NoWorry

Day 11 update. My post op diet is going swimmingly well. As advised, I am not paying attention to weight loss (although i do weigh myself every morning, and I am secretly pleased that I have dropped 5 lbs) For the first seven days when there was no physical hunger (but quite a bit of head hunger), the liquid diet was rather easy. Broth, Jello, Vitamin Water and lots of Crystal Light mixes. Although I've stocked up on juices and Gatorade, I decide that the sugar content in these is simply too high and I can't justify drinking them (I'm a little surprised that OCC is recommending them with no footnote for diabetics). They get evicted from my fridge. I cheat just a tiny bit by having Kellogg's K2O water - it's almost clear and it gives me a tiny boost of protein. Surprisingly for me, what I wind up craving the most is salt. Almost everything I drink is sweet and I've been having low-sodium broth. So when I start having the cravings, it takes me a while to realize that it's salt my body is crying for. Unprepared the first night, I wind up eating two mini-pretzels. Fearful of eating my first solid, with 3 weeks to go before it's remotely allowed, I chew it till it can't remotely be described as solid by anyone's definition. The next day, I switch to regular broth and the higher sodium content seems to satisfy my salt cravings. On one occasion, I even add a few drops of hot sauce to deal with the blandness and to increase the sodium a little more. A bit of hunger starts to kick in at the end of the first week, but now that I'm allowed protein drinks, I find that three Atkins Advantage shakes (high in protein, very low in sugar) go a very long way towards keeping my appetite in check. I have a new mantra: "Is it worth $9000?" Whenever I have cravings and the head hunger kicks in - and this happens a lot when I'm just sitting around or watching tv (those ads can be cruel) - I ask myself my mantra question. It immediately changes my perspective and the answer is not even close. Pizza!!! Is it worth $9000? Nope. Four weeks is a long time looking forward, but I remind myself that when I look back on it, it will only have been the blink of an eye. I am training myself to look at the big picture, to see the positives of these changes and not focus on the negatives. At some times it's harder than others. But so far it's been working fine. I am lucky that I have family and friends who are hugely supportive. Immediately following surgery, most called every day, asking for updates and offering encouragement. The calls have tapered off since then, but not a day has gone by when at least one supporter has not enquired. I have been a loner most of my life, but I'm glad I'm not doing this alone.

Count me amongst the scared people! It's so noticeable now that a friend observed it under my t-shirt and made a comment. If it wasn't for this forum, I would be in a state of total panic. Still waiting to hear back from the doctor. Time for another call, I think.

I had a brief episode with diarrhea. I took an Imodium that night, and the next day it was gone. The daily yogurt - Activia is the best according to Dr. Miranda - should actually make you more regular. It introduces back the healthy bacteria your stomach needs which was flushed away during surgery. Although the steak isn't such a bad idea, either.

Thanks very much for the info. It's very reassuring. I also have a call in to Dr. Ortiz and am waiting to hear back. I hope I get the same response as your fellow bandster. Do you know if his swelling went down or if he had to get it fixed?

Mexico surgery is in the $7k to $9k range. US is in the $15k to $22k range. With OCC, fills are included, but are always done under fluoroscopy which is not included and costs $95, I believe. Transportation from San Diego airport to OCC and back is also extra. If booked through OCC, I am told it costs $130. By my math, that puts the total at $225 plus airfare. In Dr. Ortiz's book, he says that experienced LAP-BAND surgeons use the rule of thirds: 1/3 need 1 fill, 1/3 need 2 fills and 1/3 need 3 or more. If you are referring to the post-op diet, some surgeons will put you on a 2-week liquid diet, but at the OCC, the post-op instructions are for a 4-week liquid diet. This is primarily for the stomach to heal. Good luck! You might also consider subscribing to LapBandTalk.com forum. They have a considerably higher volume of users and traffic. And as a result, a wider range of information and views.

I'm sorry you couldn't find a way to express your opinion without attacking mine. Congratulations on your surgery and good luck on your journey.

I was banded 10 days ago. Immediately following surgery, my port incision was a little puckered. Now it is actually bulging out and I can feel the port quite clearly under the skin. Has anyone else experienced this? Just want to get some more information before I call Dr. Ortiz.

The following is quoted from Dr. Ortiz's book "LAP-BAND for Life!" How many fills to get it right? The standard protocol in the U.S. adopted by most surgeons is a gradual adding of volume. This works well, but the author prefers to get the restriction level to the correct amount as soon as possible. This can be achieved more easily with the aid of fluoroscopy. Given that you are in Michigan and TJ is such a long haul away, I can certainly see your reasoning for choosing a local doctor for the fills.

Based on responses, it would appear that I didn't convey my frustration regarding the room situation clearly enough. I paid for that room for three days. FurEllie suggests adding another $100 for it. No. It was already included in my $8500. Bandsters who bring a companion have the room for 3 nights and they pay the same total fee for it. (P.S. OCC's corporate rate for the room is 800 pesos, which is around US$74) I understand that it seems to be a waste if I am not occupying the room, but I paid for it. It should be my choice whether I 'waste' the money or not. I really don't mind saving OCC a few bucks. If I had been given clear, advance notice of the requirement to vacate the room and had planned for the packing and unpacking, rather than be told at the last minute, during a period of high-stress that I had to rush upstairs and pack, I would have minded a lot less. I saw the final bill. The room had been charged for 3 nights, so no money was saved by anyone. I was put through all that frustration for absolutely no reason. It makes the organization seem cheap and penny-pinching. I have also received messages from two other bandsters who went down there alone and were never asked to vacate the room at all. I expected and received a high level of professionalism in all areas. I got it in the clinic. I didn't in this instance. I am not debating whether or not Mrs. Ortiz is nice. I never got to know her to make a judgment one way or the other. I am, however, seriously disputing her competence. Again, only relative to the other level of competence I experienced throught the rest of my experience. It reduced the overall level of my experience, my comfort, my feeling of safety and my likelihood of recommending the organization to friends.

I'm not sure that Teri will agree with you about that. I was banded on May 16 and also got the VG band. From reading Dr. Ortiz's book, I get the distinct impression that this bigger band is much more favored than the smaller one, and the subtext seems to indicate that he will be using it more frequently. I'm still on my liquid stage of course, so there's no question of any restriction at all. I hit solid foods in another two weeks and then I'll know how much restriction I have with just the band. However, with a capacity of 10 cc vs the 4cc for the 9 cm and 10 cm bands, there's a lot more room for fine tuning... or error, depending on your point of view.

Since I'm on liquids for the first 4 weeks post-op, and liquids are not restricted by the band, am I correct in concluding that there's no way of even knowing what level of restriction you have until after the liquid phase is over?

Good luck. You can read about my full experience at http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=3135

Step 12: Heading home The next morning, I bathe and pack my stuff. I check out and settle up the 50 cents I owe for the call to the Clinic. I

Step 11: The day after surgery I have a hot, hot shower and examine my surgical incisions. The four small cuts are actually rather tiny. I

Step 10: Discharge The next thing I know, it

Step 9: The OR Inside the OR, it

Step 8: Prep for surgery There

Step 7: Surgery morning I set the room alarm for 7 a.m. I have my own travel alarm. I set it for 7:05 just in case. I woke up when the first alarm went off. I was making a pot of coffee when a buddy calls from the east coast. I happen to mention that the coffee is brewing. He asks if I

Step 6: To Hotel Lucerna Now I just have to wait for Mrs. Ortiz to drive me to the hotel. And wait. And wait. A little over an hour later, Mrs. Ortiz arrives. Not so much as a hello, a nod, or an acknowledgement. She

Step 5: The OCC It

Step 4: To Tijuana In spite of all my tendencies towards research, I

Step 3: Which Doctor? I made a spread sheet and started listing all the pros and cons for each doctor. I factored in cost, level of care, distance to travel, cost of travel, number of procedures performed by each surgeon, quality of my contact with them and a bunch of other less tangible elements. I ruled out Cancun

Step 2: Why Mexico? Since my friend was the deciding factor, it made sense to approach her doctor

Step 1: The decision I was banded by Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, Mexico on May 16, 2007. As far as I can tell, the procedure was a total success and my first three days of recovery have been excellent. During my research, prior to my banding, I looked extensively for a complete picture of the entire banding experience. While I found mounds of useful information in forums, magazines, books and internet articles, I was unable to find a complete picture. This, then, is mine. I hope it helps you. I have been obese for around 9 years. I spent almost all of those years trying to lose the weight. If you

Conclusions: Promises kept and Promises broken I feel that, in the process of information gathering, a number of promises were implicitly made by OCC. Some were kept, others were broken. Prompt, accurate and detailed information of all aspects KEPT A comfortable ride from San Diego to Tijuana BROKEN A complete pre-op workover KEPT A valuable personalized consultation with a nutritionist BROKEN A patient facilitator to simplify all interactions BROKEN A comfortable room at a 5-star hotel KEPT