Dolittle

Hey, Welcome back!

Here's a good example of a food log. A copy of it is in my gallery where you can download it at normal size and print it for your own use. I do have this available in a pdf file format. If you want it in a printable pdf file, email me at occforummoderator@gmail.com and I'll send you a copy.

It takes more than Band adjustments to be successful March 2011 Reprinted with permission from Synchrony Chicago Weight Loss. Losing weight can be overwhelming. When weight loss is not happening, the first instinct to most band patients is to get their band tightened. That may be one of the ways to get on track, but it may take other lifestyle adjustments, also. Plan for weight loss the same way you would plan for any other life overhaul, such as marriage, having a baby, or starting a new career. Changing your life for the better deserves just as much of your attention as another huge life change. -Decide what you want to accomplish, make a plan, and take action. Get up earlier so you are not rushed in the morning. Burns calories at least 3 times a week. Schedule down time for TV, reading, playing a game with the kids. -If you are food logging (if you are not losing weight, you should food log), be honest about what you are logging. Realize that you may have withdrawal symptoms from sugar, salt, and fast food, and be prepared to deal with those feelings. Identify if you are night eating, or eating in secret. -Give yourself credit. Deciding to have surgery, and going through with it, was a huge first step. Think of all of the other things that you have also achieved! -Don’t let yourself make excuses. I’m busy, I will get around to it someday, My family likes junk food, It’s no big deal, I’m not working, I want to celebrate with my friends. These are all excuses. Real life is going to happen all around you all the time; you only need to be in control of you. We see patients in need of weight loss every day. Some are in poor health, and wish they had done something earlier in life. We cannot do band surgery in an attempt to reverse cardiac damage-we can make the likelihood of another heart attack less, but we can’t take the past back. We can make diabetes go into remission, but we cannot restore vision or regenerate a limb lost to the effects of Diabetes. Most health problems are caused by, or linked to, obesity. Making good choices and taking care of you is a priority today. Someday is today!

This is the topic for those who are scheduling their surgery during the month of April. 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 Gastric Plication patients.

My opinion is your too tight. If you can't swallow your own spit at night, your too tight. I've seen this happen before.

Recently we've been bombarded by Spammers. We've set up some new security measures here at the OCC forum. If you register as a new member or your an exsisting member and you add hyperlinks to your profile and signature,, your going to be tagged as a spammer. What does this mean? Your hyperlinks will disappear, if you posted anything, it gets deleted, and in the end your going to be banned. This is a WLS forum, not a place to sell stuff or promote a different agenda.

OK,, here's my take on the subject. As a moderator here at the forum, today was the first day I had even heard of www.gastricplication.org. I did some checking and found that it's a non profit website, that's why it's a .org, not a .com. It's more of a website for surgeons and patients that are looking for information concerning plication surgery. I know Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Martinez and Dr. Miranda contribute and share their knowledge on that site, along with other surgeons from around the world. As to which surgery is better, Gastric Banding or Gastric Plication, I guess time will tell and each patient should decide for themselves. That's why we have the OCC Forum website. So we can ask other patients about their experiences and opinions concerning both surgeries. Hopefully we can educate ourselves and make a good decision as to which surgery is best for us.

Hi OCC Forum Members, As you know, when you upload a new picture for the Gallery, it kind of sits in limbo waiting for moderator approval. I don't get any notification that you have uploaded a new picture unless I go looking. Sometimes I'm a few days late approving them, If you wish to speed up the process, send me an email to occforummoderator@gmail.com letting me know you need pictures approved. Thanks, Dolittle

I think it's from all the protien in our diets. I take a stool softener dailey from Walmart,, the Equate brand. It helps

WOW! Your pictures look great! I can really say that I'm impressed with the quality of work from Dr. Mendez and the staff at the OCC. I hate to say this,, but I'm jealous,, my LBL didn't look this good and still doesn't. If you've been a forum member for awhile, you know where I had it done. In fact,, I wish this guy was around when I had mine done.

Yo Tina,, It was a couple years ago that I stayed at the Camino Real Hotel. Please post your opinion of the place after your stay. It should have an advantage over all the hotels and that's because its close to the OCC, stores, malls and everything else. It's only about 4 blocks from the OCC.

If I was a betting man, I'd say there was no chance in hell you'd make that flight. You didn't say what time you were coming in. If your arriving into San Diego at 7am and going straight to the OCC you might make it back to the airport by 1pm,,, and that's iffy! You got to remember you need time before your departing flight to go through security and I'm sure your airline has a computer cut off time of at least 45 minutes or a half hour before your fight. I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but I'd say you need to change your departing flight to an evening flight.

We have just added a new topic to the forum. It's for all those patients that have had Gastric Plication or interested in the Gastric Plication surgery.

If your having technical troubles with this website,, email Chad, he's our webmaster.

Boy,, that does sound good. I'm in Atlanta now,, but when I get home,, I'll be trying it. Yum Yum

You know,, there's a lot of anxiety with the pre-op diet. Just try your best and quit worrying about it. Being on this forum for over 3 years, I have yet heard of anyone not having their surgery because they didn't loose a certain amount of weight. Try your best, that's all I can tell you. Just don't gain weight before your surgery. LOL. It is best if you can loose,, The number one reason is it shrinks the liver giving the surgeon better access to your stomach. It also gives you a good jump start on your journey. But this is my opinion. LOL

The Heart Doctor will do a EKG and look you over. Dr. Miranda will weigh you and see how well you have done with your pre op diet, then have a sit down and discuss your post op diet and what you should be eating after that. Then they'll take you into the surgery area and do some kind of blood work up, I can't tell what there looking for, you could call them and ask. Then Dr. Ortiz and or Dr. Martinez will talk to you about your choice with going with the band. The anesthetist will come in and talk to you about knocking you out for your surgery. LOL. Then its surgery time, then you'll wake up and wonder if you even had surgery, spend the night at the clinic, then your life changes. Welcome to the life as a bandster. Loose lots of weight and wish you had done this years ago. I LOVE MY BAND and I hope you will too.

What that means is,, its best to try to eat something before you leave San Diego/TJ. If your too tight and you've flown home, you could end up having to find a doctor that will do an "unfill". Bands can be fickle and when you get close to your sweet spot, somedays you'll find you can eat more than you should and then there will be days where you can't eat much. But getting a fill and being too tight can be a major pain in the butt. That's why everyone that travels a long way stays over one night or two, it's to stick around the area and see if they don't have any complications from the fill they had the days before. I know most doctors will tell you to be on liquids for a few days after a fill, which is a good idea, in case your stomach becomes irritated. I've seen some patients have reactions to an aggressive fill and end up having half of their fill removed. That's why I always tell everyone that wants an aggressive fill to be really careful, take baby steps to that sweet spot.

I'd say your cutting it close. You didn't say if the OCC van was picking you up at the airport and taking you back to the airport later that day??? If your using the OCC van, you might be able to do that in 4 1/2 hours, but you'd have to hustle and hope you don't get hung up in Customs. If your doing it on your own and using the trolley/bus and walking across the border both ways,, I don't think it can be done in that time frame. I usually count on 1 hour travel time each way just for the trolley/bus from the airport to the border and or the border back to the airport. Not counting taxi time to and from the border/OCC clinic and the line at US Customs when crossing back into the USA. I've never timed myself doing it on my own, but I don't think I could do it on a good day in 4 1/2 hours.

OK, here's my take on the passport subject. I'm not saying to do it, but the last time I was at the OCC clinic, which was last December, when going through customs, a lady in front of me forgot her passport. All she did was explain she forgot it and showed several photo ID's to the customs agent. He questioned her for about 5 minutes and then let her come through. So I do know you can get back into the states without a passport. Weather they inforce the passport issue or not seems to be up to the agent, shift supervisor and or what the weather is that day. I can say I personally saw it done, but, there's that big but, who's to say that you wouldn't be the one that they set an example with.

Call the OCC clinic office and talk to Gloria. I know they have a great Dentist on board and several other specialists. I don't know if they have a foot doctor they can refer to you. Call them.

Just give one of the OCC coordinators a call or the OCC clinic. I think they have a package deal, but I'm not sure of the price.