cleo6666

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! Double Tree Plaza at Hazard Center. Free ride from Airport to Hotel. $5.00 from Hotel back to airport. Here's what me and my fellow banditos did.... 1) Took flights to SD airport 2) Had shuttle pick us up at airport and drive us to clinic for fills 3) Split a taxi to come back over the boarder to the airport 4) Called HOTEL and had a driver pick us up at the airport 5) STAYED IN THE NICEST ROOM EVER! Close to shopping, trolley, movies, etc. The trolley system in SD is fantastic 6) $5 got us from the hotel to the airport. WOW Want more...ask me :-)

Just a thought...this contract....I bet means they are expecting a big gratuity. Which is usually on 12-20 dollar plates of food. I don't know about y'all, but I can hardly keep down soup after my first fill. I hope they don't think we are coming in and spending tons of money on food. LOL! I still say "Go for It!" :-) Michele

I have an idea...how about I bring a small bunch of balloons, blue like the website, and put them at our table?

I was a diet coke junkie and I haven't had one since July 25....the day before my band. I don't even think I miss it.

Michele is IN!

Don't want to disapoint you...but the purses I saw were FAKES. Really bad ones at that!

Roger....what time do you think you will be at the clinic? I can't wait to meet you. I hope we are there at the same time! No, I'm not a stalker...hahaha. Micheley

October 8th works better for me. :-)

I might be able to meet on Sunday. Thursday I'll be at the clinic getting a fill, then home on Saturday. How does Southcenter or Bellevue sound? ~M

James will you still be in TJ on the 7th? ~M

Great! Today is the first day of the rest of your life.....ENJOY! ~M

Jewel, Keep in touch with me and I can let you know when I might be down again for one of my fills. You could meet me at the airport or at the hotel in San Diego and we can ride down to the clinic together! I'd love to save the money if you'll drive over the boarder sometime. Heck, I'll buy you lunch! Michele

Karen, hang in there. Ask the hotel to call the clinic for you. They should be able to because they work with patients everyday! Don't be nervous or worried. If you don't hear from them soon....email me directly and I will call the clinic for you from my work. mp6666@hotmail.com Good luck today! I'll be thinking about you!!!!!

Here is my wild FILL idea of the day.... 4 bandsters meet in San Diego at the airport at the same time for pick up to get a ride to the clinic $32.50 ($130 divided by 4) Get filled at the clinic and get driven back to the airport Take the shuttle to a fantastic hotel, the double Tree in San Diego and stay the night $30.00 ($120 at my fantastic rate divided by 4) Ride to airport on the hotel shuttle the next day $5.00 per person So for transportation and lodging it's only....$67.50 each Which of course doesn't include the fill or plane fare but....you get to have the experience with 3 LB friends! Ok...maybe it's a long shot, but I love to save money and have fun. Michele

Tom, Tell you wife to look for Christie and Michele in the lobby on the 7th around 1-1:30pm. We'll be checking up on you to see how you are Michele

Jen, You're funny! Are you by any chance the gal I met on July 25th at the clinic that was getting the unfill? I'm the one that was there for preop with my friend Anne. Keep up the good sense of humor ladies. I'm getting worried about my hair now and my gravity pulling.....b--bs. Michele

It is my understanding that insurance for the most part does not cover it in the US. In fact in the US I think the criteria for the surgery is different than Mexico. Double check on the current price on the Obesity Control Center. I paid $8500 for my surgery one month ago. It included transportation to and from the San Diego airport, 3 nights in a nice hotel, transportation to and from the clinic, all the pre-op work and the surgery. If you bring someone with you like a friend or your husband, they can stay at the hotel with you at no extra fee. In fact one night you stay in the hospital over night, so who ever comes with you gets that night in the hotel. I had my surgery done by Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. I recommend him and his professional staff. Keep reading the forum, there is a wealth of information. Look at the forum post I believe is "Banded Aug 28" or "August Banded Patients". They both show up in View New Posts almost every day. I have responded there quite a bit, as have several people who are there now and are headed there today and tomorrow I believe. My handle is cleo6666, and I think you can access the things I've wrote. Take a look. I had the surgery 6 weeks ago, so I'm "fresh meat". I go for my first fill in 8 days. I'm really excited. This truly is a life changing experience. You have to be prepared mentally. It is not a quick fix. Only a tool. But it's a good tool if you use it correctly. A fellow lapbander.....Michele

Keep reading the forum. It's a wealth of knowledge and a great place for friends. Ask us anything. We love to talk about our lap bands! Michele from Seattle, WA

Hey you are riding with us aren't you? Michele and Christie

BRING SINGLES!!! Yes, use the $1 a bag rule unless you are really impressed. My travel and I gave the driver $5. Here is another tip!..... Not far from the hotel is a grocery store that you can walk to. Bring your american money because they take it!!!!! It's like no grocery store you've ever seen in america. It's actually really fun to walk around in and see all the different ways the merchandise. Be sure to go to the bakery...it's a trip! Seriously now.... Go to the grocery store before your surgery and pick up some bottled water, gatorade and juice. Take your one dollar bills so you don't end up with too much change. That way you'll have it ready for you back in your room when you come back from surgery. They have ice there so you have a way to cool it. Just don't buy too much or else you'll have left overs. If you have a surgery travel buddy like I did, they can help with the shopping or having things ready for you when you get back. Be sure to ask for the surgery special (hahaha) in the little resturant at the hotel. It's ice tea, yummy chicken broth and jello. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Best of luck. You can email me your number at mp6666@hotmail.com if you want to ask me anything else. I had a great talk with a gal on Saturday night who is getting her surgery TODAY! I hope to share my experience so that others feel comfortable when they go for theirs. On my way for my first fill in 10 DAYS! Micheley

What's a heater? I had mexican food the night before my surgery and I got sick. BUT...I think it was because it was SOOOO HOT in TJ that I was dehydrated and didn't drink enough water that day. I stopped eating the night before at 8. Fasted that morning until I got to the clinic at about noon. After my pre surgery prep stuff, my friend and I went down town to shop and take in the "sights". Like I said, it was so hot and I had ate very little in the 24 hours. The heat took over and my stomach said...No MAS. But I think that is just me. I suggest having a last meal. Just make it a small one. Good luck! Michele

Hi Wendy, I can try to answer a few of your questions.... What are the qualifications for possible candidates? *You need to have a BMI of a minimum of 30 and need to loose at least 50lbs. Weight qualifications? *See above Age qualifications? *I don't think you will need one because you are over 18 How much does the lap-band procedure cose without medical insurance? *My surgery was $8500 which included the procedure and the hotel stay plus a ride to and from the airport and to and from the clinic. I paid for my ticket by air from Seattle to San Diego which I got a great deal on. Of course it will depend on where you fly from. If I do obtain medical insurance, how do I go about getting coverage for this kind of surgery? *I don't know if you can get lap-band surgery in the US unless your BMI is over 40 and you have other medical conditions. I had a low BMI and I knew surgery would not cover it for me so I had to pay out of pocket. Do you prefer gastric bypass or lap-band? * N/A for me, lap-band was the only choice How satisified are you with your results? *I am about to enter my 6th week since surgery. I have no restriction and I can't wait till my first fill. Since I know right now that I can eat...it's much like dieting and having to resist temptation. The lap-band isn't a quick fix. It's just a tool. Since I got my band, I am getting to know my body and my food intake better. I am learning how to eat well for the first time. Don't get me wrong, I have my weak moments, but if I didn't....well I would have never chose the lap-band in the first place. Good luck with your decision. Most of the information you need is on this website. My advice...if you decide to go to TJ/Mexico...don't go to anyone but Dr. Ortiz Take Care. Michele

I was banded one month ago and I have not had my first fill yet. I am anxious and I know that my pb'ing will change. I've had the feeling and it sucks, but you learn to know when it's coming and almost always it is because I didn't chew enough. I never pb'ed with liquids. And for some reason, eggs did NOT agree with me even though I chewed and chewed their soft scrambledness. Here is something I did yesterday and once or twice before. If you GROSS out easily, you might not want to read on. But if it helps, maybe someone else has tired it....it worked for me. I was eating in a resturant yesterday morning and one morning that day I had the scrambled eggs. I felt very uncomfortable at the table, so I excused myself and went into the ladies room. I picked the stall on the end in the ladies room and kneeled on the floor and....stuck my finger in my throat. The food that was stuck just came up and into the toilet. It wasn't gross or fowl. Just lots of mucus and I felt better. Don't get me wrong, I don't binge and purge and I am not annorexic. I just tried it because I felt horrible. I guess I need to make sure with Dr. Miranda if that is going to mess up my band. Maybe I should be sending this email to her. I do NOT plan on making this a habit and hope I don't have to do it again. No eggs for me. Good luck and remember...you will learn to know what your body responds to. I have never been so "in tune" with what I eat and how it effects me until know. I feel really good knowing that I really have to think before putting something into my body. Here's to good health.... M

Where did you get that cool weight loss counter? :-)