catzintj

dr. huacuz put in my band and it is INAMED, i saw it before he did my surgery. they let you open the box and it comes with a card that has the id number and certification, so you know you are gettin the correct band. you carry the small card in your wallet in case you ever need to replace your band. it has the seriel number and all that stuff. good luck. i lost over 90 lbs and am doing great.

porkerchick, what agency are you working with? i was a model in palm beach florida. i am 5 '10 and i never saw any models under 5'9. they didnt hire shorter women. i hope you research this more. also the pay for runway is not great. you spend alot on hair and nails and makeup etc.......... print is usually more money and worth the time. i think to lose 20 lbs you should get a personal trainer and do high protein lowcarb diet. it works. if you cant control your eating than i understand the desire for the lapband. it works for me. but i got really fat and needed to lose a lot. i hope you think this through and if you do go for it , i hope it works. good luck and be careful . i think you should call a different doctor like dr. kuri and dr huacuz. see what they say. i know dr. huacuz wont do anyone with a BMI under 30 . cant hurt to call around and check. also dr. huacuz is cheaper and his place is way nicer than the other. i have seen it with my own eyes. dr. huacuz is next to camino real hotel and the other place is down in the revolution area. not nice. i think that you should call other places first. see what they say and not rush into anything. also the modeling is not fun. a lot of work and pressure. it is your body so i wont tell you what to do. but i hope it all goes ok for you.

i have been banded a year and a half. i think the band is great. i have had 5 or 6 fills. i have had 2 unfills. it is not always easy to get the fill just right. better to be a little to loose than a little too tight. if too tight i vomit easily and can get acid reflux. but., i did learn how to avoid that. i dont eat close to bedtime or lie down after eating anything. i lost weight steady until now. i need to lose another 20 lbs. but im gonna have to sweat it off. i dont eat much but my body seems to have hit weight loss wall. i am between 190 and 195 for the last 5 months. you must be patient with the band. but, it works. good luck. i think if i had to do over , i would do the band again. cat

I wasnt nervous at all. i was so excited to find a solution to my overeating. i had a good experience. just ask them to give you something so when you wake up you dont get sick. anti nausea meds. i told my doc i was worried about getting sick and he made sure i didnt. so it all was fine. i was up and walking right after and felt fine. i hope it goes well for you too. good luck. soon you will be losing.

i drank a lot the first week and i also drank the terrible boullion. i remember thinking that i was not really starving but i had the habit of eating so often that i was still thinking of food. i also dreamt about steak and mashed potatoes. ha. that will pass. just get your protein and fluids. dont push it. i had a yogurt smoothie 4 days after my surgery and got so sick . it was horrible. the worse puking i have ever done. i would hate to have anyone else go through that. i dont think about food anymore unless im starving or really hungry. i think the band breaks that addictive eating. of at least it did for me. food was what i did to calm down. i stress out sometimes. food would help me to crash and sleep. i wish you the best and try not to be too hard on yourself. it is so weird at first. so much to get used to. i was so happy about the band. i loved the whole experience. take it easy. cat

getting just the right fill is hard i think. im always a bit too tight at first, but i dont think you should be puking and risk damage to the stomach, and we are supposed to eat solid foods. the fact that you are losing weight is great. personally i would wait and see if you relax a bit. but i would also call and ask the doctor what he thinks? how much weight have you lost? if you are drinking protein shakes and lots of fluids than you should be able to keep up your energy. be careful and dont go too long with it too tight. good luck. im not much help, my band has a mind of its own. somedays tighter than others. i think maybe stress makes me tight. oh well.

I had to go to the hospital this week to have some fill taken out. i dont know why i couldnt get anything down. i hadnt eaten in days and was very weak and didnt have the strength to drive to mexico to see dr. huacuz, so the er docs tried to take out some of my fill. they couldnt get it. they called the medical director of radiology, dr. agha. He came in and did a catscan of my whole chest and abdominal area. he took out 3cc of my fill. while he was doing this he was telling me he used to do the lapband surgery in ohio. so he is very knowledgable. after the catscan he took me in his office and went over all my results. he said the doctor who put in my band (dr. huacuz) , did an excellent job. he said the placement was perfect and no sign of slipping or swelling. he also said my port was well placed and stiched well. he made several comments on the quality of the work dr. huacuz did on me. so this was very good to hear. i post on here often on how awsome doctor huacuz is and how well he treats me. i only hope that people will have as good a doctor as mine or that they go to dr. huacuz. he is such a good doctor and so caring. i think the catscan is the way to go if you are concerned about any damage or slipping. the catscan was so cool. i could see all my organs and my band. everything was much more detailed than the floro. i will wait a few weeks to have another fill to rest. i think that i get stressed out and then i cant eat , then my band just tightens shut. i dont get it. but i feel better knowing that a well known and respected doctor here thinks that doctor huacuz did a good job.

DR HUACUZ fixed hernias on two of my friends who had the lapband put in by him. he did not charge more and he was so kind to go out of his way and help them feel better. i wonder why so many people have hernias, i never thought to ask. but i read about it a lot. I go to dr. huacuz for all my major health care. i like him better and i trust him way more than the doctors here. doctors here in the US just dont have time for us. they are just one part of a big process. dr huacuz does everything. He even goes to the hotel with you and checks to see how you are . I wish i had doctors here like that.

wow, i gained 10lbs before mine. i stressed and ate more. you are strong.. good for you. where are you having the surgery? in the states?

i started smoking after i was banded. i noticed the acid reflux started with the smoking. i quite smoking and i havent had any trouble since. i wasnt eating much and needed the smokes as a substitute. the hand to mouth thing i guess. thank god i quit. i hated the smell and the fact that i was harming my body, we go to such lengths to lose the weight, but we still have to deal with the emotional side .

wow. you are so close. i remember back to those days. im over a year with my band. i feel so good. i have some trouble with getting food down. but it is not too bad. i dont have the desire to eat much anymore . i have to force myself to eat enough. i can remember back to the days that all i thought about was eating. im a different person now. thank god for the lapband and the doctor who did my surgery. good luck and relax, you are doing great. i hope you have a great experience . go slow and dont try to eat too soon after the surgery. drink lots of protein shakes and drink slow. you will be fine. it is a big change but i adjusted very well and felt better very soon after the surgery. good luck, let us know how you do. cat

there may be many good doctors in tijuana, i went to dr. Huacuz, check out his website and call. i spoke to other patients that went to him before i made a decision, and i haggled on the price a bit. call and talk to dr. Huacuz and let him answer your questions. he will talk to you on the phone himself. he is very friendly and down to earth. He has a brand new medical center. I had surgery there. i always tell people to go to him because he has done a lot for me. I have called many times with concerns and he is always nice and listens to me. He has done my fills and once a unfill. I cant believe the service is so good. all the people who work for him love him. They all enjoy working together , they are like a family and they make you feel special and welcome. I think they go out of there way to ensure you have a positive and painless experience. i was scared about having nausea and vomiting after surgery. i told the doctor how fearful i was. he assured me that he would make sure i did not get sick. I didnt. I trusted him and he was right. I was dancing in the hallway that nite. maybe the drugs are too good.LOL.... trust him. i did and all my friends have. we all feel like we are so so lucky to have him as our doctor. I tell everyone. i want you to have the same experience as me. I have lost about 95lbs. good luck with your surgery. shop around and talk to the different doctors. i dont think you can get any better than dr.huacuz.

I went to DR. HUACUZ. check out his website. He is very good. good luck with whom ever you choose. You will lose the weight.

I have posted several times in the past about Dr. Huacuz. I believe he is a wonderful person and a caring doctor. I also believe he tries very hard to please his patients and the families that come to mexico for the surgery. I have been to see him several times. He always goes out of his way to spend time answering all my questions and listening to me. He really cares about each and every patient. He is so nice and so sincere. He has a great personality and sense of humor. I had an emergency once, i could not get any liquid down, i called him early in the am on his emergency line and he was great. he told me to come right away and he would meet me at costco. i drove straight from arizona, across the border and he met me at costco. it was my first time driving there and i was afraid to get lost.He showed up and was so kind. He did a small unfill and then took me to my hotel. after he called and checked on me. the next morning he came to the hotel and drove all the way to the border with me following in my car, so that i would not get lost. I could go on and on about all the things i have seen him and his staff do for people. The Huacuz surgical team is the "dream team" ., ive never had such good care. I hope you will call and speak with him personally. He wants people to feel comfortable about calling him. He is very talented. I work in the medical field. I know his surgical center is a clean and state of the art. I have also had him do unrelated surgery on me. He is my primary Physician . I call and talk to him about any condition i have. He is a gift in my opinion. good luck with your surgery and i hope you are as pleased as i am. i have lost 100lbs and look and feel fabulous. it was the BEST decision ive ever made for my health.

hi marsene, my friend went to tj and got banded. her bmi was 33. the doctor agreed to do it since she had tried everything else. she had a lot of abdominal fat and was getting sleep apnea and high blood pressure. she has lost 30 lbs since august. she is losing slow but healthy. good luck with the surgery, i hear dr. ortiz is very talented. let us know how you do. cat:D

what hotel did you stay at? im always looking to try different ones when i go.

did you check your hormone levels. you may have estogen dominance. too much estrogen makes you store fat. even if you eat tiny amounts. check your thyroid and glucose. work up your cholesterol. if you have metabolic syndrome you may have insuline resistance. all these factors contribute to weight gain and difficulty losing weight. i reccommend also keeping a food diary. i hate that . but it does keep you on track. i lost 85 lbs in a 14months. i work out and eat well. but i had to get some help when i wasnt losing anymore,. so now i take progesterone and metaformin. i think it is working so far. also i work out even more. i hate that too. sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. that totally sucks. maybe your port leaks and your not staying filled. i dont understand why you are not shrinking. i hope you get the right help and let us know what happens. keep strong.

i have heard good things about dr. kuri, i almost went to him , then at last minute i went to dr. huacuz. mostly cause it was cheaper to go to huacuz. but im glad i did. i think you just have to go with the gut sometimes. i had a good feeling about huacuz going in. but kuri is supposed to be experienced and i never heard anything bad about him. doctor huacuz has a brand new surgical center. he did another surgery for me there unrelated to my band. it was so nice. he is my doctor for everything now. i can call and talk to him and ask questions. he is so concerned that his patients understand and do well. he is also a funny and cool guy. everyone just loves him. his staff loves him. when you are there everyone is so happy. i like that about his staff. good luck whomever you choose. have fun down there. its fun to go and shop and i go to rosarito and ride horseback on the beach. the people are so nice. its safer there too now that they have a new president. i met some really nice guys there too, all so cute. ya babe!

rainey, sounds to me like you have suffered long enough. i am a med tech too and i think you should see the doc who put in your band and have him check it. what other symptoms do you have ? it doesnt sound like it is your band , if it was wouldnt it hurt all the time.? im stumped. let us know what happens. maybe go to a different doctor and get another opinion. did you get a scope or xrays to see whats going on. i wonder sometimes if we get air trapped in the lower stomach.

sounds too me like you need the fill. if you are losing weight and working out than you can wait a while and not rush it. but you dont sound to me like you have much restriction.

puddin, i personally dont ever call or ask men out . if they are into you they will let you know. of course once in an established relationship i will call and all that. how do you know if a guy really cares for you if he doesnt do the work. i have learned the hard way and now i know. i asked men about this before. they all say if they are into a girl they stop at nothing to see her. it sucks though. but that is just how i am and i dont think what is right for me is always right for others. good luck and you deserve the best . look how well you take care of yourself. you want someone to care about you as much as you do yourself. no excuses. keep up the good work. god has a plan for all of us. just wish he would hurry up with mine. cat

i was in the same boat. i was eating well and exercising. then i just stopped losing. after a few months i was getting very discouraged. i started counting calories. i went to doctor and had my homone levels checked. i was already on thyroid med for underactive thyroid. i found out i have too much estrogen. so i now use a progesterone cream. i have estrogen dominance or too much estrogen. too much estrogen makes you store fat. i also take the metaformin for insulin resistance. im now losing inches and i have dropped a 6lbs. this takes time.. i use low weights at gym and do 40-60 mins cardio 4 days a week. i ride my horses, my dirt bike and i hike and sail. im very active. the body builds muscle and it takes a while to see the scales move. check to see if you are losing inches. i think my body wants to stay at 200 lbs. but i fight for the final 20lbs. im tall and big boned so 180 i will look very thin. i think the visceral fat around the organs and stomach are harder to lose. drink lots of water. it takes 4 molocules of water to one molocule of fat to get metabolized. thats what i read in a chemistry book at work. so im trying to help my body carry the fat away with more water. good luck. cat

wow . sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. i didnt have any. i only felt a little sore on the incision. but , not enough to take anything. i hope you feel better soon. i think you will feel it is worth it later. the weight does come off. i was banded in mexico by dr. huacuz, i have lost 85lbs. i want to lose 30 more. everyone says i look good now, but i need to lose more. it was easy till a few months ago. now im kicking it at the gym and i watch my calories. i ended up writing my food down. i hate that , im really busy and dont want to have to do the work. i think i slowed down due to muscle gain. soon i should start to lose again. i look toner and thinner. soon you will be where im at . good luck . cat:rolleyes:

it is normal to be nervous about your first fill, we all go through that. i hope you are excited to finally start the losing stage. dr. huacuz is excellent at doing fills. he has done mine and i have been very happy with his judgment on how much to put in. try to be careful eating . i try small bite of something and wait a while to make sure it goes down ok. i also try not to eat after 6pm , since you can get acid reflux if you eat late and go to bed. when you lie down the acid will rise into the esophogus and burn your throat, thus making it swell and then you will feel yucky. so take it slow and have fun in tj. i always have a great time there. i love the people . dr huacuz and dr romero are the best. good luck and happy losing. ive lost 85lbs. it is coming off slower now that i am close to my goal weight. i had to step it up at the gym. catz:biggrin1:

i dont eat in the am. too tight. i drink a few protien shakes during the day and lots of water. at nite i eat a good salad and usually chicken or salmon. i also keep the chicken moist and chew chew chew. i cant eat bread of crackers, they will get stuck. fine by me, pizza made me fat . im glad i cant eat it. if i get somethig stuck i drink alot of water and puke it up till it becomes unstuck, not good to do, so i try to never get anything stuck.