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Everything posted by princess_sophie
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Hi all, <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> I’m not banded yet. I’ve been researching and researching and thinking and thinking. My insurance won’t cover it so I’ve been looking into having it done in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. I read these boards all the time and just love it. Everyone here is so supportive and honest. I feel more comfortable on these boards, even though I haven’t been banded, than I do any other weight loss/related boards. <o:p></o:p> My biggest fear is that something will go wrong, I will have complications. The kind of complications that are worse than slippage or erosion that couldn’t be fixed by having the band removed and then I would be buried in medical bills for the rest of my life. My second fear is that if it slipped or eroded and I had to have the band removed I would have to pay for that. So even if I had it installed and removed in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region>, aftercare and fills, etc. in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>, travel expenses, etc. I would still be looking at around 15,000 to 17,000. My third fear is that it won’t work for me. I won’t be able to stick to the rules and I will eat around it. I don’t think I would, but I didn’t think I would ever end up 290lbs either. My fourth fear is that I lose all my weight, things are great and then something happens and I have to have it removed and then I gain all of my weight back. My fifth fear is that if I don’t do something to change my eating and my weight I’m going to die. If I’m lucky I will have a heart attack and die instantly. If not, my health problems and complications from those health problems, will slowly get worse and I will linger around and slowly deteriorate for another 20 years. At least my insurance would pay for that though. <o:p></o:p> Has anyone heard about The Solution by Laurel Mellin? I think she hits the nail on the head as far as the “why” and “what” needs to happen to turn off that drive to overeat. I love her program but it’s really hard to do on my own. When I am able to do the work I do feel better, more at peace, and emotionally stronger. But most of the time I feel like an alcoholic or drug addict trying to work a self-help recovery program, by myself, while still drinking/using. It just doesn’t work. I thought that if I get banded, I would be able to work this program and hopefully, hopefully, if anything happened and I had to have my band removed I wouldn’t gain the weight back and my drive to overeat would be gone. Or would I just rely on the band to lose weight, be on such an emotional high from the weight loss and not do the emotional work? Just trying to imagine living life without a constant drive to overeat and the constant worry about my weight and eating, it sounds like a fantasy. <o:p></o:p> Sorry about the long post. I’m just thinking, thinking, thinking. <o:p></o:p> PS
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Fears, hope, thinking and more thinking
princess_sophie replied to princess_sophie's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
thanks for everyones reply. It really does help to not feel so alone. I feel like I may need to clarify where I'm getting the 15,000 to 17,000. Of course these are all rough estimates. $8,500 surgery in Mexico, $1,500 travel expenses for me and my mom, $2,000 to pay US doctor to take me on as a patient for after care. $300-$400 per fill, if I had 4 fills at $400 a piece that would $1,600. $2,000 to have it removed, plus another 1,500 for travel expenses. That's a grand total of $17,100. If I had it done locally it's $17,500, and that includes one year of after care and fills. But after that it's $300 a fill and I'm not sure how much it would cost if I had to have it taken out. So if I needed more fills after the first year and I needed to have it removed I would probably be looking at, I don't know, $20,000 to $25,000. Either way, if I get the band or I don't get the band, I wish I could work the solution program and get the freedom from food and weight obsession. But is that possible? Or is that just a pipe dream. -
Mexico surgery, maybe? Aftercare/fills E. TN?
princess_sophie posted a topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
My insurance has an exclusion for all obesity treatment so I've been looking into going to Mexico to have the surgery. Does anyone know of any Dr.'s in the East TN area that are willing to give aftercare, fills, etc. to someone who had their surgery in Mexico? Thanks, PS -
Mexico surgery, maybe? Aftercare/fills E. TN?
princess_sophie replied to princess_sophie's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
I'm thinking about using Dr. Ortiz or Dr. Rumbaut. I see that you used Ortiz and your weight loss is amazing. Congratulations! Can you tell me anything about your experience with Dr. Ortiz? PS -
Hi All, When you start losing weight, how do you know when you don't need your cpap anymore? How do you know when your pressure needs to be reduced? Do you have to get retested? I was just retested this past fall and they increased my pressure. I couldn't imagine being retested every few months or so. It's really expensive and I wonder if my insurance would pay for multiple sleep studies like that. Thanks for any and all replies. Sophie
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Questions for Cpap users
princess_sophie replied to princess_sophie's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Thanks everyone for your comments. They are all very helpful. I will look into finding the instructions for lowering the pressure and as I lose weight I will contact my sleep dr. and see what he suggests. babygrl1234 The thought crossed my mind that I may always have to use it. Back in the day, a long, long time ago, when I was only 20lbs over weight, I snored a little and I've always been low energy. I don't know if that was from sleep apnea though. But I will keep my fingers crossed that I can one day through that think out the window. Thanks again everyone, P sophie -
Hi everyone, I'm new and still considering the band. I'm going to a seminar on May 10th. I've been reading and reading and reading these boards and getting so much out of them. I've keep reading about people talk about the type of band and the size of the band they have. How is this determined? The Dr.'s preference? Or does it have something to do with the anatomy? A lot of people also talk about how life changing this is, living with the band and the weight loss and how you feel about yourself. I was wondering, have a lot of people changed jobs, jobs that they were not happy in, now that they feel so much better and their lives have changed? ps
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Dr. Colquitt Dr. Ray Maryville, TN????
princess_sophie posted a topic in Weight Loss Surgeons & Hospitals
Has anyone been banded by Dr. Colquitt or Dr. Ray at Blount Memorial in Maryville, TN? If not, what about any other Dr. in the Maryville/Knoxville area? If so what was your experience? ps -
Hi new to boards not banded yet
princess_sophie posted a topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story
Hi everyone, I've been reading the boards for about a week now and love all of the information and discussions. I've learned so much. I looked into the lap band several years ago and at the time it wasn't being performed in my area. Now I can go to the local hospital. It's amazing how fast it has grown in popularity and availability. I also wasn't ready for it and thought I needed to keep trying to work on the reasons I overeat. Well, I know why I overeat, I'm just having a really hard time stopping. I go to a seminar on May 10th and I'm hoping they will be able to tell me if my insurance will cover it. I don't have high hopes though, because there might be an exclusion for any obesity treatment with my insurance. My employer changed insurance carriers this year and they say that we have the exact same benefits as before. I don't have a new benefits booklet yet, but the old one had the exclusion for any obesity treatment. So we will see. If it doesn't pay, I guess it just wasn't meant to be. I still enjoy these boards though and I hope that, even if I don't get banded, you won't mind me visiting every now and then. sophie