SHANALEE

HAS ANYONE HAD PLASTIC SURGERY IN TJ, I WANT TO BUY SOME BARBIE BOOBIES AND DO NOT WANT TO MAKE A BAD CHOICE. I WONDER IF I AM THINKING THAT BECAUSE THE OCC WAS SOOOOO GREAT THEREFORE THEN ALL THE PLACES IN TJ WILL BE LIKE OCC? DOES DR. ORTIZ RECOMEND ANYONE. SHOULD I SHOP ARROUND IN LAS VEGAS WE HAVE LOTS. BUT REALLY WHO ARE THEY? IF SOMEONE IS OUT THERE AND WANTS TO HELP EDUCATE MYSELF PLASTIC SURGEONS THAT WILL GIVE ME BARBIE BOOBIES AND I HAVE BARBIE TO SHOW ANYONE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. SHANA

You look awsome congrats on you weight loss what a differance. What a cutie (oh yeah and your daughter is also cute Shana-Lee

Jazzy it is funny you said Pinto Beans from Taco Bell.. I have my calender marked for my Pinto Beans i love that stuff.. I am not crazy after all. Shana-Lee

SheRee i know it seems hard to hear someone say dont worry! Anytime you say TJ and surgery in same sentence it make people worry. I was banded on 11/28/2008 and it was everyone on this site that did a great job in easing my fears prior to surgery. I tell you in the back of my mind i though oh lord what have i gotten myself into. But...... From the moment my plane touched down the service was amazing. From all the information i learn on this site i seemed very educated to the common bander. Everything that i was told would happen did. I personally had no surprises. I was and am so greatfull to the support that people on this site gave me, if you read and listen you should have no surprises. The staff and nurses and other banders great. There is some pain and discomfort, but i am a wimp. Try to relax, focus on your pre-diet and keep up this support on this site, your are on your way to a new you. Shana-Lee

I am on about day 10 and noticed that for several days since changing to creamy after eatiing i get this severe bad pain in my left shoulder OMG painfull. Not sure what it was until today when i noticed when a ate or drank to quickly it hit me. Does this happen to anyone? I ate slower tonight and not as much and no shoulder pain. Shana-Lee

I was banded on Nov 28th and i too was very worried due to my extensive medical history. My doctors in the States thought i was nuts and of course so did my family and friends. The OCC took so much care with me you would have thought i was a china doll. They called my doctors clinic and talked on the phone with staff on how to administer my special medications. Dr. Ortiz even came in prior to surgery and talked with me for a long time about Las Vegas and other things. He also said that due to my medical issue he would have to pull out the funky tools. He made me so at ease ( oh yeah hot doc alert also) I love the OCC and staff they are the best. My family and friends ask me if i would do it again or if i had more money would i still go to TJ(OCC) and i say " Hell YES) Jazzy and all you others that supported me through good and bad are also awsome. No worries for all that have pending surgeries. Oh yeah Mrs. Ortiz was soooooo nice Shana-Lee

This is so sad. My heart goes out to the family. Shana-Lee

My husband and i returned this am to Las Vegas at 9am and still doing well. There were only a few minor bummps more on our part. The OCC was wonderfull. I am a special needs patient ( i have a bleeding Disorderr) i never thought that i could have this done and it is done. They clinic was amazing and we all walked through it together. We arrived on Thursday and did pre-op and was we could have a small dinner of salad and chicken breast. We went to the hotel to enjoy the meal and orderd. Well the OCC was not lying when they said staff watches you.... My husband jump into the bacon and i settled on two lite eggs and flour tortilla. We got caught the waiter came to our table and said no food and then got the matrde and you would have thought we had stollen something, I argued about my approved last meal, ,while my husband shoved bacon in his mouth... Wimp. So i settled for broth. Another hand full of bacon and a flour tortilla later my husband said ok broth please. Talk about not wanting to give in. Later we snuck down stair and ordered cheese enchilada and would you believe it we were not hungery and two bites i was worried that someone was watching me. Surgery came and went. The same day are our release we walked in the revolutionary district and i was not in much pain mostly gas in shoulder ugggg. My husband even found a place that offered him two girls and to guys for me??? We left at that point!!!!!! I got a facial and he got a massage and off to bed and home we are not. It was not bad i just have the shoulder gas and will be ready for work in the am. Dr. Ortiz is so nice and all the staff i did not want to leave they are great. Good luck upcoming banders. P.s You are never alone when you are there i met so many people it was amazing Shana-Lee

JazzyJude WTG, it is posts like this that make me worry a little less about what i am doing. Thanks for sharing Shana-Lee

Stick with the diet, i am getting banded on the friday after thanksgiving, i put a lot of thought into it and said there will be lots more thanksgivings. Now four weeks ago i would have said nahhhh i am eating Thanksgiving dinner with family, but i have learned that giving in has gotten me where i am at today. So i am learning will power. Shana-lee

Losew8 my husband and i are getting banded on Friday also when are you arriving? Shana-Lee

Ok my new friends my surgery is next week and i have not a clue what to bring . I saw others list and then someone said they brought tooo much and then someone said they should have brought XY and Z hmmmmm. Ok you help me through the hard times last week now please help me through the better times so i can be ready to go.... So this is what i have so far........ Suitcase HELP Thanks for all the help in advance Shana-Lee

You guys are GREAT i really love the support and i do not feel so alone now The day i wrote the post i was really sad, fustrated and hungery......... Now i am just hungry... Your post and well wishes were great and the support was overwhelming. I wanted everyone to know i am fine and out of my rutt and i have lost enough weight before the surgery to fit in a smaller size pants. This makes me exceited on what is to come after surgery. Another thanks to all that supported me through my dark time and prayers to all. I look forward to posting after surgery. Shana-lee

Good Job, you are on your way........ Shana-Lee

As i sit and read the great post that many have left..... I am crying not bad stuff but overwhelming joy, i have not cried like this in so lone it feels quite good! I know what i am doing is not a bad thing and would not change my mind, I just felt more alone today than ever... My mind on this pre-op diet is playing tricks on me ugh.... I hope that some people like me believe in a higher power because i think my higher power was looking out for me today. I feel like baby, but i keep thinking to myself. SOMEONE CARES....... Your comments are overwhelming and so up lifting. I guess i knew that i would be grieving the loss of my drug ( food), but now i did not know that i would lose some long term relationships that i thought were close. I did not see this in the banding hand book...A the same time no one told me that the new friends i would meet would provide 10xs the support of my family, friends and medical professionals. Thanks again for all the WTG's i feel blessed. Shanalee

You have no idea on how great you are. It took me two hours to type and get up the nerve to post and i waited..... It seemed like hours, but was only mear seconds for some one to reply. Maybe i am so happy that my computer is not broken or maybe it is because i do not feel so alone right now. I am not worried about MX and feel that the posts people have been writing in this forum have given me a clear understanding of what to expect. I was worried that my post would remain unanswered.... Alone.... GOD i know it sounds silly and childish, but it is valid and very much a feeling i have. Over the last four weeks i have fought and defended to family, friends and doctors about my choices. Although i feel that in this emotional game there are really no winners, in the long run i have lost relationships and professional trust. How can people be so harsh and ignorant. I guess i had a lot to learn. My mind wonders to the things family and friends wanted most, that no matter what i felt about their choices was there for them. Maybe this is the time in my life that i must grow up. That my life is not all disney and sometimes this is not the happiest place on earth... Maybe i over analyze everything because of my career? Or maybe i am just a little down right now that that i need to remember that this journey is not just about losing weight. Thank you so much for caring enough to reply,,, I am feeling a little bit taller today. Shana-Lee

I am getting banded in a week with my husband. Don't get me wrong i am very excited and scared. Reading peoples blogs i have come to the conclusion that we all feel about the same when we are this close to the procedure. This site has gotten me through the education, pre-diet, transportation , what to expect and what is the hotel like? I would like to thank all of you that were honest and up front. The thing is, that although i am having the procedure with my husband i still feel a sense of being alone. Most of my family and friends do not support me and those who do question the decision about doing it in TJ. I told everyone that if they could find something seriously wrong with what i am doing then i would not go. This was over 4 weeks ago and i am still scheduled. So here i am with no one... Now it is hard to believe that i currently work in a career that spends 100% of my time helping out of people to believe in themselves and of of course the power of therapy ( with out that no job) This only makes me feel worse since i cannot preform therapy on myself. My therapist talked me into going this forum to help with the mixed feeling i have. I waited and watched this forum and then was the time was right and i felt as it i was a part of a group i responded. Nothing. I even wrote in the Nov fills and surgeries hoping to find someone that will be there during the time i am. Nothing. if you notice i am the last entry.... Still alone. I am not asking for anyone to reply, really i do not need it .... WHAT THE HELL , WHO AM I KIDDING. I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!! In my world no one wants to talk about it and if they do it starts with " are you excited and ends with you could DIE" My doctor said "you could get a infection in that country." My friends " have you seen the news you could be killed or kidnapped. with that one comes my answer of ahhhha! big woman do not get kidnapped. My other friends questioned why i was not going to stay in Nevada and pay 8-10,000 more to be safe. I questioned her logic, she has not even looked at the web site talked to other people or forget that Mexico does have running water and also bathrooms, but she felt she was right. For me to have the procedure in Nevada comes a lot more than the total cost of surgery. My insurance would not pay because they questioned how long i had a weight problem and my BMI may not fit into their category, The other is that since my medication cost over $5000 and without the insurance, i would never be able to afford this. So what are my options? gain more weight to meet the BMI, fight the insurance company over why i think i am fat and they do not. But if everyone must know the truth is that i did not choose TJ this was my husband, who i must say i thought was flipping nuts at first. I said he was crazy and he said that he was going with or without me. He was tired of being fat and wanted to change his life. I spent many weeks doing my homework I did not want my husband to die in mexico at a quack doctor. However, I could not find anything neg/ with it. After all that researching even me with all my medical issues i felt safe and secure in my decision, i know this seems funny but this is my chance and i want to take it. I am not worried about the procedure one bit, what i am worried about is entering this surgery alone. Yes i know i did not forget about the husband( some women would agree it is still alone ) I mean without the great support that i see that others have in this forum. Everyday i see " Good Luck" WTG, call me selfish but i want that too. I know what some of you are thinking ( u did not apply yourself enough you only posted two times and it works both ways." Yes this is true, but the way i am feeling it is just getting plumb worse. I am sorry if this offends anyone, This was only to get someone to say GOOD LUCK, WTG and I know how you feel!. I know that i am rambling and making a fool out of myself ( maybe) or maybe others feels just a little of what i am feeling now and they are too afraid to post. Me too! My friends and family have all but stopped calling and my husband says it does not matter, but to me it does. After re-reading this post suddenly feel somewhat better,,,, Last night I dreamed that i was screaming and no words came out. It was at this moment that i realized that although the posts were not directed to me they gave me strength to use my voice. That the WTG and Good Luck, i must believe were somehow directed to everyone. Just at this very moment i realized that all the people that i have read about in this forum have given me strength to do this entry without even Knowing it. For that i say Thanks .......

Cindy Husband and i will be there for per op on the 27th and surgery is Nov 28th hope to see you there