catzintj

depends on who you call i guess. when i found out about the lapband i made calls the next day. made a plane reservation for southern california and was banded a week later in tijuana. i paid cash so , no lines , no waiting. if you have to get approved by insurance it may take time. im not sure about any of that , but if you are self pay and dont want to jump through hoops, id go to mexico. i went to doctor daniel huacuz. top shelf. there are many to choose from. but if you call dr. huacuz he will talk to you the phone and explain everything. since you live in new york, you may want a local doctor. you will need follow up care and fills. you can call the fill centers usa and ask them about local doctors. good luck and hope you get approved and have a great experience. i lost >100lbs. in less than 2 years.

hi tricia. good luck on your surgery. sounds like your planning it all out well. no need to rush. all that weight will come off. just take it easy on yourself and dont rush it. get all the info you can on the post op diets and when to get fills ...all that jazz. im sure you will do great. cat

try drinking 1/2 cup warm water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. that is what my doctor told me to do and it helped. i still had to take out some fill, but it was better than anything else i tried. i also tried the vinegar, big mistake. i burned my throat so bad i could hardly talk for days. if i was you id really try to find someone to remove some fill. how about a local hospital that can do it under catscan? a good radiologist can do it for you. i did that once when my doctor in mexico was on vacation . it was fine. the radiologist said my band looked good. that was comforting. sorry you feel so bad. i can relate.

what is xango?

i just read KILLER INSTINCT,by joseph finner. I think thats his name. he also wrote paranoid or something like that. both corporate espionage and thriller. really good reads. cant put em down. kind of like grisham and greg iles.

your not crazy. i think you are experiencing a big life changing event . i think it is normal to have emotions. try getting some exercise and maybe write your feelings down. i was just the opposite . i had no emotions or fear, i was only thinking, god i hope this works and i pray my surgeon is having a good day. he was..... good luck. no two people have the same experience. dont be hard on yourself.

oops i missed your update. glad that you saw the doctor. i only had 1.7cc in my band, and we took out 1cc today. i used to tolerate more fill but i think too many times vomiting caused me swell in the esophogus. i think an unfill and heal time would be good. we shouldnt be puking . thats not how it is supposed to be.

i vomited blood a week ago. i was having trouble getting food down and i went to doctor today and had an unfill. he said the prednisone i was on was too strong and irritated my stomach. but , he also said being too tight will cause erosion and bleeding is a sign of erosion. please get to doctor and get checked. any doctor that tells you "dont worry", sounds like he is too busy or not thinking straight at that moment. maybe you should seek a new doctor or talk to yours again. if you had troubles in the past you must be getting worried . i hope you feel better. i also advise you get your blood work checked for your hemaglobin and hematocrit levels, make sure you are not losing more blood than you think. also watch your electrolytes. dont want to get a low pottasium. i feel tons better since taking out some fill. this time im not going to fill anymore. i lost enough weight and i work out. but i have no regrets about the few troubles ive had. it has all been worth it. let us know how you do.

does anyone know of a doctor in las vegas to get unfill / fill with. i live near vegas and dont have time to go to mexico, but i need a little fill taken out. the acid reflux irritated my esophogus and im having trouble getting anything down. let me know. thanks.

good luck with your band. im excited for you. i am almost at my goal weight . i had the band over a year ago and lost a bit over 100lbs. you will be losing soon. it is the best feeling to finally have something work. ive had a few challenges with acid reflux but other than that , it really has been an easy journey. i wish you the best. get lots of rest and dont rush. heal first. the weight will come off. some times i drop a lot and then dont lose for a while and then all of a sudden ive dropped more. my band has a mind of its own. i can t eat in the morning. coffee only. has to slowly open up as day goes on. but everyone is different. let us know how you do.

i paid cash, but i have insurance. i did not want to wait till i was approved . no jumping threw there hoops. i wanted to do it right away. when i first heard about the lapband i was so excited. i could not believe that there was such a great alternative to the cutting and stapling. i could not have done the other invasive procedures. i hope you are able to get approved. i lost over 100 lbs in just short of 2 years. it was the best thing i ever did. for the most part it has been easy and uncomplicated. some troubles with acid reflux and gerd. but for what i look like today, it has been a great solution. i went to mexico and paid 8000.00 . i love it there. good luck and any questions email me.

i get way tight with my period. then it passes. i get so tight that i cant even drink much. but then it passes. hot liquid works best for me. i never eat in the am. by afternoon i can eat. but i only eat a few bites then wait. i just hate the reflux but i dont get it unless i start puking. then i irritate the esophogus and it swells shut. ive had unfillls before then got filled again after it heals up. but this time im just dealing with it. ive been through it a few times and now im not worried. i think it will pass. just drink lots and try not to stress too much. i do that too. sucks. but it will pass i think. it does for me if i wait it out a few days.

i tend to avoid the media in general. i dont believe that a pill can stop a person who overeats. i think that the lapband is the " magic pill" that i needed. i had to have something like this that physically prevented me from overeating. for me it was eating that calmed me down. it was a drug that sedated me..i cant imagine eating that way again. but i still have the stress issues from my job, but i try to use exercise and horseback riding as a positive way to relieve stress. without the band would i revert back to my old was? maybe. i would hope not.

that is so great. im so glad you went to dr. huacuz. he is so great. i tell everyone. people have no idea till they go and see his place. isnt victor just the coolest guy. i totally love him. he makes me laugh and he speaks perfect english. plus he is cute and so easy to talk to. makes the ride go buy fast. i go to him for my fills and everything. youll be skinny like me in no time.

i had surgery in tijuana. i had no problems. i lost 105 lbs. feel good. i went to dr. daniel huacuz. i think he is really great. you cant get better care anywhere. there are lots of doctors in tj. you can check around. but i think my doc is the best. call him . you can check out his website and call , the price is very good. the service and hospital are both top shelf. good luck and hope you have great success like me.

getting a fill should not cause slipping . i dont think you have to be concerned about that. but to eat more after a fill is not normal. leaks are rare, but could happen. i would try to wait and see since you dont seem to have any pain and the trouble is you can eat too much. maybe you had air in the tubing from the port before your fill and when you where filled the air came out and thus made you less full even with the fill. make sense. i cant eat pizza ever. after my fill i am on liquids for a week. did you do liquids first or try to eat and then realize that you could. i would call the doctor and see what he says to be on the safe side. it takes some of us a few times to get our fills just right. good luck. play it safe and dont rush. but,....6 slices of pizza, that is what i used to eat.......

call around and check with these doctors, and i also encourage you to call dr. daniel huacuz. you can go to his webpage and get the number. he is really the most caring and talented doctor. he is so good at doing the lapband. the hotel is next to his private hospital. it is all first class but without the big price. i went in november of 2005. i have lost 105lbs. im going have him do my tummy tuck sometime this winter. i have sent many people to him and have had zero complaints about the band. one lady who had tummy tuck had a few complications, but the doctor here in the USA, said it was not due to the doctor, but that she flew after her surgery and the pressure from flying caused her to start bleeding. so if you go for plastic surgery you must drive back or take the time to heal before flying. soon you will have been banded and lost the weight and thinking of the tummy tuck too. i hope you pick a great doctor and have the best time in mexico. i love it there. the people are so friendly and warm. good luck and keep us posted.

lolita, tu parle francais?.

catzintj. november 2005 dr.

where do you live? do you have insurance or do you have to pay out of pocket . if you are worried about your blood pressure than you need an excellent anethesiologist .

try doing a posting trot for 20 minutes on a huge warmblood. in no time at all you will have the best thighs and ass. plus it is awesome cardio. trust me i know. after 30 minutes of hard riding and jumping, im sweating , panting and ready for the shower. my legs are rocks. i also get good core muscle conditioning and my upper back is getting very strong. hard work but never boring. it beats the usual gym routine any day.

I dont know dr. lopez. i have heard mixed reviews on here. i know that dr. huacuz and dr. kuri are two of the top surgeons. dr. ortiz also, he wrote a book on the lapband. dr. huacuz is my doctor. i have only great things to say. just call around and talk to the doctors. check out the websites and check with other patients that went to them. i of course am reccommend dr huacuz because he did my surgery and i have lost 105lbs, it will be two years for me in november. i feel super and look great. hope you find someone that you feel good about and will be as pleased as i am. let us know how you do. just dont rush to lose the weight. heal up and take it slow. you will lose the weight. time flies by and the next thing you know your planning your tummy tuck. cheers.

hi 7thangel , i live in arizona too. i was banded nov 2005, by dr. daniel huacuz in tijuana mexico. i have had about 6 fills and 2 unfills. i have lost around 100lbs. i will have dr huacuz do a tummy tuck soon. it is nice you have your doctor so close. if you have troubles at all he is right there. good luck to you. you will be fine and just be patient. it will all happen for you as it did for us. just dont rush the healing stages. let us know how it all goes. catz out

u lost me too.

ive had the acid reflux and all that stuff. i had fill taken out and let my body heal then got fill put back in. i had to learn the hard way, dont eat before bed or lie down after eating. i have to eat only a few bites of food ever hour or two. i dont take any medications at all. i drink tons of water all day and this is what seems to work for me. i think you have to baby your esophogus sometimes. i had my band for over a year before i had any troubles. i alway say check with your doctor . be safe......