marnie723

Dr. Huacuz? Glad your doing ok but I have read TOOOOO many bad stories about this doctor including one on VSGFAQ.com from AdrieneC who almost died from a leak from him that he didn't properly treat.

I'm surprised no one has responded to this. After I read it I did some more research into MSG & all the other names it goes by. This is very interesting & I had no idea MSG had that effect on your insulin levels. Thanks for posting this. It's another thing I will be reading ingredients for.

Thank you. I've read this page over & over since the new format & haven't been able to see it. I do now.

there use to be a spot on here to search for certain topics or info. I can't find the place to do this now? Is it gone or am I just missing it?

Does anyone have a website or # where you can call to verify a Mexican surgeons credentials? In the US you can look up the info according to State & I was wondering if there is something similar in Mexico? I'm looking into Dr. Alverez & I've looked on the OH website but still want to dig deeper.

It's actually a restrictive procedure that removes up to 70-80%(depending on which study you read) of your stomach leaving it in a 'banana' or sleeve shape. It is suppose to remove the ghrelin in your stomach that produces hunger & make it very difficult to over eat due to the size& shape of the stomach. It leave your intestines in tact so food is absorbed the natural way. A doctor explained it to me as similar to lap band in that it controls the amt you eat but no hardware left in except staples. So far they don't have longterm studies but it's becoming very popular for people who have had problems with the band or can't easily keep up the f/u required by the band. I'm researching it also as option since I just finished my supervised wl required by ins & they turned me down.

well MISTY...thanks for the info....but NOW....does anyone who is NOT A PATIENT COORDINATOR have info on a sleeve dr.? I don't like being given the info by someone posing as a patient but is pushing their doctor in every post on this board. Is your name Sandy by chance?

Thanks for the info. I've emailed them for more info as well.

I am now considering the sleeve instead of the band. I am worried about all the f/u required with the band, & was wondering if anyone knows of any surgeons who do this surgery in the US or Mexico?

My surgeon also told me I could do either the lap-band or Route en Y which I knew I was NOT going to do. My BMI is 39. I've been really hesitant about doing the lap-band because I see all these problems on this site with slips, fills & unfills etc. Then I started to look into the Gastric Sleeve (GSB) I am still in the process of trying to find out everything I can on this but it looks like something that would suit my life much better. I transfer cities every so often & I am leary about finding fills doctors & all the f/u required with the band. Also as a self-pay I sort of have that nagging in the back of my mind that if something like a slipped band happens that's more $$ out of my pocket to pay. You might want to check into the SLEEVE. There's no longterm results that I've found yet but it's good to research another option that's less drastic then the bypass.

I think in the back of my mind I am worried that I may have problems with the band NOT covered by insurance (I am self-pay at this point) If ins. covered this I would be less likely to question any problems I had. I have also been reading about lapband for 2yrs. The most info I've learned has been from this website but it seems like there's an awful lot of problems out there with it. Another point this book made was to accept that "you will never eat 'normal' again. Which is what I thought the point of the surgery was, so you ate normal amounts instead of huge portions. I think I've been waiting for this for so long I am now starting to freak about the reality of it. (I've done a 12mth supervised diet for ins.only to get tossed) Then I keep going back to my health & think "if it ain't broke....." but I'm sure in time my health will be affected. My doctor thinks I'm a great candidate for this surgery but right now I am thinking I am just doing it more out of vanity.

I am starting to schedule my lapband and after following along here for months, I am getting nervous about doing this surgery to lose weight when I don't have any REAL health issues. My BMI is 39 but all my bloodwork & everything else is good. I am worried that I might be creating problems by getting this surgery when, right now, none exist. My weight has controlled my life since I was 12yrs old, I'm a major yo-yo dieter & have never kept weight off like everyone else who has tried. I hate being fat. BUT I just read a book called "weight-loss surgery, Everything you need to know about Bariatric Surgery" by the former president of the ABS and it has freaked me out. The book keeps saying over & over that it's a last resort & you should be willing to accept death as a possible consequence. I know all surgeries have that risk....blah blah blah but if we really thought we were going to die I'm sure we wouldn't do it. I'm worried I will be running to the doctor now for life because of slips, erosions, overfills, underfills etc. Who else had the lapband that didn't have serious health issues? Has it complicated your life? I am worried I might be better off fat then slimmer & having all sorts of eating problems with the band in place.