all. You can feel it more easily, but it isn't visible.

I'll admit that my weight loss has been a little slow going, much of it is my own fault, but it seems that with the band the weight is coming off differently. I'm 211.5 this morning, and I've been this weight several times in the past few years, but NEVER have I gone down a pant size like I have with the pant. It seems to me like I'm losing more around my middle than I have an the past. Anyone else notice that their weight is coming off differently than in previous attempts to lose weight?

There are risks with getting the surgery, and I think that not being able to eat certain foods EVER is probably the most common one (I can't do scrambled eggs, or broccoli) The band has really helped me become less food centeric -- I'm not hungry all the time, I don't spend all day thinking about what I'm going to eat next, I don't have to worry about making myself stop eating before I feel satisfied. For the first time in my life I think that I'm eating like a normal person is supposed to eat. But there are times when it is hard -- when I'm full but I want to taste just a little more, or when my head really wants popcorn or something, and I just can't do it. It's totally worth it for those few times, though.

I burped up gas just the day of and day after surgery, man did it taste NASTY. It's totally normal, though!

:spit: Love it. No underwear here!

I can do sushi just fine! But, I really can't eat very much of it anymore!

I nearly passed out the first time I tried to have a fill, but not because it hurt! I was just so nervous about it hurting! You have very few nerve endings on your belly, so add the numbing agent to that and you really don't feel a thing!

Dr. Aceves and his team did my band -- I'm so happy with everything! It is $8200, $8000 if you drive yourself. Your hotel the night before is paid for, and 2 nights in the hospital after your surgery (I chose to stay only one night.) Everything is SO SO clean, the nurses are fantastic, all of your doctors come to talk to you about every step of what will happen. I haven't heard of any of Dr. A's patients having complications, just hundreds and hundreds of positive reviews!

I've never slimed -- I did get the shoulder pain once, never again! I totally overate at dinner and my shoulder was tense and in pain all nice.

Some people have really bad port pain, have you been taking liquid tylenol? I think that infection usually also causes a fever, so I wouldn't be too worried about that yet.

Didn't she (Sharon Osbourne) actually have band over bypass? I thought that she initally lost her weight through RYN?

This is the same reason Sharon Osbourne is getting her's taken out! She can eat around the band, so might as well have it removed!

I can feel mine if I'm looking for it, but I can't see it, and it's never caused me any pain.

I was peeing out my butt for at least two weeks after my surgery! It'll go away one you start adding fuller liquids and mushies!

I've heard really good things about Ortiz, I chose Dr. Aceves in Mexicali.

Flouro is also good in helping see if your band is too tight or too loose -- if the barium doesn't move quickly enough (or too quickly) they know that they need to add more, or take some out.

Another happy Dr. Aceves patient here! I'm so so happy! Everyone at the hospital was wonderful, the doctor was fantastic, I've healed great, my first fill went well (once I stopped nearly passing out!)

I didn't feel anything with my fill, but I almost passed out the first time he tried to do it! I had to sit down and wait 2 hours before he'd take me back in!

I guess that my first fill was pretty small, but I also had slight restriction with just the band unfilled. .8 and i've been banded for 9 weeks and a day!

I think that this is a quick route to a port infection. Toss the needle and report the doctor!

I went down to Mexico yesterday for my first fill! Everything has been great with the band so far except that I've been able to eat more and more since surgery! Fill time! Traffic was bad so I had to drive quick on the empty parts, but I ended up getting there on time. And having to wait because the xray room was backed up. I had only had a Boost shake and coffee all day (liquids only on fill day!), and I was very nervous so... after they stuck me with the first needle (which didn't hurt) I nearly passed out. Tunnel vision, couldn't feel my legs, hearing was fuzzy. I had to sit down and wait nearly two hours before I got another shot in the room. I did better the second time, the sweet nurse Sergio held my hand the entire time (I think partly to make sure that he was nearby in case I went down), but man am I glad that I didn't see the needle... it was about 6 inches long. Literally. :thud: So I got my fill and drove home! It kind of sucked, but really didn't hurt, so I no next time to drink more calories before my appointment, and just that I don't need to be nervous!

I went down to Mexico yesterday for my first fill! Everything has been great with the band so far except that I've been able to eat more and more since surgery! Fill time! Traffic was bad so I had to drive quick on the empty parts, but I ended up getting there on time. And having to wait because the xray room was backed up. I had only had a Boost shake and coffee all day (liquids only on fill day!), and I was very nervous so... after they stuck me with the first needle (which didn't hurt) I nearly passed out. Tunnel vision, couldn't feel my legs, hearing was fuzzy. I had to sit down and wait nearly two hours before I got another shot in the room. I did better the second time, the sweet nurse Sergio held my hand the entire time (I think partly to make sure that he was nearby in case I went down), but man am I glad that I didn't see the needle... it was about 6 inches long. Literally. :thud: So I got my fill and drove home! It kind of sucked, but really didn't hurt, so I no next time to drink more calories before my appointment, and just that I don't need to be nervous!

Woke up very early on Monday morning, September 25th. Everyone else getting surgery on the 26th would be there around 2, but I'm not very good at fasting, so I wanted to get the tests over with so that I could EAT. Took 3.5 hours to drive down to Mexicali, and of course my radio was busted. Crossing the border was no problem, and we had no problem finding the hospital once we were in Mexicali. We got there around 9am, and my appointment wasn't until 9:30, so the patient coordinator wasn't there yet. Iliana showed up around 9:30 and I went to have my blood taken (the nurse was excellent, because my veins are hard to find), my EKG (I felt like I was being jumpstarted like a car battery with all the stuff they had me hooked up to), and my chest xrays (which had to be taken twice.) After the tests Yolonda took me upstairs to go over the final paperwork, and give me an antibiotic. She offered my husband and me a sleeping pill, but we both declined. We followed her to the hotel to get checked in, then decided to head back across the border to grab a new fuse for my car radio (we never did get it in) and to eat. "Last" lunch was at applebee's, I had the cowboy burger and spinach and artichoke dip. It was wonderful. We headed back to the hotel and relaxed until 7, when we met with Dr. C. I met the other 4 people getting surgeries with me, and we talked with Dr. C about the band, the rules right after surgery, and the rules later down the road. I'd read all of these things on the internet, but it was neat holding the band and hearing it from a doctor. Dave and I went to Mezzasole (the restaurant in the hotel) for the "last" dinner -- I had soup and a 4 cheese pizza, it was wonderful. I slept pretty well that night, the bed was hard, and that was the worst problem. I wasn't really nervous about the surgery. Met everyone outside at 7am to head over to the hospital. We were immediately ushered into our rooms, changed into hospital gowns, and then... we had to wait. A nurse came to IV me (ouch, she had to poke around in both hands until she got it), then I met with every doctor who'd be working on me that day, and the attending nurse in the OR. I got a shot in my belly (blood thinner), and then... I waited. And waited. I was the last one to get my surgery that day so it was after 1pm before I went in. When they finally pulled me in... that's when I got scared. I was injected with anesthesia shortly after, so that didn't end up being an issue. I remember moving over to the operating table, the doctor wrapping my legs, and that's it. I woke up in the recovery room to the woman next to me dry heaving. I was lucky and didn't have any nausea. I was out of recovery in just under an hour. I spent the rest of the day sleeping and waking. I did a little walking, but my stomach was very sore so I didn't do a lot. I got some water a few hours after surgery, and a sleeping pill that helped me sleep through the night. I didn't have any gas pains, so I guess I'm pretty lucky. The next morning I got to see my band by floroscopy, and then I got to eat some jello, broth, tea, and more water. Everyone else stayed at the hospital another night, but I left that evening at around 5pm.