:bored :bored :bored well well I guess this site has nobody from the chatt. area and let me also guess that no body has been banded at memorial hos. by dr. fromm-paynter-or ponce?? Geez I sure feel like the lonesome stud here lol.

Hi, just started reading this thread. I live in Mineral Bluff Ga and will be having Dr Ponce do my surgery. I will also be a self pay. I am hoping to have the surgery done in Dec. Dr Ponce wants me to have it done at Memorial because I had heart surgery a couple of years ago. It adds about 3000 to the cost. I too was told that the first year fills would be $50 then 125 after that. I am currently having test on my gallbladder. He wants it out before surgery. My UGI will be done at the hosp. just before surgery. I am going to check out that 1000 fee and make sure it was incl in the price I was quoted.

It's great to hear from people who go to the same dr.

That fee probably is included in your price. I think that the reason we get charged an extra fee is they don't actually get all of the money that they bill insurance. This is a way for him to collect some money up front. Just my own personal opinion on that one. I can't see any other reason for it.

I'm in the chattanooga area and also have not been banded yet. I'm gonna get banded at memorial by dr. rose. I've toured 5 south where the bariatric patients go and they seem to be top notch. Anyhow, I'm looking for a band buddy in the area if anyone is interested then just contact me on here and i'll give you further contact details

Kim

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Edited October 11, 200817 yr by kmcoolone

I bought my IDS New-Whey 42g Protein "bullet" at the Vitamin Shoppe (next to McDonalds on Gunbarrel Road). $3.50 for one (already refrigerated), or you can buy 12 for $36. You can find them cheaper on the internet.

I bought some Walmart Brand Cherry Limeade and Fruit Punch sugar-free "stick packs" tonite. The Cherry Limeade is really good in 24oz of Water. I'll add half of a 42g fruit punch flavored bullet tomorrow in my CamelBak bottle and see how it tastes.

Hi Slim-in-TN,

Just got back from my conference with Dr. Ponce. I took my CamelBak bottle with me and he said it would be fine.

Unfortunately he won't operate on me until I get my blood sugar average down below 180 (I am a diabetic). So they are going to refer me to the Memorial Hospital Diabetes/Nutrition program to get it down. They said that they could possibly coordinate it with my pre-op diet so it won't cause too much of a delay. So no surgery date yet.

I got printed confirmation that my fills will be $50 the first year. Also, since I am self-pay I don't have to pay the $95 for the nutrition/psyc eval (it is included in the price I was quoted).

My upper GI diagnosed that I have a Hiatal Hernia. It will be fixed during the surgery at no extra charge.

Hi everyone, I'm new. My name is Tonya and I'm hoping to get banded this year.

I have Crohn's Disease and also need to lose 150lbs. I went for a consult with Dr. Ponce and he refused to band me, even with the approval of my GI. He said that he has banded other Crohn's patients but that he didn't think I would have good success and that I would probably have erosion (why I'm not sure).

Anyways he wanted to send me to another Dr to see about getting the gastric sleeve done. I'm not sure why that would be a better choice especially with me having Crohn's.

I have a new consult with Dr. Rutledge and I'm going to talk things over with him.

I'm sure that Dr. Ponce is a very good Dr however I was very saddened to see that he would not even listen to me. I could tell by his tone and attitude that he had his mind made up before I even met him.

Has anyone here saw Dr. Rutledge?

I'm sorry that Dr. Ponce wasn't willing to do your surgery. I've seen Dr. Rutledge for surgery other than WLS. He did my gall bladder surgery. I am shocked about Dr. Ponce not being willing to do your surgery. I had never heard about Drs not wanting to do the surgery on Chrohn's patients until I came to this site. Maybe Dr. Rutledge will be willing to do the band. I have heard of other Chrohn's patients getting the band. Just do your research. Good luck on whatever happens.

Update - my consult was on 10/14 and I'm still waiting on the referral to the Diabetes center at Memorial Hospital. I called last Wednesday and they referred me to Johnna's voicemail - she never called me back. I called again today and they said that someone was going to Memorial to set the referral up today and I would be called for an appt. No call. Hopefully they will call me tomorrow. If not, I'm going to pay them a visit in person.

The good news is that I'm being better at watching what I eat and have lost a couple of pounds (even after going on a cruise). My blood sugar is better but not where it needs to be. I pretty much know what I need to do - eat better and exercise. I just haven't gotten back into that groove yet. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Update - my consult was on 10/14 and I'm still waiting on the referral to the Diabetes center at Memorial Hospital. I called last Wednesday and they referred me to Johnna's voicemail - she never called me back. I called again today and they said that someone was going to Memorial to set the referral up today and I would be called for an appt. No call. Hopefully they will call me tomorrow. If not, I'm going to pay them a visit in person.

The good news is that I'm being better at watching what I eat and have lost a couple of pounds (even after going on a cruise). My blood sugar is better but not where it needs to be. I pretty much know what I need to do - eat better and exercise. I just haven't gotten back into that groove yet. Tomorrow will be a better day.

They are notorious for not returning phone calls. It took about a week for me to get the call for my appointment to memorial. If push comes to shove, you can call Memorial yourself and tell them that Dr. Ponce's office was supposed to call. They can then get the ball rolling for you.

That's good about watching what you eat. That is one of the hardest parts, so getting a jump start on it can't do anything but help. Keep up the good work!

They don't get in a hurry to return calls, especially Johnna.

You know you said a mouth full Carrie. I asked her over two weeks ago about my over payment. She finally called me today to say that they haven't paid me back because they are now waiting to see if my insurance pays for fill on the 23rd. Why would that have anything to do with me paying them more money than they should have gotten for my surgery?

I don't know slim, that's stupid. They still haven't even gotten my insurance straightened out. Johnna was supposed to appeal mine from where they denied it. All she had to do was send in the appeal form, and then Cigna would pay them. Instead of sending in the form, she resubmitted the old charges. So of course they denied it again. It has been over 5 months since my surgery and she still has not did it right. I swear, I don't think she knows what she is doing.

I went in a few weeks ago and had an unfill becasue I was too tight. Brooke did it, and she looks totally different. She looks like she has gained a lot of weight back.

I agree, Johnna doesn't really apprear to know what she is doing. I just don't understand it.

You are also right about Brooke. She looks so much bigger than she did the first few times that I saw her. She did my fill too. That was an odd experience with that needle sticking out of my body while I am standing there. Dr. Ponce came in while she was doing it. He doesn't seem to talk much, have you noticed that?

I don't understand Johnna either. It is really stupid.

I have never even met Dr Ponce! I haven't seen my surgeon, Dr Paynter since my surgery in May. Dr Fromm has done most of my fills. He is very nice, and very good looking!!

I'v never met or seen Dr. Fromm or Paynter. I have kind of given up on ever actually getting my money from them. If they at least pay for my fill out of it, I will be happy.

I called Dr. Ponce's office again today and they said that they had faxed my referral info to the Memorial Diabetes Center, so I called Memorial right away, but the earliest appt they could give me was 11/19! I took the appt but called Dr. Ponce's office back. They said they would try to get me an earlier appt with the Diabetes Center. At this rate it will be 2009 before I get to have my surgery. With my luck I'll be on the pre-surgery diet over the Christmas holidays. :-o