CalKev

Fur, You are so right. I sat down with my mother, yes my mom, a retired nurse and went over C.V.s. Powerful stuff facts can be. When others asked who was doing or had done my surgery I said a Proctor for the Lapband maker Inamed. At that point it didn't really matter where it was done to them. When you can go to the Teacher why go to one of his students.

Hello All! Well I am going to blame Greg for this (I'll use his term) "rant" on what appears to be a taboo subject on the board. The last time I was at OCC I stood in the lobby with Pre, Active, and Post plastic surgery Bandsters talking band talk. You know all the stuff talked about here on the board. One subject came up that appeared specific to Bandsters close to their goal weight and those who had reached it. The premise was how relationships can change with weight loss in a bandsters inner circle of friends, family, and spouses. I heard many views on how spouses had reacted to those who were particularly obese losing large amounts of weight. Words that came up were spousal support and sabotage, divorce, separation, insecurity, embraced change, increased attention and decreased attention. I know this is a tough one and may be best addressed in a professional office setting i.e. Therapist office. There does seem to be a lack of open board communication and support on this subject even though it can be a valid part of the weight loss journey for many. The loss of a spouse could be tough for some and as I witnessed a welcome change for others. The remarkable issue was that the notion that banding and weight loss would shape spousal relations only dawned on some after they had become part of the process. This is easy to do it but it could be a tough wake-up call. So to just put it out there if you think your relationship is a candidate for this type of spousal response you may want to educate yourself on how to respond before your weight loss success turns the corner to the single life. Yes I have spoken with one person that broke the camels back in this manner. As you noticed I have not reflected on my own spousal relationship and I am thankful that I don't need to. I mention this only to acknowledge those looking for support and to throw this subject into the Bandster ring to kick around. I started by blaming Greg for this "rant" and it was for the simple reason that he reminded me this is a support board and it offers the rare opportunity to relate with our peers for which we should all be thankful. Viva La Band! Kevin

Greg, We are on the same page. I also have been a big guy all my life. In High School football I was a rusher and always had two defensive players across from me. My take on your experience is that others do not verbalize as well as you about where they have been and where they are going pertainig to health. Focus appears to be on the process of banding and not the results to come or historical health data. I'd like to throw a taboo subject in the mix that I have not seen addressed but have heard talk of in the lobby of OCC. Maybe I should post it in open forum to see if anyone bites. Thinking out loud here. I think I will because it is what you call a "deep rant" subject if there are any takers. Greg - appreciate the good word and your consistant and knowlegable participation in making mine and all members lives better informed by your honest straight talk. Keep it coming! & Continued success! Kevin

Greg, You have an excellent perspective on the process from this bandsters view. Progress you are right should be our focus not the speed of the progress made. Very healthy timeframe you have. In the same avenue that is one reason I have not gone in for a fill until the 22nd of this month. It has felt good to stabilize at a weight and not go through the daily worry of gaining weight. Also thought I would just let my body rest after the 70 lb. loss and get acclimated before continuing. It is a double edged sword as I want to lose again though another part of me says hey it's ok to even out and then continue down. My band is also I feel in it's sweet spot for my current weight. Appropriate restriction is in place to maintain. I have been working on what I eat and letting the band tell me how to eat it to see if that would change the equation to a losing one. No luck so far. Restriction beyond where I'm at is going to be an art to negotiate. It feels like walking to the edge of a cliff and you know you could drop off (to tight) with the next step but you take the step anyway. So I am going to take baby steps from here on down at the fill station. I do not want to go through the "so tight that it hurts to swallow liquid phase"

Hi Fellow Bandsters, Have to say first Greg is doing awesome! Would like to hitch a ride going in his weightloss direction. Been awhile since I have posted here. Mostly due to the ugly plateau I have hit and a busy schedule. But in looking back that is the very reason I should be participating.... might jog me out of this weight state. Going in for a small fill on the 20th hoping to jumpstart a downward turn. Greg going to join you soon! The real reason I am posting is to let you know that the border is not a line in the sand only an inconvenient reality. The surgeon you choose has the greatest impact on your success with the band I think most would agree. The sister of a good friend of mine is having a tough time with the process she went through with a stateside surgeon and her banding. She was finally scheduled for surgery but on the date she was to undertake the procedure she had a bad cold. She could not pass the oxygen level blood test as hers was to low. The surgeon made the decision to artificially elevate her oxygen levels for surgery by putting her on a ventilator. After the procedure she was taken off the apparatus and was breathing on her own. She has been experiencing lots of pain even with a very high pain threshold. Also she has now developed a case of pneumonia to go with the pain. She was banded the 5th and is not improving from last report. Just from my limited experience with OCC my guess is if she had failed the oxygen test she probably would have been rescheduled. This is only a guess ..... but an educated one. If your reading this and on the fence about going to OCC in TJ for surgery just do one thing. Ask your surgeon for his C.V. and hands on experience with the band and the access Dr. Ortiz C.V. on his website and call OCC and ask how many Lap band procedures he has performed, mortality rate, and percentage of patients that had the band removed due to slippage, erosion, and other issues. Stay with percentages as it will give you more accurate data to compare surgeons. Sit and read all the info you gathered and make a side by side comparison. Call Inamed and confirm credentials with company. Read publications on lapband surgery including Dr. Ortiz's academic source book. Once you put most if not the majority of stateside surgeons data in side-by-side comparison to Dr. Ortiz's data you can make a very educated decision. The day I went to have surgery Dr. Ortiz came into my room and asked me a question that was basically Why had I come to OCC for surgery? I told him what I still believe that I wanted the best surgeon in the lapband field to do my surgery. From the research I did on surgeons local to me and Dr. Ortiz there was not even a question I had made the right choice. I hope you do the math and can be as confidant with the surgeon you choose. My friend says her sister wishes she had gone to OCC for banding after the fact. Hindsight is mostly 20/20 but foresight can come into better focus if you choose you edify yourself without borders. Just one bandsters opinion.

Judy, I have sent her a couple emails and she has not returned them so I do believe she has been unavailable. Hope this changes soon as I miss her informative and helpful emails! Viva La Band! Kevin

Cyndi! AWESOME! =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> Kevin

A Manly Married > > > > > > for you Roo!

We are all so different. No problem with rice, beans, legumes, etc. but have trouble with noodles (PB Every time - 3 in all) and pita bread in particular. I am a vegetarian so I rely heavily on whey & soy as a protein but they need to be in a drinkable form. All I can say is when I have had that stuck feeling about the only thing that helps is pounding on my chest a bit like I'm trying help the band just let the traffic through. Doubt it helps the band but it does distract me from the traffic jam in my band. Mornings I still have a EAS protein shake and a Starbux tall non-fat latte. Lunch is usally another shake and for dinner I have soup made fresh at local deli. That's Monday through Friday on the weekend I'll go for a breakfast burrito and fresh OJ, protein shake for lunch, and dinner is a single serving dish at a local restaurant like rice & curry, Thai food full of stir fried veggies I eat reeeaaall slow or fresh fruit bowl. Foods I used to miss but don't have a place in my diet: pizza, cheese enchiladas, deep fried foods, anything with refined sugars such as candies, ice cream. No fast foods other than a vegetarian breakfast burritos I mentioned and Starbux non-fat latte are in my diet. Thats my food post. Look forward to seeing others. BTW since I started solid foods I have hit stubborn plateau that I am trying to break through without going back to liquid diet. Kevin

Greg, Thank you for the info. Please keep asking and passing on. I have a friend who lives right down the street from Dr. Ortiz in a very nice area of Chula Vista. Very close to the border in South San Diego. He has a short commute...ah.. other than that border thing. Greg thanks again! Kevin

Greg, It's nice to have some time today. Spam has dropped off this afternoon which gave me a little time to actually read the posts on the board. First don't fall in the stress trap like me. That soiunds like a large piece of business getting thrown on your shoulders. On the subject of fill #2. When I had mine I stayed in TJ overnite after the fill and did what you did and showed up the next day. I got lucky that it was not a day off for the staff. Dr. Martinez and Dr. Romero were both in and I spoke to them and told them exactly what I had eaten and how fast the night before. I was given an additional 1.1cc fill. That has made the difference in my restriction and I am so happy I went back in for I guess what you would call a fill #2 24 hr update. I stayed at the Lucerna Hotel and actually skipped the cab ride back and enjoyed a walk to the hotel. I felt pretty tight and still do from time to time but am real happy with the results to date. ok, ok, 40 waist 501s yea thats more realistic your right. Enjoy Phils and let us know how things go! Great talking with you Greg! Kevin PS Greg will you ask Dr. Romero a question? It relates to your comments and my curiousity - When you lose 50 lbs. lets say and you have a VG does that decease restriction in itself because you are possibly losing fat that is between the band and your stomach lining? I could be way off but I understood that there was a fat layer for us VGers and it would make sense if you lose it you may have less restriction or did I get wrong info. If you remember would appreciate it first hand. Thanks and good luck!

Michele, I read your post and am so glad you are well. That sounds like a terrifying experience to go through and i'm so happy that it actually helped you find a fill source close to your home. So out of alot of bad came a little good at least. Greg we may both need a "shrink" if that kind of talk starts - hehe. Michele so happy you are feeling so much better! Kevin

G-Girl, RESTRICTION. That is the word that makes the whole surgery worthwhile. It is the answer to your two questions. When you feel it you will know if you will need another fill or not. How did it feel when the sandwich went down? Was it slow going and did you feel fullness at all? or did it slip down your throat with no liquids? If it went slow and you felt some fullness that is restriction in action if it slipped down then you may not have enough restriction but that is for you and the Dr. to talk about. If you are starving you need nutrition. Follow Dr. Miranda

Greg, I have hit a plateau since about Christmas. My body may be paying me back for my so called willpower. Restriction is also very critical to me at this juncture as I need to get some momentum like you in the right direction "Down"! Two factors that have slowed me down are my backing off drinking enough water and restriction has affected this but my habits have also. My stress level since the holidays has increased as I was doing the job interview circuit and have just started a new position. So I believe If I can bring down my stress by yes that word that has haunted me all my life "exercise" and get in some adequate H2O consumption I may have a chance to break this plateau. If I may say be concerned about an overfill. If you are unable to get liquids down you could be in deep trouble including protein drinks or even water and that can happen. Slow and easy is the way to go with no visits to the emergency room. It will come for both of us. We live in such a should have happened to me yesterday society that it can be very discouraging to those of us with the VG who have to take it a day at a time. It will happen and when it does we will feel awesome and healthy. We are so lucky to have the band. I talk to many who don't and would love to have lost the weight you have since your surgery but they have put it on over the holidays and feel real bad about it. Hey man we got the whale by the tail let's just hold on for the ride down to our new lives in 36 waist 501s! Kevin

Greg, I also have the VG with a total of 6.8cc of fill. On your first question you got me there. Dr. Romero may have just made a mistake and thought the next day he was on schedule. Couldn't tell ya. On the restriction flux... I have it to. There will be times I can drink a full glass of water straight down and others when I have to take it a small gulp at a time. No ryme or reason. All in all I just do what the band tells me at the time and try to take it in stride. I am pretty close to the sweet spot. If anything I'd kick it up one more notch maybe by .2cc or .4cc. Doubt this helps much other than to let you know your not the only VG'er with a flexable band action. So maybe someone can reply that has the lowdown on this so we all can benefit. Thanks for posting the question! Kevin

Lisa, From personal experience I was not smart before my first fill and drank some Starbucks about 4 hours before the fill. When Dr. Romero executed the fill my restriction was much stronger than expected in fact I was having a hard time sipping water. After a few hours the caffeine wore off and my restriction was less than expected. So you can bet on my second fill I stayed away from the Starbucks and was able to take a much larger fill which has stayed with me as opposed to dropping off within hours and even more during the following days. Just one Starbucks Addict who learned his lesson the hard way. Can't address the 3 month rule as thats a new one on me. Best wishes on a successful procedure! Kevin

You should have been here earlier. Took a good 30 minutes to alter accounts and delete overnite garbage dumpers.

Teri, Thank you for the kudos on my new job. I am with you..... when you find certain individuals with qualities that inspire as well as facilitate people like myself to be better human beings I get a gut feeling that they are rare indeed and if I can contribute even in a small way to their cause I feel compelled to offer whatever I can. Lori was the first to inspire me in this manner as I was scared and excited at the prospect of banding and she had the talent to address all my concerns and educate me herself or get the answers for me in a professioinal and timely manner. Dr. Ortiz is obviously a great surgeon but he has to be an inspiring leader and people manager too. This is obvious by the way his staff treat each patient with care, understanding and how to put to best use their academic expertise to meet each ones needs. How many surgeons and their staff truly love working with each other and are so accessable to clientelle for help even after the bill is paid in full. Not many and when they are the top in their field its even more amazing. Spam is really a non-issue in comparison to the lives this man and his team save everyday. My only thought is not to ever let spam distract from the good this board and its members do for each other or it truly has accomplished it's fateful task.

Hello Fellow Bandsters! I wanted to jump in and pass on some information that may assist in putting a face on addressing spam on the OCC board. Thank you Lori, I've started a new job and have had less time to check the board for spam during each 24 hour period. Dr. Ortiz & all the OCC team have my deepest appreciation for using their expertise to make me a better and healthier person. Volunteering to give back just a little is very satisfying. Being able to stamp out the majority of spam using the software of the board itself in an automated fashion I know is Lori's ultimate goal. It would be awesome to never have to spend endless hours undoing these internet taggers work and being able to use the board as intended. Yesterday I happened to be on the board to delete these ugly posts at the same time a spammer was spreading his garbage. He immediately identified me as deleting his posts and placing restrictions on his account. There were close to 20 messages that I deleted. My I.P. address was attacked and a Trojan was placed on my system to disengage my ability to access my network. It took me 3 hours to reverse the breach. These spammers are sophisticated enough to know how to rid themselves of those that compromise them and have tools at the ready to basically kill your system if they really want to. Yes I have ultra high security in place of the commercial variety on my network. It still is not enough to stop them as just opening a single port for access to a network can cause a vulnerability even using highly restrictive rules on your protocols. The first time it happened in early December, 2006. I lost some data but the hassle was formatting my drive and restoring my system to its previous state with additional security. My system has been attacked 4 times successfully and many other times when they were unable to breach it. I will be further addressing security issues on my own network but will not divulge how here for obvious reasons. It is a real good feeling to help rid the board of the spam but I believe Lori's work with the webmaster has already decreased the threat significantly. If you see spam and report it you have my thanks as Lori indicated it makes these rogue posts much easier to address in a timely manner. Kevin

Fellow bandsters, I can only contribute from my experience and my port only hurt when I bent over to the floor on my left side during the first week after install. If pain is the issue always and not during certain specific movements I would consulate an MD. Soreness was normal for me for about 3 weeks or less. What you think will keep you well is what you should aspire to. Just be safe. Each individual has their own experience with port pain. Do what will make you feel everything is OK in you body. We all are in different places when we have the surgery and you just need to make yourself feel all is right... afterall its your body. Kevin

Littleroo, Please address this to Lori directly by PM. I have a very busy schedule and address spam when I can but this is not something I have any say in. It's the staff of OCC I delete spam for because they have given me more than I can ever do for them. Lori is awesome and she can help you with your concerns. The chatroom is a good direction to go in my opinion. Spam is short term but the banding lifestyle is forever. Ignore spam when it appears until it can be deleted. Littleroo you give so much to those visiting the board which is awesome. I wish I had the time to contribute like you do. Your offer of help is appreciated to get rid of spam but this is a subject I have no say in and you need to PM Lori with your offer. Personally I want to thank you for all you do to make this a quality board! Kevin

Michele, You think you get tired of it. I know Lori and the webmaster are sick of it too. As a volunteer I delete 10 and 20 spam posts a day whenever I can get a chance in my schedule. Not seen many posts from me lately? Well thats the reason why. There are ways to fix this problem but in reading up on the software that runs this board there has been a real upsurge in hacks that go around the time tested security procedures. That is why tickers and photos have been disabled as they are some of the easiest ways to introduce rogue code into the board. It is sad but hopefully things will get better with new releases of software for board. I was at OCC on Monday and Tuesday getting a fill and due to my weight loss a friend decided to have surgery so I stayed for support. I went and used the terminals next to the clinic nurses station. The board had jammed up with spam again so I deleted what was present at the time and disabled the accounts of repeat offenders (which are few). A thought came to me that every patient of Dr. Ortiz should have a card with a login and password and instructions on how to access the board. This would hopefully get more patients intereted in participation and you could limit one forum to just those issued these logins and passwords and be assured the person you are talking to is a genuine patient. Havn't mentioned this to Lori yet but she may see it here. It would be so easy to put in the take home packet. Thank you Michele for bringing up this important subject! Kevin

Kim Welcome, I am Kevin and I live in Loma Linda (It's about half way between L.A. and Palm Springs). Best of luck on your new band. CalKev

Call Dr. Miranda 1-866-376-7849 at OCC and I am sure she will have a solution for you. She is in today and not real busy so would be a good time to catch her. In fact I am writnng from OCC right now as a friend of mine is having surgery today and i just had my second fill. Everyone is so helpful, kind and professional. Best Wishes, Kevin / CalKev

Rachel... in a word "Yes". I will be at the clinic on the 16th and look forward to meeting you. I have a fill on the 15th but a friend is having surgery on the 15th and I will be there for her release from clinic on the 16th. You will feel great.... think past the procedure to the healthy and happy future. Dreams can come true! Kevin