Donna34

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

This sounds more like a public hospital than a private one like Dr. Ortiz runs and it looks like the killers are targeting people who wouldn't be crazy Amercians getting WLS

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...ld/4729140.html

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

Thanks so much Donna. So do you think we shouldn't bother bringing our birth certificates? How was is going over the border before surgery? That is nice that they let you stay in the van on the way back if you had surgery. There must have been quite a few of you.

Judy

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.

Becki,

My weight loss, to date, is a result of my determination not to allow my husband to waste this money. I joined a gym. I eat less than 1000 calories a day and I struggle like no other. I lost more than half of that weight pre-surgery so my average is way less than it should be.. The VG band needs way more fills than a regular one. The only contribution that the band has made to my weight loss is mental. I'm not giving it any credit because it hasn't helped me like it has helped other people. Maybe (I am still hoping, I never give up)that I will one day get enough fill to really make a difference. In the meantime, I am just on a diet, Like always. Nita

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

Thanks Katie. That is what makes me nervous about needing both your US ID cards and a birth certificate. Even though my Mom and I were born in Germany, we are American citizens. How would that flow with the border guards? :-?

I hope our US Id's is all we would need.

Peace,

Judy

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

I went bymyself and did just fine. Everyone at the clinic is great and you'll be surprised how other bandsters will adopt you as their own. Toni and Donna were both wonderful to me and made me feel like I had friends right there if I needed them. My DH knows but that is it for me. I personally enjoy traveling by myself so the trip to SD and then down to TJ wasn't a stretch at all.

Twigs

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

I AM HAVING MY SURGERY ON APRIL 20

I WISH YOU ALL GO LUCK.

Hey Kirk!

Where are you from? Just curious....

Donna

Wow! Thanks so much for all the info. It's a great help to hear about others experiences and to know how to deal with things after surgery. I definitely will not drink the tap water and for sure stay away from "mineral water"...lol Too bad I would have to just have tortilla soup broth, but it sounds yummy. Back in the 70's when I went to germany with my family, we had a layover in London and were so thirsty. We ordered a ginger ale and it was super spicy. Live and learn I guess...lol

You all are great! Thanks!

Judy

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

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

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

OK I KNOW I'M BAD ABOUT THESE THINGS. I USED THE BOTTLED WATER AT THE HOTEL TO BRUSH MY TEETH BEING IT WAS BOTTLED IN MX. I PURCHASED WATER AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE I MET THE SHUTTLE DRIVER FOR DRINKING. THE BOTTLED WATER AT THE CLINIC IS FROM COSTCO, BOTTLED IN USA. BY THE WAY COSTCO IS RIGHT BEHIND THE CLINIC IF YOU NEED TO TAKE HOME MAYBE A BOTTLE OF THE ALCOHOLIC NATURE

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

excuse me... its called the toot and scoot

i don't even know what to post here i'm just cracking up - maybe its the pain meds

you'll be fine!!!

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

Hi all,

I was thinking about people always saying "don't drink the water" in Mexico and I have been wondering if that is true. Is the water safe to drink? Even bottled water? I saw one member on this forum that had a parasite infection after traveling to TJ for banding. Kind of been on my mind since I read her post. Scary.

Also, how do you get enough water to drink after surgery when you are back at your hotel and then heading for home?

Thanks for any advice or help on this subject.

Peace,

Judy

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

Donna - I'd be curious to know how your experience was with Dr Ortiz. I am getting my referral to Dr Boyce but if BC/BS won't pay for it, I'll definitely take the next step for Mexico.

Eric

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 would actually just eat at the Lucerna - they have really good food. I don't know about the restaurants in TJ - that would be a better question for Rene - he lives there!

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

I am from Mississippi also and looking for a Dr to do the lap band. I am thinking about Dr Ortiz, can somebody tell me how much he charges for this? Its amazing how much these local Drs charge for the fills when its such a simple thing to do!!! They must be getting revenge on us for using other Drs!! Tina

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

I second Donna's comments. We were there together on the 3rd and I have nothing but praise for Dr. Ortiz and his staff. When was the last time there was a doctor and nurse to care for six patients overnight in any US hospital? I am feeling fine and literally had little to no pain. Sure, broth is boring and the trip home was kind of long, but I feel it was all worth it.

Hi Donna! Glad to hear you are doing well.

Janice/aka Twigs

Hi Janice!

We did have a ball didn't we? Now I know why everyone says that you have BAND sisters/brothers when you come back! LOL The massages from the nurses were great too! There are SO many great things about having surgery there. It truly was a great experience. You didn't happen to get Kathy and Melissa's e-mail address did you? I'd love to hear from them, and I totally forgot to get it.

Donna

Hi, Donna!

How did the surgery go? I am scheduled for April 23 and would like any info you can give me!

Connie Gist

GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!! It was a wonderful experience!! E-mail me at sparks2n2@yahoo.com, and I'll tell you all about it! You'll love them!!!

Donna

Someone else mentioned that your companion could not stay the night at the surgery center, and would be sent back to the hotel. Was this true for you, or were they permitted to stay? Just wondering if I will have to spend the night alone.

Donna <-------Big Baby

Are any of you scheduled for surgery with Dr. Ortiz on April 3rd? I'm very excited, but also getting a little nervous. Most nervous about the flight! LOL

Donna