Clynn

Do NOT do any type of heavy lifting exercises or anything that works your abdominal muscles for at least six weeks after surgery. Other than that, everything else is fine.

The 1/2 cup requirement is a bit ambiguous. 1/2 of salad does not equal 1/2 cup of unhealthy food like milkshake or chocolate. While you're on liquids or mushies it gets even more ambiguous because those foods go right through the band. Since your caloric intake should be greatly lowered at this point anyway just by virtue of being on mushies, I wouldn't worry about quantities at this point. Just stay away from things high in sugar or calories and eat what you need to get your nutrition without making yourself sick or uncomfortable. Remember, the goal now is to heal, not to lose weight. Once you get back on solids and get a fill, then you can worry about portion sizes. Even then, the 1/2 cup rule does not always apply, but rather serves as a guide. You'll have to find what portion sizes work best for you so that you can lose the weight, get the benefits of healthy food, and not be making yourself pb.

*blush*

You may have irritated your stomach somehow, and by trying to eat solids then yakking them back up you're just continuing the irritation. Go on liquids for three days and see if it gets better. If not, you may need a slight unfill.

If the clinic truly were only after the almighty dollar, wouldn't they have agreed to band the lady in your party from the start rather than having to be talked into it? I have experienced and heard of other instances where they are not in fact only concerned with the almighty dollar. When I went down from my first fill I decided to take a cab. The cab driver abandoned my 11 blocks from the clinic and I was hopelessly lost. Fransisco came and rescued me. Even though they usually charged for fill rides to the clinic, no mention of payment was made. Another example involves one of the people banded with me. He had a large bump over his port area. Dr Ortiz told him that it was not an issue health-wise, but if after loosing a bit of weight it was still there to come back down and he would re-seat it for free. These are only two examples, so please understand when I get a little defensive about your accusations that they are only after a buck.

One thing I forgot to mention: My weekly food budget went from around $130 pre-surgery to about $60 post surgery. Eating less food = buying less groceries = more $$$

The clinic has a couple of drivers (one being Dr Ortiz's mom) who can shuttle people back and forth from the airport, clinic, or hotel. If they're unavailable there are lots of local taxis that charge $5 a pop American. Go for the red city taxis over Yellow Cab. I had a Yellow Cab driver abandon me in the middle of Tijuana when he couldn't find the clinic. I was so frazzled by that experience I forgot I spoke some Spanish when asking people for directions. Luckily I found a payphone and Fransisco rescued me. As far as going from the airport to the hotel keep in mind you have to cross the border, which is probably the reason you're hearing stories of it taking a long time. Coming into Mexico usually isn't a problem but leaving again is where the lines are. It all depends on how busy things are at the time.

Fills can be expensive and if someone cant do them because of money/time/geography/laziness then they need to rethink whether or not to get banded as the fills are what makes the band work. Get in touch with a bariatric surgeon in your area for fill referrals. There is money to be saved by shopping around, just make sure you go somewhere reputable as I've heard a few horror stories from people about fill docs who don't fully understand what they are doing or are just outright scam artists. You can save a few bucks by getting a fill done without flouroscopy, however those fills tend to be riskier as you may not get enough or too much of a fill and then run into problems. The last fill I got with flouroscopy cost me around $380.

Ahhhh, I see now. I started solids off with easy things to chew and digest. My first solid food was a piece of salmon just after midnight on the first day I could move back to solids. Take it slow and easy and see what you're comfortable with. Be aware of what's going on with your body as you're eating and you'll learn what your limits are. I didn't have any problems with solid foods until about a week into it when I tried to eat a potsticker. That's when I learned pasta was a no-no.

Ok first let me assure you that I am NOT a plant. Seriously, I fix computers for a construction company. You can see my photobucket album I put together of my weight loss at http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s61/cly...nt=d5f61f19.pbw Ok, on to your questions: After surgery I felt pretty good. Just sore and a little bloated. I only took one pain pill after my surgery and two days later flew back home to Seattle by myself. Now granted flying to Pennsylvania is a 6-7 hour flight as opposed to 3, but I think you'll do fine. If you're concerned about it, bring someone with you to handle the ticketing and luggage. The hotel room included in your surgery has two beds so they'll be comfortable accommodated. If you are otherwise in good health and don't have any problems getting around now, I think you'll do fine after surgery. When you make your appointment with Dr Ortiz, they'll ask you to get in contact with their nutritionist Dr Miranda. She'll give you details on fasting. Usually they say the night before but if you explain you have to take a long flight, she'll give you the exact amount of hours you need to fast so you can get a late meal in. If you have an emergency, especially something life threatening, doctors can't turn you away because you were banded outside of the country. However, before you decide to head down to Mexico you should do some research in your area and find someone who will do fills for people banded in Mexico. Some doctors won't do fills for people banded outside of the country and you'll want to figure out what will be required of you to get your fills before jumping in. Among the information they'll give you before you head home is Dr Ortiz's cell phone number. You can call anytime if you are having problems and he can give you advice. I don't remember much of Tijuana while I was there. The driver for OCC will pick you up at the airport and take you back to catch your returning flight. You don't have to interact with the city any more than you want to. That being said, what I do remember is about the same as any other major city I've been in. The hotel is very nice, as is the clinic, and outside my hospital window was a Costco. The maximum time to get off work is between you and your boss. I took a week off before going back to work. I have no knowledge of the disability system or what they'll accept. You can always call the clinic and ask.

What did your doctor tell you? They should have sent paperwork home with you that gives you a timeline for food.

Usually the free fills come from the surgeon who did your surgery. You'll have to check if they use flouro. With Dr Ortiz, the fills are free but the use of flouro is $100. You can check around your area for prices.

I don't think those things actually do anything, other than get you to spend money. As you lose weight the scars will become smaller. Right now the four small scars look like little dots on my stomach.

Sounds like you need a fill. Give it a try and see if you get the necessary restriction.

Is it possible that when you sneeze you're swallowing a bit of air? Just a thought. Unless you're feeling pain or nausea I doubt you're hurting anything.

If there's no chunks in it, I don't see how it could be a problem. While on full liquids the rule of thumb is anything you can get through a straw.

Ok, once again, your focus post surgery should be healing. You have no saline in your bands so they won't be working for you one bit. Being on liquids is like going on a crash diet and your body has gone into starvation mode and is holding on to every calorie it can. Getting upset with yourself at this point is unreasonable. Just worry about getting better. Once you get your first fill then the work will begin.

It means don't eat foods that the band has no effect on, such as milkshakes or other high-calorie liquids. The band is not a magic wand, you have to be willing to do the work and make the sacrifices it requires in order to reap the rewards.

Actually this question has been asked before. If you use the search feature on the forum you should be able to find a thread from a lady who asked the very same question.

Once you're on the full liquids stage then the rule is you can have anything that fits through a straw. This includes yogurts, puddings, and juices, though once your cold is over you should be mindful of all the sugar in the latter. Work hard to get all your necessary vitamins and proteins. One thing to try is to get soups and put them through the blender so you can have the equivalent of meats and vegetables. If things are coming back up at this stage it's time to call the doctor as you should not be getting ill from liquids. It may be that your stomach is just swollen from your cold, but there are things your doctor can prescribe which should ease that. My concern is that since you band is not yet settled you will cause a slip if you are throwing up this early.

Ok, took me a bit to find it but here it is: It takes place the third Wed of every month at 6 at a catering company called Le Garmache Catering. Meeting takes place in the back. The owners are sisters and have been banded. One of them has lost around 250 lbs, haven't personally met her sisters. Address is 1327 Bay St Port Orchard, WA 98366. This month the nurses from Fill Management NW will be there doing fills, so you can show up early and someone'll be there.

The pre-op diet is designed to help you loose some of the fat around your organs, making it easier for the doctors to poke around in there. It also helps to shrink the size of your liver for the same reason. Fills are done at 6-8 weeks out. You will probably gain weight between the surgery and your first fill, so don't be anxious during that time, just heal. Sometimes the band has some saline put in it during the surgery but it is a minimal amount and won't affect your level of restriction. With Dr Ortiz, fills are included in the cost of surgery but use of flouroscopy is not, so you'll be charged about $100 at the time of your fill. You can also find a doctor locally to do your fills but with florouscopy those fills range $350 - $450. Shop around and make sure they'll take a Mexican patient as some US doctors won't. Some people leave the day after surgery, but you should really be resting and healing at this point. The early traveling might be putting unnecessary strain on you. I flew down to Mexico on a Monday, was banded on a Tuesday, and flew back up Thursday night. I probably could have gone back to work Friday if I had to but I wanted to rest and just slept as much as possible that day. Of course, by then my cats had learned that I made the best faces when they jumped on my stomach while I was sleeping . . .

You already know you're doing yourself harm by eating the sweets so I don't know how much good a reprimand will be right now. Just keep in mind that sweets will raise your blood sugar and make you feel hungrier later on, and milkshakes are especially bad since they go right through the band. Try keeping track of every last calorie you take in on paper instead of in your head. Your head wants the sugar and will lie to you to get what it wants, so I think you'll be surprised if you start keeping a close track on what goes into your mouth. You have to outsmart yourself here. Don't let any sugary things in your house so you aren't tempted to eat them. Instead keep healthier foods that you like around and focus on those instead. For instance, instead of having a milkshake, keep some frozen strawberries and a bag of splenda around. Then you can have a smoothie that is quite tasty with no more sugar than what's in the strawberries and the milk. You can find lots of recipes on the net, just replace sugar with splenda or whatever non-calorie sweetener you prefer. I'm told stevia is also quite good, but it's more potent so you don't need to use as much. Until you start letting the band do its job, another fill will have minimal benefit.

That almost sounds like a sinus infection. Some people's teeth and related nerves run very close to the sinus cavity and could be causing them to ache. If your sinuses are producing excess mucus it could be dripping out the back of your nose and down your throat which can cause another infection and causing your throat to swell. If its reaching your stomach that could be responsible for the noises it is producing. Just my uneducated conjecture, but I think you should get it checked out by your primary care physician.

Dr Ortiz gets lots of Washington patients. When I got banded there were two other patients from Washington there with me. There is a support group that meets in Pt Orchard monthly that has a few Dr Ortiz patients. It would be a great place for you to ask questions and get an idea of what you're in for. Next meeting is the 20th at 6. Let me know if you are interested and I can get you the address.