Dolittle

Your doing great! I'm hoping you post some pictures showing your success. It would be an inspiration to others.

You'll do fine, your in good hands. I'll be coming to the OCC on the 14th too, for a lap band check up. Maybe we'll run into each other. Quit worrying about the pre-surgery diet, between me and you, I've never heard of anyone having their surgery cancelled because of them being a couple pounds short of goal before surgery. But, keep at the diet.

What part of GA are we talking about?

I haven't yet to find proof that Gas X strips really do anything, I think it's mostly psychological. The gas they use is pumped into your body cavity to expand that area, which gives the surgeon more room to maneuver. Gas X strips are taken orally and digested,. I'm not understanding how something that's inside of your stomach can absorb something outside of the stomach? Most patients have reported pain in their joints after their surgery and have found heavy exercise help relieve that pain and dissapate the gas. Please let me know what works for you.

Good info,, Thanks Bella

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of Febuary. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Gastric Plication patients.

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of January. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Gastric Plication patients.

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of December. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Gastric Plication patients.

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of March. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Lap Band patients

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of Febuary. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Lap Band patients

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of January. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Lap Band patients

Lori,, she's pretty good,, maybe awesome. LOL

Yep, he's the real deal. I was lap banded in March 2007 and have never regreted it for a minute. I can't tell you what it's like to have the Gastric Sleeve surgery, but I remember the band surgery was very easy and I remember walking all around TJ the next day and I felt great. Dr. Ortiz is probably one of the top WLS surgeons in the world. Is he perfect? I can't answer that, I guess the saying goes that no one is perfect. Does he live on his reputation? Yes, All WLS surgeons do, otherwise no one would go to them. With the power of the Internet, if Dr. Ortiz ran a fly by night operation, he'd be out of business in a matter of days. I never had any issues post surgery, but when I had a question, I always got a quick response from either Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Martinez or Dr. So. My best advise would be for you to try contacting members here on the OCC forum and see what they have to say.

Call Lori the OCC surgery coordinator, she had lap band to the sleeve and has had great results. I know there are others that have had it done too. So, can any of you give this girl some advice?

I'd wait till after the cruise too. For any WLS, you have to go on a presurgery diet. I'd contact Lori, the OCC surgery coordinator, at least 6 months ago she had the sleeve surgery done and has been very successful. She could give you the info your looking for. Call her at 1-866-376-7849 ext 81

Everyone goes through this feeling. Don't feel like your all by yourself. You won't regret going through with the surgery. I don't know which surgery you have decided on, but I was lap banded back in 2007 and haven't regreted it. I just wish I would have done it back in 2000 when I first looked into it.

In October I had to make another trip back to Cosmed to have a deep suture removed. This is the third time this has happened. It's getting to be a big "pain in the butt" and a major inconvenience. I'm thinking I would have been money and time ahead if I would have went with a plastic surgeon closer to home. But, back when I decided to have the lower body lift, not many surgeons had any experience with WLS patients. Times are changing, with lap-banding, gastric by-pass surgery and other WLS's more common in the USA, plastic surgeons in the USA are more experienced. I have come to the conclusion that unless you live close to or in Southern California and can come and go to TJ, I suggest finding a plastic surgeon closer to your home. Time and travel expenses can eat up any savings you'll get if you have any complications from the plastic surgery.

About a year ago I had a tooth #30 just go to crap. It must be an age thing. When I was in TJ in October, I decided to go with a implant to replace it. I made my appointment with Dent-Art and made it a 3 in 1 trip to TJ from Illinois. #1, have my band checked by Dr. So, #2, have a deep suture removed by Dr. Quiroz at Cosmed, #3, get the dental implant. I go back in January to get the implant crowned. So far Dr. Lugo and his staff have been great. He was running a special on his website for implants, $1100 for the implant and crown. Which here in Illinois would have been over $3000. I'll keep you posted on the crowning trip. This time I have scheduled the trip to include some free time and might get to actually see something in San Diego.

I just got this email from Melody, she was Dr. Watkins surgery coordinator and assitant. Dr. Watkins left the Chicago area and went back to Cinn Ohio to teach. Now Melody has went out on her own. Read the following email I recieved yesterday. Im very happy to announce that effective immediately, I am available for appointment for band adjustments (fills/unfills) in my new Hinsdale location at: 120 E. Ogden, Suite 120 Hinsdale, 60521 If you are interested, either email or call me to set up a date and time, by appointment only. No walk-ins, please, as I will only be there, when I have appointments scheduled. I will not be available on Wednesdays or Thursdays between 9am-5pm, but if you email or call and leave a message, I will respond as soon as I can. Evenings and weekends are also available. The fee is $100 and cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted. Im looking forward to seeing all of you! Melody Kodis Owner Certified Wellness Coach Certified Food Coach Bottom Line Weight Loss -Weight Loss Catalysts- Office: 630-360-BAND (2263) Website: www.BottomLineWeightLoss.net

I just got this email from Melody this week. I've had fills done by her in the past and will in the future. I’m very happy to announce that effective immediately, I am available for appointment for band adjustments (fills/unfills) in my new Hinsdale location at: 120 E. Ogden, Suite 120 Hinsdale, 60521 If you are interested, either email or call me to set up a date and time, by appointment only. No walk-ins, please, as I will only be there, when I have appointments scheduled. I will not be available on Wednesdays or Thursdays between 9am-5pm, but if you email or call and leave a message, I will respond as soon as I can. Evenings and weekends are also available. The fee is $100 and cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you! Melody Kodis Owner Certified Wellness Coach Certified Food Coach Bottom Line Weight Loss -Weight Loss Catalysts- Office: 630-360-BAND (2263) Website: www.BottomLineWeightLoss.

I was just in TJ this week and the OCC clinic is still a busy place. Dr. So checked my band and everything looks great, even after almost 6 years (March 3 2007 band date). We decided I needed a little more resrtiction and he added 2 tenths. Back in the fall of 2008 when I had my LBL plastic surgery, everyone thought it would be a good idea to have an unfill before the plastic surgery. I went 5 months with no restriction and gained 20 lbs, I've never been able to get it back off, I wish I'd never had done the unfill. LOL. We'll see how things go. Many thanks to the OCC staff for their great hospitality. Gloria is the best, Dr. So does great fills and he's a great guy.

I haven't done the crossing by foot for a long time. To my understanding, things change and the USA is rebuilding the whole bordering crossing. So these instructions may not be accuate any longer. In January of 2013, I will be doing the crossing by foot and will up date this topic. If anyone between now and January does this by foot, please send me or post the changes. Thanks

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of December. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Lap Band patients

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of November. Posting in this topic gives you the chance to meet other patients that are going to be in TJ during this month. So lets hear from the soon to be Lap Band patients