Food_vs_Life

Okay... So they performed your surgery even with the high blood pressure? That makes me feel better. Did they say anything to you about the BP? My doctor never recommended that I go on the BP medicine but I asked for it since I have seen that it has increased this past year with the stress. The kids that I have are supposed to go back to living with their mother this summer so I think there will be a huge change then and hopefully things will go back to normal. Thanks for the reply... It helps knowing that they performed your surgery even with the higher BP.

I am working on getting everything in order so that I can travel to TX from FL to be banded. I am trying to find someone that has used True Results for their lap band procedure and traveled from out of state to have it done. I have questions and concerns that I would really just like to ask about with someone that has gone through the experience with them specifically.

Congratulations! I am hoping to have my date sometime next week or possibly Friday of this week. I definitely will be way more excited once I have a date also!

I will be going to Houston since it is closest. I am not on a pre op diet just yet. I assume once I schedule my appointment I will be. As of right now I have just cut out drinking Diet Coke which was a huge deal for me since that is all I have ever drank... never Water. I am waiting for my doctor to review my blood work that I had done last Thursday. The office already has the results but can't give them to me until her reviews them... uggghh. I also just went for my consultation with a GI doctor today who has ordered my EGD which I hope to have done in the next couple of days. I should have the EGD scheduled tomorrow.

I am in Florida and I am hoping to have my surgery at True Results in Houston also. I just completed my blood work and will be going for my EGD tomorrow. Congratulations on deciding to go with the lap band. I think we are all making the right choice in doing so : ) I should be able to schedule my surgery appointment by the end of this week ... I am hoping anyways.

I live in Florida but plan to travel to TX (True Results) for my surgery. I am doing my blood work here while I am in FL and wanted to go ahead and get the EGD done also to make sure it is possible for me to get the discounted price at True Results (due to hernia) before traveling there. I was told my primary doctor should be able to do it but when I called to ask they said they don't and that I will have to go to a GI doctor. I called around and the GI doctors are wanting me to come in for a consultation and then do the EGD. I was trying to find a way around this because it will take a couple of weeks and also because I have to pay out of pocket for two visits instead of one. Has anyone experienced this dilemma and found someone to do the EGD? I was thinking about possibly asking a bariatric surgeon's office to do it for me but not sure that would set well with them if I am going to a different surgeon. Any ideas?

Unfortunately I am 12 hours away so it would be about 250.00 for the gas but then I would have to add a hotel or maybe two in the mix also. If I have to I will go there but trying to get it done here. I actually just called and made an appointment with my Primary Care doctor to see if he can refer me to the hospital or somewhere else to get it done. From what I understand he can refer me to have the test done elsewhere other then just referring me to the GI doctor in general. I am just going to explain what it is for and I am crossing my fingers that they will refer me somewhere the same day like when I had to have an unltra sound done on my throat. Also, any money I spend on the EGD will atleast go towards my 500.00 deductible that I will have to pay when getting the surgery if I do have a hernia. I am also going there to get my blood work completed for the surgery. Thanks for your input : ) Wish I was closer.

Question... Where did you get your EGD done? I am traveling to TX for my surgery and wanted to get the EGD done here in Florida. I was told my PCP should be able to do it but when I called they said they are not able to. Is a GI doctor the only place to go?? Maybe I could get a local bariatric center to do it for me. The problem with a GI doctor is that I will have to go for a consult and then go for the exam all out of pocket due to my insurance.

I second what she said about True Results. I am self pay and it looks like I will be going through them. I will be traveling from Florida to TX for the surgery but it is worth it for the savings. Also, I have read so many good things about True Results... Just do a search for "True Results" and you will see. The other thing I love about them is that someone answers the phone every time I call! They have all been nice. I have my first consultation this morning. Good Luck!

Well as much as I really liked Dr. Baptista it looks like I will be traveling out of town for my surgery. I talked to his office this past Monday and they were supposed to call me back after checking on some things. The lady I spoke with said she would call Tuesday. Did not hear from them and Weds afternoon I called several times and could not reach a person so I left a detailed message. Nothing Thursday or Friday so I called again Friday and again could not reach anyone and just decided not to leave another message. I absolutely believe he is a great surgeon but it is horrible to think that his office can't return a call after 1 week. More concerning that I can't seem to reach anyone other then an answering machine when I call. I know things slip through the cracks but that means that they had to keep looking over my paper work all week, forget to call me back when they initiated it and never return a call when I left a message. I understand that maybe I am the only to experience this but to me it is a red flag.

Awww... I wish I were closer and could help. I live in FL and will be traveling to the True Results in TX. I hope you find a solution and I would definitely look into that Tom suggested.

Hi All, I just got financing earlier this week to have Lap Band surgery and unfortunately it is not enough to cover having it done in my hometown Jacksonville, FL. However, I have read a lot about True Results and I am scheduled to have my first appointment (consultation) over the phone on Monday. I am pretty sure I will be headed to Houston, TX for the surgery since they already verified that they will not need to up the price due to my BMI. The doctor I was going to use here in Jacksonville said that instead of the $10,000 it would be 17,000 since they would not do my surgery in a surgery center vs hospital due to my BMI. I don't mind going to TX but obviously it would have been easier to do here and I would have 1 year follow up included in my price. Now I will also have to pay for the fills out of pocket. I am still just too excited to dwell on it and I believe that it is all happening this way for a reason. I am hopeful that when the scope is done it shows a hiatal hernia (sounds bad I know) since it would make a huge different in the self pay price. OKay... okay... so that is my background and here is my question. When do you generally set a surgery date with True Results. Most of what I have read seams to point towards the surgery date being set up the same day as your first visit/consultation. Was this true for any other self payers with True Results???

Jacksonville North Florida Surgeons (904) 399-5678 twilliamsom@nflsurgeons.com The above surgery group was listed in the original post but I thought I would add the pricing information. When I called they said they will do the fills and revisions etc that are needed even if you got the Lap Band somewhere out of the country. The program fee is $350.00 and just $49.00 for each fill!

I just got a hold of a surgery group here in Jacksonville that will do the fills (even for those who had the surgery OOC). They have a program fee of 350.00 and it is just 49.00 for each fill! I am excited because I was thinking it would be more like $150.00 each fill. Either way I have a FSA set up that I plan on using for my aftercare. It has $900.00 in it.

Thanks for the response. That is exactly what I wanted to hear and what I had gathered from other post. It is exciting to know that I will probably have a surgery date come Monday : )

Thanks for making sure I was aware of that. I did not mention it but yes, I am calling around. I have already seen some post on here that list a doctor in my area that will do the fills but I am checking on everything today and tomorrow.

I am very excited. They just verified that my insurance will not cover the surgery (already knew this) looks like they will cover the hernia if I have one. I have my consultation over the phone Monday (since I live in Florida) and we will be able to go from there. I am praying that when I get the scope done it shows a hernia so that I can have the surgery done for the $5,500. It will be sooo much easier to afford and well worth the drive.

I am not banded yet but I think things will be moving along pretty quick now since I just got financing (self pay) for it through my credit union. Anyways, I am trying to change some things before hand and one is to stop drinking Diet Coke. I have drank Diet Coke since I was a child and it is literally the only things I drink. I never drink Water. My addiction is so bad that when my stomach is unsettled or I am throwing up, the only thing that can settle my stomach is a few sips of Diet Coke. If I were to drink water at that moment I would start throwing up again. I have half way attempted to stop drinking it before but did not last past the first day of headaches. Anyways, I am on day 3 right now and I just woke up from my sleep due to a horrible headache. It can only be described as a migraine. I have taken some meds and have an ice pack on my head. The ice pack helps quite a bit because you focus your mind on the ice cold ice pack touching your skin... somewhat anyways. NO ONE can tell me that Diet Coke is not addicting. I do not have kids of my own but I have two Nieces and Nephew that I take care of and live with me and I never let them have soda. I can tell you that my other niece who is 3 drinks it all the time and cries if she does not get it. I can't wait to be rid of this horrible habit. I also can't wait to save $$$$$ doing so : ) It is part of the financial justification for having the Lap Band done. I figure that I spend at least $60.00 a month on Diet Coke!!!! Well now that $60.00 will be going towards my $388.00 a month payment for Lap Band. Okay.. back to the original thought. What tips do you have?