Kristi Ann

no complaints here! the doc and his staff are AWESOME! =D> i'll be honest, i have never been to mexico and was scared to go. i am a nurse by profession, and did loads of research...my insurance wouldn't cover the procedure and the doc here in texas offered to do it "discounted" at $14,500. Dr. Ortiz charged $8,500. and it felt like a steal! the facility was so much cleaner than any hospital i have ever worked in. they made me put on surgical shoe covers just to walk to the area to give blood for labs! dr. ortiz actually takes phone calls on his personal cell phone if you need to talk to him. after surgery i had a drop in blood pressure that made me almost pass out. well, in addition to starting an iv and doing everything medically necessary, the most precious Mexican nurse stood before me and physically fanned me (with a folder i had on my bed) for a full 10 minutes. talk about "extras"! try getting treatment like that in the States. needless to say, i have 2 nurse friends making plans to do the trip...

i got my fills here in Texas at a local bariatric center. They gave me 1.5ccs at the first fill and 1.5ccs at the second. i now have 3ccs total in a 4cc band. the doctor said his average is 1.5cc for the first fills on his patients. good luck!

i can't eat until at least midmorning no matter how hard i try! i eat around 5pm so i am hungry when i wake up. sometimes my stomach is growling so loudly in the morning that i swear i can almost make out the words "feed meeeeeeee!" in the grumbles. haha just yesterday, i took two bites of a breakfast burrito at 0800 and it was enough to have me runnin' for the bathroom at work 2 or 3 times. at about 1030 i ate the burrito and felt no discomfort whatsoever [and thankfully, felt "full" after eating it]. this darn band is just as picky as can be ...and it's working wonderfully!

michele, hey there! i have the "smaller" band too, um...i think. lol my surgical report says 'band size: 10cms/4ccs'. at first i thought this meant my band only held 4 ccs but the local fill doc told me that there was no way it only held that little. so what does this mean actually? and how many ccs does that size band hold? i have 3ccs in my band now...i feel silly for not already knowing this answer but haven't stressed over it because i have good restriction and things seem to be going well. i am losing 1-2 pounds a week. just curious! ...and greg! *hugs* glad things are on the up and up. glad to hear about your progress! keep us informed. oh yeah, just read Mrs. Ortiz told you (or someone did) that she lives in SD... on the way to the hotel my cousin and i asked her where she resides and she said they both live in Mexico because the taxes are cheaper but have their vehicles registered in SD so they could commute back and forth easily. anyway... not that any of that matters... just thought i'd share. ha

maybe you also could use a little fright... it helped me keep on the right track after learning this! the doc that does my fills said that he is seeing a trend with some of the banded bingers... said that if you eat too much, continue to eat after you are full, and/or constantly pack too much food into your pouch that you will stretch it [which most of us know]... but that it is very possible you will actually form a reservoir off the side of your pouch that acts almost as a second pouch! he showed me an xray of a patient that has just this and it was wild! my first thought was "his band is now useless!"... my second thought was "i have come this far and i will never, ever do that to myself!" take your time, chew good, and always STOP EATING WHEN YOU ARE FULL! > good luck!

so glad you're okay. thanks for sharing. keep us updated!

i do not regret it at all! let me tell you...when i felt the restriction (was still swollen from surgery) and was only eating 1/2 cup and actually feeling full, truly FULL, that was the best feeling in the world! i get fill #2 on wednesday and i hope to feel that restriction again. if not, maybe fill #3 will do it. regardless, i have not regreted one second of this! i feel empowered now...i have the "tool" i need to help me lose weight and that is just an awesome feeling! i have tried for 10 years to lose weight without success. when i have lost weight in the past, i gain it back plus some. in my daily life, i pride myself on being a strong independent woman except for when it came to food--my willpower goes out the window! with the band, everything is CONTROLLED...once your band is filled "just right" you have no choice but to eat smaller portions, and i need that. although i haven't lost much weight as of date, i am patient...i am using this time to try and change my lifestyle. i have joined the gym, i am thinking about portions now, thinking about what is healthy and what is not...had i not gotten this band i would still be the same size as before and i would not have all of this valuable information that i have learned through this process...this is the best thing i have ever done for myself! how's that for a testimony? haha

actually, i was probably the bandster that told Greg about my experience with US fill doc telling me the port was very small and somewhat difficult to see. since that time, i have researched this some on the internet and as far as i can tell, inamed does make a "low profile port"... apparently the port is dime sized versus quarter sized. this is desirable since it makes for a less visible port once your abdomen gets nice and flat. oh yeah, and here's just one more reason EVERYONE should use OCC... tonight i was reading on other message boards that the US docs are charging an extra $700 if you request the low profile port that Ortiz places STANDARD in his patients! =D> Yay, Dr. Ortiz!

i'm a registered nurse and i work in a state mental hospital...my patients have been known to "overdose" on water (using their hands as cups to drink gallons in the bathroom). They do this to feel "drunk", to drown out their meds, and to attempt suicide. i have to put patients on "water restrictions" all the time. just something you would never think of...pure, clean, wonderful H2O causing such a mess!

i am a lower end bmi as well and have been slow to lose. i dread seeing people that i haven't seen in a week or more because the first thing they do is look me up and down to evaluate me for the 'amazing miracle weight loss' that has occurred since they last saw me! i hate having to say "i've lost 2 pounds". lol people see what the higher bmi pts do with their weight loss and they also compare this to the gastric bypass and expect immediate results. seems to be the first question everyone asks me now days, "how much have you lost?" i understand they are just concerned or curious...but yeah, it gets old. blah.

I wrote my above post before reading the entire thread. Just wanted to clarify that I do agree that your husband should (eventually) be told for the mere fact that hiding a secret as big as this from a spouse could be devastating to the trust that is important in all relationships. It's easy to keep something like a surgery from someone you don't live with or have an intimate relationship with (as in my case). I'm curious as to how you would hide the scars on your abdomen? My scars are obvious. I do understand your desperation in wanting the procedure. I jumped through hoops to get a loan and was determined to get banded no matter what! We're here for you. > Keep us updated!

I lied to my ex and he thought that I went on a nursing conference when I was actually in Mexico getting banded! He had our children for a week while I was away. Which means that I haven't been able to tell our children for fear he will find out. He and I are divorced but we continue to be close friends...I chose not to tell him because he is absolutely opposed to any bariatric surgery. He said that he thinks anyone that does it is lazy and that they should use the money for their kids' education. He said that he feels grateful that I am not selfish enough to want to do something like that. He has mentioned that he could never be proud of a loved one that had weight loss that came after a bariatric procedure because it is taking the "easy way out". So, yes, I too have a "weird" story/situation. He and my children are a huge part of my life and have no idea I was banded last November! We take the kids to eat and I eat like a bird. I have lost very slowly so he has had no reason to suspect at this point. I have a good support system, a few friends and some family know, so I'm not alone in this...and I'll tell him in due time...and if he happens to call me lazy-- I'll just tell him to kiss my lazy, hot, SKINNY butt! haha

feels hard just under my incision standing, but when i lie down i feel the same thing about an inch below my incision. having been pregnant, to the touch it almost feels like a baby's foot! haha it's been a month for me and my incision is dark pink, but just the incision itself (not the surrounding area). i would definately talk to a doctor if you suspect your incision may be infected so you can start on antibiotics. "general" signs/symptoms of any infection can include: a fever higher that 100.5 degrees, redness, heat, swelling, pain, or fluid that is white, yellowish or greenish coming from your incision. hope this helps.

i have PBd twice and i haven't gotten my first fill yet. once was in the morning when my band usually feels tight. the other time, well, i ate too much and too quick. i'm starting to want to (and be able to) eat too much. i've gained 1-2 pounds back and it's making me sad... can't wait to see how much the fill helps with feeling restricted! PBing/discomfort is probably from you eating too fast or too big of bites (like you admitted to doing before), and not from restriction because your band is empty. so, i don't see why this would affect your first fill at all.

"bbuck, RN"... actually i have been taught how to get out of bed. i am a RN, as you are, and i was in pain at first regardless of how much i tried to not pull my abdominal muscles. using proper form post-op is very helpful, but certainly not fool proof!

greg and i had surgery on the same day and i never got the massage or pics taken. he was one of the "chosen" ones! haha seriously, i was having alot of pain compared to greg (who i wanted to smack when he boasted "wow! this doesn't hurt at all!" kidding, greg!). but really, massaging any part of me probably wouldn't have been a good idea... on the ride back to the hotel, we (myself, greg and our guests) discussed greg's mini photo shoot and we speculated on what they would do with the pics... decided it sounds like they may use them one day as before-and-after shots for their website and/or advertisements. besides, he's cute!

to be honest, it hasn't gotten easier for me--yet. i'm working hard on it though! my thing is that i love extra spicy foods and when eating things that burn your mouth you almost have to drink! here is what has helped me...even at work, i've started putting a water bottle in the freezer when i sit down to eat and then i look at the clock... this way i know exactly when it's okay to drink. when time is up, i usually add one of the powdered flavor packets to the water. it's always slushy, cold and seems like the best flavored water i've ever had after waiting an hour to drink it!

you are describing exactly how it felt to me too. i had to go back to work and being mommy in less than a week after surgery and took for granted the sore muscles i would be forced to use just doing the simple things. having to get in and out of a (full-size) SUV was the worst! i noticed the pain you are describing when i would get in and out of bed and off of the couch as well. of course you are not supposed to do ANYTHING if it causes pain, so just be extra careful when using your abdominal muscles during this important time of healing. the good news is... it goes away! =D>

thanks, greg! ok, i feel better. i just kept reading that people were only eating 1/2 cup and i was starting to question my situation. perhaps they already have fills. i love, love, love food! it's my comfort. i just keep reminding myself that the band is merely a weight loss "tool" and no magic answer. i am trying hard to change my habits, as we all are, and i feel blessed to have the band to help me do so. i feel better already, even with only 9 pounds gone. so glad to have the support from this board!

welcome, EJ! glad to have you here! :-h

thanks for your sweet words, greg. i'm glad things are going well for you. > and good to hear how you are doing too, liz. i've lost 9 pounds since november 14th (13 total since the week prior to that), but it's been 9 pounds period for a while now, ever since i started solid foods. as are you, liz, i'm about to start at the gym this week so hopefully that helps. i feel like i am hungry all the darn time! i am trying to decide whether alot of it is mental hunger. no doubt i will really be hungry because my stomach will be growling, but then after i eat i "think" i am still hungry. i'm working through it! the scars are looking awesome! all of the glue is gone now and the "one inch" incision where my port was inserted is actually only 3/4". the other 4 are very tiny and almost not noticable at all. each night i use an alcohol swab to clean each incision and then i apply a triple antibiotic ointment. it's nice that the swelling in my abdomen (probably mostly post-op gas!) has gone down and i no longer look "pregnant"! i have a question... is it normal to be able to eat an entire lean cuisine frozen dinner? they are very small portions, but surely more than 1/2 cup. thanks!

well, my band showed me who's boss this morning! i have only been able to drink in the mornings because my band always feels tight... but this morning i had the bright idea to eat. i ate merely 3/4 of a crunchy breakfast taquito (about the thickness of a fat crayola marker) and it got stuck. i did it right... chewed and chewed and only took small bites but began to have the chest pain associated with that stuck feeling. i then vomited, or 'PBd', not once but 3 times just to get that minimal amount of food up. yuck! not sure what is going on with that because i have no problem at all eating small portions for lunch or dinner. this isn't the first i've had foods "stick" but it's the first time it came back up like that! in my experience, greg, when i have foods stick drinking only makes it worse. i just have to wait for it to go down -- or, like today, come back up! i think i'll stick with drinkable fat-free yogurt or a slim fast for breakfast for a while!

haven't talked to him since we were banded, but he posted once in a while on here. how are you doing?

confused about something... should i not continue to drink protein drinks once i start solids? why or why not? doesn't seem that i'll be able to meet my protein requirements on three 1/2 cup meals a day. or am i wrong? i should know this... sorry if this is a silly question. please help. thanks!

i live in the dallas area and was banded by ortiz on the 14th of november. i plan on going back to mexico for my first fill. in the mean time, have found a bariatrics clinic in garland that does fills and anything else you need for people banded elsewhere. you can msg me privately if you want the information. good luck.