scubadot

I had the Zoom after my surgery... I was not impressed with the results. I should have saved my money for new clothes... that's my opinion. I guess my teeth were pretty white to begin with... they improved maybe one shade. The crest strips do the same thing. Hope this helps, Dottie

Okay, I called and talked to PADI about their article about diving after bariatric surgery... they said follow the advice of your physician. I called DAN (Diver's Alert Network) and asked them about wating a year or longer before diving... and they said that the article is written mainly about gastric bypass surgery and about patients that have other underlying health problems. And that you should talk to your physician before diving. So I think I am good to go.... I am waiting to hear from Dr. Ortiz or Dr. Martinez about getting a note that says I am okay to scuba dive. My boss seems to be okay with a doctor's note and I hope not to have anymore problems about going back to work. Wish me luck! Dottie

Hi Linda, Thank you so much for your feed back... as I said, I have only heard good things about Kathy and I think it is a good idea that I start my fill life with her. I would love to go back to OCC...but, the trip is daunting. If only they were closer! Wishful thinking! So... since your surgery last October... you have had three fills? Have you had to have an unfill? Do you go on liquids again after the fill? Should I stay in Tampa until I try eating solids again to make sure all is well before I leave the area? When you go down to Tampa... how long do you stay? Thank you again for the info. I appreciate your help! Dottie

Hi Everybody, I know I have asked this question months ago....but, here it is again. Have any of your had any problems with scuba diving after the lapband surgery? How long did you wait before going diving? I work as a scuba instructor in the Cayman Islands and have taken 8 weeks off to have the surgery with Dr. Ortiz. My surgery was two weeks ago and I am feeling fine. I return to work on Oct 20. I have just received an email from my boss in the Caymans about an article that says Adjustable banded gastrony patients must wait a year or longer before diving again. Now he is asking me for a note saying that I am okay to return to work. Not like I don't have a trillon other things on my mind right now... to have to worry about my job. Any divers out there? Help! Dottie

Hi Everybody, I was banded two weeks ago on August 24th by Dr. Ortiz and I can't sing OCC praises loud enough! They were absolutely FABULOUS!!!! I felt good on the 25th and fine on the morning of the 26th...but, once I was on the plane heading back to South Carolina.... the worst day of my life! I clutched an airsick bag the entire 12 hours it took to get back to my Mom's. Not a happy camper to say the least! I have had my down days (3), but mostly up days... just taking one day at a time...I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I have lost 9lbs since the surgery and hope to keep watching it go down. One week to go before I start solids... anticipation! So, now... I am thinking about my 1st fill. A return flight to TJ scares the crap out of me...but, I want to make sure I do this right! I live in the Cayman Islands and return to the Caymans on October 19th. I am staying here in South Carolina with my Mom... my job is very active and I wanted to make sure I was 100%+ ready to go back to work. I have decided that from the Caymans... it would be easiest and less costly to fly to Tampa, FL for any fills or adjustments I might need in the future. I have heard only good things about Kathy Gonzales, who does the fills in St. Petersburg at one of the FillUSA Centers. The plus side about going to Tampa is that I have friends who live there and would have a place to stay for several days to give the fill time to adjust... as opposed to going to TJ... where I will have to pay for a hotel and transportation and get back on a plane for a LONG ride back to the east coast. I called a local bariatric surgeon in Conway, SC and he wants a $1000 program fee up front and then $300 per office visit and fill... can you believe those prices? My mom's next door neighbor's sister... had the lapband three years ago and she looks great... having lost 120 pounds. She didn't get her first fill until 6 months after the surgery. Is there anyone monitoring this forum that didn't get their first fill after the surgery some 4 months or longer? Do the majority get it 6 weeks out? What do I look for when it is time for a fill? Volume of food I can eat? Losing weight? Thanks guys... So... any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Dottie

Hi Chrissy, Sorry that I didn't get the chance to meet you. My Mom said she had a great time talking with you. I am two weeks post-op and doing well. I have had my up days and down days... but, overall good! One more week to go before solids... can't wait! How are you doing? Everybody at OCC was absolutely fantastic! Please feel free to email or call if you would like to talk or share! My email is scubadot@gmail.com or you can call at 843-390-0393 Good luck to the both of us! Dottie

Hi Everybody, Just about two weeks before my surgery... I am getting soooooo excited and scared! Dr. Miranda asked that I lose 30 pounds before my surgery, I am down 28 pounds and hoping I drop the last two in this last 14 day countdown! Keep your fingers crossed for me! I haven't read of anyone else having their surgery on August 24th... but, I look forward to meeting some people. I live in the Cayman Islands and am flying to the States - Myrtle Beach, SC (where my Mom lives) on August 20th. Thank GOD, my Mom is coming with me to Tijuana! =D> She is flying out to San Diego with me on August 23rd... anyone else arriving then? I found another cool site with lots of good info, stuff to order and a forum at www.beforeandafterhelp.com I have ordered some of the protein drinks to be prepared... any other suggestions out there? Well, GOOD LUCK to all the other August surgeries! > Think positive thoughts for me! Best wishes, Dottie

Does anyone know if Dr. Ortiz does this procedure? Might be something to consider with the band. Just trying to see what can make the band the most effective. Dottie

Hi Sonjia, I am arriving on the 23rd and being banded on the 24th. Maybe we will see each other at OCC. I will check on you! Dottie

Hi Everybody, Has anyone heard anything about combining the lapband and having a vagotomy? I just read about it on obesityhelp.com An operation once popular for the treatment of ulcers may prove to be an overlooked weight-loss solution for the newly obese. The surgery, which removes part of the vagus nerve in the esophagus, resulted in significant weight loss with few lasting side effects and same-day recovery, according to early data presented recently at a plenary session of the annual meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) in San Diego. From the Greensboro Record - July 23, 2007 So, in February, the 43-year-old Gibsonville woman began taking part in Greensboro-based research that combines two established procedures to help obese patients lose weight. Kristen Earle, the medical director for weight-loss surgery at Moses Cone Health System, is leading the research. The research is one response to a growing epidemic of obesity in the country. Obese Americans grew from 15 percent of the population in the late 1970s to 34.9 percent in 2004. North Carolina has one of the highest incidences of obesity in the country. White received a "lap band," an adjustable silicone band around the upper stomach that aids weight loss by reducing hunger. (Very obese patients also can undergo the more invasive gastric-bypass surgery.) But Earle also cut two 1-centimeter pieces of White's vagus nerve, which connects the brain with the front and back of the stomach. That surgery had been used from the 1950s to the 1970s to treat excessive stomach acid. Doctors performing the procedure noticed that patients lost appetite and weight. But once more powerful antacids were developed, the nerve cut was largely abandoned. Researchers in Rochester, N.Y., and San Francisco are performing the nerve cut, called a vagotomy, by itself to see whether it can be used to help patients lose weight. The Rochester researchers also plan to perform the same type of research as Earle's. Earle's research examines whether combining the nerve cut and the band produces better results. Drs. Matthew B. Martin, Benjamin Hoxworth and David Newman also are participating in the research. White had been planning to receive the lap band, but the more she researched and read, the more she thought the dual procedure might be for her. Earle has performed the dual procedure on more than 30 patients since May 2006. "We have 100 percent of people not being hungry," she said. Moreover, weight loss among those with the dual procedure is greater than with the lap band alone and about the same as with gastric-bypass surgery. Any thoughts? Dottie

Anyone scheduled on August 24? My Mom and I are flying from Myrtle Beach, SC on August 23... surgery on the 24th! Looking forward to meeting and making some new friends! Good Luck Everyone! Dottie

Thanks Pammie, I really appreicate the support. I have two months to go before my surgery... and I am on needles and pins! I have never been in the hospital for anything. I am so so so pleased that my Mom is going with me! I may be 47 years old... but, I'm not to old to admit that I still need my Mommie! It is great to live in Paradise... but, there can be drawbacks sometimes.... no men being the biggest! ( Any limited shopping. :-? But you have to love the internet! > If you would like to check out my piece of the pie... go to www.littlecayman.com Thanks again for the kind words! Each and everyone of them counts! Dottie

Hi Everybody, My surgery date is set for August 24 with Dr. Ortiz... and I am sooo excited that my Mom is coming with me. =D> I live in the Cayman Islands and am flying to the States (Myrtle Beach, SC) on August 20 and then Mom and I are flying to San Diego on August 23rd. My starting weight when I booked the surgery was 304 and I am down to 284 with my pre-op diet, so far. Let me tell you it is hard work on a very very small island with one teeny tiny grocery store on the island. With only about 180 people living here... not a lot of selection. But, the store has been very good about ordering Slim-Fast and Lean Cusines by the case for me. Has anyone created a "take with"... "wish I had brought" list for the surgery? I have been jotting notes down from all the various posts on all subjects. Any prep info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Dottie

Hi Everybody, I called the 1-877-Lapband number and it is for finding a surgeon... not a fill doctor. They say to go back to your surgeon for fills. Hope this helps. Dottie

Hi Shannon, Dr. Miranda has asked me to lose 30lbs before my surgery date. My BMI is over 50 also. My surgery date isn't until August 24... but, I don't want to take the extra time for granted. Right now, I am waiting for a few cases of Slim-Fast to arrive so I can start my journey. I live on a very very small island (150 people) in the Caribbean and don't have the luxury of a grocery store. So... I have ordered two cases of Slim-Fast to get me started and hoping it arrives next week. Please keep us up to date on how you are doing! I'm sooooo excited.... and scared at the same time! Good luck! Dottie

Hi M, Where are you moving to in North Carolina? My Mom lives in Myrtle Beach, SC about 4 miles from the NC/SC border. I live in the Caymans... but will be in the States (Myrtle Beach) from Aug 20 to Oct 19. My surgery is planned in TJ on Aug 24. Maybe we could hook-up sometime after. Let me know! I hope you enjoy NC! Dottie

Hi Everybody, My name is Dottie and I just scheduled my surgery for August 24 with Dr. Ortiz. I live in the Cayman Islands and work as a scuba instructor/divemaster. My plan is to fly home to my Mom's in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on August 20, and then fly to San Diego on August 23 and have the surgery on the 24. I will remain in the States until Oct 19... and fly back to the Caymans. I am staying in the States for so long to give myself plenty of time to heal and get the liquid phase out of the way and be on regular foods before I return to the Caymans. I am planning on flying back to San Diego approx. 6 weeks after surgery for my first fill with OCC around Oct. 8-12. Once I return to the Caymans... I will probably have to fly to Tampa to one of the Fill Centers for any other follow-ups. Am I being realistic in thinking I won't have to fly to Tampa very often for fills or adjustments? For one... the airfare will be a big hurt on my pocketbook... plus having to request additional time off for the Tampa visits. Is having 1-2 additional fills in a year feasible? How many of you out there have had your follow-up fill in TJ and find you still have to have multiple fills or unfills in the months following? Am I going to be able to do this and make it work?! :-? I am so excited, but so scared also. Thanks so much for listening to me! Dottie

Hi Guys, An odd question.... do you feel the port if you sleep on your tummy? Call me weird... but, I can't sleep on my back or side... I do best on my tummy. I realize right after the surgery that might be uncomfortable... but, after healed... any problems? Thanks, Dottie

Thank you Stacy16, Clynn and DietingQueen! I will be keeping my fingers crossed that Sushi and Sashimi still like me after the surgery! Thanks again, Dottie

Hi Everybody, I am still in the planning stages of my Lapband surgery... I live in the Cayman Islands... and have lots of arrangements to make with plane tickets and such... but, I am doing this! I am very excited and nervous about my upcoming lifestyle changes. I am trying to get as much info ahead of time as possible. I love sushi and sashimi... I know that rice can be a problem for people... has anyone tried raw fish? I love raw tuna with some soy and wasabi... is it too much to hope for that I will still be able to eat it after the surgery. Thanks for your help! Sincerely, Dottie

Thanks Becki, The lifting is a major concern for me... since I do quite alot every day. I appreciate the help! Dottie

Thanks Kris... I just called D.A.N. (Diver's Alert Network)... and they said there such be no problems diving after the surgery. Generally speaking... how often did you need to go back and see the doctor for follow-up? Thanks again!

Hi, I am very very seriously considering LapBand surgery. I am 5'4" and weigh 310 pounds. I have a very active job as a scuba instructor. I scuba dive 6 days a week and do lots of heavy lifting constantly (45 pound tanks - one in each hand... carrying, lifting and such). Does anyone have any ideas on how long the post op would be before I cound go back to work? I sooo want to do this... but, have to make sure I can still work to pay for it! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Dottie