FailureIsntAnOption

Hello, My name is Donna. I too was self pay. I went to Mexicali, Mexico and was banded by Dr. Alberto Aceves in April of this year. I was fortunate that I had recommendations from a few people that my husband works with but it was still scary due to the unknown and having it done in a foreign country. I was pleasantly surprised that my medical care and stay exceeded my expectations. The hospital was clean and state of the art and the surgeon and staff were top notch. I paid $7,000 but I just saw that they have reduced the price to $6,500. There is also a clinic in Tijuana Mexico that advertises $5,000 but I don't know anything about the surgeon there. I can tell you that Dr. Aceves has patients that travel from all over the US for his services as I met several during my stay. If you would like more info., send me a message and I will give you the contact info. Good luck to you.

How cool that you will begin your new life around your birthday. How exciting!

Hello and congratulations for having the courage to change your life.

Hang in there, the first two weeks are the worst. If you can stick with this you can make your goal. Don't give up! If you are starving you need more protein. Drink some Isopure or try Special K protein water. Once you can have protein shakes and mushies it gets easier. Go for a walk and get your mind off the hunger or just go to bed.

Too funny!

I sure did feel the same way. Try to relax, it really isn't is bad as you think. You can still enjoy most of the same foods but its better to wait till later on after you reach goal. You just need to exercise portion control and the band will help you do this.

Just think, instead of having a huge plate of food in front of you ladies, you will have smaller portions making you look like dainty young ladies. It's not so bad! Please don't worry, you will see that everything is going to be fine. Your relationship with food is going to change for the better.

Tvl and ThinAli, I went through a huge range of emotions once I made my decision to get the band. I was worried I would never be able to enjoy the foods I love again and obviously food was very important to me otherwise I wouldn't be obese. Some things in your life will need to be changed in order to succeed. For me, exercise was not something I did very often. It is now part of my everyday life and I have learned to find enjoyment in it. In fact, I don't feel right if I go a day without working out. Some nights I don't eat the same foods as the rest of my family because at this present time I am struggling with too much restriction, but this hasn't always been the case. You may or may not have this problem and if you do it is correctable. If my surgeon wasn't 3 hours away and across the border in another country I would have gone back for a slight unfill by now but it just hasn't worked out with my work schedule to be able to go. Yes, because I am too tight I do vomit quite often but prior to being too tight I did not. It is perfectly natural for you to be second guessing yourself. This is a big step and a life changing decision. I can tell you that I look and feel so much better and I have absolutely no regrets. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I find that because of struggling to eat, food no longer plays such an important role in my life. I now eat to live and no longer live to eat. I have lost over 50 pounds in just 3 months and 18 inches from my measurements and you can to. I have gone from a tight size 24 to a size 18 and still shrinking. It is so worth it to make the lifestyle changes. Embrace the idea of a healthier you. You will be so glad you did and so will your loved ones. My husband was very supportive of me but once my siblings found out that I was leaving the country for surgery I got all kinds of flack. Remember you are not doing this for anybody but yourself. Nobody knows what it is like to live inside a fat body and a fat mind unless they have experienced it for themselves.

It sounds like you are already making good decisions for your health. I'll bet you are already feeling better. Keep up the good work. Donna

Hello Melissa, Did your surgeon tell you it's okay to eat solids already? I had to wait 4 weeks before I could so the stomach would heal where the band was placed. Be careful eating solids too soon can cause your band to slip. Looks like you are doing great with your weight loss.

I totally agree. It's so frustrating. My sister's big concern is that I would get thinner than her. She emailed me that she "heard through the grapevine I had lost over 50 pounds that it was so miraculous". I was totally irritated and replied that it wasn't so miraculous, I had worked my tail off at the gym and exercising at home as well for 2 hours per day and couldn't eat solid food without throwing it up. This is not a miracle. This is shear determination. Give me the credit damn it! My advice to you and anybody else who is busting their tail to loose weight.........surround yourself with supportive people and let the rest go.

It's a shame you don't realize that everybody here is trying to help one another to the best of their ability. By you being so judgemental and yes, mean, people may be reluctant to help. We are all human and deserve to be treated as such and not called names and belittled by somebody who doesn't agree with our viewpoints. I think it pretty much goes without saying that most posts in this forum are based on personal experiences and before relying on the personal experiences of others, you should consult your own doctor. I will no longer respond to what can be construed as personal harrassment on your part.

Wow! Why are you so darn mean?????

I don't see where the OP ever mentioned having family members go through GP. I think you are thinking of a different thread that I recall reading earlier from a different person.

Congratulations! I wish you much success on your weight loss journey.

Wow Bearbandit! You are doing fabulous!

Katwmn, I received .08cc during my surgery in a 10cc band that can only be filled to 4cc. Keep in mind when comparing your fill that there are different size bands and bands that hold more saline then others.

Michelle, Your results are still fantastic.

Wow! You've lost 41 pounds in one month, Awesome! Congratulations!

Sabertooth, I have lost 54 pounds in 3 months since my surgery. I also have first bite syndrome as Sue Magoo described and sometimes struggle to eat but I believe this is because I am too tight. I work very hard and exercise for at least 2 hours everyday to have the results I have. This exercise does include some weights. Good luck to you with making your decision.

85robinson, I believe, not sure, the surgeon would have to unfill the band completely for the duration of pregnancy. I would however be sure to check with your surgeon on this if you do plan to get pregnant.

I remember when my kids were young and would have long bouts of diarrhea their pediatrician would have me put them on the brat diet to firm up the stools I think. It was bananas, rice, applesauce and tea. When all else fails give it a try.

I found it at Von's.

For the record....I only made light of this thread because of the vagueness of the question.