How has your weight loss gone?

[captainsgirl]

Hi all - I've investigated Gastric Bypass...and am a little nervous about going through such major surgery. Have just discovered OCC and Dr. Ortiz and would love to hear how everyone's experience of the hospital (was it clean, modern?) and how has your weight loss gone??? Are you losing regularly? Do you eat bites of things and get full? I'm in San Diego and going to Mexico would be so easy...and more affordable than doing the GPS out of pocket! thanks.

[Shell]

Today is 6 months post op for me and I have lost 57lbs. I am very happy. I was also very happy with the hospital and Dr. Ortiz and his entire staff. I eat roughl;y about 1200 calories a day.. I lose an average of 1-3 lbs a week. Not as fast as the Bypass but I was not ready to take all that comes with the bypass. ..the weight loss is slwoer then the bypas but healthier with less complications. Ortiz is very qualified and experienced. Hope this helped..

Best of Luck to you

[Janis91350]

Hi,

I just got back from accompanying my daughter to Tijuana to get her lapband, and I can tell you that the experience far exceeded our expectations. Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Martinez, and the rest of their team are wonderful, caring professionals. The surgical center is clean and well staffed, and my daughter was up and walking around about 2 hours after her procedure was finished.

Mrs. Ortiz (Dr. Ortiz's mother) works as the patient facilitator, and couldn't do enough for us. She took us for the pre-ops, and to the surgi-center, and came back last night to take me back to the hotel. She is a lovely lady.

My daughter and the other two women who got banded yesterday all did so well, we were all able to head home today.

I would say the only slight problem we had was with the language barrier. All of the doctors, the staff at the office, and Mrs. Ortiz speak English perfectly, but a few of the nurses at the surgi-center don't. I don't speak a word of Spanish, and my daughter only understands and speaks a little. Although sometimes it was hard to communicate with some of the nurses, there was always someone available who could help with the translating.

I would recommend Dr. Ortiz without any hesitation!

[captainsgirl]

Today is 6 months post op for me and I have lost 57lbs. I am very happy. I was also very happy with the hospital and Dr. Ortiz and his entire staff. I eat roughl;y about 1200 calories a day.. I lose an average of 1-3 lbs a week. Not as fast as the Bypass but I was not ready to take all that comes with the bypass. ..the weight loss is slwoer then the bypas but healthier with less complications. Ortiz is very qualified and experienced.  Hope this helped..

Best of Luck to you

thank you both for your reply...I just spoke w/Sandi and Dr. Ortiz' office and was very impressed and have a consultation later in the month.

Thank you. Keep up the great work.

[captainsgirl]

Hi,

I just got back from accompanying my daughter to Tijuana to get her lapband, and I can tell you that the experience far exceeded our expectations.  Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Martinez, and the rest of their team are wonderful, caring professionals. The surgical center is clean and well staffed, and my daughter was up and walking around about 2 hours after her procedure was finished. 

Mrs. Ortiz (Dr. Ortiz's mother) works as the patient facilitator, and couldn't do enough for us.  She took us for the pre-ops, and to the surgi-center, and came back last night to take me back to the hotel.  She is a lovely lady.

My daughter and the other two women who got banded yesterday all did so well, we were all able to head home today.

I would say the only slight problem we had was with the language barrier.  All of the doctors, the staff at the office, and Mrs. Ortiz speak English perfectly, but a few of the nurses at the surgi-center don't.  I don't speak a word of Spanish, and my daughter only understands and speaks a little. Although sometimes it was hard to communicate with some of the nurses, there was always someone available who could help with the translating.

I would recommend Dr. Ortiz without any hesitation!

Thank you so much for your reply.It was very helpful. I just got off the phone with Sandy at the office, and am going for a consultation w/Dr. Ortiz later in the month. I feel very positive about this alternative to GPS...which is so severe and so serious. Thanks...and I hope your daughter does well and feels great.

Thanks again.

[Thors_Thunder]

Hi

I got banded just a few days before the mom's daughter and the other two ladies that are in this stream. I had the pleasure of meeting them breifly while they were going through there post ops, and again when I had my IV cathedar removed. Alhough I was not the typical patient, and found it difficult to get fluids down the first couple of days, I can say that I am doing just fine today. I stepped on the scale this morning and am down 23 lbs, and its only been a week.

I have finally come clean and started telling others about my experience with the medical staff. If I were to do it all over again, I would not hesitate in a heartbeat. The medical staff provided me top care, much of which is unheard of here in the states. I personally think it surpassed any medical bedside manner that we are used to here. I had an extended stay while waiting for some of the swelling to go down, and made a wonderful friend, (my nurse, carmelita) who stayed with me 24 hours a day for the entire weekend, while the others that I was banded with were off shopping and running around the wonderful city.

I too was hesitant at first.....but trust me....they ARE the best

[captainsgirl]

Hi

I got banded just a few days before the mom's daughter and the other two ladies that are in this stream.  I had the pleasure of meeting them breifly while they were going through there post ops, and again when I had my IV cathedar removed.  Alhough I was not the typical patient, and found it difficult to get fluids down the first couple of days, I can say that I am doing just fine today.  I stepped on the scale this morning and am down 23 lbs, and its only been a week. 

I have finally come clean and started telling others about my experience with the medical staff.  If I were to do it all over again, I would not hesitate in a heartbeat.  The medical staff provided me top care, much of which is unheard of here in the states.  I personally think it surpassed any medical bedside manner that we are used to here.  I had an extended stay while waiting for some of the swelling to go down, and made a wonderful friend, (my nurse, carmelita) who stayed with me 24 hours a day for the entire weekend, while the others that I was banded with were off shopping and running around the wonderful city.

I too was hesitant at first.....but trust me....they ARE the best

You are doing so well. I'm so excited about hearing from everyone and they are all good experiences. I am going to TJ on October 25 to meet with Dr. Ortiz! I'm looking forward to it. This procedure seems so much less frightening than doing a full bypass...I just saw an acquaintenance who had it done and she ALMOST DIED - she popped a staple and was bleeding internally! That made me make an appointment immediately. How much total weight do you need to lose? Keep up the good work...are you able to eat/drink a little more now? Thanks again for replying.

[big2620]

Hi my name is Ann I had surgery in July of this year. I have lost twenty eight pounds so far. I have not done as well as most people loseing. I have had two fills, and still can eat just as much as I did before surgery. Need help with questions about why this is possiable to eat so much?

[bookcraver]

Hi Ann,

You might one of the ones that need several fills before you get to your sweet spot. There's no way to tell...it could be your very next fill, it could be in five more. Everyone's different. I've had two fills in six months and I've lost 50 lbs so far.

I seem to be at a stall this month...but I think my food choices have been a bit lax & my exercise has been practically nil. Time for me to get back on track.

However, the VERY best part of this past month has been that, while I haven't lost any weight, I HAVEN"T GAINED ANY EITHER! That is amazing for me. Shows me that I can eat like a "normal" person and not gain weight. What a blessing!

I LOVE MY BAND.

Best wishes,

Marylou

240/190/125

Drs. Ortiz/Martinez

4/22/04

[frequentflyer]

Hello Captainsg

I was banded in june and I guess I'm a problem child that's why i'm called frequent flyer. My body is fighting the port and in sept. I had to have it moved to the other side and replaced. (just to be safe) To date i've lost 30lbs but I seem to gain 3 but lose it again and have had 1 fill. I'm sure I could use another one but again I must stress that the band works it's just my body. I have what they call a seroma cavity of fluid surronding the port due to inflammation but Dr O and Dr M are great thru this entire ordeal. The entire staff is great and since I seem to spend almost everyother saturday in TJ it's now my second home. I live in San Diego.. I know several women who have had the gastric bypass and for a lack of better words they look guant. I just didn' t want to go thru all that they have gone thru..Again I feel the band is great regardless of the trials that I go thru it was worth the numbers decreasing with my diabetes..

Much success to you

frequentflyer