annieM

The weather should be great there. Doesn't San Diego have the reputation as the best weather in the country? Do you get an interpreter to be with you or does everyone speak English? (or, Do you speak Spanish?) We didn't have any trouble communicating in Cancun at the resort where we were. My DH speaks Spanish though and loves to chat with everyone. It will be a great mini-adventure for you!

I'm with you there, checking in bags is a pain and you really won't need that much for such a short trip. I'm glad he's using the larger band, no one uses the 4cc anymore. Dr Ortiz himself wrote a good book called "Lab-Band For Life" the complete patient guide to success with the Lap-Band. I read another one by Ahroni, but it wasn't all that good. Will you take a laptop with you? It would be great if they had wireless so you could check in and let us all know how it went! :wub: Where in Mexico is your surgery? Is it somewhere you can also tourist around beforehand or is it in a more urban setting (ie boring)? We went to Cancun for Spring break this past spring and found the Mexicans to be very helpful and polite. The service was excellent. They really bent over backwards for us to the point that it was almost embarrassing! Are you there for four full days or does that include travel days? It will fly by and you will be home before you know it. You'll be wishing for more "vacation".

Any major change is scary, good or bad. Being banded is a good change because it helps you handle your food demons. The bad news is you have to find new ways in which to handle those demons...Therapy is an excellent way to do that and also a way to get support for the lifestyle changes you need to undergo. Good luck to you!

Hi, I'm in size 6's for the first time in my life and I love it!! I don't care that I can't eat much to stay here. I think I have about 5 more pounds to lose. good luck to you all,

I recall that my first fill was around six weeks. I was able to lose during that time because of the two weeks of liquids and two weeks of mushies and then I was very careful. There is considerable swelling from the surgery so you feel some restriction from the beginning, as least I did, then it goes away as you heal. You are really getting close to your surgery date now! Are you nervous? Excited? Is anyone going to Mexico with you or do they provide helpers? Do you know what kind of band you will get? I started out with a 4cc, which I guess they don't use any more, and my second band is a whopping 14cc's. (with revisions they have to go to the very largest because there may be scar tissue). Good luck in nailing down that fill doc!

I would have become discouraged with the six week wait for fills. My place was conservative about how much they put in at a time so I never had that over-filled feeling out of the blue. On the other hand it took many fills to reach where I am now. I do wish you luck. This must be a very hard decision; there are so many variables.

It's a lot to consider. Getting fills that fit your budget and your lifestyle will be very important in the coming years. Keep in mind also that you may need an unfill "asap" and you will need someone that will be able to do that for you too. I really liked the convenience of being able to schedule a fill for the next day and then hop in the car and be there in 30 minutes. For a while there, for my new 14cc band, I was going in for fills every couple of weeks or so, so that saved me a lot of time. (and I got to drive past the new cincy outlet mall on I75 :blushing:

Hi Lisa, Yep those pre-op diets are not much fun are they? Still, any pounds lost are a victory, right? With such young kids it must be hard to concentrate on yourself. I gained most of my weight when I was too busy with my kids to pay attention to what I was eating and gaining... It is important to nail down a fill doc. Some people in some areas of the country have had trouble finding fill docs after banding in Mexico. I've inquired where I get mine done near Cincy and they charge a 1000 transfer fee and 400 per fill. This they said is pretty true across the board so you might want to do some shopping around. (They have fluoro there but just use it to check the status of your band, not for routine fills.) Cincinnati weight loss 1(513)939-2263 They said they charge so much because "some" people have come back from Mexico with outdated bands and/or missing ports. Dr Ortiz has a good reputation though. I had to have my (4cc) band replaced because of a pouch dilation. My pouch developed a huge bulge that would hold acidy fluid. I had terrible acid reflux and couldn't keep anything down. It was the result of being overfilled and throwing up too much. I hope I've learned my lesson! I just have a really slooow metabolism and feel the need to be somewhat overfilled to be OK. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6 (still hard to believe) and I'm 5'7." When I needed the revision surgery, I found out that since I was self-pay, the insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery to correct the complication either! Sometimes my husband likes to figure out what my weight loss has cost per pound...but then he has to do it for himself too and he had the gastric bypass. So the moral of the story is know all your options. If Mexico costs less up front it may cost you more after the fact. If you are self- pay, check out the prices at the phone number above (and others) for before and after care. I think they give free fills for the first year when you have surgery with them. Ask them how many fills, on average, people may need before hitting that sweet spot. It may surprise you that it's more than just a few. I will check in with you later! Take care!

Dad was Austrian/German Mom was Austrian/Hungarian

Hi Lisa, I live in suburban Dayton and would be glad to answer any questions you might have. I'm about 8 lbs from goal and my band and I are now reluctant buddies. I am a sort-of empty nester. I have three kids, one is a marine and then I have twins who just started college. All three seem to bounce back home on the weekends. I have been a stay at home mom and before kids I was a medical technologist. I'd be glad to be your mentor!

Hello and welcome! Your insurance co. will probably set the pace for your preop tests and schedule your surgery according to how you do. Some require a six month supervised diet before surgery... Your doctor's office should be able to help you communicate with them on what their requirements are. If you are self- pay you only need to meet the surgeons pre-op test requirements and that can go quite quickly. good luck!

Wow Yankeefan, great job! Getting your sugar under control is sooo important to your health! Keep up the great work!

I love to go out to eat and I've found that the better the restaurant the more band friendly it will be. (Some cheaper places you are pretty much stuck with soup). Brio's will split an entre' between two people and then it is a very band friendly amount (my DH had gastric bypass and can't eat much either). I avoid any pasta dishes or salads since they tend to be more bulk and less nutrition. McCormicks and Schmicks serve wonderful seafood entre's I can usually finish and Flemings serves a petite filet that is just the perfect size and incredible. Don't let the band be an excuse to stay home, get out there and enjoy!

I agree, I don't eat bread at all and I drink a protein shake in the morning and have moist meat or seafood at dinner. You've done a great job on your weight loss and being able to eat a cup of food at a time is even a lot. So hang in there and work with your band towards a new you.

Don't worry, everyone is different and the amount of fill you need to feel restriction is an individual one. Just keep going in for fills until you hit the sweet spot, what ever that may be for you. You may be one of those people who need to have nearly the full 8cc's in your band, you never know. Just hang in there and keep going back! good luck,

I agree, they won't (or shouldn't) let you leave until you can keep water down. good luck,

Good luck on your journey towards good health!

Along with scheduling your snacks, schedule your TIME. Account for every minute if you have to, because idle time is when you would be doing the mindless eating. If you can, get out of the house:go to the library, walk the mall, go to a gym, the movies etc. If staying at home and grading papers is your lot, no reason to associate that with food. Hold something in your non-writing hand to keep that hand out of trouble (like a stress ball). Keep track of all of your calories in a special notebook and give yourself a star for each day you spend under your target calorie count. Accumulate stars for non food treats like manicures or new books or new smaller clothing. good luck!

I had to have my band removed and replaced and until my restriction was tight enough I had gained back 25 lbs. It was just awful. Then I had to lose it all over again. It's hard work but it can be done. Hopefully you will get restriction back again and be able to keep it long enough to get your weight off again too. I know that I am totally dependent on my band and that scares me since I almost lost it once. I like being thin...

I get hiccups a lot too! Sometimes from drinking and sometimes just out of the blue. Holding my breath helps sometimes. They can be really painful.

Do you have restriction without it? Are you losing weight? If you can answer yes to both of those questions you can probably go without a fill a while longer.

I went from a 22 to a size 6. My goal is a 4.

I'm glad to hear you are doing well Jane! Now you are finally on your weight loss journey. Remember to be patient with yourself and your band until you achieve restriction; keep the positive vibes going. You will have some bumps in the road along the way but remember us here on the web; we're here to help! Good luck,

You poor thing! I remember vividly each time I've been asked that and it really hurts. Rest easy now that you have the tool to change your body and get the look you've always wanted. I know 'cause I'm sitting here in size 6 shorts and no one would dare to ask me when I'm due!

Sounds like a case of verbal vomit... Good luck with your weight loss journey!