Need Lap Band Buddy / Mentor Need a buddy/mentor

[LisaA 1]

Hello, I am really hoping to find a mentor and also buddies.

I am 41, I live in Ohio. I have a 2 year old and a 6 year old. My family lives on 40 acres of forest in the middle of nowhere. I am a consultant that does Map making/ database work. I am scheduled to be banded on Sept 27 with Dr Ortiz in Mexico.

I feel like it would be so useful to have a group that chats about issues. Also a mentor that is good at answering questions etc.

Lisa

[annieM 2]

Hi Lisa,

I live in suburban Dayton and would be glad to answer any questions you might have. I'm about 8 lbs from goal and my band and I are now reluctant buddies. I am a sort-of empty nester. I have three kids, one is a marine and then I have twins who just started college. All three seem to bounce back home on the weekends. I have been a stay at home mom and before kids I was a medical technologist.

I'd be glad to be your mentor!

[LisaA 1]

Hi there, great to hear from another Ohio gal. Wow you really had to have your band replaced. Why is that? My kids are little, 2 and 6 so I fear the empty nest thing. My husband is the stay at home.

I am on my pre op diet of 2 protien shakes and a light/ or lean cuisine meal - it's going ok although labor day weekend will be hard. I'm worried about post op care, I think I found somewhere I can filled at a barix clinic in groveport, but the local doctor here will not accept anyone that he didn't put the band in for. because I'm in SE Ohio there aren't a ton of options. I'd really like to find a good place that does flouro fills that accepts Mexico people. Let me know if you know of anything. I know there is a place in detroit but that's pretty far.

Well thanks for writing, I look forward to hearing more about your journey. What is dialation repaired?

geez 8lbs from goal, that to me seems so far away and impossible. I'm trying to visualize and be clear that it is possible, but it's hard after a lifetime of struggle and defeat.

Lisa

[gingerjane 5]

Hi Lisa!

I am also always available if you have any questions. I'm not close to my goal, yet, but I've lost about 54 pounds since March with my band. I live in Cincinnati, so in the Southwest part of Ohio.

Ginger

[annieM 2]

Hi Lisa,

Yep those pre-op diets are not much fun are they? Still, any pounds lost are a victory, right? With such young kids it must be hard to concentrate on yourself. I gained most of my weight when I was too busy with my kids to pay attention to what I was eating and gaining...

It is important to nail down a fill doc. Some people in some areas of the country have had trouble finding fill docs after banding in Mexico. I've inquired where I get mine done near Cincy and they charge a 1000 transfer fee and 400 per fill. This they said is pretty true across the board so you might want to do some shopping around. (They have fluoro there but just use it to check the status of your band, not for routine fills.) Cincinnati weight loss 1(513)939-2263 They said they charge so much because "some" people have come back from Mexico with outdated bands and/or missing ports. Dr Ortiz has a good reputation though.

I had to have my (4cc) band replaced because of a pouch dilation. My pouch developed a huge bulge that would hold acidy Fluid. I had terrible acid reflux and couldn't keep anything down. It was the result of being overfilled and throwing up too much. I hope I've learned my lesson! I just have a really slooow metabolism and feel the need to be somewhat overfilled to be OK. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6 (still hard to believe) and I'm 5'7." When I needed the revision surgery, I found out that since I was self-pay, the insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery to correct the complication either! Sometimes my husband likes to figure out what my weight loss has cost per pound...but then he has to do it for himself too and he had the gastric bypass.

So the moral of the story is know all your options. If Mexico costs less up front it may cost you more after the fact. If you are self- pay, check out the prices at the phone number above (and others) for before and after care. I think they give free fills for the first year when you have surgery with them. Ask them how many fills, on average, people may need before hitting that sweet spot. It may surprise you that it's more than just a few.

I will check in with you later! Take care!

[gingerjane 5]

WOW! Fill price is crazy! My doctor has a flat fee for the surgery and it includes 2 years of fills. It's $13,500 but includes the two years of fills. I was lucky and my insurance covered it, but I do know that the two years of fills was a big benefit for a few of my friends who were self-pay. If you are still exploring docs, Trace Curry was my surgeon. He's at Lap Band Surgery Ohio :: Lap Band Doctor Trace Curry Ohio - they call him that, too, because he plays in a band. He has a band and his wife does, too. They have offices in Columbus, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky I believe.

I can't imagine coming back from surgery without a port! WOW!

[LisaA 1]

Yeah it's funny, there is this barix clinic in groveport, I called and spoke with a receptionist and she said it was 150? that sounds wrong to me.

Anyway there are so many Mexico Dr's that do it, Mine, Ortiz has trained many of the folks here in the states.

wow for 1000 transfer fee and the other cost, that's a lot. I mean my flight round trip is like 315 and it costs 100, I may go back for the initial fill or 2.

Ginger Jane, thanks for joining us. I look forward to hearing more about your journey so far.

Does that 13,500 include anasthesiologist, and the psych exam, - and all testing. I will look into it.

do you like them

I was going to this place in parkersburg, and they were 15,000 + psych exam + anasthesia+ dr visits- all in all it was looking like 18,000 which included 6 fills.

Plus they weren't returning my calls.

then I found a place in detroit that is like flat fee for all 11,500 + psych exam. and I'd have to drive there, plus maybe stay there at some point

then I say Ortiz, with a great facility and a huge reputation for 6000 all included, and hotel for several nights, etc etc. and my flight was 315 with taxes etc. Even if I spend a lot on fills, say 2000, that is still a lot cheaper then 18000, not as much cheaper then 13500 though, but still 5gs is a lot to me right now.

I don't know. there is always fill center usa or detroit is like 200 for fills with transfers, I'm hoping this works out for the groveport deal and that the receptionist isn't wrong.

Lisa

[annieM 2]

It's a lot to consider. Getting fills that fit your budget and your lifestyle will be very important in the coming years. Keep in mind also that you may need an unfill "asap" and you will need someone that will be able to do that for you too. I really liked the convenience of being able to schedule a fill for the next day and then hop in the car and be there in 30 minutes. For a while there, for my new 14cc band, I was going in for fills every couple of weeks or so, so that saved me a lot of time. (and I got to drive past the new cincy outlet mall on I75 :blushing:

[LisaA 1]

That is for sure. The problem of living so rural is that even the closest place in Parkerburg is an hour twenty minutes away and Cinci is 3 hours, so no matter what I have a trip. I wish Parkerburg would take me. Hopefully Groveport will, if not I am trying the above place that gingerjane went to, just to see. It's true, a lot to think about. The problem is if you haven't been banded yet Drs will tell you no just to scare you into not going there. But American Dr. charge way to much in my opinion.

but they are so convenient. I know if I lived in a city with a cheaper flat rate place like in Detroit I wouldn't go to Mexico. I'm not afraid of Mexico, I've been there several times, it's just inconvenient.

Oh well

Your information here is very helpfull, thanks. It's interesting a lot of places seem to be only willing to do fills every 6 weeks. I've heard others that do more- so much stuff to think about.

[annieM 2]

I would have become discouraged with the six week wait for fills. My place was conservative about how much they put in at a time so I never had that over-filled feeling out of the blue. On the other hand it took many fills to reach where I am now. I do wish you luck. This must be a very hard decision; there are so many variables.

[LisaA 1]

yeah it's funny, I just started seeing that some places do more frequent, there is a gal on a september forum that was banded 2 weeks ago and they already did the first fill.

I wonder how often Gingerjane was banded in Cinci.

there is so much to weigh for sure.

So I am 5.7- I can not wearing a size 7, that is like something from junior high for me. My goal weight is between 140 and 150 and I thought well that will probably be like a size 10

[annieM 2]

I recall that my first fill was around six weeks. I was able to lose during that time because of the two weeks of liquids and two weeks of mushies and then I was very careful. There is considerable swelling from the surgery so you feel some restriction from the beginning, as least I did, then it goes away as you heal.

You are really getting close to your surgery date now! Are you nervous? Excited? Is anyone going to Mexico with you or do they provide helpers? Do you know what kind of band you will get? I started out with a 4cc, which I guess they don't use any more, and my second band is a whopping 14cc's. (with revisions they have to go to the very largest because there may be scar tissue).

Good luck in nailing down that fill doc!

[LisaA 1]

Yes it is getting close, I can't believe it. I am going alone because my husband is staying with the kids. It will be strange to be on my own for 4 days. I'm trying to get ready. I believe Ortiz usually uses an 11cc band unless you weigh like above 400 or something. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what to pack, I want to do it light so that I don't have to deal with checking my bag. Do you have any favorite lap band books?

[annieM 2]

I'm with you there, checking in bags is a pain and you really won't need that much for such a short trip. I'm glad he's using the larger band, no one uses the 4cc anymore.

Dr Ortiz himself wrote a good book called "Lab-Band For Life" the complete patient guide to success with the Lap-Band. I read another one by Ahroni, but it wasn't all that good.

Will you take a laptop with you? It would be great if they had wireless so you could check in and let us all know how it went! :wub: Where in Mexico is your surgery? Is it somewhere you can also tourist around beforehand or is it in a more urban setting (ie boring)? We went to Cancun for Spring break this past spring and found the Mexicans to be very helpful and polite. The service was excellent. They really bent over backwards for us to the point that it was almost embarrassing!

Are you there for four full days or does that include travel days? It will fly by and you will be home before you know it. You'll be wishing for more "vacation".

[LisaA 1]

yeah unfortunately Ortiz only does the install in Tijuana. I won't be doing any tourissty stuff there. Although a lot of people seem to go shopping, I just am not a shopper and I'm sure a shopping mall in tijuana is not that different then one in San Diego (well except for cheaper) I am taking a lap top and got my cell phone all set too for Mexico, I hope to meet other banders there, and probably spend a lot of time walking around the Mariott to move the gas. and of course I'll post here too.

I think it might be possible to get filled in Cancun, from Ohio flying to cancun is almost as cheap as San diego, and really more interesting.