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You look absolutely beautiful!!! What an amazing difference. I am so happy for you. You have done an fabulous job with your band. I'm so proud of you. What a inspiration, thank you for starting this thread. I think it will help and inspire others to see such amazing success! Way to go! Congratulations

Hi Beannie, First let me say congratulations on taking the first step to a new & healtiher you by getting your band. May 17th is just around the corner, 1 week from today. Secondly, it is totally normal to be anxious but beleive me when I tell you, you have nothing to worry about. Dr. Ortiz and his entire staff will take such great care of you, you are in such experienced hands, Obesity Control Center is ran like a well oiled machine. Everyone on his staff speaks perfect English, the hospital is a very nice facility and the hotel is beautiful, even the hotel staff will make sure your every need is met. Just be patient, Mexico has their own time schedule, bring a book for the day of pre op tests, you will most likely be waiting around some, bring some Gas X and some liquid tylenol, do not pack much in the way of clothing , pack light. Any other questions you have, please feel free to send me a message or email me, I will be happy to answer any questions I can for you Good Luck and please post once you are home and feeling up to it, I wouldlove to hear about your experience.

Hi MassageMom, I have a band buddy who was banded in Tj by Dr. Ortiz and she lives in PA, she has flown back a couple of times to TJ for her fills but now has found a doctor in her area who will do her fills and aftercare for her now. Her name on this board is LindaGr , if you do a search under members you can email her and maybe she can let you know of the doctor she uses in PA

I have the same kind of demands on my job, I went back to work 10 days after surgery. I was more concerend on how I would handle working not eating and only on liquids. I own a restraunt and I am on my feet moving arond, bending, lifting all day too but I am also around food. I did justfine. I'm sure you will too

Hi Claudia, Welcome! Congratulations on your upcpming surgery. Being nervous is a normal reaction. I was nervous too. You are having the best surgeon do you band if that helps any. Dr. Ortiz & martinez and their entire staff are fabulous. Their facilities are nice and the hotel is beautiful. You are in good hands ( cute ones too) My scars were healed pretty quickly, I'd say 10 days post op totally healed, the only one I notice is my port incision and that one is no bigger then an inch, the other 4 incisions are so tiny I can not even find them any more, yes the surgery is done lapriscopically which is why the incisions are so small. The band is the best thing I have ever done. Your fears are normal but relax you are going to do just fine with your band. We are all hear to help you so please post as often as you can so we can help answer any questions you may have. Good Luck

Karen Congratulations to Hanna Im so happy for her, she will have a great role model bandster to follow in you You can both support eachother .. but may I ask? She only weighs 107? Or was that a typo?

1. When were you banded? April 6th 2004 2. Who was your surgeon? Dr. Ortiz 3. How much weight have you lost? 90 lbs 4. How are you dealing with your new band? I LOVE MY BAND! 5. How is your family & frineds treating you since surgery? I'm loving all the attention Iam getting 6. Is your spouse or significant other treating you any differently since weight loss? My husband is still the loving, caring , supportive man I married 13 years ago 7. Would you reccomend your surgeon to others? Most Definately!!!. 8. Any regrets? NO!!! 9. Where did you have your surgery? TJ , Mexico

Hi everyone, I just thought I would post a kind of fun thread and see everyone's individual progress 1. When were you banded? 2. Who was your surgeon? 3. How much weight have you lost? 4. How are you dealing with your new band? 5. How is your family & frineds treating you since surgery? 6. Is your spouse or significant other treating you any differently since weight loss? 7. Would you reccomend your surgeon to others? 8. Any regrets? 9. Where did you have your surgery done?

Hi Gaynor, If you have not lost in a month and feel you are able to eat more but are still somewhat following the rules with protein first, water, etc..then it may be time for a fill. That is what I use for a guide for my fills. Who did your first fill? How much of a fill did you get?

Hi Beanie I was banded on April 6th 2004 I was 265 and I am 5'5 as of this morning Iam 175 90 lbs in a little over a year! Everyone's journey into this is so different, it is hard to comapre to others Yes I have a little excess skin in my arms but nothing Iam too concerned about at this moment. It is nothing compared to how good I fell and the years I added on to my life by having the band. I was on liquids for 2 weeks and it was not bad at all, it was the strangest thing, I was not even hungry during those 2 weeks, protein drinks during the full liquid phase will help with hunger. Are you planning on having Dr. Ortiz as your surgeon? He and Dr. Martinez are the best surgeons out there in my opinion and so caring and knowledgeable and supportive. Best of luck to you on your decision, for what it is worth, the band is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I LOVE MY BAND

Hi Catfanlvr I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your band, I remember reading your story on another board. For what it is worth, if I had erosion and lost my band and I was told my chances were good of having another one without erosion, I would do it in a heartbeat! My band is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Have you spoken with another Dr., and asked their opinion? Do they say what the success rate of being rebanded after an erosion? I wish you the best on your decision. I hope it all works out for you whatever you decide

Hi, It depends on who your carrier is for cell phone usage. I have Sprint as my carrier and I was able to make and recieve calls all over TJ , however my husband has Cingular and was not able to get as good as service as I got. I beleive they electrical outlets are the same, I plugged in my blow dryer and it worked fine. The Lucerna has internet acess in the lobby I know that for sure because I used there computer. I do not know about internet access in the rooms. I hope this info was helpful to you and best of luck to you on May 3rd. Dr. Ortiz & Martinez are truly the best! I can not even begin to tell you how happy I am with my decision to go with them as my surgeons.

Hi Sherri, were you banded by Dr. Ortiz? Exactly what do you mean " I feel like crap" are you in pain? Are you having regrets? Each day does get a little bit better, alot of the uncomfortablness is due to the gas and the swelling. Feel free to email me and we can talk. I will help you get through this difficult time

Hi Tonya, I know several people who fly home thesame day after a fill. No rest is needed usually , just a liquid diet for 3 days is all Dr. Ortiz recomends. As far as aftersurgery, one of my band buddies flew from SD to PA after surgery but it was 3 days after surgery, she stayed at the hotel one extra day to be safe. Another one of my band buddies had her surgery on Tuesday and flew home to IL on Thursday, so i guess it all depends on the individual. I had minimal pain aftersurgery and was shopping in TJ the very next day aftersurgery with one of my band buddies. Good Luck

Have you tried using a smaller fork, like one of those crab forks or a baby fork, it helps to take much smaller bites. Do you wait to eat until you are starving? I know for me if I wait too long to eat, I have a tendency to eat faster. SO I tryto eat before I get to the point of my stomach growling. It works well for me. Pbing once a week is not good. Pbing often can result in your band slipping, you do not want that. Carbonation I was told by Dr. Miranda ( the nutritionalist) it can stretch the pouch, you do not want that either, . Give up the carbonation and try using a smaller fork see if that helps Good Luck

There is a online support group Original Southern California Bandsters ( OSCB) in yahoo groups, they meet once a month all over in different places in Southern California

Hi Amber I went to Dr. Ortiz and I have had nothing but awonderful experience. I would reccomend him to anyone , family friends even strangers. He is the best, his facilities are very nice and clean , the hotel is beautiful and his staff is awesome. The entire Obesity Control Center tea mwil ltake great care of you. They all speak perfect english, no language barrier. I recovered the next day, I went shopping in TJ. I had no infections. Ifeel great and I have lost 84 lbs and it will be 1 year on April 6th. Good luck on your decision, if I can answer any other questions for you please feel free to send me a message.

I beleive Ortiz charges $9995.00 Some doctors in Mecixo charge less and others charge more.f Dr. Ortiz is the most experienced in my opinion, for me cheaper is not better. I want the best!

Jenn have you tried joing ErodedBandsters inYahoo? There are alot of wome there with experience in Erosion who can maybe answer some of your questions for you. I am so sorry you are going through this, just know Iam here for you with any thing I can do for you. You were there for me the day of my surgery and I will always appreciate you for that.

Congratulations! That is so fantastic. I remember how excited I was when I made it to one-derland! Keep up the good work! I'm very happy for you

Susie, Im so happy for you, that is great news! Thanks for letting us know how things went.

Jen, I'm so happy to see that you are goin in for a fill, this may be just what you need to get you back on track. Everytime I get a fill it is rejuventating to my weightloss journey, I seem to get motivated again...hope the same for you Let me know how it goes Good Luck

Jenna he does like you to be on liquids for 3 days but he did make a sacrafice to My friend so she would not get on an airplane and get home and see that she was too tight and have NO doctor in her area to help her get an unfill...once we ate after our fills we did go on liquids for 3 days like he reccomends..

Debby, there is great shopping on El Revolucion, it is the main shopping street where al lthe tourists go, it is just a 5$ cab ride from the hotel and very easy to get a cab back. As far as a dentist...Dr. Ortiz can reccomend one for you , I think there is one right near his office in that center. No food 3 hours before a fill but you can drink up to an hour before is what I was told ..Hang in there , heres hoping this fill will rejuvenate you and your wieght loss..it always does for me. A new fill malkes me more diligent , like a fresh start.. Good Luck..you can do this! You knowwhat to do, youjust need a little push and this new fill is just the thing to get you going again

Debby..when I went for my 2nd fill I was with a girlfirend who flew in from PA to have her fill also. Once Dr. Ortiz did our fills he had us go and immediately eat something to see if she was too tight before she got back on a plane to PA the next day because she has no one there where she lives also. I think you staying those extra days will befine, let Dr. Martinez and Ortiz no of your concerns, they will most likely have you eat solids too just to make sure. Usually he has a 3 day liquid post fill instruction.. but in your case I'm sure he will make an exception for one solid meal postfill to make sure you are not too tight before you head home...Good Luck