scoutstar29

Hey REDsparkles11! I was banded Spring 2011 too. I moved this fall to another state and everything seemed to get a little off track. I haven’t gotten a fill in months because I'm too bummed that I gained some weight since the last time I went in. I also need a little lift to get back in the swing of things. Here are a few things I started thinking about the last few weeks to get myself back on track: 1- (said to self) hey self, remember when you had major surgery to loose weight? yeah, me too. Stop being a bum and making excuses and do something. 2- Remember how jazzed you were before you got surgery about your life after surgery? Let's find that again. 3- Write down what you eat. I've re-joined WW. 4- The first few weeks are tough. I’m trying to get to that point where I see results. When you see results, you have this switch that goes off. I don’t know how it was for you but when I lost that first 30 and I started to really notice, I stopped craving food and I started being really focused on eating healthy. We’ll get there!

Hi, just to follow up. I had an endoscopy and everything was fine. It really was acid reflux and every night I take 40mg of prilosec with dinner. That stops the acid from coming up during the night while I am asleep. It has made a big difference over time.

Hey! I was banded April 25, 2011. I didn’t have any fill in my band during surgery and I haven’t had a fill yet. I also have the same feeling in my throat. I went to the upper GI doc and we said that it may be acid. It is weird because I have no symptoms of acid reflux. The feeling is almost constantly there, it is not slime. I can swallow fine, eat fine, no signs of being stuck. It hurts when I have eaten and it hurts when I am hungry. He started me on prescription Prevacid and said to give it 2 weeks before we do an endoscopy. I’ll keep you posted. It sucks right? You know it can’t be anything normal or good, but it isn’t so bad that you are actually sick.

I also feel like I have something in my throat, a lump, its sometimes just a tickle and sometimes it kinda hurts a little. My Dr suggested I go to a larynx dr and an ear nose and throat dr. of course the appointments are for 2 and 4 weeks away. I will let you know what they say.

I was banded a week ago and my Dr recommended milk of magnesia to help "get things moving" again. It isn't a stimulant. If you take it before bed, when you wake up you should go.

Yes it is. If you work downtown it is pretty convenient, it is over off of Michigan Ave. Here is the website - http://www.nmh.org/nm/physician_nagle_alexander_p_5087

I have BCBS IL and I am with Dr. Nagel at Northwestern Memorial. It's a nice program.

Hi! I'm in Chicago and getting banded at Northwestern on Monday the 25.

Hi Everybody. I had been looking around for more information about BCBS IL for some time before I started this whole process. Here is an update- Starting March 15, 2011 they are switching back to a 6 month Dr. supervised diet (you need to see someone once a month for 6 months) I always wondered how long everything takes. I am getting my procedure done at Northwestern University Medical Center with Dr. Nagel so it may be different with you. I was really good at scheduling appointments ASAP so there really want any lag time. October 2010 – First visit with Northwestern Center for Lifestyle Medicine November 2010- Visit with nutritionist December 2010- Visit with therapist December 2010- First 'class' with nutritionist January 2011- second 'class' with nutritionist February 2011- third and final 'class' with nutritionist February 2011- meeting with surgeon February 18, 2011- BCBSIL sent request for coverage March 1 2011- approval from BCBSIL, surgery scheduled April 25, 2011 I also have to get an EKG and some blood work done before surgery. I also have to take a 4 hour class about the surgery, what happens after surgery and post-op life. So if they are switching to a 6 month diet it really isn't a huge deal because it takes a while to get through. I recommend Northwestern because their whole program is built around getting you 1) educated and ready for surgery and 2) approved by BCBS IL (and other insurances)