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I woke up more tired than when I went to bed. I caught myself gasping for air several times during the night. My heart was racing and I knew that losing weight was no longer an option, but rather a necessity. I was full aware that when you are 5'9" and weight 395. I had had high blood pressure for years and my knees were killing me. I needed to do something to resolve these issues. I had engaged in numerous diet and exercise plans throughout my life and had lost weight but was never able to keep it off. Therefore I began to eagerly surf the web for information on weight loss surgery. I discovered the lapband and educated myself by reading thousands of messages on various bandster boards. I was self pay, so money was an issue, but quality medical care was my primary concern. I chose the lapband because it was the least invasive weight loss surgery and it had the lowest complication rate.
I contacted several American surgeons. They were all very qualified, but not as experienced an their Mexican counterparts. Furthermore, they cost twice as much, had long wait times for the surgery, and they all pushed the bypass over the lapband.
I chose Dr. Ortiz for my surgery, foremost for his expertise and his experience with the lapband. I was impressed with the fact that he was currently training American surgeons on the lapband and the fact that he had installed more than a thousand bands over a seven year period.
I flew in to San Diego and took a taxi to Dr. Ortiz's office. I went through a series of pre-surgery tests and nothing precluded me from having the surgery. Surgery was scheduled for the next morning. I had had surgery twice before in the United States, but this was different. I was so impressed to meet the whole surgical team. The surgery took place at a very modern facility. It went very smoothly and took all of 25 minutes to complete. I stayed in the hospital two nights. My recovery was quick and I experienced some discomfort and mild pain, but no significant pain.
The first two weeks after surgery were amazing. I lost 25 pounds and my knees felt great. The most incredible thing, however, was total absence of hunger. I never in my life experienced this feeling of control. I knew in just a couple of days after surgery I had just the tool I needed in the lapband to control my destiny. I lost 100 pounds in the first 8 months. The weight came flying off and my health issues resolved themselves. My blood pressure is now under 110/75 and my sugar is now in the low end of the normal range at 84. I no longer have sleep apnea. As each month goes by and the weight comes off, I become more determined than ever to reach my goal weight. I am now 12 months post surgery and I have lost 205 pounds.
I am very thankful that I found Dr. Ortiz and the lapband. The lapband has been the answer for me. The level of care I have received from Dr. Ortiz is superior to anything that I have received in the states. I'm thrilled to have my weight under control and to be able to do it without trauma in surgery.
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