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2thebeach

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Posts posted by 2thebeach

  1. I got the lap band done by Dr. Ortiz. and after I lost exactly 100 lbs I got a tummy tuck (also lipo sculpt, and breast lift) at OCC - all I can say is WOW!!!! since my tummy tuck I have lost and additional 34 lbs- I think it is because I can exercise more effectively- I LOVE the way I look and feel. please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I HIGHLY recommend this surgery if you are a good candidate- it is the perfect reward for yourself after a major lifestyle change/ weight loss.

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  2. I plan to have tummy tuck, body contouring, possible breast lift and a neck lift at OCC soon. I go this Monday for a face to face consult with the Doctor. is it true that they will unfill my band? I am a little afraid of being sent home too early as I have no one to go with me or help me once I get home. any advise will be greatly appreciated :)

  3. Help? I was banded by Dr.Ortiz 8/17/07 with a 10 cc band. I have lost 60 lbs and have 60 more to lose. I had not lost any weight at all for about 9 weeks even though I have been doing everything right. - I thought 9 weeks was a long time for a plateau so yesterday I went in yesterday to see if I needed a final fill. ( I had my first fill at OCC and have 8.3 cc total in now) My fill doctor uses flouro

    and yesterday she told me I had stretched my pouch "just slightly". She recommended liquids only for 5 days- little drinks at a time- and after 5 days to go back to eating what I was before but

    never more than 1/4 cup of fod at a time. She is a wonderful doctor but I trust Dr.Ortiz more. What does he suggest I do? Also, should I go back to my fill doctor after a month or two to see if I was able to shrink it?

  4. Hi Everybody,

    I have a question for the doctor- I was banded by Dr. Ortiz on 8/17/07 with a 10 cc band - I got my first fill in TJ and have had 3 more fills since. I now have 8.2 cc's total. I have lost 60 lbs and have about 60 more to lose. I have not lost any weight at all for at least 9 weeks even though I have been doing everything right - I thought 9 weeks was a long time for a plateau so I went in yesterday to see if I needed a final fill- my fill Dr uses flouro and she said I have stretched my pouch "just slightly"- (she also gave me .1 more so now i have 8.3 total.) She recommended just liquids for 5 days - little drinks at a time- and after 5 days to go back to eatung like I should except not to eat more than 1/4 cup if food at a time. She is a wonderful doctor and I trust her very much but I trust dr Ortiz even more- what does he suggest I do?

  5. I had my band surgery in Mexico and cannot find a Dr. willing to fill my band. I live in Lawton OK, close to Wichita Falls TX.

    If anyone can help I would appreciate it.

    Thanks

    i use dr stephanie eijsink.. she is in tyler texas every other weekend. her phone # is 903-520- 8847. her husband will answer the phone and make your appt.

    she is so sweet ! also she uses flouro and lidocaine so you dont feel the fill. each fill is $200 (cash) and after just 2 fills with her im at my sweet spot!

    she is a wonderful lady and very patient and helpful. she works in bryan/college station but lives in tyler so every other weekend she does fills on saturday mornings.

  6. Hi well very interesting story. I at times feel like a food addict over the last 10yrs, i was always a slim girl until i started haveing anxiety.

    Im sure i found comfort in food its like a valium i feel calm when i eat. well im booked in for my operation this month on the 22nd im still thinking should i go, but im to afraid im actually very scared of the whole procedure. Im afraid of "what if something goes wrong like what if the band slips and i die or food gets stuck and im home alone with the kids whos gonna save me and drive me to the hospital, as it happend to my friend the food got stuck badly and she was rushed to hospital to get it out.

    Also how am i gonna survive the liquid diet for 2 days in hospital i will feel sick with no real food lol lol. Is it normal to have all these racinal thoughts.

    I guess we all are food addict in our own way, its just some people dont admit to it as much as you and i

    You see if i dont eat when im hungry i feel nervous like an anxiety feeling i cant think straight, its like a major sugar drop, anyways i hope someone can understand me.

    hope to hear from u people

    love victoria.

    im so happy for you on getting your surgery soon. im happy because i know how good you will feel! the day after my surgery i went shopping for 5 hours in a row! and i felt great ! ( btw im 42 years old- banded by dr ortiz 8/17/07 - i ve had 3 fills so far and i think im at my sweet spot ) :) i have not been sick due to the band a single day! the liquid diet period that follows the surgery is very important and takes willpower but it is all worth it! i cherish my band every minute of every day! and now

    i still have food on my mind but its for all the right reasons- since i have only had my band for a little while i still marvel and how quickly i get full :) and i make sure that what little i do eat is good for me - i also was very worried about how i would be able to function after the surgery due to feeling VERY bad if i dont eat - blood sugar thing? but i did not experience that at ALL

    after surgery- in fact i was taking 6 different pills a day due to blood pressure and heart problems and now i only take 1 little pill every day- i am losing about one pound a week now. ( now that have had a few fills) my whole surgery experience was so amazing that my mother ( 61 yrs old ) had it done by dr ortiz in Oct. ( we went shopping the day after her surgery and we shopped for 6 hours!) she is doing great also! i am glad you are reading this forum because everyone on here is a 'real' person just like you. the more you read the more comfortable im sure you will be. in fact reading this forum is the reason i chose dr ortiz and the OCC !

    this forum is still a great source of information and encouragement to me- so thank you!!!!!!! to everyone that contributes to it

    :) sorry for such a long post - i am so excited for you! please dont worry - you're gonna do great!

  7. I am new at this so can you tell me what my "sweet spot" is??

    the sweet spot is when your band is filled just right- you can still eat enough

    to get all your protiens from food but you cannot overeat-

    of course you still have to eat the right foods- all the bad stuff will still go down

    like milkshakes, ice cream -cappacinos- mashed potatoes - chips and dip- ect.

    but you can only eat a small amount of meat and veggies. and of course follow all

    the rules of the band like taking small bites and chewing very well and not drinking with

    meals- and only zero calorie liquids :)

    at the 'sweet spot' we should lose about a pound or so a week

  8. how can i tell if i'm at my sweet spot? i was banded in tj by dr ortiz 8/17/07 and had my first fill there also .. i got 3 cc's in my 10 cc band on 11/10/07.

    i got my second fill here in texas and got 2.2 cc's more for a total of 5.2 cc's in. on dec 8th i got 2. more cc's in for a total of 7.2 cc's in a 10 cc band.

    i think im at my sweet spot but i am not sure? in the morning i have very good restriction- i can drink 8 oz's protien drink and can barley get down a small

    scrambled egg. by noon i still have good restriction and have to really be careful to get down the small portion of meat and veggies that come in a weight watcher/lean cusine type frozen dinner. this wonderful restriction last way past 3 pm. :) at around 6 pm i can drink another 8 oz protien drink and eat some more meat or cheese but not more than 1/2 cup. is this what the "sweet spot" feels like? i am able to get all my protien in every day -- but i have NEVER pb'd or anything like that ( i can tell when i have not chewed enough though) i dont wont to be overfilled, but i guess i cant believe that it is just right after only 3 fills and no pb'ing. i thought it would be so many more fills because its a 10 cc band. the weight is slowly coming off now,(finally!) and i feel great.

    i understand that as i lose more i will probably need another fill or two - as i carry my fat in my middle/tummy area and still have alot left to lose ( 0ver 80 lbs

    from my goal) so is this it???

  9. I'm glad that I check this site, I just called Dr. Stephanie's office and made an appointment for the 12th. I had my first fill in Paris, TX and it was $350. Along with saving myself $150, I will also not have to miss an entire day of work, and save myself three hours driving time. I am very excited about this. Thanks for the info.

    my appt is on the 12th too.. im so excited for you! she's the best :)

  10. Hello! I have relocated to Dallas TX and cant find a fill doctor - I had an unfill in September and its time for a new start. I desperately need to get back on track as I just got ENGAGED!!! I saw that fill centers usa has a doc in Houston but he was deployed to Iraq until Feb.

    Does anyone have any referals???? I would be willing to drive a few hours if needed, or if you know of a fill doctor out of state but a quick flight away and close to the airport that would be appreciated!

    Thank you!

    Vanessa

    dr stephanie is in Tyler Texas every other weekend. she does my fills and i just LOVE her! she is so sweet and uses flouro - great price too!

    her husb will answer when you call (903) 520-8847 and he will make your appt for you. i had my first fill done in TJ but my last 2 have been

    by dr stephanie - she's so wonderful :) $200 ( cash only) includes flouro-

  11. help? i was banded by dr ortiz in tj on 8/17/07 ( vg band) and had my first fill - 3 cc's on 10/04/07.. i have never pb'd or slimed or

    anything bad and my fill experience was wonderful. i am eating less and am not truly hungry for about 5 hours after i eat so i feel very good

    my fill right now. :) but will i be able to tell when its time for anothere fill? maybe after i lose more weight? i still have about 80 lbs more to lose and am pretty sure since i have a vg band i will need many more fills. i have already scheduled another fill for nov 20th, a month away.. should i get another fill

    yet? am losing weight very slowly but steady :) need advise please :huh:

  12. There is a fill center in Houston and there is a Dr. in Dallas by the name of Maise who will do fills. I got the name from a bandster on lapband forum. I have not been able to locate him yet.

    If you a close to Dallas check into expressjet.com they fly into San Diego everyday. You can get a ticket cheap, with nonstop flights. You could go to San Diego and return on the same day. For example I can fly out of Tulsa at 6:45 in the morning and arrive at 9:30 with the time change. Get my fill and fly home at 4:40 arriving back in Tulsa at 9:30. I can go during the week when tickets are cheap and only miss one day of work.

    Margaret

    Thank you soooo much for the info on cheap flights! i was able to locate some numbers fro Dr. Maese, he is located south of Dallas and is only about 2 hours from my home and uses flouro ! :)but of course i would love to go back to TJ and the OCC

    everytime. Dr Maese is located in Ferris Texas. i will get you his number if you like.

  13. Hello,

    I am Scheduled for surgery Oct. 5 is anyone else scheduled around that time? I would love to have a Bandster Buddy.... Let me know. ><'

    hi tasha! i will be getting my first fill oct 4th and my mom will have her surgery on oct 5th. i'll look for you :)

    how is the pre-op diet going? my mom has been feeling pretty sick at times on it. but she is losing weight. i bet

    you are excited :) us too! see ya soon! we are flying in from texas.

    Dallas

  14. Hello out there.

    I was just wondering if anyone out there has had there surgery only 5 weeks after finding out about Dr. Ortiz.?

    I have been looking for a Dr. in the states but no one would do me. I had to be 100lbs over or 40 BMI.

    A friend told me about this forum and her experience and I signed up to have surgery October 11th. I have

    already booked the flights and sent my down payment. Now I am having seconds thoughts, did I move to fast?

    or should I just go for it.

    Can I have some input on this.

    Thanks

    Newme63

    Once I decided on Dr. Ortiz I had a confirmed surgery date within 3 days and my surgery was within 5 weeks.

    I had wasted so much time fighting with the insurance company that I was thrilled to get a surgery date that did not seem like a distant dream.

    If you are having second thoughts I recommend to continue to read this wonderful forum. Personally, the more I read

    the more I was comfortable I was with my desicion and my choice of the OCC. :) I feel so good now - and am getting smaller

    everyday-and I would do it all again tommorow. I go back for my first fill October 4th. I have taken meds for high blood presure

    for 17 years and as of last Monday I am off all of them. All I take now is a multi-vitamin.

    My surgery went so well that my mom and my aunt have chosen the OCC and will be get thier bands next month.

  15. First of all GOD bless Kristi for posting.Because of her I am being reinburst 5,250 towards the 8,500 procedure.I did exactly what she did and won. The reason it wasn't the total is because I was out of network.You guys are probably thinking you should have gotten it done in the states but with a bmi of 36 with no life threatning diseases they would not pay.So I decided to invest in myself and pay out of pocket.I considered it done until I read that great post.I jumped on the opportunity right away and about 4 weeks later the check is in the mail. Again thanks Kristi and thanks OCC for responding so fast and faxing the paper needed. ><'

    congrats! i am filing with my insurance company now but they want a diagnosis code and a procedure code. did your insurance ask for these ? do you know what they are?

    once again, i am soooo happy for your success ><'

  16. You hope my attitude changes?

    like I said you people are all the same...

    i wrote you 7 paragraphs of positive encouragement yet the only part you seemed to hear was my last comment about hoping your attitude changes...

    please understand that this forum is for help and encouragement - in the future please keep inappropriate comments about others to yourself- as someone

    who is overweight you should know how much words can hurt and making fun of the special olympics only makes you appear mean and immature.

  17. I'm a 17 year old guy that just had the lap band. To say the least, I'm not impressed. I'm even more hungery than before because:

    You can't have bread or pasta,

    You can't have pop,

    You can't have anything sweet,

    The liver shrinking diet was bad, but it was nothing compaired to the liquids for two solid weeks after. I just sat and cried all day because I was literally starving myself. The surgery isn't what hurts, it's the starvation that happens after! Everyone says this is a tool, but all it really does is restrict what you can eat. The hunger is still there!

    I don't know why I even wanted this. And what's worse, Blue Cross didn't cover it. We had to take like $15,000 in loans.

    I don't know what to do, it's not like a product you can return or something. I feel like crap...

    I can't tell you how bad I feel. This was my last hope, now what?

    Diets = failure

    exercise = pain

    Surgery = diet + exercise for the rest of your life... :unsure::((

    i was banded by dr ortiz on 8/17/07 and have not had my first fill yet ( going oct 5th) but i cherish my band. i have to eat right and exercise but thats ok, we all do if we want to be fit instead of fat.

    my insurance did not cover mine either, but i will glady make payments. i will work as hard as i have to do this. you must have people that love you very much to help you get this financially.

    as far as the starvation goes, yes the liquid phase after the surgery is hard to do but not impossible and soon you be able to eat food again . i dont know how much research or reading you have done

    about all this but if you drink and eat protein you will feel full for hours! for your liquid phase there is protien water and protien shakes to help you feel full. they really do work :)

    most diets can end in failure, but with your band you have the chance to never be overweight again! of course we have to give up eating the way we used to, but eating that way is what got us obese to begin with... and there are TONS of great tasting things to eat that are not full of fat and sugar -weight watchers giant fudge bars are one of my favorites ( only they are so big its hard to eat a whole one now) it just takes some experimenting to find new yummy things that taste great and are good for you. but i promise the more protien you eat the more full you will feel!

    i have also started shopping at the natural or 'whole' food stores, the clerks are very heplful and they can recommend things that taste good for you to try.

    im sorry you feel so bad now, and i truly hope you feel better soon. you said that getting the band was your last hope? please dont give up on it :) its not just a tool, its a GREAT tool. it would be nice if there was a magic pill that enabled everyone to lose weight and not change their food choices -we would all take it and there would be no overweight people in the world.

    exercise does not have to equal pain, maybe you just have not found something that you really enjoy yet. i know the more weight i lose the more i feel like doing. i have started working out with weights and i like it alot. you can see real results in a short period of time :)

    i strongly disagree with the last line you sent-- its more like

    Surgery+good food choices+moderate exercise= a lifetime of looking and feeling great!

    what im trying to say is it is not reasonable to expect to look good and feel good with no effort! we have to change what goes on in our minds to change what goes on with our bodies. period.

    i bought dr. ortiz's book "lap band for life" and it is AWESOME! it answered so many questions i had. i also check this forum :) often, almost daily. it really encourages me, and i know that the people on here have all been thru this before an really want us all to succeed.

    dont give up!

    ps..i know many people who would give just about anything to get the lap band . i really hope your attitude changes ...

  18. OMG!!!!

    I just read this post.

    My burping is out of control. Let's exchange notes and please let me know what they told you. Especially if they tell you "you are swallowing too much air!"

    :-?

    i come off my liquid diet in a few days and i want to see if eating real food will have an effect on the CONSTANT burping :blink: i will let you know

    if that helps. i take gas -x chewables several times a day espicially after drinking (soups, protien shakes ect.) since it seems to be worse then and it

    seems to help a little. :unsure: i go for my first fill on oct 5th and will see if it gets better.

  19. Hello friends and fellow bandsters, just wondering if anyone is having or has had burping problems?

    I was banded in Oct. 2006, no problems until about 1 month ago. Burping, or should I say belching is almost a constant problem for me. I am going to call the clinic soon, just wondered if anyone else found a way to solve the problem.

    Thanks.

    Michael

    i am sooo glad to read someone else has this problem. i was banded by dr ortiz 8/17/07, and and still in my liquid only phase (for 7 more days,) but i burp ALOT now and i never used to do that! its always after i drink soup or yogurt or milk but not after i drink water or juice. i am anxious to see if this is harmful or if it will go away in time. :blink: i have lost 10 lbs in the last 2 weeks since my surgery and am very pleased with that, looking forward to my first fill :)

  20. Hey all! I was also banded in TJ on July 18 and was to start solid foods 8/7. I gave in to the tempations 2 days early and have felt terrible every since. I am so paranoid that I have eaten too much and stretched my stomach or eaten too much and caused it to slip. I have had no pain or soreness for over a week now but get a "prick" every now and then when I'm doing too much. Haven't experienced Pbing yet but have gotten food stuck a couple of times. I was so hungry my first solid meal that I can't even remember chewing! I really think I just swallowed it whole! My husband and parents keep reminding me of all the sacrifices made to get this far and blah blah blah. But they say it as they are cramming down pizza, french fries, steak, or beer! It's tough when you're married to the Bud guy!

    Anyhow, I am waiting impatiently for my first fill and am scared I have over eaten and the band will have to be adjusted, which will cost more money than what I have. Haven't had much luck finding a reputable fill doctor in Columbia, SC either that will see me b/c I had the procedure done in TJ.

    Good news, though, I have lost 13# since pre-op/op!

    Help! I'm really bummed and need some reassurance that I haven't blown it all before the first fill!!

    Vivian

    i did what you did only worse.. i started mushies about 8 days after my surgery, and i know i have eaten more than 1/2 cup at a time. :(( . i am terrrified that i have caused harm to the band.. have you learned anything about yours? i hope we are okay.. im back on full liquids ONLY.. i guess i misunderstood.. i thought i could eat mushies after 7 days.... im so terrified of losng the band that i cant think straight! any suggestions?

  21. So I am in the same boat, but I was worse than you. I was feeling wonderful very shortly after surgery and started experimenting with small amounts of soft food at the end of week two. By the end of my third week I was eating completely normally. I have no pain, no problems and no restriction (never have). I got chewed out by Dr. Ortiz when I told him I started eating early. He scared me to death talking about the possibility of band slippage and stretching of my pouch. I didn't realize that I could be messing things up and not even know it. I had never even heard you could stretch your pouch. I'm scared now and want to know if I have done damage even though I feel fine, things are going down just fine. How would I know? Would I have symptoms? If I have some how stretched my pouch is it reversible? I have a hard time believing I could have streched my pouch without any restriction and things were moving down so quickly and easily. If anyone has any information that could help me and hopefully ease my worry I would really appreciate it.

    Thanks

    im in the same boat too! :(( i am soo afraid that i have drank to much at a time or eaten mushy's too soon. i am back too only liquids, but im terrified that i have caused some harm to my band. i simply could not afford another one right now. help??? i thought mushies were okay after about 10 days but i guess i misunderstood. i have never pb'd or had any problems with anything i have eaten (had very mushy cottage cheese, very mushy scrambled eggs- stuff like that) but i know i have

    eaten or drank more than 1/2 cup at a time. how will i know if i have stretched the pouch ? my fiull is not until oct 5th, i was banded on 8/17/07.... any words of wisdom or comfort from anyone? :((

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