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Hi everyone! I am scheduled for surgery Dec 4th in Mexico. The price of my surgery includes follow up care, but I assume I pay for the flight (of course). My question is to those of you in Mexico, do you just follow up in the states with your general doctor, or do you make the trip back to Mexico. Has anyone gone home, then had a complication and had to fly back? Thanks for your help!! I love reading these boards. I am so excited to get my life back!! Jen

Well I am 2 years out from my lapband surgery and decided that now I would like to have all of this extra skin removed. I had an initial PS consult in February. My surgeon is Dr. Michael Beckenstein in Birmingham. I worked in surgery for 6 years and I really liked his work. He submitted the procedure to my insurance and it was denied. I was heartbroken. It turned out to be a blessing, because that is how I learned that my insurance would not cover any complication involving my band. (I had bc/bs which covered my band - then I changed jobs and switched to Viva). Luckily my HR department was not aware of this either and let me change to bc/bs (which is more expensive) before open enrollment. Sooo I went back to Dr. Beckenstein last week and he is resubmitting all the paperwork to bc/bs. He see's no issues with getting them to conver the panni. The rest however I will have to pay for. Luckily it will only be $1,800. So I am okay with that. It was submitted earlier this week, so everyone please keep their fingers crossed that it will be covered. I have been reading other stories on here and it really is helping with what to expect. Hope everyone is well!! Thanks!

The complications continue. My port incision is infected, and I've been put on a round of antibiotics. It's really red and inflamed looking, and VERY tender. It's sort of swollen and hard if you touch it. I've actually taken some pics in case anyone wanted to see what one looks like when it starts to go bad. If you're interested holler and I'll try to figure out how to post it.

Ann, we spent most of Wednesday in the car and in various doctor's offices. It definitely wasn't easy. Learn from my mistake: bring your meds with you! And bring something that you can eat. I only thought we'd be gone a few hours. We left at 8am and ended up getting home at 4:30pm. It was a SUPER long day! Lotsabirds, Dr. John (Ted) Johnson from Carteret Surgical did my surgery. He did my gallbladder in Feb, too. I really don't feel that the complications were his fault. I think I'm just not recovering well for whatever reason. Best of luck to you next week!

That all sounds great - I do think that is a pretty reasonable price. Dr. Domkowski that I am going with is $12,500 and Dr. Kim at Florida Hospital Celebration was around $16,750 for self pay. I, too, considered Mexico and really thought long and hard about Dr. Aceves as he has been doing WLS for so many years and is very respected in bariatric circles but in the end, I just didn't feel great about traveling to Mexico and then not being close to my surgeon if I would have complications later. Plus, I feel SUPER confident in my Dr. He is wonderful and his former patients have nothing but wonderful things to say about him, as well as the nurses from the hospital that he does his surgeries in. I believe I have to do a one-week liquid diet before my surgery but of course I will have all the ins and outs next week when I meet with him again! I am so very excited to get started. It can't get here fast enough for me. I am SO up for the challenge.......... I just can't believe where I have let myself get to....It truly affects every facet of my life, both physically and mentally. I let it interfere in everything. I have about 127 lbs. (from my highest weight) to lose to get to my goal weight of 160 - although, to be honest, I have no idea where I will actually be at that weight because it has been so many years since I saw that number. I think I will have to wait till I get closer and re-evaluate. I'm tall (5'10") so I have to keep myself from looking so much at what other people's goal weights are and know that I just can't go that low.....really I just want to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin. I'm lucky enough to not have health problems (no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no sleep apnea, etc...)

Hello, Im Francis and just joind this site, i came across it looking for help on hair loss, i had my surgery on Dec. 17th 2010 so i just turned 6 months post-op. i was 194lb and even though i have not checked my weight this month i was at 138lb last time i got on the scale I had my surgery done in my counrty of birth Nicaragua, I didnt have any complications at all, no pain after surgery and had no real issue with the post-op diet, i was back to work 3 weeks after surgery, dont regret having VS i am very happy with the choice i made, i have been reading some post of people having issues with people commenting on with how fast the weight is lost, it has mainly happened with family members for me and yes it is annoying to have people looking at your plate everytime you eat, having family saying after each meal i havent eaten enough and i have lost weight too fast is , i have decided not to hide the fact i have had WLS with family and friends i thought it be best so i dont get the comments "your not eating" and "whats wrong" but i still hear it sooo right now what im struggling with and has me worried is hair loss never thought i would be loosing soo much, hair comes out while showering, some more when i coumb my hair and some more during sleep i wake up and there is hair on my pillow, im trying everything im told could work for hair loss and nothing is working, hopefully it stops soon before i go bald.... beside this issue everything else has been good and just as i hoped it would be

Ok, My coworker had the gastric bypass 5yrs ago, and I mentioned that I was having the band next week. He said NOOO don't do that, I know 2 people that failed. I'm sooooo tired of people and their opinion on the lapband. I was skeptical at first but I plan on following all instructions provided by my dr. I've educated myself on ALL the complications that MAY happen.BUT I'm going into this with a positive mindset. I just wanted to vent!! Thanks for listening lol

Agree with Laura about the shot glass. Set a clock by your chair or bedside. Aim for one ounce every 15 minutes while you are awake - either Water or your Protein drink of choice. I used a 1 cup measuring cup like a little pitcher to keep refilling the shot glass. It was a lot easier for me to drink when I broke it down like that instead of facing a big glass of water. I took my pain meds for almost two weeks and I didn't have any complications. It will get better. Lynda

Hi I'm 12 days out.had some complications and had to go back in hospital. I have been home a few days but still can not get out of bed or my recliner by myself. Pain is easing up some bit still bad enough. I can't hardly drink a cup of liquid a day. How are you guys making it. Most of you sound like your doing wonderful what do I need to do?

Welcome back! I am glad you are getting your health issues sorted out -- these bodies can be complicated sometimes. I have had my gallbladder out and am waiting for a date for LB surgery. Best wishes to you -- thank you for posting!

Hi group: My name is Jackie, and I am wondering which surgery will be better for me on the long run. I am between the sleeve and the lap band. I am really scare to go with the sleeve because I am not sure what will happen to me on the long run with taken out 80% of my stomach. I heard many things, that can go wrong after you have the sleeve. I am trying to avoid further years to come complications issue w my organs. I believe the lap band will help me and I have less side effects from it. If I have complications I can always take it off, and avoid other issues. I am undecided in which surgery I should do and confused about the whole thing. Any suggestions, or please let me know what do you think about my post. I need to hear more information on this issue in order to make a good decision, Thank you group!

Well, I was going in on the 28th. But, due to a work conflict on my wife's part, we had to bump it a couple of weeks to October 12th. Not a big deal, but I still spent the better part of a couple of hours seeing if I could work out a plan to keep the 28th (drive myself, wait around the lobby for my wife to pick me up a few hours, etc). I did, however, get word from my insurance that I was approved! We were ready to go self pay if need be, but this is better. Last time, when my wife had her bypass, the hospital billed $125K for just it's part (a pre planned procedure with a two day stay and no complications. 800 (x 2) dollar morphine!!!), of which Anthem disallowed 80% or so. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the hospital on my own without the insurance company to back me up. I know it is all a shell game between providers and insurers, but geez. My wife had an emergency gall bladder removal with an ER visit and a two day stay at a different hospital earlier last year was $35K total. I went to my one insurance required support group meeting last week. Interesting, that of 30+ people in the group, only myself and one other pre-op were going LAP-BAND®®®®. All the others , including all the post op, were sleeve or bypass. One other pre op explained she was fighting with insurance for the sleeve, though she had been approved for LAP-BAND®®®® or bypass. She was very against a foreign object in her body. She felt they all suffer from rejection and infection, no offense to the two of us going LAP-BAND®®®®. Different strokes. Cheers, Erick

Hi! I am doing well, starting to feel like my old self. Just really tired, not sleepy, but just fatigued. Like yesterday I did some minor cleaning and I felt exhausted lol. I am think doctors prefer sleeve because of less complications? I am not sure. But yea, so far I am happy with my revision. I will know the real deal once I start eating food again

I had my sg 5/28/09 and I have had some complications (port that leaked and had to be replaced) but even with all that, yes it is worth it. I am about to hit 50lbs lost and feel like I can do this now... It is work, some days are very hard, and some days you question your sanity for letting someone cut 5 holes in you to keep you from eating. But obesity is a disease and I have had it all my life, I have never been able to kick it on my own and for the first time I feel I not only can but will... Good luck to you.

Sometimes my hunger in the evenings is physical...at least that's what I interpret my growling stomach telling me...sometimes we have an earlier dinner and that seems to make a difference with how the evening and hunger will play out. I also know that if I am authentically hungry, there will be no way for me to fall asleep. When my stomach is rumbling, I will resort to having a small high Protein snack. My surgeon has given me the green light to have a small teaspoon of natural no sugar added Peanut Butter for this purpose...and it tastes wonderful. The key is to limit myself to only 1 teaspoon...so I make certain to put the jar of peanut butter back in the pantry, close the door, and go far away from the kitchen. I then put the spoon back in the dishwasher and leave the room again. I won't give myself permission to use a spoon more than once...or permission to wash any spoons by hand. I have to make it more complicated to get a "refill" on the peanut butter...that takes time and effort. You get into trouble when, as an example you have the peanut butter jar on your lap and have the spoon in your hand and then are reading a good book. You can easily loose track of how much you are eating. My portion size is limited to 2 teaspoons, however I've done that only 1 time to date. This may not work for others...I have a dear friend that peanut butter is a definite trigger to over eat, so she must avoid it. But it works for me...keep the temptations out of the house or make it way more complicated or difficult for you to get at them.

I am a 20 year old female (going to be 21 soon) and am weighing the options of doing surgery while I'm under my parent's insurance. I'm 5'4, 310 pounds (BMI of like 54) I am still in college and would plan on doing the surgery either this winter or next summer. I graduate next spring so I would have the summer to repair from the surgery until the fall when I'd start a potential job. If i didn't get the surgery within the next two years, I might have to wait like 10 or more to build up my insurance at my new job. I am working on my degree in Elementary Education. As of now, I work at a daycare and in direct care, both physically tolling jobs for an obese person. I am asked constantly from both jobs why I'm so big and if I'm pregnant. Parents sometimes look down on me as not physically capable or not being a role model for their children, which of course I want to be. I want to be able to sit in a chair and not worry about it breaking. I want to be able to lay down and not have my neck fat squished up against my chin. I want to be able to be comfortable with myself emotionally and physically. I want to buy clothes at Target and other cheaper stores that carry cute clothes without having to hide out in the plus size section. I want to be healthy and not worry about the possibility of diabetes, heart attacks, or aches/hurts in my joints. Something, though, scares me about the surgery. I'm not sure if it's the surgery itself or the thought of not eating my favorite foods after. I know it's worth it and everything and that complications are a minimal risk but what if my sutures leak? Or the biggest fear, I end up stretching my stomach out??? Someone please help me out! Should I wait and figure myself out mentally or should I do the surgery and be healthier for my future career??

I would definitely not suggest smoking. I did not have complications. Thankfully. I have met someone post op that did have horrible problem with ulcers.

I had my surgery yesterday and I feel great! No complications or extreme pains. I feel slight pressure in my chest - like a burp is stuck there, but other than that, I'm 100%. My experience with Dr. Rod was great. The staff was warming and I was very well taken care of.

to Dave - mreagle5, I was a little anxious, but not really scared. I'm the type of person that when I make up my mind for something, nothing can change it. I had made up my mind that I WOULD have this surgery, and I wanted it SO bad that those emotions took place over being afraid. Of course, I had the fear as in any surgery that there could be complications. I think I had more fear afterwards when I had redness around my port that wouldn't go away. I was laying awake in bed and thinking all these thoughts wondering if my port was infected or if my body was rejecting it and what if they had to take it out? Then I was scared that they wouldn't fill me if it was red. Turned out that everything was fine. I did have a little more redness than usual, but my body just had to adjust. I knew though from the beginning that I wanted this surgery and wanted the help it could give me. I hate the battle that I've fought for all these years. When I was a teenager and a young adult, I was smaller (size 7 pants, around 113 - 118 average weight). I want to be close to that again. I don't know if I can get that far, but my goal is 125, which is the ideal weight for my height. I know without this surgery I wouldn't have a chance. I'm also very thankful that my insurance covered the cost and covers my fills. Thanks for asking.

Hey y'all... sorry for the late reply I don't get on here nearly as much as I did pre-banding! Yes the price is still 15,300. They accept care credit which you can apply for online. Although their interest rate is ridiculously high! I had my surgery 4/14 my highest weight was 380lb. Its been almost 4 mts I'm currently at 335lbs. Most my weight dropped off in the first 6 weeks. (That honeymoon period where I was truly on top of my diet/excercise!) Now I lose about 1-2lb a week WITHOUT much actual effort. I did plataeu at 342 for 2 weeks though. (Vacation!) I've had 2 fills. Should be on my 3rd but I skipped one last month because I went to the Bahamas. (Ps: yes the band tightens on airplanes- awful cramps!) Anyways I'm going in this Weds for my 3rd fill. I already have a bit of restriction. I eat half as much as I use to but still can eat more than I should be. As you'll read it'll take time to find your sweet spot. The short of it is: yes its expensive but its worth it. I survived it with no infections, mistakes or a padded bill. It was a flat rate for the procedure & a year of visits- no matter how often or little you schedule an appointment. And yes I would recommend them! If you're like I was and looking for particulars, here's my personal experience... My surgeon was Dr. Martinez, he's a really calm & thorough surgeon. Albeit the center can be a bit unorthodox... the director practically lives there & he had the habit of calling me at odd hours (as late as 11pm) to check if I was coming for an appointment the next day. All the staff is friendly. If you're self pay it will all go pretty quick. Basically you'll get it as soon as you want it. Only 1 week of pre op dieting, which is suppose to consist of liquids only (although they say if you must cheat eat low fat, low carb items once a day but absolutely NOTHING 12hours pre op.) Protein shakes (even slim fast ultra) is approved with their nutritionist. And yes these are the hardest weeks you'll face: the 1 week pre-op & 1st week post op. You'll do all your pre op testing right there at the center, took about 2-3hours. Keep in mind its all about the $ when you're self pay so consult your own physician also about getting the band & under going a surgery- especially if you have health conditions (namely heart issues or diabetes) because you will not get a stress test from the banding center. Stress tests are required by insurance companies becuz they help foresee any complications but self pay they're not as concerned since its on your dime. I never took blood pressure meds before but during & immediately post op my BP was off the charts- (a sometime common side effect of the trauma of surgery & also anesthesia) so much so they almost didn't send me home. Luckily they did because a transfer to a hospital & an over night stay without insurance coverage would have put me in debt! So know your health. Dr. Martinez did give me a 30day supply of BP meds to ensure I stablized ok at home & he also had me come in 1 week post op to check up. He did respond promptly to a phone call to his cellphone over that first weekend. The pain meds (liquid) did the job! They will tell you the procedure is 45mins to an hour but for me it was over 3 hours. He did fix a hiatal hernia he found for no extra charge. He says thats standard procedure if found. That was an awesome bonus becuz I have no heartburn anymore. I was there from 7am til 3pm. Was suppose to be from 7am-12pm. But they will keep you as long as they need to for no extra charges. Dr martinez is only there on Wed's so all surgeries & follow up fills -if he's your doctor, will be on a Weds. First week post op was not so bad. Yes there's some pain & definate cramping from the CO2 he puts in. The 2nd day post op was the worst for me. I couldn't sleep because the port incision was very tender. (Have help at home!) Don't let the first day fool you- you're still full of the good drugs & can't feel the full effect yet. But it IS bearable. I was not hungry for days post op. The hernia repair he explained caused the bulk of my discomfort so if you get only the band it should go smoother for you. I recommened always holding in or using a pillow or something as a splint when getting up or turning over in bed becuz the port incision is soo tender when disturbed early on. At first my scars were small & light then they darkend by week 4. But they're not huge & you keep the bandages on til your first follow up in 2 weeks. Fills: he does your first fill 6weeks post op. He doesn't bend on that rule. For me my first one was easy. Its not painful- he will numb you first & he explains what he's doing. His assistant is nice & keeps you distracted. Second fill for me was harder. I had a lot of scar tissue & he had trouble sticking it just right. Luckily you don't feel anything except pressure. He won't let you leave if you have discomfort swallowing Water. So I've never had a throw up episode. I have experienced a slight & quick stuck feeling but that was my fault from eating too quickly. Everyone is different & tolerates pain differently but personally I was back to work in 1 week & I'm a nurse. I've seen some people out 2 or even 4 weeks but unless you're lifting all day I cannot fathom the need to stay out that long. Overall the band in the begining leaves A LOT up to you. You can eat a lot of things for the first few months- soda & ice cream for instance will always go down smooth. Its empty calories so things like this you must have the discipline to resist. Please have realitic expectations! I wached youtube videos pre banding & secretly expected to drop 50lbs in 8 weeks. Not gunna happen! The people with drastic results took drastic measures. I don't work out everyday. But I workout 3-4x a week. I DO eat out but I try to make better choices. The band has helped curb my appetite for at least 6-8hours even after a small meal. I have not been able to have "seconds" since banding so it does take some of the pressure off you. I hope this helps answer your questions & relieve some anxiety because clearly from my original post I know how you all feel. My only regret is not doing it sooner! Good luck ladies & keep in touch!

So, last night I went to my first lapband support group (after 3 1/2 yrs). Thought it might be good for me. There were 3 of us. Just the nitht before, the sleeve support group met (same program director for both meetings) was standing room only. What's going on with all the banders? The program director (not my surgeons office, its 3 hrs away) said they hardly ever do band surgery anymore. People complain about complications and maintenance. Im so afraid we're gunna be dinasours, only referenced in medical journals as bariatric failures. Has anyone else noticed this? And amongst the 3 of us, I was the most successful. One lady has been banded for 4 yrs and has only lost 40 lbs. The other for 2 yrs and lost about 50. Made me feel good. And I was starting to feel like a failure. Marci

So this is my first post. I've been researching and contemplating bariatric surgery for a few years now, but it's only recently that I decided to put my foot on the road and start the journey. A little background: I'm a 38 year old woman, 3 kids, and husband, cat mom (hoping to bring in a dog soon too, hehe) I've been overweight all my life. All 3 pregnancies were with gestational diabetes, but I managed without meds, and that has been the only time I've ever lost significant weight. Actually, prior to my first pregnancy, I cut out soda, and stopped relying on hamburger helper/boxed meals for dinner, and went from 255 to about 230. My weight over the years has fluctuated between 200 to 230. My biggest problem now is diabetes. I was diagnosed with type 2 a few years back. I'm on metformin, which my body doesn't handle well. In 2015, I lost my mother, who was over 300lbs and had diabetes to complications from diabetes. It has really scared me, enough that I've had anxiety issues since, and what's really pushing me to find a way to lose weight. After all my research, I'm aiming for the sleeve. I've been to my program's orientation, and met with the Nurse Practitioner. I now have loads of appointments, and a goal of losing 12 lbs by January 24. It feels like a lot, only because my timing is poor and I'm doing all this through the Christmas season. While I'd like surgery in March, I'm actually thinking May would be better since my older kids would still be in school, but my husband would be home (he's a professor) so that he can take care of my 3 year old. I could try to time it right so that it happened over his spring break too, but that's going to take the stars aligning just right, lol. Anyways, I feel like I'm taking on a whole bunch of stuff at once, and I'm not sure how to handle it all. My husband is a good man, who listens, but as he says "I'm not a therapist and other than listening, I'm not sure how to help you." I've got an appointment with a therapist, but not until January, so I'm on my own. So I guess here's my questions...how do you keep focused? I have little direction at this point, and find my confidence wavering. It's always a stressful time of year for me, and while I realize that I have to change how I handle stress, I feel a bit "thrown into the fire" by doing all this now and not say...next month, when I'd have more time to learn more ways to deal with everything. (Another back story, December goes like this: Christmas Eve, Christmas, my oldest' birthday, my youngest birthday, and 10 days later but within the 12 Days of Christmas, my middle child's birthday.) I find the site here too big so I'm not sure where to read in order to get more positive stories and other helpful information. I read a few books, but I guess I'm not ready to invest in any sort of emotional eating books. I'm counting calories and watching what I eat, and trying to exercise more, but really, that's not enough to keep me focused completely. So what other resources do you use? Sites with good articles and information, positive stories of success, etc? And finally, on a grosser note, and a rather...embarrassing question to ask, but how are bowel movements after surgery? I mean mostly on the long term, but I ask because one of the biggest factors to not just simply "losing weight with diet and exercise without the surgery" is I can't handle the thought of being on metformin for the rest of my life. Even at 1000mgs, the loose BM's are horrid and painful and interfering with my every day life (with my current primary care physician pushing for me to move up to 1500mgs despite my protests). I have this worry that I'll still be dealing with intestinal issues after surgery. So if you have had the surgery, and were on metformin, did you get off of it? If you've had intestinal issues in the past, have they continued after surgery? Sorry for the novel!

So this morning I headed down to Lahey at 0-dark-30 before the morning commuter traffic and settled in to wait...nervous as a cat, I realized, and excited at the same time. There were 3 of us. One was a woman who currently has the lap band, has had no complications in 6 years with it, but had lost 80 lb. but it was not successful to get the other 50 or 60 lb. she would like to achieve; she is wanting the by pass procedure. The other woman wanted by pass surgery too. I was thinking sleeve or band...and vacillating between the two, having done my due diligence and thought with my family history I might one day need my "absorption" of medications and nutrients to be intact and may need access to my stomach through my mouth for testing...I was correct in my self recommendation...I should not have by pass surgery, for just those reasons. I met with the dietician, and then the nurse practioner...and then a psychologist. Great experience! Wonderful team there...I felt like I was in good hands. The nurse practioner remembered me from the info session a couple weeks ago...she had noted I had asked really good questions...and noted today I had really done my homework and knew the procedures and possible complications well. I am a really good candidate for the sleeve (assuming my upper GI series does not show I have GERD or a big hiatal hernia. And if that all goes well, and assuming the surgeon makes that recommendation as well, that is the surgery I will likely have...hopefully before the end of September. I am also a good candidate for the lap band...BUT...I might not be such a low risk candidate in 10 years when I am 80, if I were to have a problem with the band requiring another surgery...so that is what I am thinking today. And all this is, of course, predicated on my insurance covering the surgery. My BMI is high enough but I don't know that I can have documented proof that I have been seriously obese for these last 5 years...because when I went to the doctor I would decline being weighed!!! So we will see. I have an appoinment in 1 mo...for the GI series and appointment with nurse practioner...and then a morn later the last week in August I meet again with the dietician and finally with the surgeon...and get a surgery date! I left really "UP" and relieved...and confident that this is the right thing for me. So whether I have the sleeve or band...I think I can do this and do well. Christine

I had my 13cc band put in June 5th, and I am very happy with it, no complications so far that have been the bands fault!! My port sight is still slightly tender, but due to the fact that I have to sit in uniform pants for 12hrs a day without much get up and out time...I think you will be very happy!

Thank you so much for posting this. Your story is inspiring for me and the timing couldn't have been better. I have been told today by my band doctor that I may have mechanical failure and I have to decide whether to remove my band. My story: I was banded 4/4/05. Initially I did very well, lost weight, felt good, no complications. About 6 months into it I starting having what the doctor told me was esophageal spasms and after several months of recurrent "spasms" that made me want to commit suicide, we discovered that they were gall bladder attacks. Since the gall bladder removal my weight loss has essentially stalled, maybe 20 lbs over 3 years then in the last 6 months or so I have gained 30! YIKES! From the time I was banded I have not been able to lay on my back for extended periods of time or sleep on my back. I wake with chest pain and pressure and I nearly always wake with a sore throat. All doctors tell me it's reflux. After 5 years of this "reflux", I started getting worried about the health of my esophagus so I contacted my band doctor. He says that some rare cases of "mechanical failure" occur where the esophagus just doesn't have the motility to deal with the device that's been implanted. We could try Nexium and if the symptoms do not improve, the only way to solve the problem is band removal. *I've done the Nexium thing before and haven't noticed any change. I'm willing to try again, but I think I'm headed for a tough decision here. It's like I'm losing a friend and I really fear gaining all of my weight back. He offered the VGS as an option, but I chose the band because I didn't want my anatomy altered. I want to cry.