Re: Doctors, Who and Why

[Guest guest]

I was banded 2 weeks ago by Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, and I went

through Dr. Fox's practice. My reason why: no insurance coverage for

banding so self-pay was cheaper for me in Mexico via Dr. Fox, than

paying for it to be done here. If I'd known then what I know now,

I'd know that there are even FAR cheaper options, though of course

price is not your only factor in choosing. I also chose that route

because Dr. Rumbaut is one of several doctors in Mexico with

significant experience in band surgery - I don't want to be a novice

surgeon's guinea ... pig (ouch). I want to encourage you to continue

asking around... I went to a bandster gathering (the SouthEnd Soup

tonight) and got lots of first-hand accounts of different surgeons

and follow-up practices. That information would have been very

valuable to me when I was making my decision - but I had not yet

then stumbled on these . I'm sure you'll get some

helpful answers here, but if you can also meet some bandsters face

to face (see the Calendar here in ), you'll be glad you

did.

a

> Hi, my name is john looking at getting the band done in the very

> near future the sooner the better, been looking online and in

boards like this about different doctors would like some input of

doctors yo have used and why, the only doctor i have looked into is

doctor rombaut(sp) down in monterrey,

SNIP

> also what is the recovery time

SNIP

[Guest guest]

Forgot to address your last question. I was operated on Thursday,

released to my hotel on Friday and took a little stroll around the

shopping mall (wiped me out). Sunday I flew from Monterrey to

Seattle (wiped me out, but went fine). Monday I was back at my desk

job. I'm two weeks out of surgery now. I COULD bounce around in a

seat for 10 hrs... but I wouldn't enjoy it per se.

a

> Hi, my name is john looking at getting the band done ...also what

is the recovery time i drive truck for a living and wondered if

bouncing around in the seat for 10hrs a day would be little much

rightafter the surgery,

[Guest guest]

, you just missed the gathering in Tacoma last night. Please

join us on Bainbridge Island on Sunday, Sept 19th and you can get

several candid opinions about doctor options. They'll be a notice

with location and time information posted here soon.

Almost everyone is going to say their doctor is the best, but you

have to decide what's best for you. However, last night we had a

discussion about how going through Dr. Fox's office to Dr. Rumbaut

was a waste of money. Personally, if Mexico was your preference, I'd

recommend one of the well-respected doctors in Tijuana as it's easier

to get back there if any complications occur than getting back to

Monterrey. I speak from experience: I was back from Monterrey with

a repaired port for about three months before I could get the Fox

clinic to return my calls. And I never did get reimbursed for the

money they collected from me for the physical after my insurance

honored the claim and paid them. Perhaps things have changed since

then, but every contact I've had with them reconfirms that the

bandsters are second class patients who are expected to conform to

the bypass regime with only teensy modifications. The shotglass size

meal and relying on protein drinks and supplements for nutrition is

so unbandster.

If you can afford it, there are several good doctors in the area.

The two in Shelton are probably the closest to you. Rumbaut is

awesome, but I probably would have been better off going to Dr.

Kuri. But that's only because I couldn't get banded locally as the

doctors up here weren't yet ready to band the super-morbidly obese.

I would have paid the difference for a good local doctor, but we all

have to make that choice. Be sure to budget in the cost of fills;

you may find it just as cheap to fly back down to Tijuana for your

fills. Just make sure you pick one of the doctors in TJ who come

HIGHLY recommended... there are a couple unscrupulous ones down there.

Sitting was the least comfortable position for me to be in when I

returned to work the following Monday, but it wasn't painful. By the

second week, I was fine.

Hope this helps!

Jo in Silverdale

>

> I live in the Port Orchard area, thanks