Ducker

My doc wants me to use those, but I have had a hard time finding them. Where were you able to find them?

ExSeptions!

Thank you lovely!

I cannot find the September Sleevers topic. Can you direct me? Thanks

I also was considering LapBand at first, but being so research-conscious I gathered all the information I could about both procedures. The results were very clear. Sleeve patients were happier, more successful in weight loss, and experienced fewer complications. Period. There was no other choice to be made. Although I have not yet had surgery (scheduled 9/28) I can already tell you how at ease and secure I feel in my decision. Good luck in finding the same resolution and sense of peace, no matter which you choose. Also, since you are in California, you may want to consider my doctor, David Oliak. He is in Brea and he is wonderful so far, as is all his staff. I have the utmost confidence in them all. Good luck!

Thank you Buckeye Girl! I will be sure to visit the September Sleevers forum. This is a great suggestion and will allow me to begin some relationships with "alumni" from my specific graduation date!

I am having my surgery at Placentia Linda Hospital in California with Dr. Oliak!

Thank you all so much for responding. I agree with Bandaide that the seminars really can seem like a LabBandLoveFest. In order to make an informed decision, we need to know the real - the good, the bad, the ugly. After all, this is a serious LIFE change we are talking about, not simply a weight change. So, we deserve the opportunity to make an informed decision, not only on the basis of the doctors, surgeons, and clinicians that benefit from the performance of WLS, but from real people like you and I who refuse to sugar coat the facts and pass along the portrait of a real life experience living with the band. I can't tell you how much all of your feedback means to me. Lastly, I WAS APPROVED!!! I have my pre-surgery appointment with my surgeon on Monday 8/15 when I will be assigned a surgery date. I am so excited, and can't believe this is coming true for me. And, I want you to know that there would be no dream come true without people like you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

So...in the pre-op forum someone posted what they wish they had know before banding. It included some very candid thoughts and details about life after the band which I found very insightful. There were many replies, and someone mentioned that this would be a great forum topic since the great majority of bandsters on here paint a very shiny happy picture without addressing the very real and sometimes unpleasant and uncomfortable facts about life with the band. Being that I am not yet banded, I thought that those of us contemplating the surgery deserved to know the truth - the good, the bad, and the ugly in weighing our decision to proceed with this life altering procedure. Don't be afraid to discourage us. Just so you know, the vast majority of those that posted some negative effects that they experienced said that they would still do it all over again. But, that is for us all to decide on our own, knowing all of the possibilities that lie ahead. Give us an opportunity to do that. We thank you. ducker

I am not sure where you live, but try OBand Surgery Center in Tustin, CA.

I have not yet been banded, going through all the testing to be approved. However, I love Dr. Naim and his staff! They are so caring and professional. They are also extremely attentive and mindful of every patients individual considerations and fears. I feel so comfortable so far, and would not proceed otherwise. Because I am so fond of him as are his other patients I have chatted with in the lobby, I am also very surprised that this is the only mention I have found of him so far on this site. Keep me posted with your experience with Dr. Naim, and I will likewise. Good luck!

I understand that, but wouldn't they want to make sure I was approved before doing the GI procedure?

So...I felt so confident walking into Dr. Naim's office in Tustin, CA after they told me that my insurance covered the banding procedure! It was clean, professional, and the staff were all so respectful and kind. And they seemed to be so efficient! Met the surgeon, consulted with their in-house physician (I assume in lieu of my own PCP), completed a psych eval, follow-up with the physcian for dietary and exercise guidelines to follow, and scheduled a sleep study (since my BMI was only 35.7 with no co-morbidities. ALL IN THE FIRST APPOINTMENT!! WOW! I thought, they really handle business!!! Wrong. The tech did not show up for my sleep study on the scheduled night. What an inconvenience after leaving work early and making arrangements for my dogs! I was FURIOUS!!! They were very apologetic and we rescheduled. I completed the sleep study, and at the follow-up appointment, the doctor reviewed the results that showed no sleep apnea. I was prepared for the big let down that my insurance would not approve. However, that never happened. Instead, they sheduled my for a GI consult coming up next week on Feb. 15th. I know all of these pre-surgery evaluations and studies are not costing me anything. But, I also know that surgeons and doctors do not work for free. I am fearful that I am doing all this for nothing, only to be denied approval by BCBS California. Would they really go through all of this only for a denial, only to waste my time????

I understand that, but wouldn't they want to make sure I was approved before doing the GI procedure?