Alia

Okay, Im back with more questions! If I do have my surgery in Mexico, say that costs $7,000- then how much does it cost for each fill? Is there a package? And would it be cheaper after you consider airfare to have my fills done here in Upstate New York even if my surgery was done at the OCC? I know it is hard to find someone willing to work with OCC patients here in the states, but financially if I did find a fill doctor here- would it be worth it?

I haven't even had my surgery scheduled, I am still in the process of having my primary approve me for the procedure- and still- I find myself eating so much crap I would never have had just one month ago. I honestly probably put on ten pounds. I often think to myself- "I can eat that cuz I will have my surgery in a few months." AHHHHHH! I have to pull myself up by my boot straps and... STEP AWAY FROM THE FOOD! Lol... Well, keep us posted on your progress- and good luck with everything!

My date is June 8th. I have been much more confident up until starting the liquid diet, now I am stressed and cranky. Looking forward to a life change! I have been working so much up until now that this is my first time visiting the forum.

Well keep informing us... I am a very new member, but I can tell you the things I have learned in the past several days have been priceless. Advice from people that have been through all of this- and everyone is so generous when it comes to sharing their stories. Good Luck! I haven't yet been banded. Waiting for either an insurance approval or money for MEXICOOOOOO!!!!

For a while now I have read where people say they have PB problems. I didn't know what they meant.

As I was looking at the website for OCC and read the nutrition page and then the Complications page, I now know

what it is.

Productive Burping (PB'ing)

I was gonna ask if I could not figure it out-- after a while at least.

I feel like a Dork. LOL

Hugs,

Kristi

Lol... don't feel like too big a dork, cuz I didn't know what i meant til I read your post! Lol!!! We can both be dorks!

Does anyone have a fill doctor in or around the Binghamton Ny area? Maybe even Syracuse location? I am trying to put the pieces together so I can plan to perhaps do this in T.J. YAY- then I don't have to wait 9 months to go through my insurance, and that is IF they approve me. I am a BMI of 46. Appreciate the input- you guys teach me more than anyone else.

(((((((((((((((((((((Hugs Everyone)))))))))))))))))))))))

Greetings from the Marriott. Today has been a long day. I'm having my surgery tomorrow morning. I'm excited. Here's a recap of my first day.

1. Fasting

The day of the pre ops I fasted. So I didn't eat or drink anything today prior to my arrival (except water).

2. My Husband on the Plane (Off Topic) - See below

3. OCC Pickup

We didn't have to hunt or search for the OCC driver. The driver was positioned with a sign and my name (spelled correctly) just as we got off the plane and out of the security area. He then waited for us to get our baggage.

4. Rendevous with Other Patients

While we waited for our luggage, a couple who drove in met the driver as well. We travelled to the OCC together which was nice.

5. The OCC

We were taken directly to the OCC from the airport for testing. The tests I had included:

a. Blood Work (it was cute, the nurse held my hand when I walked to the blood work area)

b. Cartiologist (I received some kind of heart exam) and blew into a tube to verify my lung capacity

c. Nutritionalist (Dr. Miranda went over post op instructions.) She's such a doll. She also told me that I could eat solid food tonight. She was very specific in my case. She asked that I have carne esada (sp) aka steak, gruacmole (sp) - don't have to ask me twice, and two corn tortilla's for lunch. For dinner she said I could have a fruit cup. She also weighed me, helped me pick a goal weight and measured me. Dr. Miranda also told me I could have a soda this evening. I had a few sips and gave the rest to my husband.

d. Dentist (A woman, trained in the United States...very sweet). She took xrays and found 2 cavities. She didn't do a cleaning or anything like that, but she did put together a customized estimate. She said 2 cavities (with white fillings), and the removal of 3 wisdom teeth would cost just under $800. Huh? I just got an estimate of $4,000 for one wisdom tooth removed. Yikes.

Okay...now for honesty. I met several other patients in the lobby. The tests today were not fast, it was one test, wait in the lobby a half hour, take another test, wait another half hour etc...

We landed at 10:30 am and we got to the hotel pretty close to 5 pm. Now "if" I wasn't on a pre op diet, and all I had was breakfast and I was a spouse, I would have blown a gasket, but the husbands in the lobby starved happily and quietly. They are much stronger than I am. Once Dr. Miranda told me I could eat when I returned to the hotel I was ready ready ready and it was at that point the wait felt like it was too much. A receptionist told me that it was because they only had one nurse today.

So moral of the story for those of you who have not been banded...

a. You can eat the moment you have your blood work done.

b. They will order food for you "if" you ask (we never did ... my husband kept thinking the food wouldn't arrive before we left). If I was him I would have ordered food the minute I saw someone else order it. There is a lovely patio you can eat on. I recommend planning to have your angelic spouse/companion eat there or bring something to nibble on from the airport.

c. If your husband asks, they will get him coffee.

6. The exchange rate is 12.75

7. Your cell phone

Here's a big one. My husband and I have TMobile. We have NO cell coverage (we never dreamed that would happen). BUT we did bring a laptop...thank god. We were able to email our kids and our sitter and tell them who to contact if there was an emergency before we arrived home on Sunday. Having the laptop also kept my husband's sanity at the OCC in the lobby, wi fi was free there. In the hotel, the Marriott, they have high speed internet, not wi fi, so you have to type at a desk.

8. The Marriott

Okay...brutal honesty. Everyone at the Marriott is wonderful but there are some big differences you'll notice when you are dining here.

a. Cloth chair cushions are not picture perfect, they have a stain or two. Nothing dramatic, just not what you'd normally see in a restaurant.

b. Table cloths are a little freyed, and have a stain or two here and there. Nothing dramatic, just not what you'd normally see in a restaurant.

c. Waiters uniforms...their vests are more of the same. I think it's because it's made of silk (so was the table cloth).

d. Waiters are ninjas. Yep. I have a habit of putting my purse on the floor by my feet. This isn't a horror story, I promise, but I'll never ever ever do that again. Our waiter, aka the ninja, must have come from behind me, picked up my purse from the floor and then placed it next to me on a metal hook. I never saw him coming and I never saw him move my purse. Kind of freaky. He was also has the ability to be a ninja with water refills.

e. The food was excellent. The silverware and plates were spotless.

f. The service. It took a long time to have the order brought to our table. Now mind you, my husband and I were starving so it may have felt like longer than it was. We were really hungry. Not the fast restaurant service you get at home.

g. And lastly, I was entertained when our waiter, aka the ninja, stood a few feet from me with a plate of coffee cups that looked clean to me, but then again, I was 20 feet away. I watched him take a coffee cup from the tray and dip it in what I assume was a silver wine cooler filled with water, and then dry the item and stack them again. It was just odd to see.

h. The room. They gave us 2 doubles and since I was so hungry, we went to the restaurant first, I let my husband see the room and of course it never occurred to him to ask for a king. lol

Also, in order to TURN the lights ON in the bathroom you need your room key. Yea...I'm serious, you need your room key.

Okay, I think that covers everything except for our plane ride.

9. The plane ride

My husband and I are big people. We sat 3 across so we were cramped. He had the window seat and he had to go to the bathroom. The woman on the isle asked my husband to wait until her son was out of the bathroom and she mentioned he had been waiting to go for awhile. My husband asked if he could just get up anyway and she rolled her eyes but got up and out of the row for him.

So after about 10 minutes, I still have no husband, and it looks like she has no son. Finally her son comes up to her and says that some guy has been in the bathroom for 20 minutes and he's just going to wait until we land. See the drink cart was coming down the isle so there was no way past the drink cart to get to the bathrooms in the front.

Now my husband, angel that he is (from New York) and after another 10 minutes he says to the airline stewart who is still blocking the isle with the drink cart. "Both of these bathrooms have had someone in them for over 20 minutes and you need to make sure everything is okay because I feel like breaking the door down." lol

Then he told the stewart to move so the "son" could go to the bathroom in front.

Turns out both stalls were empty and locked from the inside. lol

I'm amazed marshalls didn't escort my husband off the plane.

Tomorrow is the big day, I hope this email helps those who have surgery dates pending prepare.

xo

Okay! Basically I have learned more from reading your posts than I have from researching anything else. I thank you for your attention to detail. This is a really hard decision and the better informed I am, the better off I will be. At this point it will take me 10 months if I go the insurance route, and that is if I am approved. I do have Blue Cross Blue Shield but none the less, the seem to want to run me through the ringer... anyhoo- my point is, maybe Mexico is a good choice for me. I am just worried about the finanical aspects. I am not going to get approved for a medical loan. YIKES, but I will come up with something, some way, some how. What do you do about getting fills? Do you HAVE to go all the way back to Mexico? I can tell you, that I will not be able to swing. I am a nursing student with much too little time off and not likely able to take time off to fly all over God's green Earth, Lol. Where did you fly out of? My fiance and I hope if we can come up with the money (maybe a second mortgage on the house?) (desperate times call for desperate measures) then maybe we can make a four day vacation out of it? I don't know... HEEEELLLLLPPPP! Lol....

How does everyone come up with the money for this surgery?!!! I am so desperate I am ready to drive state to state and collect bottles for the deposit...lol! I have a mortgage and loan payment and amoung my other bills not much extra money- there have to be other people in my shoes... if you are out there, what did you do? Not being banded is not an option!

I've been reading this forum ever since deciding to do the surgery, earlier this month. Feel like I found the perfect place to do this, and it was serendipitous. Drove down from LA and am checked in just waiting for the big day in the morning. This site has been so great with information, from packing, traveling, what to stock up on to have at home when I return and just plain settling nerves.

Decided not to tell anyone but my niece and my best friend who lives in NYC, so no one local. Felt like I was sneaking across the border to do something illicit - added to the excitement.

Can't wait for tomorrow, to just have it over and be "banded".

Thanks for all your help.

Congratulations to you! I hope to be in your shoes within the next nine months- please keep us updated on your progress. PS... some of us are interested in number crunching for this surgery, so anything you want to share about your costs and experiences is much appreciated.

Most of the people on this forum got their surgery at the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana, Mexico. (Click on the white rectangle in the upper left hand corner or your page)(this forum is for anyone/everyone and we like to hear other peoples experiences) The Obesity Control Center (OCC) doesn't take insurance so most of us have paid out of pocket or have taken out a loan to get the surgery. Some people didn't want to wait for the insurance company to approve them, some didn't get approved and some have insurance that doesn't even pay for lap-band. I paid out of pocket because my insurance doesn't cover lap-band.

I felt the same way as you. I was hiding from the world. If anyone took a picture of me (other than a head shot) I would sneak and delete it from their camera because I was so ashamed of how I looked. I am only 29 and felt that I was going to waste the best years of my life if I didn't do something. I am happy with my decision and I loved my experience at OCC. Good luck!!

Is it majorly expensive to have this performed in Tijuana? I just wonder how much longer I might have to wait to do this. I appreciate your feedback- as at this point, I cannot be too informed. Thanks again!

Hello all! I am new to this and trying to find my way around. All I know for sure at this point is I want this procedure. I have been thinking about it for nearly two years now and I cannot possibly wait any longer. I am ready for my life to begin, at 28 years old. I am tired of carrying this "extra person" around with me all the time. I don't want to count the steps I have to walk up to get to the second floor of work. I don't want to have to avoid people until I catch my breath. I am tired. I am tired of hiding, I am tired of lying to myself. I am just plain tired. I have blue cross blue sheild insurance, I have a BMI of 47 ( I weigh 296, arghh!) I just requested a packet of info from my local Lap band surgeon... but now that I am so ready for it, I am afraid I will not be approved. I don't really know why- I just don't want anything standing in my way. Did anyone else feel this way in the begining?

I am scheduled for my first fill on June 8th at 12:30pm. I may spend one night in the hotel just in case the fill needs adjusting. I plan to stay in San Diego until June 11th.

Oh good Lord! I am so new to this. I have just requested an information packet from my local lap band surgeon. I have been telling myself for six months I weigh 267 but two weeks ago found out that number is more like 296. I am ready for this procedure and have been for nearly two years. I have researched- but I guess I still have things to learn. I don't understand... you don't get your band filled when you first get it? I know that may be a silly question but I am just so confused. I hope I get approved for this surgery!