2thebeach

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? (

hi Amberlam! i know exactly how you feel! i was banded 8/17/07 and words cannot describe how perfectly EVERYHING went! the day after my surgery i walked for 3 1/2 hours just shopping and enjoying the sites of TJ! and as i walk more and eat less i notice changes already and they are great! i know i have a long road and lots of work ahead of me but, this time TRULY is different! thanks to this wonderful band i dont have to worry about the inevitable re-gaining that has been the story of all my weight loss attempts for the last 20 years! words truly cannot describe how wonderfully i was treated at OCC. the whole experience has been so great that now my mom has decided to get banded by dr ortiz and the OCC! and my aunt is scheduling her surgery there now, too. i dont want to sound like a broken record i just cannot imagine having it done anywhere else now! i am already looking into my closet for smaller things to wear! im looking forward to my fills! dallas

hi christie! im doing well but am hungry sometimes. i am afraid that i am going to hurt my band by drinking too much at a time. i dont feel full until its too late. i have cheated and eaten food - a tiny piece of chicken meat that i chewed about a million times- i did not feel any pain or anything after it so i guess it was okay. i really like the danimals drinkable yogurt!

i read your post and laughed out loud! i leave thursday to be banded friday (so i'm pre op diet starving) and when you said piece of cake all i could think of was how hungry i am! it will be worth it tho! Dallas

hi minnie, i am almost frantic! i am about to start my period and becuase of that it looks like i have not lost that much weight . i am terrified that they wont do my surgery ( . i am starving and walking but i live in texas and its 104 here today so i can only walk so much. oh, im sooo worried now. i will look for you too. dallas

i hate to sound negative - but i agree with you 100%. i'm very, very hungry and i get headaches every day ( and it really is affecting my mood) i feel lightheaded and weak and nauseated. it got so bad this past weekend that i ate a peice of baked chicken and some green beans- and i felt bettter in about 10 minutes. my surgery is in a few days and im afraid that i have cheated too much .. help?.... (

i am so excited minnie! how are you doing on your preop diet? i cheated but i cheated by eating some baked fish and asparagus. and i confess that i have done this more than once ... but i am losing weight and not eating any fat so i hope it will be okay. ... ps. also ate scrambled egg 2 times... but i read a psot on here that recommended sugar free popsicles and they have really helped me behave. are you nervous? dallas

How is the pre op diet going? i am really struggling ... im am soooo hungry. any tips? i am terrified that i will not lose enough weight before my surgery date of 8/17/07 ....

i have united healthcare - good luck to both of us

hi dawn. my real name is dallas and i look forward to this so much !!!!! i have started the pre-op diet but i am TERRIFIED that i will not lose as much as im supposed to! i only started the pre-op diet yesterday - im sure i will get used to it, i will do anything i can to make everything go as smoothly as possible. i weigh 274 and am supposed to lose 15 lbs ? approx, i think. ..its been so long since i have felt 'real' hunger pains' ....lol.. im feeling them now... have you started the pre-op diet yet? i talked to dr miranda and she said to do the protien shake/protien shake/ lean cuisine plan 2 weeks prior to my surgery. it looks like there are 5 of us lucky ladies getting our bands on the 8/17/07 weekend- unless i counted wrong wee- hee ! i am traveling alone but i dont mind i have LOTS of support waiting for me back at home and i wont feel alone with all of you down there too

i cant wait to meet everyone thats coming on the 16th -18th weekend my real name is Dallas and i'll look for you

wow.. i just read what i wrote and it sounded like the only reason i chose mexico was the price... i admit the price is the reason i looked into mexico, but once i started do a little research i realized that Dr Ortiz and the OCC was the only place i wanted to go. i could tell by the way they spoke to me and by the questions they asked that my health and well being is their #1 proirity, i was impressed! and the more i read this forum the more at ease i feel with my decision and am convinced that i will return to the OCC for all my fills. also i was impressed by how fast everything was moving ahead for me. i had a confirmed surgery date within a few days! this meant sooooo much to me especially since i had already wasted almost a year trying to meet the insurance companies demands. so now its 20 days away and i am so happy! good luck to you as we all get healthy together!

i have a couple of questions --- how soon after being banded will i be able to swallow pills again? i take medications for high blood pressure and am concerned about this. also, what is a vg band? is it different from a lap band?

i have an office job too and i will fly out thursday, have surgery in friday, spend saturday walking around and resting, fly back sunday adn go back to work on monday... everyone that i have talked to says i'll feel well enough to return to work in 2 or 3 days as long as i walk alot to help with the gas pains.. dallas

hi christieL.. congratulations on your surgery date! my surgery is on the 17th too its gonna be great >

congratulations pam!!!!!!! in going to be banded 8/17/07 and i cant wait! did you feel like walking around the next day? i am literally counting the days!!!!

debi... i want to thank you for your honesty... I am to be banded on august 17th and i am 'ra-ra' about the surgery, but your post has brought me a much needed reality check. thank you, thank you, thank you. i am still soooooooo excited about the surgery, but you have reminded me that it is not a miracle and that i will need to make good food choices, and exercise and follow up with my fills and most of all ( and maybe the hardest of all) i will need to be patient! you have a great sense of humor and i look forward to your future posts! i am still counting the days and its gonna be great, but i will have plenty of work to do. you have saved yourself from some thing very bad already and will save yourself from unhealty food habits too. best of luck and please know that your words meant alot to me..... dallas

did you have your fill in tj?

i read your post and am DEFINATLEY going to follow up with them and hopefully get reimbursed. but even if i dont it will be worth it. thanks sooooo much for the info and CONGRATS on your wieght loss! dallas

my insurance states it is a covered service but i have tried for 1 year to get them to approve it, my doctors have written letters, and i more than meet their criteria, but every time i give them what they asknfor, they deny it and send another list of their requirements. i even hired an attorney to help me with all the appeals. after the 3rd denial letter and l got fed up and found dr ortiz online.. the cost is $8500 and i had to finance some of it, but i am sooo happy! no more waiting! i contacted dr ortiz and within 1 week i had a surgery date ( august 17th ) and had finalized all the financial arrangements. i cant wait! i know it will be the best 'investment' i have ever made! good luck to you

hi minnie.. im flying in 8/16/07 for surg on 8/17/07.. i am soooooo excited! i'll be alone but thats okay! are you coming alone? dallas

thanks for the info.. i will file with my insurance after i get back.. it is a covered benefit under my plan but i have tried for 1 year to get them to approve it... after the 3rd denial from them, i decided to pay for it myself ( financed ) but at least im getting it .... its sure is worth a try! congrats my surgery date 8/17/07

yes.. i understand! my bf is very worried also, even though i he has seen all the same pics and read the same info i have. he is getting better over time but i think its because i am soooo excited and looking forward to it so much. he does not say too much because he knows how this procedure will make me feel better and make me healthier- he has been there thru my tears and frustration regarding my year long battle with the insurance company to pay for this, (after the 3rd denial from them, i decided to pay for it myself-the only way i could get this done was in mexico. ) but i can tell it bothers him alot. mostly because its in mexico.. i show him things from this message board often and he is seeing more and more that we are all 'regular' people and he can see how many have had it done and they are all okay, even better than ok. good luck to you --its gonna be great my surg date is 8/17/07

hi.. my surgery is on august 17th.. and im flying solo, too. im coming from the dallas texas area.

my surgery will be 8/17/07 ( wee - hee!) how soon and how often should i expect fills? i think the first one is 6 to 8 weeks after banding- but what after that? just wondering -- i plan on getting all my fills in TJ -- based on what i've read here, they are the best and have the best results. i just want to try to plan ahead financially