ilse72

Ilse,

That's great about getting the sleeve. My doctor in Mexicali said that he is doing about 20 sleeves now to one band and will probably quit doing bands by next year. If you haven't thought about it, you might want to buy a few of those instant heating pads from Walgreens or Walmart. I thought the heat felt good while in and out of the hospital. Also, a good tip after you get out of the hospital, is to get a Coke Icee or Slushie. Something about the cola and caffine makes things a little better on the tummy. Good luck! Anne

Hi Annestoy! My doctor is also in Mexicali...and my surgery went fabulously! I had absolutely NO pain. I have had three prior laparoscopies when I was much younger and never really experienced any shoulder pain from the gas. I did not this time either. Never needed any heat or any pain meds...except for some Migraine medicine because I did get a migraine after surgery. All is well. :wink2:

I also opted for the sleeve. It is a better match for me than the lapband. I will have my surgery on Friday!

You are making great progress! Congrats!

Hi, Randy! I also choose the sleeve and will have surgery by Dr. Aceves on July 25th. I am SO excited! Like you, I did oodles of research and had narrowed it down to two doctors but was still undecided about the sleeve only because I wanted to chat with someone who had been there and done that first. I was lucky enough to stumble on a post by WasaBubbleButt who had experience with the lapband and the sleeve. After chatting with her I knew that my decision, of the sleeve being the answer for me, was the right decision.

Like you, I don't want the drama of the band or all the hassle that I have learned of on this site: PBing, sliming, possible slipping, erosion, fills, unfills, constant office visits, etc. My life is hectic and the band sounded like it would add to the chaos.

I also like that VSG makes a major difference in the hunger hormone and that weight loss seems to be more consistent and more rapid. I like that the part of the stomach used (the muscular part) will not stretch easily. There was just so many positives about this procedure! How are you doing now?

Hooray! I got my phone call so it is official. I will get my sleeve on July 25th. Now I am just counting down the days. :confused_smile:

I have opted for the sleeve as well. Looks like I have a tentative date of July 25th! I am just waiting for the confirmation call now. I am SO excited. Now if that dratted phone would just ring!

I haven't allowed my photo to be taken in over 10 years (though, of course, due to some sneaky shots, there may be some around but my immediate family has none). I will permit before photos now just so I have comparisons to see my progress.

You would be a lot more successful if you can ask your doctor (the one leaving town) to refer you to another doctor while he is away. Did you ask him if he could do that?

Unfortunately, a lot of doctors won't provide fills for those that went to Mexico. As a nurse, I find this to be sour grapes since they will take your case if you have any other condition and were treated elsewhere and either moved or switched doctors. But, you are at their mercy. Good luck! I hope someone here can help you if your doctor can't do a referral.

Welcome, JayInMA, you will find cost varies across the nation. I am self pay as well and my cost will be $11,500 which includes all post-op visits and fills for one year.

Linda, just found this thread today. I am glad you can be there for your friend. I am sure it means a lot to her.

Joan, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I am glad you are out of the ICU and I hope you have a speedy, uneventful recovery from here on out.

Hi, clusk and welcome! I'm not banded yet either but hope to be no later than August. You will find lots of information and support on this site. Keep us posted on your progress!

Welcome, Freckles and tell us your tale!

Allie, will keep everything crossed that you stay healthy so you can have your surgery as scheduled on the 9th. Good luck and hang in there!

Oh, I wish! It is just my seminar that is getting close. I was lucky....I had been scheduled for the 24th but got moved up due to a cancellation. Now, if only I can get through this, have my consultation and get a date. When you are anxious for something to happen, time seems to drag.

Thanks, Ezma! It sure sounds good.

Beans, Dr Ortiz has a well earned reputation. If you do a search on here for Dr. Ortiz or Mexico, you will read all the glowing reports on him. He has been doing lapbands longer than any US surgeon and, in fact, has educated a lot of our surgeons on how to perform the surgery. If you have a fill center readily available, you can truly consider him.

I would use him in a heartbeat (I am self pay too) if we had a fill center but we don't have one in our entire state!

I love Rachel! I am a very optimistic person so I love her upbeat, perky personality. Her cooking is down to earth and truly comfort food. She uses a lot of fresh ingredients and everything can be prepared quickly. I haven't watched her 30-Minute Meals in some time...cooking shows have never been my thing....but I'd see her when my husband watched her. We both watched her $40 a day show though.

Ezma, can you please tell me what the serving size is on the Turkey Breast Mushroom Stew? Thank you!

No offense here either but I sure didn't want people thinking I made that comment! ("Well I am self pay so I am going to work harder".)

I have been trying different ones in preparation for the lapband. I have found the ones by Pure Protein are fairly tasty. They are carried by Walmart. They contain 19 gm Protein; assorted flavors. They sell individual bars so you can try each flavor to decide which, if any, you like.

Another tasty one is South Beach Living Crispy Meal Bar in Cinnamon Creme. It is also 19 grams Protein but doesn't taste like it is healthy! Which, of course, it is. It is also available at Walmart.

Congratulations to both of you on having surgery dates! Good luck and keep us posted!

Ready, Richard Simmons has some awesome recipes. Of course, they are healthy, low fat and low calorie. They are also tasty and very easy to prepare. If you are interested, I think I have some of the recipes on my computer (due to sharing them with friends) and I'd be happy to email them to you. Just let me know.

Sorry your doctor was a "jerk" but so glad to hear that you are much better! I hope the rest of your recovery is uneventful.

Ok this whole selfpay vs insurance issue - just sorta bugs me - no offense to you Nanook - I have read this many times over on other threads

"Well I am self pay so I am going to work harder" IMHO that's BS - we are all self pay when it came to WW - Jenny Craig or whatever program we went on etc - did we succeed NOPE. Ya selfpayers are going into debit for this but I don't think that's really going to make a diff - it's all about what you want the person- if like Jachut said about - if you are ready to just say Enough - just cuz I had insurance that covered it (but you also have to take into consideration even though you have insurance depending on your plan you can have considerable copays) do I take it for granted NOPE -

I just don't think the statement Self Payer are going to work harder does mean to say that if you did have insurance to cover it you wouldn't work it the same way.

You attributed the comment on self-pay to Nanook but I was the person who mentioned it; however I NEVER once said, "Well I am self pay so I am going to work harder". While your statement says that you read it on other threads, you never read it on anything I posted so I want that set straight.

ANYONE who is determined, regardless of whether payment was insurance or self-pay, will work hard in conjunction with their lapband to lose weight! It won't be easy for any of us but nothing worthwhile ever is. We will all struggle to lose the weight.

BabyGotBack, thank you for a thread for those of us with a low BMI. I qualify!

I told my immediate family and a few close friends that I was considering the surgery. My husband was supportive. My oldest thinks I'm "taking the easy way out" and my youngest doesn't care one way or the other. My friends feel I don't need the surgery (hmmm...I'm the fat friend...get the picture) but my best friend will support whatever I decide. The reaction overall has been so negative that I have decided not to tell anyone once I have the surgery. I may tell my best friend after the fact though.

Now, that being said, I have made a very dear friend on this site who is very supportive and, since she has been there and done that with the same doctor, she is aso a great source of information. She will know every step of my progress.