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Thank you for the update - I have had a bad case of insomnia these past few nights as my surgery is this week and the closer I get, the less sleep I'm getting. I've been up for about an hour now while the rest of the fam is fast asleep... *sigh* .... I really can't wait to start this new journey - I AM SOOOO READY!!!!!!, but of course there is always the fear of the unknown. So I'm very grateful for your honesty and your ability to follow-up with posting with hopes in helping others who are right behind you. So a HUGE thank you!!!! And I'll start practicing my *princess sips* now and I'll remember to watch-out for the burps too!

WLS = Weight Loss Surgery... 1st, let me just say that I would never ask or have a doctor "fudge" any paperwork. My point was that if the fill, which is a procedure, was done during an "in-office visit", then the doctor's office would/could/may code it as such. Along the same lines as when I bring my kids to their doctor - if he does a "strep test" in the office, I pay 2 co-pays: 1 for the visit and the 2nd for the "in-office procedure/test." So my hope is that if I see someone in their office where they do the fills there, it will be coded as such ("in office procedure/test") rather than having the fills done separately from the doctor's visit and coded separately/independent from the doctor visit. Sounds like a very convoluted question... In any case, I'm still looking into various doctors right now and haven't settled on anything yet -

Hummmm.... Date the son of a fill doctor... Not a bad idea. But my husband & children might have a problem with it! Okay - Thank you all for your replies. I'm going to wing-it and see what happens upon my return. Thank you again for taking the time to reply!

Thank you - Yes, we are all self-payers ( . However, that may be for different reasons: some have no insurance at all OR you may have insurance, but don't qualify for the WLS... For those who do have insurance, I was wondering what was the most economical way to proceed after the WLS with follow-up care, fills & adj... Maybe I wasn't clear - My apologies!

So I'm off to OCC next week and I'm trying to figure out how to proceed with follow-up care with my insurance once I get back to good 'ol NY. Do I have a better chance of 1) my insur covering 80% of an out of network doctor with fills NOT done via Flouro but done in the office (where it may be “coded” as a visit?) Or 2) do I see an in-network doctor & only pay the co-pay for the visit and then have the fills done under Flouro at a covered Hospital BUT not knowing if my insur will cover ANY part of the fills b/c initial surgery was not covered???? (and I'm assuming if done at covered hospital, the hospital will code the fill in a way that may send RED flags to not be covered...) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! WHAT TO DO?!@#$%^

LOL *princess sips* .... *princess sips*.... Oh yeah - I haven't been banded yet! {{{cringe}}} But why wait till June 3rd???? Gettin ready!!!!!

Hi Shiney!!!!!! YAY for you!!!!!!!! =D> I'm glad to hear you went and are back safe & sound. Congrats to you - I hope your journey is an easy one!!!! I'm only 1-1/2 weeks away myself until I get banded. Congrats again and keep posting! :-h

YAY!!!! I'm so happy for you! Especially with the emotional roller coastering you've been doing!!!! I'll be there next week. Should I be bringing the pops, juice...etc. that you mentioned you were having? Or do they (OCC) give that to you??? Congrats again!!!! =D>

I can write-off the surgery????? Really???? Whoa........... I NEVER even thought of that! BRILLIANT! And thank you for the tip!

WOW - And I mean - WOW!!!!!!! Absolutely AMAZING!!!!! Congrats and a speedy recovery!!! Thanks for sharing - Very inspiring!!! =D>

I'm a KIM too!!!! :-h To be banded on 6/3!!!!

***Some corrections to note after viewing her website*** - She is not a medical doctor. She is a Registered Nurse First Assistant... (Which I'm sure is just as good when you look at her Bio! ) - The fills are done in her office/center, HOWEVER, if you want it done via flouroscopy, then you need to go to "Long Island Diagnostic Imaging" and you are billed separately. The prices however are quite appealing though!

Lots of well-wishes to you Dan!!!! Happy Bandday to you!

THANK YOU!!!!! I'm really excited. (And I just relied to you, so go check your messages!) Thank you again for your feedback! :-h

Great suggestion! However, I do have my traveling buddy who's coming with me!!! Yay!

Let me know how it turns out please!

I've contacted Dr. Ren's office twice (actually 3 times, but the 1st time I left a message that wasn't returned...) and it seems to be a VERY busy place. Does anyone have any feedback about her, any associated costs, what was the 1st visit like? Are all the fills there via flouroscopic...etc. I'm trying my very best to get info about follow-up care and I'm running into roadblocks! The cost is of BIG concern to me... I need to know what I'm looking at. AND, as I posted in a different thread, do you think it may be possible that if submitted correctly by her office, that the doctor visit could be covered by insurance, and just the fill would have to be paid out of pocket???

Okay - Scheduled for 6/3!!!! As for whether insurance covers anything at all afterward, I'm thinking that perhaps they may cover any doctor visits. SO long as the correct code is used... Meaning, that the code submitted by the doctor's office should reflect a "health" visit rather than a visit associated with a procedure. If done correctly, then insurance may cover it. The actual "fill" on the other hand will definitely NOT be covered as it relates to a medical procedure that you were not covered for, so that will have to be paid out of pocket... That is, if the two are submitted as separate "codes." I know that when I visit a doctor, I have to pay a co-pay for the visit, and another one if any procedures/tests are done. So my thought is that they submit 2 separate codes... I have contacted Dr. Ren's office who seems to take Mexico bandsters, but I don't have any hard-associated costs relating to any of the visits. I've called there twice, but it seems extremely busy. SO I guess I'll try again -

June 3rd!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!

Okay - Thank you all!!!! I *think* I've found my happy medium which is 6 weeks. Not confirmed, but as of now, tentative - And with a traveling buddy. (But I'm getting nervous again!!!!) Thank you!

What if you didn't have a travel partner due to scheduling conflicts and the choice came down to traveling solo in 1 month, or traveling in 3 months with someone... Decisions, decisions... *sigh*...

It seems that the 1 constant I keep reading is that most people don't regret their decision. It's amazing the various emotions that I've gone through from when I 1st started looking into this - FEAR being the most prevalent... Not just about the location of having it done in Mexico, but also the severity of what I am considering doing - Such drastic measures! But I think I've reached the point of knowing that there will always be a bit of fear in anything whenever I feel "challenged." I am doing this for ME - For my health, both physical and emotional... I know that in a year from now I won't regret my decision either. I hope to be scheduling my surgery today... That all being said, and not that I am changing my mind (b/c I'm starting to get really excited about this!), but a dose of reality would also help. Anyone willing to share some of the "unpleasantness" that I can expect the 1st month? And a huge THANK YOU for all who has taken the time to share their experiences. It's the exact dose of "support" that I have been needing!!!!

Okay - {{{I'm getting excited!}}}... BUT, I can't help but think that I am somehow "weak" in that I couldn't do this on my own... And the fear of the PORT! Oh my! This foreign object that may petrude from my abdominal area??? Some people have it below their bra-line. Others have it at their waist line...etc. And finally - What about the pre-op diet? If I follow it to a "T", will I fall below a BMI of 31/32 and risk not qualifying??? *sorry for the hysterical ranting...* I just so badly want to enjoy the healthy, slender ME again after 20 years...

*ugh*.... Calling around to try to get info on fills in NY. It seems the places that are closest to me don't offer them via Fluroscopy unless they refer me "out" to the labs "if needed" to have it done once I've already had my consultation. But it seems that having the fills via fluroscopy is the best & preferred method, right? I'm waiting to hear back from Dr. Ren's office. Can anyone tell me what it's like there? Office wait? Cost? And, as an aside, because I am NOT going through insurance and paying out of pocket, does that mean that any follow-up care & fills are not covered by insurance even if the Dr. is an "in-network" provider? (Just curious...)

Hi jhawkchick75 - I spoke to Lori from Dr. Ortiz's office today. If you don't mind me asking, how long ago did you have it done? It seems like I will be scheduling with Dr. Ortiz. But I am really concerned about the whole Mexico thing!!!! Crazy, right? And can you tell me about the placement of the "port"? Is it visible? Either by sight or touch? Any complications with it like infection? (I'm nervous, can you tell????) ***UPDATE*** I just discussed it with my husband!!!!! Ack! Although he's not "thrilled" per se, he understands and supports me. Albeit - somewhat begrudgingly... But nonetheless, supports me!!!! Wooooo hoooooo!!! I'll be turning 40 at the end of this summer. And I hope to be on the path of a better feeling ME!