As for me, i have not yet made a decision on surgeons. I attended a meeting about WLS at The Morristown Memorial Hospital in NJ with Dr. Nicholas Bertha and found it underwhelming. I like the Dr but found the the focus is very much on gastric bypass. There were SOOOO many people there ..i was amazed. These people were all there to learn about the surgeries and the lapband was hardly discussed. I talked to Dr. Bertha afterwards and am confident that he is a competant surgeon but i feel that i want a surgeon who wont just do the lapband, but is excited about it, and thinks of it as a GOOD alternative surgery. I am currently researching Dr. Scmidt in Hackensack NJ and Dr. Ren at NYU. SHe is very highly reccomended as a surgeon and as a proponent of Lapband. The meetings there are separated for each type of surgery and i will be attending one on July 25 2002. I will keep this as up-to-date as possible.
7/26/02-
Well, i finally attended the support group meeting for Dr. Ren's Lapband patients last night. It was mostly geared toward post ops which i understand and was fine with me. I Have done so much research at this point that i really didn't learn anything new there. However, it was nice to meet the many post ops in person. I think it was good for my mom too as it reassured her that they were all doing great. Some there werejust 2 weeks post and looked great. Others there were 8 months out and had lost 70-80 lbs...fantastic! It was a nice group of people as well. The only thing i did not like had nothing to do with the surgery or the group or anything...just somethng i always notice in large groups of women (the same phenomenon happend in my sorority) The women get so catty! Ihate that. One person askes a question and the whole room erupts in private conversation...that poor person never even gets their question answered! LOL. I think it is a woman thing. Just not MY thing. lol.
On the message board for bandsters the other day someone wrote what i thought was a wonderful analogy for the new stomach you have after the surgery. Think ofyour tummy as a new baby. It would drink liquids for awhile, then start mushy foods like baby food for a while, and then you gradually introduce new solid foodsinto the diet. You wouldnt feed a 12 month old touch steak..their system's might not be able to tolerate it yet. You wouldt feed a new baby salsa..same principle. I think this is a great way to think about food for after the surgery so i wanted to put it down here to remember it!
I called and have a consult with dr. Ren set up for Sept. 4. I wish it was so much sooner. I am so done with the research phase and just want to get on with it! Ill keep ya posted.
July 29. 2002
Well, this past weekend has kind of been a whirlwind of decision making. I was on the computer reading posts and talking to my mom on Aol im at work. She mentioned that even though i have an interest in Dr. ren, maybe i should look into the Mexican Doctors that do lapband. Now i knew about these doctors because many people have had the band done by them..they are much more experienced than American docs and train the american docs in the procedure. However, i never really thought about it for myself because i just assumed we would have to wait and see what insurance approved. I discussed this more with my mom and she told me that she has spoken to my insurance co. and IF they decided to cover the surgery here, they would only cover 70% of the cost because Dr. Ren is not in my network. We figured out that the remaining 30% amounts to the same or a little more money than it would be to go to mexico and have DR. Rodriguez do it, including airfare for both of us and hotel! We discussed it some more and i contacted a women named Barbara Lozier who is just a godsend. She hails from San Antonio and out of the goodness of her big heart, she helps people plan out thier pilgrimagges to mex to see Dr. Rodriguez. She even offers to drive and stay with you if she has the time! She gave me lots of info and even called me long distance from Texas to here in NJ just to chat! I cant stress enough how selfless this woman is. Dr. Rod should pay her commissions!..lol.
I emailed Dr. Rodriguez and he got back to me almost immediately saying i could have the procedure done. No insurance waits, no tests upon tests upon tests! Only tests are done right before surgery! Some people might look ascance at the idea of going to Mexico for surgery but that is just an example of our American bias toward other countries. This is not a slum, it is a well run facility with a good dr. who has taught many of the US docs how to do the procedure. I am not worried. Nervous..yes, but not worried..from all i have read and heard i am in capable hands. Now i just have to figure out a date and get a flight!
July 30,2002-
The whirlwind continues. I am ON for surgery on Sept. 5th! We will fly into San Antonio on the 4th and stay overnight in mexico. Then on to the hospital the next morning for tests and if all goes well, the surgery! I am so excited. Nervous and anxious too, but most of all ready to begin this new life. And get on with it!
