Windus

Oh no, not even close. My surgery was only $5900 in Mexico. Cheapest I saw in the US was $10500. I would have to get more than 18 fills to come up to what I would have paid in the US and even then I would be paying for fills. Most the self pay options only had 6-12 months of fills and they had restrictions on how many/how often on them.

Good luck - I am hoping to hit it on my next visit as well. With a $250 charge for each fill I want to get there in as few fills as possible.

According to my Dr it is. I can't eat in the mornings - it makes me a ravenous lunatic for the whole day if I don't wait a few hours to eat. I was told to drink a protein shake after I get up to get my metabolism in gear for the day and so far it is working well.

Cool - will have to try that - especially the calcium. Have been doing the tums routine but I don't particularly care for the chalky taste of tums.

It is 1.4ccs I think. But I have a 4cc band - not the bigger band that most people on here have so it is a larger fill than it sounds like. I still feel like I can eat too much as well.

Guess I am just lucky that mine did not say that. Just like anything else you have to chew them up all the way but I prefer them to the chalky feel of the dry vitamins. You do have to buy them at stores that have a high sale volume. Just like regular gummy bears if they get old they get hard to chew.

I am here! Got my second fill last Wednesday and am finally feeling some restriction. Not at my sweet spot yet but I think we are getting close. I made an appt for 4 weeks for the next flll but I think I will probably change it to 2 weeks. I want to be very aggressive with the fills. That being said since my fill on Weds. I have lost a pound a day - I think I was retaining a lot of water because of "that time of the month" and my body is releasing it now. But that is ok, it is still nice to see those numbers coming down fast and some of it has to be fat loss!

I find that if I eat solid food in the morning I am ravenous all day long and I either overeat or am miserable the whole day. Don't ask me why but it happens every time. I need to wait several hours before I eat. My fill dr said that I should drink a protein shake in the mornings to wake up my metabolism. I have been doing that since my fill last Wednesday and have lost a pound a day since then. I know it won't last like this but it is great right now!

The only issue I had with the popcorn I had at the movie was the price! Got a small bag and a bottle of Water last time I went and it was $10.50! Next time I am sneaking in a bottle of water and a packet of crystal light - love the lemonade.

I was told Flintstone too but I opt for the Gummy Bear version - gives me a little candy like treat without having a whole bag of them to eat!

The band is a tool, it cannot do it all for you. It is very common for people to not lose weight in the first few months. You are beating yourself into a corner and expecting things to happen before their time. Some people take a long time to find their restriction but even then if you can't control yourself you can still eat around the band. My daughter has PCOS and is very obese. She has said she wants to get lapband but I have told her I don't think it is a good idea in her case. She has little to no control over the amounts she eats either. I have told her that the gastric sleeve or even one of the bypass surgeries are a better option in her case. You may have to consider converting to one of the more radical WLS options.

I don't know if you have considered it but I went to Cancun and had my surgery. The surgery cost $5900 total. I went almost a week early to have a vacation and even with the airline tickets, the hotel room, all my vacation stuff, etc. I paid our less than $7000.

I guess I am lucky that my fill doctor lets me be as aggressive as I want. I can go in every 2 weeks for a fill, especially since I am self pay and they don't have to mess with insurance. I did not think I had any restriction after getting fill #2 last Weds but today, Saturday I have had troubles eating and had 2 episodes where I ended up yakking it up. Can there be a delayed response to a fill? Can it get tighter 2 days later? The good news is I have lost a pound a day everyday since the fill!

Sounds like you need to be a lot more aggressive with your fills. I was only banded on April 23 and have already had two - scheduled for #3 in 3.5 weeks but have instruction to come back at 2 weeks if I am not losing weight. I don't think anyone can keep up eating tiny portions for six months if you are not getting any assistance from the band. If we had the much will power we would not need the band to begin with. Go forth and fill - FAST!

Ok, how many of you HONESTLY can eat without drinking anything? I have tried and tried but the food sticks right at the bottom of my throat and I can't swallow it without taking some liquid. And yes, I am chewing it to smithereens. I keep myself to small sips and as few as possible but I just don't think it is physically possible for me to eat anything without some liquid. I don't have any problem waiting the 40 minutes my fill doctor recommends after the meal and am not using the liquid to wash it down so I can eat more. Anyone else have the same problem?

Maybe that is the issue then, I just had my second fill on Tuesday and although it is better I don't think I am at a real restriction yet - 1.4cc in a 4cc band so far. I can go back in 2 weeks for another fill which is one of the good things of being self-pay! Thanks everyone - I was feeling like a complete failure not being able to stop the liquids!

I am contemplating getting a WII Fit system - the one with the balance board. Wanted to see if I could get some honest feedback from anyone who might have it. I do not like to exercise :tongue2: and am looking for something that will make it a little more fun and hold my interest' Comments?

I had my first fill today and like everyone else, found it to be a non-event. Just a quick cold spray of a deadening agent and then felt nothing. Got .8 ccs but I only have a 4 cc band so it is more than it sounds. I can feel liquid going through so in a couple of days when I can eat come real food we will see how much restriction I have. They also gave me some cool pictures from the fluoroscopy and I got to watch it all live with the barium swallows and putting in and taking out until they saw the right movement through the band. Very interesting.

I had my first fill today and like everyone else, found it to be a non-event. Just a quick cold spray of a deadening agent and then felt nothing. Got .8 ccs but I only have a 4 cc band so it is more than it sounds. I can feel liquid going through so in a couple of days when I can eat come real food we will see how much restriction I have. They also gave me some cool pictures from the fluoroscopy and I got to watch it all live with the barium swallows and putting in and taking out until they saw the right movement through the band. Very interesting.

Well if it is true sounds like someone used an inexperienced surgeon. I am sure if we looked we could find just as many horror stories from people being banded in the US

I think it is a bunch of hogwash. I was banded in Mexico and had not one problem from it. In fact it was the fastest procedure I have had done. I was in surgery less than 45 minutes from the time I got to the hospital.

Well tomorrow is my first fill - looking forward to it and a bit apprehensive. Funny that I am more apprehensive about this than I was about the surgery!

I am very much looking forward to my first fill next Friday! I really have not restriction to speak of and can eat almost anything I want with no problems. The only issues I have had was with eating chicken - I have to learn to take smaller bites and chew it more thoroughly. Hoping the fill will make a difference!

Hello everyone! I just found this thread tonight so I am jumping in a little behind. I was banded in Cancun on 4/23/10. Everything went great and it was a great experience - not to mention the awesome vacation I had for several days beforehand. I am all healed and getting very hungry. My band is empty but I am looking forward to my first fill which is one week from Friday. Hoping it will cut out this gnawing hunger that I keep experiencing. I can see that even without it my portions are smaller and I did have one nasty stuck episode with a vicious bite of chicken that left me sore for the whole next day but live and learn I guess. Have lost about 22 lbs all in all so I guess I can live with that for now. Anywho just wanted to jump in and say hello.

I went to Cancun. Had a great experience. Surgery was $5900. Went a few days early had had a great vacation first. My total was about $6750 with the airfare, hotel and the vacation things I did. If you are interested I can put you in touch with the facilitator that took care of everything for me. Windus