hollydovel

I've already had the gastric plication done 2 years ago, but will be in town July 24th - July 26 helping a family member out at the OCC. So if you have questions about the surgery or would like a friend to meet up with let me know! Holly

Hello All, Just wanted to let you know I will be at The Ariel Center (aka OCC) July 24 - July 26. This time I will be taking it easy and helping out a family member who is going in for a tummy tuck. If you have any questions regarding lower body lift or breast lift and implants please don't hesitate to ask. I love working with Dr. Ortiz, Dr. So, and Dr. Castillo they are all great doctors who really take the time and care for their patients. Thanks! Holly

Dolittle, I understand how you feel. This surgery has been a life changer, and being able to keep the helper (smaller stomach) talking to your brain saying I'm full is really a necessity to your everyday life. So I think you are making a great decision! I may see you there at the end of July since I will also be in town, although it is to support a family member who is going to see Dr. Castillo instead. Thanks! Holly

Fluffy, I hope since your last message you are doing better. If your open maybe you can give some more information, such as what did you start eating / drinking after the surgery and for how long? Are you eating and drinking at the same time or giving the allotted time in between? What do your meals and drinks along with portions consist of now? By sharing your experience maybe other members can help navigate with advice while you are on your journey. Thank you, Holly

PoodleMum, I just wanted to update you that the new point of contact for "The Ariel Center" is Daniela. You can email her at daniela@thearielcenter.com to set up an appointment with Dr. Castillo. For the lower body lift I stayed at the Hotel Real Del Rio. This hotel was nice, updated, and inexpensive, they also had room service which is important. The only down side was your pretty much stuck in your room and there's not alot of channels to watch there. I highly recommend bringing a laptop so you can watch dvd's or netflix. But for the price it was good and safe. You might be able to request a microwave sent up to your room, I didn't ask at the time. I have also stayed at the Marriott which I would recommend as long as you can access the executive lounge. It does cost more, but you can bring some food with you and they have a microwave there that you can access anytime. Plus they serve some breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Kind of like a sample bar. You also have more channels for the TV. But again the price will be more so it will depend on your budget. Either way the Van from the OCC can pick you up and drop you off at either location if your not driving. I had to stay in TJ for about 4 days before I could get the drains removed. Those were a pain especially if you moved silly and got it snagged. You are sort of hunched over and can't really stand up straight I would say for myself at least 2 weeks. You also have to be careful with not lifting anything too heavy, and you get exhausted easily so don't overwork. My thighs and stomach were swollen and it takes at least 2 months for it to go down. You will need help at least down in Tj for the stay, especially getting up and out of bed and putting on your shoes. I would also recommend getting a light robe with a pocket so you can put the drain bag in. and really baggy sweat pants. It sounds like a lot, and it kind of is since the surgery itself takes about 6hrs. But it was something I needed to do, especially when it came around to my belly button area, and it helped eliminate almost all of a scar I had before from an emergency surgery. Let me know if you need any more information. Thanks! Holly

From what I understand, due to the scar tissue that can build up around the band when it keeps rubbing the exterior of your upper stomach you would need to look at the sleeve. This takes a part of your stomach out, and will look like the shape of a banana. I hear you can get better results from this procedure, just be aware recovery time is longer. This is not a total fix since you can still re-stretch your stomach again. I hope this helped and the OCC can definitely help you out if decide to go forward.

PoodleMum, I did arrange everything with Gloria at the OCC, and even forwarded pictures first. In the end it was easier to just set up a meeting with Dr. Castio and show him my trouble spots. I would recommend setting up an appointment with him instead of just stopping by since he might be out of the office or in surgery. As for myself I waited until a little more then a year before I did my elective surgery, since I wanted to make sure I was at a steady weight. Also I ended up doing the lower belt surgery first since this was major and more recovery time. I then followed up 6 months later with my breast lift and implants. I will be going back in June some time for a follow up visit. Keep Up the Great Work! Holly

Hi Donna, I remember for the first couple of months my tummy would make awful bloaty noises, and of course always at the worst time. It's been over 2 years and I still get the grumblies usually in the mid morning, but nothing too dramatic. I don't have the heart burn, but maybe you might want to change something in the food schedule to try help narrow it down, and figure out what sets it off? For example like a food journal with ingredients? Not sure on that end. As for the loose skin unless you become a marathon runner it will always be there. The Ariel center at the OCC can help out though. I had loose skin on my tummy, buttocks, arms, and breasts. I did elect to have a whole belt tuck which helped flatten my tummy and took some loose skin off my bottom. I really needed to get this done since the folds around my belly button were starting to get infected; plus I had a large scar from an emergency surgery back in 2009. I also elected to have a breast lift and implants. I always had breasts and when I lost the weight they dropped and were flat. For me this was really the last step in getting my life back and being myself again. I decided to not do my arms, and realize I need to be happy with the progress that I made, and be proud of myself. So I have started to wear tank tops and over come my fear. Dr. Castio does the elective surgery at The Ariel Center (OCC), and is very skilled since he obviously is working with people who have lost a lot of weight and end up with this loose skin. If you cannot set up an appointment to meet at the OCC, he will also let you take pictures and send them to him for more information. Hopefully this has helped! Holly

SWGA, I completely agree with you! Sometimes I want to run around telling everyone about this great surgery and how it can turn your life around. No more just settling that this is how it's going to be, and I can't change it. I was one of those people until we decided to see Dr. Ortiz and realized I had another option. I lost 101 pounds and was thinking it would be great if I just lost 50 pounds originally. Keep up all the great work everyone and spread the word when you can!

Congrats SWGA! I know the food tends to blend and you feel like your looking for a certain flavor. (still happens even after 2yrs) Since you posted back on the 13th you are probably on soft foods now. I personally would eat scrambled eggs; or even apple sauce. Keep up the awesome work!

tjones, I can tell you from personal experience and this being 2 years after my surgery that I do fluctuate within usually 2 pounds. I know you are worried about going back to old habits but maybe this will help. If you are stuck for awhile and not losing anymore I would start from basics again. I know this was difficult just doing it once - but you might want to consider doing the liquid again to soft foods. In addition I personally do not eat bread, rice, or pasta anymore. I still have carbs, just not the ones that got me into my bad habits. I lost 101 pounds which took about year. And truly it is about not eating and drinking at the same time. Keep going and keep up the great work! (fyi - if you do go back to liquid Jamba Juice is a no no -> my mom tried to pull a fast one by starting out with this.) Ashleywooten02, It is important to follow the guide in the beginning this is to help retrain your eating habits. I hope everything is going well, and I would personally stay away from oatmeal. Oatmeal to me would mean filler, as in it would expand. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I feel on that food item. Good Luck!

I'm so happy for you! It's been 2 years for myself since I lost 101 pounds. Believe me I know when you first start out that your stomach wants to make embarrassing noises at the worst times. It's just retraining your brain to eat, then wait to drink, and eventually your eating small snacks throughout the day like you should instead of one to two big meals. Keep up the great work!!