Iulizbug

Awww Tracey I am so sorry they were nasty to you. People that say that WLS is the easy way out make me SO darn mad!!! IMHO the band is the courageous and smart way out. Why keep trying something over and over again that has been proven to fail? I think those comments are stemming from fear and jealousy. They are fearful of you actually losing the weight and keeping it off this time and jealous that they don't have the committment/finances to do it themselves. Don't let them get you down. We love you over here at LBT and will support you with or with out WW. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

costco One piece bathing suits or 2 piece? ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

The top 3 Mexican docs are Ortiz, Rumbaut and Kuri IMO... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

I agree with NewSho on this one--Unless I had a competent surgeon like Ortiz or Rumbaut doing my PS I would NOT get it done in Mexico just to save $$. The reputation there for PS just isn't that great and I wouldn't want to compromise my health. I am going to Thailand to do it IF I will need future work done down the road (tummy tuck, breast lift) after I have kids. They are known around the world for their expertise in PS and it is just as cheap as in Mexico. You would have to pay for the airfare but I would just make it a vacation beforehand....Oh, BTW alot of ppl don't lose any sensation in their breasts with implants. I don't notice a change at all, if anything they are a bit more sensitive now after my augmentation. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

When I get full now with my band I get a tight feeling almost in my throat. I don't get full in my stomach anymore, it is in my chest and my throat. Usually before I have had too much and get the golfball feeling in my chest I will burp, hiccup, get a runny nose or have my throat close up a bit. Sometimes I can eat a bit more if I just take a few minutes to let the food go down, other times I can see that I am "full" now and if I continue to eat I will PB or slime. It can be difficult to gauge when you are full now b/c it is entirely different than w/out a band. I cannot rely on my stomach now to tell me....Hang in there, it does get easier ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

You are eating about the same amt of calories I was eating and I wasn't losing as fast as I am now when I eat around 1000-1200. I think with exercise your body needs just a tad more to keep your metabolism revved up and ready to lose. I noticed I lost more when I added 200-300 more calories a day. On my day that I take off and don't work out though I scale it back to around 800 or I will gain.. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

You are lucky to be under Ortiz's care. I was banded by him and feel that he is one of the best lapband surgeons in the world. I am so glad to hear that you and the baby are ok--take it easy and don't worry about your weight until after you have the baby. I am sure Dr.Ortiz will get you set up with a new band and you will lose the rest of your weight in no time. Good luck to you! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

From what I have heard and read on this and other boards Lopez has had a much higher % of slips than normal. I definatley would steer clear of him... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

I usually eat around 900-1200 each day. I find when I go below 800 I don't lose and over 1500 I usually gain....I am sure I couldnt' eat more than 1000 calories and lose if I didn't exercise every day. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

I had a boob job back in 2003 in Cincinatti for $5000. I love my boobs, i went from a B to a full D and don't regret it for one minute. I have full sensation in them and had no complications. I know it is much cheaper in Mexico and Thailand but personally I would go to Thailand and make a vacation out of it if you are concerned with $$. They are world know for their expertise in cosmetic sugery whereas Mexico not so much. It costs about $1500 for a augmentation in Thailand vs $5000-$10,000 here in the states. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

I recommend Ortiz as well..he is a very competent surgeon and I felt completely comfortable in his care. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!:confused: ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/164/160 5'7''

I completely agree-we are a family and we have to protect eachother. I am trying to find some more fill docs for Lindsay from Ortiz's staff today. That was my worst fear about going to Mexico was that I would get an infection or some sort of problem and that my doc would deny me care and shut me out. I feel blessed to have chosen a competent, excellent surgeon. I think it is important that these surgeon's names are mentioned to better warn potential patients of them. That is why I mentioned his name... ~liz~

I have heard other negative things about Dr.Lopez (her surgeon) before. I am wondering what is going on here....:phanvan It sounds like what he is doing is illegal and unethical to say the least. I think it was Lopez I remember having a higher number of slips too.... ~Liz~

There is no risk of death from Wellbutrin is there?? I am starting to freak out hearing that somebody could die from anti-depressants....I know that it was a combination of things but now I am worried. Somebody tell me some good news...I know that there is a slight risk of seizures with wellbutrin but thats all that I know. I hope you can't die from it. I do drink sometimes......:confused: ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

Lindsay, I just called Dr.Ortiz's staff but since they are on Pacific time they are not open yet. I am going to pretend that I moved to Forth Worth/Dallas area and I need a fill doctor. I will see what I can get for you. I did see two Fillcenterusa sites in Texas but I am not sure how far they are from you. If you go to fillcentersusa.com you can see if it is driveable. I am sure there are other docs out there though. I will PM you with what i can find~Hang in there girl everthing will be ok ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

Mine are expensive. $400 w/out fluro and $750 with... I hate going for fills, it drains my paychecks ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

Who was your Mexican surgeon? I have never heard of that (not being able to have records sent...). I was banded in TJ by Dr.Ortiz and his staff was wondeful. It is possible I could find a doctor closeby where you live if you tell me. Dr.Ortiz's staff wouldn't mind finding that out..just let me know ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

Tricia, Do you still dump from the MGB like the regular one? I am curious about it...is it safer than the RNY? Good luck to you on your removal and upcoming surgery. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

Excellent post Jachut!! I agree with you 100%--I think the band is perfect for some and disasterous for others. I wish there was a better way to screen people before surgery to determine who would be a better candidate for the band. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

I only had to go a month with a complete unfill before my doc put some more saline in, but like others I didn't get near as much saline as before. I know that the irritation of PBing slming over and over again caused my band to gradually tighten over time completely closing me up. I know if my doc saw that my band had slipped at all she probably would have waited longer to fill me. I feel so much healthier giving myself a month to heal and now I can start focusing on losing again. I think my body and band needed a break from the tightness--at 3.2cc I wasn't losing any weight but I wasn't eating anything either which is the worst state to be in. I was only taking in like 600-800 cal a day and now I have my caloric intake back up to around 1200 so I think my metabolism has been jumpstarted. Its funny how smaller amts of saline affect you differently over time. Two months ago I would have thought 2.5cc would not give me adequate restriction but after being too tight for so long I think it is definately enough now. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/165/160 5'7''

I was filled to 3.2cc and was too tight so had a complete unfill for a month and yesterday had 2.5cc put in. I am hoping that will be pefect and will let me get these last 10 lbs off to get to goal. i haven't had solid food yet (still on mushies) after my fill so I don't really know how its going to be yet. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/166/160 5'7''

Hi Sophie, Mine came out of nowhere too kinda. I had my last fill for over a month and a half and then all of the sudden it tightened up WAY too much so I was convinced that i had a slip. Not to say that I wasn't a bit too tight before, I definately shouldn't have gone over 3.0cc (I had 3.2) but I thought it was VERY strange that my band suddenly tightened so much. I couldn't drink my Protein shake at all that day and no way was food going down. I waited it out another day but it only got worse--I wasn't able to keep Water down and was spitting up my own saliva. I realized I was getting super dehydrated and weak so I went to the ER where my doc did a fluro to check the placment of the band and then gave me Nexium and completely deflated my band. I was extremely freaked out about gaining weight back b/c I had done so well with my band up to that pt only b/c I had such good restriciton. I am not going to lie and say it is easy w/out saline because it isn't. It sucks..You have to rely on your will power to stop eating instead of the band and I had to crank up my exercise regimen to working out 6X a week instead of 3-4X. My doc told me that i would probably gain 5-10 lbs in the month that she unfilled me and not to worry. I was very worried though, and told myself that I would fight my hardest not throw away all of the hard work I have done to get to where I was. I got re-filled today and I only gained 1lb in a month so I am proud. It isn't easy like I said, but i feel that I was given a 2nd chance at my band and feel so grateful that I still have it and it didn't slip. Keeping your band too tight is a sure fire way for a slip so I will not get that tight again. I feel so much better now that I haven't had any sliming or PBing in the past month and i feel like i have much more self-control with food b/c I have made myself pull away from it, instead of the band forcing me to stop. Plus, I am used to working out more too so hopefully now with 2.5cc in I can eat less and get the last 10bs off that I need......I am hoping that you don't have a slip and after the unfill you will be good as new. Just be good to yourself and try to eat like you did with saline (which I know is hard) OR compensate by exercisng more. You'll be fine. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/168/160 5'7''

salad gives a lot of bandsters a good deal of problems getting stuck. It goes down fine for me but I know a good deal of ppl that cannot tolerate it. food intolerance is so individual with the band. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/168/160 5'7''

PBing is productive burping or when you burp up the food you eat b/c you either took too big of a bite or didnt' chew slow enough. It is similar to puking except there is not acids coming back up b/c you aren't digesting the food. The opening the food is to pass thru in a restricted band is very very small and when you try to force too big of a bite through, it has nowhere to go but back up. Often bandsters will "slime" before a PB which is just a bunch of mucus and saliva that comes up. Gross, I know....Oh,BTW good luck on your upcoming surgery!! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/168/160 5'7''

Usually this is caused from taking too big of bites or not chewing well enough (getting stuck). If you are getting food stuck from time to time you do have restriction but more than likely just need to focus on your eating habits better to master your current fill level. It is not easy~I went through this and got another fill b/c like you sometimes I could eat everything in site and other times things got stuck. I would have been better off not getting the fill b/c after that ALOT of things got stuck. I only put out my small bandster portions and even if I feel like I can eat more than is on my plate I don't. I feel like it is better to be a little looser and not have food getting stuck then to be too tight and be sliming and PBin'g alot. Just my 2cents though... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/168/160 5'7''