WASaBubbleButt

Thanks alot. I really appreciate it. We all need the support from our fellow Sleevesters. No one else knows our particular struggles, etc.

One day at a time....absolutely!

Isn't that true! Nobody else seems to "get" it the way our peers do.

Yes, it is very addictive and helpful. And some of us even know one another - had surgery at the same time or within a day of one another. That's cool too.

Glad you're here and feel at home :confused1:

Even for those of us that do not know one another in r/t, we are still very close. It's weird... we know one another on an internet message board but we sincerely care about others. I'd love to see a study on THAT! ;o)

For those of us with addictive personalities, being an Admin on such a message board feeds my addiction quite well. ;o)

Well it is official, I have scheduled July 16 to go in to have a balloon put in to open up my sleeve, to help reduce the acid reflux problem I am having. I am excited and then not looking forward to either. I hope this helps.:confused1::confused1::confused1:

Ahhhh, they are dilating your sleeve. Understood. Please, make sure they go very slowly so they do not cause a leak! Life is good with a functional sleeve!

I picked some fresh greens from my garden today. Collard, mustard, spinish, turnip and some wild poke greens. This is how I cooked them. Of course you can use any kind that you like.

In a gallon sized pot brown 3 or 4 pieces of bacon with 1 heaping T. of minced garlic.

Add your fresh washed greens. I put in about 1 gallon or more. Push them down in the pan.

Add 2 cans of fat free chicken broth, put on lid and cook until tender.

They will cook way down and wont make as much as you think. I have enough to last me for a few days. They are very good warmed up. I like a little vinegar with mine.:confused1:

Enjoy, Judy

A very dear friend of mine, her grandmother used to make me greens. I LOVED them! She passed away about 2 weeks ago before she taught me how to do this myself. For this reason I especially appreciate this recipe.

I know she used ham hocks. I do not even know what a ham hock is. Can you tell me how greens are made with ham hocks and where I get these things?

Grandma was very special to me. I was not prepared for her to move on. She was supposed to teach me how to make southern fried chicken and greens the old way. But she passed away first. She spoke of taking the easy way out, frozen greens and cooked her way. I do not know what her way was. It was very good. ;o)

Your timing is perfect, thanks for the recipe.

ETA.... I believe she said she used collard greens, is there some special recipe for collard greens? She introduced me to this fantastic food and it feels like I'll never get to experience it again now that she's gone. :confused1:(

Yes, the cable stations suck!!!

Were watching movies, and tomorrow we will be starting the stargate atantis series and watching the entire series.

My room doesn't get wireless...so I have to go out in the hallway to post. It gets very quiet around here on this side of the hospital at night.

liquids start tomorrow for me and her!!!!

That is very sweet of you to do... liquids. It's sooo hard to do liquids when everyone else is eating yummie things. Your wife is very lucky, I hope she realizes that.

AND DID YOU GIVE HER A HUG FROM ALL OF US???

You better, or ELSE! ;o)

When I Called the office earlier this week I specifically asked the RN about time off between the Sleeve and the Bariatric - she said 4 weeks no matter which surgery... So I'm not sure???? It's done Lapriscopically and I have a desk job...

That is odd. I'd talk to his other patients and see if they needed four weeks off. If they all did that tells me it is the surgeon and I'd be checking to see who else my insurance would contract with to do the surgery.

A week, two at best. This is not the horror of a surgery that many assume it is.

I remember a person on another board that was verrrry angry because her doctor wouldn't sign short term disability for 6 months. He told her she got 2 weeks, tops.

My weight didn't budge for 3 weeks so don't worry about the scale. Once you get used to solids you'll see it move down.

I have never gotten in the 60-70 grams of Protein and I don't worry about it. My bloodwork is all perfect and I healed fine. I hate all the high Protein drinks so I stick to the soy slender drinks and the Atkins Protein Bars when I need to supplement my diet.

What you can try is something WasA does; grazing. Instead of sticking to 3 meals a day, try eating every 2-3 hours. That way, you'll be able to take in more food and meet your nutritional requirements.

Elisabeth is correct, I do graze, it's my thing. ;o) But... grazers have to be extra careful of what they are grazing on. I graze on steamed veggies. A huge bowl that takes me all day to eat is 300 calories.

One can be a grazer and lose/maintain, no doubt about it. Many believe restriction alone is not good for grazers and that is not necessarily true. It all depends on what you graze on.

If you stick to NO white carb foods such as veggies and protein it's fine. But get in the habit now of the right foods to graze on or you can easily gain weight.

Yeah, but look at Oprah! I hear that she has a nickel or two squirreled away, and she doesn't seem to be able to buy her way out of the "fat zone"!:thumbup:

HH

Heh... I was thinking the same *exact* thing. I was looking to see if anyone else posted her name.

Skinny and Poor.....

Anyways With Faith the Lord will Provide!!!! :smile2:

The lord isn't providing too well for those in many countries such as Africa. Sadly, the lord does not provide.

Jaffa.... thin and poor, without a doubt. Lots of wealthy fat folks out there that are not happy campers.

Hello, I am having my first surgical consult with Dr. Ren next week and was wondering if any bandester could give me some insights into their experiences with this practice and what tips they have learned since being banded by Dr. Ren ?

Did you have any issues with your insurance ? if so did the office take care of it ?

Thanks

I would PM Alex, the owner of this site. He is a Dr. Ren patient and he adores her.

As the thread title suggests I am really struggling, to explain. I was banded almost a year ago on the 11th August 2008 and have had 4 fills since then but to date have actually managed to put on weight. I have been diagnosed with diabetes, only about 1 month ago and am seeing the diabetic nurse on the 21st July, yes it really has taken 2 months to get an appointment. I do feel the effects of the band, i don't eat bread or Pasta etc but I'm truly devastated as I really thought a year in I would be seeing some results, has any one else had this experience? Apart from seeiing the nurse that does the fills I have had no support from the hospital. I am careful with portion sizes and I reall have noticed that the band works there, it is still ony 5.5ml full and its a 10ml band so am I just being impatient or is there anyone who can give me more advice etc to help me. Hope this all makes sense?!!

love

Annika:mellow:

Being insulin resistant does make weight loss harder but not impossible.

Would you give us an example of your daily menu? If you were to eat a piece of chicken, exactly how much could you eat in one sitting?

Did he tell you how big he leaves the stomach? I keep reading here how important the size is for your weightloss. So that scares me ... :thumbup:

It is not bougie size that matters as much as technique. Rodriguez does make tiny little sleeves just like we want. ;o)

Wait... are you referring to Jose or Arturo Rodriguez? Jose is the one that makes good sleeves. Not Arturo Rodriguez.

Does anyone know a decent hotel near the airport in San Diego with shuttle service? I am going the night before my pickup due to not able to find a flight that got me there before 11 am the day of.

Thanks, Kauser

Are you going to Aceves? If so, I'd ask Nina.

Okay all, as most of you know, my surgery was on 6/12. That was 2 weeks ago this past Friday. I am still struggling to get in all my Protein and fluids.

Did anyone else - or is anyone else- still getting a feeling of everything getting 'stuck' - even fluids (inasmuch as that is all I am on at this time) - right about the spot between your boobs?

I don't understand how things get stuck when they are liquid ... however, it happens. Sometimes, when I have that stuck feeling and I brush my teeth, I start to gag. Almost like you might do if you were pregnant -- WHICH I AM NOT. Then I get very nauseaus and break out in a cold sweat and have to lay down with a fan on me until it passes.

I'm just wondering if something is wrong with me or if others have/had this issue. I'm afraid the gagging will cause a leak, aside from the fact that it hurts and is no fun.

Thanks for your input/advice.

I had something sorta kinda similar. Each time I'd take a sip of something it felt like everything from my stomach to my esophagus was in spasms. Turns out, it was. It was due to swelling and it went away soon.

Did you call Nina?

You should definitely ask for an explanation. I'm not familiar with you health care system but I'm sure you can check what other surgeons charge.

Do you think it could be the staples? The staples are verrrry expensive.

On 2nd thought that is doubtful. Hospitals usually charge 10x their cost and the staples are more expensive than $2K.

Maybe it is for the bougie?

chocolate looking round things??? Hmm. I don't remember those. Maybe it's true about the ghrelin impacting your memory! LOL

They are in individual wrappers, like mini cupcake wrappers. They aren't chocolate, but they look like chocolate. I'm not sure what they are.

It's CHOCOLATE ... who cares what they are!?!:thumbup:

HA!

I wonder if that facilitator is new? I spoke with 2 different facilitators, Ishi, and Jessica who both had surgery with Dr. Rod and they were very informative. I wanted to speak to the doc personally, I spoke with a couple other surgeons in my Quest to find one I was completely comfortable with. He told me that at least 50% of his patients come to Juarez alone, and that Ruth(at the hospital) will take very good care of us :thumbup:

He told me that he hasn't had any leaks, and that he has done over 500 sleeves, for a few years, the Lap-Band has been the "favorite" procedure for people going to him, but over the past couple years, the sleeve is in the forefront. We had a very nice conversation, he was concerned with how I felt and wanted to make sure he answered any questions I had, he addressed everything I asked, and I'm confident things are going to go just great. I was asking technical questions about the staples, the leak tests, surgery time, and he was informative and calming. I was getting alot of static from my family about going to MX, and he made me feel more at ease.

I'm ready, still nervous about the whole thing, but I'm at ease knowing we will be in a hospital for our entire stay.

Good luck on the 9th! Let me know how it goes

One correction here, Ishi and Jessica were banded by Dr. Kuri in Tijuana.

They took her right after her post. I'm now waiting for kathy to get out of the recovery room!!!!!!!! Everything well, is the only report I have so far.

Ahhhhhh, and a new sleeve is born. ;o)

Brenda,

Try your insurance company again and find a new doctor that will help you. I used to work for an insurance company so I know that if the doctor does and says the right things the insurance company will usually pick up some percentage of it. They have a stake in your health believe me. Since they have already denied you a couple of times you will need to use the appeal division of the Insuance Company but you need to find people that are willing to support you and help you through this process. Start looking and find a doctor that is in the know and can help you with the insurance. Look in your area for seminars for Lapbands and go to all of them until you find someone that knows how to help you get the the financing you need. You should not let it keep you from getting healthy.:thumbup:

I wish this was true but when it comes to WLS it isn't. It's a different premium that you have to pay and if it's excluded, it IS excluded.

There was a woman that contacted me about a year ago, she weighs 600#. She has ins, but WLS is excluded. She tried everything, she has every comorbidity (heart disease, HPT, kidney damage, diabetes, severe edema, you name it, she has it), I put her in touch with a WLS ins guru who knows every trick in the book and it was fruitless. She just gained more weight fighting it. She hired an attorney to fight it and just spent about $750 fighting a fruitless battle.

Ins will pay to replace joints, meds for high blood pressure, insulin for diabetes, they'll pay a LOT more money than needed to fix the problems of obesity but if your boss doesn't pay that WLS premium then they will not cover it.

Thanks for replies. I have confided in my aunt who has had gastric weight loss surgery. I am really shy when it comes to personal issues/problems so I usually just figure them out on my own without involving family becuase they tend to make a bigger deal out of what it really is. She said she is happy to see me do this she was planning on talking to me about it. I told her my situation and asked her if she could help me save and while she said she would'nt be able to co-sign at this time she knows a doctor where I can get it below 9000 in dallas. SHe is a nurse director and has connections. So in the end I am glad I asked for help from her know I just have to save up enough money and get it down as soon as I finish saving....Thanks Lots.:thumbup:

If you can put together $9K in the US, what about $6500 in Mexico? They have done more bands collectively than the US docs have.

The other person is here all by herself. She is a lot tougher then my wife. My wife wouljd have run like the wind. I'm going to spend tomorrow helping them both.

Well, actaully today since it is now morning.

Surprisingly the hospital was very busy yesterday. The waiting room was full when we first walked in. It took about 15 minutes to get urine, bloood, ekg, an chest exam. Then about an hour on paper work and talking to DR Aceves. I even learned a couple of things I had't ever hear.

Dr Aceves, has only two sleeves tomorrow, so it is any easy day for him. Both are fresh nich stomachs.

You are such a sweetheart! But I think that is because you are from Des Moines. ;o)

Seriously, you are a nice guy. The other lady having surgery is lucky to have you. It can be spooky having surgery alone, but with you and your wife there she isn't alone.

You are very cool, Jaffa!

I love to read that people were going to get the band and read posts and decided to get the sleeve instead.

Some people do love their bands and have had no problems with it. It's my opinion that it's just a matter of time, and they will be having problems just like the rest of us.

Totally agree with everything written by OD.

I will second that!!

There really is life after fast food! I swear! ;o)

Well with the push towards eating healthy, the fast food places are keeping up somewhat in trying to offer healthy alternatives, which does make eating at them when necessary a little easier.

I think they are doing a better job than they used to but you should check out some of the food labels for the "healthy" choices.

McDonalds salads are loaded with calories, fat, and sodium.

McDonalds Yogurt is loaded with suger (but it's good! <g>)

There is a sub place, I'm drawing a blank! It starts with a C. They have tuna salad, one serving is 1000 calories.

It's hard, restaurants are in the business to sell things that taste good and fat and/or sugar is what makes things taste good. One would think tuna or yogurt would be good choices but they really aren't.

It's hard, if you are in a rush and stop at a fast food joint it is VERY hard to make good choices.

We just had a last meal!!!! The testing went fast, and we are getting ready for bed. Surgery tomorrow at 9.

The Italian Restaurant was a very good. I at too much but, she loved it....I have lefter overs for tomorrow.

We also met up with another sleeve patient that is getting sleeved. It is someone who has posted, but I won't say, because they may or may not want it posted. I will error on the cautions side on this one. She is a really nice person.

The both get sliced and diced tomorrow.

I know, not what people want to hear....LOL

HEY! You are there! Sounds as though everything is going well so far, very cool! Good to hear from you.

Give your wife a hug for us!

Hey Az Banders!

I just got approved for AHCCCS and was wondering if anyone has had any luck or experience with them. I'm praying they cover it!

My last insurance company pretty much told me too bad so sad sucks to be your fat ass! :tt1:

Any experiences? :wink:

A friend of mine has AHCCCS and it is covered. You have to have a BMI of 40 or greater, you have to have a psych eval, nutrition eval, bariatric eval, and sleep study. Medicaid does not cover those at 100%, so be warned. Then you have to do a 6 month medically supervised diet.

All those are doable, the problem is that there is a 2 year waiting list to get into a bariatic surgeon that takes Medicaid/AHCCCS. So you are looking at about 2.6-3.0 years for surgery.