Donna34

Hey, great JOB all of you! I'm so glad you are all doing so well! =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> I've lost 20 lbs. counting pre-op diet. I'm on week 3 post-op. Can't wait for that first fill, and I'm SO hoping I don't gain any, or very much back BEFORE I get that fill. Hang in there losers! Donna

I couldn't say enough good things about my trip to TJ, or the care I received there. The clinic was SO NICE, and SO CLEAN. It was nicer than most US hospitals,( at least the ones I've been in) and that is NO LIE. (check out the pics on his website) The nurses, and doctors were all so nice, and helpful. How many hospitals have you stayed in where the nurses give you a back massage after surgery? The hotel they put you in (Hotel Lucerna) is GORGEOUS, very nice, and they have some very GOOD restaurants in it. Try out the Italian restaurant. Olive Garden can't hold a candle to them! The hotel staff were also very nice. They treat you like royalty while you are there. Everyone EVERYWHERE goes out of their way to make you comfortable. Dr. Ortiz was so NICE, and SO CUTE! He is very friendly, and is very laid back when he talks to you. He also has a great sense of humor! But make no mistake, he is VERY professional, and he does this because he GENUINELY wants to HELP people! He makes sure you don't have any questions before you go into this. Dr. Martinez is great too, I was kinda groggy when I talked to him, so I don't remember a WHOLE LOT, but I do remember him asking if I had any questions at all. The surgery was nothing! I went in the OR, and 45 minutes later, I was back in my room with my hubby. An hour later I was up and walking. No problems! The nurses checked in on me all night, brought me popsicles, and bottled water. The next morning, after I had my hot chicken broth, my nurse walked me out, and gave me a big hug, and a kiss on the cheek! They are SO sweet! That day me and my hubby went shopping on Revolution Ave. Walked a lot, shopped a lot! Felt fine. Went back to the hotel, and ordered room service (tortilla soup for me), watched TV, and relaxed before our flight the next day. Since I've been home I've felt great! Got a little tired of soups, but that's OK! My incisions are healed and it's only been 2 weeks! They look great. I don't think they will even be that noticeable after they are completely healed. I have to look real hard to see 2 of them now! I've talked to Dr. Ortiz, and Dr. Miranda since I have been home, and they were VERY helpful. I don't think you could find a better doctor ANYWHERE, but that's just me! If you go to Dr. Ortiz you WILL be in GOOD hands, and your surgery trip will seem more like a vacation than a surgery. I loved it! Donna Sparks

Heather, I know exactly how you feel. I thought MAN, that is a lot of money we could go to Disney World a couple of times with that, or you name it! But then I thought about what kind of mother I am. I don't want to take the kids to the pool, because I wouldn't be SEEN in public in a swimsuit. I don't really want to take them to the park. I have no energy to PLAY with them, and end up sitting on the bench! I'm missing out on SO much, and they are paying for it too. They would LOVE for me to be out there playing with them, even MORE than I wish I could! So, it benefits them A LOT. And who wouldn't give 8500 to have their mother around longer?? My hubby benefits, because he get's to have his skinny wife back, and even though he has NEVER said a thing about my weight, I KNOW he would like that! And, me. I get so depressed about my weight that I blow a fuse at the drop of a hat. I'm irritable a lot of the time, and short with the kids and my hubby. That will change too, and they WILL notice it. That makes their life better too. They wouldn't be mad if you had a heart attack and had to go to the hospital to get it fixed. You have the disease called "obesity." So what do you do? Go to the doctor and get it fixed! It benefits EVERYONE. I also worried about, what if something happens to me in the OR, and I never see my kids again??? Dr. Ortiz has never had a mortality, and as he says, "he plans to keep it that way." You are in GREAT hands, so try to relax! Donna

She COULD have the surgery now, in MX if you were willing or able to pay for it. If not, don't feel guilty anyway. Just think of it, as you are being the "guinea pig" so to speak. If it works for you, (which we are sure it will) then you know it will work for her. She will benefit from you being smaller, AND so will you. It will be a learning experience for her too. She will see what YOU had to do, and will know what SHE needs to do when the time comes. You are older, and have battled with this longer than she has, and are having health problems related to your weight. She should realize that it is a priority for you. Besides looks like you have done what you could for her as far as checking with Ins, etc. Tell her to just be THANKFUL that insurance will cover it when she's older. Most of us can't get insurance coverage AT ALL. Hang in there, it will all work out! Donna

Also, another thing to think about.... Pesos convert to US dollars at about 11%. So just for quick math we'll say 10%. So if you have 100 pesos, it's worth about 10 dollars. We forgot to look up the exchange rate, and were kinda freaking out when we were looking at the menu in the hotel. My entree said $144. Which was actually pesos, and it really cost about $15 dollars! So, you might want to look up the exchange rate before you go, because it could change before then. Have fun! Donna

Shopping in TJ is FUN! Make sure you go to Revolution Ave. There are always cabs outside the hotel, just hop in and say Revolution Ave. It cost us $3 to go. BUT, beware of some of the cab drivers ON Revolution Ave. It cost us $10 to get back, and that particular cab driver gave me the creeps! The little red and white cabs are a safe bet, forgot the name! We used US dollars the whole time. We also used our Visa debit card in the hotel restaurants, and for room service, etc. You can set that up at the front desk, SIMPLE. Just make sure you contact your BANK before you go, and let them know you will be in MX. Otherwise they may freeze your account thinking your card was stolen. It's easier to use US dollars on Revolution than Pesos. Never pay the first price they quote you! You'll have a blast bargaining with them! In the first shop, the guy showed me the CUTEST little silver bracelet. He told me it was $25, I walked away, and he said OK, OK $20, I said no, and he said $15....this went on for awhile, but I left with the bracelet, and I paid $6. They come WAY down! It's amusing, to say the least! You're gonna love your trip! I sure did! Donna

I absolutely CANNOT believe anyone would come on here and make this statement! Dr. Ortiz will tell you himself, this is a TOOL to "help" you lose weight, but you MUST be willing to do your part! That means chewing your food 20-30 times, eating slowly, and following your Dr.s orders. If you are not WILLING to do this, it will NOT work. If you were throwing up (PB'ing) everytime you went to a restaurant, then you obviously were NOT chewing enough. AND, I have never heard of ANYONE not being able to eat healthy foods. That is just an excuse. ANYTHING will go down if it is chewed enough. Yes, it IS easier to eat mac and cheese, ice cream, and all the other bad stuff. THAT is WHY Dr. Ortiz says to avoid them. THey go down fast, and do not stay in the pouch long enough to give you a "full" feeling. I'm THRILLED that I got banded, and I KNOW it works. Dr. Ortiz wouldn't have over 4500 HAPPY patients if it didn't work. Oh and another thing...You always hear MORE BAD news than GOOD news, so if it were happening, I\'m SURE we would hear it, from MANY other disgruntled bandsters. The only one I've seen is you. By the way, DID Dr. Ortiz even do your surgery? Donna

Don't worry! Dr. Ortiz's clinic has security guards outside the entrances at all times. If you are not supposed to be in there, you WON'T be in there. The outer doors are all locked too. Nothing to worry about. I felt completely safe while I was there. Donna

I would bring it "just in case" but just don't offer it, unless they specifically ASK for it. Which I'm SURE they won't. There were 3 surgery patients on the van heading to the airport, we each had a companion with us, so there were 6 in total. 3 of us (surgery patients) got to stay on the van, and 3 (companions) had to go through X-ray. My husband walked through, and they just glanced at his drivers liscense too, and he even had a passport. So, really, don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal! I know how you feel though....I worried about getting back across, and my DL, and birth certificate BOTH were from the US! So I can understand you being a little worried. It will be just fine though! You'll have LOT'S of fun, so get excited! Good Luck, Donna Oh, and crossing over INTO MX is no problem at all. We stopped momentarily, they asked us to hit a button, on a post. Driver got out and hit it, and we drove on through. No problem at all.

You obviously do not have the right amount of fill then. It should NOT be that hard. My cousin had the same problem. For the first 6 months after surgery she could eat anything, and was feeling no restriction. She was sick of getting the band. Everyone she talked to said, you do NOT have enough fill if you can eat what you are eating. She finally complained enough to her US doctor, and he finally put enough fill in it. The following 6 months she lost 65 pounds. If you can eat a lot with your band, you probably need more fill. IF you are NOT eating very much, and still not noticing a loss, you might want to have your thyroid checked out. OR, if you are working that hard at a gym, maybe you are building muscle. I don't know, but I've talked to SEVERAL people that have been banded 3 or more years, and they are STILL excited about this TOOL. So, I think being OPTIMISTIC about being banded is GREAT! Donna

If you love to shop you'll definitely want to go to Revolution Ave. Lot's of fun. Make sure that you NEVER pay the first price they ask. They will drop WAY down, if you keep bargaining. I bought a silver bracelet, and it was so cute! He asked me to give $25 for it, I said no, and he said OK, $20. I bought it for $6! LOL It's a blast! About the gas....some are just gonna have gas pain regardless. Don't get me wrong walking DOES HELP A LOT, but some people still have to deal with some pain from it. THe night of my surgery, I had a lot of gas pain. I walked that circle in the clinic all night, and still was in pain. The next day, me and my hubby walked ALL OVER Tijuana, and I STILL had awful gas pain on the flight home. I would suggest taking some GasEX with you just in case. It comes in convenient little strips now, kinda like the Listerine Strips. I've always had problems with the gas though. Same thing with my tubal ligation, and with my gall bladder surgery, so I knew exactly what it was. My shoulder and neck hurt VERY bad. But, I'm fine now, and SO GLAD I had it done! Good Luck! Donna

Don't worry about it! I took both my birth certificate, AND my drivers liscense. I handed both of them to the guy, and he never even opened my birth certificate. He just glanced at my drivers liscense, and away we went. I was there for surgery exactly 2 weeks ago, today! Dr. Ortiz's drivers have a border crossing "fast lane." I guess because they have so many American patients coming and going. We didn't even have to get out of the van. We opened the door, he asked who had just had surgery, we raised our hands, and he said, "stay in the van." The people who were with us had to walk through customs and run their suitcases through X-ray. He glanced at our drivers liscenses (surgery patients in the van) and told the driver to drive on through! I was surprised. Our driver told us, "that guy is one of the WORST ones." He said all the others just tell him to drive on through most of the time. We picked up the others on the other side of the fence, and went straight to the airport. Relax, it will be FINE! Donna

Just wondering! Thanks! Donna

Awwwwww! You were a great friend to us, and I was HAPPY to have met you! As far as I'm concerned, we are band sisters for LIFE. How are you doing, now? Has the stomach flu left yet? Hope you're feeling better! Havent' heard from Toni in awhile, have you? Talk to you later! Donna

Hey Kirk! Where are you from? Just curious.... Donna

The tortilla soup broth is DELICIOUS, and if you don't know what is NORMALLY in it, you'll be really pleased with just broth! LOL But if you order it as normal, it looks beautiful. It has tortilla strips in it, with chopped (big chunks) of avocado, sour cream, and some more stuff. Just have to decide if you can avoid the good stuff! I just took all the yummy stuff out of it, and covered it with my napkin. (another good reason to get room service) LOL You'll get more "soup" if you order the broth only, and I'm sure it will taste exactly the same. Although, I was plenty full after eating my bowl of soup, after taking out the goodies! That's funny about the water in London, sounds like it had real GINGER in it! #-o When my hubby went to Germany, he ordered water every meal, and they always asked, "plain or gassed?" Gassed is carbonated! LOL Have fun! Donna

One more thing about water! After your surgery, you may be like me, I was scouring the room service menu at the hotel, for something I could have. I ordered the Tortilla Soup. (it was awesome) If you order it, you might want to ask for broth only though, because all that WONDERFUL stuff they put in it was PURE TORTURE for me to not eat it! OK, so about water. I orderd lemonade from the menu, in a few minutes they called back and asked my hubby if the lemonade was to have water, or mineral water. Well naturally thinking "mineral" water was most likely bottled water, he said mineral. That lemonade looked SO lovely when it arrived, but after ONE SIP, I gave it to my hubby! It was carbonated! When they say "mineral water" they are actually referring to Club Soda. Donna

I'm sure the hotel water is fine to drink. I drank it and survived, but I did also use it to brush my teeth! LOL I wasn't putting any MX water in my mouth. I felt OK with the bottled water in the hotel. It was bottled by the Coca Cola bottling company (just like Dasani) so I figured it was pretty safe. :-? Donna

This is hilarious! Really there is nothing to worry about. You won't be letting them fly! Besides if you are a modest person, as it appears you are, then you know how to pull your drawstring! LOL Donna

THe hotel provides two bottled waters a day for your room. If that isn't enough, there is a drug store up across the street that has bottled water, juice, etc. I had no problems. You will get bottled water at the clinic too. But, NO do not drink tap water there! It's a NO NO. Don't worry about it, you'll be fine, trust me! I just got back last Thursday! Good Luck , Donna

I would definitley go to Dr. Ortiz! Hands down! I had the BEST time there. I'm glad I had the experience. Have you checked out all his credentials? We had a wonderful time, and we were SO SPOILED the whole time we were there. When I awoke, the nurse gave me a wonderful back massage. The rooms at the facility were SO nice, it was like a resort. The accomodations were great. I loved the hotel. We were really taken care of, and it was just A LOT of fun. My insurance was BC/BS but my hubby works for P&G and they have a rider explaining they will NOT pay for any type of obesity surgery. I didn't even try. It woud have taken a lot longer, and I was ready NOW. I was looking at 6 months just to find out if they would pay or not, appeal etc., and that wasn't including all the evaluations. I just didn't want to wait another year. I've wasted too much of my life being fat and unhappy! I called Dr. Ortiz, and was set up for surgery 2 weeks later! I felt like I truly got my money's worth in TJ. You couldn't have nicer people taking care of you OR a cleaner facility. You have to put on shoe covers just to have your blood drawn. Have you checked into Dr. Ortiz's package? I just got home last Thursday, and everything has been going great! Good Luck Donna

I agree with Lori! The Italian restaurant at the Lucerna was EXCELLENT. It's the Rivolli or something like that. Very good Italian food! My band sister ate at the other Hotel restaurant, and said it was good too. We also got room service, and ordered the Tortilla Soup (after surgery) and it WAS GREAT! Have fun! Donna

Dr. Ortiz charges $110 per fill, but he uses fluoroscopy, and tends to hit your "sweet spot" sooner than going the touchy feely route. Someone said their first TJ fill was free, but I don't know the details about that. Wish I could go back to TJ for my first fill! ( And yes, these US doctors apparently want to squeeze our wallets dry! You can also check www.fillcentersusa.com if you haven't already! Donna

Did you go back to TJ to get your first fill, and if not where did you go? Also how many cc's did you get the first time? Thanks, Donna

I was banded Tuesday. Everything is going well. I am feeling a little tightness in my chest. Not when breathing, just like a dull little pressure feeling. Not really bad, just a little. I was just wondering if this is normal? I'm still on clear liquids, so I wouldn't think I'm feeling restriction yet. Anybody else feel this? Thanks, Donna