Am1e

I was banded by Dr Ortiz in March 2010. Wonderful experience. No problems with fills in New Orleans, but then I moved to West Texas. Any big cities 5 hours or more away (Dallas is 6 hrs away). No band care here at all unless I pay out of pocket for an inexperienced small town dr who is in network, but refuses to submit my claims to Cigna (most likely so he can collect $350 rather than the cigna negotiated rate which is probably less than $100). My insurance was covering my band maintenance in New Orleans and I had a good provider there. I moved 14 hours away from there, so going back there makes no sense. I wish I would have done the sleeve originally. But I go back to Tijuana in 2 weeks for my sleeve! I love Dr Ortiz and think he is probably the most experienced in the world at weight loss surgery. He was in Newsweek's "15 Leaders in Bariatric Surgery". If you read that article, I believe he has done more surgeries than any of the others. I feel more confident with care by him than any doctor I know in the US. I go on Nov. 7th. When are you going?

I was banded by Dr Ortiz in March 2010. Wonderful experience. No problems with fills in New Orleans, but then I moved to West Texas. Any big cities 5 hours or more away (Dallas is 6 hrs away). No band care here at all unless I pay out of pocket for an inexperienced small town dr who is in network, but refuses to submit my claims to Cigna (most likely so he can collect $350 rather than the cigna negotiated rate which is probably less than $100). My insurance was covering my band maintenance in New Orleans and I had a good provider there. I moved 14 hours away from there, so going back there makes no sense. I wish I would have done the sleeve originally. But I go back to Tijuana in 2 weeks for my sleeve! I love Dr Ortiz and think he is probably the most experienced in the world at weight loss surgery. He was in Newsweek's "15 Leaders in Bariatric Surgery". If you read that article, I believe he has done more surgeries than any of the others. I feel more confident with care by him than any doctor I know in the US. I go on Nov. 7th. When are you going?

I got the band at OCC in March of 2010. I am headed back to OCC for a revision to the sleeve in November. So excited! I am very frustrated with the band and the providers in the US saying things like "we don't take patients that had their band in Mexico". Dr. Ortiz likely has 100 times the experience and training of these jokers and they say it like its some sub standard back room process. Makes me very angry. I have really good insurance, but I trust Dr. Ortiz and prefer to self pay him than take my chances with my small town inexperienced options where I live. I like that he makes videos and explains how its done and why things are done a certain way. Very excited to go back to OCC and hopefully have my dreams of being thin come true!

I do tend to feel the tightness in my throat with a cold drink. I have noticed that I can drink a hot drink and it feels normal. So far it feels that way all the time, not just in the morning. I also did notice that when I was working outside and it was really hot, the cold drink went down easier. I am thinking I might keep the fill level, but it does feel weird in my throat.

I got a 3rd fill yesterday. I am at 8cc in an 11 cc band now. I can definitely feel the restriction now and wonder if I have too much. It feels funny when I drink something. Like it stays in my throat for a minute. I did eat a little this afternoon and I got full after about 2/3 cup of food. Eating isn't a problem, but drinking does feel funny, so I am worried if I have too much fill. I want to wait it out a few days and see what happens.

I feel tight in the morning occasionally. Then it goes away by afternoon. I also notice that when I start to retain water (like before that time of the month), I start to feel tighter. I think that is why they tell you not to get a fill before or during that time of the month. I am not feeling much restriction yet, because I have only had 2 fills, but those are the times when I have felt something. Hope that helps!

Also it would be great if you could say where your fills were done. Or just OCC or not OCC. I am betting that those who go to OCC have fewer fills than those who go elsewhere. I want to go back to OCC for a fill!!!

If I lived that close to TJ, I would go there every time for a fill. I trust their experience. And I do not trust the experience of any of the doctors in the US that I have talked to about doing fills.

Very cute!