babsyintx

Hi Everyone, I know this should be under the plastic surgery section, but I wondered how many people look there? My insurance company called yesterday with a preauthorization for my abdominoplasty. The procedure code they gave me indicates that they will pay for the TT, but the lady who called me said the approval was for a panniculectomy. Either way, I am having the tummy tuck, but at least they are covering most of the cost (90%). I have changed surgeons to another one in Fort Worth who is willing to do both the TT and a medial thigh lift at the same time. I dont really want to go under the knife more than once if I can avoid it. Apparently he works with another plastic surgeon and they work together concurrently on different body parts to cut the surgery time in half. Also, the new guy isnt hard on the eyes and has been in practice since 1979, board certified and very active here in the community. I am meeting with him on the 29th of march and we can set a date. He's got a case study lapband patient on his website and in his ads in the magazines who he did a thigh lift, TT and arms. She looks pretty darn good, but she a lot younger than me and had less weight to lose. I am going to get everything done in June after I come back from vacation. I'll keep you updated!!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 170

Hi Everyone, Just back from Cancun this weekend. I am nice and tan, but I am sure that I packed on some pounds while I was gone. I refuse to weigh until next week and I will be a good bandster until then and see what happens. Drumroll: I got my approval letter in the mail for my external appeal with my insurance for the medial thighplasty. My insurance is gonna pay for it.!!! Yeah! So they are paying for the stomach and the thighs. My PS is scheduled for next week on the 15th, but I have postponed it due to the fact that I have sold my house and I am moving in July. So my new surgery date is July 27th 2005. I didnt want to postpone it, but I cant see how I will be able to pack up a 4,000 sq ft house with drainage tubes sticking out of my body in all directions! LOL So I am back and I am gonna do my best to lose the weight I have gained in the last month due to cessation of smoking, the Welbutrin I have been taking and my endulgences while on vacation. I will post some pics soon!!! Babs in TX 334/18-/170 -154 give or take some pounds as of late....

Hi Everyone, Got back the results for all my tests. NORMAL, NORMAL, NORMAL. Nothing up with my hormones, no Vitamin deficiencies etc... Part of me is very happy that I am healthy and the other part is despondent cause now I have to go to a specialist. My PCP recommends a dermatologist. For now, I think I will just try to OD on vitaimins and take more than a Fred Flintstone everyday. I'm gonna try ZInc supplements as well. So any other ideas? No Lisa, I will not shave my head ! LOL Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, My new plastic surgeon sent in a letter of medical necessity to my insurance company yesterday.. He is asking for a TT (which was already previously approved) a medial thighplasty and breast augmentation. (The boobs are a long shot but he was humoring me) Well, other than having saggy boobies, I really dont have a case for medical necessity regarding my breasts. And unless there is a really compelling reason to approve it, we are really spinning our wheels. Heres what my PS wrote in the letter about the boobs: In addition, she has a moderate ptosis in the breasts bilaterally. (This basically means my breasts sag!!!) THe procedures of choice are: CPT codes: 15831 Panniculectomy/Abdominoplasty 15832 Medial thighplasty 19316 Mastopexy ( translated for those who dont know BREAST LIFT) 19325 Immediate insertion of mammary prosthesis (THIS ONE HAD ME CRACKING UP! We are referring to implants here) I wont bore you with the rest of the letter, but PLEEASE, MAMMARY PROSTHESIS? THe rest of the letter was very compelling regarding the excess skin for the stomach and thighs, but I dont think we have a chance in hell in getting an approval for a boob job. Anyway, I thought it was funny. If they approve the thighs, I will be happy and the stomach is approved already. I will pay for the boobs cause I really dont think the mammary prosthesis is going to be approved!! babs in TX

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to share something that happened to me today. I had my first PB in over a year. I was out visiting retirement communities for my inlaws. ONe of the facilities invited my husband and I to lunch. On the menu was chicken, chicken and chicken. Now I normally dont have a problem with chicken. I was talking and I swallowed a piece of chicken that was too big. At first, I thought it was going to go through. Within 10 minutes, I had a golfball feeling. Then it progressed to very painful. So I finallly gave in and went to the ladies room. There was a little old lady with her walker in the bathroom. She must have been about 80 or so. She took one look at me and said, "Are you alright honey?" SO I told her with my eyes tearing that I got a piece of chicken stuck in my throat and it wasnt going down. She proceeded to tell me about some throat massage therapies that apparently work for her cause she has problems with achalasia of the esophagus. I am listening, but by this time I am turning green. I really wanted to throw up, but she was standing there and I felt uncomfortable retching over the toilet with someone else in the room. FInally, I just gave up and ran into the toilet and started spitting up slime. It progressed to full blown vomiting for a few minutes. It was awful. I dont PB often, but this was the retching kind of vomit and it really scared me. After finishing, I immediately felt better and came out of the stall. THe little old lady was still standing there and wanted to know if I was alone or if someone else were here with me. I assured her I was OK. The irony was I was in an assisted living facility and a senior with her walker is asking ME if I was OK.! It wasnt funny when it was happening today, but now I think it is hilarious. I am on liquids for the rest of the day So share with me, what is your funniest or embarrassing, humiliating or most painful PB experience since you have been banded? I am pretty sure not too long ago I was doling out advice that usually when a PB is coming on, most people have enough time to go to a public restroom to resolve the issue.... Never expected to have an audience in there tho... Babs in TX 334/180/170

Hi Everyone, I am up and trying to move a little today. I am still not at the stage where I consider myself lucky to be able to have plastic surgery. THe pain is excruciating and I cannot yet appreciate the rewards of a flat tummy and thighs without hanging skin.THis is my 9th day post op and I did not really figure how little I really would be able to do for myself for at least two weeks. Day 1-7 were pure agony. I lived in a chair, got up to go to the bathroom only and to wash up. Felt like a grunge cause I couldnt shower for a week. I had some of my stitches removed on Wednesday, new steristrips put on and then my docs office uses a special superglue over all of the wounds to help them heal and keep them sealed. I was very fortunate to have my drain tubes taken out after only 7 days, but there was not that much drainage. You have to keep a log everyday. It did not hurt as much as everyone warned me it would pulling them suckas out and there is a great sense of relief not having stuff hanging out of your body. Lapband surgery was a piece of cake compared to having a full abdominoplasty and medial thighplasty at the same time. I still have dissolvable stitiches everywhere including down to my knees. I must wear a compression garment 24 hours a day from breast to hips and spandex bicycle pants from hips to ankles. Needless to say, it is not very comfortable! LLOL I am getting my sense of humoour back, but I know that this has been a huge burden for my family (especially my husband). My 3 1/2 year old started having nightmares waking up at night saying he has boo boos and he is in pain. I feel pretty terrible, so when they come home everyday from daycare, I pretend everything is OK and try to make everything seem normal. My doc says I must be chairbound for at least 5 more days. He thinks I am doing too much. Says that there is an area between my bellybutton and groin that is not healing as well as it should be cause I am up too much. I am gonna try to behave. Gosh, I miss the ole Barbara. I know, I am moaning, but I have been alone all day all week since I have no one to help me during the day. I hope all you guys are doing well.Send me some hugs. I really need them!!! Babs in TX

Dear Everso, There really isnt any secrets I am afraid to say. I beleive that regular exercise was a component that attributed to steady weight loss. I exercised 3x per week during ongoing weight loss. Stick to eating lots of Protein and drinking lots of Water. Right now I feel like a bloated pig from all the water retention due to the surgery I had. My legs are really swollen.!!! Babs in TX

Estela, Now its my turn to give you a kick in the arse!!! LOL. I understand the need for comfort food when you are in pain. The first 10 days post op, I have not been very hungry even though I had an partial unfill and have little restriction at the moment. But the hunger is coming back with a rage and I am fighting the monster. I feel my pain from the PS justifies my poor eating decisions! LOL. Last night I had chips with turkey chili, then I had some more chips with cheese and sour cream. I am trying to stay away from the sweets though. The Protein in the turkey chili was good for me though, so I am not going to beat myself up too badly. Stick to the solid protein and you will do just fine. Make sure you have a chicken breast in your pocket at all times! Ya hearing me????Allow yourself some treats like sugar free pudding, some popcorn etc... PUt together a meal plan that will allow you to maintain your present weight. Dont be looking to lose right now. But you do need to make healthy food choices. I went out to dinner and had some soup and a huge salad with hard boiled eggs croutons and real salad dressing. In the past, I would have been sticking to the balsamic vinegar and the ff dressing. Now, I need the energy boost, so I am not beeing too hard on myself. Just stay away from the donuts OK???? Hugs, Babs in TX

Hi Started at 334. Now I weigh 180 ish. I probably should weigh less, but I have become slightly complacent and just had plastic surgery and a band partial unfill during surgery. Life is good!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154

HI, My docs office said that it was OK to stop taking the pain meds. Actually, the pain isnt so bad and it reminds me of my limitations. The problem with the morphine and vicodin type drugs is that for me at least, I get completely zonked. My docs office said it was OK if I went out for an hour somewhere outside of the house as long as I was sitting down for 90% of the time. I need some bicycle compression pants, so I am gonna ask my husband to take me to Walmart and I can ride around in one of the carts. Never did that before. Thanks eveyone. IT really depends on what time of the day you talk to me. Sometimes I am feeling better than other times. Also, it wont hurt me to get outside and get some fresh air. I am looking forward to this. Babs in TX

Hi Estela, I decided today that I will not take any more pain meds. So I have not had any today. No, I am not being a martyr. I just dont want to live in plastic bubble either. I hate that and dont like being groggy. Thanks for the warm wishes. I was following your PS journey, but I just didnt have much to say cause its hard to express how it feels unless it is happening to you. I feel a lot better today that I am no longer groggy. I did not have lipo, but the thighplasty is very painful with lots of groin stitches, and stitches in your butt, thighs and everywhere else. Yuch! And it does not look pretty at all! I am just a little lonely in the daytime!!! Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, I am punch happy from all the drugs I am presently on. Thighs are the worst and the Jackson Pratt bulbs sticking out on each side of my tummy. I am not eating much, but I am taking Vitamins and drinking Water. The tummy looks really good. The thighs are covered up most of the time with ace bandages but I dont see any hanging skin. The groin really burns from all the stitches, but I am surviving. I am going to take a snooze. WIll try to touch base tonite. Thanks for all the loving!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154 Dunno what I really weigh. Not eating much, but gained water weight at the hospital and look like the Michelin woman....

Hi Guys, Quick message. I just came home today from the hospital (saturday). Thanks to Michelle/Lisa for calling on me to see how I was doing. The stomach is not as painful as the thighs. Also it is impossible to see the results of the thighs cause I am wrapped up like mummy woman. I cried when I saw my new belly button. My doc did a great job and even with the swelling, hip to hip stiches and the goopy belly button I have a FLAT tummy. I am getting dizzy and need to lie down, so I'll give you more information tomorrow if I can. Hugs to everyone~ Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, Been gone for a while. I moved into temporary housing while they build our new house. My plastic surgery is scheduled this Wednesday. I am getting a little freaked out. I am having my medial thighplasty, tummy tuck and my eyes fixed as well as a mole removed. I will be in the hospital one or two days depending how I am doing. I have managed to stay cigarette free for 3 months, but I did gain about 10 pounds from my all time low which I have not been able to get off. I am having an unfill. I have been having some reflux problems late at night for no apparent reason. I do have restriction, it is not a slippage, but I would feel better with less restriction after the surgery. I dont want to worry about reflux in addition to healing etc. I missed you guys. I wont be coming to Vegas in September since I dont know how I will be doing by then. Does anyone want to be my angel? Let me know and I will send the hospital information. Babs in TX 334/189/170

Hi Kelly, I am in Fort Worth. I dont necessarily need somone to come to the hospital, just a voice for me!!! I looked on mapquest and you are very far away!!!! Babs in TX

Hi Vera, Sorry to hear that you are adding another surgery to the list! But if it will make you feel better, then its a great thing. Hugs, Babs in TX

Gosh, I wrote this long email this morning and for some reason it didnt post. I believe I have the craziest parents! LOL Lisa's mother and my father would make a good team. My mother was anorexic and Obsessive compulsive and my father was an alcoholic who was a sorry person indeed. Some examples of household events: My father once through a frozen turkey at my mother and it flew through the ground floor kitchen window apartment and almost killed a neighbors dog that was being walked by his owner outside the window. My father made us put socks in our mouths and taped them shut while he watched TV. Said we talked too much during his shows. Good ole dad went on a drinking spree, came home in the middle of the night and insisted that some other man had shaved in the bathroom and left hair on the sink. Forgot it was him and terrorized us for hours. He then went on to shave my brothers hair off. Stuck my face in dog poo cause it was my fault that the dog pooped in the house after walking him. Kept a rifle under the sofa in the living room and claimed he understood why fathers exterminated their families suggesting that we were all brats and did not deserve to live We were coerced into switching price tags in the store by my father to get things for a cheaper price We returned items for full price! We owned a recycled car every month. My father would fix and then sell them. He sold our pet chihuahuas Peppy and Lulu cause they wouldnt breed. Actually he traded them for a tv. We cried for weeks. My mother smoked 3 packs a day and weighed 82 pounds. You could bounce quarters off our beds and eat off our floors. All she did was clean and cook. She was not permitted to leave the house at all without my father. This went on for 15 years. I was around for 13 of those. I cant remember one good moment. Some of it is funny in retrospect. Babs in TX

Analise, Dr. Richard Carter in Arlington is my doctor/surgeon. he has done more than 700 lapbands and operates out of the Medical Center of Arlington. He is by far the best lapband doc in North Texas. I do know all of the other surgeons that were mentioned personally. I am very active in the lapband community. Email me if you have any other questions. Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 170 or less...

Parvathi, Sometimes when I order I make a comment about not being that hungry or I order an appetizer. I am at the point where I dont care what they think...... Babs in TX

Hi Alatina, What a great offer!!! I think it is location rather than the building that might be a deterrent. I have only been to ND one time a long time ago. It could be a great retreat though...... But I wanna have room service!!! LOL Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, I have been in total lurker mode for the last month or so. There are so many new folks posting here that I cant keep up! LOL. Well, I havent weighed myself in over a month. First it was because I was fearful how much I gained after I quit smoking and from my recent vacation to Cancun. Now its just because I dont want the scale running my life. I used to be totally obsessed with it, weighing several times a day to see if I had lost an ounce. I am now using my clothes as a gauge of whether I am somewhat in the same range as I was before. I am guessing that I must be somewhere close to my lowest since most of the size 14 clothes I have are still fitting me. At one point, I am sure that I was getting in the upper end of the spectrum since my pants felt a little tighter. Then I went back to 1200 calories or less a day and it seems that I am dropping the weight again. I decided as long as I fit the clothes I am wearing, stick to the bandster guidelines, I should be able to maintain my present weight. I am no longer obsessed with daily weighing, but I am cautious about what I eat. I recently read an article in one of the womans magazines that said that daily weighers actually do better when dieting than people who dont. Whaddya think? P.S. My PS is now scheduled for August 3rd at 7:30 am. I decided that I am not going to do the breast augmentation now and I will only do the TT and thighplasty. Babs in TX

Hi Nita, You are so right about plus size clothing having a greater amount of flexibility and them not being reliable as a weight gauge. Now in a size 14 though, I can feel the difference when I gain 3-5 pounds whereas in a size 28, you could go a long way and play mind games while the pounds creeped up on ya. I did better when I weighed everyday with weight loss, but I also got depressed when I plateaued. I have been on a plateau for a while though and my body does not seem to want to go below 180. It seems happy in the mid 180's range and it is a struggle just to keep it there. Babs in TX

Recently I bought some Victoria secret bras that were on sale. They were in bright colors (one Aqua and the other purple). Because I have lost a lot of weight, the padded bras are better for hiding the sagging. My three year old son was lying on my chest watching TV. He starts to grab my boobs cause he feels the cushioning. He thinks the padded bras are pillows just for him. So one morning, I was getting dressed. My three year old is staring at the purple bra on the bed, looks at my deflated boobs (cause I;m nekked) and says "Mommy, look over there! There are your purple boobies! So now he likes to look and see what color boobies I am wearing every day! Babs in TX

Hi, Two years out, had a slight regain when I quit smoking 7 weeks ago. I gained 10 lbs and now I am starting to lose it again. So, if ya stick with the program and eat Protein and veggies, you should continue to do well. Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, Sorry I didnt get back to all my buddies here!!! To answer some questions: Lisa: Nope, I dont have anyone to take care of me. Anybody out there that will take care of me for a week for a free ticket, food and company, I'm game. I just got back from my doctor and based on the total amount of money I have to cough cough cough up to have the boobs the deductable for my insurance and the difference I have to pay for the upgrade from panniculectomy to full abdominoplasty, I am having second thoughts about the expense.!! Out of pocket even with insurance paying is about 10K If I cut out the boobs, I can keep things in the 3-5k range. Carol: So good to hear from you. I am glad you are having plastic surgery as well. Esmerelda: Insurance almost never pays for boobs unless they are so big they are causing pain. They may cover reduction, but surely wont cover an increase if they think it is for cosmetic reasons. Very hard to prove, so I gave up after the first turndown. Chances are you will need maxopexy (skin removal and lift) coupled with saline implants. This costs more than just a breast augmentation or just implants. My boobs dont really sag too much unless I bend down and then they hang to the floor man!! There is excess skin and there is no mass when ya grab them. So its more work than just putting in an implant. They need to cut around the outside, take out the excess skin, then put the implant in. Hope this information helps!!! Anyway, thanks everyone for the well wishes. I will take before and after pics and let yall see whats been done to me.!!! Babs in TX