JennaR

Try www.lapbandtalk.com for more information about insurance paying and US places. There are usually just Dr. Ortiz patients on this forum. This other forum I gave you above will probably help you a great deal more! GOOD LUCK!

Way to go! Your doing FABULOSO!!! Keep up that great attitude and all the hard work and you will be great!

It all depends on the person I think. And how much you walk to get rid of it. I didn't really have any gas pains. I had mild shoulder pain come and go for the first 2-3 weeks but not really anything to hoot about. I had some crampiness in the port area, but I chalk it up to healing not gas pain. I didn't have any pain that I thought was awful or unbearable. Nothing some liquid tylenol or gasx or a heating pad didn't cure quickly. No worries!

This forum is mostly Dr. Ortiz's patients. We were banded in Mexico. Mexico does not accept US insurance. Try going to www.lapbandtalk.com and you will have more success by doing a search for your question on that site. GOOD LUCK!

Dr. Martinez will do your fill in TJ. He asks that you are on liquids for 2-3 days. Trust me, your not really gonna feel like running out and having a big meal like before the fill. Being filled is a WHOLE different ball game! Good luck!

Chris, SOOOOOOOOO sorry to hear about your experience. This is exactly what I avoid by going back to Dr. Martinez for my fills. He does it all under flouro and that can check for slippage and erosion at the same time. Plus, I SWEAR he is the FILL KING! Maybe go back to your doctor and tell him you are not happy from the get go and would like to have your money back (minus the first fill charge). Tell him you do not want to squabble but would like to leave peacefully and still maintain a bridge with him. Then.... make a vacation out of going to TJ for the weekend! You can also find some "Ortiz buddies" on www.lapbandtalk.com and maybe you can travel and share a hotel room! It would be fun!!! NO WAY do I expect to pay over $2000 for my fills and flight. I figure it is $300 each time I go. I have my first fill May 7th and don't think I will need one for a long time. His first fill was aggressive and PERFECT! Good luck with whatever you decide!

www.lapbandtalk.com has a TON of information on vitamins and different types. Just use the search button.

You should have gotten a card from Dr. Ortiz telling you your serial number and size of band. I had my first fill at 6 weeks and was soooooo ready for it.

"Rene" is a HE.

Nope, no way would I go camping that soon. But that is just me.

I was filled once at 2 cc's. Perrrrrrrrrfect fill level for me. Yep, I like Dr. Martinez for fills. Not "painless" for me though. Felt like a bee sting. And I was a bit crampy. But not bad, very tolerable.

I had to pay $20 extra per night for the extra guest. I have a passport, so I had no worries about that. But.... a Drivers License and Birth Certificate was used to get out by another girl. You don't need anything to enter Mexico. You need it to leave.

I use Flinstone's chewable and then a Vit C chewable from GNC as well as Protein whey from Sam's Club.

My advice is to research research research each of the doctors. I had Dr. Ortiz and would have him perform my surgery again. There are excellent docs in Mexico (Ortiz and Martinez are some) and there are BAAAD docs in Mexico. Make sure you do your homework. Try www.lapbandtalk.com and search around about different doctors in Mexico. But Ortiz gave me a happy healthy band.

I went for my 6 wk check up and fill in TJ. Traveled back there and it was well worth it. However, Dr. Ortiz was not there. Dr. Martinez did the check up and the fill. All went fine.

For me, very minimal. More like crampy and sore. I had surgery on Wed and was back to work on Monday at a desk job. Port area was sore for a few weeks but nothing major. Took Tylenol twice for discomfort, thats it. P.S. I am normally a BIGGGG baby on pain and was very worried. I shouldn't have been.

were you asking what types of body shapes there are? I think you are asking how well pear shapes do with the band weight loss compared to other shapes right? So, if that was your question, here are my opinions: (if not, then see shells answer above ) I read at one site that the band is a gradual weight loss that takes weight off in the order of which you added it. So, that means that if you carry most of your gained weight in your butt, then the butt should lose as well. For example, I carried a lot of back fat in weight. That is the first place I began to lose it. I don't know which site this was in my research phase but I remember seeing it. It also said that in order to be successful in "problem areas" (ie hips, butt, back, thighs, etc) you must concentrate your exercise program on those areas as well as having a well rounded program for the other parts. Weight needs to be worked off as well. Results will depend on how hard you work. This is still somewhat of a diet but is a diet tool. People sometimes think that the weight will melt off like gastric bypass and that just isn't so. good luck!

Thanks. Actually it is 33 lbs now. I am eating chicken like its going out of syle. Lots of veggies and fruits. No breads except for tortillas in my chicken wrap. I am staying away from sweets but I do fall off the wagon sometimes. (my birthday last week was horrible as I only ate cake all day, baaad girl). I take a VERY light walk in the morning around the block with the dogs and I run/walk at night when it is cooler. Plus, I am a police officer and am fairly active all day. I have a big fear of food though because of my PB'ing so I really don't eat all that much. But... I am not hungry. I drink drink drink water allllllll the time. I usually pee about once every hour!! It is annoying, but the weight is melting off. I figure if I just tough it out for about 6 months and actually try and diet and exercise then I will be at goal that much sooner. I plan on ROCKING this band! This was no joke for me when I got this band and because I have to live with scars on my belly, damnit, it is gonna work!!! I am a bit compulsive I think over the "normal" bandster and am taking the diet and exercise to a bit of an extreme. I didn't start exercising though until 2 weeks ago. The first 6 weeks was just following the doctors diet to a T and it (the weight) came off. Just a note about the "running". I TRY to jog as much as I can, then I walk, and as soon as I have my breath back I force myself to jog again. Sometimes I can only jog 5-6 steps, then walk, but I force myself to jog again even if it is only for a few steps. The key is to push myself as hard as I can without overdoing it. I bet I look silly and large bouncing down the street, but at this point I don't give a damn anymore, the weight is coming OFF for good this time. GOOD LUCK!!! Also try www.lapbandtalk.com for more info, ton of info on there and many more success stories (as well as the problems that bandsters face) Jenna

try going to www.lapbandtalk.com and asking someone there. there are a ton of people from florida there. u will get more of a response there i would think. good luck!

Ummmm, he said to take Advil and not Tylenol????? I thought Advil was bad for bandsters? Shell... help out on this one.

what the heck is a jp drain?

I took the city bus to the trolley, trolley to the border, then a cab to the clinic. $8.00 each way. It was an adventure for the first time, but next time will be a snap!

I am a low BMI. I had a BMI of 32.7. At banding I was a size 16, sometimes an 18. But I am tall and proportion out well and hide it well too. I went to Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez in Mexico. I am 5'8" and weighed 217. My goal is 145. So I have 75 to lose total from banding. I am 2 months post op and am 1/2 way there. I now weigh 187 and still losing every day. But.... I am working EXTRA hard at it. I know that low bmi's lose slower so I am really giving it a kick in the butt. You MUST work at it.

Yep yep, mourning food is totally normal. Second guessing your decision and saying "is it worth it" is normal. Being starved and then eating a cracker and feeling stuffed, totally normal. I too have the hardness around my port and bulge a little. I went for my fill 2 weeks ago and Dr. martinez said it was totally normal and healing great. It is the scar tissue forming around the port. Yep to everything Michelle said... ditto.

I suggest getting Dr. Ortiz's book. All those questions and then some are answered. I found it very helpful. Also see the post I did giving some good researching sites. No, Mexico does not do insurances at all. yes, everything is done in cash or bank cashiers check. usually 6-12 weeks after surgery is when most people get their first fill but it all depends on the person. I have known people with the band for almost a year and have never had a fill and are doing great. most people need the fill though I would presume. How many fills also depends on you and your body. It is very individual.