Dolittle

I copied this name off the fill doctors list posted in that topic, I've heard a lot of patients say she's the bomb! Isn't Tyler outside of Dallas?? TX Tyler Dr Stephanie Eijsink 903-520- 8847

In a heart beat I'd do it again. I'm 55 years old, I just wish they would have had this when I was 18.

Sorry to hear your going thru hell. I've been there and done it,, it will get better,, day by day. We hope you took pictures and post them for other future plastic surgey patients can see what you went through. Remember,, it will get better.

You could do the San Diego Zoo, my wife and I did the zoo easily in one day. San Diego has a great bus/trolley system and its real easy to get to the zoo using the bus, plus the bus is cheap. I've also done the Air and Space museum,, its real close to the zoo, but I thought it was pricey for what it was, in fact,, I was disappointed in that. If you do the zoo,, skip the ticket that includes the bus tour at the zoo. In my opinion, the zoo bus tour wasn't worth the extra bucks, but that's my opinion. Next time I'm out in SD I want to take and visit the Navy's aircraft carrier Midway, I've heard the tour of the aircraft carrier is pretty cool, but that might be a guy thing?

The OCC has a full time dentist, her name is Dr. Marisol Barajas. I know she looks young, but she's well qualified. Dr. Ortiz wouldn't have her in his pactice if she wasn't. I think she runs a full service dental practice. You can email her at dentist@obesitycontrolcenter.com or call the OCC. Dr. Marisol Barajas

April is that kind of in between month. The weather is always changing, is it going to be warm or cool today? I always look forward to this month, it's the month which signals the increase in my outdoor activity. Exercise and being newly banded makes a great combination. You'll get to watch the numbers on your scale drop faster. For those that have scheduled their surgery or fill in the month of April, this is the place to ask who's going to be at the OCC at the same time as you. This is the place to start that new friendship, you do have so much in common!

In the Midwest,, March is one of those months that the weather is always changing, it can't ever make up its mind, is it going to be hot or cold? If your scheduling your Lap Band Surgery or a fill, you've made a decision to change your life. Let us know if your going to be at the OCC in March and hook up with your new lap band friends. So lets hear from those who have scheduled in the month of March.

I think "Fillcenters USA" opened a new place not that far from Havana IL. But,, I'm in the Quad cities and I drive across the state and go to either two places in the burbs of Chicago. One is in Downers Grove and the other is a mile away in Oakbrook. In Downers Grove,, you can get a fill with fluoro for around $250 and the place in Oakbrook, a blind fill for $95. My last 2 band adjustments were blind and they did a great job.

Hi Karen,, I think Cosmed is going to have their own recovery when they open the new building in May. Which will be great! But,, I want to suggest you think about having all the plastic surgery done in one visit. My suggestion would be to get some patient advise from other plastic surgery patients that had multible procedures done in one visit. When I was at Recovery By The Sea, there were several girls there that had LBL's, one also had a boob job and the other had a face lift, noting both were R & Y gastic by-pass patients,, Gastric by-pass patients have a hard time healing because of the mal nurishment they experinence from the by-pass, but they both had a hell of a time recovering from their wounds when they got home. I don't mean to scare you or anything like that,, but,, plastic surgery is not like lap band surgery. But,, I've also seen Dr. Quiroz tell patients that he wasn't going to do multible procedures on them because he felt they couldn't handle it. My advise,, be wize,, be careful, be safe. Remember when you did your homework before you were lapbanded,, the same applies.

I'm from the Quad Cities,, I had my lapband surgery at the OCC on March 1st 2007 and then I had a lower body lift at the Cosmed Clinic on Oct 21st 2008. I'm not the only person from this area that's went to the OCC, I know at least 6 people who went to MX.

Go for it kid! I've been banded for almost two years now.. It was the smartest thing I've ever done. I'm 55 years old now and I just wish they would have had this way back when I was 18. Do it because YOU want to do it.

I think I can answer this,, being banded for almost two years and had a lower body lift a couple months ago. Dr. Ortiz/Dr. Martinez place the port left center, between your belly button and the bottom of your rib cage, but more closer to your rib cage. If you notice pictures posted at the forum of other patients,, you'll see the 1 to 2 inch scar in that location. This is where the port is placed. It is placed just beneath the skin/fat layer and above the muscle flaccida. It is attached to the abdominal muscle with some stitching. If you lay on your back and rub that spot lightly with your fingers,, you'll be able to feel the port. As you lose weight and the fat layer thins out, the port will become more noticable. When laying on your back after you've lost a lot of weight,, it will start to protrude and look like you have a small jaw breaker under your skin. When standing, you will be able to feel it,, but it shouldn't be noticable. If sometime in the future after you've reached your goal, you decide to have plastic surgery to remove the excess skin hanging from your abdomen. Your plastic surgeon should be able to place your port a little deeper, like between the abdominal muscle and the muscle flaccida. Which would be one more layer deeper. Or you can opt to go back to your lap band surgeon and have them relocate the port to a deeper location. I guess it depends on how you feel about the port after you reach your goal. Some patients won't see that much difference, some will. Weight loss and time will be a contributing factor. I want to remind you that I'm not a doctor and this might not be totally accurate,, but this how it was explained to me. During my lower body lift, Dr. Quiroz,, my plastic surgeon, who has specialized in WLS patients, placed my port one more layer deeper. How I touch and feel it now reminds me of how it felt when I was first banded. Just last week I had a blind fill and the fill doctor had no problem feeling and locating my port and hit it on the first attempt.

I have bad news,, the "Band Camp 2009" which was voted to take place in SD/TJ on April 25th weekend is dead in the water. I've emailed "Bandgroupie" and she will be posting something here concerning what the next step will be. I had found us a nice hotel in TJ, with a great rate, $56 for a double room and had a plastic surgeon lined up to do a PS seminar, but that was it. So,, Those who wanted to plan something in VEGAS,, go for it.

We're working on it and should have some new info in a couple days. Hang tight.

I had to pull it down and do some revising,, I should have it back up some time in the future. Those who wish to have it should send me your email addy and I'll send it to you.

I think Fridays are one of the busiest days to cross the border, I guess it all depends on how long it takes to get through customs. The walk through line can be long and slow. I've been in that line where its taken 2 hours to get through customs,, and that's not counting on if customs police hold you up or you have some issue with your passport or luggage needs to be checked. But,, I've been in that line where it only took me a half hour to sail through. I don't know what to tell you other than it's one of those deals where you could be safe,, but than again,, you could be playing with fire. You just never know how to time the border.

Remember to drink plenty of water, starting a couple days before your fill and while your flying. They say you lose 8oz of fluid for every hour your in flight. So drink up.

You can call or email your coordinator and I think they can do this too!

It's been more than a couple months since my LBL, If you remember,, Dr. Martinez pulled .5cc's out of my band the day before my LBL. I've really missed the restriction and gained 15 lbs during recovery. Today I made a trip up to Oak Brook Illinois to Synchrony Health and had a band adjustment. They added .3cc's and we'll see if this will put me back on the weight loss track. I know that I had .5cc's pulled in October,, but I didn't want to take the full .5cc's at one fill. I remember I may have been too tight back in October,, so the .3cc's could do the trick. As you know,, its better to sneak up on your sweet spot than to be too tight. We'll see how it goes.

I just got back from Synchrony Health. This was the second time I've been there for a band adjustment. I can say that they do a damn good job. I can't say enough to you fellow Chicago area, Eastern Illinois and Western Indiana and Southeast Wisconsin Bandsters that this is the place to go to. As usual,, Dr. Watkins, Karen and Melody and the rest of the staff are the "BEST"!

I'd call your coordinator,, she can schedule that fill and arrange transportation.

I don't know when your dinner date is supposed to happen,, but I can tell you haven't had your first fill yet by your data in your post. You'll be surprised how much you'll be able to eat without that first fill. When are you supposed to be able to eat solid food? After 4 weeks? 6weeks? I can't remember what the doctors orders are pretaining to that.

I used the "Turbo Tax" program. You can write off everything that's related to your band surgery.. Example: Cost of the surgery,, flights, airport parking, tolls, taxi's, buses/tolleys, hotel, car mileage to the airport and any related aftercare, like fills, medications and anything else I forgot mention. The program does it all for you. But, it has to excide a certain percentage of your income, in order for it to be a write off. Whomever does your taxes should be able to tell you what that is,, I just can't remember what it was. That was a year ago,, I haven't done this years yet. I bet by the time you add all the expenses up, in a years time,, you'd be surprised. Add a few fill trips with flights,, Plus,,,, Your yearly expenses, like dentist,, eye doctors,, glasses,, your regular family doctor,, all your other prescribed meds, anything you spent last year related to medical, the cost of your health insurance, you got more than you think. Go for it,, always try to write it off,, it could pay.

It will go away,, be patient. Personally,, I never thought the Gas-x and stuff like that did anything. It's the CO2 gas that's trapped inside your body from the surgery,, it likes to go into the joints. It's not the same as gas inside your stomach and digestive track. Walking is the best thing for it. I know some patients have a harder time with this,, some never have it.. Your just lucky. LOL. It will dissipate and you won't even remember when it quit hurting,, it will just not hurt anymore.