blondeej

Long story short- I wouldn't put anything past docs. I spent over $800 bucks out of pocket for fills to a surgeon who was doing nothing other than poking me and not ever putting any Fluid in my band over a period of 4 months. I finally went to my original Surgeon to find I had still only had 1.2cc in my band, when the fill doc I had been spending all the money and time at told me I had 7.5cc!!! I thought something was wrong with me or my band, that I had that much fluid and felt NO different. So the bogus surgeon that was doing my fills was either injecting into my fatty tissue or not putting anything in at all. Thank God I flew down to my doc finally to get a leak test and get 6cc's put in. 7 months post op I finally felt restriction for the first time ever. I don't trust anyone here to touch me now!!

Anyone in IL know of doctors to do Fills for Mexico patients? I am posting this here bc the topics on the other forums for this never get looked at. I am about 2 hours Southwest of Chicago on the Iowa border. I am getting ready to schedule another flight down to my surgeon to get another fill, but wanted to make another last ditch effort to try and find a doc closer to here that USES FLUORO and will treat me. I will not go to a doc that doesn't use Fluoro, I have learned my lesson the hard way due to that! I got a Doc name from another patient of my Doc's that was using this Dr for her fills - but when they found out I was banded out of the country they wouldn't touch me with a 10 foot pole! I thought about telling them where I got their name from and that they indeed WERE already treating a Mexico patient but I didn't bother. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

that's also a symptom of dehydration - are you drinking enough water??

any updates from anyone??? I will be 7 mos post op on Sunday and I am EXACTLY at my pre-op weight still.... How is everyone else doing?? I guess I am a glutton for punishment to want to hear everyone's successes thus far!

And this is a BAD thing HOW????????????? LOL Be HAPPY for it!!! It's MUCH easier to REMIND yourself to eat than to try and control your addiction to not want to stop!

I went through the same thing Kristal - I did STRANGE things and even surprised myself!! I have NEVER been a food "hider" and binger - just always overate at meal times. A couple weeks before my surgery I bought a pack of chocolate covered honey buns and HID THEM above the cabinets so my husband and son couldn't steal them and eat them!! LOL I thought i'd lost my mind... if you read my blog I think I even made an entry about it. Of course - my fear was for NOTHING because I am 7 mos post op have 7.25cc in a 12cc band and can eat whatever and however much of anything I want. THAT'S for another post though.... Don't beat yourself up - it's normal!! We're all ADDICTS - we respond and do as addicts do!

Cherub - I have no advice for you as I am in the same boat (7mos post op and NO loss) but I must commend you for being 76 and knowing your way around a computer so well!! Please don't take this the wrong way... my parents are 60 and they are lucky to be able to check their email!! lol

ouch! do you need a crane to help remove that chip on your shoulder?? LOL GEEZ. Have you ever been to Mexico for surgery?? And it was clear as mudd originally.

thank you ALL for your responses

?? not sure what point you're trying to make here? I was refering to the people that were saying things like "I don't know why anyone would ever go to Mexico for surgery", etc.

Hey everyone - I've decided to return to Mexicali next month to get checked out by Dr. A and Dr. Campos.... I would be spending almost the same amount of money on a fill here with some no-name doctor - so I feel it would be worth it to go back...

As I stated in my earlier post many months ago - I was banded in Feb by Dr Aceves in Mexicali. Never have I been treated better in a hospital environment. If I had my choice I would never enter another Hospital in the states again. My whole trip I felt completely SAFE and comfortable, even while crossing the boarder. If going to Dr. Aceves you don't cross over in Tijuana, you cross over BY Mexicali - so basically your whole vehicle transit is in the states until you cross over. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos truly care abou the success of their patients. I am flying down next month when I will be approx 7 mo post of to get my band checked by Dr. A and Dr. C. bc my aftercare surgeon herein the US very well may have poked a hole in my tubing due to his ignorance during a fill.. idk we shall see. For those of you that know nothing about Mexico surgeons or traveling there you obviously don't have a dog in this fight - other than to just criticize other people's decisions. Real nice.

bumping this thread up - anyone else out there not reach any sort of restriction until your band was almost full???

Just wanted to update ya'll - I am flying back to Mexicali next month to have Dr A and Dr Campos check me out and see what's going on... they think that I either have a leak or just need more fluid. Sadly, it won't cost much more to fly down there and stay than it would to get a fill here with some new random doctor. So we shall see.... I PRAY I don't have a leak... I can't afford surgery for new tubing...

I just emailed Gaby to let her know what was going on....waiting for her reply...

thanks for the responses... I haven't talked with Dr A's nurse in many months - I emailed them when I was freaking out thinking there was a leak bc I was getting no restriction - she just suggested to get it checked under fluoro - which I did - and there is no leak... Not much they can do...

hi vicky thanks for your nice response... I did have one lady post a comment on my blog awhile ago and she asid she felt no resriction until she surpassed about 8cc's in her band... maybe I will be like her? I have the big Realize band - so 12cc's I believe? I over eat for sure - but I've never been a "binge" eater or gourger (sp?) - which I thought that would make me even a better candidate for the band - bc they say that people who are overeaters vs grazers tend to have the most suiccess (quantity eaters). I DO need to keep a food journal just for my own sanity - WLS or not. I definitely could of tried harder to restrict and restrict my food intake and be hungry all the time - but that's no different than what I've done my whole life - DIET - and failed at. Even if I felt the TINIEST feeling that I even HAVE a band in there I feel would give me SOME hope that this thing is even half-way doing something to aide me in my Quest - but I feel/experience nothing... edited to add: my typing is NEVER this horrible! please excuse all the spelling mistakes!!

I had band surgery in February... I am a little over 6 mos post op and if it wasn't for my scar and the fluoro machine showing I have something in me - I would bet my paycheck there's nothing there. I've never had stuck issues, pb's, any sort of pain. Literally it's exactly like I was pre-op. Good news is I haven't GAINED any weight... I wish I would of had the $ in the first place to get a Sleeve, but it took all I had to scrape up $ for the bamd... Dr Aceves was my doctor and I LOVE him, he is great. I am more depressed than ever now... I feel like a failure times 10. I have 7.25cc's in my band (I have the big one)... had about 6 fills at $200 a pop.... Going to look into my fiance's insurace to see if they cover WLS. My company does not, hence why I had to pay our of pocket for my band....which I am still paying off. Don't know why I am here or blabbing... just feel like I am alone!!

IDK who all is still here from when I posted often - but I got banded in February with Dr. Aceves in Mexico. Surgery went great - LOVE Dr. A - but I am one of those XX% of people that the band has not worked for. That was my NUMBER ONE fear going into this - that I would be one of the very few individuals that this simply does not work for - I soothed myself by saying don't worry - it's just normal to have this fear - EVERYONE thinks that they'll be the "one" it doesn't work for. Well here I am - 6 months post op and am still at my pre-op weight. The most I was down was about 10 lbs and that was due to just post-op stress and liquid diets. If I didn't have a scar and if I didn't see the band when I had my fills and fluoro done I would bet my paycheck that nothing was inside me. I now have about 7.25 cc's in my band (I have the big one) and feel NOTHING. Had about 6 fills. There is no leakl. I don't "eat around my band" - I don't abuse my band - I am simply the exact same I was pre-op - except even more depressed now. If I felt like a falure before - I can now magnify that by 100%. I feel like I am doomed to be fat my whole life. My only hope now is to somehow save up enough $ to get a revision to the sleeve. I wish I would of had the money to do that in the first place.

Great questions! I would like to know as well.

I'm on day 4 and I haven't done very well at all! I've been making an effort but have been out of town in Chicago on business since last Monday - just returned last night. So I am hoping now that I am home it will be less easy to cheat! My Dr. requires a 10 day low carb diet to promote ketosis. I've failed thus far - going to stick to it from here on out!! Good luck to you all!!!

Hey again everyone!! Sorry I've been MIA, I've been super busy with my new job- just got back from a week of horrendous corporate training in Chicago!! Augh - was so ready to be home!! I hate flying as a fat girl - it's seriously miserable!! I am less than a week out from my surgery - doesn't seem real!!!!

I saw another poster talking about b12 shots prescribed by her doctor. I want to ask my doc about that because that would be my preference!

I was supposed to have surgery Jan 28th but had to push it back a week to Feb 4th due to an unexpected business trip to Chicago. So now I am a Feb bandster! heheh

Yep... cause in my head I still don't realize how huge I am and my telling people I am having WLS it's like I am having to make that recognition. I've only told a handful of select friends that I trust wholly.