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NC Intro Thread...



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Hi everyone! I am in Monroe. I was self-pay as my insurance, Wellpath, doesn't cover WLS. I flew to Denver, CO where everything was only $9950. I am going to fly into Denver for the 1st year for fills if possible. I joined AirTran's frequent flyer program and got one of their credit cards. I actually charged my surgery on the credit card and the surgery alone earned me a one-way ticket. And just applying for the credit card earned me a one-way ticket. So my first round-trip was covered without spending a dime. My surgeon does fills free for 3 months, then they're $15. So it won't cost me that much more to fly back and forth to Denver than to get a fill locally. I checked prices around Charlotte and for self-pay they wanted $17,000 to $24,000 for everything. So that is why I went to Denver. I am happy with my decision, and everything is going well so far.

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I lived in Monroe before my husband got transferred to Charlotte. Looks like your band is doing you well. We have the same goal weight and high weight (although my high weight is what I have right now.) Congrats on the band. Keep in touch, I will have lots of questions for you soon. Hopefully my insurance will approve me, I am super nervous.

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Hello I am Amy Fisher from Belmont! I am a proud wife to Robert for 11yrs. and a proud mother of 2! I am not banded yet however I can NOT wait I am so ready. I am so tired of being in bondage to my weight. I am a cosmetologist and I own Salon South in Mt. Holly. I love everything about my life except my weight and that will soon change!:clap2:

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Rivi,

Ask me anything you like. I will be getting my first fill on Jan 15th so I will have more information after that. Right now I can eat about anything I want. I just chew it very well and don't eat much at a sitting. I might eat 1/4 or 1/5 of what I used to eat and I'm just tired of it and ready to stop eating and move on to something else. I can't wait to see what happens when I actually have a fill. I'm pretty excited. My weight was down another pound today but I haven't changed my ticker yet. I have never lost weight this easily. I hope it will work for you too.

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I'm from Raleigh and have three kids (ages 6, 3, and 3), a husband of 14 years, and a yappy poodle who just moved in. I was banded 4 weeks ago, and it's going pretty well. I still have some pain on the right side, but I think I'm just healing slowly due to the kids. My doctor is running tests, but I doubt she'll find anything.

Are there monthly get togethers in the Triangle area?

Thanks!

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Hi everybody,

It's so excited to read up on all of you.

Tar I'm sorry that you had to fly to Denver for your surgery. Dr V and NewHope Bariatrics prices are a lot less than what you quoted for this area. Plus all fills for the first year are included.

Well I live in Wesley Chapel. I've had the band now for 2 years and 3 months. I've gone from a size 24/26 to a 10/12. It hasn't always been easy, but if I had to do it again I'd do it in a heartbeat.

I do not know of any meetings in the Triangle area, sorry.

There is a very large support group that meets the second Saturday of the month in Charlotte. About 6 of us started the group almost 3 years ago and it has grown! We meet at Southeast Bariatrics on Randolph Rd near Presby hosp. It doesn't matter who you band Dr is or was all are invited.

A lot of the group post on the NC section of band2gether.net I post both places.

Have a great day and Happy New Year!

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Just thought I would pass the word along to anyone looking for an awesome bariatric surgeon in the Raleigh area.

Dr. Enochs is the first and most experienced bariatric surgeon in Raleigh. He performed the first procedure in both gastric bypass and lap band in Raleigh. He has wonderful bedside manners and is extremely compassionate and caring during this journey. His practice is Bariatric Specialists of NC and the phone is 919-859-9191. His website is Surgical Specialists of North Carolina All the other surgeons were taught by him. If you want the absolute best call Dr. Enochs. I guarantee you will be happy. Also, my friend just got the bypass 2 days ago and is doing great! I'd love to be part of the group. His seminars are weekly on Tuesdays. You can call the office for more info.:P

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Wow Jean a weekly support group that is wonderful.

How does he run it? Is he there or do the patients run it? I'd love to hear how he does it.

I've been thinking about a weekly meeting in the area of where I live.

Our monthly group is wonderful and I think I invited you all to come join us. We meet at Dr Voellingers office, but it is for anyone who has the band or is thinking of the band. It does not matter what Dr you used.

A bunch of us started it up from this website about 21/2 yrs ago. Last time we meet we had people coming from wilmington nc.

Stats show that the people that attend support groupd have better wl results than those that don't.

Needless to say, I'm sticking with it!

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Sunsett,

When I started checking out prices New Hope Bariatrics wasn't doing surgeries in Charlotte. I checked with Dr. V and his prices were too high. Had I known he was going to team up with New Hope in Charlotte I would've probably gone that way, although Dr. K in Colorado is great too.

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Hi, I'm Melinda from Hickory.

I'm divorced with two great girls. The oldest is married and expecting a baby sometime in mid-February. I'll be a grandma!!

My insurance recently approved my surgery. I will be banded on February 27, 2008 by Dr. Monty Cox of the Hickory Surgical Clinic.

Dang, I can't believe no one from Hickory is on the board!! lol

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Hey Tarheelluv, This is brandnew NewHope and Dr V. I am extremely excited about it!

Dr V did my surgery over 2 yrs ago. This past July I started with NewHope Bariatrics. We have 2 centers now one in LA and KC. Now we have partnered with Dr V. It is so exciting to be able to recommend my own Dr and a band that I know is the only way to go!

The cash price is very reasonable! I won't post it here, but if anyone is interested you can PM me.

I hope that some of you will come to the support group meeting this Saturday.

Tar how are you liking band life?

Mel I bet your counting the days!

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Yes, Sunsett!! I'm excited about my upcoming surgery, but also kinda nervous!! :)

I wanted to ask everyone how they handle negativity from people about weight loss surgery. I got a nice "dose" of it today at work!! :girl_hug:

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Sunsett, I am liking the band fine so far. I have lost 16 pounds since my surgery on 12/11 and had lost 50 pounds prior to the surgery so I am finally starting to look like me again. I feel great and my recovery has been pretty quick and easy. Thanks for asking.

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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