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I'm originally transplanted from IL & have lived here the last 13 years. There are a lot of things I miss but wouldn't trade it for the snow & cold. I do sometimes miss the city life but when I hit that traffic in PHX, it makes me appreciate the life I have here in SV :)

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So, were you sleeved in Tucson? I was trying to see of VA would cover it and it seemed like it was taking forever. I miss the people of Sierra Vista....so warm and friendly.

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We relocated there from Washington DC. Both of us were prior service. It was nice initially from the hustle and bustle of DC but got a divorce and realized my <3 for the city. Sierra Vista is a beautifully diverse city though.

I moved to Pheonix from D.C./NoVA two years ago. Small world.

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Hello all. I am in Phoenix. In the process of insurance approval. I lived in Sierra Vista for 2 years and decided that it wasn't for me. I got out of the military and wanted to live in a neutral place' date=' Phoenix.[/quote']

I lived in Tombstone and now I'm in Mesa. SV is great, but not for everyone!

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We relocated there from Washington DC. Both of us were prior service. It was nice initially from the hustle and bustle of DC but got a divorce and realized my <3 for the city. Sierra Vista is a beautifully diverse city though.

We moved to Phx from DC/NoVA 2 yrs ago. Small world

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It's so nice to find people right here in the Valley to speak to about our sleeve/weight loss journey!

I am in Goodyear' date=' Arizona.

I had my VGS on June 19, 2012 (3 months ago today!) with Dr. Ariel Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana, Mexico.

Can't say enough good things about Dr. Ortiz, Dr. Martinez and the OCC staff. Wonderful experience.

My insurance would not cover the surgery, so I was self pay and had to look for lower cost. It might have been lower

cost but the quality was excellent!

I lost 24 lbs pre-op and 47 lbs post-op! As of today....that's 71 lbs (total pre and post op)! I woke up very excited about this! (I like to keep saying the total over and over!)

It is still challenging day to day experience. But a very good one. Each day I feel better and I am getting healthier.

If anyone wants to chat about upcoming surgery or post-op surgery, let me know. I still have many questions myself!

I just came out of stall. It seems it took forever just to lose the last 10 lbs. I cried half the day yesterday because I wanted to have lost 70 lbs by today.

I woke up and had lost 2 POUNDS! Which put me at 71 lbs today! God is good!

Thanks for listening and let me know how my fellow AZ VGS are!

One last thing....If anyone knows a regular Physician in the West Valley or anywhere in the Valley that is good with VGS patients, please let me know. My current Physician in Goodyear is not real good about my VGS follow ups and is really rude because I choose to go to Mexico for my surgery. In fact he told me if I had any problem post surgery that I better look else where or go to an inner city emergency room! Thank god, I have not had anything major as of yet. But to say the least.....looking for a new Physician!!

Joy[/quote']

I hope your primary care is not the same as mine. If it is, I would be leaving him as well.

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Hello everyone, I live in litchfield park and will be having my surgery October 25th at Gateway.

Hi brennie, I'm in San Tan Valley, good luck to you on the 25th :) I'm going to Mexico for mine and it's just 1 week away...eeek :huh:

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Hi brennie' date=' I'm in San Tan Valley, good luck to you on the 25th :) I'm going to Mexico for mine and it's just 1 week away...eeek :huh:[/quote']

A week away, lucky girl. Let me know how it goes, and have a safe journey.

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Hi brennie, I'm in San Tan Valley, good luck to you on the 25th :) I'm going to Mexico for mine and it's just 1 week away...eeek :huh:

Brennie,

Just best of luck on your upcoming surgery. :) I was sleeved by Dr. Almanza on 7/16/2012. Great experience! Plan to go back for cosmetics next year :) Have a blessed and successful surgery,

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I was sleeved in MX, my ins wouldn't cover it. Dr Almanza was terrific & I couldn't have asked for better care.

I was also sleeved by Dr Almanza :) Great experience!

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Hello everyone! I know that this thread was started several months ago but was wondering if anyone is still out there!! I live in Gilbert and I am waiting on pins and needles for my insurance approval! My physician is at Banner Bariatric and I am seeing Dr. Schuster. He is super nice and very honest. I would love some support if anyone is still out there!!!

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Hello everyone! I know that this thread was started several months ago but was wondering if anyone is still out there!! I live in Gilbert and I am waiting on pins and needles for my insurance approval! My physician is at Banner Bariatric and I am seeing Dr. Schuster. He is super nice and very honest. I would love some support if anyone is still out there!!!

I'm here, even though I wasn't before! Lol I am scheduled for May 11th, but I am having mine done in MX.

I live in Surprise :)

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Woohoo May 11th!!! That is so exciting! I am awaiting approval and I hope that I hear something this week. I am so scared of denial. I am so ready! My drs ofc said that once they get the insurance approval, they can schedule me about two weeks out. So hard to believe that I started this in October and I could be having my surgery in April!

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    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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