NoWorry

You're very welcome, Katie. I'll update it when I get back and make suggestions, if any, for improving it.

Thanks for the info, Mike. Do you have an estimate for crossing Mexico to US in a vehicle? If crossing on foot is as long as 2-1/2 hours and crossing by vehicle is significantly faster, it might be worthwhile to pay the extra for Mexico insurance and drive across and back.

P.S. Anyone needing a ride on that day, around that time, is most welcome.

I've just booked my first fill trip to OCC. At present, my itinerary is as follows: FRIDAY, JUNE 22: Fly to San Diego, arrive 10:23 a.m. Avis car rental at airport. Drive to Mexico border. Park at border. Cross on foot. Taxi to OCC. 12:30 p.m. appointment for fill. (2 hour fast prior to fill) Have lunch in TJ to check out fill. If any problems, back to OCC. Otherwise, taxi to border. Cross on foot. Drive to Holiday Inn, National City and check in. Explore San Diego. Dinner in GasLamp District. Second check of fill. SATURDAY, JUNE 23 Fill is most problematic in the morning, so check stoma again. If problem, back to OCC. If not, check out of hotel. Explore San Diego (Sea World?). 3:00 p.m. return rental car. 5:00 p.m. flight home How long, on average, does it take to cross the border, into and out of Mexico when taking a taxi (as opposed to commercial driver)? How long is the taxi ride to OCC after crossing the border? How easy is it to find a taxi? Is OCC easy to find by a taxi driver? Any suggestions, ideas or advice on how to tweak or improve this itinerary?

Had my first solid meal today. No restriction at all. Could discern no difference at all from before the surgery. I guess I need my fill pretty soon!

As a follow up to dreamhappy's question, when you had your first solid food, did you feel any restriction at all?

Thanks very much for this info, Lisa. It's very helpful and much appreciated.

While it's definitely true that soft, starchy carbs are most likely to fall into the mushy group. there are lots of alternatives. Stage one baby food, for example, provides high protein and complex carbs in many selections. I had a black bean soup today that caused no problem. Okay, so I over-watered it, then blended it and then strained it to get it to fall into the liquid rather than mushy category, but it still tasted great - chipotle and lime flavored! - and also resolved my craving for complex carbs. So far it hasn't run right through me as did all the other liquids I've been drinking.

From "LAP-BAND for Life" by Dr. Ariel Ortiz Lagardere, page 199: Q. Do you place the VG band during surgery now? A. Certain centers have no access to the VG, and others are either using it selectively for larger patients or routinely on all patients.

Considering the beating you've taken on this board - and all the judgment you've received instead of (and sometimes disguised as) support - I am truly impressed that you are able to keep such an open heart and open mind. You are my hero for today! Since it's my job to be accurate and precise, I can't afford to wear blinders. Much to my surprise, this forum is turning out to be a significant part of the story. It's already been upgraded from a Life section piece to the Sunday supplement. I've done about three months of concentrated research. And while there are plenty of rumors of these Dr. Bads out there. In truth, there are remarkably few. In fact, I was able to find only 2 documented cases. The very vast number of bariatric surgeons in Mexico fall in the 'excellent' category. Dr. Ortiz is definitely one of them, but not even close to the only one. And is he the one and only absolute best? Even he doesn't dream of saying so in his book. Actually, I think it is exactly a panic. There seem to be a lot of people here afraid to consider the possibility that their choice was not the best one. It might mean that they made the second-best (or possibly even lower) choice. And that apparently is not acceptable. Consider this: I was challenged just for checking out Hospital Angeles while I was in Tijuana. How could I possibly do that when I had already committed to Dr. Ortiz? I've had girlfriends who were less possessive than that. Oh, I do understand that. But if you think about it, that's really a lot more scary. One user actually created a second user name to take two whacks at my comments! I just read in Donna34's post that her trip for this surgery was her first time on a plane. I must confess, I hadn't even considered that. For how many people here does the same thing apply? And how many of these events are firsts? First time picked up by a driver? First time through International immigration? First time in a 5-star hotel? First time in a private clinic? First time having elective surgery? And for each of these firsts, what is the basis of comparison? When you have a sample of one, it's obviously the best. Clearly I have to take that into account to some degree. But I write for a highly sophisticated readership, and this story is geared primarily to women who tend to be far more critical in their view of such things. I had a tour of a Beverly Hills clinic last month. Let's just say it was eye-opening.

Thanks, BSN. I'm beginning to realize that you're absolutely right. Have you noticed, though, that there are perhaps 10 members who are cumulatively responsible for something like 1,500 posts! It seems to be their job(?), duty(?), mission(?) to smack down anyone who has even a slightly conflicting view. The unfortunate result is that this forum is more of a fan site than a source for valuable and useful information to bandsters. Although, there are a few exceptions whom I appreciate mightily. You're very welcome. And thank you for saying so. It's not a popular thing to do.

Now that I'm on full liquids, the salt issue seems to be resolved. I am having Campbell's Cream soups and they seem to be providing enough salt. The scar site swelling is down substantially. At Dr. Martinez's suggestion, I put a heating pad on it a couple times a day. I'm not sure that helps, but it feels nice. The remarkable thing is that the scar is doing amazingly well. From what I understand, the main port incision is actually sutured from inside the abdomen. I'm only in week three and the scar is already very faint. I'm rather impressed by this.

If you really didn't find anything good in my posts, you really weren't paying a lot of attention. Yes, I know that we fat people are really very good at excusing a lot and looking the other way. It comes from a long history of taking a lot of abuse from a lot of people. I'm choosing not to live my life that way. It would appear that I simply expect better treatment than you do. Oh, sorry. I know. That's not allowed. Anyway, I believe that enough people have appreciated my information to make my effort worthwhile. And while you correctly continue to exercise your right to post your experience, please stop trying to take away my right to post mine. There are literally hundreds of voices raving about their experience on this forum. So why all this energy to silence one lone mildly dissenting opinion? Was your trip to Tijuana absolutely perfect? Or could something, however small, have been improved? Honest answer. Pretend that Dr. Ortiz is sitting at the other end with a pad and pencil just looking for ways to improve his organization's service. And whatever you tell him will immediately be acted upon and improved. What would you tell him? Pretend that the most important person in your life is going to Tijuana for this procedure and you can't go with them. They ask you: is there anything I should watch out for? What would you tell them? I found something that's really good, but that could use a little improvement. As a fellow bandster with a similar positive overall experience, why don't you help me try and improve it?

I am genuinely glad you had such a pleasant experience. It's a shame that your mind is so small that it does not have room for more than one opinion. And clearly the only opinion that is allowed to exist must be yours. Is it possible for two people to eat the same meal and for one to say it's delicious and the other to say it's too spicy? Is one of them wrong? And if you were the one who found it too spicy, would it make any difference that the cook was really busy and didn't have time to measure the spices? Or that the other ingredients were really top notch so the spiciness should be overlooked? This forum is titled "Newly Banded? Tell Your Experience." I told MINE. You could have simply told yours. But here you are - not simply telling your experience, but telling me that my experience is wrong, or there are so many excuses and explanations for it. (And using a psuedonym to make the attack.) Normally I would suggest that we simply agree to disagree and go on with our lives, but it appears imperative to you that only you be right. I stated my opinions and stand by them. I respect your opinion and the fact that they are different then mine. I regret that I have neither the time, the patience nor the desire to debate them with you any further. Shoo!

I can see how eating solid foods during the first 3-4 weeks might cause slippage. But I'm asking about mushies, and specifically about a transition, rather than going straight from liquid to solids. Well, I'm at 15 days and I'm tired of the constant diarrhea over the last 4 days and the now-steady diet of Imodium. My research convinces me that a slow and steady progression to mushies is not only safe, but should be recommended. I'll report my results for any others who may be interested.

I'm not disputing it. I'm trying to understand why.

Emmi is a great way to learn about what to expect before, during and after your procedure. Patients find it very helpful and easy to watch. Emmi will answer many of the questions you may have... and even some you didn't even know you had. To watch Emmi: https://www.my-emmi.com/startemmi?access_code=19535039549 Your Access Code is: 19535039549 Please watch it by: June 18, 2007 Since we do not know your exact birth date, we used a generic date... To log into EMMI, please enter your birth date as: 01/01/1980

According to the post-op diet I was given by Dr. Miranda, the first week is clear liquids (she changed this to 4 days in my case) and then 3 weeks of full liquids. Finally, starting on day 28, solid foods. But there is no period of mushies. On LapBandTalk, there is a lot of discussion amongst patients who are eating mushies starting anywhere from their 2nd or 3rd week. In "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies," the authors talk about stages of soft purees and firm purees during the initial 4 week post-op diet and offer many recipes and suggestions for what to eat during these stages. This is for both bypass and Band patients. Has anyone here been allowed mushies during their post-op diet? If not, any idea why not?

I will almost definitely go back to OCC for my fills. Dr. Martinez recommended doing the fills over a span of a day or two. I.e. have the fill, go out and have a meal. Have the fill tweaked, if necessary. Have another meal or two. Another tweak, if necessary. It sounded like a really terrific way of doing it. But I'm going to drive down there. I'm in Vegas, so it's a 5 hour drive each way. I'll get Mexico auto insurance at AAA in San Diego and take my car. That way I can control my own destiny and do some exploring, as well.

There you are, Cheryl! Just last night I was wondering what happened to you. So great to hear from you again. I didn't get the chance to see you before you left, but Francisco told me that he drove you to the airport at 6 a.m. on Friday. I had a much more civilized pick up time of 10 a.m. How was the remainder of your stay. Were your complications all sorted out? Some friends had a pool party yesterday - swimming, beer, ribs. All the things I'm not allowed to do. I bowed out rather than spend the day watching them do stuff I'm not allowed to do. I felt cheated briefly, but then reminded myself of all the reasons for doing this. Compared to that, what's one pool party? Can't wait to see them! Hugs, Sanjay

What an excellent idea. Sounds really yummy, too! I'll give it a try. I found "Luigi's Italian Ice" at my local WalMart. Plus another brand of Gelato. Both came in SF versions as well. The Luigi's Lemon Ice is absolutely terrific. Strawberry not so much. I pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to get them really slushy!

The list was compiled from a number of different forums. I have two lists from OCC. One lists Jello, the other does not. I've been having a 1/2 cup serving of Jello every couple of days and it hasn't caused any problems.

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.

Hi JC, I know exactly what you're saying, and I struggled with that. The tricky part, of course, is comparing something you've done with something you haven't done. For all we know, one of the competitors out there is vastly superior, or by the same token, vastly inferior. I guess what I'm saying, and I think you're agreeing with, is that it would be ideal if OCC could fix the small hiccups. That would instantly make an unqualified recommendation a no-brainer. And let's face it, if no one complains, how will OCC even know these problems exist? But in the absence of changes by them, knowing what I know now, I know I would have done more research. Chances are good, though, that I would still make the same decisions. I think you've already guessed the main reason for my posts: to set up realistic expectations for future bandsters. The reason for many of my small disappointments were simply my expectations. I had read nothing but raves on this site, without the tiniest indication of any hiccups. So, when I encountered them, I was surprised and disappointed. If I had read a journal such as mine prior to surgery, I believe my experience would have been much better because each time I encountered one of these hiccups, I would have been prepared and would have not given them a second thought. While I was at the Lucerna, I had the opportunity to meet with another OCC bandster who was back for a fill. When I mentioned my disappointments, she was not the least bit surprised. Her experiences were almost exactly the same as mine. She has posted on this forum over 40 times and on LapBandTalk over 60 times, but never once mentioned any of these experiences. For selfish reasons, I wish she had. So I took it upon myself. If my journal helps one future bandster, my effort will have been justified.

A bit of stress Immediately following surgery, my port site incision was puckered and leaking every so slightly. My nurse looked at it, dabbed away the leakage and assured me that all was well. A doctor examined the incision as well, and felt there was no cause for alarm. He did add, though, that if the port had not been properly seated, they could fix it later with a small follow up surgery under local anaesthetic. At the time, it didn't occur to me that I would have to travel back to TJ for this. Duh. A few days ago, I started noticing a very prominent bulge at the port site. The area is distended by almost a centimeter and I can very clearly feel a hard knot bulging out - my logic says it has to be the port. But since I have no pain or discomfort, I decide to wait. Unfortunately, there's no mention of this symptom in Dr. Ortiz's book under the section "Troubleshooting the Band," so I can't find a quick solution there. Then, on Friday (Day 10), a friend makes a comment - he can see the bulge under my fairly loose-fitting t-shirt. It looks like the thermometer that pops up on a Butterball turkey. Now I feel there's no alternative; I call Dr. Ortiz's office and leave a message with the receptionist. I sit by the phone for the remainder of the day. No one calls me back. In the meantime, I post a query on Ortiz's forum and two fellow bandsters post reassuring responses. It's like a human Valium. I think I know that there is no cause for alarm. But I also don't know what the solution is. Day 11, I call again. It's Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend and I really don't want to have to wait until Tuesday to get a response. Otherwise, it's going to be a very stressful weekend. Luckily, I am right away put through to a doctor whose name I don't catch. He assures me that if there is no pain and no redness, I should not be alarmed. What should I expect to happen now? I ask him. He suggests I talk to Dr. Martinez and gives me his cell number. It takes Dr. Martinez only a few hours to return my call. Saturdays, he explains, are busy because of fills and because of many others like me who have questions. As he was before the surgery, he is again hugely informative and incredibly reassuring. The lumpy knot is inflamed tissue, not the port, he informs me. He asks me to palpate an inch below the incision and, sure enough, I can feel the port there, tucked safely below my skin in its proper place. The bulging knot is inflamed tissue caused by the incision, by the sutures placed around the port and those placed under the skin wall. The inflammation will recede as my body heals. It varies between individuals. In very rare cases it can take up to a year to heal completely, but in most cases it's gone in a few weeks. He expects that there will be no sign of it by the time for my first fill. Whew! Since I have him on the phone, I ask if there is any benefit to using Neosporin's "Scar Solution" pads or any topical ointments to assist with the healing. There's no long term evidence of benefit in reducing scarring, he tells me, but they can speed recovery. The pads are better than the ointments, since the latter can just rub off against my clothes. The fact is that I'm already wearing the Scar Solution pads, and now I have the validation necessary to keep wearing them. I am totally reassured and can now dismiss this worry from my mind. Poof! The stress is all gone.