Phoenix

If you are paying some of your medical copays, prescriptions, etc., with money out of your flex spending plan, you can't use those expenses as a tax deduction, can you?

If you use Turbo Tax, it will walk you thru it. You can use it all, but the portion that was kept pre-tax gets a different rate.

I went out and bought an abdominal binder during that first week. For some reason, my incisions felt better when pressure was applied. So, it did help with that. I didn't do it for looks, just so that I felt better.

Ditto. My muscles were too tired. They could heal or support themselves. The port incision felt instantly better when the waist nipper thingy was doing the support work.

Sure wish this would finish healing so I can start some ab exercises.

Your surgeon allows ab exercises so soon???

Man, they're all so different. Ortiz forbids ab specific exercizes for 3 months...said that is what can make a port flip...I can head back to the gym on the 7th. Cardio and arm/leg weights are recommended.

Dermabond, is that the glue? I am glued shut. It's starting to flake off now with the scabs and the scars look great.

Yeah, cool stuff, isn't it? It's like heavy duty human rubber cement. The incisions beneath look really good. The 4 cm line will be nearly invisible.

Note to all the Junes...especially those of us who tan easily (olive skinned here) Ortiz said not to let the sun see the scars for at least a year.

I had a mole removed from my knee after my 40th birthday. The scar skin is a lot darker than the rest of the knee. It makes perfect sense.

He was a PS resident before banding. I'm buying tankinis.

Oh, the waist nipper corset thing isn't like a full length girdle. It goes from the middle of my rib cage to my hip bones. It gave me huge relief the second I put it on since it held my muscles in place and they could quit working so hard :thumbs_up:

Give Benadryl Gel a whirl. We use it for jelly fish stings and keep it in the dive bag at all times. Phenomenal stuff.

No steri strips here, Ortiz used to be a plastic surgery resident and he uses dermabond. Cool stuff.

If there were a pill, Oprah and Rosie would be thin.

I'll buy some theories and maybe even products about thermogenesis, but not fat burners or carb blockers. It's snake oil.

Welcome in advance to smokin' hot AZ (unless you're in Flagstaff or Pinetop, then I'm just jealous) :blushing:

I'm still on liquids. Buy every kind of Soup they have . Anything with red pepper in the title is divine.

Hummus. I *swear* it's what gets me thru the day (thinned out a bit)

Tiny Ginger Cookies

Australian Licorice

Sprouted grain bread (from sprouted grains, not flour)

Kefir

By the time the silicone froze (in your body, no less) you'd be long past caring. You'd be dead. Don't we all have cute silicone ice cube trays in our freezers?

If it's the low/non sugar, nonfat kind, cool.

Full sugar, full fat, not cool. Might as well have the Haagen Daaz.

Brandy is right. Nurse is a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

An old fashioned corset type waist control thingy (Breezies @ JCPenney) took care of my port pain. It supported some muscles that needed to heal, but gravity wasn't being my friend.

I'm scheduled on the 29th of July back in TJ with Dr. Ortiz.

I'm hungry. Fluids help, but I can drink a lot of them and I worry about expanding a pouch that doesn't really exist yet.

my name is Teresa and I am 5'7" and 220 pounds, 34.5 BMI, I hope to lose 60+ pounds, I was supposed to get banded June 16th however I don't have 16,500. I looked into Mexico and my surgery date is July 24th and it is only 7,500. My friend and I are going and I am really excited. :Angel_anim:

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Hi from the other end of the Valley of the Sun! Is Dr. Kuri going to be your surgeon?

Just 4 weeks to go, good for you!

Vegas does sound like fun! So does $700 for new clothes!

Tina, you're going to get through this. Please stop beating yourself up. And please stop holding "the whore" responsible. It's wasted energy It can't help you reach your goal: getting to a place where you can trust your partner.

DH put his weiner in the wrong place. DH put his emotions in the wrong place. DH holds the responsibility bucket. He's no victim.

If you keep holding "the whore" responsible, then DH can, too. He will take the easy way out and blame her instead of himself -- it's too much easier to be "the victim" and blame her rather than be the dude who put his weiner in the wrong place. How does demonizing her help with his promises to make things right again?

He's already telling you what a "good guy" he was for NOT going to AZ to fool around....for not stepping out on "family time." See? He's not THAT bad. Seriously.

He put his weiner where he wanted to put his weiner when he got the opportunity to put it there. No reason you should have seen it coming.

You won't trust him until he owns that.

That's great about your sister! And I'm a little jealous that you got to see the procedure. You'll be a lot less scared than many of us were getting up on the table before anesthesia.

Had I gone thru True Results, the process would have been just like lynlynkr's, give or take a week or so.

When I'd decided on a Dr. in Mexico, I told them I wanted a specific date (while my daughters were both at Girl Scout Camp).

There was a huge amount of paperwork, but with no co-morbidities and a low BMI, it was 3 weeks from "I need this week" to it BEING that week. Really fast. No sleep study required, no hoops. I guess it's the upside of being self pay.

They did the blood work, the pulmonary and EKG tests the morning before surgery.

Good luck with your journey!

Our corporate insurance policy specifically excludes weight loss surgery.

It's interesting when you tell them that you're a self pay. I had consults with Dr. Simpson in Phoenix and True Results in Scottsdale last year. Both will band you with a BMI of 30. No issues at all.

Dr. Kuri in Tijuana, $10,000 less than True Results, wouldn't band me. I found that interesting, too.

I *think* I'm a low BMI person. Banded last Monday with a BMI of 31.5.

I came home from surgery 6 pounds heavier from IV fluids and swelling. The 6 pounds are gone now and 3 more came off with them!

The only part about the 21 days of liquids is that the weight comes off fast. Otherwise, it's just darn hard. Looking forward to having a BMI in the 20s very soon!

Thank you! Looking forward to my first NSV, happy to read about yours!

It does! Thank you!

Just curious, as your body has gotten smaller, has your shoe size changed, too?

Cool Picture!

How big is the needle?

Did you watch?

Do they numb you first?

Does it hurt?

Newbie minds are dying to know this stuff, thanks!

Big success vibes headed your way!

Sorry, stupid newbie question: NSV? Please de-acronym.

Congratulations on your progress! Congratulations on normal blood values!:tt1::w00t::tt1:

I'm so glad I don't have to stumble thru this all on my own!

Day 7 and feeling a lot better. The dermabond is only over the large incision and the bruises are nearly healed up.

I bought Centrum liquid Vitamins, aim for 60 g of Protein a day (all liquids, still) and try to keep hydrated.

If you're feeling light headed and weak, start by making sure you're getting 64 oz of liquids a day. Iced tea, Crystal Lite, Water, milk, whatever, but make sure it's up there. Being from Phoenix, you learn fast that being dehydrated will make you weak and give you headaches.

Fewer than 800 calories a day is just plain silly. I can't think of a single reason while we're healing to have less than 1200.

PS) Dr Kuri, also in Tijuana wouldn't accept me at a BMI under 35. Dr. Ortiz didn't have those restrictions.

FWIW, once True Results and Dr. Simpson (both in Phoenix) knew I was self pay, they didn't have BMI or co-morbidity restrictions.

My story starts out the same as AudricIan's and I hope it keeps unfolding just as nicely!

I was banded by Dr. Ortiz on 6/16/08 (just last week) Starting BMI 31.5. The surgery went well and the staff was great.

I had (and have) a bit more pain, but manageable with ibuprofen. I spent the whole day here at the office today and I feel just fine.

I'm in Phoenix. I'll go back to Dr. Ortiz for at least the first fill and this board has been more than helpful to find local providers who will do fills for patients banded in Mexico. Gas prices being what they are, it will still be cheaper to fly to San Diego than drive it.

No regrets, I just wish I were thru the three weeks of liquids already!

I spent 8 grand out of pocket.

I did not spend $8,000 to gain weight or ruin this little plastic pool float inside of me.

Get past the next 30 minutes and tell yourself "NO".

Your body will have an opportunity to put the band exactly where it should be for the next several decades, but you must stop eating solid foods a mere 11 days out.

You should call your surgeon's office and ask what type of diet you should go on and BE on for the next few weeks.

We paid for Nutritionists. Get your money's worth.