Headed down Mexico way

[Zoe 6]

I did it -- surgery scheduled with Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey on (gulp) August 26. Thanks to everyone on this board for offering information and support to us newbies. I'm excited about this big change I'm about to make.

Zoe

5'9"

264/145? (will settle for 170)

[hagerteresa 3]

Congratulations Zoe!!!

You won't regret it! YOU GO GIRL!!! LOL. Seriously best of luck to you and hope all goes well with surgery. You scheduled yours like I did mine. I had researched in for several months and just one day made the appointment for less than two weeks out. Figured I had less time to fret about it. Keep in touch and ask questions, Teresa

[New Hope 37]

Best of luck to you, Zoe! I agree, the less time to worry -- the better! You'll do fine.

[elbell 0]

Zoe, Congradulations!!!

I am Thinking of going to Dr. Rumbaut my self but I have a questions for you. Did you contact his ofis directly or did you use a broker on the internet. let me know what you thought of his staff, And good luck. :rolleyes:

Ellen

[Zoe 6]

Hi Ellen - I contacted Rumbaut and his staff directly. First I went to the ILOST site (http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com) and completed the pre-qualification questionnaire, indicating that I was interested in Mexico. The ILOST central office forwarded my info to Dr. Rumbaut's staff, who contacted me via e-mail. I have spoken to them on the phone a few times, and had a long discussion with Rumbaut himself. In fact, it was my confidence in his surgical background, combined with my ease in talking to him, that made me decide to head south instead of having the surgery done locally.

Good luck to you. If you're interested in finding out more, check the ILOST site and jump in.

Best wishes,

Zoe

PS: Dr. R and his staff all speak English; he's fluent, so is Doralisa, who handles a lot of patient contact. I spoke Spanish with his secretary Lydia, but she speaks English pretty well too.

[Guest Kelli815]

Zoe, how long did it take for you to hear from Dr. R's office? I took your advice and filled out something on ILOST and am not sure how long to wait before I contact his office directly. Thanks.

[Zoe 6]

Hi Kelli – I think all the ILOST (International Laparascopic Obesity Surgical Team) e-mail must go through the group practice’s corporate headquarters, which may be in Italy somewhere! I was lucky. I sent my questionnaire on July 30 and heard back from ILOST the same day; they forwarded a copy to Dr. Rumbaut and his patient coordinator Doralisa Martinez, who followed up with more information on Aug. 2. I wrote back with a question that night, and received a reply the next afternoon. And Rumbaut was great about returning phone messages. So if you haven’t heard from ILOST after a few days, and you definitely indicated that you were interested in Mexico, it’s probably worth contacting Rumbaut’s office directly. Someone will answer the phone in Spanish, but if you speak only English just jump in – everyone on the staff seems to be fluent, and Rumbaut’s totally bilingual.

My surgery is scheduled for August 26, so I can’t comment on the medical experience yet, but you can be sure I’ll check in here as soon as I’m back.

After I wrote my first message on Aug. 6, Marie suggested that I check the Lap-Band Talk board for comments about Rumbaut & other surgeons I was considering. Good advice! Get as much information as you can about the procedure, the surgeons, and your options, from as many reliable sources as you can.

I notice you’re in NY state. If you’re near NYC, you may be able to get a fairly cheap direct flight on Mexicana to Monterrey, as I could from Chicago. But I think anyone who’s not near a Mexicana hub will pay a lot for a ticket. That, combined with the cost of lodging ($75/night for three nights) and any additional expenses if you have someone travel with you, will add up, and it might be cheaper in the long run to go with a reputable local surgeon. But you have to go with your gut feeling on this – no pun intended.

Sorry for the long post – hope this gives you a place to start. Good luck with your journey. And wish me luck on the 26th!

Zoe

[PamRN 0]

Good luck Zoe! How exciting! :banana

I hope everything goes well for you, and you end up being a big loser!

I also contacted the ILOST website today. I filled out the info and sent it through to see what they have to say.

My main concern is aftercare. I'm in Central IL, and found a surgeon here who does the procedure, but I haven't checked yet to see if he'd do aftercare. His fee is $3500 more than rumbaut for the procedure which is substantial since I'm self pay.

Here's hoping my ducks start falling into place soon... I can't wait to post a date of my own.

[Vera 7]

Congratulations Zoe

Dr. Rumbaut is an excellent choice. You must be getting very excited. Good luck to you, my thoughts are with you.

[Zoe 6]

Thanks, Vera and Pam. Yes, I am excited! I'm a little nervous, but mostly just plain pumped up about having made a decision and taken action.

I've always tried to live by "Change it or accept it" in the rest of my life. Finally I realized I wasn't willing to accept being fat forever, and my previous efforts to change hadn't worked (not for long, anyway). Now I'm delighted that I'm getting a tool to help me change.

I'm thinking of everything in terms of post-band life (e.g., music event four weeks after banding, niece/nephew to be born five months after banding, etc.). I've told a few close (average-size) friends, who have been encouraging, but for now I'm in the bandster closet with coworkers and most everyone else.

About after-care: Dr. Rumbaut referred me to Dr. Santiago Horgan in Chicago, who has received some positive comments here for his surgical skills. Unfortunately, according to his secretary, he charges $1000 per fill for other doctors' patients! It will actually be cheaper for me to fly to Monterrey & pay Dr. R $100 for the fluoroscope fee. I'm still hoping to find someone local -- but, meanwhile, I'm diving into the cake at a wedding reception tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement, not just of me but of all us newbies. And the before-and-after pictures elsewhere on the board are an inspiration!

Zoe

47, 5'9", BMI 39

264 /145? (will settle for 170)

[Rebeccalee 2]

Good luck on your surgery, Zoe! Hope your trip and your recovery are smooth.

Plan your music event as far as "eating" goes and you'll have a great time. I went to a motorcycle/camping rally 2 weeks after surgery and had a good time. Eating out is a little difficult if you are on liquids or mushies, though. Just plan ahead.

You're on your way!

[Zoe 6]

Wow, Becky, you've lost 50 lbs. in less than three months -- that's impressive! Congratulations!

I'll keep your advice in mind when planning for special events (and even just restaurant meals) over the next few weeks. I'm so excited about getting banded that I can hardly sleep.

Zoe

[barelythere 1]

congrats on your surgery date zoe. i was banded june 13, 2002 and have lost 95 lbs. now i am at my original goal weight and feeling great. do you have a support group to join?? i hope so. it really helps and it is a lot of fun. good luck and keep us posted.

[Iluvharleys 15]

Congratulations Zoe! I am looking forward to my surgery too. Please keep us posted on how you do.

Betty

[Zoe 6]

Thanks, everyone, for your good wishes! I'm off to Monterrey tomorrow. If I can get online from the hotel I'll send a progress report, otherwise you'll hear from me after I'm back home Aug. 28 (surgery is Aug. 26). I haven't joined a support group, but I will probably seek one out.

In the last 48 hours I've told quite a few people that I'm being banded, and I'm happy to say that everyone's rooting for me. Two friends took some (horrible!) "before" pictures a few minutes ago for the archives. Next year I hope to have a new set taken while I'm wearing my ancient red silk size 12 dress that I fit into for about three weeks sometime during the Carter administration.

I'm grateful for all the support, encouragement, and inspiration from all of you who have gone through this. You've helped prepare me for what's ahead. Next time I write, I'll be on the band side!

Zoe