Serena

I was banded on June 4 and until yesterday I was only down 10 pounds. My ticker makes it look like I lost 32 pounds since banding but I am "ticker challenged" and couldn't get it to reflect that I lost about 20 lbs. pre-op and now 13 lbs. since June 4. Maybe a lot of the big weight losses you mention are misleading like mine.

DBAGuy, My surgeon also told me to bring my C-PAP. I told everyone I encountered both pre-op and post-op that I had my C-PAP with me and guess what--it never was taken out of its travel bag. For a Bariatric Center of Excellence my program was really slip-shod in a number of ways.

Wow...I've been taking 200 mg. of Zoloft every morning on an empty stomach and never experienced a problem but I haven't had a fill yet (not until 7-20). I'm so glad that I read about this beforehand and can find a solution before it happens. Thanks!

Cincinnati, Ohio

My program materials say that Celebrex should only be taken if absolutely necessary and under close medical supervision. The surgeon, a casual, easy-going guy, said no problem --if it helps, take it. I am still concerned but can barely leave the house without it. Arthritis is the "family curse", and I am the only overweight person in the family. I have major problems even in non-weight bearing joints so weight loss isn't going to make a substantial difference according to the orthopod. Therefore Celebrex and I are doomed to be life-long companions--or at least until something better comes along. For you young bandsters out there: Celebrex is a prescription NSAID that had the potential to be a little easier on the stomach. It is used mainly for arthritis.

Toni, Actually, when you're in the mood, I would love the gory details. It's better to know what to expect than to be surprised. You are the undisputed star of the June bandsters and I feel really fortunate to have been the beneficiary of your support and kindness (as have we all). Go June!! Serena

Previous post should have been addressed to DynamoMini.

What a wonderful observation! Over the years I have often hated myself for my binge-eating and turned it around, concluding that only someone who loathed herself would defeat herself by overeating. I like the notion that we are nurturing ourselves in the best way we can. I've been in therapy for about 85% of my adult life. I've applied that thought to other behaviors but not to my overeating. Duh! Thanks for the good wishes.

I'm also a turtle. When I went in for my follow-up I ran into a man in his sixties who had his surgery the day after mine. He had lost 22 pounds and I had lost 5. I'm only eating about 400 calories a day (I'm still on the blended/pureed diet until this weekend). I weigh myself every day which I know is a mistake but I keep hoping for a surprise weight loss. Despite that, I am anxious about getting a fill (it's not scheduled until 7/20). I'm scared about food getting stuck etc. I'm concerned that the very low calorie count of pre-op and post-op has really compromised my metabolism. If I had been on a regular 1200-calorie diet I'm sure that I would have lost more. In fact, my ideal situation would have been to lose weight on my own and have the band installed close to the end so I could maintain the loss. 'Sorry--I'm a bit cranky right now........... Toni--how is life after a fill?

CMP, I wore a "leisure" bra from the moment I got to my hospital room, but probably it was the swelling that made my regular underwire so uncomfortable. My highest incision was 2" below my bra line.

Indio Girl, I just had a nuclear scan stress test yesterday. I went for a stress echo prior to my surgery. The tech took one look at me walking stiffly on my arthritic knees and said I would have to come back for the test where a drug increases your heart rate. I had that test and then was told that I needed to come in for the nuclear scan. It totally freaked me out that something could be wrong with my heart. My family has really good genes (no cancer, heart disease, diabetes etc.) and my lipid profile has always been excellent. Of course I am the only obese person in my family but still convinced myself that I would somehow beat the odds despite being overweight all my life. I'm lucky that my wake-up call came after being banded so weight loss won't be such a struggle. I was allowed to have the surgery if I went on beta-blockers which was great--they eliminate anxiety and make me happy! I can't believe that I only found this thread today. I think I'm going to like it here!

Shorty, Search the web to get a listing of Bariatric Centers of Excellence in Texas. Call the one(s) near you to ask if the program accepts Medicaid, or check the hospital's website. You will probably have to attend their next informational seminar before you can get an appointment for a consultation. As you can tell from reading all the posts, the approval process can take a while, but you will feel so much better once you take the first step. Let us know how it goes.

Faithmd, Does having the AP band mean that you will have your fills by remote control? If so, what an awesome invention! I had posted over a week ago, asking if anyone else had huge eggplant-colored bruises all over their abdomen (about 40% covered). I had looked at all the pictures that people posted of their incisions and noticed that no one else was discolored as I am. Yesterday (18 days after banding) I had my follow-up. When the surgeon looked at my incisions he blurted out "Whoa! I've never seen bruising like this!" but then assured me that it was no problem. I am positive that I was banded by a resident and I was never told that this was on option. I understand about residents because my office was located in the College of Medicine for 9 years. I also realize that lapband surgery is fairly simple surgery, but I feel betrayed nonetheless (I never saw the program surgeon that day). My question: would all the bruising be the result of less experience, less "finesse" with the laproscopic tools? The bruising was not painful so I assume that no harm was done. I'm just curious..... Thanks in advance for your expertise. I hope that you are more comfortable today.

I went for my follow-up today and the surgeon was shocked--he said that he has never seen bruising like mine. He said that it wasn't a problem though. I'm certain that I was banded by a resident, which annoys me only because it was never mentioned as a possibility. Even the prescription I was given was signed by a physician I had never heard of.

Medicare does give pre-approvals. In fact, the coordinator of our program said that Medicare (believe it or not) is actually very fast with their pre-authorizations. It usually takes a week. The program is in Ohio. The out-of-pocket amount is $996. Is Trailblazers what they call a "Medicare Intermediary"? There are several of those in Ohio, like Nationwide. I got pre-approved at the end of May and had the surgery on June 4. I had a BMI of 40.4. My supplemental insurance, Humana Traditional, has a WLS exclusion. I didn't know that because this policy is through my former employer and there are literally no written materials about what it covers nor is there any way to access that info. on the website. Are you aware that Medicare will only cover surgery at a center designated a "Bariatric Center of Excellence"? There are no requirements about losing a certain amount of weight beforehand or being on a physician-supervised diet.

Stacie, I live in Ohio. I know that Medi-Cal is very different than the Medicaid in the other states, but I actually thought that it was a little better. Medicare, which is a federal program, approves people with a BMI of 35 if they have the significant co-morbidities that you have. I think that your best bet is to ask your physician to go ahead and submit you for consideration. If he is correct about the requirements, Medicaid will probably deny you, but you will have the right to appeal. I would be willing to help you write a persuasive appeal letter. Maybe before that, you should call Legal Aid and find out if they can help you make an appeal to Medi-Cal. They probably would have a Medi-Cal handbook so you could find out exactly what the requirements are, and work from there. You deserve help with getting healthy for your kids! With your bad family history and co-morbidities, you are bound to save Medi-Cal a load of money if you can undergo the surgery and avoid diabetes, heart disease etc. Take care. Serena

Tammy, I'm forever in your debt! I never could get the delete button to work for me in my previous attempts. Thanks!

I finally managed a ticker, only to find out that I had made an error in my current weight. I tried to edit the ticker, but it apparently made a new one. Does anyone have a clue about how to delete the incorrect one as well as those other extra lines? I would be embarrassed to admit how many tries it took me to get this far.:embarassed:

Toni. I'm really anxious about how I"ll do when there are fewer restrictions. Dietician said that we have to do the blended/pureed diet for at least 2 weeks and I just started Thursday. There has been nothing yet that I find appealing: pureed vegetables, pureed beans, oatmeal..... During the clear and full liquid phases I could barely consume 300 calories a day. I find it all a chore--sipping 4 oz. over 30 minutes, half an hour between eating and drinking, and portions of only 1/4 cup at a time (I called the dietician who told me that these rules still apply). Despite the low-calorie intake it took me 9 days to lose the 10 pound post-surgical gain and I'm only down 5 pounds from that now. I guess I'm concerned that on my first post-op visit I won't show enough of a weight loss. For me, at this point, eating is more of a nuisance than a pleasure. I do suspect that the dietician is trying to get us accustomed to the restrictions we will face after our first fill and beyond that, there is no need to be so strict. If there is no ticker on this post, I officially surrender further attempts to install one.

:ermm I was banded on June 4. From the beginning about 40% of my addomen was the color of eggplant--and it hasn't faded a bit. This is not only around the incisions. I have a patch on my side about 10" x 3" and a few spots on my back. I assumed this was normal, but last night I discovered a thread where people have submitted photos of their incisions and I didn't see a Barney-belly anywhere. Also just the incisions are sinking so when I stand it looks like I have little sinkholes. 'Hoping for reassurance that this is routine!

Shorty At least in some states Medicaid will pay if the program has earned a designation of Bariatric Center of Excellence. These are typically hospital-based programs. Be aware that many programs require an upfront, non-refundable program fee to cover the costs of evaluation, which no insurance will pay. My program charged $500, which covered the mental health eval, and meetings with the dietician and the nurse. Good luck to you!

I too was alarmed that I had to pay $500 just to be evaluated--upfront and non-refundable. First visit was a 10-minute consult with the surgeon for which I was later billed $265!! The $500 included the mental health eval, 2 meetings with the dietician, and an info session with the nurse. The program materials implied that the dietician and nurse meetings were one-on-one, but they turned out to be small groups. I chose this program because it was a Bariatric Center of Excellence. I was further annoyed that my surgery was done by someone other than the program surgeon (which I didn't know was even a possibility). The prescription I was sent home with was authorized by a physician I had never heard of. I assume that he was a resident.

I think that the majority of programs will do the procedure on an outpatient basis for self-pay patients. A nurse with the program told us that the overnight stay is more of an insurance issue than a medical one. Some insurance companies require an overnight stay (go figure!). Some insurance companies will only pay $900 - $1000 for an outpatient lap-band, which doesn't come close to paying for the band itself (about $3500).

I was banded on June 4th. Right away I could see that at least 40% of my abdomen was the color of eggplant, and it hasn't faded at all. There are even large patches (like 10" x 3") on the sides not even near the incisions, and a few places on my back. I don't bruise easily. No one actually saw my abdomen post-op and beyond and I assumed everyone was purple after surgery. Did this happen to anyone else?

Maybe I'm concerned for nothing, but I was banded on June 4 and have never been able to feel anything under the port incision. Perhaps I will feel it after all the swelling goes down. Thanks in advance for any feedback sent my way.