DrCif Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Hi, this is my first official post as a soon-to-be-banded person. My surgery date is July 26th... I am very excited yet very nervous. I've quickly come to the realization that I have to leave the "Mexico" out of all discussions related to my surgery. Everyone is very receptive until they hear "Mexico" and then I get the "Oh, I thought you were smarter than that" look...which just frustrates me. I certainly tried to get the surgery here in the States, but insurance denied me despite being a BMI of 52...apparently I need a few more diseases first?! Anyway, I've done my research and feel very happy with my decision...still a little scared though. How is everyone else handling the Fill situations? I've become increasingly frustrated with the hospitals around here. They will not do my fills because they won't be doing the surgery. There is a Fill Center in New Prague here in Minnesota, but to my knowledge they don't use the Fluoro. Any advice at this point will be taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btradio Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Good luck on the surgery! You will be pleased I am sure. I actually flew back to the OCC for my first fill a couple of weeks ago (from NC). It was a breeze. I was in an out of the country in like 4 hours, most of which was spent getting out of Mexico on a Saturday afternoon. :-) The fill itself was nothing and according to the doc, it is possible that I may only need one of two more fills in my lifetime. So, for me, it is worth it to spend a little extra now (flights) to get the fills done at the place I had my surgery. I know they use flouro, I know they will be giving me the best care, and I know that I will feel better about the results. Perhaps it is different for me as a man since statistically I will likely have fewer fills than a woman. If I was going to be looking at 7 or 8 fills or whatever, perhaps I would stick closer to home, but for me, this was the better option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaniceBlack Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Hi, this is my first official post as a soon-to-be-banded person. My surgery date is July 26th... I am very excited yet very nervous. I've quickly come to the realization that I have to leave the "Mexico" out of all discussions related to my surgery. Everyone is very receptive until they hear "Mexico" and then I get the "Oh, I thought you were smarter than that" look...which just frustrates me. I certainly tried to get the surgery here in the States, but insurance denied me despite being a BMI of 52...apparently I need a few more diseases first?! Anyway, I've done my research and feel very happy with my decision...still a little scared though. How is everyone else handling the Fill situations? I've become increasingly frustrated with the hospitals around here. They will not do my fills because they won't be doing the surgery. There is a Fill Center in New Prague here in Minnesota, but to my knowledge they don't use the Fluoro. Any advice at this point will be taken. Congrats on your up coming band world. I understand how you feel about telling people about going to Mexico. I have had the same issues when telling family and friends but then I add that this was best for me!!! I have had 3 fills and would not have a fill unless its with a Fluoro. I want to make sure that it is done right and not having to have more then 3 fills. I live in Northern CA and schedule a morning flight and a late evening flight home. OCC is wonderful and would not have changed one minute of my time with them !!!! Good luck and please keep us posted on your trip and your progress!! Remember this is a tool to a new life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieB Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Hi, this is my first official post as a soon-to-be-banded person. My surgery date is July 26th... I am very excited yet very nervous. I've quickly come to the realization that I have to leave the "Mexico" out of all discussions related to my surgery. Everyone is very receptive until they hear "Mexico" and then I get the "Oh, I thought you were smarter than that" look...which just frustrates me. I certainly tried to get the surgery here in the States, but insurance denied me despite being a BMI of 52...apparently I need a few more diseases first?! Anyway, I've done my research and feel very happy with my decision...still a little scared though. How is everyone else handling the Fill situations? I've become increasingly frustrated with the hospitals around here. They will not do my fills because they won't be doing the surgery. There is a Fill Center in New Prague here in Minnesota, but to my knowledge they don't use the Fluoro. Any advice at this point will be taken. Personally, I am a believer in floro, however I do know MANY SUCCESSFUL bandsters who have there fills done under floro. There are MANY things that factor in to a fill. Take for example, I was in on Friday and had a fill. The surgeon who did my fill, was brand spanking new. He did fairly well, well sorta. He was a dead eye dewy and hit my small, low profile port first try! YAY! Then he pulled some fluid out to make sure he was in, again, alright, but I prefer not to have them do that at all. It causes more movement, and swelling which to me is not nesseccary. Anyway, When he went to add fluid, the syringe leaked, so he had to shut the stop cock. After that, the gal who was training him ask him how many CC's he should add, he said, 1 CC. I have a small, 10 cm 4 cc band and already have some restriction, so that was a no go. She told him .1 or .2 cc's and he proceeded to push saline into my band. I then did a barium swallow and the fluid was not passing at all. He was unsure of how much he actually added. Bummer, so he went to back it out and the fluid went through the band. **At this point I should have asked for another barium swallow, but thought nothing of it.** I asked how much he added and he told me a .1cc or .2 he had no idea. Okay, I thought well so I don't know how much of a fill I got. Guess from here on out I will not know what is in my band. I was making peace with it and went about my marry way. (had to return to work.) So, I got back to work and was on liquids for 2 days......no restriction. I called Sunday night to leave a message for my nurse and asked her to call me. Of course, more times than not, they DO NOT LIKE TO ADMIT that the fill didn't go as thought. The notes in my file said, gave .2 cc's fill snug. Yeah, that would have been awesome, except he actually pulled more out of my band than what he gave me, leaving me with NO restriciton. So I am going back in today and have to pay for the radiology fee again. Okay, what ever. Lesson learned..... The point of me sharing my last fill story with you is to let you know that MANY things can factor in to a good fill....floro or not. For me, I chose to find after care locally. I go to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for my fills. Each fill takes me about 2 hours. I have an office visit and then go to radiology for my fill. That is where I spend most of my time.... I am a wife, mother, full time worker with a part time job on the side. So travel and the expense tied to it is a greater cost than staying local. I have not had a fill at the OCC, BUT can say they are experts. They have done tons of fills and are able to dial you in. They have had people who got to tight from a fill there as well. Fills are not a exact science. If you find someone or where that works for you, then stick with them. Sorry for the long share, but I wanted to give you a glimpse into what can be possible. Wish me well today, as I will be going back in to get my restriction back! Ugh! Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrCif Posted July 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Thank you everyone for your input. It feels good not to be alone through this process. So many people just don't get it. Everyone just says, "So if you want to lose weight, why don't you just eat less?" So much easier said than done. I've lost and gained enough weight to know I need something more permanent to make it happen. Thanks for all your support and good luck to all of you as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 Thank you everyone for your input. It feels good not to be alone through this process. So many people just don't get it. Everyone just says, "So if you want to lose weight, why don't you just eat less?" So much easier said than done. I've lost and gained enough weight to know I need something more permanent to make it happen. Thanks for all your support and good luck to all of you as well. Yoyo dieting just doesn't cut it. I wish I would have been able to get a band when I was in my 20's! It has been so great for me to have this tool. Sometimes I had good will power, but I couldn't always control my eating. This keeps me consistent and I know I will never be fat again. I also tell everyone how I lost my weight and that I got banded in Mexico, but I always explain just who Dr. Ortiz is, how he actually instructs other surgeons how to do this procedure, how he has been on Oprah and that his facility and staff and their care is better than anything I've ever experienced here. That shuts them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolittle Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Hi, this is my first official post as a soon-to-be-banded person. My surgery date is July 26th... I am very excited yet very nervous. I've quickly come to the realization that I have to leave the "Mexico" out of all discussions related to my surgery. Everyone is very receptive until they hear "Mexico" and then I get the "Oh, I thought you were smarter than that" look...which just frustrates me. I certainly tried to get the surgery here in the States, but insurance denied me despite being a BMI of 52...apparently I need a few more diseases first?! Anyway, I've done my research and feel very happy with my decision...still a little scared though. How is everyone else handling the Fill situations? I've become increasingly frustrated with the hospitals around here. They will not do my fills because they won't be doing the surgery. There is a Fill Center in New Prague here in Minnesota, but to my knowledge they don't use the Fluoro. Any advice at this point will be taken. I live in the Midwest too. After my surgery I knew I'd be looking for my first fill in 6 to 12 weeks. I started shopping before my surgery and the next thing I knew I found a great deal on air to San Diego. I went back out to the OCC 10 weeks after my surgery. Since you live in the Minneapolis area, you should be able to find an airfare sale to San Diego. I like using a website called www.airfarewatchdog.com. Type in your "depart" city and you get email alerts everyday on what's on sale. The same goes for Southwest Airline, they have a web based program that you can download from their website called "Ding". I really love the "Ding" alerts, I've got some hellacious deals on that website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Hi, this is my first official post as a soon-to-be-banded person. My surgery date is July 26th... I am very excited yet very nervous. I've quickly come to the realization that I have to leave the "Mexico" out of all discussions related to my surgery. Everyone is very receptive until they hear "Mexico" and then I get the "Oh, I thought you were smarter than that" look...which just frustrates me. I certainly tried to get the surgery here in the States, but insurance denied me despite being a BMI of 52...apparently I need a few more diseases first?! Anyway, I've done my research and feel very happy with my decision...still a little scared though. How is everyone else handling the Fill situations? I've become increasingly frustrated with the hospitals around here. They will not do my fills because they won't be doing the surgery. There is a Fill Center in New Prague here in Minnesota, but to my knowledge they don't use the Fluoro. Any advice at this point will be taken. I have decided to go back to the OCC for my fills. Here in Memphis they want $1000 just to take me on as a patient since I had my surgery in Mexico. It is only $250 if you had your surgery done in the USA. That just does not seem right to me. I understand not wanting to tell people you are going to Mexico . Many people have heard horror stories on the news about how unsafe for Americans it is in Mexico. You could always say you are traveling to San Diego. LOL Best of Luck on your surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrCif Posted July 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 I live in the Midwest too. After my surgery I knew I'd be looking for my first fill in 6 to 12 weeks. I started shopping before my surgery and the next thing I knew I found a great deal on air to San Diego. I went back out to the OCC 10 weeks after my surgery. Since you live in the Minneapolis area, you should be able to find an airfare sale to San Diego. I like using a website called www.airfarewatchdog.com. Type in your "depart" city and you get email alerts everyday on what's on sale. The same goes for Southwest Airline, they have a web based program that you can download from their website called "Ding". I really love the "Ding" alerts, I've got some hellacious deals on that website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawkchick75 Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 That is always my favorite line...just eat less and you will lose weight!! If it were only that easy!! I spoke with the folks at OCC and they gave me a list of doctors in my area that would see me. I am fortunate one of the best doctors here in the area would and so I go to him since I can't afford to go back. OCC was very nice and had no issues giving me a list of doctors that would see me. Best of luck and for sure know you are not alone! It's been almost 2 years for me and i still come on this site often to keep myself accountable. Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrCif Posted July 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 I have decided to go back to the OCC for my fills. Here in Memphis they want $1000 just to take me on as a patient since I had my surgery in Mexico. It is only $250 if you had your surgery done in the USA. That just does not seem right to me. I understand not wanting to tell people you are going to Mexico . Many people have heard horror stories on the news about how unsafe for Americans it is in Mexico. You could always say you are traveling to San Diego. LOL Best of Luck on your surgery. So how much is it for fills at the OCC? Do you drive across the border or do you pay for the OCC transport? How much is the OCC transport? How long does it take? I'm leaning toward the OCC for fills because even at the nearby Fill Center it will cost about $800 the first visit and $300-400 for each additional fill...yikes!...hope they get it right the first few times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damalove Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Hi Dr here's the info on pricing: http://www.occforum.com/index.php?showtopic=9011 $100 for xray fee + $100 for rountrip transport from San Diego airport (if you need it) + $79 for one night at hotel (if you need it) also not listed here but recently quoted to me, $30 for needle fee for slight unfill if necessary, when not using xray/fluoro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolittle Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 So how much is it for fills at the OCC? Do you drive across the border or do you pay for the OCC transport? How much is the OCC transport? How long does it take? I'm leaning toward the OCC for fills because even at the nearby Fill Center it will cost about $800 the first visit and $300-400 for each additional fill...yikes!...hope they get it right the first few times! I'd call one of the OCC coordinators and see if there is any fill specials being promoted at this time. To save money you can do the trip from the airport to the OCC on your own. There are several posts here at Forum explaining this under the topic of taking the bus/trolley and walking across the border and catching a Taxi to the OCC. It's really easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted July 15, 2010 Report Share Posted July 15, 2010 So how much is it for fills at the OCC? Do you drive across the border or do you pay for the OCC transport? How much is the OCC transport? How long does it take? I'm leaning toward the OCC for fills because even at the nearby Fill Center it will cost about $800 the first visit and $300-400 for each additional fill...yikes!...hope they get it right the first few times! I guess I am majorly spoiled. I live max 2 hours from the border. Just today I went to the OCC for a check-up because I am approaching my 1 year bandiversary and last week I had some throwing up issues that made me worry for the safety of my band. I drove down, parked at the USA side of the border, walked across, got a taxi($5) that took @ 5 minutes to the OCC. I had my consultation and Flueroscopy with Dr. So and everything checked out perfect. They called me a taxi which took me back to the border ($5)and I walked through customs, back to my car. It is SO easy that I can't imagine paying for the OCC to pick you up anywhere unless it is your first time. I'm not being judgemental! I know the first time is overwhelming. But after that, just realize that you don't have to spend big bucks to go back after your surgery! Just let me know if I can help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damalove Posted July 15, 2010 Report Share Posted July 15, 2010 Red you can pick me up at San Diego airport and drive me to border next time thanks for offering to help! hehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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