sunsreturn

Kym, that's good to hear about Dr. Ortiz. I have not heard anything negative about him from anyone...and I've searched! I'm sooo looking forward to it...is that odd? :success1: Khrissy, I just started my pre-op diet on Monday...persevering. Every doc is different depending on how much you weight and your BMI. One of the pre-op diets with Dr. Ortiz that I'm doing is protein shakes for breakfast & lunch; big salad with lunch; and a lean cuisine and salad for dinner. Not so bad so far...ask me in another week! :pound:

Hi Kym, I'm having my surgery with the same doc on Nov. 20th and we have similar starting/goal weights. I'm so glad that everyone has been posting post-op...it really helps re-enforce that it's the right decision and to remain positive! So thank you to everyone and good luck to those getting banded this week! :clap2:

You're right, Yoda, but there are options out for the after care...you just have to look a little harder.

Hi Strictlyred, I've opted to get my surgery done in Mexico by Dr. Ortiz. The cost is $8500 U.S. includes surgery, hotel, care, etc. Flight is extra. But if you decided to get the surgery done outside of Canada, be sure to research the surgeon well...

My surgery is scheduled for a Monday and I'm going back to work the following Monday. I'm on a temporary work assignment that is primarily desk work tho so I think that'll be plenty'o time.

Wow, you've all had great success so far! Congrats!! My current size is 24. I'd love to be half that but the smallest I remember (without being a child) is 16.

Congrats on your banding, PRBrooksie! Glad to hear you're doing well. Good luck to everyone who is getting banded this week!! Tropicaljill, I'm getting banded on Nov. 20th. I have to do a pre-op diet for 12 days but it is not a liquid diet :thumb: I have a similar BMI to you, 40.7...but I'm 5'10. To get the ticker, go to tickerfactory.com to create one and then copy and paste the code into your signature block.

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site but have decided to go with Dr. Ortiz in Mexico for my surgery. I am just working the dates now but it looks like I'll be going the 3rd week of November.:clap2: Anyone else getting banded around that time? Everyone's posts have been sooo informative and inspirational, thank you! ....how do you post the weight ticker thing at the bottom??

Hi Delta, No I didn't get the note...should it appear in the PM box? I'm happy to share info any time! I'm starting my pre-op diet in a couple of days. I'm sooo excited!! ok, maybe not about the diet but getting one step closer to the banding! :clap2:

Hi Wheezy, I can't find a pic of it on line...I'll try and take a pic of it and post it for you...

Hi everyone, I start my pre-op diet in a couple of days...it doesn't look as bad as I was expecting, thank god! Good luck to everyone whose surgery is coming up and I hope that those who have just had their banding are doing good!

I looked at getting the surgery done in Canada but decided on Mexico for a couple of reasons: 1. Cost - With the exchange rate, hotel, flight, and surgery will only cost me $10,000. And that's including the cost for a plane ticket for my sister to come with me for support. A considerable difference from the Canadian clinics. If I had it in Toronto or Montreal, I'd have to add flight and hotel costs onto that. In Vancouver (where I am), 1 doctor is retiring soon, 1 doctor in Victoria has a 6-8 month waiting list (how much weight could I gain in that time?? :omg: ) and the other doctor is again too expensive. 2. Depending on the surgeon in Mexico, they have done more surgeries than all of the Canadian doctors put together. Consider that the Montreal clinic touts on their website that "their team" has done over 400 bandings. Dr. Ortiz in Tuijana, who is considered one of the front runners in North America for banding, has done in excess of 4000 surgeries. I am still waiting to hear if the doc in Vancouver will do my fills. If not, Dr. Ortiz has a doctor in Seattle who will and it's only a 3 hour drive away (and we've got family in Everett, just north of Seattle). Ultimately, you have to make a decision of where and with whom that you're comfy with....and what you can afford.... I start my pre-op diet in 2 days....whoo hoo! Good luck to all of you!

Sure thing, Argon, feel free to contact me. My hubby and I are actually headed to France and Algeria 4 weeks after my surgery. It will the ultimate test...no wine in country that drinks it like water! haha

Hi Delta, If you're going for that long of a time have you thought about doing a home exchange or renting a home as a "home base" and then doing 2-3 day trips from there? Europe is so compact that you can get virtually everywhere within 24 hours by train/driving/etc. If not I'd suggest making a list of places that are important to you to see. England is super expensive so you may want to avoid it unless it's important to you to go there. Personally, I'd recommend Paris for tons of things to see (Louvre, Euro-Disney if you like that, Champs-Elysee, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral). I also recommend florence, Italy (Michaelangelo's "The David" is breathtaking) and day trip from Florence is Pisa (very cool to see the leaning tower). Rome, the Vatican; Venice, the canals (but some people who are clausterphobic don't like it). With kids your age you could easily make Paris or somewhere near there your home base and still get to see a lot of France, Germany, Belgium, and even Switzerland (a 2 day trip to England is even possible). A friend of mine recently did the home exchange thing for the first time with a retired couple from Holland for a month and it worked out great. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions... sunsreturn@yahoo.ca ...otherwise I'll ramble on forever!

My "tag" comes from my days of living in the Eastern Arctic on Baffin Island. Our favourite Inuit artist did a print that we bought and it's called "Sunsreturn".

Hi! I'm getting banded on Nov. 20th with Dr. Ortiz. Anyone else going to be there around that time? I'm driving myself crazy trying to book flights on line tonight....

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new here...I've been on the Canadian bandsters group recently. I'm getting banded Nov. 20th with Dr. Ortiz. :clap2: Just wanted to say hello and good luck to those getting banded next week!

Hi NancyC I'm new, and getting banded in November. Just booked the date today for Nov. 20th. :clap2: I've done the same as you re telling anyone...only my hubby and my sister know at the moment, and my family doc. I'm not worried about justifying expense so much as I don't want to be under somone else's microscope...I do that well enuf for myself! haha Good luck with your surgery!

OMG, DeltaDawn you have lost a huge amount of weight in such a short time! Congratulations! What's your secret?? I've been to Europe a few times (I have family there) so anything you'd like to know, I can try to tell ya! Good luck to you too, NancyC. I am in the process of booking my surgery with Dr. Ortiz on Nov. 20th (or that week). Just got my GP blessing here in Canada yesterday, she's awesome. I'm curious tho whether people told their family, friends and/or co-workers about their surgery either at all, beforehand, afterwards, or just smiled sweetly when they noticed the weight loss? So far only my hubby, my sister (who's coming with me for support), and my GP know about it....I'm leaning towards letting close friends know after the surgery and of course the rest of my family afterwards. But co-workers or anyone else...hmmm...not so inclined to tell anyone. :speechles Any thoughts? And thank you for the additional welcomes! This site rocks.

Ramona is a trained RN, and she's one of the one's I'm waiting to hear from. Also waiting to hear from Dr. Woodhead in Ladner. Can you get a fill at 4 weeks (i.e. just before my trip)? I think I would rather have it done before hand if possible but I don't know if that's too soon or unheard of?? :cool:

I checked with Leung's office, ARGON, and he won't do fills (according to his secretary) for people who got their surgery outside of Canada. Dr. Amson in Victoria has also stopped. I've got 2 options left that I'm waiting to hear from...we'll see how that goes. I'd like to hope that it is a Cdn doctor trend to not do the fills just because the surgery was done outside of Canada (aka a dr. protest)... I'm in awe of your progross ARGON! Wow! When did you get banded? It's been so long since I've seen a "1" before my weight that I haven't set a goal weight yet....

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone! Yasmina, I will be going to France & Algeria...I don't know how couscous rates on the food list for bandsters. haha Anyone know? I'm hoping a local doc in Vancouver will do my fills but if not then I can go across the border to Arlington, WA to get them.

Thanks for the info on the ticker-thing. I'm in Vancouver...I looked at docs in Canada but the cost was simply prohibitive. I'm going with Ortiz given his expertise in the field...and I haven't heard any bad yet! :clap2: I feel nervous yet excited too...the way I see it, I can't go on living with obesity and I don't want to die, so time to do something that works and lasts! Only thing is that I won't be able to have my first fill for about 2 months after the surgery as a month after the surgery I'm going on vacation with my hubby overseas and we'll be gone for 5 weeks. Hopefully it works out okay tho! What's the earliest that you can get a fill? I'd be more than happy to compare notes Doriana as we seem to be scheduled for around the same time!