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Dr. Ariel Ortiz at the OCC



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If I do it in September it would have to be: pre-op on the 14th, surgery on the 15th only because I have to do it around my days off work, so we wouldn't be on the same schedule.

Sadly I don't get much time off work and will have to be back at the old grind on Sept 23rd.

I agree having someone would make it that much easier.

I'm still trying to find a protien shake I can tolerate and other things I can eat as I work in a remote location without access to cooking facilities, everything is provided.

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<p>It's official! I'm scheduled for surgery on Sept. 1! I paid my deposit and scheduled my flights last night. Today, I found out that I need a passport or passport card to get INTO Mexico though. What the heck?!?! My enhanced driver's license is fine for getting me back into the US, but it's not good enough for getting me into Mexico? Apparently this is a very recent change, as I was in Mexico in August 2011 and had no issues using my enhanced license then.</p> <p> </p> <p>So now I have to get a passport card in a HURRY, which means paying $60 for expedited processing. Ugh! There's anoterh $125 total expense I wasn't prepared for. At least I'll have it if I go back to Mexico for follow-up care of for any sort of plastics once I've lost the weight, I guess.</p> <p> </p> <p>In happier news, I told my parents about the surgery last night and their reaction shocked me. I had been dreading telling them, but knew I couldn't wait any longer once I had an official date. To my amazement, they were genuinely THRILLED for me! The are so happy and excited. In hind sight, I don't see what I was so worried about. My parents have known me my entire life and they've seen the way I've struggled with my weight since middle school. The also know how thorough I am about researching and weighing all the pros and cons before making any decision. So of course they would support me 100%! I don't know why I thought it could possibly have gone any differently. Have I mentioned I have the best parents in the world?</p>

Congrats Jamie! There's nothing like having the people who's opinion you care about most having your back and supporting your decision. You're nervous enough as it is and them being cool with it I'm sure puts your mind more at ease.

 

Hope all the OCCers are doing well! I'm now in size 14 jeans! I truly can't believe it!!

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Hope all the OCCers are doing well! I'm now in size 14 jeans! I truly can't believe it!!

Barb, it's great to hear you are doing well. Your posts throughout this thread really inspired and encouraged me to choose OCC!

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If I do it in September it would have to be: pre-op on the 14th, surgery on the 15th only because I have to do it around my days off work, so we wouldn't be on the same schedule.

Sadly I don't get much time off work and will have to be back at the old grind on Sept 23rd.

I agree having someone would make it that much easier.

I'm still trying to find a protien shake I can tolerate and other things I can eat as I work in a remote location without access to cooking facilities, everything is provided.

I would love to meet up with you anyway later in the week maybe. I just emailed my health questionaire to Janese and put September 16 as my surgery date by accident. That was the day I wanted to fly out but I am not as time limited as you. I understand how long hours at a job could make this surgery difficult. ...my hat's off to you! I was a nurse and worked 2 jobs over 60 hrs a week for many years til I hurt my back. Broke it in 2 places so I can't get around like I used to but the drastic weight gain in the past 3 years has created a whole new list of pains and difficulties. Right now my job is watching my 4 week old grand baby while my daughter works....but I really do not want to have surgery on a Monday for many reasons...I guess Tuesday will be ok. I hope to see you in Tijuana, Cody's mom! I hope to make many new friends during my trip...I truly love people! Guess that's why I'm a nurse. If this surgery helps me lose weight it may help my back enough to go back to work and that would be truly life changing!

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Had surgery yesterday at OCC w/ Dr. Ortiz. It was an overall wonderful experience. Good luck to those whose surgery is coming up & many thanks to those who've shared their experiences...it certainly helped make my choice easier! Currently just hanging at the Marriott resting & reading!

Edited by ressa_t

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Had surgery yesterday at OCC w/ Dr. Ortiz. It was an overall wonderful experience. Good luck to those whose surgery is coming up & many thanks to those who've shared their experiences...it certainly helped make my choice easier! Currently just hanging at the Marriott resting & reading!

Ressa_t so glad to hear it went well. Keep us posted on how your doing. :)

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Ressa_t so glad to hear it went well. Keep us posted on how your doing. :)

Thanks!! I'm super excited about the coming weeks & looking forward to awesome progress!

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Hey OCC buddies! Just checking in! Monday August 4, 2014 marks my 18 month surgiversary! I'm 5'8" and started at 237. Proud to say I hit my goal weight this January and have been maintaining ever since. Today, I weigh 145 and am a size 6 or 8 in most clothes. This procedure gave me back a quality of life I had truly forgotten existed. Just want to thank you all for your encouragement and sharing your experiences. This forum has been so helpful to me! Live reading about all the vets and new sleevers experiences. Hugs to you all!!

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Great to hear from you, Hoosiergirl! Glad to hear maintenance is going well. You were such an inspiration to me when making my decision to have surgery, just want yo say thanks again! I'm below goal and loving sleeve life!

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Way to go Kindle!!! Below goal is quite an accomplishment! Sleeve life is pretty fantastic.

Edited by HoosierGirl

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HoosierGirl!!! So glad you posted. I was thinking about you the other day. So glad you're well. Love ya!!!

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I had mine done July 4th. It's been great so far it got nervous about it all an had panic attacks after surgery. An the doctor sat with me held my hand an calmed me down. An I had called there cell phone after I was back in Canada an they called me right back. As I was having calf muscle pain an was worried an that doctor was also great.

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I'm having my surgery with Dr Ortez on Oct 19/14. I can't wait!!

How is everyone doing after their surgeries?

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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