Cassie

Congrats on the 4 yr mark! =D>

I am Lauren. I am 17 and my family and I are looking into getting me a lapband soon. So naturally I am excited and I have some concerns and questions.

how often do most people need to get a fill? what is getting a fill like?

were you ever worried about having a problem with loose skin after loosing weight? and did you have a problem with loose skin due to rapid weight loss?

did you ever feel imbarrassed with chosing the labband?

I personally feel alittle imbarrassed that I am deciding to get the lapband because it feels like the "easy" way out even though i have battled with my weight the majority of my life and it is the best option for be because of family health problems. Is this a normal feeling?

Hey Lauren!

ok lets start off with question number 1,

normally people should get there band tightend about 3 times , but everyone is diffrent and that isnt always the case, I had to go in a couple times because I got the bad case of the flu a year and a half into surgury causing me to have to unfill the band because i was sooo sick and couldnt get anything down, but as soon as i got better I got it refilled. you just have to wait till you find your sweet spot.

fills in mexico are done very well and all they do is incert a needle into your port threw your stomach (its not bad at all you can barely feel it).

at my point when i was 13 i wasnt really worried about loose skin i just wanted to be skinny, but fortunatly i nipped it in the butt because i really do not have loose skin at all, i think the younger you are your body snaps back faster.

At first i was imbarrassed when i told my friends and stuff, but then i just learned to embrace it.

and trust me its not the easy way out atall, the lap band is just a tool to use that actually works. but your still doing it by yourself

you got to know this is going to be a lifestyle,

you eat to live, NOT live to eat.

i can see why you would feel that way, but girl its a beautiful thing!

these are my before and afters for you

before:

and

After:

And I dont feel resticted from any food, i can eat anything i want if i take my time and chew it

4yrs! Way to go! Please tell us newbies, how its been? Do you have any before and after shots? do you have any great recipes that don't make you feel restricted from the great food out there!... Please keep us posted.

Thanks and Happy Re-Birthday!

Zulma

Yes I totally saw that last night,

and thats what the lap band MAKES you do

You can eat whatever you want, but all you have to do is chew chew chew and think about what your eating

and you lose weight

the surgury diet wasnt hard for me but I know it varies from person to person, just take you time and chew chew chew!

and about the drinking thing, I dont recommend you drink at all since your not of age yet, I dunno what to tell you about that since im 17 too and I dont drink.

I just dont feel comfortable answering that question because we are young.

heyy cassie.

my name is hannah i am 17 years old and im about to get the surgery. i am awfully excited.

but i have a couple questions.

i was wondering if it is very hard to follow the diet after surgery??

and also i am young and i drink on occasion, do you know if drinking will be okay after the surgery??

Today has been the 4 year mark since I went to Dr Ortiz to have the lap band

I am so happy

its like my new birthday!!

Hey God4me!

your "sweet spot" is when your at the point where you have made it to your goal weight and where your body is comfortable,

and you wont gain or lose weight.

I hit my sweet spot about two years after my surgury, but it depends on the person how quickly they hit their "sweet spot"

and it feels amazing because you dont have to worry about gaining the weight back!

Hello,

Can any of you older bandsters explain to me what the "Sweet Spot" is , and how does it feel? :-?

Be Blessed >

LOL

well thank you

and I am glad I helped you out!

I dunno about reruns

I dont think there will be any

hi cassie

i was banded in september and before i was, i did a bunch of research and always found you in forums and stuff. even though i never directly asked you a question, reading your answers was great help to me!

anywayss

sadly i missed the oprah show :[ me and my mom really wanted to watch it!

any ideas on when it will be rerunning again?

thanks :]

Hey Andrea,

sorry it took forever for me to reply!

now to answer your question,

the first month I lost about 35 lbs, 15 of that was in the first week!

the second month I slowed down probly 10 lbs, and once that happends thats when its time for a fill

after that I continued to lose all the weight I needed

and here I am today!

and about jogging and stuff, I walked an hour after surgury all around the hospital, and the next day I walked all over mexico shopping, so jogging i would say maybe two weeks after your surgury to be safe, double check with the Drs to be sure

Thanks

good luck

Cassie

Hey my Hey my name is Andrea. I just turned 18 at the end of January and my surgery date is April 7th, spring break. Since hearing about the surgery on Opera and discovering it was an option finacially, my attitude has been so much better. Before with diets i always saw failure in the end and now i feel really confident. I'm finally going to be liberated from my caccoon i have formed from being overweight. So i am excited about that, but at the same time soooo nervous! I dont want any complications that could postpone my banding or weight-loss. But i do have a question for you Cassie, how much weight did you lose, if any, one month after your surgery? and then the second month? And how long after surgery do you think i will be able to start jogging again? Thanks for being a support

Hey guys,

I'm comming up on year 4 of being banded on March 17th.

Im so excited, its feels like my second birthday I get every year!

But I realized there are alot of teens on the site and I was wondering if you would like your questions answerd by another teen?

feel free to ask

Thanks guys

Cassie

>

I was wondering if anyone here either has or knows someone who has had the band for more than 3 or 4 years. It sounds like there are lots of people that are successful for the first year or two, but I have not really talked to many people about the long term. Anyone have any comments or suggestions? :-?

Im comming up on my 4th year in March. I hit my "sweet spot" (where you're at your goal weight and you dont loose or gain) about 2 years ago. I will bounce back and forth with 5lbs but will never go over or under. If your asking about complications, I have had none, and I am very happy with my results

Cassie

Well congrats!

I bet you are so excited!!

wait till you see the clinic

its awesome!!

and thanks for the luck haha I will need it

The OCC is the best place to go

you will be in good hands

HELLO CASSIE! I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE FORUM FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW AND AM AMAZED AT ALL THE PEOPLE THE OCC HAS HELPED! MY SURGERY IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 25 AND I CAN'T WAIT!! GOOD LUCK TOMORROW, SINCERELY, DARLENE =D>

Hey Guys

My name is Cassie and I was the second child to ever come to Dr Ortiz for the lap-band surgery four years ago.

I have always tried to help people who were interested and many of the people I have talked to actually got the band!

I have always wanted something big like Oprah to happen so I could share my stories and help others.

My dream has finally came true, I get a chance to tell the word out about this amazing surgery which as changed my life for the best.

Oprahs Producers found me a week ago today and asked me about my experience with the lap-band. I sent them pictures, and before I knew it

my mom was on the phone non-stop talking to Oprah's people!! They were busy planning our trip out to Mexico to visit Dr. Ortiz and his team, and everything would be filmed!!

When I first found out I wasn’t sure if I want to laugh or cry.

I was so excited to see everyone again, they welcomed me back with open arms and were so AWESOME!

They even invited me to watch the surgery be preformed, that alone was pretty much the coolest thing I have ever got to witness.

I was sad to leave the OCC but I had an amazing time.

The camera guys were very nice and tried to make me feel as least awkward as possible.

That was kind of hard because they had a camera in my face everywhere me and my mother went.

But it was a very cool experience.

Now I am getting ready to leave tomorrow for Chicago, and I’m so excited!

We get to stay at the Omni Hotel and get limo service to and from the airport and to the Harpo studio.

On Thursday I get to meet Oprah herself and sit down on that comfy white couch of hers and share my story to the world.

I hurd an estimated 64 million people watch her show a week and it is shown in 135 countries world wide.

So if this doesn’t get the word out I don’t know what will!!

well I better finish packing, I have a long day tomorrow.

Thank you OCC, I Hope I make you proud!

Cassie

Thank You all so much for your suport

I really just want to get the word out about the lap band

I know it WILL help so many people

it's truely amazing

thank you again...

Cassie

How exciting for you Cassie! So how were you able to get on the Oprah show? I'll be it was hard to contact them. I can't wait to watch the show!

Her producer found me on the OCC website!

then looked me up on myspace

crazy huh?!?

I am So excited!

But I am a little worried about what she will say about the surgery

I know she is a big believer of natural weight loss

but hopefully I can help open her eyes

this is a beautiful thing!

Thanks so much OCC

Cassie

IF YOU MISSED LORI'S POST UNDER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Oprah is coming!

They are taping a segment at our clinic this Friday featuring Dr. Ortiz' teen patient Cassie (featured in his book). Stay tuned for more details and air dates.

How exciting!!!

THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS!!! =D>

Cassie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You look gorgeous!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!! This is Teri, I talked to you and your Mom on the phone for about an hour about the process, etc. about Kyle. He isnt here right now, but will be soooooooooooooo surprised!! You are so pretty and precious! Kyle has already lost 24 pounds and you can really start to tell. I cant believe how great you look!!!!! It has got to be a wonderful feeling. Your family IS beautiful!!!!!!!!! You all look terrific, thanks for sharing your pics. When we lose and are happy with the results, we will share pics too. Thanks again, Cassie! Teri

aw thank you Teri!!

it dose feel great, haha

i'm so happy to hear how kyle is comming along

make sure you send me pictures!!!

Cassie

Ditto to Teri's comment!

YOU are GORGEOUS!

I'm curious...how old were you when you had your surgery? How much did you loose total and did you have plastic surgery and where?

I am the mom of a big kid. He is struggling so hard to find his place in the world. I would love for him to find the inner Tony and to stop feeding his addiction. I know because I feed mine.

Thank you so much for sharing.

WOW!

Thank you!

I was 13 years old when i got the surgury, i didnt get any plastic surgury anywhere, sinice i am young my body sortta snaped back.

and i understand youre worried for your child, i was there with my mom too, she would have done anything to make sure i was happy. and this surgury deffinatly helped me out alot. i love the person i am today, and i know i wouldnt be like this with out the help of my family.

the best of luck to you and your son!

Cassie

Hi Everyone,

Ok I am new to this forum, and it says I am a Newbie but please let me reassure you I am not. I am the 2nd youngest to get Lap Band Surgery by Dr. Martinez and Dr. Ortiz. I am also shown in Dr. Otiz's book.

I have been starting to get more e-mails from other teens wanting to get the surgery done so I know I need to post here to help any other teens looking to answer any questions they may have. So if you have any questions or need to just talk please, I would like to hear from you. Thanks Cassie

My names Vanessa and I am having my first appt at Childrens Hospital on Nov 27th. Even though I'm just now preparing to have the surgery I have been planning and researching for 2 years. Despite this I still feel completely unprepared for this life changing decision. So my question is does the amount of research and knowledge count towards your readiness for the surgery?

Interesting...Very Interesting.

Vanessa

Hey Vanessa!

I have one thing to say JUST DO IT!!

TRUST ME!!! It will be the most wonderful thing you have done for yourself.

before i got my sugury, i reseached with my mom for a couple months, we were a little septical at first, because i had to get it in Mexico.

But after i talked to the doctors, and talked to the first teenager who got the surgury, i just did it.

and to tell you the truth, if i had to i would do it all over again!

I cant even explain to you how much this makes you feel better as a person.

It has changed me, to be the happy outgoing person i am today.

Just Do it Vanessa, what do you have to lose except pounds

you wont regret it, i promise

Cassie

Brand New Pics!!

i took this picture tonight so it it BRAND NEW

same with is one! I'm being kinda Silly

this is me and my BEAUTIFUL family

And this one is me on vacation

Tell me what you think!

Hey Cassie,

I am having surgery Nov 1. I just have some quick questions for you..

I was wondering how was the post-op and was it hard to stick too?

I also was wondering how you are doing now, and how much you and everthing has changed??

Right Back soon..

Kyle =]

Hi Kyle,

I spoke to your mom and sounds like both of you are doing very well. I hope I answered all the questions you both needed. Please e-mail anything that comes up. I also filled your mom in on post-op and how I am doing today. Hey...let's echange pictures real soon. Cassie

Come on teens.... I know you're out there! Don't be shy! Other teens need your support! If you are a teen with the band and would be willing to email with other patients, but don't want to post here, email me and I'll help you get in touch with other teen bandsters (or future bandsters)

Hi Everyone,

Ok I am new to this forum, and it says I am a Newbie but please let me reassure you I am not. I am the 2nd youngest to get Lap Band Surgery by Dr. Martinez and Dr. Ortiz. I am also shown in Dr. Martinez book.

I have been starting to get more e-mails from other teens wanting to get the surgery done so I know I need to post here to help any other teens looking to answer any questions they may have. So if you have any questions or need to just talk please, I would like to hear from you. Thanks Cassie