thanks so much for the info! I'm glad to know I don't have to have a specific surgeon the entire time.

I'm going to be getting the RY so I am hoping I find someone within my area to do follow ups. I'll be in the same situation as you I will be meeting up with my docotr at least once a year. I c an't imagine there are so few people that don't get this done out of state or don't move sometime after surgery.

Has anyone here had surgery outside of Florida in another state? If so how did you go about finding a doctor in your area that would do the check-ups for the rny?

Hello all i live in Lutz and I am looking for a primary care physician to sign off on me getting surgery. I don't really go to doctors so I don;t know who I would go to. Any good docs out there that you know of in the tampa/lutz area?

hello all, I was wondering if you all could tell me who your insurance provider is and what all you had to do to let them insure you.  I would especially like to know if you had no prior medical conditions and were able to get insured.  I am 23 but I don't have diabetes and I haven't really been on a perscription diet except for like a month or two.  My mother says it smuch easier now to get approved but I still think becuase of my age and lack of conditions they will not pay for it. What do you all think? 

HI Marianne, Thank you so much for the positive words! My name is Rita by the way. I would love to be friends!  I live in Lutz so that is a little far for me but I'll definetley try and make it once in a while. I know there is a group in Largo but thats kind of far for me too. I was really hoping to find a group in Tampa and I am kind of suprised I haven't found one yet. I didn't get financing even with my mother as a cosigner BUT I did get financed through another company. It wasn't for the entire amount that I needed but I pay it back like a credit card so I don't have a specific amount to pay back in like 5-6 years. Which makes the payment that much easier. So I have a surgery date of February 15th with Dr. Joya in Mexico... I'm super nervous and I am going to the bank to make the down payment today. Well that is the update for me. I am going to add you to my friends list. Have a great day!

Thank you so much! I will definetly check them out.

Absolutely I would love to meet up! You wouldn't happen to work downtown would you? Reason I ask is becuase thats where I work. The commute is crazy but oh well. How is the sleeve different fromt eh band I haven't read up on it much. Can they do the procedure laproscopically?

So I just found out that I was denied to get financing... its only for a lowsy $8000 and I was denied... I can reaplly with a Co-signer but I don't have any family living here in the states outside of my mom and she and I don't talk and she will jsut think i am using her for her money... *sigh* I don't know what to do... I don't want to go and apply at a ton of places because I am scared its just going to screw up my credit. Anyone out there work at a place that helps people with things like this? I can pay the laon back at $300 a month. *sigh* I am seriously depressed right now...

So this is probably going to sound kind of sad, but I don't really have a lot of friends (I have 3, and theya re the greatest) and the ones I do have are all skinny and have never been fat.  I'm hoping to find somone (or a whole lot of people) on here to maybe be friends with as I try desperatly to find the financial/emotional help that I will need on my journey to getting and while having this surgery.  I am kind of hoping to find someone my age (I'm 23) who has either just had the surgery or is thinking about getting it or is just waiting like me to find the funds to pay for the surgery. Or really ANYONE, I guess, who might be able to relate to me and what i am going through.  I keep talking about this to my boyfriend (who is on the heavy side) but he thinks i am jsut bashing myself (which I'm sure we all do sometimes) and I think he is getting a little tired of me only talking about this surgery.  So like I said people who I could maybe relate to, hang out with or jsut chat online or something.

Hello, thank you so much for all the information, if its not too much trouble could you tell me when the next meeting is going to be and where? I have night school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so those days aren't very good for me but other times then that would be perfect. Thank you so much for all the info again! -Rita