hatmama

Hi Tara, I live in Stafford, VA just above Fredericksburg. I went up to Frederick MD to Dr. Susan Brinkley today for my 1st fill. She was really great. No flouro but she got the port exactly 1st time, no pain. She is a lap band patient also so was great to talk to. There were several drs listed in Richmond at the Fillcentersusa. You might be able to find one closer. Depending on where you had your surgery, a dr around there may do it for you. Over here, they don't want to do the Mexico patients. Dr. Brinkley says it is because they are in a snit about losing the money since they make so much if they do the lapband and fills are minor $$ to them. Good luck. :)Laura

Hi everybody, I just had my 1st fill today with Dr. Susan Brinkley in Frederick, MD. She was really good! She is a lap band patient and knows what she is talking about. Very informative. She will see me back in 2 months. she also told me if I have too much fill and have to be drained, I do not have to pay! Thought that was great. No fluero, but she hit port on first try. No pain. She was very good about explaining everything she was going to do and what to expect. Traffic was a hassle, as usual around DC and NOVA. Can't wait to retire in 2 1/2 years and move home to a pokey little town in Florida where a traffic jam is if 4 JD tractors get to the 4way stop at once! I'm off for TG tomorrow so if anyone else is driving also, be safe, pay attention and leave early! :)Laura

Hi, I am unsure about this as I haven't seen it posted. When you get a fill, if it is too tight or not tight enough, do you pay the dr again, or is that part of the first charge? I get my first fill next monday (11-19). I haven't felt any constriction since about the middle of my third week. I think that is because the swelling went down. I have been trying to stay within the diet the dr gave me, but it is very hard. My job is pretty high stress and in the last 2 weeks I have lost 2 very dear friends, so I still have a memorial service and an interrment service to go to. I am an emotional eater. I was so upset this morning I ate half a snickers bar! My stomach was already hurting so now I am really frazzled! One good thing about having a private office, I can close the door and do several yoga routines to try to combat the stress. I have lost 14 lbs since the banding but nothing this last week. I am not too worried since I understood from the dr I might not lose much until after 6 wks when Ihave my first fill. Just wondering about the costs. :)Laura

Holly, dont get depressed now. The same thing is happening to me, but Dr. Zapata warned me it might happen. My first fill is Nov 19 also, so I'll think of you while Im getting mine. You will feel much better after your fill. Be sure to talk to the dr about how you feel and get her thoughts on how much she is injecting and why that amount. You'll be on track after that. :)Laura

Hi Donna, I had Dr. Zapata also. Isn't he a sweetie? My friend who went with me was really uptight when I decided to go to Mexico for the surgery, but after talking to Dr. Zapata (he went out to see her after my surgery) she was really pleased with him. And the hospital was so nice. Wish I could go back there for all my fills. :)Laura

WHAT IS PB'ing!! I've read of it in some posts but can't figure out if it's puking or what.

Galati25: When I go out to a resturant, I usually order from the appititizer menu, usually that is a pretty good meal. If anyone says anything like, is that all you want, I just tell them I am cutting back and look how it is helping your pocketbook! That always gets a laugh, and we're both more comfortable. I've found that eating slowly works out ok because they are eating a full meal while I have my small one, so we finish up about the same time. Laura

Hi, my name is Laura. Live in Northern Virginia with a neurotic cat and work in DC. I was banded Oct 3. I gained a lot of weight during chemotherapy and later radiation. I date some, but don't want to get into another serious relationship because my last 2 went to Iraq and Afganistan and didn't return. (I go in and out of Quantico every day) So I decided I couldn't stand the emotional stress anymore. Maybe later. The guys I date have never said anything about my weight. They compliment me on how "nice" I look if we are going somewhere special. Otherwise, I've never had a problem. I belong to several car clubs and most everyone is a couple. It is a little odd, not being part of a couple any longer, but I figure I will eventually work it out. I'm glad to see this thread, as singles we probably will have a different outlook on our surgery and the ultimate (good!) results. Laura

I've read quite a few posts in the "Fill Doctor" section and there seem to be quite a few drs in Texas who will fill where ever your surgery is done. I had a hard time finding a dr in the North Va/DC/MD area when I told them I had been banded in Mexico. Finally found one about 2 1/2 hrs away. :)Laura

Lizziee, didn't the dr give you some paperwork after your surgery? Mine did and it has all the info needed if I go to a different doctor. e.g.Type of band, how much it holds, emergency number, etc. Or if you really want to know, call the dr and ask. Good luck. :)Laura

my band was 10/3, my first fill will be nov 19. I lost 14 lbs so far, but am just holding now. Don't mind because my dr said the 1st 6 wks are for healing. Some people lose and some don't. Know I need a fill soon because I can eat anything I want (but I'm trying not to!). I'm glad I'm having it before TG, love that food too much! Good luck to all of us. :)Laura

Believe me, no one who read up on the lap band or had one would ever think it was the easy way out. Keep up the good work. I'm struggling right now, my 1st fill is Nov 19. Get munchies bad, my job is stressful and it is hard not to go home and have a bowl of comfort food! I was banded 10-3. Walking definately helps the pain. When you lie down, hold a pillow on your stomach, that helped me deal with the pain. And it gets better every day. :)Laura

Mandatory lunch? I thought the days of serfs were over. I have attended many a meeting that was mandatory, but I've never been told what I had to eat and who I had to eat it with! Guess, even with the stress, my job is not as difficult as I think it is.:)Laura

Stress at work. I do fine when I'm home in sticking to the foods, etc I'm supposed to have. But at work, it is so hard as to be almost impossible. I have dried fruit at my desk, and it does help, as does plenty of water. I like the tip about the hand weights, I have some at home I can bring. My biggest problem seems to be because I cannot take a water bottle into some work areas. If I eat any thing, it must be very sneaky (I'm sitting behind my boss, and if she heard a"crinkle" or any indications of food being scarfed down, she'd have a duck!) So then the problem gets worse because when I get back to my office, I want to pig out(and sometimes do!). Any suggestions on what I can do relieve stress, other than quitting my job? I was banded on Oct 3, 2007 and will get my first fill Nov 19. I am looking forward to that since I currently feel no presssure or full feeling when I eat or drink. I have lost 14 lbs but that was mostly in the 1st two weeks. Thanks :)Laura

Monterry Mexico

I agree that 1/4 cup is too little. My dr gave me a diet similar to yours. He also said that the first 6 wki are more for healing than losing weight, so dont get discouraged if you lost 10 or 15 lbs at first then slowed. If you get the proper norishment keeping your caloric intake between 1200-1500, you will begin to lose weight again. Good luck. :)Laura

Hi, I just found your forum. I was banded on Oct 3, 2007, in Monterrey, MX by Dr. Miguel Zapata. He is a really great dr and the hospital was very nice. I was a self-pay so I did a lot of research before I chose a dr (almost 1 1/2 year!). I'm doing ok, still really sore around my port area but other than that, no problems. Uncomfortable at night, but since I don't sleep much anyway, just have to find something to take my mind off it (A pillow held against the stomach does help). My friend and I stayed in Monterrey a couple more days. Banded Wens, on Thurs and Fri we went shopping in old town Monterrey, had a great time. Got in enough walking to get rid of a lot of gas! Will get my 1st fill on Nov 14th. I have lost 13 lbs since the surgery, am trying to control my eating until my fill since I have no compression right now. My downfall is chocolate, wine and men. No problems though, since I haven't had any (cholocate, wine OR men) for quite a while! I had a really hard time finding a fill dr near me (VA/MD/DC). I posted in one of the other forums, I don't understand why the drs in the US are so prejudiced against Mexico bandsters. Some of the receptionists were quite rude about not accepting Mexico patients. Their loss. It's really great to find you people, I've read a few of the posts (I hope "no sex" is doing ok, she's better off without that scumbag of an ex). I'll try to read some more posts daily so I can get to know all of you. Not much to tell about me. I wear hats every day hoping to bring back a civilized society, and love shoes (hey, "somebody" had to teach Imelda how to shop for shoes!). Some of my hats are fabulous with feathers, bows, etc, etc. Catch you all later. :)Laura:kiss2:

Hi,User name is Hatmama, Real life name is hey you (no, really its Laura), banded on 10-3-07.Thanks for putting the lsit together. :)Laura:kiss2:

Food, food,food,I've been obsessed with it. The 1st week, I ate nothing but cottage cheese and yogurt. The 2nd week, the same plus a little oatmeal & clear soups. Jello, jello, jello. A little bullion. I have just graduated to scrambled eggs and had a piece of ww toast todaywith a banana.Trick is to chew, chew, chew.Oh and mashed potatoes. I have lost 14 lbs as of today, my first fill will be 11/14, I hope. Hope this helps. :)Laura

I was self pay so I did a lot of research. My ins appr me for gastric by pass but not lap band.Go figure! I decided after seeing what my friend went through, I couldn't do staples. The main reason I went to Mexico was the experience and qualifications of the dr I used. Doing lap-bands since the mid-90s,way before US drs got into it. Cost was secondary, it was nice to get the surgery for under $8K, but I was willing to pay the $11K to 15K here in the US but US drs lag way behind Mexico (and other countries)in lap band experience. Dr had references, good and bad,from prior patients. Of the 14 I contacted, only one had problems and that was with a low pain threshold. My 2nd reason was the hospital in Monterrey. Very good reputation among medcical professionals (yes I checked that also). Plus a dr I know socially knew the general manager of the hospital, so I was able to talk to him. My friend who was stapled went with me "to keep an eye on things". She was skeptical at first but also really liked Dr. Zapata after meeting and talking to him and loved the hospital. I don't regret it for a moment. He was really great. Just hate that these US drs seem to not respect the Mexico drs.And the funny thing is, I have read a lot ofposts from MX lapsters and almost all of them had a good experience and likedthe drs! So that's the story. :)Laura

I have only been on this forum for a short while, one thing I wonder about which I haven't seen discussed. Or haven't found it yet, there are so many topics. Why do the drs in the US refuse to fill Mexico patients? When I started researching the lap-band method over a year ago, I found that US drs were way behind Mexico in both number of drs performing the operation and experience in the procedure. When I started looking for a dr, I spent hours researching their experience, credentials, etc, everything I could find about them. The dr I finally chose, Dr. Miguel Zapata, has been doing lap-bands since the mid-90s, his feedback from patients is good and his professional credentials are excellent. In person, he is a very caring dr. Way above what I found most of the US drs to have, especially experience. So why do US drs ignore us? Are they just irked because they lost the money to Mexico? (Quite a bit, since most of them are 2-3x the cost of the Mexico surgery!) After calling drs and hospitals this last week trying to find a local dr for my fills, it was very disheartening. Some of the receptionists were downright rude about Mexico surgery. So does anyone have any answers? Thank you. Laura:phanvan

I did find one who quoted me $500 for initial visit, then if he decided to take me as a patient, it would be $250 afterward! So I am glad I found Dr. Brinkley, $200 a visit and not too far. :)Laura

yes, I checked out the ones you mention, plus Johns Hopkins, George Washington University Hospital, Fairfax Inova Hospital, Prince William Hospital, and on and on. As soon as I said Mexico, they said no. As far as fillcentersusa goes, the nearest one to me appears to be about 300 miles from me. I did find a dr about a 2 hr drive from me in MD I will probably be using. Thanks for your help. Laura

I have called about 40 drs and only a few in the Northern VA/DC/MD area will fill a Mexico patient. Dr. Susan Brinkley is about 2 hours (if I'm lucky and traffic behaves itself!) away and I talked to her receptionist about her experience. Has anyone here used her? She does not have fluro so that does concern me a little. This will be my first fill. Thanks Laura:help:

I went to Ready4AChange with Dr. Miguel Zapata. He is absolutely wonderful. Very experienced and has all the proper qualifications. A friend who went with me was very impressed when he came out to talk to her after the surgery. She was initially a little nervous about my going to Mexico, but after talking with him, she thought he was great too. The hospital was great also. Ready4AChange has a few problems they need to work out, especially using Pat Minute for travel arrangements, but I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Zapata. Good luck Laura