Banded April 2006

[dee]

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!

Glad to know you are doing well. I am new here, thinking about the surgery. My mom is concerned that if this is going to be life long restrictive I should be able to do it without surgery. My problem is will power. I am afraid that willpower will stop me from following the rules,(its stopped me from every diet i've tried) I cant imagine my life without Diet Coke.!!! What do I do???? Any help or advice would be wonderful!

Thanks,

Dee

[Chelley]

Glad to know you are doing well. I am new here, thinking about the surgery. My mom is concerned that if this is going to be life long restrictive I should be able to do it without surgery. My problem is will power. I am afraid that willpower will stop me from following the rules,(its stopped me from every diet i've tried) I cant imagine my life without Diet Coke.!!! What do I do???? Any help or advice would be wonderful!

Thanks,

Dee

Dee - If any of us could have lost this weight by sheer will power alone, we wouldn't be here on the lap-band forum and over 50% of Americans would not be obese! The lap band is a tool to help you with your weight loss journey. If you have Dr. Ortiz's book, I'd encourage you to read Chapter 10 which is about "head hunger". Even Dr. Phil McGraw says that will power is a myth and thinking all you need is a little will power to loose weight is self-sabotage.

I was worried about the diet soda thing too because I drank several a day. I had my last one in TJ the night before surgery and I can honestly say it wasn't until recently that I craved one and I just immediately put it out of my mind and got a glass of water instead. You also can't imagine the boost you get emotionally when you see the scale start to move down instead of up! For the first time in a long time, Dee, I have HOPE that I can actually win this life long battle of obesity.

God Bless!

Chelley

[Friend]

Chelley thank you so much on your wonderful detailed experience. I was banded 3/24/06 in TJ with another Dr. with very little support. I am glad I found this forum. Plz keep us posted on further progress and good luck. Sylvia from Central San Joaquin Valley California rural area of Fresno CA

[chrissysdolphin]

Everyone who is worried about the soda, I use to drink 5-6 regular cokes a day and had my last one the day before my surgery. I was banded on may 25th and I have not died because I can not have a soda. If you pay the money and spend the time to research and have the surgery you are willing to give up stuff for a better life and soda is a minor thing when you realize how much weight you lose without it. I have already lost 19 pounds and the thrill of hearing my husband say my stomach does not look like I am pregnant andymore is worth not having soda. Good luck to all. C.

[Chelley]

Everyone who is worried about the soda, I use to drink 5-6 regular cokes a day and had my last one the day before my surgery. I was banded on may 25th and I have not died because I can not have a soda. If you pay the money and spend the time to research and have the surgery you are willing to give up stuff for a better life and soda is a minor thing when you realize how much weight you lose without it. I have already lost 19 pounds and the thrill of hearing my husband say my stomach does not look like I am pregnant andymore is worth not having soda. Good luck to all. C.

Congratulations Chrissy! It feels great doesn't it??? Best wishes on your journey! Chelley

[Chelley]

Arrrrggg... just got off the scale this morning and I'm grumpy. I was 215 lbs the day of surgery, down to 205.5 lbs after the liquid phase post-op and my weight has been creeping back up steadily. This morning I am PMS'ing and in a week I've gone from 210 back to 215! I've gotta stop weighing every freaking day! My first fill is this Monday ... I'm hoping it does the trick and I can have some restriction and start seeing the scale go back down. One positive thing is I'm still fitting into all my new clothes... so the inches are still gone.. just the weight fluctuation. Grrrr.

[chrissysdolphin]

Arrrrggg... just got off the scale this morning and I'm grumpy. I was 215 lbs the day of surgery, down to 205.5 lbs after the liquid phase post-op and my weight has been creeping back up steadily. This morning I am PMS'ing and in a week I've gone from 210 back to 215! I've gotta stop weighing every freaking day! My first fill is this Monday ... I'm hoping it does the trick and I can have some restriction and start seeing the scale go back down. One positive thing is I'm still fitting into all my new clothes... so the inches are still gone.. just the weight fluctuation. Grrrr.

Chelly, you said it you are pms'ing so you are bloted don't get discouraged you are making an effort good luck with your fill. I am going to get mine in july and I can't wait. remember slow and steady is the best way to loose weight. you can do it.

[Friend]

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.

Chelley Good luck to you and you mom and sister on your first fill. Enjoy your trip! Sylvia

[Guest marys]

soda and other carbonated beverages have been the easiest part of of being banded (as far as giving up things) i've only craved a diet soda once or twice and it wasn't too hard. i used to drink at least one gallon of diet orange soda a day and once i got a bottle and made it go flat and drank it - didn't taste that good and i'm glad to have it out of my diet. I was banded last november and have only lost about 15lbs - i was 33bmi to start and lower bmi folks tend to lose slower. However, i can eat almost all foods (which i like) if chewed well and in the dr. recommended quantities. Dr. Ortiz never said you can't have carbs like bread, pasta, rice, you should just eat them last and in small small quantitities. I've had one fill and will probably get one more but this has been a huge journey and learning process for me and i'm happy to for once in many years to not be gaining weight or struggling every day wondering what diet to be on. My boyfriend keeps telling me, this is not a race, every pound is a victory and this is for life - so even if i only lose 25lbs in the first year, i'll be 1/2 way to my goal and hopefully wont gain it back. So my advice to others is - if you are waiting for your fill and not restrictedd - still follow the bandster rules - it's good practice - also weighing every day is a kiss of death as water weight, etc. will always lead to a number that is probably not your true weight. try to weigh once a week in the morning naked and average it out over one month -if you've lost 4lbs that is a victory. try to keep a long term perspective - a fill is not suppossed to be so tight that you cant eat. Dr. ortiz is only looking for us to eat about 1/3 less than prior to surgery so weight loss is slower but it is healthier - this is not a diet but a permananet way of life. you need to take the long view - behaviour and eating habits are EXTREMELY tough to break - having this band has slapped all my bad habits right in my face and now i realize why i am fat - the band keeps you honest in a way. good luck to all. mary

Chelley, I gain 5lbs around my period every month and it takes about 1 week to get things back to normal - why stress out so much - it's normal. Also weighing every day will make you crazy - us woman fluctuate a lot weight wise due to hormones, water retention etc. You are doing GREAT if your clothes are fitting better and you don't even have a fill yet. You should focus on eating 3 bandster meals a day and drinking tons of water, etc. as you'll be restricted soon enough. Your body is healing now and it is common to gain back post surgery weight. like all liquid diets, you aren't really losing fat (pretty much) so it's bound to come back when you eat. I gained all by two pounds back before my first fill as i could eat a lot too. it took awhile to figure out i could eat more which saved those two lbs or else i would have gained it all. Try to relax - this is a lifelong process. and congrats and good luck

[Chelley]

Mary - Thank you so much for your response. I'm still very happy with my choice to have this band. As I've said, I haven't worn a size 18/20 since I was in HS which was 20 years ago... so I'm very pleased with the inches lost. I'm just worried ... a little anxious ... and a little scared as I approach this first fill which I suppose is perfectly normal. Your encouragement came at just the right time. And I will TRY to stay off the blasted scales!

[Sue Y]

I am in the research phase of being banded. My husband is quite set against my going to Mexico for the procedure, and is willing to pay out of pocket whatever extra self pay in the U.S.entails.

Our insurance, BCBS in Michigan, would pay ONLY if I prove 12 consecutive MONTHS of dieting and exercise under a doctor's supervision! Folks, I am too old for that. My dad died at 68 from cancer, but his life quality was pretty much wrecked by obesity-related illnesses: high blood pressure and high cholesterol no doubt led to his heart attack and quadruple by-pass.

I just watched Dr. Ortiz' video from the website; maybe my husband's xenophobia will be taken away by Dr. Ortiz' completely unaccented English! Who knows? Not a factor for me, as I taught Spanish for years.

Is there anyone on this forum from east of the Mississippi? I have received a list from Carolyn of docs in Michigan(on the east side; I'm on the west shore near Grand Rapids)who were proctored by Dr. Ortiz. One has said he'd do fills for me here. That would be great.

Went to an info session at Barix Clinics in Holland,MI. All they do is bariatric surgery, but they don't have near the experience of the docs outside the States. I don't know their self-pay price, but chances are it's significantly higher than OCC. Heck, part of the reason I'd like to go to Tijuana is to stay in the posh hotel! And, as someone has remarked, I'd rather have the teacher perform the procedure than the student....

Chelley, you are inspiring. Hope your fill experience was good and that you find yourself back on track. Gradual is really so much better than fast; it gives your skin time to recover somewhat, and is less likely to result in gallstones, too.

I have been practicing tiny plates, tiny bites and lengthy chewing. It really is more satisfying than the stuff and gulp that helped get me to my current weight: 215 at 5'3", with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. No diabetes yet, but I bet it's right around the corner!

Warm regards and best wishes to all of you already embarking on the adventure of losing weight!

Sue

[Guest marys]

My boyfriend was also worried about having surgery in mexico but after talking to dr. ortiz and seeing the research and information out there about him - he was totally sold. in fact, i was the one who ended up more nervous and that was just about surgery in general not ever with dr. ortiz. dr ortiz is pretty much the most respected and skilled surgeon anywhere - at least in the states and in mexico. Frankly i'm sure your husband will feel better with someone who has done this procedure so many times over an inexperienced us doctor - and once he meets him and sees the facility and care, he will be blown away. The facility is immaculate and you practically get your own 24 hour nurse and they are the kindest and most available then anwyere i've been. in the us, my mom had surgery and was on water pills and if it wasn't for me being there she would have wet herself non stop - the nurses took over 20 minutes to stop by and i'll never forget it. no knock on hard working us docs and nurses but they are just way overworked. Also we just had a friend DIE from a staph infection he got in the hospital in the US - so no guarantees anywhere - things can happen but i know i was in great hands in mexico and with ortiz - his entire staff will care for you like you are family. i hope your husband is able to see the light as it's imp tohave sig other support. good luck

[Chelley]

Goodmorning! Okay, I'm a ninny ... the fill experience was so easy that I can't believe I was ever even worried about it! The whole thing only took about 15 minutes and not nearly as uncomfortable as I had imagined. In fact, a shot in the rump hurts worse than the accessing of the port. I was very pleased with my fill experience. I received 2.8cc which is a huge fill. The doctor performing the fill (Dr. Romero at the Obesity Control Center) was very informative, telling me what he was doing each step of the way and even put me at ease with his bedside manner. The procedure was sterile - he swabbed by abdomen with betadine and I observed him opening sterile needle, syringe, and glove packages. The port is accessed while you are lying flat on the exam table under flurososcopy. One stick was all it took to access the port and it stung a little, but was not painful. After the port was accessed, he sat me up telling me not to worry about the syringe in my belly that it wasn't going anywhere and it did not move and it did not hurt but was a little odd seeing a syringe sticking out like that! The doctor was meticulous in making sure to visualize the barium flowing through the banded area of my stomach to make sure I got the best fill possible. I was able to watch the whole thing with him and was facinated. I was asked to drink some sips of bottled water in addition to the barium to make sure liquids were flowing through the banded area. I honestly did not even feel the needle being removed from the port. There wasn't even need for a bandaid. After the procedure, I was instructed to continue to sip the bottle of water while waiting in the lobby to make sure I could drink water without any trouble. Mom and sister had their fills too and all of us agreed there wasn't anything to it! We got to meet several patients who were there for their surgeries and that was really cool getting to talk to the future lap-banders!

As far as the weight fluctuation I've been having, I'm back down to 210lbs this morning, after having started my menstrual cycle ... in Mexico .... arggg. So the lesson to be learned for sure is not to weigh when PMS'ing! I had myself all twisted into a pretzel for nothing!!!

I'll keep you guys posted on the restriction. It's hard to tell on full liquids what kind of restriction I'll have... but a fellow lap-bander posted a word of advice on this forum that I found could be the key which was something to the effect of don't see how much you can eat with the band, but instead see how little you can eat to feel full. It most definately is a mind set change. Last night I had 1/2 cup of soup and realized I was full and stopped. This morning I had 1/2 cup of malt-o-meal and stopped. Of course, I could have ate more, but I'm really trying to listen to my body and stop when I no longer feel hungry. By no means am I trying to gloss this over .... conquering head hunger will be my biggest challenge. I keep telling myself... the band is a tool... the band is a tool... the band is a tool... not a cure all... and it's up to me to use the band wisely.

[LoriBecky]

Chelly,

I just have to say thank you thank you & thank you again! Your posts are so comforting and informing! I'm having my band put on a day earlier than expected (6/15) and I'm so excited... and a little nervous. But I'm ready! Please keep me posted on your success! If you'd be willing, I'd love to keep in touch with you privately too - so I could ask you questions and maybe exchange successes too.

Let me know

[nevada]

thank you for the detailed information. now i know what to expect

[Chelley]

I'm down to 208lbs this morning! Back on solid foods too... and WOW! Yesterday morning I made me smoothie for breakfast and drank 12 oz.. all went throught he band which was okay b/c it was low cal and I'd put a scoop of protein powder in the drink and a little fruit. For lunch, I baked a sweet potato in the microwave, cut it into quarters and ate most of a quarter with some squash I'd breaded in cornmeal and lightly fried with Pam cooking spray. I wanted to eat more.. it tasted so good, but I just couldn't. You know how you have that really full feeling at a big dinner, like Thanksgiving, and you know you just can't possibly eat one more bite without being miserable... I had that feeling. I was full and it the feeling lasted for a long time. For supper I had a few bites of baked BBQ chicken and I chewed, chewed and no problem.. then I had a few bites of the sweet potato and the squash... FULL. I'm tickled to death that I'm not hungry and I can get full with just a portion of what I could eat before. I'm really trying to follow the advice of seeing how little I can eat with the band vs. how much I can eat with the band. I'm very pleased today and back on track to my immediate goal of breaking that 200lb barrier ... that will be a day to dance and celebrate and shout from the rooftops because no matter what fad diet I'd tried right down to starvation ... I could never get under 200lbs. I'll keep you all posted! Best wishes on your journey! Chelley

[ROSE]

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!

[ROSE]

Arrrrggg... just got off the scale this morning and I'm grumpy. I was 215 lbs the day of surgery, down to 205.5 lbs after the liquid phase post-op and my weight has been creeping back up steadily. This morning I am PMS'ing and in a week I've gone from 210 back to 215! I've gotta stop weighing every freaking day! My first fill is this Monday ... I'm hoping it does the trick and I can have some restriction and start seeing the scale go back down. One positive thing is I'm still fitting into all my new clothes... so the inches are still gone.. just the weight fluctuation. Grrrr.

Chelley,

I am scheduled for surgery with Dr. Ortiz on July 13. Reading your your entries has been a help to me. Like you, I am also a nurse. I have had a weight problem since shildhood, but was always able to control my weight through yo-yo dieting, diet pills, etc. However 11 years ago, I had a hysterectomy, followed by radiation or a thyroid mass. I gained sixty pounds in 6 months, and never lost it. I am 4'11" and weigh 186 pounds. In the past 18 months, I have developed so many medical problems: diabetes, hypertension, mitral regurgitation, arthrits and loss the vision in my right eye. I realized that I had to do something about my weight or I would die an early death. I started investigating surgical options and became sold on the lapband. My insurance wouldn't cover surgery, and surgery in NY is over $37,000.00. I finally found out about Dr. Ortiz, checked all his credentials and spoke to him. Despite arguements from some of my medical friends, I decided to schedule my surgery with him. He was so nice that he agreed to have my friend, an ICU nurse, be present in the OR with me. That really put my mind to ease.

I have found a local physician who was trained by Dr. Ortiz who agreed to do my post op care and fills. Now with all the planning complete, I am now preparing to enter into the pre-op diet phase. I must admit, I am becoming very nervous. I am worried about being hungry...in my stomache and in my mind. I look forward to hearing your story, and those of others, because it gives me hope. Keep writing.

Sheila

[LoriBecky]

Hey guys

I did it! Got banded on June 15th. I'm pretty sore today, I think I really overdid yesterday - lifted something I shouldn't have. Hoping I didn't do anything tooooo bad!

My question is... did anybody else have tummy rumbles - like being hungry? I really started getting those yesterday. I'm not feeling overwhelmingly hungry, but I thought I wasn't suppossed to feel any hunger this first week. Maybe I'm not doing enough broth/juice/popsicles, etc. I do feel better after the broth so maybe I should do more of that. i'm very anxious for the yogurt and protein phase! Any suggestions (and sympathy ) would be appreciated!

By the way - if anyone is wondering or questioning going to Dr. Ortiz.. put your fears to rest - the staff is amazing, the clinic looks like something you see on TV for people going to posh Beverly Hills Clinics! I was nervous, but the moment I entered the clinic my fears were calmed. Everyone is wonderful!

[Chelley]

Woohoo! New low of 204 lbs today... feeling good. It's so nice to be able to fit into a size I haven't worn since I was a teenager!!! I have not experienced any PB'ing yet .. and hope I don't. I chew, chew, chew. Trying not to drink while eating is a new learning experience, but doeable.

Lori - Tummy rumbles are normal... I think it's your belly's way of trying to adjust. If you feel hungry, then try some liquids. I just had to experiment! I didn't feel hungry in those first weeks, but I did have the growling noises ... I would just sip some liquids and it would usually go away.

[cnoori]

Chelley,

Did you eat the cream soups during the first weeks or just broth? I also have the rumbles and gas pains up to my shoulders! Like Chelley I find that if you sip some warm broth it goes away.

[Chelley]

Chelley,

Did you eat the cream soups during the first weeks or just broth? I also have the rumbles and gas pains up to my shoulders! Like Chelley I find that if you sip some warm broth it goes away.

During the first week I ate clear liquids which consisted of broth, jello, water, juice mixed with water, frozen fruit pops. I followed the diet recommended by Dr. Miranda at the Obesity Control Center. The patient teaching guide she gives upon consultation at the clinic is very informative and simple to follow. She is also available via e-mail or telephone if you have any questions post-op.

[LoriBecky]

- a fill is not suppossed to be so tight that you cant eat. Dr. ortiz is only looking for us to eat about 1/3 less than prior to surgery so weight loss is slower

Hi,

I think that we are suppossed to only eat 1/3 of what we ate prior to surgery, not a 1/3 less. Can anybody clarify this for me.

thanks!

[Chelley]

Hi,

I think that we are suppossed to only eat 1/3 of what we ate prior to surgery, not a 1/3 less. Can anybody clarify this for me.

Per Dr. Ortiz's book, LAP-BAND FOR LIFE, "a properly adjusted band will permit you to eat only a third of the volume of food you were used to eating". (Chapter 9, Discussion on Rule 2).

[Rid]

Chelley, how are you doing? Haven't seen a detailed post in a while! Hope all is well.