magkai1

Welcome to San Diego! I live here, too. My surgery date is on September 25. There is at least one support group that I am aware of that meets in Mission Valley. I am too tired to look up the details but I will do it when I've had sleep.

!Viva Chupacabra!

I wish I could check snopes.com to see if it's an urban legend. LOL. I might just ask this nurse for more details. Then again, I've got so much on my plate right now (cheap lap band humor!) that I probably won't bother.

At any rate, I have done my research and Dr. Ortiz is The Man, The Bomb.

One of the nurses I work with freaked out when I told her I'm going to Mexico for the surgery. She says she knows someone who got fills over and over until 8cc was put in. They did an x-ray and found out that there was a port and tubing, but no band. Do any of you believe this???

Anybody with a September 25 surgery date?

Hi Jessica,

That's great it went so well with your mom. I haven't told mine.

I can answer your question about whether a companion can stay at the OCC with you overnight and the answer is no. Your mom will be driven to one of the two hotels in the area - the Lucerna or the Marriott.

Margaret

Does the OCC accept insurance???

Lisa,

I have been following your posts and your transformation is amazing!

I have my surgery at the OCC scheduled for September 25. I'm so excited and nervous! I will be one month into a graduate program at the time of the Friday surgery; hoping I can recover enough to attend class Monday night. I also have a 3 year old who just started preschool yesterday and an almost 6 year old who is starting first grade next week. I have a lot going on! Luckily my job is per diem so I can scale back on that for a little while. I'm starting to feel some pressure and that maybe I'm not so intelligent to get this done at this time.

However, these anxieties and realities are not going too stop me.

Margaret

Ladies - you can see both hotels in one view, they are close, but probably not close enough to travel back and forth. Perhaps one of you should switch so you can hang out together?

Hey there, RevyD - I was really hoping there'd be somebody from the board having surgery the same day as me - so this is cool! Unfortunately, we will not be in the same hotel, though - I'm at the Lucerna. I picked that only because it is closer and I hear that you are more likely to get to go back to your hotel the night of your surgery (but, they can also keep you at the clinic if you so desire). Also, I know it's in a very safe area (not that the Marriott isn't, I just heard that you are particularly unlikely to have any problems at the Lucerna) - I have heard the Marriott beds are nicer, though! lol I am also coming solo, at this point. I'll be coming from Tampa, FL and my flight arrives at 12:35 - so just after noon. I was hoping to get my pre-ops done the first day as well, but we'll see. Well, now I guess I can say - see ya there - we'll be starting October banded, girl!

-- Deena

I'm scheduled for September 25 - anyone else out there?

Margaret

Hi Margaret, I had my surgery last Wednesday and it went very well. Everyone at the clinic is so amazingly nice...it was a great experience! Dr. Ortiz is a total sweetheart (and VERY easy on the eyes too!)...he takes time to talk to you at length beforehand...puts you totally at ease. You have absolutely nothing to worry about! We stayed at the Lucerna and it was beautiful. The rooms are just standard but the hotel itself is very nice and everyone is wonderful. Alonso the doorman is fantastic and will help you any way he can. The pool is so beautiful to sit by too!

There is a cantina just 1.5 blocks away from the hotel (big bright yellow building) that you MUST go to!!! They have the best food ever!!!! And the atmosphere is great...for 2 days we ate there and even got to enjoy a mariachi band there - I cannot recommend it enough! And it is safe to walk to - your biggest threat will be the sidewalks as they are very broken up so be careful!

It is day 5 post-surgery and my port is definitely sore but the other incisions I don't even feel. I didn't have any trouble at all with gas pains...they were mild for a couple of days but nothing bad at all. I haven't been hungry at all - I think of food constantly but truly have not been hungry! I am feeling a bit "slow" today but that is probably due to a lack of food.

You will be fine...everyone is super nice and helpful...good luck, when is your surgery?

Thanks for the update, Jen!

My surgery is set for September 25, 2009. It's going to be stressful getting there. Not physically, as I live 25 minutes away, but because my husband will be out of town, returning the evening of the surgery date. I have to be at the OCC at 7:00 am which means a departure from my home no later than 6 just to be safe. The night before I have school from 4-10 PM!

Luckily, I have some good friends and I'm working on having one friend stay the night Thursday and feed my kids and get them to bed. She'll stay the night and get up with the kids in the morning, get them fed, and ready for school. Another friend will drive them to school and pick them up afterward. HOPEFULLY, my husband's flight home with be on time and he'll get home in time to get the kids to bed. But, if not, I need to figure out a backup plan.

Part of me feels guilty for doing the surgery on a day that isn't so convenient for my family but mostly I just want to get this part of the journey over with and continue on the road with a band. That's how much I'm ready to do this - I'm willing to not even see my kids for a whole day.

I'm hoping to go home the next day. Do you think that's possible?

Margaret

I am having the same problem I have tried two attempts at filling, one was blind and the other was under the xray and my tummy is covered in holes. Anyways, I am going back on Sept 1 and they are going to try under CT scan to do the fill but the Radiologist thinks it might have flipped and no one knows what they are doing. I will let you know what they tell me on the 1st because the Dr. that does all the surgeries here is not keen on the fact that I got it done in Mexico and is not that nice to me. I never got a chance to talk to him about it because he just walked right out without telling me anything and left it up to the nurse to tell me. Anyways, I think the reason that this can happen is because of the belly fat. I understand your frustration and please keep me posted on anything you find out.

I am so annoyed by your experience with your local surgeon. What a prick! You should remind him that you did your research and Dr. O is the best on either side of the border.

Margaret

Where did everybody go on this thread? HOW ARE ALL YOU AUGUST PEOPLE DOING RIGHT NOW?

I'm having the surgery next month. I'd love to hear how you're doing since your August surgery!

Margaret

Most people react as I did when I first heard of people going to the OCC for surgery. "OMG! Are you effing crazy?" and then I hear all the reasons not to.

Truly, for me, it's a balancing act between several factors:

I need to lose this weight

I have absolutely no co-morbidities and so would never get this covered by insurance

No matter what side of the border (or what continent, for that matter) Dr. Ortiz is very, very good at what he does

At some point I take a leap of faith that everything will be fine and I will return to my babies, spouse, and home

Margaret

You all are so welcoming! Thank you!

Pammie, yes, I've been contemplating this for over a year and a half.

Sabrina, thank you for all of your help over the last year, answering all of my questions.

Hello,

I posted this on the September surgery section in response to a request. A poster from that area suggested I post it here, too.

Margaret

________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________

I was walking with my friend a couple of weeks ago. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner and a smart cookie. I am an RN, so between us we have a working knowledge of the medical world. When I confided in her that I am planning to get this surgery she suggested we go visit the clinic together. Luckily my friend is super spontaneous and so we made plans to go in two days time.

I let Carolyn know that I wanted to visit and she arranged a meeting with Dr. Ortiz. We drove since we live in San Diego and it is super easy to get to. It is located in the Zona Rio, which is undoubtedly the safest are of Tijuana. We arrived one hour early and were able to see Dr. Ortiz right away.

Let me back up- the clinic is on the second floor of a building. The elevator opens up to the waiting room, which is modern and sparkling clean. The staff all wear black scrubs and are, for the most part, completely fluent in English. First we met with Dr. Miranda, the dietary doctor, and she weighed me and measured my height. She is delightful.

Then Dr. Ortiz came in and he is as charming as others have described. Frankly, he is cocky but I rather appreciate that in a surgeon. I prefer a person who is confident enough to be cutting into people's bodies. It's not for everyone!

He was very casual with us and said the stuff he probably says to everyone, "This is your last diet," "With the band you should enjoy your last bite of food as much as the first" blah blah blah. I asked why people fail with the band and he said it's when you don't follow the post op diet, while the stomach is healing. He said there is no way for him or his staff to determine who will or will not be successful so they have abandoned doing a psychological evaluation first.

We talked for 10-15 minutes. He never seemed in a hurry and was open to questions. My friend works for Children's Hospital here in San Diego and when Dr. Ortiz heard that he fired up his website to show us that he donates 3% of his profits to the autism center there. His now 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with mild autism when she was 18 months old. She attended the center at Children's and is now completely on track, according to her father. She began reading at 3 years old, in both English and Spanish.

He lives on this side of the border, which most successful business owners in Tijuana do. When asked why he practices medicine in Mexico rather than the USA he went into a tirade about the US medical system which, frankly, I agree with.

He turned us over to one his staff members who gave us a thorough tour of the facility, minus the OR. They have 4-5 private rooms (which Dr. Ortiz decorated himself! What a metrosexual!) and a 3 bed overflow area/ICU (if things go wrong, which they claim has never happened). Now, one thing that is slightly worrisome is that, because he practices in Mexico, there is no way to know whether he has truly had any failures or emergencies, other than his word.

The only place in the clinic we did not see was the OR, for obvious reasons.

I was confident enough in his skills and his clinic that I paid my deposit on the way out the door.

Hope this helps in some small way.

Welcome Magkei1,

I really enjoyed reading your experience was with your interview, tour, and thoughts. Please post this on the sight "General Lap Band Support & Discussions".

It is so reaffirming to hear from those who are in the medical field and are familiar with the practices.

Anne

Thanks, Anne! I will post it where you suggested.

Hello Nina (and the rest of the September people),

I was walking with my friend a couple of weeks ago. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner and a smart cookie. I am an RN, so between us we have a working knowledge of the medical world. When I confided in her that I am planning to get this surgery she suggested we go visit the clinic together. Luckily my friend is super spontaneous and so we made plans to go in two days time.

I let Carolyn know that I wanted to visit and she arranged a meeting with Dr. Ortiz. We drove since we live in San Diego and it is super easy to get to. It is located in the Zona Rio, which is undoubtedly the safest are of Tijuana. We arrived one hour early and were able to see Dr. Ortiz right away.

Let me back up- the clinic is on the second floor of a building. The elevator opens up to the waiting room, which is modern and sparkling clean. The staff all wear black scrubs and are, for the most part, completely fluent in English. First we met with Dr. Miranda, the dietary doctor, and she weighed me and measured my height. She is delightful.

Then Dr. Ortiz came in and he is as charming as others have described. Frankly, he is cocky but I rather appreciate that in a surgeon. I prefer a person who is confident enough to be cutting into people's bodies. It's not for everyone!

He was very casual with us and said the stuff he probably says to everyone, "This is your last diet," "With the band you should enjoy your last bite of food as much as the first" blah blah blah. I asked why people fail with the band and he said it's when you don't follow the post op diet, while the stomach is healing. He said there is no way for him or his staff to determine who will or will not be successful so they have abandoned doing a psychological evaluation first.

We talked for 10-15 minutes. He never seemed in a hurry and was open to questions. My friend works for Children's Hospital here in San Diego and when Dr. Ortiz heard that he fired up his website to show us that he donates 3% of his profits to the autism center there. His now 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with mild autism when she was 18 months old. She attended the center at Children's and is now completely on track, according to her father. She began reading at 3 years old, in both English and Spanish.

He lives on this side of the border, which most successful business owners in Tijuana do. When asked why he practices medicine in Mexico rather than the USA he went into a tirade about the US medical system which, frankly, I agree with.

He turned us over to one his staff members who gave us a thorough tour of the facility, minus the OR. They have 4-5 private rooms (which Dr. Ortiz decorated himself! What a metrosexual!) and a 3 bed overflow area/ICU (if things go wrong, which they claim has never happened). Now, one thing that is slightly worrisome is that, because he practices in Mexico, there is no way to know whether he has truly had any failures or emergencies, other than his word.

The only place in the clinic we did not see was the OR, for obvious reasons.

I was confident enough in his skills and his clinic that I paid my deposit on the way out the door.

Hope this helps in some small way.

Hi Magkai1,

Could you tell me more about the center, the doctor, the drive there, anything? Everyone seems to be excited about the surgery, but besides constantly dreaming how I am going to look after dropping 100lb, I am plainly scared. I do not really know what to expect since it is a little weird to schedule surgery without meeting the doctor, his team... So please help me put my mind at ease.

Looking forward to your answer,

Nina2008single

Nina, I promise to fill you in soon. My family and I are headed out on vacation and will return Thursday.

I am getting the surgery done on 9/25/09. Today a friend and I drove across the border to visit with Dr. Ortiz. He was friendly and informative. Slightly cocky, but I like that trait in a surgeon, especially one working on me!

I wish I could get this done sooner. Oh well!

Now I need to study the pre and post-op diets so I am stocked and ready to go. I need to lose 11 pounds in the next month.

Anna,

I really look forward to reading your blog as your journey on. I am scheduled at the OCC on 9/25/09.

Maggie