help! i need support!

[tme2lvme]

Okay ladies, let it all fly. I am 25, 5'5, and 270. I am seriously considering lapband (and where to get it). I have a date for a seminar in march and just want some opinions on my case. I have been overweight my entire life. i've dieted before, lost the weight and regained it. I did well with the diet i was on(weight watchers). I just don't think I can do it again. I have a 1yr old now and just no time to count points and prepare my meals seperately for my family. We don't eat that unhealthy. Some people eat to live. I live to eat. I love food. I think if I had this tool (the lapband) to help me control my portions and such I can get this weight off. I am just getting desperate to quit feeling this way. I want to start loving myself and seeing myself as beautiful as others see me. Not to mention GET HEALTHY!!! My husband is phenomenal and willing to support me in whatever I choose. Also, how hard is this to finance? I am considering Dr. Gorospe in Tulsa, OK. Any news on him or your success with him? I'm willing to hear whatever you have to say. Please just be brutally honest. I am my biggest critic so you can't possibly tell me something I haven't already said to myself. Thank you for sharing

[Dontondan]

I love my lapband, was banded in December and am finally losing some weight. I also have a family that I cook for every day and enjoy cooking and eating. I can't eat the same things that I used to now and my portions are much smaller. I do have to watch constantly what I put in my mouth though as I will have difficulty with a lot of things, but it is well worth it. I wish I had the opportunity to do this a long time ago (I am 49), as this seems to be the right thing for me. Just do your research and keep an open mind, there is some changes that you have to make in your lifestyle and it is not for everyone or a quick fix by no means.....mostly just a tool. I was not expecting miracles, but people are starting to be shocked when they see me as the weight is coming off slow but sure. Most of the people on this forum had their surgery from Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. It was a wonderful experience for me and I had to self-pay by taking out a loan, but it was well worth it. I am saving so much in other ways......I share an entree or make several meals out of it, I am starting to be taken off of medication I was on for health problems that are now resolving, my food bills are lower, and I never drink soda anymore. This is quite a difference in my budget. I don't obsess about food and it doesn't control my life any longer. I am not hungry all the time and I actually feel full for the first time in my life. My biggest difficulties are eating slowly and chewing my food, this is a learning process that will take me a while to master. I still have a lot of junk food in my house (I have 3 teenagers and friends over all the time) but I no longer graze all day long, I don't crave the stuff anymore and if I do I can have just a little and then quit. I wish I had done this a long time ago, that is my only regret.

[tme2lvme]

see, I don't want to keep battling this and getting more depressed about myself before i make a change. I want to do it now so I can start LIVING. I've heard from a lot of people that they don't have a taste for as much of the old "junk" foods they used to. I pray that is the case for me. Like I said, my hubby is great and not only will I have to be accountable to myself(and my scale), he will hold me to it as well. He's my greatest fan. Thanks for your input. Did you have your surgery in Mexico?

[Dontondan]

Yeah, I had my surgery by Dr. Ortiz. Most of my cravings are gone, but I still occasionally have to have potato chips! I am surprised that I don't crave fast foods. My band is much tighter during my time of the month and I really almost have to go on liquids, soups and mushy stuff during that time. I guess that is a good thing cause I used to always crave things then and now I can't tolerate things during that time! I am also tight in the mornings and have to eat soft stuff then.....I usually have yogurt or oatmeal anyways. You have to relearn your body and what you can do and not do. I haven't had a soda since November and I don't even miss it! I do have a hard time not having anything to drink with my meals and that is one of the hardest things for me. Now I have a glass of water before I sit down to dinner and I can wait until after for another glass. Also I was a fast eater, still am and this causes problems sometimes and my body tells me to SLOW DOWN! Upside is my teenagers can't keep up with me in my water aerobics! I have so much more energy and can do so much more without getting winded and exhausted.

[MarkHolmes]

Okay ladies, let it all fly. I am 25, 5'5, and 270. I am seriously considering lapband (and where to get it). I have a date for a seminar in march and just want some opinions on my case. I have been overweight my entire life. i've dieted before, lost the weight and regained it. I did well with the diet i was on(weight watchers). I just don't think I can do it again. I have a 1yr old now and just no time to count points and prepare my meals seperately for my family. We don't eat that unhealthy. Some people eat to live. I live to eat. I love food. I think if I had this tool (the lapband) to help me control my portions and such I can get this weight off. I am just getting desperate to quit feeling this way. I want to start loving myself and seeing myself as beautiful as others see me. Not to mention GET HEALTHY!!! My husband is phenomenal and willing to support me in whatever I choose. Also, how hard is this to finance? I am considering Dr. Gorospe in Tulsa, OK. Any news on him or your success with him? I'm willing to hear whatever you have to say. Please just be brutally honest. I am my biggest critic so you can't possibly tell me something I haven't already said to myself. Thank you for sharing

[Kim2BSlim]

Hello and welcome!

I started thinking about having this surgery in December and found a local surgeon who would do it for $15K. I got approved for my loan and was prepared to go ahead with it un til I found this forum. I called Lori at the OCC and she told me about Dr. Ortiz and I booked my surgery that night! It is gonna cost me half the price with a more experienced Dr. The local Dr I mentioned is gonna do my fills. Good luck with your decision! >

[DianeK]

My sister and I were banded 1 week ago and I think I can speak for both of us when I say, get it now and if you're stilll searching for a Doc-go to TJ and Dr Ortiz! We're from Canada-have great health care here, but banding is not covered. We financed ourselves through lines of credit, cashing in investments etc. My husband was most supportive in getting us here, baceause as he's always said with all my diet efforts (which got costlier each time), my health and our future are priceless. I actually did soe research adn found that in teh past 7 years alone, I'd spent way more than this cost in Mexico, on other efforts-gym passes. diets, clothes as I kept yo-yoing in size, and of course junk food binges in between.

We had the best time going to TJ, the commradarie, fun, care, facilities and people are top notch in our book. I'm a nurse here and found the experience amazing. You're in the best hands at the OCC, and we made some fantastic friends for life with the others there at the same time. Keep reading testimonials here and you'll make up your mind soon. I knew about this procedure over 10 years ago, but it wasn't fincncially feasible at the time. If you can swing it, I'd say do you're reasearch and then get ready to do it now. When you used to say,I'm going to go on a diet and get healthy...next month, people would say why wait? If you're going to get banded and watch this tool help the weight to fall off...why wait?

I've lost 8 pounds in a week just healing after my surgery plus the 11 I lost in 2 weeks pre-op; I'm more concerned at this time about getting enough calories in a day to prevent going into starvation mode. Keep ready this forum and good luck.

[utahmom]

Okay ladies, let it all fly. I am 25, 5'5, and 270. I am seriously considering lapband (and where to get it). I have a date for a seminar in march and just want some opinions on my case. I have been overweight my entire life. i've dieted before, lost the weight and regained it. I did well with the diet i was on(weight watchers). I just don't think I can do it again. I have a 1yr old now and just no time to count points and prepare my meals seperately for my family. We don't eat that unhealthy. Some people eat to live. I live to eat. I love food. I think if I had this tool (the lapband) to help me control my portions and such I can get this weight off. I am just getting desperate to quit feeling this way. I want to start loving myself and seeing myself as beautiful as others see me. Not to mention GET HEALTHY!!! My husband is phenomenal and willing to support me in whatever I choose. Also, how hard is this to finance? I am considering Dr. Gorospe in Tulsa, OK. Any news on him or your success with him? I'm willing to hear whatever you have to say. Please just be brutally honest. I am my biggest critic so you can't possibly tell me something I haven't already said to myself. Thank you for sharing

1. It will be 1/2 the price to do it in TJ, Mexico.

2. Dr Ortiz is the proctor for the company that makes/distributes the Inamed lapband, that means that he is the one that teaches the American doctors

how to do the procedure.

3. If you have doubts, you can arrange a conference call with Dr Ortiz.

4. My husband is a Family Practice Physician, and after speaking with Dr Ortiz, had no doubts about him doing my procedure.

[Mackenzie]

Hi there! I started off on the Lap band journey like you did. I was going to get in in FL, went to the seminar and started with all in insurance BS...and what BS that is! ITS CRAZY how much stuff you need to have! Then I got home early one day and saw Oprah and there was Dr.Ortiz. I called the OCC that day, and booked my surgery. I dropped all the insurance craziness and payed the 7500 or whatever it is for the OCC. The care I rec. from the dr.s/and nurses there was unbelievable! I was glad that I stayed overnight (in the US it is an outpatient procdeure) bc I was a bit nauseated(sp?) while I was walking.

My husband was totally skeptical about going to MEXICO for SURGERY! but when we got there and met the dr.'s he was in awe of them. Dr. Ortiz and Martienez are more than qualified- Dr. Ortiz is on the lapband bored in mexico and teaches drs. all around the world on how to use the lap band.

I was banded not too long ago and i am very happy with my results so far. I feel SO motivated having this tool inside me. I have been walking, already cooking very healthy for my husband and planning healthy meals for myself.

This road isnt easy- at all. The pre op and post op diets are hard, but the end is much brighter than any piece of pizza! I hope that you do look into the OCC. If anything just give them a call- I think you will be hooked!

Good luck!

[brittania]

I HAVEN'T HAD MY SURGERY YET, BUT I AM HAVING IT ON THE 27TH OF MARCH. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THE LAP BAND FOR OVER A YEAR. IN ALL THAT RESEARCH I HAVE NOT FOUND 1 BAD COMMENT ABOUT DR. ORTIZ, EVERYONE HAS GOOD THINGS TO SAY. I AM WORRIED ABOUT HAVING MY SURGERY IN MEXICO, BUT I HAVE TALK TO ALOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAD THEIR SURGERY BY DR. ORTIZ AND THEY HAVE PUT ME AT EASE. MEXICO IS WAY CHEAPER ONLY $, I WILL BE BACK IN 2 WEEKS AND LET YOU KNOW HOW EVERYTHING GOES.