Banded April 2006

[Chelley]

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share my experience with you in the hopes it would help others. I like details so if you don't want to read a very detailed post, you might want to skip mine.

I'm 38 years old and I'm a Registered Nurse in the USA. I began gaining weight when I was about 12 years old. My top weight has been 238lbs and I'm 5'4". Like many of you, I tried to loose weight in a variety of ways through fad diets, weight watchers, and medications. I'd get short term results then gain what little weight I'd lost back. In 2001 I developed diabetes and for the last 4 years I've been on insulin with poor blood sugar control. My last labs showed an A1C of 10.7 ... ouch!

I'd researched the lap band and was very interested in the concept of the procedure, but when I found out it wasn't covered by most insurance groups and the cost in my area was priced at $17,500 if you qualified for outpatient surgery or $36,000 for an inpatient stay I realized it was not an option for me. There are several companies in the USA that will provide a medical loan, but the payments were $400/mo or more for a minimum of 45-60 months. So, I lay to rest the idea of having a lap-band and resigned myself that it just wasn't meant to be.

In March, my sister called me very exicted about finding Dr. Ortiz's website on the internet. When she told me we could have the lap-band done in Mexico at a fraction of the cost USA doctors had quoted, she lost me on Mexico. There was no way I was having surgery in Mexico! I guess it was devine intervention that urged me to follow up on the lead my sister had found. As I began researching the Obesity Control Center and Dr. Ortiz, I found out his credentials are just what he claims. My homework paid off. I talked to former patients who had lap band surgery in Mexico. After verifying Dr. Ortiz's credentials, I purchased his book Lap-Band For Life on amazon.com and found it to be very informative and am using it as a reference now that I'm post-op.

I filled out the online request for information at the OCC website and was suprised when Carolyn, Dr. Ortiz's Consultant Coordinator called me the next day. Carolyn was so warm and gracious and spoke to me about her own lapband experience and put me totally at ease. Still I wasn't sure I wanted to have this procedure done. I took some time to think about it and discussed it with my mother and sister. Over the next several days we three decided we all wanted to have the procedure and decided we would do it together and be each other's support team. I really felt empowered making this decision to save my life! With the decision made, we scheduled surgery within two weeks to take advantage of the $8,500 discounted cost for the month of April in recognition of Dr. Ortiz openning his brand new clinic in TJ, Mexico. Things happened quickly.

We began the pre-op diet 1 week before surgery. At the start of the pre-op diet, I weighed in at 227.5 lbs. I won't gloss it over and say this diet was easy because for me it wasn't. The Fit 365 powder mix did not taste good to me. It had a very, very sweet taste and being diabetic and on sugar-free regimen I couldn't tolerate it. The powder was hard to mix, clumped and I just didn't like it. Besides, the company sent me the wrong flavor ...I ordered vanilla and they sent chocolate. I switched to Slim Fast Optima High Protein and found I liked the taste, consitency and most of all the ease of popping a can in my lunch bag without having to mix a powder. I ate lots of salad greens. The balsamic vineagar recommended was not satisfying alone, so I purchased several of the Newman's Light Salad Dressings (including their balsamic vineagarette) and limitted them to 2T a serving. The first few nights I went to bed with my tummy rumbling in hunger. It had been a long time since I'd gone to bed hungry! But after the first few days the hunger pains subsided and I was doing very well and dropping weight. My sister, mother and I all supported each other and stuck to our pre-op diets.

Finally the day came to go to Mexico. This was the worse day of nerves for me. Up until this point I had not been nervous at all. With my decision made, I had a goal in mind and nothing was going to get me off track. I was totally suprised how nervous I was on this day and it really wasn't reservations about having surgery ... it was the travel. After 6 hours of travel and not having anything to eat since midnight, my nerves were shot. I felt rushed. Once we arrived in San Diego, we were met by our diver in the baggage claim area. He was late a few minutes due to difficult crossing the border that morning. So, don't panic if your driver isn't right there waiting for you in the baggage claim area. Apparently it can take up to 4 hours at times to cross the border and they have no way of knowing from day to day how busy the border control check point will be. Our driver spoke English and was very courteous. Since he had so much trouble crossing the border into the USA he drove us to a point in San Diego where we were met by Mrs. Ortiz and she actually drove us on into Mexico so the driver could go back to the airport and pick up another arrival.

Do yall know it was COLD in San Diego and TJ?? When we left the USA our high was going to be in the 90's. We'd researched the web and found out the temperature in TJ was scheduled to be about 68-74 degrees.... we packed capris and t-shirts and wore flip flops... froze. It was about 54 degrees. Take a jogging suit and some tennis shoes if you are going soon. Forget the swim suits we packed thinking we'd take advantage of the pool before surgery. Waste of packing space. Mrs. Ortiz met us with a pant suit and duster on!

Mrs. Ortiz is Dr. Ortiz's mother and is the Patient Advocate. She is a very gracious lady and I enjoyed her company. She immediately put me at ease by her warm hospitality. Mrs. Ortiz drove us across the border and straight to the clinic. The clinic is beautiful and very clean and organized. I found the OCC cleanliness standards were higher than the hospital I work at here in the USA! We stored our luggage in the lobby and immediately went into a consultation with Dr. Miranda, the Nutritionist. Dr. Miranda interviewed us as a group (with our permission) and she measured our actual height and weight for a true BMI. I'm very happy to report I weighed in at 215lbs!! She also calculated percentage of body fat was helpful and gave us lots of information about the post op diet and the eating plan for the rest of our lives on the band. Next, we had blood drawn for lab work then we saw the Cardiologist, Dr. Jimenez. It was here that whatever nerves I had left were totally put to ease. I work with Cardiologists every day in my job and in Dr. Jimenez I recognized a doctor who was every bit the counterpart of his American colleages. His bedside manner was very good and even though I am a nurse, he recognized I was also a patient and had the same fears and concerns any patient has. He answered all my questions and I literally breathed a sigh of relief!

Mrs. Ortiz then drove us to the Lucerne Hotel and gave us tips on shopping, hailing cabs and such in TJ. She is such a nice lady. The hotel is beautiful. We each had our own individual rooms. The first thing we did was eat... we were all so hungry. We ate in the hotel resturant and had a club san with french fries and a diet coke. After the strict pre-op diet, I couldn't even eat half ... was full! With our bellies satisfied, we hailed a cab and went to Revolution Ave for a 10 block shopping experience not to be forgotten. You can't really browse... every vendor wants you to come in their store and everyone wants to make a deal. I enjoyed the experience and made some really good buys on jewlery. A word of advice about the cabs... the red and white ones only charge $3 per trip whereas the blue and white one in the hotel parking lot charges $5. To make sure we could get back to the hotel safely, we took some of the business cards from the hotel counter and showed those to the cab driver on the trip back. We had a light supper at the hotel and then off to bed... exhausted.

We were met in the hotel lobby by Mrs. Ortiz at 8am promptly for our ride to the clinic. We checked out of the hotel that morning. I wasn't nervous at all. I woke up excited, realizing that I was changing my life today!!! I don't think any of us were nervous, we were just ready to start this journey! At the OCC we filled out our surgical paperwork then were taken back into the hospital section by the nurse where we donned shoe covers. I was shown my room and given a gown to put on. The hospital rooms are very nice with flat screen TV's & a water fountain feature on the bedside stand. My room even had a loveseat in it that made out into a bed. The very first thing they did was give me a cup with two tablets in it to place under my tongue. One was Ativan (relaxes you) and the other was a med to help lower blood pressure. The nurse came in and started an IV in my left hand and administered antibiotics. They assisted me with TED hose (white thigh high hose that help with blood circulation in your legs). Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez came by to talk with us before surgery. Dr. Estrada the anesthesiologist came by to talk with me and I was most interested in talking with him because I had concerns about being put to sleep and he reassured me.

The Ativan made me very sleepy. At some point I know they gave a premedication of anti-nausea medication to avoid nausea after anesthesia and I got a shot in my side that was a blood thinner. I lost all concept of time. I didn't even know when my mother went into surgery only that she had come back and was doing well. I walked down the hall to check on her and my sister. Sister was next to have surgery, but I didn't see her post-op because it was my turn. My nurse walked me to the bathroom and asked me to void (urinate) then I actually walked into the surgical suite and lay down on the OR table. I wasn't scared or nervous. They explained everything they were doing. The last thing I remember was Dr. Estrada saying he was going to lightly lay the oxygen mask on my face... I was in dream land. I was annoyed when they woke me up because I was having a great dream! Haha! I remember scooting over onto my hospital bed then the next thing I remember was waking up in my room with my nurse at bedside. She assured me everything was okay and with that bit of knowledge I slept for a while.

I woke up on my own. Sat up on the side of the bed. No pain. The nurse was immediately at my side and she allowed me to stand. I pushed my IV pole down the hall to check on Mom and Sister ... both snoozing away. I had a little nausea and was given medication in my IV that made it go away. I would sleep a while, then get up and walk. I never had any gas pains after surgery. I was able to urinate just fine. I tolerated a popsicle without nausea. I was concerned for my sister ... she woke up from surgery crying having had a bad dream. She had some nausea and dry heaved a bit, but she was fine by morning.

I was awakened by Dr. Martinez the next morning. He told me I'd done well and that my surgery had only taken 12 min for the actual band placement. They used dermabond (surgical glue) to close the 5 sites I had (4 instrument sites and 1 port site). He explained what each site was for and checked for signs of infection. He gave me discharge instructions and I felt really good. No pain, just a little sore at the port. Mom and Sister were discharged as well. Mrs. Ortiz drove us to a store where we purchased flavored water and gatorade. She gave us pain pills to be taken every 12 hours for a total of 4 doses. I had packed my gas x strips but had left my liquid Tylenol at home, so I purchased some liquid Tylenol at the counter. We checked back into the hotel and felt so good we decided to shop that afternoon and went to a mall a few blocks from the hotel. We sat and talked and laughed then would walk the grounds that evenning, then exhausted fell into bed.

The next morning we checked out the of the hotel and were picked up by an airport van driver at 10am. It took us about 2 hours to cross the border - 4 lanes bumper to bumper. No problem crossing just time consuming. We all did fine except on the esculator at the airport... give yourself plenty of room between people... some ladies stopped at the top with their luggage looking around where to go next forgetting others were behind them and I had to pull my lugage up and side step to keep from falling over them... PAIN!!! Brought tears to my eyes!!! Had to stop and deep breathe.

Since the surgery last week I am able to burp. I can't force it... just kinda relax and let it come but I have a VG band were Mom and Sister have the size 10. They can't burp. Gas hasn't been much of an issue I guess because I'm able to burp. I can only eat about 1/2 cup of liquid at a time. It's a challenge to sip and get in the 1 1/2 cups of watered juice and the 1 1/2 cups of Gatorade you are suppose to drink plus the water on the clear liquid diet. Sip..sip... sip.

I'm glad I got the band. I feel great. My most exciting news is since surgery is I've not had to have one insulin injection and my blood sugar levels are normal. I hope my post helps any of you who want to know more of what the experience is like planning and having surgery in Mexico. Dr. Ortiz and his team are FABULOUS!!! God bless you on your journey!

[Dreamer]

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share my experience with you in the hopes it would help others. I like details so if you don't want to read a very detailed post, you might want to skip mine.

I'm 38 years old and I'm a Registered Nurse in the USA. I began gaining weight when I was about 12 years old. My top weight has been 238lbs and I'm 5'4". Like many of you, I tried to loose weight in a variety of ways through fad diets, weight watchers, and medications. I'd get short term results then gain what little weight I'd lost back. In 2001 I developed diabetes and for the last 4 years I've been on insulin with poor blood sugar control. My last labs showed an A1C of 10.7 ... ouch!

I'd researched the lap band and was very interested in the concept of the procedure, but when I found out it wasn't covered by most insurance groups and the cost in my area was priced at $17,500 if you qualified for outpatient surgery or $36,000 for an inpatient stay I realized it was not an option for me. There are several companies in the USA that will provide a medical loan, but the payments were $400/mo or more for a minimum of 45-60 months. So, I lay to rest the idea of having a lap-band and resigned myself that it just wasn't meant to be.

In March, my sister called me very exicted about finding Dr. Ortiz's website on the internet. When she told me we could have the lap-band done in Mexico at a fraction of the cost USA doctors had quoted, she lost me on Mexico. There was no way I was having surgery in Mexico! I guess it was devine intervention that urged me to follow up on the lead my sister had found. As I began researching the Obesity Control Center and Dr. Ortiz, I found out his credentials are just what he claims. My homework paid off. I talked to former patients who had lap band surgery in Mexico. After verifying Dr. Ortiz's credentials, I purchased his book Lap-Band For Life on amazon.com and found it to be very informative and am using it as a reference now that I'm post-op.

I filled out the online request for information at the OCC website and was suprised when Carolyn, Dr. Ortiz's Consultant Coordinator called me the next day. Carolyn was so warm and gracious and spoke to me about her own lapband experience and put me totally at ease. Still I wasn't sure I wanted to have this procedure done. I took some time to think about it and discussed it with my mother and sister. Over the next several days we three decided we all wanted to have the procedure and decided we would do it together and be each other's support team. I really felt empowered making this decision to save my life! With the decision made, we scheduled surgery within two weeks to take advantage of the $8,500 discounted cost for the month of April in recognition of Dr. Ortiz openning his brand new clinic in TJ, Mexico. Things happened quickly.

We began the pre-op diet 1 week before surgery. At the start of the pre-op diet, I weighed in at 227.5 lbs. I won't gloss it over and say this diet was easy because for me it wasn't. The Fit 365 powder mix did not taste good to me. It had a very, very sweet taste and being diabetic and on sugar-free regimen I couldn't tolerate it. The powder was hard to mix, clumped and I just didn't like it. Besides, the company sent me the wrong flavor ...I ordered vanilla and they sent chocolate. I switched to Slim Fast Optima High Protein and found I liked the taste, consitency and most of all the ease of popping a can in my lunch bag without having to mix a powder. I ate lots of salad greens. The balsamic vineagar recommended was not satisfying alone, so I purchased several of the Newman's Light Salad Dressings (including their balsamic vineagarette) and limitted them to 2T a serving. The first few nights I went to bed with my tummy rumbling in hunger. It had been a long time since I'd gone to bed hungry! But after the first few days the hunger pains subsided and I was doing very well and dropping weight. My sister, mother and I all supported each other and stuck to our pre-op diets.

Finally the day came to go to Mexico. This was the worse day of nerves for me. Up until this point I had not been nervous at all. With my decision made, I had a goal in mind and nothing was going to get me off track. I was totally suprised how nervous I was on this day and it really wasn't reservations about having surgery ... it was the travel. After 6 hours of travel and not having anything to eat since midnight, my nerves were shot. I felt rushed. Once we arrived in San Diego, we were met by our diver in the baggage claim area. He was late a few minutes due to difficult crossing the border that morning. So, don't panic if your driver isn't right there waiting for you in the baggage claim area. Apparently it can take up to 4 hours at times to cross the border and they have no way of knowing from day to day how busy the border control check point will be. Our driver spoke English and was very courteous. Since he had so much trouble crossing the border into the USA he drove us to a point in San Diego where we were met by Mrs. Ortiz and she actually drove us on into Mexico so the driver could go back to the airport and pick up another arrival.

Do yall know it was COLD in San Diego and TJ?? When we left the USA our high was going to be in the 90's. We'd researched the web and found out the temperature in TJ was scheduled to be about 68-74 degrees.... we packed capris and t-shirts and wore flip flops... froze. It was about 54 degrees. Take a jogging suit and some tennis shoes if you are going soon. Forget the swim suits we packed thinking we'd take advantage of the pool before surgery. Waste of packing space. Mrs. Ortiz met us with a pant suit and duster on!

Mrs. Ortiz is Dr. Ortiz's mother and is the Patient Advocate. She is a very gracious lady and I enjoyed her company. She immediately put me at ease by her warm hospitality. Mrs. Ortiz drove us across the border and straight to the clinic. The clinic is beautiful and very clean and organized. I found the OCC cleanliness standards were higher than the hospital I work at here in the USA! We stored our luggage in the lobby and immediately went into a consultation with Dr. Miranda, the Nutritionist. Dr. Miranda interviewed us as a group (with our permission) and she measured our actual height and weight for a true BMI. I'm very happy to report I weighed in at 215lbs!! She also calculated percentage of body fat was helpful and gave us lots of information about the post op diet and the eating plan for the rest of our lives on the band. Next, we had blood drawn for lab work then we saw the Cardiologist, Dr. Jimenez. It was here that whatever nerves I had left were totally put to ease. I work with Cardiologists every day in my job and in Dr. Jimenez I recognized a doctor who was every bit the counterpart of his American colleages. His bedside manner was very good and even though I am a nurse, he recognized I was also a patient and had the same fears and concerns any patient has. He answered all my questions and I literally breathed a sigh of relief!

Mrs. Ortiz then drove us to the Lucerne Hotel and gave us tips on shopping, hailing cabs and such in TJ. She is such a nice lady. The hotel is beautiful. We each had our own individual rooms. The first thing we did was eat... we were all so hungry. We ate in the hotel resturant and had a club san with french fries and a diet coke. After the strict pre-op diet, I couldn't even eat half ... was full! With our bellies satisfied, we hailed a cab and went to Revolution Ave for a 10 block shopping experience not to be forgotten. You can't really browse... every vendor wants you to come in their store and everyone wants to make a deal. I enjoyed the experience and made some really good buys on jewlery. A word of advice about the cabs... the red and white ones only charge $3 per trip whereas the blue and white one in the hotel parking lot charges $5. To make sure we could get back to the hotel safely, we took some of the business cards from the hotel counter and showed those to the cab driver on the trip back. We had a light supper at the hotel and then off to bed... exhausted.

We were met in the hotel lobby by Mrs. Ortiz at 8am promptly for our ride to the clinic. We checked out of the hotel that morning. I wasn't nervous at all. I woke up excited, realizing that I was changing my life today!!! I don't think any of us were nervous, we were just ready to start this journey! At the OCC we filled out our surgical paperwork then were taken back into the hospital section by the nurse where we donned shoe covers. I was shown my room and given a gown to put on. The hospital rooms are very nice with flat screen TV's & a water fountain feature on the bedside stand. My room even had a loveseat in it that made out into a bed. The very first thing they did was give me a cup with two tablets in it to place under my tongue. One was Ativan (relaxes you) and the other was a med to help lower blood pressure. The nurse came in and started an IV in my left hand and administered antibiotics. They assisted me with TED hose (white thigh high hose that help with blood circulation in your legs). Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez came by to talk with us before surgery. Dr. Estrada the anesthesiologist came by to talk with me and I was most interested in talking with him because I had concerns about being put to sleep and he reassured me.

The Ativan made me very sleepy. At some point I know they gave a premedication of anti-nausea medication to avoid nausea after anesthesia and I got a shot in my side that was a blood thinner. I lost all concept of time. I didn't even know when my mother went into surgery only that she had come back and was doing well. I walked down the hall to check on her and my sister. Sister was next to have surgery, but I didn't see her post-op because it was my turn. My nurse walked me to the bathroom and asked me to void (urinate) then I actually walked into the surgical suite and lay down on the OR table. I wasn't scared or nervous. They explained everything they were doing. The last thing I remember was Dr. Estrada saying he was going to lightly lay the oxygen mask on my face... I was in dream land. I was annoyed when they woke me up because I was having a great dream! Haha! I remember scooting over onto my hospital bed then the next thing I remember was waking up in my room with my nurse at bedside. She assured me everything was okay and with that bit of knowledge I slept for a while.

I woke up on my own. Sat up on the side of the bed. No pain. The nurse was immediately at my side and she allowed me to stand. I pushed my IV pole down the hall to check on Mom and Sister ... both snoozing away. I had a little nausea and was given medication in my IV that made it go away. I would sleep a while, then get up and walk. I never had any gas pains after surgery. I was able to urinate just fine. I tolerated a popsicle without nausea. I was concerned for my sister ... she woke up from surgery crying having had a bad dream. She had some nausea and dry heaved a bit, but she was fine by morning.

I was awakened by Dr. Martinez the next morning. He told me I'd done well and that my surgery had only taken 12 min for the actual band placement. They used dermabond (surgical glue) to close the 5 sites I had (4 instrument sites and 1 port site). He explained what each site was for and checked for signs of infection. He gave me discharge instructions and I felt really good. No pain, just a little sore at the port. Mom and Sister were discharged as well. Mrs. Ortiz drove us to a store where we purchased flavored water and gatorade. She gave us pain pills to be taken every 12 hours for a total of 4 doses. I had packed my gas x strips but had left my liquid Tylenol at home, so I purchased some liquid Tylenol at the counter. We checked back into the hotel and felt so good we decided to shop that afternoon and went to a mall a few blocks from the hotel. We sat and talked and laughed then would walk the grounds that evenning, then exhausted fell into bed.

The next morning we checked out the of the hotel and were picked up by an airport van driver at 10am. It took us about 2 hours to cross the border - 4 lanes bumper to bumper. No problem crossing just time consuming. We all did fine except on the esculator at the airport... give yourself plenty of room between people... some ladies stopped at the top with their luggage looking around where to go next forgetting others were behind them and I had to pull my lugage up and side step to keep from falling over them... PAIN!!! Brought tears to my eyes!!! Had to stop and deep breathe.

Since the surgery last week I am able to burp. I can't force it... just kinda relax and let it come but I have a VG band were Mom and Sister have the size 10. They can't burp. Gas hasn't been much of an issue I guess because I'm able to burp. I can only eat about 1/2 cup of liquid at a time. It's a challenge to sip and get in the 1 1/2 cups of watered juice and the 1 1/2 cups of Gatorade you are suppose to drink plus the water on the clear liquid diet. Sip..sip... sip.

I'm glad I got the band. I feel great. My most exciting news is since surgery is I've not had to have one insulin injection and my blood sugar levels are normal. I hope my post helps any of you who want to know more of what the experience is like planning and having surgery in Mexico. Dr. Ortiz and his team are FABULOUS!!! God bless you on your journey!

Hi Chelley,

Now I know why all the doctors ask for you, good doctors want the best nurses! You are very detail oriented. But as you said, this is your experience and perhaps it will help others make the decision to be banded a little easier. You can never be "too" informed. Your Mom is very proud of you and your sister!

My prayer is that God will continue to be your quide and source of strength in all things! You go girl!!!!

Love, Mom

[mary1234]

Chelley,

It was nice to hear what an easy time a fellow bandster had with surgery ( I too had a very easy time). It sounds to me like you and your family live for a higher power, along with myself. The band is just a tool and thank god we found it. I hope all is well with your weight loss, please keep us informed with your progress. Thanks! Mary

[housecatgirl]

Thanks sooooo much!!! I love when people give all the details so I know what to expect. How was the shopping close to the hotel? I'm not sure I will want to take taxi's all around.

Chelley,

It was nice to hear what an easy time a fellow bandster had with surgery ( I too had a very easy time). It sounds to me like you and your family live for a higher power, along with myself. The band is just a tool and thank god we found it. I hope all is well with your weight loss, please keep us informed with your progress. Thanks! Mary

[Chelley]

The mall we went to on the day we were discharged from the clinic is really too far to walk (about 7 blocks). If you want to shop, you'll need to take a taxi. Just close your eyes ... I don't really understand their method of driving ... seems to be on the verge of bumper cars as no one observes driving in their own lane! We used the red/white taxi's and had no problem. The mall prices are not negotiable but if you are into bargin shopping, Revolution Ave. is a interesting experience.

[Chelley]

Hi everyone... Well it's been two weeks since I was banded and things are going great. I'm on the full liquid phase and am finding that I can have about a cup of liquid food max and I feel full like I can't take another bite. I went back to work at the hospital Thursday and Friday of last week and did just fine. My boss was really understanding about the lifting restriction and placed me in areas where the patients were not total care requiring lots of turns or boosts up in the bed. I am so pleased to continue to report that my blood glucose levels have been NORMAL ... no insulin shots!!! Yahoooooo!!! It is so incredibly exciting to have normal blood sugar levels after battling diabetes for the last several years. I finally feel like I am in CONTROL! So far, there hasn't been a day that I regret my decision to have the lap band. I'm following doctors orders as closely as I can and am ignoring that head hunger that says one little taco won't hurt... haha! I have energy to go do things and I'm staying busy. I find if I feel hungry a few sips of a liquid takes the hunger away and I'm off to my next project. I feel so empowered with this band and have real HOPE for the first time in years that I CAN DO THIS!

[housecatgirl]

Wow, that's amazing news!! So glad to hear your glucose is normal!

Hi everyone... Well it's been two weeks since I was banded and things are going great. I'm on the full liquid phase and am finding that I can have about a cup of liquid food max and I feel full like I can't take another bite. I went back to work at the hospital Thursday and Friday of last week and did just fine. My boss was really understanding about the lifting restriction and placed me in areas where the patients were not total care requiring lots of turns or boosts up in the bed. I am so pleased to continue to report that my blood glucose levels have been NORMAL ... no insulin shots!!! Yahoooooo!!! It is so incredibly exciting to have normal blood sugar levels after battling diabetes for the last several years. I finally feel like I am in CONTROL! So far, there hasn't been a day that I regret my decision to have the lap band. I'm following doctors orders as closely as I can and am ignoring that head hunger that says one little taco won't hurt... haha! I have energy to go do things and I'm staying busy. I find if I feel hungry a few sips of a liquid takes the hunger away and I'm off to my next project. I feel so empowered with this band and have real HOPE for the first time in years that I CAN DO THIS!

[tskb]

Chelly, Thank you so much for the detailed expeirence. That is exactly what I personally wanted to see. It sounds like all in all it went really well. I am mostly worried about the pre-op and post-op dieting. If I felt like I could live on liquid for 2 weeks I would have already lost the weight. You know? Also what is the criteria of being obese? I am 5'4" and 195 so not sure if I would be considered or not. I also ask myself do I needed it? Well, I have always struggled with my weight and some things worked better than others but never lifetime. I personally don't want to be 50 or 60 and still struggling with this battle that I don't feel like I can ever win! The TJ thing kinda scares me a bit as well. Hope you are still doing well and can't wait to hear your progress.

Sherri

[Chelley]

Sherri -

You are welcome! I had grave concerns about having surgery in Mexico, but I was so IMPRESSED with the cleanliness and the sterile technique observed at the OCC. I'm a nurse working in a 250 bed hospital here in the USA ... so for me to be impressed is saying something! Haha! My mother was your size and weight pre-op and she's doing great. There are some posts here on the website about lower BMI patients that you might find helpful. The pre-op dieting was difficult for the first few days then it gets easier. I just kept telling myself I can do anything for 7 days! Plus I had the motivation of wanting my belly fat to shrink so I'd have no complication with surgery. As far as the post-op liquids go... you really do feel full because of the swelling after the surgery. I started out in the first week only being able to take 1/2 cup of liquids at a time and I honestly was not hungry. I wasn't even interested in eating. I thought I'd miss my sodas but I haven't. I said goodbye to them at the hotel in TJ with my last Coke!! I'm on the full liquid phase now and can take about 1 cup of full liquid in at a meal. I'm not hungry, but I have had a craving for something crunchy like a taco.. but I absolutely will not indulge in it because I have HOPE for the first time in a very long while that I can actually beat this weight issue! I'm off all my insulin and as of today I've lost 16 lbs and 10" in my waist. That is motivation enough to follow Dr. Ortiz's orders!! Good luck to you and please contact me if I can help you in any way. God bless!!

[housecatgirl]

I felt the same way about Mexico but then when I saw Dr. Ortiz beautiful office and met him and his staff I felt MUCH better. You feel like you are at an office in Newport Beach. Dr. Ortiz Mom is so sweet and Rene is a real gem. Dr. Ortiz himself was so honest and I felt so comfortable with him. I can't wait to go have my surgery!! I also felt like...do I really need to do this? I decided I really do because I know as I get older this weight is only going to get worse and consequentially I will have other health problems. After all the research I have done and knowing my family history, I have no doubt that I am absolutely doing the right thing at the right time in my life. I guess I could have done it sooner but I didn't know about it until about a year ago. I did alot of research before I made my final decision. It may not be the right thing for everyone because it still takes motivation to work with the band but I am motivated to be healthy and look good. I love this Board because I think we can all keep eachother motivated.

[Chelley]

Today is my 39th birthday and I couldn't have received a better gift than to step on the scale and realize I've lost a total of 18lbs now. I'm sooooo thrilled! The decision to have this procedure is changing my life and I couldn't be happier.

[chrissysdolphin]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MAKE IT A GREAT ONE WITH MANY MORE HEALTHY ONES TO COME

Today is my 39th birthday and I couldn't have received a better gift than to step on the scale and realize I've lost a total of 18lbs now. I'm sooooo thrilled! The decision to have this procedure is changing my life and I couldn't be happier.

[Chelley]

21 days post op and all is well. I've lost 21.5lbs. I started a soft diet trying to graduate from full liquids to solids this week. I'm a little concerned about making the switch to regular food. These last few days I've felt very little restriction. Head hunger is coming into play and I'm trying to work on that ... I have to stop and ask myself if I am really hungry. On my days off work, I've found watching TV and flipping through magazines is not helpful due to the volume of food ads. I started a Yoga routine this morning having purchased a DVD for plus size beginners. It felt great ... was a little sore still with some of the abd stretching at my port site.. but I just took it easy. My first fill is scheduled on June 12th. I'm hoping I can maintain my weight loss until then. I'd like to hear from any of you who are going through this transition with me and how you are changing your lifestyles. I'm reminded of C. Jones' testimonal in Dr. Ortiz's book where she said that she realized her old self was dying and her new self was emerging. I love the motto that she said she has on her wall "What the caterpillar thought was the end of life, the butterfly realized was just the beginning". Isn't that great?

[Chelley]

Almost 1 month post op and the surgical sites are healing well. All the glue has peeled off and the incision are thin healthy pink lines. I'm confident they will fade with time. I've been struggling a little as I'm on a regular diet and find that I have no restriction. If I'd been able to control the volume of food I ate I wouldn't have needed lap band surgery. I've gained 3 lbs.... nearly freaked out during my menstrual cycle because I was actually up 6lbs.... word of advice... don't weigh on your period! I'd lost 21.5lbs now it's 18.5lbs... but I'm not complaining... I just don't want to gain much while I'm waiting for my first fill on June 12th. I did better on full liquids than reguar food and am considering incorporating those full liquids back in my diet with maybe one solid meal a day until I get the fill. What do yall think? I've been doing some yoga for muscle tone a few days a week, but I know I'm not as active as I should be. I'm looking forward to consistent warm weather so I can get in the swimming pool! I have to confess this recent weight gain has made me worried that all the good success I've had might come undone while I'm waiting for my fill. Try as I might... I can't help but weigh every day .. control freak that I am! Any advice?

[Friend]

21 days post op and all is well. I've lost 21.5lbs. I started a soft diet trying to graduate from full liquids to solids this week. I'm a little concerned about making the switch to regular food. These last few days I've felt very little restriction. Head hunger is coming into play and I'm trying to work on that ... I have to stop and ask myself if I am really hungry. On my days off work, I've found watching TV and flipping through magazines is not helpful due to the volume of food ads. I started a Yoga routine this morning having purchased a DVD for plus size beginners. It felt great ... was a little sore still with some of the abd stretching at my port site.. but I just took it easy. My first fill is scheduled on June 12th. I'm hoping I can maintain my weight loss until then. I'd like to hear from any of you who are going through this transition with me and how you are changing your lifestyles. I'm reminded of C. Jones' testimonal in Dr. Ortiz's book where she said that she realized her old self was dying and her new self was emerging. I love the motto that she said she has on her wall "What the caterpillar thought was the end of life, the butterfly realized was just the beginning". Isn't that great?

Hi Chelly,

I just joined and read you experience. What an awsome detailed info. I am happy to hear you are starting a new life and feeling good. I also had mine done in TJ but with Dr. Martinez at the Molding Clinic. I had my first fill 4/3 and doing okay. The only thing I wish we MX patients had is support groups to share experiences and meet new friends. I live in the central valley Dinuba CA and hope to find chat friends.

I truly appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge. Keep us posted on your journey.

A friend Sylvia

[Chelley]

This is turning into my Blog page... I'm 1 1/2 months post op and I'm doing well. My weight loss is up and down while I'm waiting for my first fill. I can eat like a horse and that worries me, so I try to make good choices and am trying to be patient ... just one more week to go until fill time! All in all, most people have been really supportive of my decision to have had this procedure. It helps having a built in support team of mom and sister (we all had surgery on the same day). Some of the folks at work have been a little snippy commenting that I "cheated" because I went to Mexico to have surgery and I was stunned ... had my feelings hurt and quit talking about it unless asked. I've gone from a women's 22/24 to a 18/20. I can't tell you how elated I was to zip those size 18 jeans without having to lie on the bed and suck it in! I haven't worn that size in 20 years since I was Sr. in HS. Needless to say, I did a little dance, screamed, cried, and turned and turned in front of the full length mirror to make sure they really FIT.... I know - I'm crazy ... haha. I'm still weighing every day eventhough I tell myself it's not a good idea... but I'm obsessed with it ... and can't stop. I still am happy with my decison to have surgery and would do it again today. Best wishes to all you future lap-banders and all of you who are in this with me!

[Darrin S.]

Chelly,

Don't take it to heart that people are turned against surgery in Mexico. The way I look at it, it's a savings. People all over the world require medical assistance and surgery and the US doesn't have the only doctors. In Dr. Ortiz's case, he trained many of the doctors in the US in the procedure.

In my opinion - would I prefer to be operated on by the teacher or the student? I prefer the teacher!

And from the people who have been through the procedure, I get the picture that the facilities are more like a private hospital, than a regular hospital in the US.

I've been checking out some other forums, and I don't know how many people have mentioned they had surgery in the US and were in and out in the same day! Is that really considered effective medical treatment?

I'm counting down the days until MY surgery... 20 days and counting down!

Darrin

Surgery Scheduled June 22nd, 2006

[CutieCathy]

OMG Chelly;

I just wanted you to know much I have enjoyed reading your DETAILED journey...I have my surgery next friday, June 9th, and am oh so Excited...I really was wondering about alot of the things you talked about in your writings...and I found them to be quite informative...I thank you so much for the information and I wish you continued success on your journey...oh....and plz keep us posted, IN DETAIL PLEASE...of your wonderful new journey.....Much Love, Cathy )

[nita57]

I have never posted anything on a message board before so forgive me if I stumble here. I just want to say a huge Thanks to Chelly for continuing to keep everyone updated with your progress. I am not having my surgery until Sept 8 so it is a big comfort for me to hear that you are doing so very well. Please don't stop posting as you are being a great inspiration. Thanks again Nita

[LoriBecky]

Chelly, I just want to thank you for your great post and all the details you provided about your experience. I'm scheduled for surgery on June 16th. While still a little nervous, you have really calmed my nerves about going to Mexico.

Thanks again! Lori

[kepola]

Chelly, I just want to thank you for your great post and all the details you provided about your experience. I'm scheduled for surgery on June 16th. While still a little nervous, you have really calmed my nerves about going to Mexico.

Thanks again! Lori

Hi Lori,

My name is Debbie. I am getting banded on the same day as you are scheduled. I too am a bit nervous ab out it, but at the same time very excited to make this change in my life. Good to find out that someone on here is getting banded the same day I am. Can't wait to meet you and share our stories with each other. Good Luck to you and see you in Mexico! :-)

Deb (Kepola)

[LoriBecky]

Hi Lori,

My name is Debbie. I am getting banded on the same day as you are scheduled. I too am a bit nervous ab out it, but at the same time very excited to make this change in my life. Good to find out that someone on here is getting banded the same day I am. Can't wait to meet you and share our stories with each other. Good Luck to you and see you in Mexico! :-)

Deb (Kepola)

Hey Deb,

I'm so glad to meet you - even if its through the computer. You'll know me by my big curly blonde hair.

I really look forward to meeting you and hopefully we can help calm each other's nerves!!!

Lori

P.S. Today I bought GasX Strips and Liquid Tylenol. Does anyone have any other suggestions about things that are good to bring with... for the trip home? I have at least a 6 hour drive back.

Thanks!

[Chelley]

Best wishes to you who are having surgery soon! My mom, sister and I will be in TJ June 11, 12th for our first fill.

[LoriBecky]

Best wishes to you who are having surgery soon! My mom, sister and I will be in TJ June 11, 12th for our first fill.

Good Luck to all 3 of you Hope they are able to get it right for you the first time!! I'm anxious to hear more updates

[JulieH]

Best wishes to you who are having surgery soon! My mom, sister and I will be in TJ June 11, 12th for our first fill.

Hi Chelley - I'll be having my surgery on June 13th. I'll be flying in on the 12th for my pre-op. Maybe I'll see you there!

Julie