Rid

In 36 hours, I will be banded. This is not induced bulemia. It is you taking control of your life. I highly recommend seeing a counselor or therapist to help you deal with this. They do not have issues and can give you objective advice and help you work through your feelings. No one would question what you are doing if you joined Weight Watchers or even took some diet pills. This is a much harder decision to make, and you should be considered brave for even thinking about it. As far as "getting" support, you may never get it. I care a lot about what my parents think. I'm in my mid-30s with a wife and a kid, but I still care. You want their approval, and you want them to tell you it's okay. But they are not dealing with the same things you are. My father does not really want me to have this surgery, but I believe that is because he doesn't want me to change, and feels threatened that if I have surgery, he might need to do it as well. If it works for me, maybe he should do it. He doesn't like that. I'm not suggesting your family has the same issues, but everyone has issues of their own, and they project them on you. I would read EVERY post in this forum. Every one. Then I'd go over to lapbandtalk.com and read a lot of the posts there, including the complications section. Do this last part after you've read a lot of the other things. Read all the newly banded threads on this forum. You'll get a good feel for what people go through, what they struggle with, and what they accomplish. This is a great tool with some significant risks. I personally can't wait to get it done. Feel free to send me a personal message if you'd like more info. Good luck! Rid

Seriously. This dead horse has been beaten, kicked, and brutalized. If you've read every post in this thread, then read this one as well: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=626&st=0 Then seriously. Let it go. Before you flame me, read all the responses in both threads. This is not something that needs to be discussed any further. Ortiz is great. All agree.

But seriously, hang in there. You've got a lot of support. Any lucking finding a local fill doctor or support group? That would be easier than the $400 to TJ. And thanks for your posts about the VG band. That was the first thing I asked my doc; which band? So just remember that your experiences are really helping others, especially me. Keep postin! Rid

Just be careful shopping in TJ. I've lived in so cal all my life, and have had my share of bad TJ stories. Remember that the police have a different idea of what it means to "protect and serve", and you are in THEIR country. Watch your back, and watch your wallet. Oh. And buy Chiclets. I'll be curious to hear how many little children try to sell them to you. The strongest memory of TJ I have (apart from the tequilla) is little kids... "CHEEK-layy... CHEEK-layy..." Have fun.

Thanks for the support. I really appreciate it. I was really proud of myself today at lunch. I know I'm counting down to the last few meals before band, and I've really resisted any "last suppers" at this point. I want to make sure that I lose what they need me to in order to shrink my liver. Today at lunch I had one of my favorites (won't describe it, it'll just frustrate those on liquids). I had about a 1/3 of it left, and started feeling just a little bit full. I stopped. That might not sound like a big deal, but it is to me. I gave up the last 1/3 of that delicious meal, and I feel so good for it. Maybe this stuff will work after all! I figure if I could do that today without the band, I really should be where I'd like to be with the band. People have asked me if I'm nervous. I'm not. Not at all. I'm really looking forward to the help and the new life. I'm not thinking it's going to be easy, so don't worry about that. I've read almost every post on here in the last three months, so I know there can be problems. I'm just really looking forward to having this tool in place. Rid

Only 5 days to go. I've been on a diet for a week and two days, and I'm doing pretty well. My pre-op diet was for two weeks prior to surgery. Two small meals a day that fit on a desert plate. No snacks, and one of them needs to be breakfast. All the clear liquids I can drink. REALLY hard last weekend on Sunday, when we were relaxing around the house. Watched a lot of TV with my son, and the head hunger was like jonesin' for a drug. I couldn't stop thinking about a snack. I had a LOT of broth that day. Broth of chicken, broth of beef, broth of chicken with tobasco, onion soup broth. This week I can barely stand even looking at broth. Sugar free popscicles have been my saving grace. Tropical flavored. Still love em. Now coming up to surgery, I'm really excited. No dread or anxiety at all. Just looking forward to it. I know I can handle doing the post-op diet. I know I'm going to be able to do this. I guess we'll see how it goes, and if my confidence was well placed. Rid

Wow. My favorite bandster down in the dumps. What does Ortiz's office say? What about Dr. Miranda? It seems like they should be able to go through this with you and get some answers. I bet Dr. Miranda would want to see a journal showing exactly what and when you are eating, and trying to eat. Hope you get some answers. You've worked really hard, and deserve success. So many rookies around here, and not many long time bandsters posting. Please let me know what you find out. Rid

So today was my first day of the pre-op fast. Two meals a day that can each fit on a desert plate. Then everything else is liquids. Also a test since it was my wife's birthday party. I did good. No cake for me, and since I had a meal before I got there, I resisted all food while I was there and just drank a bunch. It was my first social gathering on a new diet. Not easy, but I got through it. I was able to stay with the program. I know that those of you post-op probably don't have much sympathy since I'm not on all liquids. But without the band, it's just plain dieting, which obviously I'm not good at or I wouldn't need the band in the first place. I sure was grouchy, too. Fought it off, but I was really having a hard time not being short with everyone. Don't know how much was chemical, and how much was irritation at having to diet. Looking forward to having the band in two weeks. I know it won't be easy then, but at least it'll be something new.

Thanks. They did warn me, and they are definitely right. I would have KILLED for strawberry chalk, however. Better than the taste of a dirty lamp post! I had my final pre-op with the doc today. It was awesome. He's great, and has my same sense of humor. I found out that I'm his first band in this office. He's done a boat load in Sacramento, but I'll be his first Thousand Oaks band. I guess that's why I couldn't find any so cal banders who had him! But with his experience, it'll be fine. I've heard from several Sacramento bandsters who have had positive experiences. Tonight's my last supper before my liquid pre-op fast. Two weeks of liquids with no restriction. I think this will be tough for me, although I can see an end at the surgery date. Then at least I'll have the restriction to help. I thought about not having a last supper, since I've had PLENTY of splurges over the years that got me to this point. But as I was getting ready for my liquid dinner (and not the cool liquid dinners I had in college!), I decided to have one last night with pizza. I also found out today that since I'm having my surgery so early in the morning, I may get to go home that same day! I'm glad it won't be over night if I don't need it. I certainly can stay the night there if I want. It'll be my choice. But since I'm so close to the hospital, my own bed might be the way to go. I'm wondering if I'll be up to going to a few meetings the day after. I guess I'll just have to see. Rid

Thanks! Today I went and had my upper GI. I'm a pretty smart guy, but I had no idea what I was doing. I actually thought this was a scope that they would put down my throat. For those of you who haven't had the fun of doing this, it's basically an x-ray that requires you drink barium. They first had me swallow some crystals. They were kinda like eating crystal light without the water. They were designed to create gas in my stomach lining, but I wasn't allowed to burp. I washed down the crystals with a nice cool glass of thick barium. For those of you who haven't had this culinary delight, let me try to describe. Imagine taking some pepto bismol and dumping old thermometer mercury in it. Pepto + metalic yuck = barium. The cool part was that the crystals had a strong citrus flavor that covered some of the metalic taste. I took some pictures, and thought that it was a pretty easy thing! Then, while laying on the table, they handed me what looked like a sports bottle with a straw. They said, "Here's your barium. Please drink it all now." About 20 oz of crap that made the other barium taste like a vanilla malt. I'm not quite sure how they were able to make it so horrible, but I almost spit it up. I never get sick, and I came pretty close. At least it wasn't a scope, and as my wife pointed out, at least it was going in your MOUTH! Tomorrow is my last pre-op appointment before surgery, and I'm really looking forward to sitting down with my doc again and going over things. When I had my first consult, he took group questions, and then agreed to meet with me one on one. We sat and talked for 30 minutes, and by the end, I felt like he was an old friend. Tomorrow, my wife is coming with me, and we both can ask all the questions, and make sure that I'm all set. I'll report back again tomorrow. Rid

Chelley, I posted a new thread about my appointment. Check it out... http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=657

But not with Ortiz. I've posted this in other areas, but I want to say again, I have no problem with Ortiz's credentials. At the end of the day, I found a doctor in Thousand Oaks, CA. Dr. Donald Waldrep has had an office in Sacramento for a long time, and has done a lot of surgeries, both band and bypass. He recently opened an office in Thousand Oaks at a great facility that is within 10 minutes of my house. Since Dr. Waldrep has not been in southern California for long, he is drastically reducing his rate to get some So Cal clientelle. I am paying $11,011 which covers the surgery and the hospital. I'm going through my PCP for the pre-op labs and screening. I'm paying for the upper GI, a psych eval, and a consult with a nutritionist. My insurance won't cover these things, since this is "elective surgery". I had an appointment scheduled with Dr. Ortiz, but when I found Dr. Waldrep this close to home, I decided to go with him. It's a little more money than Ortiz, and he hasn't done 3000 bands, but he seems great. I had an initial consult with two other people. Waldrep went over the history of stomach surgeries, which gave me some useful info for when I discussed this with family. "They used staples in this older procedure, which started a lot of the horror stories your family will tell you." So true for me. He discussed the pros and cons of banding and bypass. Those are the only two surgeries he performs. I've been researching the band for a while, so of course that's what I'm going with. I've had my psych and nutrition consult. The nutrition consult was pretty great. Of course, the pre- and post- diet is a little different with every office. They want me on liquids for a week before the surgery. Then a week of clear, a week of liquid, and a week of mushy. I think that's the same as Dr. Miranda has you do. One thing my nutritionist mentioned that I was surprised about was the 80 grams of protein they want me to have in a day. The nutritionist showed me a clear protein water that has 40 grams in a 20oz bottle. Don't remember what it's called. I thought to myself how easy it will be, since I can down a bottle mid-morning, and a bottle mid-afternoon! I drink like a fish, so no big deal. Then she reminded me that I can only drink about a dixie cup of liquid at a time. Going to be a lot of work! Sounds like I'm actually going to have to concentrate and plan to get all my nutrients. I got a call this morning, and they can schedule my surgery for August 17. I got a chest x-ray and an ekg and some labs earlier this week. I have an upper GI tomorrow morning. I have a pre-op appointment this Friday, when I'll have to have payment ready, and we'll go over the last of the details. I really like the fact that I won't have to be out of town for four days. I can sleep in my own bed the night before surgery, and get home quick. I'm so excited about this. I keep thinking about how by Christmas, I'll be so much thinner. Really can't wait. One last thing. Hope I don't offend anyone by talking about another doctor on this forum. I've just talked to lots of you, and wanted to share here.

I like Chelley and Roo's suggestion about the credit card. Surgery loans are cha-CHING!

Thanks for asking, but I certainly don't want to mess up your BLOG! I am getting banded. It looks like it is going to happen on August 17th, with Dr. Donald Waldrep in Thousand Oaks. He is recently in this area, having practiced for many years in Sacramento. He recently opened a second office in Thousand Oaks, and splits his time between No Cal and So Cal. I've spent lots of time looking at forums for bandsters in Sacramento, getting the scoop on Waldrep. He hasn't done as many as Ortiz, but I'm very comfortable. Having said that, if anyone has "heard" anything, please let me know! Send a personal email, so we don't get Chelley's blog off track! But I'll probably start a thread soon, even though I am not an Ortiz patient. I like you guys too much to bail! Rid

I think that Chelley's list of resources are very helpful. Also, for those of you who want to see the research that Roo did regarding Harvard and Yale, check this thread: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=632 I would add to Chelley's list a few more: Obesity Help is a very objective site with testimonials and stats on the surgeon: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/b...ardere+glh.html Dr. Ortiz's credentials are discussed, and they are great. I've also found some additional information on the Yahoo Message Boards when I search for Lap Band. I'm posting this info because I spent dozens of hours looking for something "objective". That doesn't mean that I don't trust the members of this site, but I'm a skeptical guy, and I wanted to see something on sites that are not directly affiliated with Ortiz's office. Having said that, even after looking ALL OVER the internet, I barely found any criticism of Ortiz anywhere. I am personally not having my surgery with him because I found a doctor 10 miles from my house in Southern California that has a lot of experience and is offering patients a huge reduced rate. I trust Dr. Ortiz and all those who have selected him. I just have a great opportunity to have a US doctor do my procedure REALLY close to home. This is better than the 4 hour drive across the border to see Ortiz. Again, a PERSONAL decision, and not based on any doubt of Ortiz's ability and credentials. Have we beaten this dead horse enough yet? Rid

Hey! Good to see you posting, and glad to hear things are going better. I've enjoyed your BLOG ever since you started it. Glad that you aren't leaking! Take care, and I'll be watching with interest...

Darrin, I appreciate your opinion. I disagree with it, however. The whole purpose of ANY forum is to "hear" from other people what their experiences are. When someone is trying to find info on a doctor from another country who is going to cut into their body and implant a foreign device, they can only rely on what they "hear" about the doc. Also, I think some people have interpreted her comments to question lap band in general. The bottom line is that getting this procedure with ANY competent doctor is going to be a life-changing, and possibly life saving experience. That is not unique to Ortiz. I'm sure the guy is great, but he is not the only one who can provide this wonderful experience. If someone is doing research, and if someone has heard something negative about his surgical skills, WHERE ELSE should she look for answers than here? Where else than a forum where everyone who visits and posts has had first hand experience with him? Frankly, if I had seen her post without the other comments, I probably would have responded that regardless of Ortiz's training, anyone who has done a few thousand lap bands and has had this many loyal patients has to be a good guy to do the job. But I sure would not have slammed her for asking the question. I searched all over the internet to find ANYTHING negative about Ortiz, and if I had found something, I would have asked you guys about it. I sure as hell wouldn't have expected to get flamed for asking a perfectly reasonable question about a rumor that I had heard. Plus, it's not like she was flaming Ortiz. She asked a question, and was VERY reasonable in her responses. I just hate the forum's responses to her. Love and kisses, Rid

Hello all. I haven't posted in a while, because I have had some major concerns about going to Mexico, even with Dr. Ortiz's qualifications, and even with his excellent staff, and even with him giving out his cell phone number. I'm very disappointed in the responses to this woman's concerns. When we do research, we look at everything. If this forum is only going to support the glowing views of Ortiz, then it is not a true forum, but a PR site. You all should be thankful that someone is asking questions. There is nothing wrong with someone discussing something that they heard. There is nothing wrong with her talking about the good along with the bad. Frankly that's exactly what thorough research should involve. AND, I wouldn't be surprised if when newbies read your flames of Roo that it drives them away from this site. I know that you all want to feel like you made the right choice, but you should never make a newbie feel like this. All of you who attacked her need to ask yourself why you came on so strong. If Ortiz is a great doctor, you shouldn't worry about someone asking those questions. It is not slander, it is not "deplorable", and she should be applauded for asking questions. As for me, well.... After reading all this crap, I think I'll head over to lapbandtalk where you can get some objective feedback. I've found a doctor in Thousand Oaks, CA who doesn't have the same experience, but has enough experience, and is in the US. I don't expect to get objectivity over here. Roo, if you want info on my stuff, respond back and I'll email you direct. Rid

I've never had water in TJ, since I've been warned by friends who have. Growing up in SoCal, it just wasn't something that you did. But I'm reading about people using ice and stuff at the clinic and hotel. Anyone have problems with the water? Or the ice?

Lori, do you think it would be possible to get a scanned version of one of those maps? Do they show the location of the clinic and the hotel?

Lori, how close is the clinic and hotel to Revolution? Is there an internet site with a map? I checked the website for the hotel, but their map doesn't really help. How can I get a map?

When I have talked to people about Dr. Ortiz, I have mentioned that he has an office in San Diego (Chula Vista) and he has a hospital in Mexico. When they ask about the Mexico office, I tell them that it is much cheaper to do it in Mexico compared to US clinics. Plus, this guy is one of the best in the world. I talk to them about Inamed, which is in Santa Barbara, CA, and how they send him all over the United States to train US doctors how to do the procedure. I tell them that he proctored Dr. Billy in Ventura, who is probably the closest expert to me. I then tell them that I am going to check out the Mexico facility prior to the procedure, and if I'm comfortable, then I'm going to have it there. Also, I may try to come down the clinic prior to my surgery to check it out first hand. Lanie, this is a hard issue to resolve. I would never advise someone to go to a foreign country on their own, although I've read posts from many people who have done it with no problem. But if you were my sister, I would insist on you bringing a friend. If my wife wanted to have this procedure, even after I do it, and suggested going alone... It just would never happen. Again, it's personal, but I would have someone there with you.

How close is the clinic to Revolution? I tried to mapquest it, but have had no luck.

Good luck! That makes me so mad that they would not support you. I guess that's why I'm being a little bit of a chicken about telling people. I'd just rather keep it with my closest family and a friend or two. But I guess if my mom was like that, I wouldn't be able to avoid it. I couldn't go to Mexico and have major surgery without telling my parents. If something DID happen, it would be horrible for my wife to have to explain it all. It's a little morbid, but it's a fact. I guess the most important thing is having people you can talk to about it, and I appreciate all of your feedback, input, and support!

Perfect. That's something I haven't read much about yet. Thanks for the info.