GregNE

I was self pay. The section to look for is in the exclusions of your insurance policy. If it says 'Treatment for obesity, including any gastric surgery for morbid obesity are not covered', most likely an emergency after banding would be covered. However, if your policy states 'Bariatric surgery AND any complications from such surgery are not covered', there could be a problem. And are insurance companies the devil? Well, they sometimes seem to be, but most companies are simply enforcing the terms of the policy. I have UHC (United Healthcare PPO), which excludes bariatric surgery in my policy, but I know of many people with UHC whose policies do cover the procedure. Often times, it is the employer that chooses whether certain procedures are covered. In my case, my employer has a Cadillac policy, that just happens to exclude WLS. However, they cover vision, chiropractic and have $10 copays for any doctor visit, and $8/$16 prescriptions, with no deductibles and 100% coverage with no co-insurance. My employer also pays the entire premium for this policy. But yes, some insurance companies seem to take direction from a CEO named Lucifer. Its all about money.

There is not a great amount of time to explore TJ during a banding trip, unless you have decided to spend extra days there after your surgery. TJ is not great on beaches, but San Diego and Ensenada (sp?) have great beaches. Mrs. Ortiz is a great resource for ideas on what to do during your trip. I went shopping both the day before and day after surgery on Revolution Ave. Beyond that, preparing and recovering from the surgery took most of my time. If you were going to be in San Diego a few days, I would have a different answer. TJ does not have a great deal of attractions except for sailors perhaps, but a person could spend 2 weeks in SD and not see everything.

Just wondering---how was it determined that the parasites were picked up in Mexico vs. perhaps from a shopping cart at the grocery store? I hate to see the going to Mexico stigma blamed without asking you. After all, we have plenty of parasites in our country too.

Kevin- thank you for the kind words. I do not think my progress is that stellar, but as you know, I am on the slow losing plan. My plateau seemed to occur from the day I was banded to my last fill in early Feb. I have not been weighed in about 3 weeks, but 2-3 inches have disappeared from my waist in that same 3 weeks (as measured by my belt). However, my greatest success from my perspective is patience. I stated it in another post, but will repeat, this is up to a 36 month weight loss process. Losing almost half of one's body weight healthily takes time. And regarding your current plateau, I feel the magic of being banded is in not re-gaining weight. When your body is ready to resume weight loss, you will not have to re-lose 50 pounds. And for those of us with higher BMI's, that in and of itself is a true blessing. I have been curious, however, why you have not gone for another fill. With your proximity to OCC, it would appear that would be a simple trip for you. I am sure you have a reason, but can you share? Best wishes as always.

In my opinion, anything less than 1000 calories per day is starvation. Yes, many of us have days we may be under 1000 calories, but those days should be the exception, not the norm. Beyond that, it is individual, with factors being metabolism, activity level, etc. And, starvation mode can actually PREVENT weight loss. If I were in your situation, I would eat what solids you are able to. If your intake is under 1000 calories per day, I would supplement with protein shakes and other liquid nutrition. In other words, do not choose between liquids or solids, but instead find a proper combination that meets your calorie intake goals. Just my opinion.

I am also the wrong person to provide menus. My thoughts on losing weight with the band are very different than most people's views. I see people that have lost a tremendous amount of weight in the first few months after being banded. I support and congratulate those people. However, I have been fat since I was 6 or 7 years old. My weight went up over the course of 30 years. It also went down sometimes, but certainly the trend was up. I believe slow and steady weight loss is for me. I am as anxious as everyone else to be of average weight. but to eat only 1/4 cup of food per meal, 3 meals per day is, in my own opinion, ridiculous for someone my size. Lap Band success to me is a 24 to 36 month process. Were I to consume only 3/4 of a cup of food daily, I would be more unhealthy than I am being fat. Additionally, eating too little food can prevent weight loss by putting the body into starvation mode. I believe in the 1-2 pound per week weight loss philosophy, once you reach restriction. If I consume 2-3 cups of food per day, and still manage a weight loss, I feel successful. If the weight loss stops, I probably need a fill. Everybody is different. A lower BMI female, for example, perhaps can stay healthy with small amounts of food. As to protein drinks, I have found Adkins and EAS vanilla and strawberry to taste good. For those that do not like the milky style shakes, Isopure RTD sold in GNC and Vitamin Shoppe stores is a lighter more refreshing type of protein drink. For vitamins, I have found Centrum chewables to be tolerable.

I do envy you Southern Cali people. Being so close to the clinic is a huge advantage. And if I lived near the border, I would keep a small stash of pesos on hand. Getting a 10% discount on many purchases is a sale hard to refuse.

I had a friend that is a nurse accompany me, and I paid her expenses. I also found it easier to charge meals (even post-op broth) to my room, and use a CC at checkout. There were no duties to pay upon return to the US. Texas charges a per bottle alcohol tax (70 cents) when crossing the border, but California does not. I bought a poncho, various meds (available without RX in Mexico), a bottle of brandy, and other small items. For meds I purchased antibiotics (I hate going to my doctor for sinus infections and the like) and some non-narcotic pain meds (toradol). I went shopping the day before and the day after surgery (walking does a body good). And yes Stacy, you can exchange pesos before returning to the US, but after surgery, or while rushing to catch a flight, I sure would not have wanted to seek out that option. Also, there is a commission to exchange money, both when purchasing pesos, and when re-converting to dollars. I do not disagree that pesos can offer a slight advantage for those that want to negotiate heavily, but most things bandsters need when in TJ are priced in dollars. The one time I saved was for a taxi ride. He asked for $4.00, but he agreed to 3 dollar bills and one 10 peso coin (a leftover from a prior trip to Cancun). So, I saved 9 or 10 cents.

I agree---the Isopure is protein in clear liquid form, comes in many flavors, and takes good to me. If I was on clears for 2 weeks (I was only for 3 days), Isopure would be my protein solution. Available at most GNC's and Vitamin Shoppe's.

I have found that I am still able to eat any food that I ate before being banded, but I do avoid many foods. Everyone is so different in how the band affects their eating. Burritos, pizza, fibrous meat--all no problem, if eaten in moderation. Chewing and chewing is the key to being able to eat many things. It may sound a little gross, and I know others must also have experienced this, but I seem to have the ability to 'regurgitate' food that is about halfway down my esophagus. Food that accidently gets swallowed as I chew is easily and painlessly brought back up to finish chewing. I have had too many painful episodes of food getting stuck, so I seem to have picked up this Avian skill. Mornings are still my most restricted time, when even a protein shake seems to be hard to get down. Eggs almost always cause a 20-30 minute chest pain experience. Lunch time is hit and miss, and usually I stop eating after a very small portion. Evenings, it seems, I can eat way to much. I do limit my food intake, but my band seems very 'loose'. This is my 'will power' meal. I have starting going heavy on meat and protein dinners, as I want to limit carb intake. But, my overall response is, in time, in some way, you will be able to eat most of your favorite foods. It is the quantity that will change.

My understanding is that re-banding or removal is sort of negotiable. During one fill visit, I met a nice woman that had lost all of her excess weight, then had a slippage. I asked if she had to pay full price again, and she said 'we worked out a deal'. I think it kind of depends on the circumstances. Luckily, after reading my policy, I am almost certain my insurance would cover an emergency removal, but I doubt they would pay for a re-banding.

I would agree if you are travelling to Cancun or Alcapulco. However, in Tijuana, the dollar is king. I took about $200 in cash, plus my credit card. I only used my CC at the hotel. I probably only spent $120 or so of cash (including shopping). The reason a peso can 'go further' is because most people use a quick conversion of 10 pesos to the dollar. The true current conversion rate is 11 to one. However, unless you plan to spend several hundreds of dollars, you lose out because of the coins you get as change. A few unused 10 peso coins can hurt you, as US banks only exchange paper currency, not coins. My vote for use in border cities is dollars.

He does not normally send your records with you. However, some people requested them a few weeks post op and were given at least a surgical report.

I have the belching whenever I try to eat or drink anything, and sometimes without food or drink. Here is my theory: the stoma now has a very small opening made by the band. When we swallow food or beverages, they are obstructing the small opening. Since air goes down the esophogeous with food and drink, I believe it gets trapped under the band. The body's normal reaction to having air in the caught in the upper digestive tract is to purge it. I have also noticed every belch helps my stomach contents pass through the band as well. And, being a gentleman, I would rather air come up than go the other direction.

I have read a couple of reports of bands getting completely filled, but it is rare. Sometimes it may be from a need to re-place the band in a better position, or as you mention, from the stretching the pouch. However, Kristi, I would not be too concerned about the 3 cc if I were you. With your size band, restriction seems to last much longer, and even 0.2 or 0.3 cc can make a huge difference to most bandsters, I have heard. It sounds like your fill doctor does lack experience. Hard to believe he was doing fills before learning the basics of the band. If your fill level seems right, you may be able to go on indefinitely without another fill. Hope you are feeling well. I am sure you are looking great, as you were a babe even before getting the band. Also, is your cousin considering the band? I remember her saying she 'might' try to get one. Best Wishes

Well, it has been two weeks since my last fill, and I have lost 9 more lbs during that two week period. Restriction makes a world of difference! It was a nice surprise to see a decent loss. I was a bit worried that 4.5 lbs a week is faster than I want to lose, but I'll take it.

Park at the Border Station Lot (exit 1A from I-5, keep right, it is on the corner) for $7.00. Walk the short walk across the border (ask the parking attendant which way). Once you cross over, you will see a big yellow sign that says Taxi. Have the address written down, and show the taxi driver ($5). OCC is in the Instituto de la Vision, and the building has 'Dr. Mendez' written on it. When you leave, just ask the receptionist to call a taxi for you, and they will return you to the border. After clearing the border, you walk about 2 blocks, walk over the bridge to your left (the bridge with all the taxis parked at the top), and you will see the Border Station Lot again.

I have started drinking a hot tea every morning, and it has helped greatly. Thank you for the tips. During the nutrition consult, Dr. Miranda emphasized the importance of eating something, anything, for breakfast. I do not remember her exact words, but it has something to due with the body burning fat. She said if you do not have breakfast, you just delay the body burning fat until lunch, or something like that.

I have a gallon jug in my fridge. Just mix with juice. It does not taste bad. My boss swears by it as a remedy for h'roids. He recommends 1000mg of MSM (sulfa) twice daily, and 1/2 cup aloe juice daily for 10 days to 'cure' h'roids or other IBS type problems. The MSM is kind of an OTC substitute for sulfa based antibiotics. Before penicillin, sulfa was the primary antibiotic. In fact, during WWI they would pour powdered sulfa directly on wounds to prevent infection. So, along with aloe, the MSM could also help irritated stoma.

I have never had an ABG, but I have been told they are more painful than a regular blood draw. As the name implies, the blood is drawn from an artery, which are deeper than veins and can tend to 'roll'. If you are using OCC for surgery, they do not perform this test normally. In fact, usually the test is performed on patients with respiratory difficulties, and most commonly is used to get oxygen, carbon dioxide, and bicarbonate levels.

My recent experience has no rhyme or reason. This morning I tried two scambled eggs, and about 75% of it came back up. I waited an hour, then had a whole english muffin with no problem. A hot tea before eating the muffin may have helped. I do not mind the PB'ing, however I certainly can't eat in public right now. The constant belching as I eat, and the frequent trips to the rest room would be too much to deal with in a restaurant. I am hoping that in a few days I will figure my band out, since my fill was only 2 days ago.

Kristi! Glad to see you are continuing to lose! =D> You must be looking hot! As to your band size, I had read somewhere that some people have had slightly more than 4cc in the smaller bands. It is a decision the fill docs make. I remember also seeing where the 10cc VG could also hold 11cc. Hopefully none of us will need to find out. Take care.

Just to follow up: I returned Thurs. morning to OCC for an additional fill as my fill Tuesday morning did not provide adequate restriction. Dr. Romero added 0.6cc, for a total fill of 6.6cc. Wow! What a difference. Now everything is restricted, including water. My largest meal was a mini-pizza at the Milwaukee airport (waiting for my flight to Omaha). It took me about 40 minutes to eat the pizza, and I was quite full (or just tired of eating). By the way, does anyone else find the need to belch repeatedly while eating? Not a Homer Simpson belch, but more like multiple mini-burps, almost like hiccups. So, my band is very tight, and I am having difficulty eating and drinking. However, I know with patience and careful eating, food will go down. I am happy with the result. I asked Dr. Romero how long before I will need another fill. He stated 'about 6 weeks'. I was surprised, so asked again, and he confirmed. I guess I will have another trip to TJ soon. This VG band really takes time. Also, Dr. Romero was training another physician named Dr. Acosta. I guess he will be the new doc around OCC, mostly working as a post-op care provider.

The shoulder pain is common and normal. It usually disappears after a week or so. Belching frequently helped me almost totally avoid this pain. Walking also has been reported to help. As to pain at the 'band site', this is more vague. It is common to have slight pain/discomfort at the port placement site, which is the longer incision. This is normal, however is only an emergency if it appears to turn red, or shows other signs of infection. Unless you are knowledgable in anatomy, you may not know where the band actually is. I sure do not, however the actual stomach and thus the 'band site' is much higher than most would imagine. When people refer to having a stomach ache, it is usually an intestinal ache. The bowel movement issue is one rarely discussed. I can report I had minimal BM's during the clear liquid stage. The stomach does create gastric digestive juices in response to consuming even just clear liquids. For me, this small amount of digestive fluid was my only BM during the first week after surgery. Hope this helps.

Actually, this question was addressed during my first fill. Dr. Romero said that after a year or so, after 75-100 lbs lost, a fill is normally required to compensate for fat loss around the stomach. I ask lots of questions during my visits. For example, Dr. Romero lives in National City, and both Dr. Ortiz and Mrs. Ortiz live in SD. My curiousity is never satiated.