Jonathan

FYI: I just called them, and the price is now $14,200. (That includes 3 fills under flouroscopy within the first year.) The $12,000 deal ended December 1st. She said that the price of the band itself (which was $3000) is going up, so the $12,000 deal isn't likely to happen again. $14,200 is still a great price, although you do have to pay for some of the tests and evaluations.

Do a search on "molding" and then read the locked thread.

The Molding Clinic in TJ. It's a special they're running from Jan 1st to Jan 15th. (Dr. F. Danial Haucuz Guizar does the surgery, Andres Betancourt is the patient coordinator.) Jonathan

Thanks everyone -- the support is already comforting =) Even if my wallet IS crying...

I've been on vacation for the last week and a half, and have spent most of my time (since we are visiting my in-laws ) on dialup in my hotel room doing additional research on our favorite topic here. I'm sure some people might think it's a waste of money, but I've decided to self-pay for the surgery in my home town (Austin, Texas) instead of going to Mexico. (With the surgeon I had originally worked with before my insurance denial.) It's going to cost me $16,000 instead of $6,500 (of which I've already paid a $500 deposit that I'll lose) but I know my aftercare won't be an issue, and if anything goes wrong, I'll have a 5 minute drive to the doctor's office. And, if it takes 5 fills to find my "sweet spot", it won't be nearly the deal it would be if I had to go to TJ 5 times. (I was having a very hard time finding a doctor locally who would perform my fills if I went out of country.) Fortunately, I was able to get financing for the extra $10k at a very reasonable interest rate, and I'm sure that it will pay for itself very quickly. You have no idea how much money I spent on sushi on a weekly basis =) Dr. Fass will be doing my surgery. I'm not sure if anyone knows that name, but he's a very nice guy, and has quite a bit of experience. He was one of the doctors doing the procedure during the FDA trials, and I believe he assisted during Sharon Osborne's surgery =) (Not that that qualifies him, but I thought it was an entertaining notion anyway.) I have my final pre-op appointment with Dr. Fass on Thursday, so I should get a date then. Oh yeah, the other "up side" is that even after I do the private pay, I can continue the appeal process with my insurance company, and hope to get reimbursed, eventually. Anyway, just thought I'd "update" you all, since I have no doubt this community will be a source of support for years to come. =) Jonathan

I did ask, and I was told that I would get the INAMED band and that the doctor there is certified by INAMED. This was a really bargain deal. ($6800 total cost, including airfare for 2). I know cheaper doesn't mean better, but I suppose it's true that more expensive doesn't mean better either. I agree experience is the key, but I just can't afford anymore than the $6800 right now. (And save enough money for subsequent fills.) I could get the surgery locally for $16,000. I have to admit that I feel rather tempted to secure a loan and have it done here. Maybe I'm just getting cold feet...

Those of you who got banded in Mexico, did the doctor take credit cards, or did you have to bring a cashier's check with you? When they ask you at customs whether you're there for "business or pleasure", what did you tell them? Jonathan

Hello. I wanted to put something clever in my subject line so you'd want to click the post and read it... Anyway, my name is, perhaps not surprisingly, Jonathan. I'm scheduled to have lab band surgery at the Molding Clinic in TJ on January 11th. I just found this site, and due to some (albeit unsupported) statements against the Molding Clinic, I have to admit I'm having some concerns. I had a frustrating experience with Humana. I knew I had an obesity exclusion (excluding weight loss surgery or any other treatment for obesity) and when I called Humana to ask them about it, I quoted the part of my coverage document that stated it. They told me there was still hope, that I needed to go through preauthorization and then let the appropriate division in Humana make the decision. After receiving the preauthorization request, I was told that they were going to deny me, because I had an exclusion in my policy. I told them that I *knew* I had an exclusion, and that I'd pointed it out before, and the person told me that the customer service representitives have to tell patients what I was told, because they're not "qualified" to interpret a coverage document... or something to that effect. If you're thinking what I've typed here makes no sense, then you're at the same place I am. Anyway, my understanding is that I'll have no luck appealing the decision, since the policy clearly states that WLS is an exclusion, so I've decided to go the Mexico way. A couple of years ago I lost 100 lbs, and swore to myself I'd *never* gain it back. I went from 316 to 215. I'm now at 330 lbs. I'm sure my story isn't unique in this group, so I'll stop it there, and ask a couple of questions. 1) Does anyone here have good or bad experiences with the Molding Clinic they'd like to share? I did a search, and didn't really find much, other than what I mentioned at the start of this post. 2) When I was going to have surgery in the US, I was told I had to be on a strict, low carb 2 week pre-op diet, designed to shrink the size of my liver. I've read here that some people have been on a 1 week liquid diet before surgery. I was told by Andres at the Molding Clinic that no pre-op diet was necessary. Any thoughts or comments on the pre-op diet thing? I look forward to the fellowship and support I'm sure I'll both find and give in this forum in the years to come. Jonathan