mjsafari

<p><p>ja9VA - Join the June 2007 bandsters thread - you can keep in touch with people being banded around the same time. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=33199 3 kinds of pain pumps Epidural - catheter into the epidural space in the spine for continuous or narcotic infusions - typically used in Labor and Delivery and for big open surgical procedures PCA - patient controlled anesthesia - IV attached to a pump filled with a narcotic - patient can push a button for medication delivery at set intervals of time Localized pain pump - used at the incision site for local pain control - filled with a local anesthetic - lidocaine or marcaine usually. Pump infuses a set amount of medication continuously. This may make sense at the port site since it is an incision versus a puncture. I had not heard of anyone doing this, but not bad idea since the port site seems to give a lot a people pain.

I had the same issue, I tried, but never heard back. Dan - Do you have some pull with the administrator?

HI ALL:high5: I am glad I found this - I was about to start a June 07 thread! I can't tell you how excited I am about my approaching surgery date. My husband and I are on the journey together and it has been a long one - we first saw the surgeon on Nov 05! Because of insurance issues and miscommunications it took us until Jan 07 to get everything submitted - but once that happened we were approved in 2 days. Unfortunately we can only go to one facilty in town and our surgeon was booked through May! My husband is scheduled for May 24th - he starts his preop diet on Thursday. I will start mine on the 31st - not looking forward to it - but determined to make it work. Someone else mentioned nausea with hunger - I feel like my whole body is attacking me when I am hungry - nausea, headache, lightheadedness, and sweating - the first few days should be a lot of fun! :speechles I ordered a bunch of Protein drink samples from several websites to give all different types of flavors a try. 2 week pre-op diet is 4 Protein drinks a day, sf Clear liquids, coffee or tea, and nothing else - so I figured we better find a variety of things! Good luck to everyone on their pre-op diets. I greatly admire those starting to exercise also - I haven't even thought about that yet! Missy

Losing jusme - another question - my surgery is 3 weeks after his - he would go back to work 2 days after mine - if they deny him for his surgery based on insurance, he should still be able to take off some time with me under FMLA? FMLA doesn't regulate whether the leave is paid or un-paid correct though? Meaning - legally they have to grant him the time, but they don't have to pay him for it? thanks, Missy

Thanks all for the input. My husband works for Wal-mart - so I suspect as usual Wal-mart thinks it can make up its own rules. Any absence over 3 days at Wal-mart has to be taken as an LOA, since he has sick time available and surgery should qualify him, he was going to try and take 3 weeks off - 1 week as vacation the other 2 as FMLA. He is on his feet constantly with a lot of lifting and bending, so we are trying to be cautious. I went to the website and found a lot of info, but nothing that specifically states that an employer can or can not limit the covered procedures to their insurance. I spoke to my HR - she said she had never heard of limiting it to insurance either, so I am going to try and get something in writing from the labor board.

Garth Brooks - don't know a single name Friends in Low Places, The Dance Faith Hill - I don't know a single name, but she's pretty, and I know she is married to another C&W singer This Kiss, Mississippi Girl, married to Tim McGraw I don't know the person's name, but someone sang a song about things that "don't impress me much," and one of the things mentioned Brad Pitt. Shania Twain Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces (easy, a co-worker used to play it over and over) - not to be mentioned with country music:mad: I know there's a guy named Kenny Chestnut (or something like that, sounds like Chestnut) because he has some kind of restaurant here and I've seen it on a billboard, but I have no idea what he sings. Kenny Chesney - but that is not who has the restaurant at Harrah's that is Toby Keith, I love this Bar and Grill, named after one of his songs I have been meaning to go there and try a fried bologna sandwich. I am a HUGE country music fan - figuratively and literally I enjoy it because you can understand everything that they say and they are rarely violent or offensive. Not that I have sensitive ears or am a prude - I just think there is more to music than "fu**" this or that. I don't have to plan my day around TV that is what my DVR is for! I am staying away from the camel toe/moose knuckle - what else needs to be said after those pictures! YIKES

WOW thats great! congrats! Does anyone get the idea that the reason we are all over weight is that we know way too much about food :speechles !

WOW - thanks everyone for posting. It gives us just starting a lot of hope. I am being banded on June 14th - it can't come soon enough. I feel like I am trapped and the band is the key to open the lock and get me started. 200lbs seems like a lot to lose. I will be happy to have 100 off in less than a year (personal goal) and will continue to try for that next 100lbs. Keep up the good work everyone and I hope to join you soon! :clap2:

Wheetsin - Cool - we really aren't that far from each other. Do you go to any of the support groups in town? I agree KC Masterpiece is NOT the best food - I enjoy their prime rib sandwich - but I haven't been in years. My sister - who had gastric bypass - used to make us bring her just onion straws if we went, she would eat them for days! Missy

BJean - I would recommend the beef brisket. Of course I have had everything fresh - so hopefully the shipping doesn't affect the meat too much! Their brisket is usually very tender and moist. I think everyone probably knows KC Masterpiece and most may not realize it means Kansas City! It is a good sweet sauce - we usually use it when cooking out also. I could never have been a wife! I don't cook, I hate to clean, and I really never planned on having kids - I love my kids and I wouldn't change a thing, but wasn't part of the plan to begin with. I knew what I wanted to be when I was 9 (an OR nurse) and I set myself up to make that happen. I didn't have to worry about the other stuff - my Mom had been a housewife all her life and when my dad died all she had to do was take care of me, so I had it pretty good growing up also. I do regret not learning to cook or eat more healthy obviously - but now we are going to do something about that also and hopefully teach our kids better habits! My 4 year olds favorite channel is the food network though and she calls Paula Dean her friend - so I am a little concerned!:omg: We are planning doing the clean out this weekend and only have healthy stuff around for kids also. Wheetsin - We are being banded by Dr. Malley at MMC. We live in Belton. Where are you? I do enjoy Gates also, but I don't care for their sauce, I think it has too much pepper, but they do cook their meat well. I wasn't even going to start on the cheesy corn bake - man that is too die for!:hungry:

http://www.jackstackbbq.com/ I have to throw KC BBQ into the mix. It is amazing how regional BBQ is. The restaurant above is my personal favorite - there are no better beans! They ship around the world. You guys all crack me up. I hadn't been to this thread in awhile so I had to catch up. Good thing I have my own office! I do have wife! My husband cooks, cleans and stays home with the kids, can't beat that! I get to hog the remote, control the money, and demand sex whenever I want! We are definitely role-reversed most of the time - but I guess that is why it works! We have our pre-op appointment on Friday and can't wait to join bandland. MsDad - I so hope things work out for you! Missy

I agree with Tracy, start now, when dealing with insurance the process can take awhile. You could have surgery even when breast feeding. You would just have to pump before and waste for 24-48hrs (confirm with anesthesiologist) after. You will want to specifically ask your insurance what their requirments are to get approved, but also after you are approved. I think I have read the same thing from someone else on here - they couldn't lose too much or the insurance wouldn't pay. Key is how or when is the insurance going to review, once initial approval is given. I think 40 is the magic number for most insurances carriers or 35 with co-morbidities.

Someone on another thread suggested purchasing samples of several products to find something you may like or at least tolerate. I thought this was a great idea - I am a very picky eater - funny for a fat person, but I am. My husband and I are both having the band - we are three weeks apart and both have to do a pre-op liquid diet, so we will be on Protein shakes for at least 2 - 3 months between us. I ordered samples last week and most of them arrived this weekend, so I guess we will start tasting! These are the websites that I found that offer cheap samples. Beth's Protein Boutique http://208.56.157.89/catalog/index.php?osCsid=e80b9aaa2e6783026543defee8c557b1 Mother Soy http://www.mothersoy.com/freesample.html Bariatriceating.com http://www.bariatriceating.com/sazecais.html Vitalady http://www.vitalady.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&keywords=protsamp&SortKey=sku&SortOrder=ascending

My husband and I took quite a bit longer - BUT there were several reasons. We had the psych eval and nutrion eval right away. We saw our PCP and got as much proof of long term weight issues as we could - BUT insurance still required a monitored weight loss program for 6 months. We then changed insurance Jan 1st 07, so we had to wait for all of that paperwork and for our physician to get approved on the new insurance. Once all that was done it only took a week for insurance to approve both us, because we had everything done from the previous insurance. Now we are scheduled in May and June - we had to wait so long for that because of physician schedule at the hospital we have to go to. Nov 05 for seminar, May 07 and June 07 surgery schedule.

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/symptoms.htm http://www.webmd.com/content/article/107/108476.htm

Don't over do the Gatorade - it can push you electrolytes too high. As long as you were healthy before and not exercising strenously while you are on liquids, you shouldn't need Gatorade.

OMG South Park is one of the funniest shows around. They are so dead on most of the time. I love the Mormon one - being from Kansas City it is a running joke that Jesus is returning here to the RLDS church in Independence with the spiral opening at the top of the cathedral. Stan asks - did you know Adam and Eve where from Jackson County Missouri? TOO FUNNY especially because some people think it is true. I had to TIVO that part for my husband just the other day, so he could hear it. Others: Sadam and Devil, Mr. Garrison's sex change - he thinks he is going to get a period, Mr. Garrison's new mode of transportation..., the new one with Cartman taking pictures of Butters and Butters having to go to camp to be saved was pretty funny.

Wheetsin - it was Bumper Stumpers! I love that show, my mom and I watched it all the time. I often wonder though why people get vanity plates that no one else can understand. Isn't the point to make a statement - not much of a statement if it doesn't make any sense. I have to mention a couple of buttons we purchased recently: Picture of Jesus with light around him that says "Look Busy, Jesus is coming" (probably funnier because of my non-belief :-).) Picture of George Bush that says "A village in Texas has lost their Idiot"

Green thanks for the welcome and explanation. BubbleButt thank for info. I don't think the thread turned out anything like the originator thought it would - I wonder if they gave up and started another one?

I have to say I LOVE this thread - it is nice to read things from people that hold the same opinion as me, but it is also nice see sensible Christians having intelligent discussions with Atheist and other beliefs. I have spent all day catching up and laughing out loud at many of them. One question posed intrigued me greatly - did you go directly from being Christian to Atheist or did you claim to Agnostic at some point (paraphrasing)? This got me to thinking - I have been Agnostic since high school always believing that meant I didn't believe in a higher power, but I didn't preach against one and that being Atheist meant you preached against a Higher Power. This is from dictionary.com —Synonyms Atheist, agnostic, infidel, skeptic refer to persons not inclined toward religious belief or a particular form of religious belief. An atheist is one who denies the existence of a deity or of divine beings. An agnostic is one who believes it impossible to know anything about God or about the creation of the universe and refrains from commitment to any religious doctrine. Infidel means an unbeliever, especially a nonbeliever in Islam or Christianity. A skeptic doubts and is critical of all accepted doctrines and creeds. I guess after reading this I better start saying I am Atheist :omg: and Wheetsin you need to change your name - you are obviously not the Token Atheist on this board~!:clap2: I am married to a believer, but it is not an issue for us. We just don't discuss religion very often. He respects my rights not to believe and I respect his to believe. I have allowed my oldest child to make his own choice - he is 14 and Atheist now, after attending several different churches and Christian schools. Our 4 year old will be allowed to make her own decision also. I have never hidden my opinion from them, but I have tried not to unduly influence them. BubbleButt - you are so right about not making an issue. As an old OR nurse myself, I was often called to pray before surgery. That was neither the time or place to discuss my belief, nor was it my patient's business. thank you all for your insightful posts, I don't think I can contribute anymore than has already been said. I am an "Atheist" who believes in the golden rule and the 10 commandments. Man's laws written by man that if followed by everyone would eliminate many if not all issues that cause war and strife. One stereotype that has been broken - us fatties are some how less intelligent than skinny people and that we don't do anything all day but sit around and eat! :clap2: Obviously most people on this thread are well rounded in more ways than one! Missy

Mrs. D - I am sorry to hear about your MRSA For those who wanted to know: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa.html Unfortunately you are on a very long journey. Please don't rush in to another port - as long as there is any trace of MRSA in your system, it will find your open wound. I am a nurse in the US, my hospital company is in the middle of a MRSA compaign in a effort to reduce the spread.

thank you everyone for your welcome messages. It is great to have a place where everyone is positive! Ambrosia - congrats on your recent banding! I hear nothing but wonderful things about Dr. Malley, so I am sure we made the right choice.

Just wanted to introduce myself. I have been checking out the board and really appreciate all the information that everyone is willing to share. My husband and I are both scheduled for bands, paid for by our insurance- :clap2: ! We live the KC area and are being banded by Dr. Malley. We have both struggled with weight our entire life, but I was unwilling to have an open gastric bypass and still had great concerns about the nutritional deficits even after it could be done laparoscopically. The band seems like the perfect solution to help us acheive our goals. We both know the choices we should be making, but need help with portion control. It has already been a long journey for us - over a year since our first seminar, but in the end it will be worth it. I don't have any specific questions right now, just wanted to say HI. I know if I do though someone is out there with an answer! Thanks for all your openness and honesty.

thanks BabyGotBack for the quick welcome! Looks like you are well on your way to your goal! I hope mine goes as well.

Courtney - Medicare is for retired - 65 and older or disabled. Medicaid is state aide for the uninsursed, so since you already have insurance you don't qualify. I think what Rottiemania meant was that if the government programs cover the procedure every insurance should. I TOTALLY agree. I am lucky my new insurance (Aetna) approved my husband and I in 2 days with the work we had done for the previous insurance. You are lucky it is covered! If you don't decide to have it this year, be sure to check with your employer about Medical Flexible Spending account. You can set aside money before taxes at the beginning of the year, use it immediately, but pay for it out of each pay period.