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Jacksonville, Florida



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Goodness, we are all really close to one another. We do really need to arrange to get together sometime. Maybe for dinner at Woody's, or lunch?

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I would love that...am interested to see how, what, etc I will be eating for the rest of my life after my surgery. I live in St. Augustine off of I95 and SR16 so lunch anytime would be perfect for me. Let me know where and when...my surgery is not until April th.

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Do ANY of your doctors do fills for patients from Mexico? I can drive an hour or 2 and go to FillCenters USA, but I would rather stay local. I am self-pay.

Thanks for any info,

Paula

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Paula, I referred a fellow LBT'er who had her surgery in Mexico to my doctor last year. She has been going to him for fills ever since. I am assuming he would still be willing to do the same for others.

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Woot! Thank you so very much! (I am assuming that you LOVE your doctor.) :eek:

Paula

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What happened to our Jacksonville thread, it seems to have withered out?

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Who did your surgery and do you know if they are still accepting patients who have had theirs done in Mexico? It would seem to me that they have nothing to lose by doing fills - extra money in their pockets.

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Hi YA everyone! I just stumbled upon this site & low n behold there is a Jax Group! woohoooo I am a patient of Dr Cywes & I will be going for my final visit on Wed & then we will submit the request to Aetna.... This seems like a really friendly little group! I am excited to get the surgery & also full of questions :0)~

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Hi YA everyone! I just stumbled upon this site & low n behold there is a Jax Group! woohoooo I am a patient of Dr Cywes & I will be going for my final visit on Wed & then we will submit the request to Aetna.... This seems like a really friendly little group! I am excited to get the surgery & also full of questions :0)~

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery, Katie. I absolutely LOVE Dr. Cywes. My surgery was 10/11 and have lost 67 lbs. and this is the best thing I have ever done for myself. You'll be so happy with this surgery!

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Thanks! I am really looking forward to it. I am really keeping my fingers crossed for Wed appt & for Aetna to approve it.. Thats the nail bitter! How long till they schedule the surgery if Aetna approves it? I want them to fax everything the second my appt is over..LOL but, hey don't we all...

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Hi guys! (or ladies as it were)

I'm checking in! Sorry to have been absent but been busy riding and taking care of family matters. When I check in on the boards I have a tendency to go over to the February group. Guess I need to make a point to come over here as well!

Tomorrow is my appt for my 1st fill! I had to go in last week and see Dr. Babtista about some pain I was having and he tested to see if I needed a fill but he said he didn't feel that I needed one at that time and I had to agree with him. Since then I have gotten a major monthly visit and suddenly I have less restriction. At least I feel like I am able to eat much more than I should. It sure hasn't showed up on the scale though. Since my appt last week I have dropped seven lbs after being on a 2 week plateau! It's been great watching that scale drop. What's kinda cool is that we have a balance scale like you have in the doctor's office where you have to move the weights yourself. I just love pushing that thing down!!!!!

I'll check in tomorrow and let you know how it went! Nice to meet all the newcomers!!!!!

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Got my first fill today! Just 2cc's in my large AP Band (my dr says it will hold 14cc's). I think he had me up to 3cc's but backed off a bit because the Water just wasn't going down very well. I was gurgling quite a bit! LOL It didn't hurt in the least! In fact, at one point he said, "okay this is going to hurt a lot!" I was like, "WHAT????" He laughed and said, "just kidding!" UGH! LOL

He wants me back in three weeks! He was extremely pleased with my progress, he reiterated how big my hiatal hernia was! He seemed really impressed with it. LOL No wonder it took so long to heal! He said I may still feel pain in my left shoulder if I eat too much from the hernia repair.

I had to laugh at him today. I confessed about eating too many carbs on Sunday during brunch and I told him that I didn't beat myself up too badly and just got back on track. He looked at me at said, "No, that's my job!" I love that though, I need someone who's going to keep me on track and he seems to be just the person to do it!

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Wow Karen, I was at Dr. Cywes' office yesterday (3/11) at 10:30 am for my 3rd fill, would have loved to seen you there (maybe would have recognized you from your little profile picture). Anyway, congrats on your first fill, glad it went well for you. You must have seen Dr. Baptista cos' he has a great sense of humor and is generally much more easy going than Dr. Cywes' (not that I don't love them BOTH). Anyway, I got my 3rd fill but ended up seeing Cywes' cos' Baptista got called to hospital for emergency and that was my 1st time doing a fill with Cywes'. It went fine, but I have to say that Baptista is much more gentle with his injections. Cywes' had to poke me like 4 times before he got the needle in the port (and that's after giving me a numbing injection so he could press harder to locate port) and that NEVER had happened with Baptista the other 2 times...but it ended up fine. He actually gave me a very agressive fill (his words) to really boost my weight loss (I hadn't gotten one in 5 weeks and needed it badly). I had lost an additional 14 lbs. from my previous visit so he was really glad to see that (although he made a huge point in telling me NOT to dwell on the scale at ALL). He gave me a homework assignment as well. A weekly sheet to fill out for daily carb levels and activity output, which I had been doing on my own anyway. He said he wanted to see it when I came in in 3 weeks (April 8th is my next appt.). Well that's about all for now. Hope to meet some of you soon...We REALLY need to get a group together in person!!! I'm available any Tues. or Weds. night, just lmk what ya'll want to do. Peace to all. KKG

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Hey there Katie, welcome to our little intimate Jax Group, glad you found us! I'm Kelly and I live out in Orange Park (Oakleaf to be exact) and I'm also a patient of Dr. Cywes'. I was banded on 12/26/07 and have had 3 fills to date (3rd was yesterday actually) and have lost a total of 54 lbs. from my highest weight (lost 9 pre-surgery). I want to wish you great success on your journey and remind you that we are ALL here for you. No question is too big or small, so feel free to ask away, we'll help you in anyway we can. A few of us have expressed an interest in getting together in person to meet and get to know each other for support so make sure you check back here often to see when it will be and hopefully you can join us as well. Much peace and joy to you. KKG

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    • Doughgurl

      2 days until I fly out to San Diego to have my Bypass Surg. in Tiajuana Mexico. Not gonna lie, the nerves are starting to surface. I don't fear the surgery itself, or the fact that I'm traveling alone, but its the aftermath that I'm stressing about the most, after this 8 week wait. I'm excited to finally be here, but I am really dreading the post surgical chapter. I know its going to be tough, real tough and I think I'm just in my head to much now that the day i here. Wish me luck, Hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones, and everything goes smoothly. Cant wait to give an exciting update,. If there is anyone else have a June bypass or even a recent one, Id love to have someone to compare war stories with. Also, anyone near San Antonio Tx? See ya soon with the future me. 💜
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • 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.

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