twinchell

This is actually the first time I have replied to this site but decided, since it was raining and I can't go outside with my horses!, that I would come on the computer and play a bit. I was banded on August 3rd of 2006, my 36th birthday. I was 277 pounds on the day of the surgery. I was always very active and the weight kind of crept up on me until one day I realized that I was very ill. Today, I am 152 pounds and wear a size 9, 11 in jeans. The facility is amazing, they are no nonsense people, get you in get you out, with a smile on their faces. Not one thing went wrong the day of the surgery, or the day after and I left for home a day early and competed in a horse show the next weekend. In December of 2006, after eating a piece of pizza, which you will learn that bread is your enemy!, my band slipped. It was painful to eat or drink and I immediately drove back to Mexico after a few unsuccessful attempts to be seen in the states. Dr. Ortiz scheduled to fix it within that week, put me back together and I have had no problems since then. I can now say that this was the best decision that I made and I have no regrets. I have read that people are concerned about finding doctors to assist you in the states and that is a valid concern. When my band slipped, I called my Kaiser doctor and he immediately scheduled me for an emergency surgery ' to get that thing out of you!'. I have found that it has nothing to do with having the surgery in Mexico, but the fact that doctors are just not knowledgeable about what the lap band is. Two doctors at the Kaiser emergency room said " a lap band? What is that?" These were emergency doctors, not nurses, who were attending to me. Most hospitals here will assume that you want the band removed instead of checked. If possible, have all follow up care with Dr. Ortiz or with one of his facilities in the states, or a fill facility that knows what the lap band is. I hope that that helped some of you. Enjoy your new life, I am!

I too am having concerns. I had the surgery on August 3rd and have no restriction what so ever. I am slowly transitioning into yogurts and such but I feel nothing. I had very little pain post op and haven't really had any effect from the surgery. I am scheduled for my first fill on Sept 30 and hope that my success will start there. Reading everyone's fill stories is getting me a bit nervous. I am hoping that this expense was not for nothing.

I have my surgery scheduled for August 3rd and was absolutely terrifed when I read this back and forth. I researched Dr. Ortiz as well as many others starting in April and found 2 doctors that were much cheaper, but as well referrenced as Dr. Ortiz. I am hoping that I have a wonderful experience, I am traveling alone, and can report back that he was as professional as his recommendators were.

I have a surgery date of August 3rd and will be going alone and I am sooooo nervous. Was it really this easy?