I've read mostly positive posts about Dr. Ortiz and OCC on this and other forums. A few people don't seem to like his "celebrity" status and I did find some older complaints about their bands. Anyone out there with bad experiences or complications with their sleeves from him?

Been MIA for awhile (when did the thread come back ????) so I wanted to say to all the OCCers old and new. Hope all are doing well. I'll be at the Marriott in the 19th for my consultation at the Ariel Center on the 20th. Hopefully some of our paths will cross!!

Been MIA for awhile (when did the thread come back ) so I wanted to say to all the OCCers old and new. Hope all are doing well. I'll be at the Marriott in the 19th for my consultation at the Ariel Center on the 20th. Hopefully some of our paths will cross!!

You headed down for plastics?  I'd love to hear about your experience.  If I ever win the lottery, I've got all kinds of skin I wouldn't mind saying Adios to!

Alright so my surgery date is September 3rd! I read in the paper work. I need some clarification! The night you are in the hospital do you need to pay for the hotel for your travling companion? Or do they stay with you in the hospital? I could ask Lori but I've asked her like a thousand questions already lol so if you could shed some insight that would help.

Alright so my surgery date is September 3rd! I read in the paper work. I need some clarification! The night you are in the hospital do you need to pay for the hotel for your travling companion? Or do they stay with you in the hospital? I could ask Lori but I've asked her like a thousand questions already lol so if you could shed some insight that would help.

Carolyn told me that we would need to pay for my companion to stay at the Mariott the night I would be in the hospital. (Appx $75).

Thanks

Alright so my surgery date is September 3rd! I read in the paper work. I need some clarification! The night you are in the hospital do you need to pay for the hotel for your travling companion? Or do they stay with you in the hospital? I could ask Lori but I've asked her like a thousand questions already lol so if you could shed some insight that would help.

Here is my experience with this.  When my wife and I were in TJ for her surgery with Dr. Ortiz last year. My wife had her operation, and at some point, they took me back to the hotel by myself.  I stayed overnight in the hotel and they brought me back to the clinic the next morning to pick up my wife.  Everything was covered in the fee that we paid for the surgery.  In fact, we elected to stay an extra night, fully prepared to pay that extra $75, but we didn't have to.  They picked up the tab for that.  I'm not saying that the same thing will happen to you, but that was our experience.  Hope this helps.

OK guys, joining in. This is my very first post and I just wanted to thank everyone for the detailed info on this thread! Knowing all the information you have provided has really helped me decide so 7 weeks from today I am going to be sleeved with Ortiz. I have a whirlwind coming up first with a week long business trip then a 10 night trip with my sons to Disney + Universal. Then the 2 week pre-op begins!  So a couple questions/reassurance if you guys don't mind. 

So question on the Nutritionist protocol, which has me on low carb now. How strict was everyone with this? I can't imagine not having a cupcake on my trip. I want to lose the required 5% though so am not going to overindulge.

 

Also, I am going alone but I have gone on super crazy trips to strange countries alone for various reasons many times. I know that sounds strange but it's not a big deal. I see it's rare to go without a companion and I could get one if I really try but my potential companions (sister, father) would actually be more work on me because they are unfamiliar with the world and very needy. So more work than they are worth. Now that you guys have gone, you see it's possible to do alone, right? 

@@dsdeleon I wasn't strictly low carb with my diet until the pre-op diet kicked in, because I had already been losing weight on my own for a couple of months before I booked my surgery. I was tracking my food and staying within a target calorie range and exercising 5-6 days a week, so I just stuck with that (since it was working) until I had to start my 15 day pre-op diet. I think as long as you cut back on your food intake and start putting "protein first" in your pre-pre-op diet, you should be okay. Just be mindful and don't go crazy with the junk food on your trip.

 

As for going alone, I went alone and it was just fine. Like you, had I brought a companion, I think I would have been worried about keeping them entertained and figuring out what they could/should do and wouldn't have gotten to focus on my own recovery as much. There will be other people having surgery the same day as you and you will spend a fair amount of time with them in the hotel lobby, on the shuttle, and at OCC. So you won't be too lonely.

@@dsdeleon as far as weight loss and eating, I didn't do anything different prior to the 2 week preop diet. Gorged myself as usual at Thanksgiving and ate the usual crap. But Once I started the preop I followed orders to a T... 3 protein shakes and lots of leafy greens. I lost 22 pounds in those 16 days instead of the 12 that they wanted me to.

 

As for a companion, I did travel alone, but my sister met me at OCC. It was lots of fun having her there since we only get to see each other 1-2 times/year, but I would have been OK by myself. Although she did make me walk to Walmart 3x day so she could get her Starbucks fix!

Alright so my surgery date is September 3rd! I read in the paper work. I need some clarification! The night you are in the hospital do you need to pay for the hotel for your travling companion? Or do they stay with you in the hospital? I could ask Lori but I've asked her like a thousand questions already lol so if you could shed some insight that would help.

 

My husband went with me and we didn't have to pay anything extra for his night alone at the hotel while I was at OCC.

 

Going alone would not have been a problem. It was nice to have someone help with drying off after showering because my abdomen was sore and twisting was uncomfortable, but it wasn't anything I wouldn't have been able to do by myself (albeit much more slowly than usual). Going alone might even be somewhat nicer all said and done because you don't have to think about anyone else's needs.

Edited March 12, 201511 yr by sprocket

Is the wifi at OCC and the Marriott fast enough to stream Netflix in the rooms while I'm down there?

Is the wifi at OCC and the Marriott fast enough to stream Netflix in the rooms while I'm down there?

 

The speed wouldn't be the issue, the geoblocking would be. Netflix looks at your IP address and if it sees you are connecting from out of the country, it blocks your service. At least that was my experience the first time I went to Mexico for surgery. There are probably ways around it using proxy services.... When I went to Mexico for my sleeve, I just loaded a bunch of saved shows from my DVR onto my laptop before I left for my trip.

I am excited...I faxed the copy of my cashier's check to the office today! I can't believe that this time next week I will be in Tijuana! Any suggestions on places to go to get the best popsicles and broths either in the San Diego airport or in Tijuana? I plan on shopping this weekend for the trip and stuff for the house afterwards...any suggestions on items that I should bring??

SO READY!!!

Did anyone have any trouble with fitting in airline seats or with belts?

Did anyone have any trouble with fitting in airline seats or with belts?

I was coming on here to ask the same question!!