WingRider

I too am underway as of this morning. I have a couple of things to do for work then I have to go to the airport. My surgery is tomorrow the 29th, can't believe the day is here. I am so glad and thankful for the advice and support I have gotten here on VST. I will post updates ASAP. See you there thinasiwant and Bernadette. Bill

Congrats brother, I hope that I can come close to your success. I get sleeved next week on the 29th. I would love to be down a hundred by May 18th, it is my 38th BDay and I want to go home and show off to my Grandma. She is getting up there in the years and I want to show her my healthier self. She is always so worried about me being so heavy. I figure 5 months will to be down a 100 is a good goal, but now I think I will revise that and shoot for 4 months. Bill

Man I am sorry. I was wondering why you were getting a different story, because I have talked with at least 4 different people at Aetna and have all told me the same thing. They consider it experimental. I am going to Dr. Alamnza in Tijuana. I am paying $5,000 for the procedure. There are several other doctors in Mexico that are between the 5k and 9k mark. I have read the good and the bad posts about Dr. Almanza so I am going into this aware of the wide range of experiences with this facility. My Dad is going with me, so the airfare added another grand, and I figure at least $500.00 spending money getting there and back, so less than $7,000. I will certainly put up a post about my experience as I am there and when I get back. The 12K you got quoted is less than what local Dr's here in Austin want. Bill

Hey, Don't feel sorry for me. I am happy with the way things are going for me. I have the money right now, I am happy with my choice in doctor, and will let the cards play out the way they are supposed to. I don't think your weight gain has anything to do with the time of year. I too have gained weight, and I think it is more psychological than anything. Every meal has been my last time to have this type of thing, you know. I was thinking these thoughts three months ago, LOL. I wish I could have had the surgery three months ago but travel plans wouldn't let me. My time is coming, and your's is too. Bill

Tiff, I am an ex-smoker. I quit 5 years ago after having smoked for 17 years. I was smoking 2-3 packs of Marlboro Ultra Lights a day. I enjoyed smoking. I tried the patch, smoked with the patch on. I had friends use Chantix, and they kept smoking or started right back up after they stopped taking it. I used Smoke Away. The Premium kit found here: Smoke Away I got it in January and listened to the CD for a couple of weeks in my truck while driving around. I pretty much had it memorized. They cover several different things, like why you should quit, why you are addicted to nicotine, why nicotine replacements don't work(like patch and gum), and why the drugs aren't effective long term. Most importantly the CD teaches you what your body does physically to nicotine and why you can overcome the physical addiction in 24 hours. It all made perfect sense. Finally my quit date arrived, 2/29/04. We were going on a cruise and I was going to be totally out of my element for a week solid. So I had my last cigarette on 2/28/04 about 10:30 pm and started taking the pills in the smoke away kit. I really don't think it was the herbal supplements that helped. I think it was the knowledge I was empowered with from the CD and the little sublingual pellets in the kit. Those little pellets leave the aftertaste you get from smoking in your mouth. I hit those Sunday, Monday, and by Tuesday I was using them less. By now, my sense of smell was coming back and cigarettes stunk so bad. On Wednesday I quit the pellets and had no desire to smoke at all. The real test came the next Monday when I was back in my sales route. Most of my customers smoked and they would smoke with me while I took their order. I could tolerate to be around them, but the stench bothered me a lot and reminded me that I did not want to smoke ever again. I hate cigarettes with a passion and the people who say they cannot quit are weak. If you get this program you will be instilled with that thinking and I honestly think that is why it is a very effective program, but you have to think that cigarettes are evil and only the weak cannot quit. I have put several friends and family members through the program and each and everyone of them has had the same results. You will quit if you follow this program. Bill

I got the call from Dr. Carter's office and Aetna shot down the sleeve for me anyway. They are still approving my lapband procedure but I do not want it. I am 6 days away from heading to Tijuana to see Dr. Almanza. I hope you get your sleeve procedure approved through Aetna. With my luck, as soon as I get it done in Mexico they will change their mind and it will be approved. Bill

PM sent. I will be there for VSG 12/29/09. I look forward to hearing from you and maybe having a sleeve buddy while I am there. My Dad is accompanying me, are you going alone? Bill

She must be getting the good drugs. Get well soon Norma. Bill

This ia pretty bold statement, and I am someone who is going to Dr. Alamanza in less than two weeks. I have some concerns about possible problems, but as my PCP has told me the risk of infection is always going to be a threat regardless of where the surgery is done. I am going armed with anti-septic wipes, bactine, gloves, and whatever else I feel necessary to protect myself. I feel bad for NJSleever, I hope that she gets well soon and in a way glad that she has posted her experience. If there is a problem Emmanuel should be acting towards rectifying and I will be coming in after the corrective actions have been implemented. Drama around this Doctor does not seem to be anything new, but there are a lot of patients out there that have had a good experience. NJSleever has added to her credibility as she has posted both pre-op and post-op. Some of the negative slams have come from posters who post less than 5 posts and you never hear from them again. I don't put much value on posts like that in an open forum like this when anyone can be anybody they want and make whatever claim that suits their purpose. I at this time do not put NJSleever in that category. Back to your statement. How do you know this is a fake post? What proof do you have? What is your relation with Emmanuel: ex-patient, coordinator, employee? Not trying to be rude, just wanting to get more details from you. Thanks Bill

My Great Aunt had stomach cancer in the mid 70's and they removed the majority of her stomach. They did not have to re-route her intestines so I assume it probably was very similar to the sleeve. Unfortutantely she passed away...36 years later at the age of 94. She was as thin as toothpick though and lung cancer is what got her. She smoked 3 packs a day until she passed. Bill

Congrats Brother, I go in on the 29th of December, I hope that I can mimic your reults. What have you done to be so successful? Bill

Hello all, I will leave for Tijuana in two weeks and be sleeved on 12/29/09. I can't believe the time has flown by so quickly. I am excited, nervous, scared, etc. I am sure nothing new to anyone else on the board. I have gotten my samples of Protein shakes from bodybuilding.com (thanks Tiffykins for the heads up on them) they shipped super fast. I have also tried these whey Protein Shot Ultimate Recovery Fuel 2.9 fl oz, 3pk: Diet & Nutrition They taste ok at room temp, but chilled they were really good. Are they ok to drink post op? Give me all the advice you got, it will be appreciated. Bill

Just grow a couple of inches taller, then you will be all good on the BMI scale. Kidding, super congrats to you and Tiff both. You are both very inspirational. Bill

Hey beedo If you don't mind can you post or pm me your Dr's contact info? I have bariatric surgery coverage on my policy. I have been going through TruResults for lap band as my contingency plan. I just got approved for the band from Aetna two weeks ago. I had to do the 6 months of psych, nutrition, and exercise stuff to get it approved. I have called Aetna personally and they have told me that their stance on VSG is that it is experimental. Even on their member's portal that I have you can find that verbiage in their benefits policy. I want to completely exhaust all avenues of getting my insurance to cover it so I can have the surgery here before the end of December. bill

I have Aetna POS in Texas as well. They will cover my band but will not cover the sleeve as my first WLS only as a revision. They tell me they consider the sleeve experimental. Who did you contact at Aetna? I am scheduled for Mexico on 12/29 and will lose my deposit and 1000.00 worth of plane tickets if I don't go there. I know that as soon as I get it done, Aetna will cover it. That is just going to be my luck. Bill

I had read about it, and I am going to use one. I am really worried about sagging skin, once the fat is gone the skin doesn't have anything to support so it is just going to sag and then it will start stretching itself even further. I think there is some truth to this article of clothing, it will support the skin so gravity isn't pulling it down. Bill

Helen, It is a fast food burger joint that is known for making little burgers, usually 4 of their will equal 1 on of the other guy's burger. Here is a link. Big part of pop culture here in the states. What You Crave | White Castle Bill

I can only hope that I lose 65 pounds in my first 11 weeks. You are doing great. Bill

I am getting mine done ont that day. I can't believe it is only 35 days away. I am not even thinking about Thanksgiving or Christmas, just counting the days until my surgery is here. Good luck with everything, I am just up the road from you in Austin. Bill

It is easier to get student loans at a decent interest rate than surgical loans for what is going to be considered an elective surgery. No reason to put off grad school just because of the VSG. Bill

You are right, some people are going to be caffiene sensitive. I get more than my fair share of caffiene from other sources. When I get the type of headache I was referring to in the original post caffiene isn't causing it and won't help it. I have tried that route for years to figure out if caffiene was a culprit or a solution. It wasn't until I stumbled upon a guys blog about the Red Bulls. It works for me when I do get the kind of headache that convinces me that I have a brain tumor. Hopefully that makes sense. Bill

Congratulations. Bill

I have read about the headache that KyHen is describing and agree it could be what you are experiencing. I occasionally will get massive headaches usually focused right above and behind my eye, extending over the top of my head and down the back of my neck. Usually I can attribute it to a lack of sleep and not eating. Nothing will put a dent in it, aspirin, tylenol, excedrine. Even eating doesn't make it go away. I stumbled across a guy's web page that has migraines a lot and he has found that drinking a Red Bull energy drink seems to help. I tried it and I have to agree that it took my headache from an 8 or 9 down to a 2 or 3. It was still there, but at least I could function and get back to do things. If I had the time to do it, I would lay down and take a short nap and it would lessen to a 1 or go away. I keep a couple of sugar free Redbulls in the fridge just in case now. You might want to try it, they now have the small super concentrated energy shots that are not carbonated. Should be easier to drink and have the same effect. I think it has to do something with the guarine and tarine in the drink it increases blood flow. Bill

Keep it up, Thanksgiving will have a new meaning for you. Bill

Sounds like you have the key, all you got to do is use it and unlock that door. Your journey lies before you, it is time to start. Bill