sawdawg

http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/ae205/58rosenow58/DSCN1816-1.jpg

It's been hard work but it all worth it I went to OCC and saw Dr So he is the best and then when I

got on the scales today I'm under 200 lbs I don't think thathas been the case since high school

Dr. So said I was doing a great job and there's no need in add anything to my band as long as i'm still looseing

which I am not as fast but still dropping

I just had to take a picture of the scale and share it

Thanks to all of you for your help in getting me there

Janet

I will be going to OCC on Tuesday the 23 I have A 9am appointment Is anyone going to be there

My mom has been making this with tomatoes AND zucchinis for years and it's really good!

I tryed this and it is real good i did tomatoes and zucchinis and it is wonderful

To all of you Thank you for such kind words I just really love my new life

its alot happier than before thanks again keep posting because i read them all

is this the one deb uses?

After 1 year I can't belive what this band has done for me this picture was taking on Dec 21, 2009

I don't post that much but I read everything on the site

You lady's have all helped me in one way or another thanks to all of you this band has worked for me and is

still working

I really need to post just to say thanks all of you

I HAVE 1 POUND UNTILL I WILL BE UNDER THE 200 POUNDS

I don't even know when I was ever under 200.

Janet

I have gain 6lbs since being on solid food. I'm having a hard time with not drinking an hour before eating and a hour after wards. Breakfast, lunch and dinner has really not been a problem. I can't wait for the holidays to be over with!!! I have made 12 dozen different cookies for family and friends and tried to stay away from them. I will be honest I have had way to many!!! I have my first fill Jan. 6th and I hope and pray that I have not screwed up my new life! All of you wonderful Lap Band Family have really been great with all my questions and I thank you for being there for me. I'm so so scared!!!!! I just want to cry!!!!

You should call OCC and talk to Dr SO He told me I could drink up to 5 Mins before I eat and I could drink 30 min

after That has really made it easy for me I can follow this and have done pretty good. Hope this help

Yes, it should count and you should be able to use it, this Surgery counts under medical with IRS and that the same rule FSA

have to go by so I would say yes it counts and if you don"t have enough in your FSA to cover all of it. Then the rest can go on you tax return as medical expense subject to 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

Hope this helps

I just got back from a 15 day cruise we went through the Panama Canal I was so worried about

All the food on the ship and in ports would there be choice that will be good for me.

I have to say yes there was a lot of good food I said to my Husband I don’t think they

Had all this on the last cruise we went on and He remained me that was not the food

I was looking for at that time in my life (LOL) The last cruise I gained at 10pounds , This

Cruise I lost 3 pounds . What a different way of life I live now . I never know ships have a gym

And a nice one at that I spent every morning in there. Just had to share that we can still vacation

and lose weight thats hard for me to believe but its true

Hi everyone,

I'm getting ready to leave on a cruise, will be on the ship for 14 days and im scared about all the food

Has anyone went on a cruise after being banded? if so how did you handle the food? I need to focuse on have fun not eating but there is food everywhere you go on the ship

Any help would be great

Thanks Janet

My first dinner was pinto beans and a taco which I was surprise because I could only eat one. Before surgery I

would of had 3 or 4 tacos. Now I eat about 1/2 of taco if I eat beans if not I can eat one little taco LOL

Dr. SO he's the one that does my fills at OCC told me I could drink right up untill I eat and then I wait 1/2 hour after

and that has worked real good for me.

I live in Yuma ,AZ and I drive to TJ for my fills they charge 100.00 each time Hope this helps

Hi All,

Just got back from walking around all day and shopping. I had to take it a little slower than usual but not bad at all! Dr. Ortiz didn't tell me what band he was using, I am sure that he would have if I had thought to ask. All I wanted to do was get the surgery over with and I drew a blank when it came to asking him questions. Everyone on the staff is great and the Dr will come in and talk with you one on one before your surgery. Sorry I couldn't help more with your question. Keep me posted on how your surgeries go! I am sure that you will be just fine!

congrates on your surgery welcome to band land your band size is on the card that they gave you it should tell

you you band size and the serial number

I am getting frustrated and I don't know if it is because I have the Realize band or a doctor who is too nervous to give me a "Real fill". Here's what's happening:

I was banded on July 3rd with Dr. Ortiz 9cc REalize band.

Had my first fill August 16 with a local doctor. He does use fluoro and has a great rep, so I figured he would be able to give me good restriction. 5cc's later, nothing. No restriction, no problem with any type a food. I wasn't too worried, so I made an appointment for my second fill.

Second fill is another 2cc's. Again, nothing. I can still eat pretty close to the my pre surgery portion sizes. This tells me my doctor is either very conservative on my fills or my band has a leak

Doesn't 5cc's seem like a small amount? It has been two months since my surgery and I have only lost 12 pounds (which was all in my liquid diet stage). I don't know whether to cry or go postal on my doctor until he really fills me up.

Help. Anyone else have a Realize band?

P.S. My husband is starting to doubt this whole "investment" too. I didn't have insurance.

I was also banded at OCC I have a band that holds 10cc called the vg band and I have 5.8cc in it and it has really

helped me I will be going for another fill this week so maybe you should give your fills a chance I do know that everybody

different I really try and make good food choich but this band for me is a tool so I can't depend on it I have to work

with this band

Hi There,

I have a Question I will be going to OCC on Wed to have a fill and today good old TOM showed up my

question is should I still go and have a fill ,does it make a difference . I hate to pay for a fill if this would change things

If any one has had a fill during this time of the month how did it go for you

thanks for you help

Janet

ok...I have added some pics on my profile...finally...take a look if you would like...they are before pics and then some taken this morning.

Holly,

You look wonderful, what a great story when were you banded? how long did it take for you to loose all that weight?

You give me and everyone on this forum hope

Thanks Janet

Hi Everyone,

I don't post much but I read everything I just had to share this I went shopping today for

some clothes I will be going on a criuse in Oct so I need some clothes I was trying on pants

had no clue on what size so I started out with plus size pants then I had to go to reg size I no

longer need plus size when I was first banded I was wearing 26/28W AND TODAY It now just size

18 Reg I was able to buy clothes in a department store and not have to going over to the bigger size

I don't know when I have ever done this before maybe in high school LOL

Thanks for all you help with all the posting

Janet

I am scheduled for September 8th!!! I finally told my mother, and she was cooler than expected. She is going to fly to our nearest passport place for a card or updated passport - the super expedited way. She will fly out Wednesday to Miami and come back the same day, because she reeeeeeally wants to come with me. I have been good about the pre-op diet so far, and have lost about 13lbs in a week. I am so excited to have this done. The hardest part will be leaving my husband and twin two year olds, as I have NEVER been away from them! Does anyone know if your companion is allowed to stay at the OCC with you the night after surgery?

Jessica- when I was banded I went tp the hotel that night with my companion I did not stay over night at OCC

so you might be able to stay with your mom

Hi Janet

If you go to the plastic surgery topic you'll find alot have people have

seen Dr Quiroz or Dr campos-Leon in TJ.

Hope this helps.

Nicole,

Thanks for your help

Hi

I would like to know if anyone has gone to mexico for plastic surgery If so who did you go to I would like to have

my tummy and breast done.

thanks for all you help in advance

Janet

OK I finally got a chance to post! I can only download pics at work so it took a bit.

I look like death warmed over i've been working sooo many hours so ignore the bags and dark circles!

Have a great day!!!

Shelby,

You look great thanks for posting the pictures :-h :-h :-h :-h > > >

Where do I began I guess Friday the 21. I went in to have a fill. To the local Dr

here and when she tried several times to fill it she advised me and showed me it fliped

completely over and I would have to have surgery to get it fliped back.

There cost $2500.00

I went home called Dr O he called me back right away. Told me he would fix it

for no charge. I have to cover the airfare of course.

My question to all of you is how can that happed I was told they stitch it in place.?

If it would of moved shouldn't I of felt it.?

Could the Dr here locally of pushed to hard and moved it?

Has anyone else had it flip completely over?

Mickie from Omaha

did you have any sign before you went to the doctors?

Not me - there was no way I was going to jeopardize my band, and would not have taken the chance under 6 months. I had a wedding at almost 2 years and I let the champagne sit - and drank a little toast. I've had some drinks in the last year after letting it sit and de fizz - but it taste bad and I can fill it on my band.

For newbies out there – you own it – it’s a risk, like anything – you might take a chance and try something and nothing bad happens – then again – it may. You have to decide if it’s worth the chance of doing the damage. We are told not to do it for a reason, and I get that its hard and honestly most of us have a weakness in the first place or we wouldn’t be here with the band – but at some point we need to step up and take a stand if we want to succeed.

And if we don't succeed we need to honest about how we used our bands, and how we treated them. Its a tool, treat it right and its very powerful, treat it wrong and you just wasted a lot of money, the doctors time, your hopes and efforts.

Lisal,well said thanks for a great great post I really want to succeed with this band so I must follow all the rules

again thanks so much I need to hear that Im doing the right thing

I don't post here much anymore, because I have been so discouraged with my progress. I lost really quickly within the first 3 months, but then after my last fill in the beginning of April, I have not lost anything, in fact I found out last night I gained 7 I was failing the band or it was failing me. But now, I feel motivated again!!

It's great to hear from you I would like to know how your doing with 7cc I have the same band as you and I have

5cc. I have been thinking about getting a fill but kind of scared don't want to get to tight

Glad your feeling better about the band and back on with us take care Hope to hear from you soon