Please help!

 Hi, I have just moved to the Mesa area recently, I was banded in May 08, have had 5 fills (with really no restriction) then we moved in Nov. I am starting to gain weight again and all I think about is eating!I  Need to find a good Dr for fills.....and can anyone tell me about how much they cost? We no longer have health insurance!
please help this is so hard after going through all the effort to get the surgery and not be able to loose any weight, depressing!
Thanks
Cynthia

You might want to check out Banner Gateway Bariatric center in Gilbert, AZ  they will work with patients that move here from out of state.

You can check out Dr Schlesinger and Dr Simon at there new office next door to Tempe Saint Luke's Hospital on Mill ave. The Schlesinger can be reached at 480 968 6346 or 480 968 6007. The new address is 1492 S Mill Ave Ste 201, Tempe, AZ 85281. You can all map quest like I will have to because I don't know that area at all. Good luck and keep us posted. You might notice that alot of Dr Schlesinger patients post on this forum. Good Luck,

Dawn

You can go to Wendy Hall.  She is a banded nurse midwife who does blind fills for $100.  She comes to Mesa one Saturday a month and does fills.

Then there is Orris & Debarros in Tempe.  Problem is, it is all or none with them.    You either have to join the entire program or they won't do your fills.  I think it is something like $1500 or $2500 to join and then fills are not blind but they are under ultrasound.  I *think* fills are $350 but I could be confusing him with someone else.  The only thing ultrasound does in this case is help him find the port.  It does not show stoma size, esophageal issues, etc.

Then there is Berger and Aldridge in Flag and they are $200 w/fluoro.

Then there is Dr. Aceves in Mexicali and he is $75 w/fluoro.

 Do you have a phone number for Wendy Hall? 
Thank you!

I don't.  But you can do yellow pages search for her.  Wendy Hall, Heber, AZ.

You MUST *insist* that she use a Huber needle.  If she does not, do NOT let her touch you.  It will void the warranty on your band.

 MMMM this sounds like maybe not the way to go..... I want to be responsible in this and safe.
We just do not have the finances at this time to join a program that costs thousands just to get fills, we do not have insurance now. 

I thought you might feel that way.  I agree with you.

There is a group from the Phx area that goes about once a month to Mexicali.  It's $75 under fluoro with Dr. Aceves.  He usually charges $175 for people he did not band but if you say you are  part of the Phx lunch group it's only $75 and that is under fluoro with sterile technique.  When I was banded that is what I did.  It's about 3 hours from  Phoenix.

You next best option is Berger in Flagstaff for $200 under fluoro.  About 2 - 2.5 hours from Phoenix.

 what is this PHX lunch group? this sounds much better! 

It's something we started a couple of years ago.  Once a month three of us met for lunch. Then it kept growing and growing.  The group is about 50+ people.  But I kinda dropped the ball when I had my band removed in favor of a sleeve.

I am trying to talk a friend of mine into taking it over and she doesn't seem to like the idea. ;o)'

It was nothing formal, no speakers, nothing like that.  We just got together. Lots of newbies would come to collect phone numbers so they would have someone to call and ask questions especially after they had surgery.

It was pretty cool, I just ran out of time and haven't done anything with it.  We were pretty close, too.  We would exchange favors all the time.  It worked out exceedingly well.