Phoenix

Thanks for your help!

I have an intolerance for soy Protein isolate (thanks, Medifast)... I have plenty of SoBe and Zone and Clif bars. My DH gobbles them for Breakfast and Snacks frequently.

Lucky guy. I'm hunting for whey Protein only.

Looking into the Detour bars. I found another brand called "Whey Better Bars" anyone tried them?

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There are times when we need a safe meal in our desks/purses/etc. I travel a lot for business and it's just smart to have a ready to eat item in my briefcase.

My surgeon prefers bars to Protein shakes (and the airlines will allow them, too).

Hi all,

Plenty of great choices out there for soy Protein bars!

How about whey protein though, anyone found a good one!

Thanks!

I made an appointment for my 2nd fill before I've had my 1st :smile2:...

I'm headed back to TJ to Dr. Ortiz for the 1st fill on the 29th.

There is a Dr. in Flagstaff (two hours from here) that will do fills under fluoro, but I understood that he only did them once a month...so I made an appointment early (before I couldn't get one) knowing that I can reschedule if I don't need one.

2nd fill date is August 26th.

Hey, I'm being banded by Dr. Ortiz on 7/24! I'll be in for my pre-op blood-work on 7/23. For those of you that went to Dr. Ortiz already; did he check your Gall Bladder before or during surgery (do you know)?? I'm curious because I have a family history of bad gall bladders and my mother passed 6 years ago from Gall Bladder Cancer (at 53), so that part definitely scares me a bit. I'd like to just have it taken out if it's a problem. Thanks, and Good Luck to us all!

E-mail the center and ask them directly. They're very good at getting back to you quickly. Dr. O always repairs hiatal hernias when he sees them. Not the same thing, but it does point out that he's going the extra mile to help us succeed.

Phoenix: your doing awsome. You started out with a pretty low BMI compared to most people on here. So, losing weight for you will be slower. When we all get to 31 BMI we will slow down too. Just the nature of the beast.

Awwwwwww! You're wonderful! Thanks! That's just what I needed to hear! Here's a hug :hug: And a you're too cool emoticon :cool:

WOW! I'm really impressed with all of your progress!

I was banded on the 16th and I'm not seeing the scales move very much. I started keeping a food journal on the Daily Plate and can head back to the gym next week.

I started at 194.5 am down 6.5 to 188. Not amazing, but I'll take it. Sure beats the opposite.

First fill is on the 29th. I hate needles, but I'm sort of looking forward to this one!

Keep up the good work everyone!

dittoing what Zoe said, only I was banded on the 16th.

I'll be there on the 29th for my first fill. Sorry to miss you, but you'll be home by then. Much success!

Hello,

I had my surgery with Dr. Ortiz on June 13th, 2008. I had a wonderful experience. The doctors are wonderful and the staff is great. The docs are pretty darn good looking too, I might add!

The hotel is GREAT! They treat you wonderfully.. I got room service each day and the broth is good. It was hot and there in no time!

I would suggest to anyone to go with Dr Ortiz and his team! They were the best!!

I find it odd...overweight people are discriminated against all the time. It's even legal.

You feel judged, you know you hate it, and yet here's a poll that is so judgemental, it's inflammatory.

It's just more of this: "you shouldn't" __________(insert X) "because you're" ___________ (insert Y).

You shouldn't wear a bikini because you're too pale.

You shouldn't eat ice cream because you're fat.

You shouln't still live with your parents because you're 30.

You shouldn't have a lap band because you're ________

You get the point.

It's just stupid.

I'd love to meet you all!

Where is the Landmark?

I'll be 42 in two weeks...that makes me 21--again.

Much success finding others to hang out with. A positive group of people will do you a lot of good!

Phoenix, where do you live? My dad lives in Mesa. I come there all the time. I usually meet up with some other bandsters for lunch while I am there. It's great to meet people from lap band talk!

I live in the far west valley (Avondale), but work in Tempe/Chandler. Mesa usually isn't too far to travel in the middle of the week. That would be great! I'd love to meet other bandsters. I'm the only one I know in the area who has one.

I'm sorry. It has to hurt you and worry you -- and you're powerless.

You're taking control over your future, but only he can take control over his. If he wants to complain and do nothing, then that's exactly what he will do.

You can tell him you love him, that you're worried, that you want him to get checked for depression. You can tell him that you can't watch him slowly die.

What he does with that information is up to him.

And if he chooses to do nothing, it's okay for you to move on. It isn't reasonable for someone to know that they're making choices that cause you anguish and expect you to just deal with it.

I completely understand.

Most of us here have lost weight, whether it be 10 pounds, 40 pounds or 100 pounds and put it back on.

You want to stay where you are. And you want hardware to help you keep the weight you've lost off permenantly.

When you're a self pay, your options are a lot greater.

Hi all,

I am being banded on July 22nd and have a BMI of 25. (Currently but will get higher again if I wait any longer.) I keep going up and down and was able to show this trend through my Weight Watchers info. I do have to self pay as my insurance wants me to gain lots of weight before they will even talk to me about it.

Today I am off to the stress test and have only blood work and the scan left.

Hi Everyone my name is Dr. Luke Mayes. Not only am i a lap band patient, banded 11-23-07 in juarez Mexico, i have also become a fill doctor. i keep all of my rates below fill centers rates and a very excited to be centrally located to so many people who no longer have to travel or fly long distances just to get their after care. if you have any questio-ns or would like to come meet -us, please give our office a call or email me. 208-375-9000 or drlukemayes@gmail.com or staff@drlukemayes.com

Hi there,

I did go to your website and I did call your office. I'll be in Boise on business in late August and it seemed like it might work out.

Do you use Fluro?

Why is there a $75 "new patient" fee? You are brand new at doing fills. That means that all fill patients are new patients. That would also make us the guinea pigs.

I'll "Guinea" up for a $150 fill, but I won't pay you to be brand new while I'm brand new.

Just letting you know.

This is not an offensive poll. It is just asking your opinion.

. I am sure you can find a doctor to take your money and do the surgery when you do not meet the BMI standard.

I'm not offended. You'd be surprised though. At a BMI of 30, no co-morbidities and a clearly spelled out exception for WLS on my insurance policy, 3 of 4 surgeons accepted me as soon as they knew I was self pay.

Interestingly, it was Dr Kuri in TJ who wouldn't band me.

I should also mention that I'm a self pay.

Surgery is safer for people who have fewer health concerns. I don't understand the need to weigh more or have a severe medical concern to get to (and stay at) a healthy weight.

It's like saying "you can't have glasses until your vision is 20/60. 20/40 isn't bad enough to correct."

I'm considered a low BMI person for banding purposes. I have no co-morbidities, I wear a size 14.

If I only had my mother's genes, I'd leave well enough alone. My father is a mess at 67. So, facing peri menopause squarely in the eyes, the time is now to get to a healthy weight and stay there.

Losing weight isn't the issue. It's keeping it off. I've stayed relatively stable within a 20 pound zone for 13 years...ever since being pregnant with my oldest.

I've watched people around me do a brilliant job of dropping pounds, whether it be Weight Watchers, Nutri/System, the Cookie Diet, Atkins, Zone, South Beach....whatever. Brilliant for a while, then for all of them, the weight has returned.

Thus the band. I'm willing to do the work ONCE. Then I want a little piece of hardware to keep me from being normal. When one of my WW friends decides to binge and eat a double banana split, she can. I'll still be forced to chose between a glass or wine or dinner, not both.

Waving hand from Sunny Phoenix.

abrouill, you have a wonderful brother!

The Isopure fruity drinks are sold singly (at about 3.50 each) at Hi Health.

HTH!

Oh my yes !

Just wait until your stomach heals and the swelling goes down. (I sound like a frat boy at a kegger when I'm alone)

I was banded by Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana on the 16th. I came home 9 days ago.

The cost for the surgery was $7950 and included everything but airfare and food (for my friend). I'd originally planned to go alone, but my friend insisted. I'd have been just fine by myself, but it was nice to have someone there just in case.

One thing that I do recommend is that you avoid having the procedure done in a hospital. There are sick people in hospitals whether in the States or in Mexico. Stick with bariatric surgical clinics. The fewer germs, the better.

Fills are not included. Each fill will be $100 for fluoro and the expense to get to TJ (but there are fill Drs in AZ that I'll see after the 1st fill).

There were 6 of us who were banded that day. The families and friends sort of bonded and stuck together. They'd keep an eye out for you, too.

Good luck with your new little one, which ever route you take!

Jules, it's time to give your nutritionist a call. We paid for it, might as well get help when we need it. Maybe they'll have a day by day plan that is easy to follow. If you had a hiatal hernia repaired, you might have plenty of internal swelling still that retains Fluid.

I came home 7+ (I didn't weigh for 2 days) pounds heavier. It was from IV fluids and general swelling. I've only lost 4 from surgery day. Dr Ortiz said walking is okay, but not to hit the gym until after three weeks are over. We're all supposed to let our ab muscles heal from being cut and the port being stitched into it.

Long2b...When you're in the 14 range, you won't even think twice about a tankini. They don't ride up. It's a beautiful thing :biggrin2: