Mariposa Bella

I too was addicted to soft drinks, coke in particular, I had to have it or I would get headaches. I still crave them and don't know if the craving will ever go away. Maybe I will invent a non carbonated drink that tastes exactly like coke, I could make a fortune on this. So what do you day, any investors out there willing to fund my project??? LOL

drink a delicious Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper. Cold & Bubbly.

Boy, Oh Boy do you have some nerve, that's what I miss the most, my cold & buddly cokes. Will you drink one for me??? PLEAASE>>>

I have heard the pretty face one so many times.

And I know what you mean about the drink thing at restaurants. I too ask for Water (with lemon) and it just sits there, of course. The waitress also wonders why I didn't finish my meal, wasn't it good, I can get you something else? Then I say it was fine, are you sure? Let me please bring you something else, NO I'm fine, thank you..... Gets annoying after a while.

I spoke to him about having these procedures in January and he quoted me $2000 for the Tummy Tuck and $3500 for the body liposculpture. He did tell me to expect about an increase of about $100 per month, (the hospital and anethesiologists fees increase at about that rate is what he said) He told me that the surgerys could be done at the same time and that the hospital stay was about 2-3 days. I would however be required to stay down there about 15 days for follow up and for the removal of the drain w/ the tt and the removal of stitches or staples ( I don't know what they use). I have contacted a plastic surgeon locally that will do any follow up or aftercare that I need. Luckily my mom lives in McAllen and has offered to care for me and my kids while I have this done and I won't have an expense on staying at a hotel because I can stay at her home. I don't know if his quotes remain the same or if he has gone up, I do know that he is a good doctor. He did my band, and at the time I had my band surgery I wanted to get my tummy tuck and the Lipo and had the money in hand and offered it to him and he refused to do it. He said that there were to many risks involved in doing the band surgery with the plastic surgery at the same time. He suggested I take time to get to my goal weight and then go and and have these surgerys done. That to me speaks highly of him, I had all that money right in his face and he could have so easily taken it and not cared for my health. And afer my banding I had problems and every call I made to his office he answered me if available, or he would call me that evening and would stay on the phone long amounts of time with me and never rushed me through any of my questions or concerns. He has a website if you would like to visit it here it is.

http://www.silhouettecirugiaestetica.com

Hope this info helps you. Also, please don't contact them and say what I was quoted, I have had people that I've told his quote to me, call and tell him ---well that's not what you quoted Estela. I'm sure there are a lot of things that go into consideration for a doctor in what he charges and I sure don't want to upset him. Maybe he quoted me a little less since I did have my band surgery with him (who knows) -- I need to stay on his good side since I do plan on continue my care for my band with him and then using him for my plastic surgery. Do you know what I mean??

Well all I can say is I'm glad I'm not the only one. Its 9:30 am, just got in to work, have tons of stuff to do, and what am I doing, ha, ha.... What a wonderful addiction.

The doctor I used only charged me $6500, and my plane ticket to Mcallen Texas was only about $250, I stayed with my mom so didn't have too many other expenses, so it wasn't bad, I hadn't lined up any after care here which was a big mistake, but I have found someone to do my fills now. As I've said in other treads I was supposed to have my surgery with Dr. del la Garza who was going to travel to Reynosa Mx to do my surgery (my mom lives in McAllen, so it was more convenient for me) and he too was going to charge me only $6500 which included the hospital and anesthisia. I would have only had to pay for lab fees which runs about $100. He originally wanted to charge me $7500 but I told him all I had was $6500 and wouldn't be able to get the extra money for the surgery, and he went for it. (This was last year around Sept. 2004) I wasn't able to use him because of scheduling conflicts.

Good luck in getting your surgery, but make sure you do have someone lined up for aftercare. That was my worst mistake..

I am so addicted to reading this site, It has been hard for me to get any work done at work. All I want to do is read this site, I don't have time to go online at home, but as soon as I walk in the office in the morning I log on and go on the site many-many times a day, look at me its 4:53pm and I haven't even gathered my things to go home, I love this site. Is anyone else addicted?

Oh DeLarla, do I ever have some insane family members, always in my business, I wish they would take care of their own problems instead of making some for me.

And okay, okay I get it, I will have to deal with the fact that I can't ever get wasted and have food at the same time.

You have a friend in me, best of luck with your surgey don't worry everything will be allright, especially having so many experience bandsters on this site (I'm not one of them) but any questions that you might have they are always here to help. So good luck and keep us posted.

Well I am always willing to volunteer myself to the plastic surgeon community of America for any experimental procedures. My son had some hemangiomas that were removed by a very famous plastic surgeon in Miami and I am always and always asking him to use me as a gunie pig (is that how you spell it?) He just laughs at me, man oh man you should see the beautiful women that come through his office and his surgery coordinator, has had some serious work done on her, never seen such perfect breasts in my life. But seriously, I will be getting a Tummy Tuck, I only have three children, but I have been pregnant five times and the skin is really stretched out on my lower abs, my personal trainer says that because my skin is so stretched out it won't reduce in size. And I have consulted a plastic surgeon for Lipo of the abs but lipo won't work because there is excess skin, so a tummy tuck is necessary. The surgeon that did by band is a plastic surgeon and he is doing a tummy tuck and an entire body liposculpture on me (lipo of the thighs, inner and outer, back and hip area too remove the Patches of fat that don't normally go away with weightloss, as soon as I reach my goal weight, plastic surgeon here I come. I have already started putting money aside for this purpose. I have also thought of auctioning off my fat on ebay and maybe some rich lady will offer to have all my fat sucked out of me so that she can use it for her wrinkles, LOL who knows it could happen!!!! I wish. But don't none of you go stealing my idea, I'll have to patent it now.

I too wish I hadn't told as many people as I did, some of my relatives still think I took the easy way out and boy are they wrong... My parents were having some financial difficulties and an aunt of mine told my mother that instead of me wasting this money on this surgery I should be helping out my family. I was so mad, they are always getting in my business, they assume that I'm wealthy because I had the money to pay for this surgery and because I like to buy nice things for my children. Well, duh that's why I work hard so that I can have nice things, Some people are just so ignorant. I wonder how I belong to such idiot folks, guess I'm the smart one. Kind of scary.. LOL. I wish I had never told.. Even my friends that I trust with all my secrets took the liberty of telling others I was banded, if you don't want people to know, don't tell them.

I have learned to eat at restaurants, but am still having trouble with the no drinking with food part, I am a thirsty girl and it doesn't seem normal to not drink something to wash your food down. I sometimes try and PB from it, is there a point in time when you can drink w/ your food? Can't someone re-invent the band so that you can drink with your meal, funny huh... I would think that your pouch would get filled sooner with the added liquid and you would eat even less and therefore lose more weight. It seems so unfair that I can't drink any more baharitas or mojitos with my food. So I can either get liquoured up or have some food. Its not fair, I want my cake and eat it too.

I know the weight makes me not even try to fancy up myself, It's been a long, long time since I wore panthose. Too tight, too hot for the excess weight. I''m a comfy girl, I very rarely wear dresses any more, too short and too fat. But, look out World here we come, in our sexy dresses and our high heel shoes. I'm so happy for you Leatha, I have gained some of my weight back because I hardly have any restriction and have been eating horrible. Buy I get my fill next Tuesday, and I am hopeful that the weight will start dropping. I think it is a good idea for you to take a picture in that dress and those shoes, I especially want a close up of those shoes, I'm a shoe and purse girl, can't seem to get enough of them.

The doctor that banded me is in Reynosa Mexico across the border from McAllen Texas which is about a three hour drive from you. I had a really good experience with him, he is actually a plastic surgeon who also does the band, I have several friends that have used him and have all been very satisfied with him, anytime I have a question and call his office, he will speak to me if he is available or will call me back the same day. He also provided me with his personal cell phone number in case I needed to reach him and he was out of the office. He doesn't charge me for my fills, but I have to pay the clinic for the xray or flouru when I get a fill. I will also be using him to get a Tummy Tuck and a liposculpture when I get to my goal weight. I have already gotten prices from him and he is very reasonable. Let me know if you need his phone number. The drive from Corpus to Reynosa is not bad.

It is probably not the chicken but the taco shell or tortilla, I am no longer able to eat tortillas, I have tried but I pb everytime. It is such a shame because tacos are sooo good.

Congtrats. Keep us updated.

Well when I discovered this board and had to create a nickname I was feeling pretty lonely and sick and I mispelled it, guess the fingers were typing too fast. lol. So I typed feelingloney, well I am looney most of the time... Oh, Well and now I'm stuck with that, or am I, how can I change it?

I am so sorry that you had this experience Dwayne. Dr. de la Garza was my first choice as a surgeon because he was very highly recommended by a friend of mine (she had her surgery with him four years ago) and was very happy with him. I did a lot of research on him and found him competent, but the dates that I had available to go get my surgery he was out of town, so I had to find another surgeon. I am not defending him, what he did to you is horrible and he should take responsibility. He would have come out better out of this if he would have apologized and recognized that this happened to you, I think we would have understood if he would have said these are some risks associated with the surgery and that he was sorry this happened but that that he would do anything in his power to make things right. He first of all should have refunded all your money to you and have made every effort to help you get the help you needed. Doctors sometimes forget they are human and make mistakes, but they should learn to recognize their mistakes and fix them. I hope you are now well.

Well I do have noises, I am the queen of burping now (at least it not at my other end, LOL), my daughter, says she had never before in her whole entire life (she's nine) heard me burp, and now I do it all the time. The kids love it, I guess they like that their mommy can be kinda gross sometimes. They like to tease me about it.

Tara,

I am so happy for you, how are you adjusting to the band? I got pretty sick afterwards, I was really swollen and couldn't keep any fluids down. It was really scary at first, but I had everyone on this board help me through it.

Well, I know what you mean about the airport, they have this BBQ place at the airport in Houston that has the best BBQ and I wasn't able to enjoy any of it (luckily I did try it on my way to get my surgery).

I am glad that your husband is such a great support for you that is very important. I am having some troubles with my husband at this time, but hopefully it will get better. Tara I really don't have too much of a choice on getting a fill with flouru, I can't afford to pay the $600 for a flouru fill right now. I spoke with the doc's assistant and he said that the doctor has a lot of experience and they do remove the saline that is currently in the band so that they are sure they are in the correct place. I just pray and hope that it all goes well, but to tell you the truth, I am not even nervous about it, I'm more nervous about having to drive down there by myself. I would ask my husband, but then I wouldn't have anyone to pick up the kids from school. I guess I'll just have to go by myself.

Well talk to you soon and I am so happy that you are home and are feeling well. And I am sooooooo happy to have a bandster sister so close to me. Hope to hear from you soon.

L,

Now, now let's not go crazy here, I get my pedicures during the week when the kids are in school, much more relaxing than trying to make them sit there while I get pampered. But okay, I guess I can sacrifice myself and buy myself two pairs of shoes. Time to go home now, gotta go pick up the little ones.

I want to thank all of you for your caring words. Well, my husband is acting like a child and not speaking to me, he's decided that I am the bad one in this relationship. Funny how we only remember the things others do unto us and not what we do unto others. Oh well, I don't care if he doesn't want to speak to me, I am going to start taking care of myself and my children. And you know its really nice to sleep in my huge king size bed all by myself, never knew how comfortable one could sleep when you don't have someone hogging the bed or snoring so loud next to you. LOL. Meanwhile, I am planning a fun filled weekend for myself and my kids, planning to go shopping (a new pair of shoes always makes me feel better) and to the movies. Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.

Love Always,

Betty 54

Paula 43

Kelly 65

Becky 77

Carol 102

Alex 110

Nana 49

Rich 20

Larae 22

Maureen 73

Marie 56

Wyld Blu 73

Penni 54

Vera 60

Darcy 59

Kelly 39

michelle 135

mary 65.4

greg 77

Sharon 35

Tricia 60

Darcey 23

cindy 88

Melissa 39

Michelle 80

Jonathan 27

Lisa 70

Lauren 23

Babs in TX 150

Bright 82

Jamie 5

Megan 60

Katie 29

Bobby H. 46

Estela 23

Total--2073.40

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I called Emilio at Dr. Gomez's office and asked him if they would take care of me at no additional charge in the event I needed to get unfilled (if filled too much) or filled more if I did not have enough of a restriction. I also asked if he removes all the saline that is in there now before doing the fill and he said that they do, so I am glad to hear all of this. Thank you all for helping on this matter and for your great advice. This is what is so gret about this site, I wouldn't have thought to ask those things myself, thanks ya'll.

Thank you all for being so caring. What would I do without your support.

Marsha,

Thank you, very much for the info, I will make sure to slap on some lipstick before I see him. I was reallly nervous, but you have eased my nerves. I am scheduled for March 1, I hope to get some restriction, because with the way my life has been going I have been stuffing my face with all sorts of things, I even managed to drink a coke last night, It was a horrible experience. I have gained five pounds in the last week and I am so terrible disappointed with myself. Hopefull my fill will give me the restriction I need. Who is Dr. Jesse? Is he a bariatric doctor, is he your doctor? And if so, why isn't he doing your fills? Just curious. Talk to you later.

Thanks for the info.