Hello My name is Roxanna. I'm a nurse here in central Florida. I am looking to make some new Lap-Band friends here locally in Florida. I will be having the Lap-band surgery very soon. Have you had the lap-band surgery? Are you considering it? Let me know I would love to chat with all of you. Thanks.

Roxanna,

My I suggest, Floridabansters.com on Yahoo. It gives info on local support groups and events.

HI Roxanna, I am in Southwest Florida and I had my lapband surgery on Nov. 4, 2004. I have lost about 23 lbs to date (my weightloss has been slower than most, as I had less to lose than most people). I go for my second fill tomorrow and I am really excited. Well please feel free to send me a pm if you have any questions. Do you have aftercare lined up? That was a mistake I made, because I had some problems after I returned home. I strongly recommend that you find someone that can see you after you return home should you have any complications. Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks Rachel, I plan to maybe attend the Floridabansterbash in Orlando 2005. Anyone else planning on going? I will check out yahoo sites, thanks. Estella, I live in Central Florida, and yes, I have my after care lined up. I plan to go back to Tijuana for my fills and after care. If I have any problems Dr. Ortiz will send me to a local Doctor that he works with. I am having my surgery on March 23rd!!!!!!!!!

Mom Ceo, please get the name of the Dr. that Ortiz wil lrefer you to in Florida. If it is Dr. Grossbared please make sure you call him before surgery. I have heard from other Florids?Ortiz patientswho thought they were going to use Grossbard to only find out after surgery he was not taking any more patients from Mexico or Ortiz's patients. Maybe it is a different doctor, Orti'z has trained so many all over the US. bt do make sure you have some Dr. lined up for aftercare or emergencies in your area, it is vital. I have seen so many not get this taken care of before surgery and have regretted it deeply and have had to fly back to TJ for aftercare & fills ..in theevent of an emergency you want someone near your hometown..

P.S. Ortiz is the best. he and his entire staff wil ltake great care of you..you are in good hands ( cute ones too

La Madam who do you use for your after care? emergency care? and fills? I will have either Grossbard or the wish Center for emergency care, and I plan on going back to Tijuana for my fills.

I live in So Cal so I just go to Dr. Ortiz for all of my sftercare/ fill or emergencies

I'm just an hour and a half from the border in Orange County

Estela, How Did Your Second Fill Go?

It went fine, but Dr. Gomez said my port has flipped sideways and will eventually need to get repaired into place. Luckily, he had no trouble hitting the port and I was afraid because he doesn't numb the area, but it didn't hurt at all. The fill was painless, he played with the amount of fluid to get it just right and we thought he found it at 1.25 cc's, but I don't feel any difference in restriction. So I have called him and scheduled to get another fill next Tuesday. Luckily, he won't charge me anymore $. I am kind of disappointed that I didn't get enough restriction, was looking forward to losing some more weight. The drive to Coral Gables was quite nice, kind of boring by myself, but nice, its really beautiful out there, but the traffic was horrible, I could never live in a large city. yukky!!! The bad thing is I'll have to come up with another lie as to why I'm going to be out of work on Tuesday again. (my boss doesn't know about my band). But oh, boy is Dr. Gomez good looking, I'm talking major hottie... Makes you kinda nervous when a good looking man is pinching around your fat roll around your stomache. LOL Well hope to hear from you soon.

Hi... I am in N.E. Florida just outside of Amelia Island. I am using Dr. Cywes in Jacksonville for my surgery.

I have just started the process and have my appt. with my PCP in Fernandina on the 18th to get all of the final testing done and to get his letter to Aetna. I have already had the Psych Eval and the Nutritionist meetings. Hoping for a quick turn around on this as Aetna will no longer cover bariatric surgery once my group policy renews on Nov. 1 !!

Seems like a lot of you on here have gone to Mexico, I have researched that also just in case Aetna doesn't come through !

It is so nice to be able to talk with others that are going through the same thing !

Looking forward to being on here a lot more !

Momceo111...

Hi how are you? I'm from S.Florida.......Have you thought about having your surgery at the Wish Center? And I'm thinking about going to the Bash. We'll see..........

Your surgery date is coming up, you must be sooo excited.

Well I am glad to finally hear from others in Florida. What Bash are you talking about?? I haven't gotten my invite?? So where's the party and how come I haven't heard of it, give me all the details.

L,

Hi Mom Ceo, i'm in the Tampa area. I had my surgery in TJ as well. I don't know any other bandsters in the area and would love to chat with you sometimes. Unfortunately my recovery from the surgery hasn't gone very well. In fact, I am flying back to TJ on sunday because the incision where the port is just won't heal. I've lost 42 lbs so far so that's great but this leaking port incision is getting so so old. Ya know! Anyway, nice meeting you and I wish you lots of luck with your surgery.

Melissa

Hay everyone,

I am so glad to finally see more Florida people posting. The Florida Bash is in Orlando this year, and I believe it is around the end of Sept. or beginning of October.

Thanks everyone for all your support. My surgery is in 5 days!!!!!!!

Melissa, I am so sorry to hear about your port incision site. Let us know what happens. I would love to chat and even get together with others that live here in Florida. I am in Central Florida, near Winter Haven.

Hi Roxanna,

I grew up in Lakeland, not too far from where you live.

Best wishes for your surgery on the 23rd. I will keep you in good thoughts and my prayers.

I will be finished with my testing by the end of this month and my PCP said he would write his letter and fax all of the files to my surgeon yesterday. It is becoming more and more real to me as the days go by.

They told me yesterday that the cardio-lite stress test I am having on the 29th will take 3 hrs. Have you had to do one of these ?

I think the thing that I dread doing the most of all is ABG.....they hurt so bad !! But I will gladly have it done to get on with this journey !

Take Care..... Lori

Roxanna, good luck with your surgery. I just got back. My port is going to have to be moved in a couple of weeks. It is directly under the wound and just won't heal. Dr says i've lost a lot of fatty tissue and the port is irritating the incision so he wants to move it over to my side where there is more fatty tissue. Oh well....anyway, good luck with yours.

Melissa