Ok since we have some many people join the group I thought it would a good thing to start a little intro thread. Just to introduce yourself and get to know the others....Plus it helps me keep up w/ everyone. I have such a bad memory.

Ok so here goes:

I am Kim - wife to Mike for almost 7 years and mother to Curtis for 3 years. We live in Concord. I actually work for my surgeon now started in March. Before that I was in accounting @ Wachovia.

My weight...well the stats are below and I have been big my whole life. It's Mike and Curtis that made me see I wanted be along to see my kids get grow up. I wanted to be here w/ Mike to help w/ the kid(s). So the band is the best thing that that I have ever done and I would do it over and over and over again.

Ok so that is me in a nut shell....

Hi Kathy,

It's going well so far, I have been to a seminar and have my consult scheduled for Sept 22nd. At this point I'm trying for the LAP RNY, We'll see this is just the begining, I still have insurance to deal with.

Hi There,

I have been lurking on the discussion list for a while and I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences.

My name is Allison and I live in Asheville, NC and on Sunday Sept 3, I head to San Diego and from there to Tijuana, for a lap-band from Dr. Ortiz.

I am a borderline case as far as my insurance goes, high on the age scale and low on the weight side and I am not interested in gaining any more weight or wait to have some life threatening condition like diabetes in order to come within their guidelines for acceptance so I have decided after a lot of research to head for the Border. My family physician supports my decision to do this surgery though she is not yet aware that I am going to Mexico to accomplish it.

So I am starting my pre-op liquid diet this weekend hoping to drop some weight before surgery. Now that I have my ticket etc I am quite excited but also a little nervous I am very glad to have this discussion group which is such a resource for what’s ahead. Thanks everyone for sharing.

Donna, you should hook up with jttaurus, she opted for the LapRnY and had her surgery back in May, I think. Maybe she'll pop in here. She'd be a great resource for you!

Hey Allison! There a few other Ashville folks here, so be on the lookout! Maybe ya'll can start an Ashville Bandsters Thread?! Wouldn't that be cool?! I went to San Diego and into TJ too. I saw Dr Kuri. Had a great experience. You'll do fine! Do you have your fill doc lined up here in NC, or will you fly back for fills? Wow, Sept 5th will be here fast!!! Keep us posted!

I don't have my fill doctor lined up in NC yet. Any suggestions. I thought for the first I would use Dr. Ortiz but I would be interested in knowing the cost of fluoro in Mexico.

I would like to hear from other folks in the Asheville area. I have been to the local supoort group at Mission. Does anyone else go there?

Allison, I went to Dr Kuri, also in TJ, and his fills are $70 for flouro (Pretty sure, and Ortiz is comparable from what I hear).

I haven't been back to MX since banding. It's less a money issue and more a time issue. I don't wanna be gone for 2 days getting a fill.

I have had 2 fills (and 1 unfill) with Dr Gonzales in Winston Salem. His flouro fills are about $350 for the doc and another $400 for the hospital ??? or about that. Pricey.

My fills have been non-flouro, but my port is super easy to access. Dr G's comment was "I can get Dr Kuri's ports from across the room" so that was reassuring. I'm done with fills now though. I have about 2cc in a 4cc band and don't want more. I'm 10 pounds from wedding weight, and 30 pounds from goal. I can do this, now! LOL

My best advice is to be certain you have a doc nearby who can/will see you should you have trouble, even if you get your fills in MX.

Good luck! I hope some Asheville area folks pop in here!

Hi, Allison! I too am an Asheville girl. I am not having surgery here in Asheville because of their arbitrary weight requirements. They will not operate on anyone over 400 lbs. No reason, they just won't do it. Not the band or RNY, so I am just going somewhere else! I asked about future treatment here after having my surgery and was told that as long as I had my records and the surgery was done in the United States that it would not be a problem. She said they have people trying to get help with bands that were installed in Mexico and they have seen too many complications so they won't touch them. But somewhere I heard from someone else that they would fill bands done in MX so you might just want to check. Anyway, I have never been to the local support group meeting but would like to, but doesn't it meet at like 6:00 am? Not gonna see the whites of my eyes at that ridiculous hour of the morning unless there's shopping or a ball game involved! Anyway, this has gotten rather long so I'll shut up now! Nice to have another Ashevillian online! Good luck and keep us updated on what you find out!

Hi Tonya,

The meetings are at 6 pm. I am actually a morning person, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a hand full of other folks who are civil at 6 am Ha Ha.

Anyway I will keep everyone posted on my progress. I know finding a local doc might be an issue, but we are so close to GA, SC & TN I have got to believe there is someone good out there. I think I saw someone mentioned in Dalton GA/Chattanooga area which also wouldn't be out of the question.

Thanks for the info Kathy, for what it costs for fills here, it may make sense to go to MX and work on my Spanish at a language school while I am there.

LOL! Well, if the meetings are at 6:00 pm I should be able to make them! I was wondering about the 6am thing. Maybe it was just a typo wherever it was that I saw it. Anyway, when are where are the meetings and are they mostly people who are banded or is it mostly RNY? I might actually attend sometime and see if I like it. I think it would be especially good to have a place to go once I get banded that is local for support.

The doc Kathy was talking about in Winston should only be about 2 hours away. That's not bad. Of course, for what you pay there you probably could fly to MX and build up some serious frequent flyer miles in the process! I know some of the docs in MX include at least the first fill with the price of the surgery. You might want to check that out, at least for the first one and then see if you can find someone around here that is reasonable. If not, then you get to go work on your Spanish! Of course, I would be sure to stay down there at least a few days after the fill to make sure you're not too tight. I've read where people have gotten too much and been tight for long periods of time because they couldn't get unfilled locally.

Of course, I would be sure to stay down there at least a few days after the fill to make sure you're not too tight. I've read where people have gotten too much and been tight for long periods of time because they couldn't get unfilled locally.

Yes! Exactly why you need a local doc who will see you. And in a pinch, even if it costs a pretty penny, you can get a local unfill. Too tight stinks! I budgeted money for expensive "what ifs", I just don't like to spend it! If I had to, though, it's there.

The doc in Dalton Georgia is Dr. Ponce. He's been around for a looong time and has a good reputation. I think his website is Hamilton Weight Loss Surgery?...a google will take you there.

Kathy, you are a wealth of information. I am going to check the forum for fill doctors in the area before I decide what I am going to do.

Tonya, the meetings in Asheville are at Mission Hospital in the learning Center. The coupld of meetings I have been to have been a mix of lapband and RNY, and on both ocassions there have been speakers so there was no time to break out into discussion groups, nut there were about 20-25 people there. Some who had already had surgery and others who were waiting. When I told them I was going to MX, I asked if I would still be welcome at their support group and I was told yes, so I will probably try and stop by, though September I will miss it as I will still be in MX.

Hi there....I had planned on going to the next support group meeting, which I think is September 6th. I've never been to one but am looking forward to this one. Maybe I'll see you guys there?

I was banded a week ago Wednesday and feel absolutely great. It was done at the Asheville Surgery Center...I was the first one done there. I felt so special. Actually, since I was the only patient there that night, I had the most amazing nursing care!

Anyway, I've been on liquids 3.5 weeks and I'm pretty much over it. Like I said, I feel almost 100% most of the time and I haven't been hungry.

Hi Lyn,

Glad to hear you are feeling great. I must admit the liquid diet is the most daunting part so far.... but we can do this, and look how well you have done so far. Hang in there.

Allison

Welcome everyone! We'd love to see you all in Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 9th at 11:30 a.m. for lunch at Red Robins on West WT Harris Blvd, right off of I-85!

Road Trip!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everybody! Welcome..Hope to see you on the 9th!