west LA gal

LAGirl,

You may very well end up being fine once you have restriction. Tighten that baby up. I wouldnt worry untill you actually HAVE good restriction. If you restricted nice and tight and you still arnt loosing, come join my pitty party. I am handing out invitations, misery loves company! :thumbup:

Thanks! I talked to a banded friend today on the phone and she said the exact same thing. She said until I am at the restriction level I need to be at there is nothing I can do and I just need to go in for that fill and if need be, another one after that.:thumbup:

You know the sad part is from what I can tell just reading these post, you don't have any support system within your surgeons office. First of all, patients at my center can go to the bariatrics coordinator once a week for a one on one, usually lasts about 5 min. You are weighed, blood pressure taken, asked questions and if you are not losing, she interpets what is going on. If she thinks you need a fill then she sets it up, if she thinks something else is going on like sugar resistance (why some people are slow losers) then she works with you about the types of food you eat. I've beeing going once a week (for the most part) for 2 1/2 years and am told I can do this forever. I just hate it when a bandsters is just hung out there on their own but it does seem to be the rule not the exception. I wish the best for all of you, I truly do.

You are absolutely right! There in lies the problem doesnt it? Alot of this frustration, confusion, anger and resentment could be warded off with constant patient support by the medical staff - but for those of us who had surgery beyond the border then this is the risk we took when we elected to have surgery outside of the country isnt it?

Thanks for the inspiration Peachwood:thumbup:

All 3 of my fills have been done under fluero. Unfortunatelly the fill doctors do not seem as agressive in Mexico as they are in the US when it comes to the bigger bands. I will be lucky to get up to 7.5cc at my next fill on Thursday. I have to learn to be okay with this as there really is not any place here in los Angeles that is going to give me a fill under fluero for $100.00 or even $150.00. So I will keep going back to Mexico once a month until I get to where I need to be. To everyone posting, out of curiousity, do you fast before your fills? If so, for how long? I have not and I am thinking that may be the problem with getting a good fill.

Thanks everyone for posting. I am glad I came across this group and this thread. Now I do not feel like an alien:redface:

I wanted to share my slooooww story. I got banded in Mexico by Dr. Ortiz on 11/13/09 & today is my 4 month bandiversary and I have lost 19.3 pounds so far and that averages out to only 0.8 pounds per week:mad:

I am upset on a number of different level or at least I was until coming here:

1. Dr. Ortiz gave me a big band (Realize 11cc - this is the one that he prefers using on his patients) when I think I needed the 4cc band

2. I have had 3 fills in 3 months and going back for my 4th this week and still not restriction.

3. I was self-pay and I am starting to wonder if I tossed the money away or if my investment will kick in sometime before reaching goal?

4. I have lost every ounce with Weight Watchers & willpower and none of it had anything to to with the band.

So did I REALLY need this surgery? Did I really get the band that was right for me?

I guess these are questions I seriously have to ask myself. But I am glad that I could come here and share. Thanks!

Hi June,

I have the 11cc band and 6.6cc filled thus far. Not digging it at all. I have no restriction whatsoever and I am 4 months out as of today. I am going back for a forth fill this week. I hope I find restiction before I reach goal.:wink2:

I was banded in Mexico at the OCC on 11/13/09 & today is my 4 month bandiversary. I have the Realize 11cc band (This is the one most people at the OCC get per doctor's preference) and have had 3 fills so far and I am at a total of 6.6cc in my band. Like most of you am struggling with the fact that I have no restriction whatsoever and I am only loosing 0.8 pounds per week on average. I am going back to Mexico this week for my fourth fill in 4 months and I suspect I will be back in April for my 5th fill in 5 months. I am angry & depressed. I self paid $6800.00 (not including cost of fills at $100 each) and I have YET to see a return on my investment. It is like I threw my money away. I am a dedicated and addicted Weight Watchers Online member and have followed the rules to the "T". My dedication to WW has allowed me to loose 19 pounds in 4 months. I thank God every day that I had the intuition to join WW a week before surgery as something told me I would need it as a tool to fall back on. Did I get the right size of band for me? Did I get the right surgery? Will my investment kick in before I hit goal of 125 pounds? I feel that I am being mislead by the doctor and I resent having a large band. Can anyone recommed a support group I can attend in Southern California to offset the weird vibe I get from the OCC? It seems like the adage one takes away is "use them, do not let them use you." I started at 185 pounds and I am now at 166.4 and I am 5 ft 2.5 in tall. So yes, I am a low BMI however, according to everything I have read I should be loosing 1-2 pounds per week with diet & excercise and that is not happening for me. What gives? I have had my thyroid checked more then once, I work out on the elliptical 30 minutes per night, I drink 6-8 glasses of Water per day, I eat 3 square meals per day and stay within my 22 point range, I do not eat/drink at the same time. How long did it take you guys before your band kicked in with restriction? How many fills did you have? Sorry about the long post but I have so much to get off my chest. A lot of pent up hostility and anger at the process and lack of support from the OCC.

I got banded in Tijuana by Dr. Oritz on 11/13/09. I had a good experiance.

I would recomend that you have a detailed list of questions & ask for an email or phone consultation before making your decision.

The price is right and there was no medical risk involved.

I was also thinking about Dr. Corvala, however, it seemed from this forum that Dr. Ortiz had a better track record then Dr. Corvala did according to patient satisfaction & word-of-mouth. I do not regret choosing Dr. Ortiz over Corvala but I guess it is just a matter of personal opinion.

You can email him directly at obesitycontrolcenter.com" rel="">drortiz@obesitycontrolcenter.com

Best of luck to you.

I live 5 minutes away from the Denny's in Culver City. If anyone is serious about meeting I am game for a meet and greet starting this coming Saturday 2/21/2010 at 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. If you plan on attending please RSVP me at truecolors20@yahoo.com

I really want to proactively take the lead here and get a support group going in Los Angeles and meet every week to discuss a particular topic related to the band.

I figure the first meeting we can introduce ourselves and discuss our decisions for being banded, when we were banded, where we were/will be banded, what type of band we have and our journies thus far.

Hi, I am in Encino and recommend Dr. Mark Paya. $300/fill but this also includes an adjustment within a reasonable amount of time if it seems you need more/less once it settles. I will add that's it's been over a year since my last fill so I don't know if the price has changed. Regardless, he is very experienced and hands on, he personally performed my fill, not a nurse or PA. He is reputable and I think this is so important.

Thanks a bunch Sabrina, I will look into him and give his office a call on Monday.

Also looking for a fill doctor in Los Angeles County (not Orange County) that charges less than $300.00 per fill.

I need a referal for a fill doctor takinging Mexico patients w/ Surgery Report.