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Dr. Peter O'Brien in Sioux Falls is now offering the lap-band- here's his info: Peter O'Brien Sioux Valley Clinic-Surgical Associates Sioux Falls 605-328-3840

Hey Gabby- Wow! 45lbs in 3 months is awesome! Its great that you and your husband are able to do this together. I'd also be interested in knowing th calorie range you aim for. Do you exercise? Melissa

I would suggest that you make an appt with your pcp to get checked out. There are lots of things, including thyroid conditions, that can cause fatigue. Be aware that they have recently lowered the "normal" range for TSH, so if you were borderline before, you might be considered hypo now. I tested high-normal for years before I became hypo, and I feel 100% better since I started taking meds. You may also be at point where you have to exercise to lose weight. In my experience, even before banding, if I eat 1200-1400 cal/day, don't exercise and don't drink enough Water, I won't lose any weight, and I might even gain a few lbs. I think that FitDay really overestimates the calories burned for basal metabolism. Good Luck! Melissa

Hello, I'm from Mora- but I had my surgery with Dr. Billing in Moose Lake. Have you been banded yet? Where are you at in the process? Melissa

Congratulations Kathy! I'm glad everythings going so well for you! Melissa

Hey Joyce, Congratulations on getting your surgery date! I had my surgery about 3 weeks ago and everything went really well. Will your surgery be outpatient or inpatient? I have not had my gallbladder out, but I have heard that the recoveries are similair. I was not hooked up to any tubes when I woke up- except for the IV. My suggestions would be to eat lightly the day before your surgery, and walk as much and as soon as you can. Melissa

Amanda, Good luck at your consultation! It amazing how different the waiting time is for different surgeons. For the first surgeon I contacted, it was a 10-12 wait for the FIRST meeting with the surgeon. I kept looking and found a surgeon who did not have a waiting list and I made an appointment for 2 weeks later. I had my surgery (outpatient) with him about 2 weeks ago, and everything went great. Good Luck! Melissa

Hi Dawn, Its amazing to me how different post-op diets can be. I was banded on Monday, and was told to do 3 days of clear liquids, than 3 weeks of full liquids. Today was my last day of clears and tomorrow I'll start full's. I don't think you've hurt anything by going to full liquids a little early, but I'm no expert! Melissa

Hi Kasie! Congrats on deciding to be banded! Have you contacted any surgeons yet? I think the first step for any of them is to attend one of their informational seminars. Also, you should join the yahoo group MN_Bandsters. There are a few more people in that group- although its still not too active. There is also a database of surgeons. My surgeon is Dr. Billing, located in Moose Lake, MN. I had my first appointment in early November and could have had surgery in late December. Here's some other MN surgeons that might be closer to home (I took this info from the MN-Bandsters yahoo site): Dr. Robert Wetherville 952-993-3180 3900 Park Nicollet Boulevard St. Louis Park, MN 55416 Dr. Sayeed Ikramuddin 612-625-8445 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Dr. Howard McCollister 218-546-8375 Central Lakes Medical Clinic, Crosby, MN Dr. Billings 218-485-5842 Moose Lake MN Dr. Michael L. Schwartz 612-338-1100 920 E 28th St., Minneapolis, MN 55007 I would suggest trying Dr. Wetherville first. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Ikramuddin both have really long waiting lists. Good Luck! Let me know if there's anything else I can do. Melissa Pre-Band 3-8-04!!

I'm 23 and the tests my surgeon required were an EGD, Manometry and a full physical (including pap, within the last year). I also had to meet with a dietician and have a psych evaluation. For older patients, my surgeon sometimes has them meet with a physical therapist. Melissa

Hi! Congrats on getting your surgery date and getting your insurance to pay for it! My surgery is also scheduled for March 8th, with my pre-op physical on the 3rd 8 months is 32 weeks- at the average 1-2 lbs a week, you should be really close to -40lbs! Where are you having your surgery at? Do you have to do a pre-op diet at all? Good Luck! Melissa

Hi Misty- Yep, I'm still here. My surgery that was originally scheduled for December, was delayed while I had some more testing done- finally- all that testing is done and I can get my band! I just recieved a surgery date of March 8th! What type of insurance do you have now? I know that BCBS just recently changed their policy and are now denying all requests for lap-band. :think Luckily, I recieved my approval in December, just before this policy went into effect. I just heard about a surgeon in Sioux Falls, SD- he has just started doing the band. I believe that he said the cost was around $10,000. Thats much less than the $19,000 I was quoted. If you are interested in his name- let me know. Its comparable to the Mexican prices, and much closer to home. Sioux Falls is about 3-4 hrs from Minneapolis and I think that Dr. Billing in Moose Lake will do fills for patients he didn't band. I put a link in the South Dakota support section for a story about the surgeon in Sioux Falls- you might want to check that out. Good Luck, and DON'T give up! Melissa:)

Hi Tina, Yes, I would consider being a surgeon's first lap-band patient depending on the situation. Will this doctor be willing to learn about and provide you with the proper aftercare- or is he going to treat you like another bypass patient? If he does not provide you with good aftercare, will you be able or willing to find out what you need and find a way to get it? I think that the follow-up care is more important than the actual placement of the band. Melissa

I know- no one has joined me from SD yet, but I saw this news story and thought it was pretty good. I'm not sure about the 70 lbs in 3 weeks though...... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4306519/ Melissa

Hi Al, I just thought I'd share my experience with you. I think I will be the most patient person on earth by the time I get my band! After waiting 9 months for my initial consultation, I did my pre-op tests in November, and the my stuff was sent to my insurance in early December. I got my approval and was scheduled for surgery on December 23rd. My pcp than talked with my surgeon and decided that I needed to see an endocrinologist for some tests. Endo said that everything looked good, but he wanted to test my cortisol levels "just in case". Sure enough, I got the results back the Friday before my surgery, and my cortisol levels were high. So my surgery was cancelled until I had more tests. Fast forward to last week- after more tests, it turns out that I have high cortisol levels because I'm obese, slightly depressed, stressed and taking birth control pills. So, now I'm waiting for the letter from my endo to get to the surgeon so that I can reschedule my surgery. Lots of wasted time and money! However, I feel much more prepared and less stressed this time around. I have had time to do more research, talk to more people and I am more convinced than ever that the lap-band is for me. Anyway, I really wish you luck and hope that everything works out and you don't have to delay your surgery. Keep us posted! Good Luck, Melissa

Hi Renata! Congrats on getting banded! I'm glad everything is going well for you. I'm still pre-band (hopefully not for long!), but I have read that shoulder pain is very common and usually gets gradually better. Try a warm heating pad and see if that helps. Good Luck! Melissa

Congrats! March 8th will come very quickly! Where are you having your surgery at? Do you have to do a pre-op diet? I'm waiting (impatiently!) to schedule a date, but I'm hoping for early March. Good Luck! Melissa

Hi Gabby, Wow, you are doing great! 24lbs in 24 days. Where did you have your surgery done? Are you exercising? Do you have a desk job or ?. I'm planning on taking a week off, but if I need more time, it won't be the end of the world. I'm also in MN, and I'm hoping to have my surgery in early March with Dr. Billing in Moose Lake. Melissa

Please don't give up that easily. MN insurance companies seem to be pretty good about paying for lap-band. What kind do you have? My insurance would not pay for pills or diets either, but they are going to pay for my lap-band. At least call and talk to a few of the surgeons. I have been to the info seminars at Park Nicollett and Abbott. Abbott has a really long waiting list (almost a year), but Park Nicollett doesn't take too long. At least you will have gotten a start-maybe your insurance will change? If you are willing to drive, Dr. Billings in Moose Lake does not have a waiting list at all. Also, do some more research about doctors in Mexico. I know it seems like a lot of money, but its less than a new car. Would you be willing to drive an older car for a few years? I know I would be. Good Luck!

Hey Misty- I was just wondering how things were going for you? What do you think of Park Nicollett? Is your insurance paying? Melissa

Hi- With your stats- your BMI would be about 37. Most insurance companies require a BMI of 40, or 35 with other serious, weight related problems. But, if you are paying for it yourself, a BMI of 37, I think, would be good enough, even with out other health issues. Paying for it yourself, in MN at least, is really expensive. The surgeon I'm going to use gave me an estimate of $20,000. Most people with no insurance go to Mexico and have it done for less than $10,000. I would suggest joining the MNBandsters Yahoo group and posting there. They also have a database of MN surgeons. Anyway, I am 23 yrs old and also live in MN. If I can be of any more help, please email me. Its melgsht@yahoo.com. Good Luck! Melissa

I'm so excited! I just found out that my lap-band surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, December 23rd! Less than two weeks away. Dr. Billing from Moose Lake is doing my surgery. I started my pre-op diet on Tuesday, and so far, so good. I can do anything for two weeks. I'm still a little concerned about insurance, as I don't have approval yet, but they have assured me it shouldn't be a problem. I don't think I'll relax until I wake up from surgery and they tell me everything went okay. Melissa

TJ- I'm sorry! That sucks. I hated the manometry test, I hope I never have to do it again! My nose was running, my eyes were watering, and I think I "dry" swallowed WAY too much. I was a mess. I think I'd rather have 5 EGD's. Which test did you do first? I wonder if its better to have the egd first. I had some bad news today too-one of the tests I had done last week came back slightly abnormal. So I have to go back tomorrow morning to have another test done. I have no idea if this will delay my surgery or not, I hope not, but I sure am worried about it! On the other hand, I also found out today that my insurance approved the surgery! What a rollar coaster ride. I hope your next test comes out perfect and the month goes by fast! Melissa

Hi Misty- I'm also still pre-band, but hopefully that will change soon! I'm also going to use Dr. Billing in Moose Lake. Last week I had most of my pre-op tests done- just one more to go. I have BC/BS insurance and have been told that it will be covered, as long as I meet the medically necessary criteria. Where do you live? Have you decided on a surgeon yet? Have you gone to any info meetings? I went to the meeting at Abbot last February-and have been on their waiting list since than. I got tired of waiting in October, so I went to the meeting at Methodist Hospital and than met with the doctor in Moose Lake. I choose Moose Lake because for me it is easier to drive to, and is a much smaller program. Everytime I call with a question- I get an answer almost right away. Anyway, good luck! Melissa

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that there is another surgeon in Minnesota doing Lap-Band surgery's. His name is Dr. Peter Billing and he is located in Moose Lake, MN. His phone number is 218-485-5842. I'm pretty sure he's just starting out, as he had an ad in my local paper and no waiting list. I called on a Monday and he could have seen me that same week. Due to my schedule, I can't see him until Nov. 10th. When I called the office, I actually talked to him. He asked me some questions and I asked him a few. Much different than the people at Abbot! Anyway, I'll post again after I've seen him. Melissa