GregNE

My fills typically only last a couple of weeks, then the band seems to loosen up again, even though no fluid loss occurs. Ah the wonderful mysteries of the band.

I am having my 1st fill on Dec.15th at OCC. Will I have to follow a liquid diet after fill? If so, how many days?

They normally ask you to stay on full liquids for 3 days after your first fill.

I will be having my first fill January 19th @ OCC. I am very excited to move forward after the surgery. I have noticed that some comments about the "Fill Doctor/s" are always the best. Can we recommend who does our fills? I would hate to not have it done properly and have to fly back down to have it re-done. Any thoughts?

For a first fill, either fill doctor will do great. Both Dr. Romero and Dr. Acosta are very competent with routine fills. I have a preference for Dr. Romero when a person with a VG band needs a fill over 7cc. This is usually around a 3rd or 4th fill, so you will be fine with either doc doing your first.

For the exact reason you just stated. He insisted my band was too tight. I tried to explain that it is always tight in the morning but by evening I can eat anything. He insisted that I have been vomiting (not true) He had the needle in my stomach, so what could I do? He removed .6cc, leaving me feeling wide open. He told me to be on a DIET. Okay if I could do this I could have saved 10k right? I think I won't go back there again. I also think that in Mexico they use the term Doctor loosely. I don't believe half of those people attended a medical school. I love Dr. Romero and won't go back unless he will do my fill. Now I have to just struggle not to gain weight and feel lucky to weigh 255 after more than a year with the band. I'm sorry to sound so pesimistic but I am truely upset at this turn of events, and I can't afford to fly back and forth to prove to a fool that my band needs a fill. Good Luck to all..Nita

I am pretty much in agreement about Dr. Acosta. During my negative experience with him, he implied that I must be eating lots of cream soups, ice cream, milk shakes, and sweets. I do have a clam chowder perhaps every 8 weeks or so, occasionally have a no sugar added 'Slim-a-Bear' item (I am diabetic), and my last milk shake was about 3 years ago. Sweets? My blood sugars are under better control in the last year than ever. And, his closing remarks were that I needed to take further steps to lose weight. The band would not do it for me.

Now, I still have no regrets, as I am thinner and healthier than a year ago, I do eat less, and I do get some restriction. However, my original expectations have changed.

I advised Dr. Romero that Dr. Acosta was too inexperienced to be doing VG band fills, to which he responded "I know." I do not question the medical qualifications of doctors in Mexico. I do think that OCC needs to give Dr. Acosta some more training with Dr. Romero. I hope they take notice of this. It is an issue for us.

Im happy for you. I still have alot of weight to lose though and not going anywhere. I went for a fill and the new "dr" at OCC wouldn't do it. In fact he removed some of my saline. Now I can eat and eat. I'm really unhappy with them at the moment and discouraged. I hope the people who are considering this surgery will consider all the outcomes and not only the good ones. Nita

Why would he not do the fill? Did they bring in a Dr. that would do the fill?

I had that problem with Dr. Acosta a couple of fills ago. He said that my stoma would be occluded (closed off) if he put any more saline in. Well, I challenged him, we tested it by me eating a couple of pieces of toast, and then Dr. Romero took over. Not only did the toast not get stuck, it actually had passed through into the full stomach within 15 minutes. He then added some fill for me.

Hi members, I need a little help. I'm looking for the insurance CPT codes that pertain to Lapband surgery, Fill Doctors and the hospital Fluoro. I'm in the process of filing a claim with my insurance provider and the form makes me do all the work. So I need to make sure all my i's are dotted and the t's crossed before I send in the claim. Thanks, Dave

Laparoscopic placement of an adjustable gastric band (Lap-Band), (CPT 43770) which is a silicone implant in the shape of a ring, with an adjustable balloon. The band is placed just below the esophago-gastric junction, and the balloon is connected to a reservoir under the skin. The degree of gastric restriction can be adjusted by accessing the reservoir through the skin and adding or removing saline (CPT 90772 or HCPCS S2083).

Just Yahoo! CPT codes lap band---many sources show up

Hi,

I just had a friend into his 2nd month drinking 6 non-alcoholic beers in a sitting. Is this OK?

I told him not to do it. Please let me know.

Thanks.

No, it is not OK. Six NA beers in one sitting is wrong. Its like driving miles to get a coffee fix with decaf. He should be drinking real beers, like Sam Adams. Or 6 hard liquor drinks at a sitting would seem appropriate.

LOL-- just kidding (even though I don't 'get' the NA beer thing)

Carbonated beverages should be avoided for at least 6 months after band placement to cut slippage risk. I know many bandsters do ignore that rule though.

Just to let everyone following this series of articles that there are updates and here is the latest.

Beachy Keen

Just some observations about the man's ongoing success:

Daily caloric intake is 800 calories

Meals are one cup or less

He is not allowed bread, pasta, and sugar beverages (keeps low-carb)

He is in a formal exercise program at a gym with a personal trainer

His fifth fill put him at 10cc in a VG Band

i owe you all a huge thank you!! i had my surgery on 11-02-06 and never even thought to file with insurance because it states everywhere that all bariatric surgery is excluded... well, i decided what the heck let me try anyways and it worked!! i just found out they are going to reimburse me $6800 of the $8500 i submitted!!! i am thrilled to say the least.

i have BCBS of CA so anyone out there that had surgery in 2006 - its not too late... file anyways just to see what happens!!

thanks you guys!!

kym

So they specifically exclude bariatric surgery, but are agreeing to reimburse? Odd, but congratulations!

I have UHC Choice PPO. All obesity surgery excluded including for morbid obesity. Non-emergent care received outside of the US is also not covered.

I see no upshot in filing. In fact, I am a bit worried that if they knew I had the surgery, they would exclude complications from WLS.

But, again, congrats to all that have been able to get some reimbursement!

Greg...

If you can just do 10 minutes of treadmill daily, then increase by one minute to 20 minutes daily it would actually make a huge difference. Studies are showing that it is not only okay to do 10-20 minutes at a time, it is preferred. You actually burn more fat doing multiple short stints. I can find the study if you are interested.

I actually have been doing medium paced 10-12 minute walks 6-8 times daily for the past 2 months or so. Perhaps I should up my times to 15 minutes.

As for the big issue of the money, why in the world would you go to Mexico for surgery if you have all this extra cash laying around the house when you could have just gone down the street? Not sure I understand the reasoning for the diatribe on money issues.

I do not have loads of cash, nor do I keep cash around the house. However, I was able to pay for the surgery out of my available funds. I had to save for many months for the surgery and to restore my emergency fund (anyone else listen to Dave Ramsey?). Prior posts discussed cost per pound, and discussed whether one would recommend spending the money on banding to a friend. I was merely providing my 'two cents' regarding the financial issues. I did not mean to offend anybody. I rely on my paycheck every week just as most of us do.

Why go to Mexico for the surgery? Because the doctor that did my surgery was one of the most experienced and competent surgeons in the world, and happens to practice in Tijuana. And, having surgery 'down the street' would have financially strained me. Why pay double or triple the price for an amateur, when a pro was available for a price I could manage.

And thank you for the reminder- I do need to put more effort into allowing the band to assist me with my weight loss. I need to learn to use this tool to the best of my ability. It is not that easy-- it does take work. Your point is well taken.

Actually, having dealt with both Romero and Acosta, I prefer Acosta. I find him honest, direct, communicative, enthusiastic, interactive and willing to accommodate individual needs. While Romero is extremely efficient, I find him methodical, close-lipped and mostly really just going through the motions. I vastly prefer the feedback I get from Acosta because it gives me something to work with, whereas Romero has been there, done that and figures the best bet is to not say too much. There is an argument to be made that Acosta could be more diplomatic, but diplomacy is just another word for spinning information and I prefer my information direct and un-spun.

I prefer the experience of Dr. Romero. Having Dr. Acosta tell me I was totally occluded, only to have two pieces of toast quickly find the way through the band, left me a bit wary of his skills. You found Dr. Romero close-lipped, but he has always given me feedback, and he has taught me a lot about working with the band.

Quite frankly, if I require to do something more to accomplish my weight loss, I want to hear it, as unpleasant as it might be to hear. Give me the facts and let me decide how to use them. In my opinion, honest and direct information is a very rare commodity at OCC. And I believe that many, if not most, patients prefer it that way. (Yeah, so I guess I just agreed that Acosta is going to have to shut up pretty soon. )

Yes....I want to know if I need to do more to accomplish my weight loss as well. Dr. Acosta offered me no such information. He merely verbalized a list of untrue assumptions to me. I know what I need to do to accomplish my weight loss: eat less and exercise more. I have known that for 20 years, but never have been able to implement it. The band offers me a chance to eat less.

And please don't take this as being nitpicky, since that is not my objective, but your statement is not an opinion, it's a desire. We all desire the band to do all the work. In fact, if we could, I think we would desire a magic wand instead. But if that desire is not going to be met, and I think we all now know that it's not, then it's important to know what other action is necessary to fulfill our goal.

It is nitpicky. Opinions and desires are not mutually exclusive. Is your objective to debate just for the sake of debate? I have a close friend that does the same thing, and I have been known to do it as well. It can be quite entertaining. Having an antagonist offers a refreshing twist on this forum.

This assumes that you would not have opted for another, perhaps more efficient, weight loss option instead. I won't name them, because your comments have already started to draw the rah-rah sisters like sharks to chum and I can live without their single-minded derision of anything remotely perceived to be anti-band or anti-OCC.

That is a safe assumption. I have a long history of not opting for efficient weight loss options.

Now 'rah-rah sisters'- that is quite funny. Good to see you have humorous side.

Excellent distinction. Certainly the weight of the money invested has to play a very significant role in the Return On Investment expected. In my case, I did not pay for my surgery myself. Yet, although I did not make a financial investment, I have made an enormous emotional investment and I expect a matching payback. Nothing less than reaching my target weight is even remotely an option. And I want to do it as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

I don't know. The world is a big place and there are many places to visit. Three trips to San Diego/TJ are more than enough for me.

I have been in Orlando, Naples, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Talahassee, NYC, Hartford, Washington DC,

Houston, Dallas, Austin, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Richmond, Greensboro, Charlotte, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Virginia Beach, and San Diego in the last 90 days. The world is a big place, and I visit many places in this country every year. And yes, San Diego/TJ is still a desirable destination for me. Just my opinion (or desire?)

Okay, for this one I'll risk incurring the wrath of the rah-rah sisters. There are literally thousands of studies that show that the longer an endeavor takes, the more the chances of success are reduced. Humans seem able to sustain their drive towards accomplishing goals for only limited periods of time. Yes, there are many exceptions, but at the end of the day, the vast majority simply allow most time-consuming goals to gradually slip away.

This statement is contrary to much of my life experience. I would say the longer an endeavor takes, the higher chance of success. Tenacity tends to bring results. Examples are building wealth, the fall of communism, the goal of putting a man on the moon, etc, etc. I guess I have not seen these 'thousands of studies', but I have seen hundreds of accounts of tenacious individuals reaching goals by not giving up.

Most people will get their first fill promptly, dawdle a little over the second fill, lose their enthusiasm for the third fill and by the fourth of fifth fill simply lose interest. And the long term statistical results of lap-band surgery do bear this out. The patients who lose the most initiallly relative to their target weight show much better results in the long term than those who struggle to lose weight during the first months.

I agree that many people may lose interest. I am, however, obese. I will never lose interest in getting my band properly adjusted to work towards my goal.

While it sounds good to say this is a long journey, the length of the journey does, in fact, have a substantial impact on the outcome. SHIELDS UP!

Getting fat was a long journey, so I fully expect losing substantial weight will not happen quickly either. We all desire a magic wand, but there is not one. The longer one works towards a goal, the higher the chance for success.

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY. I DON'T KNOW WHY NO WORRY THOUGHT OTHER WISE. aka dirty little secret

THE BAND IS A TOOL, NOT A MIRACLE WORKER

I do not disagree with NoWorry's position that he was not informed about the need for regular fills. He read Dr. Ortiz' book (I never have) prior to being banded. He also used information published on the OCC website.

He is absolutely correct in his observation that the need for 4-5+ fills for a VG band is not discussed. And my understanding is that in the Ortiz book, it is stated 1/3 of people get restriction with no fill, 1/3 with 1 fill, and 1/3 after 2 fills. That may be the norm with the smaller bands, but not with the VG band.

I can understand the source of his frustration.

Interesting seeing someone ask and discuss the more difficult questions.

Some random ramblings:

I am of the opinion, as several others, that the band should being doing most of the work. Yes, I am required to make certain changes to accomodate the band, but if I was able to diet properly, I would not have a need for the band. This really bothered me when Dr. Acosta did my last fill.

Seeing my modest weight loss, he said, "Aren't you doing anything to lose more weight? (duh....I got banded to lose weight- you see the band on the flouro, right?) Do you eat lots of soup? (not lots, but I do like chicken noodle) Do you like rich creamy soup? (yes, as a matter of fact I have a cup of clam chowder about once a month or so) Are you eating lots of sweets and ice cream? (no, I am diabetic....is Spenda in my glass of iced tea a 'sweet'?) You can't just wait for the band to take your weight off. (hmm...should I try a cocaine or methamphetimine binge instead?)

Needless to say, I don't yet have a high opinion of Dr. Acosta. And I have many frustrations with the band. But, bottom line, I began at 383 lbs one year ago, and I now am down about 50 lbs. Without being banded, I would weigh between 380 and 400 right now. I was eating too much. I can still eat too much, but it is rare, difficult, and time consuming.

Is it worth the money? Well since I had a large amount of cash sitting around, thus far it has been worth it. I have more energy and I can be on my feet all day without hobbling around on sore feet. Would I have borrowed the money for the surgery? Probably not.

I know many bandsters get loans for the surgery. I would be much more disappointed had I borrowed the money. Since the $10000 was rather inconsequential to me, I think my view is different. I know banding is a much larger financial strain for many. I do not have that extra stress factor.

I knew before surgery that I would probably need 4 or 5 fills to get sustained restriction. I read enough experiences to have that expectation. I have made 3 fill trips, and need another. Another mini-vacation to San Diego is not such a bad thing.

This is a two year or longer journey for me. No hurry.

Thanks. The last thing Romero said to me as I was leaving after my last fill was "See you in six weeks." If that's the norm (and I am now almost convinced that it is - this is the one dirty little secret about banding), and it takes a full day for a fill at OCC plus a $375 price tag all-in, it only makes sense to check out the local guy where a fill should take less than an hour and cost a lot less. So it might take an extra poke or two with the needle. I think it's a small trade off.

Multiple fills are indeed the norm for the VG band. The 4.0 cc bands generally require less fills. Of course there are always exceptions for both bands. Fortunately, I knew about the need for frequent fills prior to surgery.

I am extremely reluctant to even consider a fill from anywhere other than the OCC. Although I have no personal experience, the 'lost fluid syndrome' worries me. Many fill reports from the USA talk about bands leaking. It has almost become a normal expectation to some bandsters. However it is not normal. According to Dr. Romero, the bands are very unlikely to leak, and the loss of fluid is due mostly to incorrect port needle insertion or withdrawl.

And the stats correlate this. I have seen very few (if any) reports of fluid loss from OCC fills, but many from other fill providers. Dealing with fill frustration is something I can live with; worrying about incorrect fill technique is something I do not want to deal with. Not that all other fill providers are bad-- but many are.

Just my opinion.

A FEW YEARS BACK WE WERE BOOKING 15 ROOMS FOR MY SON'S BASEBALL TEAM, THE MOST REASONABLE WE FOUND WAS $129.00 PER ROOM PER NIGHT AND THEY FILL UP FAST. OF COURSE THAT WAS IN THE HEART OF SAN DIEGO ALSO. AT BEST IT WAS A 2 1/2 STAR, JUST YOUR BASIC CLEAN ROOM WITH A CONTINENTAL BFAST, ABOUT LIKE THE LUCERNA

THEY RUN HUNDREDS OF ALL AGED BASEBALL TEAMS THRU THE TOWN ALL SUMMER

that makes sense......summer baseball camps, vacations, sea world

Back to solids

It's almost a month after my surgery and I feel like I'm right back to square one. I can eat whatever I want, and as much as I want. No matter how hard I try and stay on track, I can see the old habits creeping back. I've lost over 25 lbs as a result of my pre-op and post-op liquid diets and now the scale is beginning to creep back up again.

I had a lack of restriction as well, but what the band seemed to help me do was to not gain weight back. Holding steady was much better than gaining.

I look for solutions and there don't seem to be much. A few experienced bandsters refer to this period as "Bandster Hell" and the name is very appropriate. I really and truly wish I had known about this before my surgery. I might have been better prepared. And even if I had not found any solutions, I might be psychologically less inclined to beat myself up for giving in to all my old cravings and desires.

And the 'last chance' syndrome is back. I had originally believed that the period before my pre-op diet was my last chance to have all my favorite meals. So of course I had every one of them. On the last day I was making lists of all the things I hadn't had during the last chance period and trying to decided what I most didn't want to miss. But it turns out that that wasn't my last chance. Here it is again. Between now and my first fill, I have yet one more last chance. And my mind is going crazy making lists of all the things I want to have before this last chance comes to an end on fill day. There is a limit to how much temptation a person can resist.

I had some 'last chance syndrome' pre-op, but believe me, with the VG you will have endless opportunities to eat your favorite meals. The first fill in a VG will offer a little restriction, but by dinner time, if you chew very well, you will be able to eat anything. You will most likely be able to enjoy your favorite foods for the forseeable future. And even with restriction, you can eat almost all your favorites....just much smaller amounts.

To my relief, the Fills Coordinator approves me for a fill on the day that I've requested. Now all I have to do is battle the food demons for another week before my LapBand superhero ally can be activated and stand beside me in battle. In the meantime, there's leftover pizza in the fridge loudly shouting my name!

Fill #1 is really going to be almost a non-event. Do not make the mistake of thinking your first fill will offer any restriction. With the VG band, look towards your third or fourth fill as your turning point. I wish you had read some of my old posts. There is more frustration coming your way before your band really gets jump started. Be patient....very patient.

I've booked the Holiday Inn - non-smoking, king bed, view - in National City for $119 through Orbitz next Friday night (June 22nd).

For a Holiday Inn, that rate seems an appropriate value. I have learned SD, like many areas, is a pretty high rent area in the summer. Other warm weather locations experience a mini 'off-season' during the hotter months, but a few buck the trend.

Thanks for the report, Greg

I've thought about doing Zoom but friends here in the states have had bad sensitivity problems. I can only use Whitestrips for a few days and then my teeth hurt for several more Have you tried other whiteners and if so, what was your experience?

Right now my fill at .8cc is doing fine so hopefully the new Dr. will get lots of practice before I need another one. But I'll still track down Dr. Romero just to look at his cute face

I had some sensitivity problems too, but only while the light was on my mouth. It disappeared right after. But, if sensitivity causes you tooth pain, you are right to think twice about it. The minor discomfort I had was directly in the nerve of one tooth. I have the trays from my regular dentist, but I was not good at keeping a schedule to use them. They may become my once or twice a month booster though.

Hi All, I just got back from my first fill in TJ and wanted to report on what I did for accomodation. I wanted to stay in San Ysidro to make it easy to get back to the airport but was concerned about the reviews of the Best Value Inn. I looked on the internet for other options and decided on the Travelodge. It was clean and the people were nice and it was 2 blocks from the San Ysidro trolley stop. The price was about the same as the Lucerna...

Ann

Do San Diego rooms go up that much in price during the summer? I get my room at Super8 for free (using points), but in January the rooms were going for $44 per night, and now are about $72. Travelodges normally are under $60, but if you paid about the same as the Lucerna at $85.....thats a pretty stiff rate for that brand. HoJo in National City had a rate of $129 listed, which is real high for that chain.

I don't know the hotel market in San Diego, but it sure isn't the value it was during the winter.

Well, it has been almost a week (filled June 11), so thought I would give a report on my latest fill at OCC. I needed a fill for a couple of months, so was anxious to get it done.

I drove from Omaha, made a business stop in Salt Lake City, and then went on to Las Vegas. Harrah's gave me a comp coupon for 4 free nights at Ballys, and another coupon to get $100 cash from the casino, so I took them up on the offer. I needed a few days to myself after a nine week stint working on the East Coast. I ended up losing $90 of the $100 by the fourth day, so, I was able to leave Vegas in good spirits.

I have been staying in National City at the Super 8 for all my fills, parking at the border, and doing the walk across then a taxi. Well, this time I was daydreaming, and missed the parking exit. It is truly the last US exit, and to my knowledge if you miss that exit, there is no proper way to turn around and avoid crossing the border (I might be wrong about that). So, I figured, I can drive into TJ, and did.

I did not know the way to the clinic, because I never really paid it much mind, so I spent about 20 minutes looking for the building. Finally, I saw the Lucerna, and stopped to ask directions. They were very helpful, and gave me a map of TJ and circled the location. Once I had the map, I realized I had driven past it 3 times, but, now I know where it is.

I found a parking spot just a few hundred feet from the clinic, locked up, and went in. I had a 10am appt, but was told Dr. Romero was on his way. I talked with several patients waiting to be called back for their surgery, offered my encouragement, and socialized. Well, Dr. Acosta came out and said he would be doing my fill.

I mildly expressed my concern, as I felt Dr. Romero's experience was invaluable, but I was okay with Acosta. He was very cautious, verified I had 6.6 cc, and filled me to 7.0. He told me my band was totally occluded (closed) at 7.0, and backed me down to 6.8. I told him I wanted a more aggressive fill, and he went into a discussion about complications of being closed off and facing a risk of frequent PBing and possible slippage. I expressed to him my concern that I just traveled about 2000 miles, and wanted to make sure I had good restriction.

We agreed to do the 'toast' test, with a barium study right after I tried to eat the toast. He filled me back to 7.2cc, and went to get my snack. Well, 4 pieces went down with no problem. To my surprise, Dr. Romero came out, and said "are you ready to take a look?" I was very relieved. He had me drink the barium, and we found out not only did I eat the toast easily, but it also had already made it past the band. Dr. Romero asked if I could stay in TJ for a few hours, and have lunch. I agreed, and he filled me to 7.9cc.

Well, I saw the Zoom teeth whitening special, and asked if the dentist was busy today. She wasn't, and I got right in. Well, I have white teeth now, actually 8 shades whiter than before. I am blessed with very good perfectly straight teeth, so it's great to have that Hollywood smile now. The price was $299, and I got a free cleaning too since Zoom recommends getting the procedure done after a cleaning. The going price in my city is $700-$800, so I got a bargain, and they did a great job! It took about 2 hours, and was a little uncomfortable, but instant results sure make it worth it.

I then went to lunch around the corner from the clinic. I decided to try the tuna salad served on lettuce, as I could not have any tomato sauce or other foods that can stain teeth for 48 hours. The whitening process makes the enamel susceptible to staining for a couple of days, and I was clearly warned. I was able to eat about 1/2 cup, then pb'd part of the meal.

I returned to the clinic as asked, and got my third needle poke of the day. Dr. Romero decided to take my level down to 7.6cc, and that is about perfect right now. I have good restriction, and actually have dropped 10 lbs in the last 6 days. I drove to Austin, TX for a business stop, then to Dallas, then to Oklahoma City, and finally home.

I told Dr. Romero that Dr. Acosta needs a little more practice with fills, and he replied "I know". Now, Acosta is doing fine in my opinion. He already has done more fills than many US doctors, and he is cautious, has the right technique so he doesn't lose the saline like most US doctors do. But in my case, a third fill with a VG band is a bit tricky. I needed the experience of Romero, and perhaps Dr. Acosta also needed that experience. I would have no concern getting a first fill from him, or a fill in a 4cc band. And, to repeat myself, he already has more fill experience than most US docs.

I know this is a very long post, but I have gotten quite a few private messages from people telling me they like reading the details I provide, and that they learn a lot from what I write about. So, for those that enjoy lots of detail, here it is. If you don't like detail, at least I don't post topics very often.

Best wishes to all.

Thanks Greg for the info. It was very informative. A couple more questions though about what exactly are you given from Dr. Ortiz in regards to pain medication? Are you given only a few sublingual pain pills and another script for a liquid, or are you given a liquid in the beginning? Can you fill or refill a script before you leave Mexico? I don't believe to be in alot or much pain, but just in case, I would like to be prepared.

Thanks again Greg.

Judy

OCC gives you 4 sublingual Toradols. They do not give narcotics, as narcs tend to induce vomiting, which increases the risk of a slip, especially immediately after surgery. I was not given any script for liquid pain killer. When they refer to liquid pain killer, they usually are talking about liquid Tylenol.

After only getting 4 Toradols, I promptly went to the aforementioned pharmacy, and purchased 16 more. I discovered, however, that the 4 tablets were sufficient for me. I had little to no post-op pain.

According to my pre-op instructions, I'm not allowed to have Aspirin or NSAIDs (including Ibuprofen) during the week immediately prior to surgery. I suffer from chronic back and neck pain and require some relief. Any idea what pain killers are allowed? Advil? Tylenol? Acetaminophen? Will any of these interfere with blood clotting following surgery?

Sanjay

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is allowed.

Did you know that you were a candidate for VG in advance of your surgery, or is this decision made by the surgeon after he has started the surgery?

I am definitely beginning to see the truth of this. I guess it's the nature of the beast that only those who are having problems or suffering setbacks are the ones posting here. The ones who have succeeded or are happily continuing to lose weight 'normally' have no need for this forum.

I notice that LoriBecky has started a new thread asking for testimonials and it has received absolutely no response.

I've subscribed to LapBandTalk.com and there are far more positive posts there. If not for them, I think I would have changed my mind about this surgery. Thanks for your feedback.

I knew I was most likely going to get the VG Band prior to going to TJ for surgery.

The most convincing testimonials are those you get when you are in the OCC office, and see and talk to patients that have lost their weight. I have seen women with great bodies (yes, I look a lot) that are very happy with Dr. Ortiz work. They are often there for a slight unfill. I would estimate only 5% of OCC's patients post here, and yes, we are almost all 'in process' of losing our weight.

I have been to lapbandtalk, and yes, there are many positive testimonials there, as well as many negative ones. Just by sheer strength of numbers, there seem to be many posters there with both bands that have reached their goal, but continue to hang around.

Finally, the band is an effective tool for weight loss. It is how you use this tool, and your ability to use it properly, that determines the outcome of your experience.

:-? Hey all,

I was wondering where you can buy pain meds in Mexico that are over the counter and what kinds are available? Also, is it ok to bring them back safely into the US? How much are they and so on?

The reason I am asking is I have been reading that you are only given a few pain pills after surgery and a couple months ago, I read that someone was given a liquid pain med that, unfortunately, spilled into her luggage because the cap came open. So, I am not sure how things are now, but I usually take vicodin at home and was thinking about maybe getting some liquid pain meds over the counter if they exist. My doc won't give me anything else because I am on a contract with those, so I am on my own.

Thanks for all replies.

Judy

Across from the Lucerna is a pharmacy called 'Farmacia Especiales' or similar. Dr. Martinez vouched for the reputation of this business to me. Their prices are good, a discount given for cash, and the meds are authentic and real.

Be warned, purchasing controlled substances (addictive meds) in Mexico is illegal without a script. However, Toradol, which is a totally acceptible and effective non-narcotic pain reliever is available. I also like to purchase antibiotics (Bactrim, Cipro, Amox, Azithromycin, etc.) in Mexico. I have crossed the border many times with these meds. I have heard also that crossing with 50 or less doses of a controlled substance is allowed by Customs. Some states have laws against this, but Border Agents are Federal officers, and do not enforce state law.

I have read that some pharmacies have an 'affiliated' doc on the premises that will give you a script for controlled drugs for a small fee. I have no idea which pharmacies may have this arrangement.

Hope this helps.