I am scheduled to have lap band in October by Dr. Rumbaut in Mexico. I am nervous, as I have never been out of the country or had surgery. I have been reading a lot on here and after seeing how many things can go wrong and how slowly you lose weight, IF you lose weight, I am thinking of having a gastric bypass. With 4 young children, I have so much to live for, that surgery scares me to death.

Sorry for the long post,

praying for wisdom,

Tonya B

SC:confused:

Personally I would never leave the country to have this surgery... you could benefit so much by having a surgical/support team close to home .. But people do it for their own reasons.

The surgery was actually a peace of cake.. you will be fine once it is over you will wish you did it sooner.

I am eight days out , 12 #s down and I feel great :thumbup:

My dr. and support system is only 1 phone call and 20minutes away ...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !:smile2:

Good luck

Tonya, I'm sorry you're feeling so nervous, but it's understandable. I wouldn't begin to try to talk you into one type of WLS over another, but I can tell you, that like Lisa, my band surgery was very easy. I had a super quick recovery, and I've never regretted a day of having my band. It was absolutely the best decision I could have made to improve my health and life.

Hopefully, you've carefully researched your doctor, and I also agree with Lisa that you need to make sure you have after care lined up.

Good luck with your decision.

Tonya,

Congrads on your decision on the lap band. It is understandable to be nerveous about ANY surgery. Have you looked into a lap band Dr local???? I just "personally" could not have have my dr within a few hours distance away. I guess it is a comfort thing.....

As far as something going wrong.... that is with any procedure you have done.. to me it was worth the risk. I was way to close to Diabetes. had High blood pressure.. to me it was more of a risk NOT to have the surgery.

As for the rate in which you lose !!! I lost an average of 10 lbs a month. YOU have to be commited to it.. the band does not do all the work. I was very restrictive on what I ate and how much. I did not have surgery to cheat and fail. Now I am slowly adding in starches and things I had restricted.

You are right,, you have so much to live for... Four little ones.. what a treasure. You have to weigh out the risks and do what is right for you.

I would suggest that you find a FREE seminar local and go to it.. talk to the Dr.. ask questions... see what they have to say about the band.. I guarentee they will probably have someone there that has had the band.. talk to them.

I am just so glad I had the surgery... my health is so much better, I can do things I have NEVER done before.

You can do it also... for yourself AND for those 4 little ones.

LOIS

I know people make decisions based on what is best for them. I had my surgery done by the same surgeon who also removed my gall bladder several years ago. He is an excellent surgeon and all round nice person. In spite of all that, I had a complication that required me to stay 3 nights in the hospital. So I am glad that I stayed in this country and had the surgeon that I had help me through the difficult few days.

Having said that, I also have a good friend and neighbor who chose to go to Mexico to have her surgery. Her surgeon was the same one you are going to. She had the surgery over a year ago and has lost over a hundred pounds. She is estatic with the results and is so happy that she went to her surgeon to get it done (and NO, I am not one of those people who are paid to praise one surgeon or another!!) I just know that I am glad that I was able to stay in this country and have the surgeon that I had and she is happy with her decision to go to Mexico and have the surgeon she did.

There are always personal reasons for the choices we make.. and hopefully you will be happy with yours just as my friend and I are happy with ours.

Good luck to you. Hope you have time while in Mexico, to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of the area....too bad you won't be able to enjoy some of the fabulous food there.... you will have to return later and have a taste or two after the band has settled in to help you resist eating too much!

You shouldn't choose a WLS by geography.

The band helps a certain type of over-eater, bypass another. They aren't "one size fits all" and you should get the surgery that fits your needs, personality, lifestyle. For example if you have a big sweet tooth, bypass is probably "better" for you because of the dumping syndrome. If you graze or snack, again bypass is better for you because if you graze or snack then the band can effectively be made to fail (depending on what and how much etc) Conversely, if your problem is huge portions, the band is the surgery for you. Research and soul searching are indicated!

Having said that, there's a forum lower down about how to research a surgeon in Mexico. I'm sure that, like here in the USA, some are competent, and some are just WL mills. I personally wouldn't go across the border but that's just me.

Also if you decide to go, pick an area that is relatively crime free. Perhaps those of you who live farther north in our great country don't realize the drug strife that's going on down there right now, but it's real. I grew up in El Paso (across from Juarez) Juarez was just another seedly sleepy border town, baking in the sun shine, when I grew up. Now it is the most violent city on earth, or so our local news said. Even allowing for hype, it's dangerous. BUT not all cities in Mexico are hot beds of unrest and crime! Again, research is in order.

Lastly if you do get the lap band and do go out of country, make SURE you line up aftercare locally or plan to always go BACK to Mexico for fills and follow up appointments. The lap band requires adjustments and attention during the first few months to one year. If you don't get the fill level right the lap band doesn't work. Some lucky people hit that in one or two times, some take much longer. It is imperative to have handy care nearby (or the funds and time to hop a plane or into a car to go "back" if you have surgery done away from home)

This isn't just a "Mexico" thing either. If you have surgery done in another city or county, most surgeons in your home won't treat you. They don't want to inherit (and potentially be liable for) someone else's work or mess.

So...If you go to Mexico choose who and where carefully. Line up local fills and aftercare before you go.

If you are unsure about bypass vs band, then do research and decide which (if either) is right for you.

Good luck!

Hi bobogange6: You have received a lot of good advice here. I think personally your most important thing is aftercare. That is why I changed surgeons.

The funny part about this is I live 6 months of the year in Mexico so I will have to drive back to US for my follow up appointments.

I would only choose a US surgeon just because of my comfort zone. I think there are some great surgeons in Mexico just get yourself hooked up with someone that knows the ropes. A person not a service that helps you.

Good luck on your journey.

Thank you for responding , I still have a lot of reseach to do, and I plan on doing just that! I just hope I can find truthful unbias answers.

Thanks again:cool:

Tonya B:bored:

Hi Tanya, I am a single mom and I have four kids also, ages 6-16, so I know just what you mean when you say much to live for.

For my own surgery, which is scheduled for Oct. 5, I actually opted for the Lap-band over bypass "because" of my kids. The surgery is easier, less complications, quicker recovery, it can be tailored to meet my specific needs with the fills, and it is completely reversible if something goes wrong. And, none of the issues of not absorbing nutrients like with the bypass.

My kids need me to lose weight and be healthy in the long run, but I still have to take care of them in the short term.

To go to Mexico or not? I guess that depends on where you are planning to get aftercare. Me - with the kids - I just could not get away to get to Mexico for multiple trips -- financially, and because of my kids. So staying close to home will work well for me.

The other thing is does is allow me the opportunity to begin building a relationship with the surgical staff in advance. All but one member of the staff have been banded themselves, they know exactly what I am experiencing as a patient. I have already met my surgeon once, and he made me feel so confident about my decision on first meeting! I have a consult with him in about 10 days -- for an hour! Not even my MD does that!

Someone suggested going to one of the free seminars and I think that is a great decision. My doctor told us how many surgeries he had done, how many had complications he experiences and what they were, and also how many he had removed (one in 7 years). He was also able to show us, in all those surgeries, how much weight those people lost in 7 years. It really helps put the complications in perspective.

The most important thing is -- take the advise you can use, dont worry about the rest, and listen to your Jiminy Cricket. :blushing: