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Jenna It took about 4 weeks until I got mine....

Back in April When Dr. Ortiz had a different nutritionalist, I was told I could start exercising after the 6 weeks, once I was on solid foods and my incisions were heald and my band and port were set in place..It may be different now I do not know.. Things to bring to TJ Gas X Liquid Tylenol.. A good book comfortable clothes ( loose fitting) I also took some snack for my travelling companion( husband) also took some water and gatorade , both will be provided however but wanted to make sure I had enough Good Luck on your upcoming surgery!!

Kathy, Iam sure by now you are officially in bandland! Congratulations..I hope your surgery went smoothly. Have the Gas X on hand and walk as much as possible to get rid of all that trapped gas.Walking works wonders on getting all of it out.

Zena, the reason I say it may be a head issue is that in your post is that you love food and eat when you are happy and when you are sad when you feel food and when it is there. Most people eat to live..for nourishment. When we eat for other reasons then hunger then it is a head issue and any therapist will tell you that! Eating should only be for nourishment. It took the band to make me realize that. I ate the wrong things and too much of it but did not eat for any emotional reason. What you say is true but if you do not deal with head issues and just think this tool will help you , you may get discouraged. Therapy is also a tool both the band and therapy work hand in hand. Just becasue you have a band ..will it stop you from eating when you are happy or sad? Will it stop you from eating cookies, candy, cake, burgers, fries? I know many of women who have the band and are struggling right now becasue of the compulsive eating habits they had and did not deal with prior to surgery. Tehy though the band was a cure all . The band will not do all of the work..you have to work the band also and that means good food choices, exercise..lots of water. not drinking with meals..protein first..I wish you all the best and hope you have much success

Zena I have been an obese person most of mylife and have tired every diet known to man. I have been up and down on my weight all of my life. I got tired of battling with it. I got the band and am so glad I did. Never been happier. This is the first time in my life I am not in fear of putting my weight back on. Remember this band is a tool to help us is not a magic wand, you will have to do some of the work. If you have emotional eating problems and head issues..work on them now or you may have problems. I was not sure if I ate for emotional reasons. I went into counseling before surgery to prepare myself. My therapist has been astonished over how well I have done and told me he really beleives I did not eat for emotional reasons or I would have struggled during this and not done so well with my weight loss. I love my band and would do it over again in a heartbeat!

Are you having surgery with Dr. Ortiz? Whjen I had my surgery in April I did not have to do any pre op diet. I was told back then that he only required a pre op diet to shrink your liver if your BMI is over 50, mine was not. However I did start to make better food choices and did start to get used to eating slow , small bites and chew chew chew and I also stopped drinking during a meal so I got plenty of practice and knew what to expect after being banded. Please call Dr. Ortiz's office to see if his pre op diet portocol has changed it may have since April. Best Wishes to you on your weight loss journey

Jen, you obviously know what the problem is. Junk food and no exercising right? You also know you can do this right because you all ready have. One thing for me that works great is support..I am on another online support group that is so great, everyone there is so suportive, kind and caring we all are like one big family go check it out it will help you www.lapbandtalk.com tell them I sent you they will welcome you with open arms This board is not like any of the others I promise you and it really helps. we all are struggling..somedays I have good days and somedays I have bad days.. ...Junk food for us obese people is like alcohol to an alcoholic. Once you fall of the wagon you got to get back on..You can do this tomorrow is a new day..NO JUNK FOOD>>NO JUNK FOOD!!! PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN Carbs in the morning will make you crave carbs and junk all day long it is a proven fact..so no carbs tomorrow ..cut those cravings. Protein really works to cut the hunger and cravings. I stay away from carbs until dinner then I know I will not binge or crave crap food al lday long..Instead of reaching for junk..reach for your water bottle... Cal lsomeone on the phone when you feel the urge to eat junk..you can call me I will talk you out of it You can do this Jen, you were the one who was there for me on my very first day giving me all kinds of support so now I'm returning the favor..

Good Luck Susie I hope everything goes well for you this week. Keeping my fingers crossed I do have a friend who lost her port to an infection and just had a new one replaced last week on the same side but in a much lower position. She had it removed in June buth ad to let things heal before she could get a new one. They gave her a nice fill also before they removed her port..so ask Dr. Martinez about that. See if he can give you a fill before removing the port. Good Luck

For 55 dollars each way Dr. Ortiz's officewil lget you to the airport. If not I think it would be cheaper to rent a car from the airport then take a cab. Once you get to the border you can park on the US side and walk over the border and take acab for 5$ to Ortiz's office. I'm going to be scheduling a fill for January 17th I think.

How long has it been since your hubby was in TJ?? Things are better then they were 10 years ago. The drive to Tj is a piecoe of cake, Ortiz's office is 5 minutes from the border. Park on the US side and take a cab in, thats what I d id and do everytime I go for a fill. The hotel you stay at is beautiful and very clean and the staff goes out of there way to make your stay a wonderful experience. Dr. Ortiz's office is very nice and clean also as wel las the facility he uses for his surgeries. You have not a worry in the world, you are in good hands. Dr. Ortiz is one of the best surgeons in the country. You will have no trouble coming back across the border..Good Luck to you

Gayle What are you drinking during the liquid phase right now.? Have you tried putting soups into the blender? Have you tried the liquid yogurt? Protein drinks will also help with the hunger. I bleneded everything, as long as it went through a straw and had no chunks I was fine. The soups at hand by Campbells also worked well for me, the creamy chicken and creamy tomato were the best and no chunks, popsicles and jello were my best friends during the liquid phase, I felt like I was eating food instead of just drinking. Best of Luck to you & Hang in there, it will all be behind you soon and worth it in the long run!

Just thought I would let you all know that I recieved my book on Friday ..I ordered it on November 17th but I got it! What a great book! I was also charged the correct ammount on my credit card. Hope you al lget your books soon, there are on their way!

Congratulations Karen..I'm so happy for you! I agree with all that you said about Ortiz & hisstaff..they are awesome! Isint it great to be able to reach your Dr. on his cell phone? That sure does not happen here in the US. Keep us posted on your porgress

Hi Cindy I have a 4 cc Inamed Band I had my surgery 9 weeks post op June 7th and I had lost 20 lbs up until that point and had 1.1cc's. August 16th I had my 2nd fill and had lost 45 pounds up intil that point and had . 9 cc's to make a total of 2 cc's. I am currently still with that fill level and have lost 72 lbs to date. My first fill took about a week for me to notice a difference, my 2nd fill I felt instantly. Best of Luck to you with your new fill...

Hi Karen If you feel half as good as I did you should be able to wrok 1/2 day on Monday. I was walking around & shopping in downtown Tiajuana the day after my surgery. Good Luck to you. Everything wil lgo great. Dr. Ortiz & Martinez are two of the most caring and experienced Lap Band surgeons in the country!

Hi Danno, There are many people out there with the band who had your similar problems and many of them have had great success with reducing their medication and some not taking it any longer at all. Here is another great site for support on the band that is more active then this one is, where lots of its members have had similar medical problems like you, I know they all will be happy to answer any questions for you www.lapbandtalk.com Good Luck

Congratualtions to you..what a great NSV ( non scale victory) Hey maybe next time you get rid of clothes to the goodwill..post it here or on other boards ..there are always fellow bandsters looking for used clothes , that is what I do when I am getting rid of clothes, I have never had a problem finding anyone who wants them.. Since none of us want to spend lots of money on clothing as we are still losing its a great way to help someone out..Just a thought! You are doing fantastic..Keep it up!

Hi Pam aftercare in other states when banded in another country can be tricky. Many US dos will not do aftercare or follow -up on patients banded in Mexico, and if they do they charge an arm and a leg. I know of 2 women banded by Dr. Ortiz and live out of state, one in PA and one in IN, they both fly back to Mexico for follow up and aftercare, it is cheaper to fly back then what the Dr's in their area is going to charge them.Not to mention you have the best Dr. doing your surgery so I would think you would want the same for aftercare also.. It is vital , if you do not plan on going back to Mexico for aftercare to pre arrange it prior to your surgery. So many women dont and so many women have problems and have no choice but to go back to Mexico Here is a good site to locate a Dr. in your area www.lap-band.com at the top of the page click on surgeon locator and then just start calling all on the list to see if the will do follow up on Mexican patients. You can also ask Dr. Ortiz if he knows of any Dr.s in Washington Best of Luck to you

I saw Dr. Ortiz today for a check up I asked about the book. He told me they are being shipped this week. yes there was a delay ..As far as the publishing company..check your emails frequently..I recieved a reciept today stating I was charged the correct ammount..Be looking for your books in the coming days ! They are on there way according to Dr. Ortiz I also got this message today from speacout media today who is the host site for both this web site and the booksweb site Hi Michelle, Yes, my company does host both of the web sites but we have nothing to do with processing the books orders. At the request of Dr. Ortiz, I added a contact page to the book's web site that you can use to contact the Publisher. You can find it here: http://www.lap-bandforlife.com/contact.html As you can imagine, Dr. Ortiz is furious about the delays with the publisher and also the mistakes that were made with charging people incorrectly. From what I have been told, all of the mistakes with charging people incorrectly have been corrected. Hopefully that's true. Chad -------------------- Chad Smith Spaceout Media www.spaceout

Hi Harold...NOBODY got ripped off So please do not think that or spread that rumor If you or anyone else here tried calling Dr. Ortiz's office you would of been told the same thing I was told...there has been a delay in publishing and that is it! As far as the few that were overcharged that was a clerical error and has been taken care of too. If any of you would like to call the publishing company yourselves please send me a message and I will give you there number. From what I was told the books shouldbe shipped out Nov 29th...which is today!

Hi Jen That is horrible..I'm sorry to hear this. I'm sure it was an honest mistake. You need to call Dr. Ortiz's office today and let them be aware of this and maybe they have a number for you to contact the book company. Have you recieved the book yet? Jen the hosting company for the book site is Spaceout media and it may be a coincidence but one of the moderators or administrators for this site is spaceout so maybe it is his or her hosting company and maybe he or she can help you....try sending him or her a PM. Spaceout media is also the host of this site as well.. I just replied to the confirmation email and asked if they have a phone number, howl ong will the book take to get delievered, what wil thecharge say on my credit card statement. etc..so we will see if I get a reply and if I do I will let you know p.s. I just sent Spaceout a PM so we will see what the reply is, I will let you know when I get any info Jen Good Luck

Call this number 619-270-1126 and ask for Renee, Allyssa or Gabrielle any one of them will schedule your appointment ..

Cindy every thing you are feeling is normal.. Sleeping on your side is difficult for the first 2-3 weeks but it will change. The gassy and queasy is normal too..Congratulations on your band. My swelling took about 3 weeks..everyone is different. are you pushing on the band or your port? The port is on the left side..I could feel my port but not my band. Good Luck to you

Hi LV426 ( what does your name stand for) I had all the same concerns as you did...but it was quite obvious I could not do it on my own or else I would not of gotten to my heaviest weight ever of 265. I have tried them all..every weight loss plan and weight loss program known to man, only to fail once again. The band has truly changed my life..I have lost over 65 lbs in 7 months and it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. For the first time in my life I do not feel like Iam dieting with all the wieghing of foods and measuring foods, counting calorie etc..For the first ime in my life I feel as I will NEVER gain this weight back AGAIN!!! Mexico is not like it was 20 yrs ago..since you live in San Diego, maybe you can make an appointment with Dr. Ortiz and his staff to go to his foffice, check out his facilities and the hotel you would stay at..once you have done that maybe your mind will be put at ease about "Mexico". Why dont you think the band will work for you? It is a toll and we have to do some of the work but if you want to lose weight bad enough..IT WILL WORK!!! You said you have a lot of strength and discipline, thats half the battle. I have met many fellow bandsters and I have yet to meet one that it did not work for. I say GO FOR IT! Dr. Ortiz is the best in his field andhe is most experienced in the Lap Band not to mention his entire staff are completely wonderful! Best of Luck on your decision

Hi Gayle..I met a woman on Monday in Dr. Ortiz' office who had the bypass and now has the band. Her name is Linda I'm sure she can offer you alot of support. here is another site that is very active and she is a member of her screen name on thatsite is Linda_Weg www.lapbandtalk.com do a search under members and send her an email or a message. Best of Luck to you