faithmd

I had the AP band placed at Hurley by Dr. Wagner on June 21st. Good experience all in all.

It's funny what we weren't allowed to say, isn't it? I would get my mouth washed out with soap for saying "shut up." That was a MAJOR sin in my house. And for me it still is today. I cringe when I hear it, I will take my husband to task if he says it to me. I wasn't allowed to say dang, gosh, jeez, shoot, frick(ing), suck, or piss. My mother's contention was that if I was saying Gosh, I was really wanting to say God (in anger/vain/etc) and that was a huge no-no, same for saying shoot=shit, you get the point. So I decided I'd just say the word itself...BAAAAAAD idea. I don't think I've sworn in front of my mom since then. I think I was 9 or so.

Aceves has LOADS AND LOADS more experience, but I know plenty of folks are very happy with Kirschenbaum.

Dunno, you deleted your post.

The doc's office does have people who will navigate the insurance obstacle course, but first you have to know if they'll even pay (some plans have it as an exclusion-you won't know until you call with YOUR card to your ins company). What if they won't pay for you to see the doctor who's info session you went to and who you are now comfortable with? That happened to me. Exclusions are all too common. You and I may have the same insurance, but if we are at different employers, one may have chosen not to pick up the bariatric surgery rider, so while you may have the rider that allows WLS, I may not and it may be a total exclusion for me.

Absolutely NOT THE DOCTOR. Get your insurance card out and call them now, right now, today. it will take a few mintues and then you will know: A) if it's even a covered benefit for your plan WHO they will pay for you to go see. C) how much of a deductible or co-pay you'll have D) what the requirements are to have it covered (some require a three, six or even twlve month diet/exercise visit history with your doctor. In some cases, only office notes will do, letters won't cut it. Some require a BMI or 40, or 35 with co-morbidities. Some require over 100lbs over weight for a certain number of years. Some require a BMI greater than a certain number for X years. See why it is soooooo important to call your insurance company FIRST? Good luck!!

deyon: it has happened. It has happened to peopple who have posted here, and to people who were rommates (in the hospital) of people who post here. I think it's irresponsible to say it can't/won't happen. Sure does, sure has.

Tish, I'm trying to PM you back, I can't and I can't email either, suffice it to say: Right back atcha! We are all in this together! We may disagree or get hurt sometimes, but if we can't support each other, who's going to? Luv to you!

Ti9sh I am so sorry to hear this has come up. My husband had some REALLY elevated liver enzymes that were discovered in a similar manner to yours, after a rapid weight loss (which he did because he was told his cholesterol was 396). They told him that he probably had Hepatitis, too. So off to a Gastroenterologist we went. He ended up having a liver biopsy after an ultrasound showed a large fatty liver, and all that showed was...you guessed it, fatty liver disease (FLD). You are correct, the only real "treatment" for that is weight loss and lifestlye/food changes (exercise, lean meats, etc.). Exactly what this surgery should help you to do. I really hope this won't stop a surgeon from operating on you after this is all sorted out. My fingers and toes and everything else is crossed for you in the hopes this can be swiftly taken care of and you can get your band. Take Care and please keep us updated.

You know what, Gummiebear? You hit the ball outta the park with the bold statement above. I think you're dead on about not having good supprt systems or good doctors. My belief is that as weight loss surgery explodes and more and more clinics and facilities are doing it, the field of the "good ones" gets very diluted. Docs and facilities see the money to be made in WLS and just jump on the bandwagon with little regard for the patient's needs and more regard for padding the coffers. It's sad, and bad practice! I was fortunate that my program had a mandatory pre-op class and we got a big binder with all kinds of printed material that gets added to at our post-op visits. I do understand that some folks get nothing, or very little. And add to that the stressors if you are going out of your community for surgery, you may not have pre-op classes or appointments where you can ask questions prior to surgery. But then you read. You research, you take the time to learn everything you can. Sometimes that does mean asking questions, and you are right, I can chose not to answer them. Which I often do. Glad you're here, I love it when another person who isn't afraid to post her/his feelings and get into a healthy discussion is online with me.

Sadly, yes it can make you a bit bitter. I did Trauma/Burn/Emergency Surgery for five years and after about two years, I was grateful when I'd get a flaming drunk or coked out person that the docs sedated and intubated (put a breathing tube in) just because they were being a jerk. It is sad when you lose some of that compassion. I'm a VERY compassionate person and I do have the patience of Job, really. But after a couple of years of the idiots (dumbasses who played chicken with a semi going 75mph on a donor cycle, drunks who fell off rooftops while trying to write their name in the snow with their own pee, idiots who were coke heads or drunk and ran from the "50," etc), you start losing sight of why you went into medicine in the first place. I'm sorry you had such a crappy experience, and I certainly can't account for why you did, especially in light of the size of the hospital and community you live in. You'd think that in a small community where just about everyone knows the next person that there'd be a little more care taken on how they treat folks. But you gotta know that when you make a statement like: I hate most nurses and doctors they are such (insert bad word) ... Those of us who are medical professionals are probably going to come out and try to squash your statement, even though you followed it up with: ...PS if any of you are doctors or nurses I dont mean to offend any of you because I dont know u and am only speaking of people I have had experience with. I agree with Marimaru, I'd contact the institution and talk witht them about how you were treated and why you think it happened (shift change laziness). Though you may not see any immediate difference, someone somewhere down the line might. They may look a their shift staffing and overlap them a bit so it won't be as big of a deal to "push them out" before the end of your shift. Though I have to say I (in theory) disagree with your statement about it being because she was lazy and didn't want to deal with you at shift change. Shouldn't matter a lick to her in the ER, that's what the next shift is for, unless it was an urgent care that closes at a certain time. Then I think that's crap to blow someone off that OBVIOUSLY (two inch flapping gash?-YOWSA) needs medical attention and stitches. Glad it is taken care of and you are on the road to mending.

No worries, but it sort of underscores many people's points that even though the info is out there, some don't look for it. Perhaps because we all have different reading styles. Some get on a board and get excited and just want to post, others sit there for months reading and not saying a thing, some will try out all the functions and go look for the FAQ. I'm sure there is also a certain degree of not know what FAQ means.

Goodness, I wasn't saying you didn't have a right to post here (didn't know where you were anyway, you have no stats or ticker, which is also fine-totally your choice). Heck, I'm nowhere near goal at all and I still post in here from time to time for the same reasons you mentioned about this forum being inspiring to me who is so far from goal. It's nice to read the thoughts and experiences of those who are near/at goal. What I'm saying is that I think this thread is in the right place, perhaps your issues and beliefs and thoughts are different from Tami's (you this this is bad because of the negativity, she was frustrated and chose to vent to others who were near/at goal). So should she keep her tongue because she doesn't want to hurt someone's feelings? I would say it would be an inappropriate post in the General section or the Support section or even the Monthly sections, but here in the goal section to ask about how others view newbies is fine.

Here's three of the five threads started by Wendell, I also looked through all his posts and sadly he hasn't posted his LapBand 101 or 102 here yet, but it can be found on obesityhelp.com http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f13/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-41738/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/when-ask-doctor-44479/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/importance-before-during-photographs-41720/

Gummiebear does have a valid point, but the other side of the coin is that this section was started for near/at goal folks. While anyone can read and post here, and should feel welcome (I do), I also bear in mind that these folks are NEAR/AT GOAL. They are going to have different issues and frustrations. Why should a Goalie have to take a discussion into RnR that really has quite a bit to do with Goalie issues (like being and "Oldie" and getting frustrated by band "babies")? I think this thread is a good one and is in the place it should be. Tami asked the question of folks who were like her, near/at goal.

Gummiebear, there IS a forum like that. See, you didn't even look for it! What's it named? Lap-Band Surgery FAQs and References Here's the link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/ The topics: Two LIVE Lap-band Surgery Videos! Post-op Checklists - Things to have before surgery. Abbreviations and What They Mean Medical Studies on Lap-band Some Questions to ask about LAPBAND Links Technical Lap-Band Reference BMI Information and Calculation Surgery -- Questions to Ask

Bumping! GREAT thread!

Hello! I dug up a few threads about this topic, someone posted a poll once, too. I thought it would be interesting to see what others have had to say about their feet as well: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/did-your-shoe-size-change-31804/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/shoe-size-shrinking-13220/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/skinny-feet-37312/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/feet-size-34811/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/lower-bmi-bandsters-26697/

Alida, :welcomeB: to LBT! Here's a couple of links for you to click on, the first is a forum of Frequently Asked Questions and has loads of good info about what the abbreviations mean, what to ask a doc, what the band is, etc... The second is a link to a thread that describes how the band works and how fills work. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f13/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-41738/

Perhaps anytime you click on a thread link or the forum that would take you into RnR you would first go to a screen that says in HUGE letters something like this: LBT Rants and Raves *** Off-Topic DEBATE AREA *** Want debate? Get it here. Gripe, complain, moan, fight, rant and rave. Enter at your own risk! This is an area of no-holds-barred discussion, some of the views and thoughts expressed here may be disconcerting to some, if you don't like it, don't read it. It can be a place for people to vent, RnR is not a "support" forum. By clicking to continue you agree to the above statement.

And yes, no carbonation (no Sprite) right after surgery. Some docs say never again, some say let it go flat first, some say it's fine after a certain period of time... Again a question for your doc and nutritionist.

:welcomeB: to LBT, and congrats on your decision to get the band and get healthier! Unfortunately I can answer NONE of your questions, no one can unless they went to the same surgeon as you. Sadly, almost every surgeon is different in what they will and will not allow you to eat/drink/give you to take post-op. I could tell you what my surgeon did, but if your surgeon is more conservative, that won't be helpful. If your surgeon is more liberal than what mine was, then you wil have worried for nothing. I suggest you call your surgeon's office first thing in the morning and leave a message for someone to call you and ask these questions of them. I really do wish I could help but again, I cannot say what your surgeon will allow. One thing I can say is that the unflavored unjury dissolves in Clear liquids and I can't think of anyone who has yet said they couldn't have it. Popsicles melt to clear liquid so they are almost always allowed. Frequently Jello is allowed as well during clears. Again, ask YOUR surgeon's office. The most important thing to remember is that this is a short period out of your life, a few weeks. You've been heavy for YEARS, you can do a few weeks. It is so very important to follow YOUR doc's post-op rules because the band gets "seated" into place around your stomach by the formation of scar tissue. It is sutured in place in the front of the stomach, but they can't get to the back to suture it and have to rely on Mother Nature to scar it into place. Your stomach needs to churn as little as possible (food=more churning to digest, liquids=less churning) to allow the scars to form.

Hmmmm, okay. Do the pickles need to be fried to put in the lemon yogurt, or are you saying to cut up pickles out of the jar? 'Cuz I'm gonna try it.

OMG!!!! I LOVE fried Dill Pickles!!!!!! Dipped in ranch dressing....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Course I also LOVE Cabbage Soup, but only the kind from Big Boy-specifically Elias Brother's franchises.