Hi all! My name is Tracey and I am new here. I have a surgery date of 1/2/09 in Tijuanna with the OCC (Dr. Martinez) I *just* decided to have the surgery a week ago....but I have been researching and considering for a year. My birthday is January 5th and I thought that this would be an amazing gift to myself, and a wonderful way to start a new year. I live in the East Bay Area in California. Anyone from around here?

Does anyone have any advice fo me? Wisdom? Encouragement? I'll take it all :>

Thanks in advance!

wow you decided a week ago to have surgery! that is so quick. i have been going through the process for almost 3-4 months now. im sure Dr. Martinez is an amazing surgeon, but when i think of TJ i think of it being dirty and very run down :] good luck with the surgery! I wish my process of surgery would be that quick! Surgery will be fine! congrats on taking the big step of being banded!

tracey1034, I here in San Francisco... go Bay Area! :-D I have been looking for people around here. Looks like we have a similar story and a similar surgery date. I've got a Jan 9th appt with Dr. Ortiz. My decision to go to OCC was rather quick as well, as my husband thought I was crazy at first.

I've def had second thoughts about the surgery in the past few days, probly cause I started the preop diet and I'm a bit frazzled anyway. So I have two things to tell you that will hopefully make you feel better. First, my husband helped me research OCC and Dr.Ortiz online and came up with nearly all positives. Second, my local Lapband doctor has a lot of respect for OCC, and will do aftercare/fills with me even though I'm being banded outside of the US. That in itself is an endorsement.

What a fantastic gift to yourself! A little bit of nervousness is good so don't worry about it. If my family and friends knew I was going to have surgery in Mexico they would send the guys in white coats to drag me off. I've done my research so I'm confident that this is a really good step. Financially it makes sense, and Dr.Ortiz has way more lapband experience than any American surgeon.

Hey, good luck girls. I wish you the best and you will love your band and new life.

Lucy

Hi Tracey,

I'm also in the Bay Area. I'm in Marin and I know how you feel. I'm having my first appointment with my surgeon Dr Stanley Rogers on 7th Jan. I'm nervous too. And when I'm not nervous, I'm excited. Good luck to you!