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I just had my sleeve done on 2/26 by Dr.Cabrara at Mexico Bariatric in Tijuana. I did see Dr.Lopez while I was there. He checked in on me during day 2. I had the same last minute panic attack that it was a scam, etc. I am here to tell you, they are legit. Good people, great service and very compassionate. I received better care and attention in Tijuana than I ever received during my c-section or gallbladder surgery in the states. The facility, Mi Doctor, is not by any stretch what I would consider opulent. It is a basic clinic, no frills but they have defibrillators at each end of the hall and an abundance of support staff including around the clock nurses that are readily available. It's very clean and everyone practices excellent personal and professional hygiene. I do have some advice regarding luggage. KEEP IT SIMPLE! Pack a few pairs of yoga pants, flip flops, roomy t-shirts and of course undergarments. However, the only time I wore a bra and underwear was when I arrived and when I departed. Trust me, it's way more comfortable this way. You'll want to pack trial sizes of conditioner for sure. I relied On The hotel for my soap and shampoo. From past experience, I can tell you DO NOT SHAVE ANY BODY PART OR APPENDAGE 24 hours or less prior to surgery. You increase your odds exponentially of contracting a staph infection through a nick or cut. Trust me. I went back to work this morning without incident. Just be careful about bending and stretching too much. Good and awesome luck to everyone pre and post op! You've made the right decision. Be patient with yourselves. Your world will change overnight however you will take much more time to adapt to your new lifestyle. Much Love! Judy PS: beware of Isopure. Please, I am begging you, buy a bottle BEFORE you buy the case. At first it appears to be a run if the mill sports drink. NOT SO FAST! I've never, ever tasted anything like it. UGH! that being said, it's the easiest and most convenient delivery system for 40 grams of Protein per serving. I'm committed to choking this stuff down because of that reason alone. Oh yeah, no sugar, no aspertame and ZERO carbs. Reason #2 I choke this stuff down. Did I already say ugh? Just brace yourself. 2/26 Pre Op weight 205.00 3/3 post Op weight 197.00 62 Lbs to go!

My diet consists of two shakes a day. I'm using a mix called Bariatric supplement vanilla. Not bad tasting. 1 oz of nuts for a snack and 8 oz. of v8. Then for dinner lean cuisine under 300 calories. Been good. Down 12 pounds. Not been to hungry in fact sometimes miss my noon shake. So far so good.

Shianne Burns Gastric Bypass @ Boston Medical Center Referral date: 12/06/17 Bariatric program start date: 1/22/18 Program finish date: 5/30/18 Approval date: 6/12/18 Surgery date: 8/8/18

Keilsnikof besides my husband, my 5 silblings all live in different states 2 years ago on Thanksgiving we all got to together i told each one seperately my news noing my weight "issues" over the past many years, - they all were very happy for me after WLS and people were seeing "less and less" of me - they started asking how i lost the weight the first time my neighbor asked me, i replied i was eating better, healthier excersizing et al by the time i fininshed the sentence i found myself telling her - "oh, i also has bariatric surgery" she responded in the positive she then proceeded to ask me about the surgery from then on, i immediately told people i had bariatric surgery it was a load of my shoulders that i was being open I was lucky that i never heard any negative responses kathy

I'll bet it's your hernia. When I was researching Bandwagon, a few bariatric surgeons said that the band can, but is not guaranteed, to prevent reflux, and also that hiatal hernias are associated with band slips and other complications or side effects. I have an acquaintance whose reflux was cured by her band surgery,but since she also had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time, it's hard to say whether her band or the hernia repair is responsible for that cure. Is the Nexium helping?

@@yoyolifechange11 So is that a good thing, or a bad thing? I guess what you, and only you, can determine is: what do YOU want? May I suggest going to the bariatric counseling (because we have to do that, you know, for the program) together? And if the counselor and/or your husband won't do that, can you arrange a bariatric counseling session together, once you've met with the psychologist? This will be different counseling than marriage counseling. But it will tell you and the psychologist whether you and/or your husband are ready for this. This surgery is EXTREMELY life-altering, in many ways. And it is very taxing on the emotions as hormones are released helter-skelter (anybody remember that book?! Gosh, am I old or what!!!), you say, think, feel things that are, shall we politely say; atypical. Definitely hard on a marriage, and if your marriage is rocky now, whew, it is in for a ride! I thank God above for my extremely tolerant husband, who has born the brunt of many a scathing remark............. Irregardless, we are here, we are listening, and we all care about you, so come when you need to, and find some peace....All the best to you.

Obesity has been officially categorized as a disease for four years now. The categorization of obesity as a disease puts more of the burden on doctors to help you lose weight, but some people are still wary of the title. Who cares what obesity is? You might wonder whether it matters whether obesity is a “disease” or not, especially if doctors have not managed to help you lose weight, except, possibly, your bariatric surgeon. But, the name actually does make a difference. It gives obesity and obesity treatment more attention. It can help remove the stigma surrounding obesity. It gives doctors a mandate to treat you. It could lead to increased medical insurance coverage for obesity treatment, from diet programs to bariatric surgery. Here is why obesity is a “disease.” Obesity meets a definition of disease comprising three criteria: "an impairment of the normal functioning of some aspect of the body;" (changes in organ function, for example) "characteristic signs and symptoms" (excess body weight, for example) "harm or morbidity” (obesity-related complications, such as diabetes and arthritis, for example) The American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and The Obesity Society are among the respected organizations who agree that obesity is a disease. Obesity is not only a disease but an epidemic based on the number of people it affects. It affects 35% of American adults, not including the other 30% who are overweight and at risk for obesity. Nearly one out of five children are obese. Healthcare providers can take charge. One point of calling obesity a disease is to allow and even require, healthcare providers to treat it. No longer should they simply tell you to lose weight, or, worse, ignore the “condition” in the first place. Instead, they should provide care for obesity, including developing treatment plans and following up with you to discuss progress. Now there is a roadmap. Now that obesity treatment is in the realm of medical professionals, there needs to be a standard approach to treating it. The American Heart Association, along with the American College of Cardiology and The Obesity Society, have published clear guidelines for treating obesity. Identify at-risk patients and patients with obesity using BMI, and monitor them at each appointment. Enroll patients with BMI of 30 or over in a medically-supervised weight loss program (note: this is not the same as your doctor telling you to eat less and lose weight on your own!) Keep weight loss surgery in mind for patients with extreme obesity and an obesity-related condition). Weight loss surgery is a recognized treatment for obesity. The third prong of the roadmap is especially important if you are considering weight loss surgery. The recommendation to consider it when treating high-risk patients has a few effects. It reduces stigma, from primary care physicians and your other regular doctors, surrounding WLS. It increases the number of patients who may have WLS covered by insurance. It encourages patients and professionals alike to learn about WLS. No longer is weight loss surgery considered to be an extreme or fringe approach. The ASMBS states that experts who agree that bariatric surgery has a role in obesity treatment also include the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Diabetes Association, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Further progress is needed. There is still much to be done in the medical arena. Healthcare professionals aside from bariatric specialists are often still in the dark about recognizing obesity and treating it. Worse, many still have stigma or bias against overweight patients, and still, engage in patient-blaming. Obesity almost certainly has genetic components along with lifestyle factors. While it may be a disease, it is also a disease that you can work to treat. Now that it has officially been recognized as a disease, let us hope that patients and healthcare professionals can work hand-in-hand, each doing their part to fight obesity.

1-Go for it. 2-Feel great. 3-Exercise. 4-Roundhouse kick your coworkers in the mug. Generally speaking, people afraid of surgery are people who haven't had surgery. Bariatric surgery has vastly proven to be the best alternative both cost effective and healthwise. I'm willing to bet hard cash against anyone that can bring me a scientific paper from a reputable source that says otherwise. When you go back in a few months and look at this thread, looking and feeling great, you can print it and place it on a prominent place at your workplace.

Hey yall , I got my surgery booked for August 22nd at Mexico Bariatric Center, with Dr. Rodriguez. Has anyone had surgery with him? I'm super excited and just all around curious. Hw:271 Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks for replying. I finally broke my stall without IF. I did some research on it and it is strongly discouraged in the first year to year and a half for anyone who has had Bariatric surgery so will keep it on my back burner for down the road. I sort of do it anyways because I eat my first meal at 9 a.m. and I don't eat after 8 pm anyways. How far out from your surgery are you?

When I went for my psych evaluate Tues that there is a support meeting held monthly at the Valdosta Bariatric office. Good to know, cause I hadn't been informed of that yet.

Hi bugsy Sorry I just now seen this post! I'm not around a whole lot on the weekends. Anyhow, I'll tell you I ate a lot of eggs for the first few months post op. I also ate a lot of Lower Sugar oatmeal from Quaker. I liked ground turkey for my meats. You can make that into a bunch of different recipes. Here's a few websites I'm sure you will find helpful: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ That website has TONs of recipes for bariatric folks like you and I, especially if you are newly op'd. I also liked: http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/index.aspx Fabulous dishes there! Good luck!

If you are out there and have had surgery in Mexico (I'm having mine in Jan. by Dr. Kuri) and you have/had fills in MN/metro area - or even Wisconsin - please let me know. I'm able to locate doctor's or bariatric offices that do fills - but most only do them for their own patients. Also (at least on the phone) they are down on people that have had their surgey in Mexico. Any Happy-to-serve-you-and-take-your-money fill doctors in MN/WI? Along with another "to-be-banded" I am going to try and set up an appointment with a fill doctor - just to discuss the situation. I think it would be worth it in order to feel confident if something comes up after we are back in the good ol' U S of A. Imanotlean but Iwannabe!

Hi there! My name is Tonya and I live in Asheville. It seems that most of the people on this board are in Charlotte. Are the any WNC people out there? Would like to find some to talk to! A little about me: I am not banded yet. I went to the info session at Mission Bariatric here in Asheville a little over a year ago. They have an arbitrary maximum weight that have to be under in order for them to do the surgery. I have tried and tried to get there, but with no support I just can't get there. :cry I am currently looking at other options. I have BCBS and have looked at the "Surgical Centers of Excellence". The closest one to me that does the lap band seems to be Concord or Charlotte, both of which are at least 2 hours away, and even with that I'm not sure if they'll pay for the lap band. Anyway, I'm glad I found this board! Talking to other people in NC who are banded is great! Tonya Asheville, NC

I started with my surgeon in late October 2009. I had to meet with a nutritionist (twice), get a bariatric test, get blood work, meet with a psychologist, go to the cardiologist, and then back to the surgeon. On January 5th, my insurance approved the surgery and it's scheduled for this Thursday, Feb 4th-SO many appointments, but I think the end result will be great!

Thanks! Med school has always been a dream of mine. I started the application process prior to getting the band, but I think that getting it has helped me increase my confidence. Also, it will be easier to go through the stress of all of it without an extra 80 lbs stuck to my body! I have considered doing bariatric medicine, but I really do not want to go through the general surgery residency.

A lot has happened in a year. The Valdosta Bariatric clinic is now at Choice Family Medicine. Just happens to be at the office of my primary care manager Dr. Richard Rickman's office. Jody Young is there (Awesome!) and Dan Ayers, I didn't know him from last year, but he's been great to work with so far as well. They work with more than one surgeon, so if you go, there are options. I was initially going to see Dr. Michael Baptista in JAX but had a paperwork hangup between their office and Tri-Care and since I had already had an approval last year for surgery with Dr. Cywes, Jody has been working this closely. Now I'm approved to go with Dr. Christopher Smith in Albany (Tifton). There is a support goup meeting held at the office each month, although I haven't made it to one yet, I definately will be.

I waited and waited a bit too. My insurance has a whole Bariatric department and once I touched base with them it was approved in less than 2 days. :biggrin: Good luck! Sydney

Second, it was all "good" until the very last paragraph which states: "Client would be a better candidate for bariatric surgery if she took time to prepare for sugery by addressing psychological issues. Major areas of concern to be addressed would be potential for symptom substitution once food is no longer an option and eating behavior that causes reflux. I recommend that client seek psychotherapy prior to and after surgery to address these concerns." I actually don't think this sounds all that bad and I'd let it go. If you are obese, severely obese, or even morbidly obese, there is no doubt all of us have issues with using food as a substitute for dealing with other things in our lives. Yes, we will have to learn how to manage eating for eating sake and not abuse food. I would recommend, and I plan to continue, to see a psychologist/counselor to continue to talk through the feelings I know I will have with dealing with having to limit my food intake and not eating to celebrate, eating when sad, etc. What the letter doesn't say, which is very good, is "I do not recomend this patient have bariatric surgery." they could have been that straight about it and since they didn't I'd just get busy going to a few appointments with a counselor like the others have suggested to document that you are getting prepared in advance of surgery, and that you are willing to work on what they said to do.

Talked to the wonderful Cris (Dr. Erbella's nurse) and mentioned the changes in my insurance (thank you so much Jim1967 for the info) at first she told me the same information as before... 6 month wait, psych eval, dietician, and letter of recommendation from my primary care doctor. My heart fell. Then I remembered I had called my insurance company the day before and had them send me the new policy on bariatric surgery. Oh man was i excited again! She called Cigna and Jim and I were correct. I only have to wait 3 months now. Insert massive smiley face here! I am currently on my 4th month so that means as long as i get my other stuff done before August I'll most likely be able to have the surgery by the end of August. Don't you know come Monday I'm calling the psych and dietician to see if they can move up the appointments. Cris is already contacting my primary care doctor so atleast i don't have to worry about that. On a seperate note, I bought my first ever scale today. Kids thought it was the coolest thing but when you weigh under 120 its easy to be excited. Heck if i was under 120 I'd be excited too. Hoping one day soon the scale will be my friend. Today wasn't the day though

I actually have 3 gyms to choose from: one at work, one at my kid's school and one at the hospital where I had my surgery done. Work gym I hate because it is all full of steroid pumped guys and 98 pound girls (who stand in the locker room and say to each other "does this thong make me look fat?"). School gym is better because lots of older people use it so it's less stressful, but it is very busy and there are no trainers. Hospital gym is the best because there are lots of patients recovering from various things including bariatric surgery and the trainers are fantastic!!!!!! Everyone there makes me feel like I am welcome and any exercise I do is a triumph. :-) Unfortunately, that one costs additional $$ so for now I am running and walking at home. (I love being able to throw on clothes, workout, and come back to my own shower.) But once I get to onederland, I'm going to start lifting weights and using the machines over there. Ya just can't bet having a cheering squad while you are working out. frog.

Hi Janine, I know that they now have 2 groups per month -- I think the first and third Thursday. I believe it's on the website for Potomac Hospital. I don't know if I'll be going back there because I've switched bariatric doctors now that I found out the my insurance has an exclusion for any WLS surgery. I'm going to have to self-pay and am going to Dr. Pinnar in Reston. They're farther away, but give a little discount if you're self-paying and can qualify for the surgical center rather than the hospital (no overnight stay required). So I imagine I'll go to his support groups from here on in...

He works out of the Bariatric office at the hospital. It's on the 4th floor of Medical Arts I think. Phone number is 762-1547

Gosh, you just have the best way with words sometimes! "at one time we all were *only* 50 pounds overweight" - AMEN. I really just wish I could get it through peoples thick heads that this isn't easy. Actually, if I wanted "easy" I'd probably go for the bypass because I think (for me personally) it would get the weight off faster and would probably train me faster (dumping syndrome and all) to watch what I eat. This band is not an easy way out and I guarantee that there aren't to many people that woke up one day and said "OOps, I'm fat, how about surgery." I don't think that a "skinny" person would be able to live with the restrictions a band puts on their lives. I'd like for them to try and see how "easy" it is! I remember oh so well when I only had 30 pounds to lose. I told myself at one point, "If I hit 150, I'm joining Weight Watchers"...and I did. Then I lost 20 pounds. It came back....then I said..."if I hit 175, I'm going to join jenny craig this time" and I did. This time I lost about 40 pounds and it came back. Then I said to myself "I'm never going to hit 200 and if I do, Bariatric Center"....and I did and I only lost 30 pounds and of course it came back and brought more friends with it like it always did! I said "If I hit 250 I'm just going to jump off a bridge"...well, I couldn't do that because I was pregnant and my son changed my mind about the bridge....but never lost the baby weight and here I am...getting surgery on April 18th. I'm done and I am glad that help is out there now sooner than later. I am looking forward to this journey and ElfiPoo's continued words of wisdom....

There are some great surgeons in Mexico, however you must be very careful when choosing one. For instance, stay away from the ones that still use the outdated 4cc bands. The 4cc bands are no longer used in the US due to their very high rate of complications, but many Mexican surgeons still use them because they can get them at a cheaper cost. Also, you need a bariatric surgeon locally to do your fills and manage your health. It's very important you find one before having surgery in Mexico because many American doctors won't touch a patient banded in Mexico so it's crucial you have one established ahead of time. Otherwise, you run the risk of coming home with a band no one to fill it or help you. Just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't go to Mexico for any form of Medical Tourism, including weight loss surgery. I just don't feel like your health is something to "shop around" for the best deal on. Best wishes.