GPrima2

I had a fill doctor, Dr Jesse who recently increased her fills from $200 to $400. This will be my second fill w/o fluro. Has anyone found a reasonable fill doctor for the "Mexican" band in Florida??? Could you also share the cost? This seems to be the most challenging part of being banded!!!!

I would not take any gel form of medication at all..Here is Vitamins that I take that I follow exactly the amount of each vitamins you need from Dr Perricone and it is all liquid form. Go on Buy Discount Vitamins, supplements, Low Carb and More at www.Vitacost.com Type in Buried Treasure and buy the multi-Vitamin bottle. It has the highest concetration of vitamins you will get in any form. And this site has the cheapest prices around..I am a health nut since I have lost over 100 lbs and I make sure to get all the cheap healthy sources on the market today. Another most important "shake" you must do every single day, is a "whey" based powder with the highest concentration of Protein. Remember "whey" based. Same website, that product is Natures Aide or Best..green can and the vanilla flavor is the best. Very affordable...the next piece of the puzzle for me is a product that has Chondritin/MSN, blueberry flavor, liquid as well...this is awesome for joints, muscle, and tissue repair..I mix this with my vitamins in 100% organic juice. The last piece of this puzzle...eat canned Alaskan Red "Wild" Salmon everyday..you will get all the omega's you need in this can..add the grounded flaxseed in the salmon..I make patties, like salmon cakes..very good!!! There really is no reason to risk taking any form of pills when it comes to vitamins. Also, there is infant/children's form of liquid pain relivers that have adult dosages on the bottles. You can get almost everything you need over the counter in liquid form...just buy the baby stuff..it works!!! And for those Doctor's that push their in office vitamins...are so high priced!! Compare the one's I given you...it is a joke!! The concentration of vitamins are more in the products I use than any found in these offices!!! Hope this helps you.... Glenda

I use liquid Vitamins...there is an internet company, very cheap prices, www.vitacost.com The best one they have, and it dissolves in any type of fruit juice is called Buried Treasure. It contains all the vitamins you are lacking with the restricted Vitamin intake we have with the band. Plus it is cheaper than children's vitamins. All you need is this product, and possibly a whey Protein powder, vanilla flavored is the best to mix in juices. I work out 4-5 times a week and without any vitamins, I would probably croak over...so it is important to intake a multi-vitamin everyday. Hope this helps Glenda

Hello Bee I tried to send you a private message and it would not go through. I decided to spend the extra money to feel that I am getting the most attention for my lap band. Let's face it...for those who went to Mexico...wanted the least to spend out of pocket for the surgery. In my mind, now that I must live here and not Mexico, that maybe I should spend the money to guarantee the success of a band I had placed January 29, 2006. At first I drove 2 and half hours to Key Largo and then the doctor doubled her fill costs. I finally broke down and joined the US Bariatrics of Orlando, located in Celebration Florida. I really should have done this first...just bit the cost.. This band is life changing and to be so brave to go into another country to have a very serious operation, we should not cut the corners when we get home. Take a serious look at Dr Kim. Yes in the beginning it costs a little more money, but the fills are reasonable and you get the best professional care you could ask for...AND they really do care about your goals and progress. Try not to short change yourself..all of us need "physical" support for this type of surgery. Take a look at this forum...you need human contact to get you through this process...it was well worth the money for me. Dr Kim 407.303.4504 Good Luck Bee and don't give up!! It is worth it..I lost over 70 lbs, work out 4-5 times a week, feeling the best I have felt in over 5 years..I would do it all over again if I had to.... Glenda

Hello Bee If you refer back to my previous emails...I hope this will help you. The closest fill doctor for you would be Dr. Jessee. I really liked her services, but the cost doubled and I had to drive over 2 hours. This is the only reason I ended up with Dr. Kim in Celebration. And.. they also have a very good support group/events that help you answer most of the questions you may have. I didn't attend any of them, only because of the long drive, but I think you really need some type of physical contact with those who have had this surgery. It will help you out.... Suncoast Bariatrics Dr Tiffany Jessee info@shedthepounds.com Glenda

Here is the contact information for you if needed: Bariatrics of Orlando-Program at Celebration Health Dr. Kenneth Kim (I think it is Kenneth) 400 Celebration Place Celebration, Florida 34747 407.303.4000 www.celebrationhealth.com Once you set the appointment..make sure to ask the desk person that you want fill out the required forms online...you will not want to fill these forms out at the office. It will take you over 30 mins...it saved me some serious time by going online!!! Good Luck to all of you!!!

I just recently switched from Suncoast in Largo Florida to Bariatrics of Orlando located in Celebration. The reason is that Dr. Jessee doubled her fees from $200 for an in office fill to $400. I live in Celebration, and at the time I chose to drive 2 hours away. Too much time spent in a car!!! With my experience so far, having a band placed in Mexico, I feel like I carry the scarlet letter on my stomach!! Each phone call I made, or have spoken to a secretary (a nice lecture once about going out of the country..blah blah blah.) It has not been the most rewarding process...so here is my recommendation: Pay the money (it is $995.00 and $150.00 in office fills) to establish yourself with Bariatrics of Orlando in Celebration. You must provide them with every medical detail of your surgery. You will get a lecture from Dr. Kim (one of the best in his field..came highly referred by many doctors), his nurse, nutritionist, etc...But the one thing I did like the most, is how much they do care about your progress and your goals. I learned more in this consultation than any internet information out there, Dr.'s who would possibly do my fills, and Mexico.. Let's face it..no speakie English/no speakie Spanish...no understandee all the details of education on the lap band. And I strongly believe that you must have knowledge of this procedure and maintenance of the band to make it a success.

I wouldn't have a definite answer, but I think they would do some type of sonogram or x-ray to be able to see a stretched pouch. For me, everyday is different on the amount of food and the type of food I can digest...Some days, I just shake my head in confussion of why this happens. Recently, I had my second fill, which was over due 6 weeks. I could really feel the difference of my food portions after the first fill(very little). This lasted for 2 months. Then, as time passed, I could see that my portions became larger. Maybe, some of you are waiting too long, like I did, to get your fills. I was told that you must maintain the band every 2 months...not based on the intake of food portions. I know that I will not make this mistake again. I had only lost 10 lbs from the first fill. One last comment...I know this will cost more money, but I have considered doing my fills under Fluro every other fill. I think this will allow me to have some comfort that the band is in place properly. I don't want the unsure feeling that the band has slipped, or slipped. When I did my second fill over 2 weeks ago...I did not see a change at all, compared to my first fill. I had this fill in the office without fluro...and I'm not sure if this has happened to anyone else..but I feel that the saline solution did not go to my band. And I don't want to know where it went...but I am trying to schedule myself to do a fluro check up of my band. One thing is for sure about this investment...it is an ongoing investment!!! But I think overall, it is worth every penny and heartache to be "healthy". I do the comparison of finances of the medications, tests and doctor office visits that occured during my heaviest at 275 lbs. The band is well worth the money!!!! Surgery 1/29/06 Celebration, Florida Highest Weight: 275 lbs Slowly lost over 50 lbs.

Thanks to all of you for the referrals...I think I will be able to google those that didn't have a link. At least the cost seems to be in the line of what I was quoted from Dr Jesse's office in the beginning. I just can't see paying double when there are good doctors charging reasonable fees.

I had my surgery in Monterrey Mexico, January 29th, 2006, with a company called Lite N Free. I have ventured into this site many times to see some of the discussions and responses and I felt strongly to have my own response today. I truly believe that complications can happen and will happen. I don't think any medical procedure is a perfect science, if performed by quality surgeons. After seeing this procedure on the Oprah Winfrey show over 2 years ago, I started to research all of my options. It took me well over a year to make my decision. The major decison for me was where this surgery would be performed. I was in a private hospital that was well equiped for any complications that could occur. Let's face it, if you have to lose over 100 pounds we have to admit that we are already a walking complication with many health issues. Do I have some issues with the band?? Of course, and with anything "foreign", (I call my port "the alien") in the body, it takes time to adjust. BUT the major difference today for me is the total transformation that includes eating properly, taking vitamins (liquid only) and exercising daily. When I try to eat something and I know it will cause a PB ( I think that is the term)...well I made that choice. It is a LIFE changing procedure, not a miracle for weight loss. It is hard, just like it is hard for every obese person out there that are dealing with bad eating habits. It will never go away...it is how you accept it!!! I was just hoping to shed (no punt intended) some positive light for those who are considering this procedure. And for those who have had such terrible complications, first let me say thank you for your posts to help others. I hope that they are able to bounce back and be healthy. Date of Surgery: 01/29/06 Total Weight Loss (with a lot of exercise and 1200 calories a day): 50 lbs.