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Great choice. Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela and Dr. Ismal Carbera-Garcia are awesome! I am biased because they were my surgeons. Dr. Valenzuela is also a trauma surgeon along with being a bariatric surgeon. She worked in San Francisco and Dr. Cabarera (sp)-Garcia worked in Fresno for a while. They are are the top surgeons in Mexico...per the "Top Mexican Surgeons" that I saw. You will be in great hands and the Anesthesiologist is AWESOME and very sweet. Gosh, I don't recall his name..guess that's because his administration of anesthesia was smooth and had a great sleep! Oh, I have two things you may be interested in: my Mexico Trip Tips and Sleeve Bible(s). If you're interested, PM me with your email address, and I'll send them to you. Take care and good luck! Jen

When I called back in June, she said I could get in in July. But I had to wait until my season was over. I actually just booked Thursday for November 25th. I was told to go at the beginning of the week to avoid longer wait times the day of surgery. Not sure if its a real concern or not. I have to renew my passport aswell, lol. I should get on that.

I use OptiSource Post-Bariatric Surgery cheweables. They taste great and are generally gentle on the stomach. Take 4 per day.

I'm not taking anything personally. Was asking questions to clarify your statements. Regarding hearsay, I was referring to whatever that woman told you. It was really unfortunate what happened. I too would have felt bad for her (you seem to be a very companionate person); however it is the patient's responsibility to give the surgeon all the information up until prior to arrival. That's what I meant about that woman maybe not providing you with hence what didn't make sense. Could she have been approved based on information she provided initially? Maybe she didn't provide accurate information in the surgical application. Somehow, when she got there, the surgeon (s) found that the information she provided (that got her approved) was no longer valid and was not able to do the surgery. It does suck...but she is alive and with a standing ovation clapping, Dr. Valenzuela did the right thing and not perform surgery if it could be dangerous to the woman's life. I tend to ask questions (professional habit-medical field and being a retired police officer/Deputy Sheriff-Coroner)...to seek to understand. I appreciate you telling the story. It does not have anything to do with Dr. Valenzuela's ability of being a bariatric surgeon...other than proving she is competent and will do the right thing regarding the safety of individuals versus taking money and doing an unnecessary surgery. I did state earlier that I was biased because she was one of my surgeons, and it was the research that I did and the company I went through (Medical Tourism- USA based company) to provide top bariatric Mexican Surgeons. Sincerely, Jen

I'm hoping to have surgery in August in Tijuana and I'm debating between 2 doctors (below). I'm ~300lbs and I've had no prior weight loss surgeries (this is not a conversion). 1) Dr. Louisiana Valenzuela via Mexico Bariatric Center with Christy as coordinator. 2) Dr. Alejandro López Ortega ("Dr. Lopez") via alighterme.com with Janese as coordinator. Any opinions / suggestions / experiences would be much appreciated. Thank you guys!

A time to change. I guess the beginning of the story comes about three years ago. After a major change in my life, I returned to school and earned two Associates degrees. The first was in medical assisting and the second in a medical office administration. Following a series of jobs to hold while finishing school, employment was found with the sisters of St. Francis out of Michigan city, Indiana. The job was as a medical assistant with a company named Working Well. These clinics specialized in occupational medicine and I was hired as a floating medical assistant to work between the companies five clinics in Northwest Indiana. This was definitely a change of pace compared to what I had previously been used to working within the cable television industry. It was a cold fall morning in late October when driving to work, it became increasingly harder and harder to breath. A cold which had been caught was becoming increasingly worse and worse. Driving became a task that was more difficult than usual. A decision was made to go to the emergency department of St. Anthony hospital. The results from that trip was a diagnosis of bronchitis and I was sent on my way back to work. Within the next week. The symptoms became increasingly worse, leading to a visit to my new Dr. for the hospital health insurance. The doctor was booked but they got me in to see his nurse practitioner, Ms. Nicolette Alexander. During a visit with Alexander took some precautionary tests and a chest x-ray gave me some medicine and said she would follow up with me. Less than a day later I received a phone call at work from Ms. Alexander's office. Not tracking me down was no easy task because I have been bouncing around from office to office for the last few weeks. Needless to say the message from the doctor was. I need to see you now! Gary my whole life I have never had a doctor track me down and use that phrase. So I knew was urgent. You have come of that meeting has stayed with me to this day. She stated. My heart was enlarged and my symptoms were indicating a need to see a cardiac specialist. It was at that point I was introduced to Dr.Sammie Dali. He informed me of a diagnosis of congestive heart failure and a ejection factor of 24%. In layman's terms that meant my heart was operating at only 24% capacity. After that Dr. Dali began a regime of medications, cardiac rehab and lifestyle changes to correct this condition. Within a few months. My overall health improved, but not enough to make a satisfactory change. My weight, but still an issue and the doctor and I began discussing bariatric surgery as an option. After being referred to above Midwest Bariatric Institute, it was decided that I was a good candidate for bariatric surgery but there were conditions. It was necessary for me to demonstrate that I could live the program and walked the walk. So with that began a series of nutrition classes, medical appointments, support group meetings, evaluations and lifestyle changes. Physically I was beginning to improve. But emotionally it was a roller coaster. One day the motions would be highly because everything was going alright and others because a reverse to rock-bottom when things went wrong. Six months later, after various evaluations, another cardiac scare and various doctors discussing my situation, it was decided that surgery was a go. In my corner was Ms. Alexander and Dr. Dali in the opposing corner was Dr. Gerald Cahill and his team off specialist. Dr. Cahill was concerned of possible cardiac issues, but finally agreed after Dr. Dali went to bat and hit a home run. Going into the surgery was a scary proposition. I remember thinking please hurry up and get this over with so I can continue on with my life. Papers have been filed, a medical leave. Approved and most of all a long heart-to-heart talk with my wife. The date of the surgery, after a comforting visit from my pastor, and imposing on one of my good friends to stay with Kathy, my wife, it began. I remember being wheeled into the cold operating room being given medication to relax and almost choking as a breathing tube was placed then blackness came signaling the true beginning of my new life. It is now 2 years later, I have lost over 150 pounds and feel great. Now has come the time for me to get serious. Time to exercise and watch the diet. It will be a challenge.

I also started mine as soon as I got home. I have the Bariatric Advantage (god what a long name) Innovations Advanced Multie EA. *whew* And I let it sort of dissolve in my mouth, it takes like one of those old fashioned candy bracelets to me, so I love them. I got a B injection last week. But I want my own B (Complex-Lipotropic) vial at home *angry face* I am not afraid to inject myself, when we used to use injectable B Complex Lipotropics, we lost weight more easily than when we did not use them. And we felt a tad more energetic.

I've never heard of night time coughing after surgery. Do you have sleep apnea? Or maybe a cold? I know that sounds like a simplified question, but trust me, after surgery, everything we feel, we relate it to the surgery. When in doubt always defer to your bariatric team Sent from my SM-G900T using BariatricPal mobile app

First check your insurance policy for how bariatric surgery is covered. Mine was listed in my benefits book. Or just call and ask about bariatric surgery coverage. Do you have any friends or family that is close that would help you with the children when you have the procedure? pushing, pulling, or lifting, is not recomended as you would not want to upset your port site while it is scarring or seating in place. With four young children you would definitely need help. Everyone is right about support from this site. We have all been there...done that...and we fully understand. Many people have the will power to just "do it" on their own. MANY do not. Some of us need some help. Such as the lapband. It is only a tool to help you along. There will always be people that don't understand that. We do. Sometimes you just have to take control and help yourself. Trust me, YOU ARE WORTH IT!! Good luck with your decision.

Mommie, I don't know if this will help or not, but I'm in Texarkana, Tx and my pts (I work in a sleep lab in a bariatric center of excellence hospital) that have tricare (tricare south region, to be specific) usually get covered pretty easily. They need one (1) co-morbidity with a certain BMI, along with the other stuff (sleep study, psyche eval, dietician, etc.) Was all that clear as mud? Bottom line, tricare south region covers in Texarkana.

Just thought I'd introduce myself...I went to the Des Moines Bariatric seminar last week. (The ones that go to Methodist) And have my consultation visit with Dr. LaMasters on July 28th. I haven't gone to a support group meeting yet. I also have COPD and fibromyalgia, so I'm on disability and have Medicaid. They will pay for it, but require a 6 month doctor supervised diet:frown: I'd lost #80 between 4-5 years ago...then between the steroids, quitting smoking, fibro...I've gained it all back! My pcp think the surgery would help me immensely. It would make my back and knees hurt less anyway. Anyway, just wanted to say Hi. Nancy

lessofm3 and geeky - Yeah, I don't think this is cheating, either. Just to chime in there. This is one step below about the harshest thing you can do to yourself to aid in permanent weight loss. lessofm3 - the person that made the comment about the likelihood of failing with this is a friend. She is a nurse anesthetist and is working for a general surgeon who does bariatric procedures, although not the lap-band. She said 70% of the bariatric procedures they do are for people who have to have it removed. And it has to be removed because they did not follow the diet. So her advice was to follow the diet. And, in her mind, obviously I can't do that, so it's likely I will fail - and don't come begging for her help when it happens. I have told the people I have told because I want to build a support network. And it's apparently not there. :thumbup: But going back to my failure friend - irony here...about a year ago she had a boob job and liposuction because she was not happy with the way she looked. Never occurred to her to DIET. But she's a bit concerned with appearances and the thought runs through the mind - is she afraid of someone else looking good? We are also neighbors and we live on Wisteria Lane, sometimes. And then I start thinking - she has a point, really. This whole thing, from what I am reading and now know, isn't really about the band. That's a feedback mechanism. It's a feedback mechanism that goes along with a lot of deprivation. The key here is portion control, from what I've learned. And this feedback mechanism lets you know when you haven't handled that well. But if I'm seriously serious about being serious (like that?) then why don't I just work on my portions? Why not restict myself? That feedback mechanism, though...could really be the difference between success and failure.

I think it's great that you and the hubster are doing a major food overhaul. That will be a great benefit to you and your family, but I have to ask... You're only 3 weeks post-op and allowed to eat anything you want? I'm not a medical professional and not employed by your bariatric surgeon, but at 3 weeks post-op, I wasn't allowed to eat brownies and graham crackers. I was allowed to eat liquid and pureed food. The reason for that is that the post-op period is all about healing and not so much about weight loss. In order to digest stuff like brownies and graham crackers, your stomach has to expand and contract to break the food down enough to pass into your intestines. That movement can disturb the position of your band against your stomach. In fact, one of the most common causes of band slips (which could require more surgery to fix) is failure to follow the post-op diet progression (Clear liquids, full liquids, purees, soft foods, solid foods). But...if your surgeon's post-op regime allows you to eat anything, so be it. And now I'll go on to answer your question about go-to sweets. The failure of sugar-free pudding cups to satisfy your sweet tooth doesn't surprise me. I felt the same was as new post-op, mostly because I was accustomed to eating 1/2 gallon of ice cream every night, plus Cookies and donuts and candy whenever I wanted. Most successful WLS patients find that they need to go through an uncomfortable period of weaning off sweets before they can give up that stuff forever. I'm not saying that you can never eat sweets again, but if sweets are your weakness, your ability to limit them may be totally absent, and if you want to lose weight and maintain that weight loss, sweets may be something you need to give up for the foreseeable future. The more you eat sweets, the more your body depends on and craves them. For a while I played with eating candy like sugar-free Reese's PB cups. I found that it was just as easy to eat a dozen of those as it was to eat a dozen of the regular stuff, so I ended up with a bad case of diarrhea from the sugar substitutes and (guess what?) stalled weight loss. Then I tried Atkins indulgence bars (or whatever they're called), especially one that tasted like a Mounds bar. I would tell myself I'd eat just half...ha! And then I'd have the diarrhea again and tell myself again that I'd never eat that stuff again. Finally I found some treats that worked. Now, you may be able to eat any amount of this stuff now, but may not be able to eat that much later on when you've had some fills, so I'm afraid you're going to have to exercise some self-restraint. Your band is not ever going to jump out of your throat and fling that naughty food aside. It's not going to ring alarms or flash red warning lights or scream, "Leepers! Cease and desist!" OK, finally I'll get to the sweet stuff. Thank you for bearing with me this far. When I'm in the mood for chocolate, I eat 1/2 of a chocolate Protein bar. Be sure to read the nutritional info on the package because a lot of Protein Bars are meant to appeal to body builders who want to gain weight. If there's more than 15 grams of carbs or sugars in a Protein Bar, I give it a pass. When I'm in the mood for ice cream, I peel a banana, put it in a zip-lock bag, and stick it in the freezer until it's very cold. It might look kind of brown after that, but once I stir a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips into it, it tastes like fabulous. You could even stir it into that blah sugar-free pudding, top it with sugar-free Cool Whip, and have yourself a choco-banana Sunday. Even better, combine 1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter with the banana, and you have a choco-monkey treat. If you're truly allowed to eat any food now, including solid foods like fruits and veggies, I can give you some more suggestions. Just let me know. Jean

My surgeon requires me to use Bariatric Advantage and I have to do 4-5 shakes per day. I have been having trouble getting the 4th shake down. Its tolerable. 2x per day I can mix it with a cup of skim milk which makes it taste a little bit better! Whatever you choose just make sure it has high protein and low carbs. Good luck!

Oh no, that stinks! I have a friend with BCBS OK, and they were told, last year I believe, that WLS was not covered... but I would imagine there are several different plans, and if you have an approval from late December, I don't see how they can back out now! By the way, I live in OK too, just north of OKC proper... I'm having surgery soon, I hope, down in Norman (my friend is a bariatric nurse down there, so I chose that hospital). I think you're the first person I've seen on here from OK, so I just wanted to say hello!

At this point I doubt I am! That said, I am vasically still healthy, protein and fluids first, veggies next if there is room, seldom have room for fruits, don't crave them anyway. Tried to discuss this a month ago with dietician only to be told, You Look Good, Diet looks pretty good , in less there is an emergency we will see you in August. The fact I feel instictively I am starving into malnutrition, not relevant? IDK- I feel like a Voice Crying in the Wilderness " ARE YOU SURE I'M DOING THIS RIGHT?" I must appear okay but I don't seem to handle anything with form, like chewed up meats, veggies et all. Last endo shows Jejunem is patent- well goody goody for that- my question is, and no one will answer it, not NP, not surgeon, not even gastroenterologist, did the severed and/or squeezed to death enervation in my pouch regenerate to point I have regained any peristaltic movement? Or is it as I suspect, there is no propulsive force to move things along and out, this is why and what I repeatedly emesis up more solid things? And also,ves there is enough gastric acidic juices to try eating holes in my pouch and jejunem, but are they starting to beak down proteins and the other foodstuffs or are they extruding like thick toothpaste into my small intestine? These are things NOBODY wants to talk about, I do know basis anatomy but I need a tutorial on Bariatric 201, 201 because this is at least Sophmore or Junior- level information.Do I demand another office consultation with my gastroenterologist Dr Upchurch, who is at least here in my city instead of in Columbus 50 miles away? He gas been a G.I. doctor for maybe 20+ years , so he is smart enough, does HE Want to SPARE ME the time? After years of Frankly Fathood it is still weird to feel clavickes, ribs, even the outside edges of my hipbones. Oh I am grateful my legs arevregainibg their youthful proportions even if the musckescare no longer as strong. And although many of my bari-sisters will disagree, I REALISH THE WOLF WHISTLES I GET! Yeah that doesn't mean they will ever catch me, but after years of being basically ignored , it is nice to be barked at, makes a gal feel alive instead of dead , I can handle being" meat, " because inside I'll feel like "eye candy"! Your specimen of reborn youth--- FRUSTR8

Two Weeks Pre-OP Weight: 304.9 BMI: 45.5 Let me first begin by introducing myself. My name is Leslie, I’m 29, and have been overweight pretty much my entire life. I am a customer service manager at the local grocery store chain in Chicago. I have had two back surgeries in the last 4 years and have foot & joint pain. I decided to start this blog because I thought it might help me to put my feelings into words. I also hope that maybe someone reading this will get know that what they are feeling is normal and they aren’t alone. I know that reading about other people’s experiences has helped me along the way so far. Bariatric surgery was first suggested to me after my first back surgery. I’ll be honest, I was insulted. I thought it was an easy way out of losing weight and for people that had given up. A year and a half later I had to have a second back surgery because my disc has degenerated, mainly due to my weight. I started serious dieting, lost about 40lbs, and got stuck. Getting stuck caused me not to try so hard, and as time went on, I gained all the weight back plus some. The surgery was suggested to me again. This time I took some serious thought about. It took a year, but after another trip to the back doctor, where I was told that another disc was beginning to degenerate. If I didn’t lose weight I have another back surgery in my future, and probably more after that. That’s when I started the process. I realized that going down this road would not be easy. That it probably may be the hardest thing that I do. I had my consultation appointment in October of 2013. I decided that I would have the sleeve gastrectomy. And then I got the laundry list of things that needed to be done before the surgery can even be processed. Blood tests, ultrasounds, sleep studies, checked out by multiple doctors. But finally the surgery was scheduled: May 19th. So here I am, two weeks until surgery, when the real fun begins. The start of the pre-op diet. A mainly liquid diet with one “real meal” a day. The meal consists of 2-3oz of protein, 2cups of veggies, and the optional 1 serving of carbs. Not something that I have been looking forward to. In addition to the diet, I had to discontinue the anti-inflammatory that helps with the foot & joint pain. This morning I woke up and had the feeling of a kid on Christmas morning. I woke up 45mins then I had to, and usually have to drag myself out of bed. But not today. I knew that today is the beginning…the beginning of the rest of my life. I’m ready to change, and I’m excited to experience the journey to the new me. I won’t lie, today was tough. I was hungry most of the day. But I got through it. And I know that with each day, it will get easier and easier. And before I know it, the day of surgery will be here.

every insurance company is different as far as what is required. are you going through your insurance or self-pay? my insurance requires a letter of medical necessity from my PCP, 6 month weight-loss monitored program through PCP, surgeon consult, lap-band seminar, nutritionist consult, and psyc consult. i've done all but the psyc b/c it's hard to find one who does bariatric consultations. i finally found one yesterday and i'm scheduled for next week. i'm nervous though b/c i'm afraid they're going to find a crazy gene or something! :smile: right now i'm taking phentermine briefly before surgery to help with pre-op weight loss. i'm also trying to get the nerves to start these Protein Shakes. i hate milkshakes, so i really will have these... i love smoothies though so i'm going to try to make those instead. :biggrin:

Pik, what did your dr say about pancreatitis and bariatric surgery? Did he also say that it can.happen about 1:1000 patients? I hope.you feel better soon!

WOW! I really like my Doctor. He is so very kind. He explained how right now my hormones are "deranged" that I would have to starve myself to lose the amount of weight I need. With the band, you are kind of starving, but it's much more comfortable because you feel full. He had me lie flat on my back to examine the shape of my tummy. He said my shape is easier to do surgery with, because I carry the bulk of my girth (my word,not his) in my lower stomache and hips. Yes, I have lotsa junk in the trunk! He was very reassuring, and positive. When I asked what my long term goal should be, he said he didn't want me to think in pounds, rather he would like my BMI to be in the 30´s. So, the next time I see him will be in the surgery holding area! He said he would dictate my visit today, send to the bariatric coordinator tomorrow, and that she should be able to put package in the mail tomorrow!!!!!!! He said they have been receiving replies from the insurance company within one to two weeks!!!!!!!

I would call the Bariatric program nurse & see what s/he says best bet.

I will have UHC as of May 1, I can't wait. I have Aetna now, and the company I work for does cover bariatric, and will with UHC also. That was a requirement before I agreed to pay another year of insurance premiums. I went to orientation 2 weeks ago, and am calling to find out when my first appt is with the surgeon tomorrow. No referrals needed.

I'm not sure if the lapband is the right answer for you. You are considered a "healthy size" right now. Most, if not all, surgeons require a person to be 100 lbs overweight, with an extensive history of being overweight. Most require your BMI to be 40 or higher. They will do it with a BMI of 35, but you have to have co-morbidities (sleep apnea, hypertension, etc..) I work in a doctors office that does a lot of bariatric referrals and we have had several patients be "denied" surgery because the didn't pass the psych evaluation. Labpand is a physical tool, and it sounds to me like you might need to talk to someone. IMHO.

Would you be willing to go to Victoria? There is a Center of Excellence for Bariatric surgery there at Citizens Medical Center. There is an entire wing of the hospital there devoted to bariatric surgery. I had mine done there and have no complaints what so ever. Dr. Craig Chang is my surgeon and my hero. He's wonderful and is CERTIFIED. Many doctors do bariatric surgery but are not certified in it. This hospital is also fully equipped and furnished with the bariatric patient in mind. Chairs, beds, gowns, pressure cuffs, etc. that actually FIT. The Center is incredible. If you can, run down there and take a tour. They are happy to do it. I highly recommend him, if you dont mind a little drive. I drive from Corpus Christi, and don't mind in the least to have top notch care and facilities. I'm doing great and have had minimal problems. Dr. Chang is very approachable and very caring.

I worry about folks who think that healthy eating and having VSG rather than RNY will protect them from deficiencies. I consider my intake to be very healthy, AND I take good quality bariatric Vitamins, and still ended up with deficiencies. Maybe it's just marketing hoo-ha, but I'm willing to believe it matters which brand of vitamins you take, because the source of the nutrients differs, and some are more readily absorbed than others. We were all told to take Calcium CITRATE, not CARBONATE, right? So it makes sense to me that other nutrients in a multi-Vitamin may also differ. I'm willing to pay more to take a Multivitamin that's formulated for post-ops. And while it's true that we don't have the same risks of deficiencies as RNY post-ops, we still have smaller stomachs, and many of us are on PPIs long-term, impacting absorption of nutrients that require an acidic environment. I'm vigilant, but I still ended up extremely low in thiamine and Iron. I keep up with my tests, and I focus particularly on calcium, since I can't check that with a blood test. I had a bone density scan done along with a DEXA scan a couple of years ago, but since most women in their early 40s don't have bone density scans done, my PCP tells me there's not good data to compare my results to. I'll test again in a couple of years so I can compare to my prior results.