mufasas-mom

you look terrific - congrats!

so therefore - there is really no such thing as 'slider food' because all food has to be absorbed and processed....which makes sense to me. I remember when I was on the lap band boards they went on and on about slider foods and I thought it meant it was more easy to slide down then getting stuck by the band.

I am right there with you on the 10th though. My daughter is taking me in, so she will be so ready to dump my butt.....then I get 4 weeks off from work....that part will be nice in helping me get used to my new stomach. so looking forward to this...I've told my boss that I am sorry I have not been here 100% but I'm so damn preoccupied with this surgery, that i can't help it - thank goodness he's so understanding and is excited for this for me as well. 13 more days......

what i don't get about slider food, is our stomachs can only hold so much food - we digest food normally - so why is it called a slider food? it doesn't just slide through, it still has to be digested, right? i thought slider foods were for people who have the lap band.....

I also received special paperwork from UHC - so at my 6th visit I made sure that I had signed that form and told the coordinator to use this form when they send it all in. I think they had a copy of the form already - but at least I knew that I had signed this one....all done and approved in 3 business days.

Best bet is to call the insurance company yourself and get a list of all their requirements prior to starting out - that way you know exactly what needs to be done to be approved through your insurance company. However, your surgeon may have other tests that need to be done, and you should check with his office to see what his requirements are - then check with the surgeons office and ask if they will hold off sending you in for insurance approval until all the testing is done or just all the testing that is required for your insurance. Mine waited till all the testing was complete (insurance required and surgeon required) before submitting it to final insurance approval.

i just started my two week pre-op diet yesterday - except I'm not calling it a diet - I'm calling it my pre-op prep phase - I HATE THE WORD DIET - to me it just means failure. But I am lucky, 1 get one regular meal a day, plus an egg and toast/bagel/english muffin for breakfast and just 2 shakes a day. So since I've been prepping for this for months - I eat 1/2 my lunch and then eat the other 1/2 at dinner (I checked with my NUT and she said that's fine, as the salads we have here at the office are HUGE). I make a shake at home in the morning and finish that - then make another one that I drink around 3pm....so all in all this has been pretty easy. So sorry for those of you who have terrible liquid only phases.....

correct - it's a bacteria in your intestines - usually you have to go on 2 weeks of antibiotics and wait 30 days and be retested again prior to having surgery -apparently it's pretty bad if you get cut open and this bacteria is present.

thats a great idea - then she'd not have to worry about how long True Results would take to transfer her paperwork to another facility....let us know if this works out for you Kiesha!

good deal - sounds like all will work out....that's fantastic. I hope you refund back from TR is soon.....

I'm having my surgery done at Plano Baylor - I have UHC and they are a COE hospital. bluejean - did you get your surgery date yet??

I totally agree that true results is nothing but a lap band factory. I am happy with my sleeve choice and can't wait till sept. 10

I had a terrific t-bone steak last night with a sweet potato before I started my pre-op diet today.....man was it great!! but I'm lucky, I don't have a liquid only pre-op diet - just 2 shakes a day with sensible meal - so it's pretty easy. good luck to you!

yes - the band is definately the roll of the dice...not for me. In my visit with Dr marsden (45 min) he actually stated he preferred the sleeve over the band due to all the complications. I am so excited - Sept. 10 is only 2 weeks away....and we have a LONG weekend coming up ...started the pre-op today -which is only 2 shakes a day and a sensible meal - plus all the sugar free drinks, Jello and pudding.

I stayed with them because it was at the 5th visit that I changed my mind to the sleeve and didn't want to risk not getting all the paperwork over to another facility when they are really good at all the paperwork - then choose Dr. Marsden over the other surgeons due to overall surgical experience - not sleeve experience - but his overall years as a surgeon. everyone is different - make your choice according to how you feel and don't let them push you towards anything you are not comfortable with. Good luck to everyone!!

I agree - the facility at True Results is there to only make money on the lapband..as they get paid per band installed - ..but I didn't let them change my mind- they also asked why I was not having the surgery done at their center (another money making center) - i was like are you nuts.....this is major surgery and I would never have it somewhere as an outpatient....I was quite adament about this and therefore they never tried to push the issue. they will NOT be making any money off of me.....just the office visits they will bill my insurance company. that's why they try and shove the crap band down your throat. I predict in about 5 years, they will not be offering the band due to it's many complications.

We all have to make the choice in which we feel the most comfortable with. I personally asked how many sleeves he has done and he said around 30 with no leaks or complications. He said he takes his time to ensure all goes well and uses evisel as a sealant after the staples - he has been looking into the complcation rate and found out that many surgeons don't use this sealant on the outside of the staple line, but they do a double stitch as an oversewn process. He has checked and most of the strictures and leaks have been in his opinion associated with those techniques - he said that the staple line should not be pinched and such by oversewn, as this can cause problems. Also, Dr Marsden has performed 1000+ gastric bypass and other bariatric surgeries - so I feel very comforable in my decision. I wish you well and hope you get to your goal weight in a timely manner!!

Sept 10 for me Dr Marsden Plano Baylor texas

Glad you like them as well.....just so happy that I don't have to deal with them anymore!! don't have to worry about fills and dealing with all that....so glad I decided on the sleeve. that's odd about the price difference - I wonder if it was more cause maybe Dr Kim's office was out of network or not a part of the COE for your insurance. I'm happy that this is covered at 100% for me since I've met my deductible and out of pocket max already!! good luck.... can't believe Sept. 10th is fast approaching - I start my two week diet next Monday.....

Thats odd as I have UHC and plano baylor is a coe where dr marsden does his surgery at. In talking with him i felt like he truly cares about his patients and would be there if they needed him. Good luck with your sleeve.

WOW only 1 overnight stay at the hospital? that's good - I'm scheduled for at least 2 nights, if i need to I can stay one more evening. congrats glad to hear all went well...another success

Which true results location do you use? I used the Richardson office, as I was originally going to do the 'crap band' but after my research - decided that was NOT the way to go. the staff there were always pleasant but I was also a pain in their rear, as I phoned ALL the time for questions and such and to make sure they were on top of things. Good luck to you - I'm getting sleeved on Sept. 10!! Can't wait.

perhaps in open enrollment you can ask your HR rep is they are going to include it for next year. If not, maybe you have a flex spending account with your office for medical expenses and you can possibly tap into that? good luck

my surgeon will be using this sealant after the rows of staples to ensure no bleeding and providing me with a 'scab-like' sealant over the staple line (this is the site:http://www.ethicon360.com/products/evicel-fibrin-sealant-human) he said that they would take blood from me when i got to the hospital and combine it with the Evicel - then he sort of sprays it on. According to my surgeon, this has been what he attributes to no leaks and such. I had inquired about the overstitching/oversewn process and he said that he and his peers were concerned that the oversewn could be adding to the leak/strictures rate due to the staple line being bunched up and pinched - as the staple could loosen and cause the leak down the road. just wondered if this was common with other VSG's surgeons.

i have 20 more days and each day I get more and more anxious.....