snowbird

Cyndi, Didn't you get the info from the clinic on how long to wait after surgery for your first fill? You aren't expected to have restriction after the swelling goes down. The weight you may be gaining could just be fluid weight now you are eating solids. Chill, stop worrying, take it easy. We all want instant results --- I am now weighing myself about 5 times a day just in case I lost a pound since three hours ago! Let your body heal completely and follow the advice you were given after surgery, and you'll be fine. Some people don't lose anything in the period between surgery and the first fill, so you are doing great.

No, Sassy! I'm saying that even though I don't have to be concerned about the cost of the surgery since my insurance will cover it, and I could have it done right here where I live and it would be much more convenient, we went to Dr Ortiz anyway since he is the most experienced and his clinic is the best. Sorry I wasn't clearer; trying too hard to be cute, I guess.

Well, considering you don't even get home til day 3, I think I can stand it. I was surprised that Dr Miranda said we could fudge a little and start yogurt as early as day 4 if we were feeling well, but I don't think Im going to push it.

I got some liquid vitamins from a Hi-Health store called "vitamin and mineral supreme formula 19." If you don't have the stores in your area you can order online. The stuff actually tastes not too gross. The clerk let me sample it in the store; it is mixed with some type of fruit nectar and I actually drank it down straight and it wasn't that bad. However, I usually mix it with a little apple juice at home. I just got home from TJ yesterday, and one problem I had was really bad leg cramps in the night. I figured it might be from some mineral deficiency with the clear liquids and drank some of this vitamin stuff down, and problem was solved.

Sharon, I went along with my daughter to Dr Ortiz's clinic last year when she had her surgery. My insurance will pay for this surgery, but my husband and I are still going to Dr Ortiz. Hope that tells you how we feel!

No, to re-enter the US by car (or OCC van) you do not need a passport. Right now that is set to change in January 2008, Homeland Security is still trying to figure out if they are delaying it or not. If you are planning on a fill in TJ after the first of the year, it would probably be a good idea to apply for a passport if you don't have one now. You can check this link: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html to verify this info and keep an eye on changes to the regulations. I was hearing that the Mexican government was saying they were going to demand to see passports, but since the last couple of times I have crossed the border they haven't even had anyone at the border to check anything, I doubt this is happening. You can just drive or walk across and not see anyone official looking when you go into Mexico.

Are you Dr. Ortiz's patient? I thought he recommended clear liquids for the first week. Am I imagining my next couple of weeks worse than they really will be?

Donna, You don't really need a companion for other than moral support, and you will probably meet other patients that can help you with that too! The clinic picks you up at the airport, gets you to the clinic, drives you to the hotel, picks you up at the hotel and gets you to the clinic on surgery day, then gets you back to the hotel and finally back to the airport. If your husband likes to explore new places by himself while you are in the clinic, he might like to come. Otherwise, it isn't a necessity. You will have some time to yourself the day after surgery so you might like to have someone there with you to explore a bit of Tijuana. The doctors recommend you do some walking the next day to get things moving again. However, you will probably meet other patients during your time at the clinic, so you won't have to be alone unless you want to be. It's a personal preference.

1-3 pounds a weeks sounds like an awful lot. Maybe you can do that for the first month or so , but the articles I have read say that 1-2 lb per month is the desirable rate for permanent weight loss. "They" say that it usually takes two years to lose with a lap-band procedure, so don't try to rush it. Everyone's body is different. As long as you are not gaining, you are fine. You have lost 55 lb in a bit over 6 months. I would say that is wonderful! This isn't a contest--it's a process of getting healthy. Sounds like you are headed in the right direction.

I just came home from visiting my mother to find my husband had eaten the last desirable thing in the house. I guess we are really sticking to the pre surgery diet now out of necessity. My choices are: south beach breakfast bars, protein shakes, and a slightly gray half head of cauliflower. Wait! I have a package of sugar free pudding mix! Can I mix it with the protein shake mix and make . . . something that tastes good? Probably not. We will probably see each other there, as they have you up and walking around almost immediately after the surgery. Helps with those dreaded gas pains. Chris

I just tried a protein drink that I actually enjoy drinking! It's Hi Health Ultimate Meal, and it's low sugar so it doesn't make me hungry like some of the sugared drinks do. I know I am sounding like an ad here, but I tried the "Dreamy Vanilla Bean" flavor with some Splenda and frozen berries, then again with just some Splenda and left over coffee, and it was like dessert. The coffee one tasted like a frozen latte. I tried some of the flavored ones and didn't like them as well. With the vanilla you can add your own flavoring. It even smells good, like white or yellow cake mix. Hi health has stores around Arizona, but you can order it from their website too, I think. The stuff is pricey, but if I'm on a liquid diet and it doesn't make me gag, it's worth it!

Hi, Grace. My husband and I are headed to San Diego October 9, so we will probably see you there. Surgery is the 10th for us. I guess the point of the last dinner is that they weigh you the day before surgery, so you can go out to eat afterwards! Seriously, the clinic wants you to lose weight prior to the surgery to make it go easier. One dinner the night before isn't going to significantly change that pre-surgery weight loss. I think you have to fast 12 hours before the surgery, so you can have a nice dinner but nothing afterwards. I talked to Dr. Miranda yesterday and told her we weren't really doing the liquid diet because we started dieting a couple months ago and have lost the required weight. She was fine with that and said we were doing great. When I was in Tijuana with my daughter last year, my cell phone could receive calls from the States but I couldn't call out. I don't have international calling on my cell phone. Hope this helps. Looking forward to seeing you next week. Chris

After a quick read I thought you said he had lapbanded himself, and I thought that must have been tricky.

Valerie, You might try some of the sugar free Dove chocolates to satisfy those sweet cravings. They aren't really low calorie, but sometimes a girl has to have something sweet, and they taste really good and since they are sugar free they don't make you want a million of them. Just don't eat too many, or they give you gas like you wouldn't believe. I also got some low sugar protein shake mix that tastes ALMOST like a milkshake when I blend it with a little Splenda and some fruit. At least it fills me up enough that I don't pig out totally if I drink that first, and even with the fruit it's only about 200 calories. My husband and I are lucky in that our kids are gone and we aren't cooking for anyone else, so I can't lie to myself in the grocery store and say I'm feeding my family when I buy cookies! I can say no to myself when shopping, but once the bad stuff walks in the door I am doomed.

Vicky, You must be getting ready to leave for Tijuana. Have a good trip! I just had my first protein shake today for lunch . . . not bad. Of course, I put some blueberries, a couple strawberries, and a piece of pineapple in it, so I guess you can't really say I'm sticking to the diet very well. I've been trying to exercise and eat well all summer, so I've lost about 20 lb since the first of June. Hope to lose a few more before surgery on the 10th. We'll be thinking of you Monday. Chris

Sue, I talked to my insurance company (also a Blue Cross company) and they said they did not need pre-approval but did need you to have a doctor's referral and a psych evaluation. They do not pay up front, but said they would reimburse for most of the surgical costs. I would call your insurance company first to see what they want you to do. Unfortunately, with an out of country provider you will have to come up with the cash and wait for reimbursement. Talk to your doctor about lap band and see if you can get a referral; you may end up educating your doctor more than vice versa, but it will help greatly to have her or him on your side. Good luck!

LG, Hope to see you there. We will be leaving the 12th, but should overlap you some at the clinic. I have to admit I have had so much else on my mind lately that I haven't had time to get nervous about the surgery. I watched my daughter go through it and know it isn't bad; she was up and walking an hour afterwards, I think. I had an upper GI endoscopy today to check for ulcers, which luckily I don't have, so everything is good for surgery in October. Yahoo! I may be nuts, but I need to call OCC to see if I can get a root canal taken care of at the same time. I must be a glutton for punishment. Chris

CD, If you are referring to silver wasp's thread, I'm guessing it was a fake. Nobody is that whiny! I think it is likely that the poster was just trying to get a rise out of us bandsters. Either that, or he has emotional problems way beyond just having difficulty with the band, and probably should not have been banded before resolving his emotional problems. And yes, I said problems, not "issues." If you re read Tom's post, the guy also sent him a really nasty private message. He wasn't looking for help and understanding; he was looking for someone he could attack. Generally speaking, the posters here are sympathetic and understanding of each other's difficulties with obesity and with the banding process. We've all been there before, and know it's a long, hard road.

Right now I'm scheduled for October 10. Hope to see you there. I think we all go through doubts. After all, this entails a real lifestyle change. I went to a psychologist (insurance requirement) and he kept asking me what I was going to do to fill my time besides go out to eat (he suggested more sex)(sorry Corey!) But I do feel nervous flutters when I think about how I will have to start living my life a lot differently. However, that's better than continuing to damage my health and self esteem by continuing past practices.

Oh, come on, everybody. There must be someone else out there scheduled for October. I went to a gastroenterologist today and need an upper g.i. endoscopy to see if I have an ulcer. He wants me to get it before I get banded, as getting banded with an ulcer doesn't sound like a great idea to either of us. What seemed really weird to me is that he didn't even know what lap-band surgery was. When i explained it to him, he asked me about fills and thought the whole thing sounded great. So I am going on the assumption that I will still be traveling to TJ for surgery with my husband on october 10. Hope to hear from some of the other Octoberites, and hope I see you there.

Hi Tru, Talk to your own doctor about lap band. Some Blue Cross plans cover the surgery if your BMI is 35 or over with co-morbidities. The conditions you list are comorbidities, but you will probably need your doctor on your side to get them written up properly. My BCBS also requires a doctor's referral. Luckily, my doctor is familiar with Dr. Ortiz and endorses him. Just start checking out your health insurance resources. It seems so silly to have to GAIN weight before your health insurance will help you with this. I guess they are hoping you will switch companies before they will have to pay for the long-term effects of obesity. Good luck!

Yeah, the Lincoln statue us a memorable landmark! Tijuana is an interesting place; you definitely know you're not in the US anymore, yet you keep seeing things like Costco. What do they call that? Cognitive dissonance?

You had a couple of people that gave you sympathy and encouragement, yet the only ones you responded to were the ones who told you to take some responsibility for yourself. I don't understand. You sound as though you are really suffering from depression that was a problem before your lap band surgery. Have you talked to your parents about it? I would guess that if they were willing to take out loans for your surgery, they would be willing to help you with this. I'm not giving you a smart answer about what I think is wrong with you; I'm trying to reach out to see if there may be some way of making you realize that your life is worth living, with or without a lap band. People aren't all the same. You don't have the same problems that I do, and I may not have the positive things going for you that you have. Or vice versa. What a lot of people here do have is the experience to know that the lap band can work, but that it isn't going to make your life perfect. The people who have replied to you care enough about you to try to share their experiences with you and to help you see the light at the end of your post-op discomfort. Please don't write them off. And don't write yourself off either.

Read her second post. She was unable to get any food whatsoever through the band due to the formation of scar tissue, and had to have it surgically removed.

The clinic is very close to the border, on Leona Vicario. Hotel Lucerna is at Paseo de los Heroes 10902. The border crossing is about 19 miles from the San Diego airport. OCC will pick you up at the airport and drive you to the clinic and the hotel, so there isn't much to worry about. If you walk over the border, you just give the address you want to go to to a cab driver and they will get you where you need to go. Cab cost is $5 for either destination. Kind of a flat rate they have. It can be intimidating to figure it all out the first time, but OCC takes care of you. If you go on msn.com and click on MAPS, then just zoom in on Tijuana, you can probably find the streets I mentioned. They are both near the river, just off the southern bank. Paseo de los Heroes runs parallel to the river and is a major road in Tijuana. You can see the several traffic circles in in, which have some interesting statues! Leona Vicario is a short street running at right angles to the river.