LoriBecky

ok... here is what I've discovered about my band (and some I've heard from other bandsters) Cold liquids can make your band feel more restricted while warm liquids can help ease that If you are retaining water (like on your preiod or other reasons) your band may feel tighter - its common for women to have more restriction during their cycle. If you've irritated your band (something got stuck... you PB'd, etc) you may feel more restriction for a couple of days until you let that swelling go down Most bandsters report more restriction in the morning... not sure why - but that's been my experience and I've heard that a lot. My advice (remember... this is just what has worked for me... call the doc for specific advice) if you irritate your band - stick with liquids for awhile - sometimes it takes a day or two - if you keep irritating it... you could wind up with an emergency unfill on your hands! >

did Michele just say I was shrinking mentally? lol hmmmm I'll have to think about - what was I talking about? nevermind

it will get better! If you ever have any symptoms that are worrisome - just call me - if its after hours I have Dr. Martinez cell # on my outgoing message = you can always reach him!

you can try here: Lap-Band

that's not uncommon at all.. especially with the swelling and your stomach getting used to the band. That ability will return - believe me! lol

The needle for fills/unfills is going directly into the port. Remember, lots of women have amniocentesis and that needle goes straight into the womb!!

moving this one up... c'mon March patients!!! :-h

c'mon February patients... my calendar is almost full and nobody is posting... I know you're out there - let's support & get to know other February band patients!!! (I need a cheerleader smiley!!!) How's this =D> <' />

Ok... I got it Coffee is NO problem... unless YOU have a problem with it

We are currently working on seeing if we can track an IP address and block it. If that doesn't work we will have to look at "approving" people prior to posting. I don't want to get into approving individual posts because one of the nice things on our board is that people can get an answer back quickly from another bandster... if each post had to wait for approval (i get a headache just thinking about it! #-o ) I'd have to view and read each post first. We really are trying to reduce the spammers and reduce the time each bad post is up... again - if you report it - then Kevin and I plus our webmaster are alerted immediately... and we delete it ASAP

hi Lisa, I don't know about this one since I'm not a coffee drinker I never asked. I've sent a note to our nutritionist and will post her response

Ok March fill patients - I see you on the calendar... c'mon - let's see some posts!

Just check with any finance company you choose, most won't finance procedures done outside of the U.S. (capital one is one of them that won't!) Just go to our website and look at the ones we work with regularly - here's the direct link: OCC Finance Company Links

I check the boards several times per day... I know ours is one of the cleanest boards out there!! I know we still need to do better... but I do think we are doing pretty well Thanks for all the help Kev, I really appreciate all you do! and I'd like to thank all the posters that take an active role in reporting spam to us instead of just posting complaints about it - its helps us to get rid of it that much faster!! thank you =D>

Hi Dream, Posters here are mostly patients of Dr. Ariel Ortiz at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana Mexico, in my opinion (and most of theirs) the BEST LapBand doc around - he's done over 4000 LapBand procedures! If you'd like more information about Dr. Ortiz and his team of specialists, feel free to call or email me anytime!

The band does not interfere with pregnancy, in fact we've had several patients that had been having difficulty conceiving and once they were banded and lost weight... voila... baby time Your OB can tell you when its time to take in more calories, then you need to have an unfill. Once you've had the baby and recovered from that, you simply return for a fill. How awesome is that

we don't work with any doctors there, and i don't make recommendations, but if you'll send me an email I will get you some resources and try to help you find some doctors you can investigate.

I just love you guys! Thank you so much for inspiring me to do my best and striving to do better! > > > > > > > > > > >

We just banded a scuba instructor from Hawaii in January. Doctor told him 3 weeks before going to back to instructing. You can get back in the ocean 10 days after the surgery, but no lifting for 3 weeks. Call or email me for more information !!

me too

Just remember... no matter how much research you do about the banding process... you don't truly know what its like to live with the band until after you've actually had surgery and realy after that first fill... its a whole new ballgame! I'd also like to suggest if anyone has any questions about their fill, post-op diet or questoins about symptoms they are experiencing that you email me directly or call the clinic! I know the board is helpful for venting and for support... but specific advice should come from your doctor!!

We refer patients to Dr. Quirroz for plastic surgery - I haven't had any yet, but the other Patient Care Coordinator, Carolyn, had a lot of work done with him - and she is very pleased. Here is his website: CosMedClinic. If you'd like any information you can reach Carolyn at ext. 82 - she'd be happy to share her experience (that's her under the weight loss surgery section of their website - she was banded by Dr. Ortiz over 4 years ago then saw Dr. Quirroz for her plastic surgery.

Hey, Yes... the man that needed the unfill is doing just fine now. It happens sometimes, a bit too much restriction - you feel OK at the clinic - but he must have swollen a bit from the fill and that caused it to be too tight - but he's OK I spoke with him right after his unfill. Here is the link to the info about the passport changes - no worries about driving across the border for awhile.. its proposed to change January 2008 - but that's just a proposed date: New Passport Info There's also info there on how to apply for a passport and even downloadable forms

Hey Just remember its not just about the weight loss, we really need to shrink the fat from your liver to make surgery safer for you!! Not only is the surgery safer, but because the band can be placed more easily, your recovery time is faster. That is what kept me on track with my pre-op diet... knowing that it was for my safety during surgery and for a speedier recovery! If you find yourself really struggling, give me a call, if I can't help we'll do a conference call with the nutritionist

Hey Randy > It always makes me happy when another one of my patients finds what I tell them is true... Dr. O is the best! And the staff and the clinic are great. I'm so happy you had a positive experience and took the time to come and let everybody know! I'm here for you anytime you have any questions or need some support. You know how to get in touch with me! I know the post-op liquid diet is hard and can get boring... but its for your health and safety and so you body can get used to the band! It does pass by quicker than you think it will. Keep us posted!