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Mesa/Phoenix AZ



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If anyone is looking for a great doctor and bariatric facility, I have a great one. Banner Gateway Bariatric Center- Dr. Graf is amazing!!!

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@@Mel1976 Did you already get your surgery done? If so, I'd love to hear more about it and the process. Dr. Graf is also my surgeon.

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I went to Banner Gateway Bariatric, did my 90 day diet but then they told me that it would take 2 months of waiting to get my EGD done, I found another center because my husband's job is not stable and I didn't want to lose insurance before having surgery. But I did like their center.

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@@Calimomof3 Where did you end up going? I am thinking of changing centers. Banner Gateway has been a total nightmare.

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I went to the WLIA The Weight Loss Institute of Arizona -- Since I had everything done but the EGD, it was less than 30 days from my first appt there until surgery. I had my surgery June 5th - It was outpatient at their center, fantastic nursing and drs. and they were sooo much cheaper, as they have a program that takes a percentage off your bill. I ended up paying A LOT less than I would have at Banner!

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I went to the WLIA The Weight Loss Institute of Arizona -- Since I had everything done but the EGD, it was less than 30 days from my first appt there until surgery. I had my surgery June 5th - It was outpatient at their center, fantastic nursing and drs. and they were sooo much cheaper, as they have a program that takes a percentage off your bill. I ended up paying A LOT less than I would have at Banner!

What do you mean by outpatient at their center? I have a surgery on July 16th at the same place.

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@@Calimomof3 While money can certainly be a factor in a lot of things, I would not let that be a deciding factor on where you have major surgery! Also, in my opinion, from the start of the program to surgery in 30 days or less sounds like a sketchy program, at best.

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Does WILA or Banner help you with insurance? The surgeon's office I wanted to use said my insurance will not cover ANY bariatric services since I self paid for a band many years ago. They also said they 'do not get involved in insurance issues' and if I wanted an appeal I had to do it myself.

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I had surgery with Evolve Weight Loss is there anyone out there??

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@@singinshell - I'm scheduled to have surgery through Evolve with Dr Stevenson on December 20th. Are you happy with your experience? Any advice you can give me? Thanks!

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hi Jess - I'm having my sleeve with Dr. Stevenson with Evolve also. My surgery is scheduled for Jan. 17. I wish some of these people were still on the forum for us to ask questions. You are the first person I have seen on here that is going through Evolve in the Phoenix area.

@@singinshell - I'm scheduled to have surgery through Evolve with Dr Stevenson on December 20th. Are you happy with your experience? Any advice you can give me? Thanks!

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I'm scheduled for tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!!

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I'm excited for you! Good luck and keep me posted! :D

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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!
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    • 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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