trulytangledgrl

I have also been concerned about this border crossing thing. I am glad that the OCC has things so wonderfully coordinated so that we don't have to worry about getting across on our own. I have my passport - I couldn't believe it, I went to the post office to get it not even 2 weeks ago, and I received it via USPS this past Tuesday or something. It arrived in less than 2 weeks! I was shocked! So I have that just in case, even though we aren't supposed to need it until June 208. I will bring it just to be safe. I can't believe my surgery is A MONTH AWAY!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP! =D> I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED. I cannot wait to start my new life. I think that in about 2 weeks I will begin my pre-op diet so that just in case I fall off the wagon, I will be able to get back on with no problems. Does Dr. Miranda email us about the pre op diet or do we just start it on out own? Cause I have read on here where some other people didn't have to do the pre-op diet due to having fairly low BMI already. Is that true? My BMI is 32-33 I think. Thanks everyone!

Thank you so much! I appreciate your help!

Hey all... I am just wondering if anyone knows who I would send/email my flight itinerary to? Thanks a bunch. >

Hey there. I understand what you are going through - COMPLETELY! I have been on diets since age 12. I don't think a single day goes by where I don't constantly have food on my mind. My emotional eating problem began in grade 5 when I was teased horribly for my weight. Since then, I have never been able to give up food as a comfort... I eat when I am stressed, mad, sad, happy, and anything in between. Long story short, my problems with food caused many OTHER problems for me including significant depression, so I decided to seek counseling. It was the BEST thing I could have done for myself! I would recommend it to you without a doubt. Good luck in your decision, and congrats on your decision to get banded. I will be getting banded about 2 weeks after you (may 30!). WOOHOOO! =D>

Wow... its like I am reading my own story over and over here. This is the GREAT thing about this forum - we all have such similar stories, and we can all relate. I have been on a diet since about age 12 I think. I will never forget it, my parents made me get on the scale, and my dad was mortified - I will never forget the look on his face. He was like 'YOU WEIGH 150 LBS! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!' and since then, I have been on a constant diet. My parents put locks on our cupboards, I was not allowed to eat without one of them witnessing me (except while at school, of course. Even then, my mom packed my lunch for me). I was even put on Dr. monitored diets (starting at about age 13-14) which all of course failed. When I got into highschool, I felt so horrible about myself that I would restrict my calorie intake to about 600-800 calories per day, and I did drop about 40-50 lbs. I eventually gained it back, plus some, once I got into college. I was eventually up to about 250 lbs or so, and then I lost like 80 lbs and got down to about 170 - but once again, I did it by starving myself and exercising like 3-4 times per day. This cannot last long - I got so burnt out, sick, and weak. I looked like death. My face was sunken in, my skin was not the correct color.... it had a tint of grey to it. Needless to say, I gained almost all of THAT weight back, too! I have tried every diet pill ever made, every gimmick on late night infomercials, every piece of exercise equiptment, every diet program, etc. I was vegan for about 6-8 months, vegetarian for 6 months or so, and then my most recent diet was Nutrisystem. I lost about 25 lbs on NS which is great, but after that the weight loss came to a staggering HALT (due to the digestive issus it caused because of all the presertatives in that food), I saw the numbers on the scale go up, up, up... and I said SCREW IT! I am not wasting $300+ a month to do a diet thats not working. So, I stopped that diet, and have since gained maybe 5-10 lbs back, but surprisingly no more than that. I, too, have thought to myself 'wow, what if THIS doesn't work either? what will I do THEN?' I question myself a lot, but by reading this forum and with all of the stories of success, I KNOW that I can do this. I know that I have to do the work, but I think that the band will be a great tool for me to help restrict my food intake. I have wasted SO SO SO SO much money on diets/workout stuff/videos/Dr. visits/etc.... thousands of dollars I am sure. I am so afraid to spend the $8000 for this and FAIL at it. I want to prove everyone wrong... and myself, too! So thats what I am going to do. I am going to succeed! =D>

MICHELLE ~ YOU LOOK FABULOUS GIRLFRIEND! =D> That dress will be fitting perfectly in no time. Way to go! I can't wait until I can start melting some lbs away too! I have SOOO many cute clothes I want to wear! I am so happy for you that you have been so successful! Keep up the great work

Well, I chose to have the lap band surgery after researching my options extensively. I have had weight problems ever since I can remember. I have always been the chubby girl, and I have been successful getting weight off in the past, but have ALWAYS, withour fail, gained it back. The problem lies in the fact that I am OBESE, but not OBESE ENOUGH to have a surgery as serious as Gastric bypass, or even a mini bypass. There was actually a thread a while back about this exact thing - those of us who have severe weight problems/are obese, but no Dr. or surgeon is even willing to consider WLS for us because we aren't quite fat enough. Its really messed up if you ask me. I mean, for someone who has had a 15+ yrs of being overweight/having weight problems, I would think that WLS would serve as a preventative measure for these individuals. CLEARLY diet and exercise alone are not good enough - I can attest to this fact. Not to mention that I (and many other people on thos forum I am sure) have several health problems that impede my body's ability to shed pounds. It just makes no sense to me that WLS is not an option to those of us who are told that we are obese and we should do something about it, even after all the diets in the world don't work, and even Dr. monitored ones at that. Its extremely frustrating and disheartening when it feels as though there are just no options, and no one is able to help... the Dr.'s, the ones who we are counting on to give us options, can really only tell us to eat less and exercise more - its easier said than done. SO, I chose the lap band procedure after researching Dr. Ortiz EXTENSIVELY. I came on here and read these threads for hours and hours, I researched him on other websites, read his credentials, etc. I ultimately decided to go through with it because I think that having the band there as a back up measure for my over eating will be so helpful. While the band is not a 'cure' for my overeating, it will provide a level of restriction that will help me to stop eating and be fuller sooner. It is going to be rough going back for fills and stuff, but once you get the perfect fill level, weight loss will be so much easier. I am one of many, I am sure, who go with this option because there is no other option for me. I am fat, but unless I gain about 50 more lbs, which I am NOT WILLING to do, I am not even a candidate for a more extensive surgery. I am actually blessed and happy though that I am not, because I think with the band, I will feel like I did most of the work myself and I will feel more confident that I CAN do this - I just need a little help, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Great article - I love it! Thank you for posting that, it will be so helpful for everyone here. >

Hey all you May bandsters! Well, I have been really struggling here with making a final decision about switching my surgery date from end of July to end of May. I am so excited to get this done, and I really don't want to wait. Me being the impatient girl that I am, had already purchased airline tickets for the July date. Well, I emailed Rene at OCC and said 'lets switch to may 23' - he emailed back and said that the 23 wasn't open but th 22nd was open. I thought about it, and did the math about how I could fenangle this with my sick hours/vacation hours at work, and decided against it. I already have a mini vaca planned in June and decided I wouldn't have enough time to also have the may surgery (especially mid-week). So I emailed Rene and said 'okay lets keep it my original date.' So, NOW I am really just beside myself, and today I decided that I am switching it. I can't wait any longer I am ready to do this - the sooner the better! I switched my flight today (at the cost of an extra $211.00 but heck, its worth it), and I emailed Rene for a may 30th date. This way, I will only have to take ONE day off of work because I can flex my time and get my 40 hours in within 4 days (I make my own work schedule - which is great) so I will only have to take one day of sick time. SO..... long story short, Rene is probably like 'what the heck lady make up your mind!!!' and I am finally set and feeling much happier now that I only have A MONTH until surgery! =D> YAY! SO, ANY OTHER MAY 30TH BANDSTERS OUT THERE LURKING?? IF SO, SHOW YOUR FACES! can't wait!

CONGRATS WENDY!!!! I am so happy for you!!! I can't wait unti my surgery! I bet you are so thrilled to be on your way to a thinner, healthier you!

I love coming here to read everyone's stories and to see how everyone is doing. I feel like it is taking forever for my day to get here. I wish that I could move my surgery date up - like way up. I am becoming impatient! I WANT MY BAND!

I haven't even had my surgery yet (YET! Key word), but coming on this forum and reading everyone's success stories, stories of struggling at times, anything... its all helpful because it lets me see that while the band is going to be a huge asset for me in my weight loss journey, and it will make it easier to control myself, it is STILL going to take hard work on my part to get the job done! I like that because I don't want to feel like I took the 'easy way out' and 'cheated' - I have always been one to fight for what I want, and work hard to get it! I love coming on here to read everyone's stories and I love reading about your successes and knowing that some day that will be my story. Also, being that I have BMI of between 31- 33 (depending on the day ha ha), I have been worried that it will be harder for me to lose the weight and that maybe the band won't be as helpful. Through coming on here, I have found several other women who have started at a BMI of about the same, and are not struggling any more than everyone else. Its comforting to know that.

aw! yay! =D> Glad I could make your day. You really do - every time I look at your photo, I am like 'woah! Its drew barrymore!' LOL!

I plan on keeping my weight loss surgery to myself, honestly. Well, with exception to telling my girlfriend, which I posted about on the forum here. After that experience, I don't plan on telling anyone else because I can see that people are going to have negative reactions and I don't want to deal with it. Plus, like many people here have said, its NO ONE'S business! I am grown, I am paying for this on MY OWN, and I know what is best for me - and if people have a problem with my decisions then that is just tough. I am most likely not telling anyone else, especially my family. I know that sounds kind of bad, but my family is very skeptical of things, and most of them are VERY opinionated and not very open minded. Don't get me wrong, they all want me to be happy, but its just the way that many of them grew up (old school, if you will)... I am keeping this to myself, and when people ask, I will simply say 'I am just not eating as much and I am exercising a little'

P.S. Mamamichelle - you look like Drew Barrymore.

I can't wait to... (second what many of you have already said, and...): Be excited to go out with my girlfriends instead of DREADING it because I have nothing cute to wear... Want to go clothes shopping Not have to immediately look in the BACK of the racks for all the 'FAT GIRL' sizes Go shopping with my girlfriends and not be embarrased if the accidentally see what size I am picking out Wear a bathing suit/bikini and not feel self conscious Get rid of my back sausages (ew!) Not have to fix my bra all the time because it keeps ROLLING UP (ONCE AGAIN, due to back sausages) Buy sexy bras/panties at vickies or fredericks of hollywood Get into a size 8 jeans/pants (currently BARELY fitting a size 14/16) Wear sexy dresses/sleeveless tops/tanktops the list could go on for days......

Thank you ALL SO MUCH for your advice, encouragement and support. I knew that posting my concerns on here would make me feel so much better! I think that I am just going to tell my girlfriend 'I understand your concerns, but I am doing this for ME, and whether or not you agree with it, I AM going through with it.' My girlfriend is super skinny - she is 5'3" and weight 90 lbs... I won't get too much into her history, but I think that its quite obvious that she has her share of issues with food, but just the opposite of mine (if you all get my drift here). She truly has no idea what I go through on a daily basis. I have my demons (indulging in food for every single solitary reason there is), and she has hers (depriving herself of food for every reason). She doesn't get it that, yes, I can exercise and diet and lose weight, but I have some severe medical problems that make it 10 times more difficult (PCOS, hypothyroidism) and lead me to only get discouraged and then quit. I have an addiction to food, and it doesn't matter how much I try to exercise and diet - its not going to help me with the true problem that is causing me to stay fat. Bottom line. Ramona - I would love to see some videos from your trip... just for me, really, not so much to convince her. Thank you! I will send you a message with my email address. redhead - Well, as you've read above, she definitely isn't as heavy as me. I am like 100 lbs more. SO, that being said, maybe she is afraid for me to change. Great point you bring up. She is used to me being the big fluffy chick lol! Oh well, she will have to get used to it and understand that just because I might get un-fluffy, that doesn't change who I am. crazycool - Thank you for the link to your blog. I will have her take a look. Like I said above, I am not going to try and convince her anymore, but maybe it will help her to read someone's experience and get her off my back. If it doesn't, and she keeps sending negative vibes, I will politely tell her that if she can't be supportive, then I don't want to discuss this with her anymore. Thank you all so much. You have been so helpful! I am so glad I found this forum!

I am just needing to vent right now, and to possibly get some support and advice from all of you veteran bandsters. My girlfriend is very skeptical of this whole banding thing, and especially since I am going to TJ to get it done. When I mentioned to her that I wanted to do it, she didn't say much, then like 5 days later when I told her my final decision, she was like 'well, I support whatever you want to do, but I don't agree with it. I think you can lose weight by dieting and exercising alone, I don't think you need something this extreme - and I don't think TJ is the BEST place to go. Its dirty there, and I have researched this extensively.' Just going on and on about how horrible TJ is and how do you know this isn't a scam, and what if something happens when you get back - who is responsible? You will have to pay for all the hospital/Dr. fees once you are back here... and I explained to her that if something happens once I return, if it was not my fault and if it was the fault of something they did, then they fix it without any charge to me. I also explained to her about this forum, and that NO ONE has had a bad experience - well, I think I have read maybe one or two stories like the girl who they left at the airport or something lol. Anyhow, I explained that I have read nothing but EXCELLENT stories, and that everyone was so pleased with Dr. O and his staff, and that everyone on here said that TJ is really nice. I also brought up to her the fact that just because its Mexico, doesn't make it any different from having surgery in the USA. I told her that in fact, the USA is NUMBER 37 (right above lithuania) for healthcare... and also brought up the point that if you are travelling to another country, and you need to go to a hospital, they will treat you FOR FREE. Without asking for a dime... they don't care what insurance you have cause they are not money hoarders like some americans (like all health insurance co's and hospitals). I had a lot of good counter arguments and she was just like 'I'm done talking about this' ... I am sick of her talking to me like I am stupid - like I haven't researched this. HELP! What to do what to do? Thanks everyone!

WOW!! This is EXCELLENT information. I had NO IDEA you could write off medical expenses. I, too, am new to the tax world... just started this year doing my own. I have a ton of medical expenses... probably over 100$ of perscriptions per month, see an endocrinologist, a gastroenterologist, a psychiatrist, a therapist, you name it. I can't believe I didn't know this until now - well, will have to start saving ALL of my receipts. I assume that medical expenses can include perscriptions also? And cost of Dr. visits? At least I know now so I can write off all my surgery stuff! yippee! Plus I will start saving all my receipts from now on. Still have 6 months of this yr. left! Will have a hefty amount to write off. I wonder if we can write off like all of the food we need to buy for the pre and post op diets (i.e. protein shakes)? That might be pushing it, but just wondering.

Oh for sure - a ONCE IN A LIFETIME vacation is definitely the truth! Honestly, I will FEEL like that is my new 'birthday' - you know? The start of a new life for me. =D> WOOHOOO! I am so impatient - my surgery was originally scheduled for AUGUST 29, but I decided to move it up a month. Not only cause I REEALLYY want it (like now! lol), but also when I scheduled originally, I didn't take into account that I would be going back to school like... uh, yeah... August 29, 30, something like that, or very beginning of Sept. So, that didn't leave me much time to recover. Not smart. Plus being in graduate school, second year, and doing clinical field placement 3 days a week AND working full time, I do NOT need to be returning and not be fully recovered. That would be disastrous. I was originally worried about the cost of fills. I was on the lapbandtalk forum and found a board for PA bandsters, and there was a lot of talk about a Dr. Ren in NYC - she only charges $100 a fill is what they say, and apparently she is one of the best. She had rave reviews from all of the clients who posted on the PA board. So, I will be setting aside like $1000 for fills only... so I have enough for the fill, transportation, etc. Luckily I live so close to NYC I can hop on the NJ transit system and pay $20 round trip! Gosh I am excited. This is becoming so real. To think that about 2 months ago, after having spent nearly $3000 on NutriSystem, and having lost only 20 lbs (and trust me not to say that I would still WANT those 20 lbs), then getting stalled and being able to go nowhere for the last month I did it.... I just wish I had found out about Dr. Ortiz sooner - I mean heck, I could of paid for nearly half of my surgery with that $3000 I spent on NS food. Ah, well. I guess I shouldn't look at it that way, but gosh. After my weight loss with NS stalled, I was almost ready to give up and just throw in the towel. I gained back about 5 lbs cause I became depressed... and finding out about Dr. Ortiz was such a motivation and inspiration to me - for once I feel like there is hope. I feel like maybe just maybe I will have my chance to be thin(ner)... lol! I am so excited

I used to order the PB2 (powdered PB) from Bell Plantation when I was doing nutrisystem - ITS SOOO YUMMY. I love it! I used to put that on a slice of lite bread with a very small amount of preserves. So good. =D>

Oh, really? I didn't know that you could just have license and birth certificate - thought that as of this June we needed passports. Well, that is a good thing then - I mean just in case my passport doesn't get here in time. I think it will, cause someone told me it takes about 3 months to process all the paper work and then receive the actual passport. Well, its good to know that if by chance I don't get it, I won't have to worry. Thanks everyone for sharing in my excitement! > I just wish that I could get it done sooner lol. I am so excited.

Well, I just booked my flight to San Diego! I am excited because it makes it feel more like... its really going to happen. I mean, I know I have my surgery date scheduled, but booking the flight makes it even more exciting. Also, I went to the post office and got information and paperwork for my passport. I have to go to rite aid or somewhere to get my photos cause I refuse to get them at the post office and pay $15 for two teeny weeny photos - outrageous. Thats robbery So, I really hope that the time between now and July 31 goes by FAST! I am getting antsie and really want this so bad. lol I am like a little kid who is going to Disney World or something!

Wow, I have been reading all the posts about fills/unfills. I read a post form one woman saying she was paying $500 some for a fill! Holy COW! I am just wondering if this is average for a fill? If so it seems to me that not only do you spend the $8000 for the surgery but then possibly a few thousand $$$ on fills/unfills before you have your band adjusted properly. I am now having doubts because I am barely able to scrounge up the $8000 for surgery and probably $600 for flights, but then I have to worry about a thousand or more $$$ for fills. Then if I don't get the fills then my band might be worthless anyhow (if I am not restricted). I don't know what to do.

Hello, Darlene! Thanks for the reply. When did you have your surgery? Your birthday this year will be an exciting day for me, that is for sure! =D> woohoo! lol. I am nervous about this, but from the minute that I read about OCC and Dr. Ortiz, I KNEW in my heart that this was the answer for me. I didn't even question it. I already had financing set up because I was going to have a procedure done a while back, but ended up not getting it... so it was just meant to be. Super excited.