faithmd

Sorry, I don't think she looks great at all. I think she looks gaunt and tired. And I'm no longer a fan of hers (I used to really respect her on Court TV and I liked the fact that she was a woman who was so well-spoken and such a dynamic personality) because of how she tried to deceive folks. If you are having bariatric surgery that is going to cause you to lose so fast like the RNY, and you are in the public eye, you have to know that your life is no longer private. Just own up to the surgery and be done with it, move on. She dragged it out forever dodging the question like kids in a dodgeball game. To write a book and never mention it, left a sour taste in my mouth. But I'm glad she was able to lose the weight and that she is healthy and hopefully happy. It's a great accomplishment!

Megan, check out obesityhelp.com, there you can read some reviews by patients of the surgeons. This place is wonderful for advice and support, but usually only the larger clinics get threads that are very active. Intersting that Chengelis doesn't do the band, MCare has him on their list of approved providers for it. Oh well, Krause is as well. You also might want to join some Yahoo! Groups, some good ones for starting research are Bandsters, BandstersInsurance and for SE Michigan folks there is Eastside_Bandsters. Where will your insurance pay for you to go? Will they only pay for you to go to Beaumont? Or did you choose Beaumont because it is closer and/or you already go there or work there? I work at UM and live in A2, but I am going to Hurley in Flint. MCare pays for Hurley, Beaumont Royal Oak and Beaumont Troy, and UM. UM still hasn't placed one band yet, so they were out of the running. Deol at WBH Troy wants the $800 for the mandatory support group fee plus you need to use her docs for your pre-op stuff (more money) and the consult is I believe $200 that is also out of pocket. Too much to pay for all at once for me. I don'tknow enough about WBH Troy. Hurley has a $195 food kit they require, but other than that, there is nothing hidden. If your insurance pays for Port Huron, I'd go that route, those guys are VERY experienced and skilled and have excellent post-op care. Dr. Mark Pleatman in Bloomfield Hills (or is it West?) anyway, he's also really skilled.

Here is a before, and a couple of recent pics of Star Jones Reynolds.

To the poll poster, could you clarify what the law is going to say? Does it speak to the term "smacking" or "spanking" or does it merely refer to "physical punishment"? Because I agree, smacking is totally different than spanking, or slapping a hand if a child is reaching for a hot pot.

I guess I got lucky, I anticipated 30 or 45 days, but my case manager at the insurance company told me that once the surgeon's office submits, it's usually two. Two days, be still my fluttering heart! Hopefully I'll know by Monday or Tuesday.

This is a great place to start, but may also want to check on obesityhelp.com, they have listings of doctors by state and also sometimes will have the insurances they have been known to take on each doctor's profile.

I could care less if he is uncomfortable. If he is, then I would probably rethink choosing that surgeon. Asking him his statistics is the bare minimum we should do to protect ourselves as clients. Remember, you are hiring him to work on your most valuable and precious asset, YOU! Would you think twice about rigorously interviewing someone who is going to remodel your home? And if they got squirrley during that interview, what would you do? You wouldn't hire that contractor, right? But no, I have yet to encounter a GOOD surgeon who isn't happy to answer these questions. The only caveat I have for you is that sometimes they are very short or quick with you. Do not mistake that for not being comfortable. They are taught from day one to keep moving, time is money and lives. But do not be afraid to tell them up front that you have quite a few questions, that way they are prepared for it. Good luck!

Mine, too!

It stinks that they don't contat you before denials if there is info you needed to provide, but I have always, and will continue to stress the absolute importance of contacting your insurance company before starting this process and requesting the qualification criteria for approval. Then make sure you get a copy of it so you have it in writing. If you had known they required the 5 years, I'm sure you would have submitted that information in the first go-round. Of course there are the companies that change their requirements mid-process. But if you have it in writing from when you started, they will usually cave and grandfather you in to the old criteria.

I have been lurking for months and months and finally joined a couple of months ago. I think perhaps the perception of negativity can be partially explained by our sensitive souls a this point in our lives as well as the tendency here for some "tough love" and true honesty. I absolutely appreciate that honesty and tough love. It's what so many of us need to wake up and see our goal. I like LBT, and am very grateful for all of you here, whether we agree or not. I'll be leaning on all of you a lot harder in (hopefully) a few weeks when I am finally given this wonderful tool, The Band. I look forward to that honesty and tough love.

Great minds think alike!

And here's the last few for the surgeon: What are the chances of infection? Does an occurrence of infection always mean the band must be removed? How often do your patients need their band removed (or any other additional surgical procedures)? Since I carry a lot of weight in my abdomen, does that increase the complexity or risk of complications with a laparoscopic procedure? Does my abdominal fat increase my chance of needing fat pads removed from my stomach? Does that have any risks associated with it? What are the chances I will need my gall bladder removed? Is there anything I can do dietary-wise to reduce the risk of gall stones?

Here's the list I took to the Bariatric Surgery information session, there's a few that are the same, but some that are different: Pre-op Questions Does the surgery require an overnight stay in the hospital (inpatient surgery)? If so, how long will you be in the hospital? What are the hospital visiting hours? What will I need to do to prepare for the surgery? Do I need ABG? Why? Upper GI? ECHO or EKG? (last Echo in August; EKG/Stress Test in January) PFT? Can I buy my own pre-op diet? Do you require it? How many bands have you done? What is your rate of erosion/slippage/revision? What size band do you usually put in? 4cc or 9cc or 10cc Vanguard? How do you decide? Where do you place the port? Can I mark my skin where my waistband and bra sit? What is the follow up care like? How often do I come in for follow-ups? Who decides on the fills, doctor, nutritionist or me? Are they done under fluoro? Who does them? What is the cost for fills? How many of the staff have the band, how many have had any weight loss surgery? What is the “success” rate and what does “success” mean? Is there a resident involved, or is there teaching during the case? Can I use my own psych? Nutritionist? How long do you have patients on clears, then creamy, then mushies post-op? Do you have an office visit before advancing?

Welcome to LBT! Take a while, look around. There is a forum that has just the questions you are looking for, here's the link, but you can find it on the main page under Lapband FAQ's and References. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/lap-band-faqs-f73.html Here's a list I took with me: Questions to ask during consultation: 2) Research the doctor. What kind of follow up care is provided? (ie: fills, unfills, endoscopies, fluroscopies, port revisions, removal, etc). Ask to speak to about 5 or 6 of his patients before you make a decision. Ask those people if they have any complaints or issues with their care before, during and after the procedure. How many of the procedures has he done? What types of complications can occur from this procedure and how frequently do they happen? (ie: perforations, etc) What types of complications has he personally ran into doing this procedure? What is his policy when a complication occurs during a procedure? (ie: does he discuss options with family or immediately convert to bypass or other WLS). Is he Inamed approved for the procedure? If not then who qualified him to perform the procedure and can you have literature to verify this? 3) Research the procedure. How is the procedure performed? Will you use the Pars Flaccida approach? What type of sutures do you use? Can I request glue and not staples? Will I have a catheter placed? If I am on my menses, can I wear a tampon? What will I need to have prepared when I get home in way of food items? What are the short term issues? What are the long term issues? How will I be able to take my pills? Will you write today for liquid pain meds? Do you want me to take antibiotics post-op? If so, will you write for Diflucan? 4) Follow up care. What is the schedule for fills? When can I get my first fill? How is the fill procedure performed? (ie: with or without fluroscopy) What is the cost for fills? (under fluro and not) How often will I need to be seen? Will I have access to a Nutritionist? How do you handle unfills? Is there a direct line in case of Emergencies? Does your doctor have email address? Should I continue to take Metformin? What Vitamins should I be taking? Will I need to crush my pills? If so then for how long? Are there any pills that cannot be crushed? If so then how will I be able to take them?

WOOHOO!!!!! I just had my consult today, so now I'm waiting... CONGRATS!!!

meeg: Did you go to a session Dr. Deol did, or Dr. Krause or Chengelis? If you went to Deol's, I hope they told you about the $800 charge for the MANDATORY support group fee which is over and above the other fees. Insurance doesn't cover this fee. It was the main reason I didn't use her. There is no mention of it on her website and when you call for more info, they don't tell you unless you ask about it. I don't mind that there is a fee or that there is a program that's mandatory, it's her practice and she can run it as she sees fit, but I was taken aback by not being told about it up front. I am going to Hurley in Flint (I'm from the Ann Arbor area, so it's a bit of a drive, but not bad) and I am very impressed with their staff and how nice and knowledgeable the surgeon I consulted with was. (Dr. Wagner, but from what I have read, they are all wonderful there.) The only complaint I had was the wait time, but you always wait around in a surgeon's office. Though Hurley requires you to buy a special pre-op and post-op diet (one week pre-op for BMI under 50, and two weeks post op) that costs $195. But $195 is better than $800, and I figure I'd pay close to that for groceries for three or four weeks. The reason I bring it up is that when I attended the information session, the director gave the presentation (Dr. Obeid, but he's off with a family emergency right now) and he said that even with a BMI of between 35 and 40, they'll consider things such as family history a comorbidity. If you have a strong family history of heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, there is four comorbidities. Hope that helps a bit. And yes, I'd start eating some good sundaes and Cookies...

I saw the sirgeon today and took all of this data to show him. Their practice uses staples, which I do not want. They itch me something fierce and I've taken enough of them out to know that I do not want them taken out of me. It can be ouchie. He gave me very valid reasons why they use staples and it has to do with healing and infection rates. They have exceptionally low rates (only one port infected, and that was cleared with oral antibiotics) in the 16 months or so they've been doing the band. I can have nylon sutures instead, but they will likely itch just as much. so I'll probably end up with staples, they will not do steristrips or dermabond. He explained that with the dermabond (glue) there is a higher risk of a seroma and infection than with an exposed wound such as with sutures or staples. And heck, their non-existant infection rate tells me all I need to know, I guess.

A friend of mine wants her labia reduced. she thinks it will be "prettier" without the lips. To me it is like circumcision, that's the way nature made us, I'm not messing permanently with nature's doing.

I would actually call and check with your insurance company. They are the ones who approve or disapprove payment. My insurance company told me it was the first weight I was at when I saw my doctor to request a referral for WLS. But again, check with your company, they may be different.

There are a lot of threads about this, for more answers beyond what you receive, try using the search function and look for sushi. I have read that while some have difficulty with the white rice, others do not. Most have said they have to cut each piece into three or four bites, though. Several sushi lovers have said they merely switched to sashimi (without the rice) and have had no problems. Sushi (well, California and Dragon rolls, specifically-I don't do raw) is one of my all-time favorite foods. I was very happy to read I may be able to still eat it. I love the rolls with avocado in them and I use soy sauce, so that should make it a bit more mushy and slippery, hopefully I'll be able to tolerate it. Good luck and happy Sushi-eating!

Hi Janine! Don't take any of this personally, I think all of this talk about following MD orders is focused at jubjub. I agree that artificial sweeteners are not (as a general rule) very good for you. I avoid them as much as possible, too. I am from near Ann Arbor and had my first consult today. Can't wait to get a date! (At Hurley with Dr. James Wagner). I will also be following MD orders about my diet to the best of my ability. It is merely a few weeks out of my life, it will not kill me, and there is certainly enough date and research about slippage and complications if I don't follow them. My surgeon's practice has had only one slip in the 16 months the practice has been doing the band, and it was due to non-compliance. I'm going to comply... I already told the dietician that other than the pre-op mandatory diet kit that has artificial sweeteners in it, I will not be using any. She was just fine with it. I need to get some of the agave sweetener. I like the Stevia, but it's kind of bitter.

Here's tegaderm, it's hard to see, but it's the shiny square stuff over the staple line.

A Steri-Strip is more like a papery tape with strands in it, kind of like how fiberglass package tape looks, but made of a paper-like material. Very different.

Yup, me thinks someone either fibbed BIG time in their psych consult, or they were self-pay and didn't have to have one. It's hard to stop yourself eating when you have the muchies, too :bolt: (a little 420) But I do wish jubjub luck and really hope no complications arise.

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