only4me

CarolK1- You sound like you are ready now, If you finish with your testing soon, and your insurance company gives you the go head----then go ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dont wait........The holidays will come and you will be that much more overweight....You still will have the holidays.....just differently! Good Luck

Peaches, thanks for the tip on the Sparkle website. Those recipies look great. I am enjoying just going through them all.

Welcome back Kathy and Sunny

<p><p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </p> <p> </p> <p> Citygirlnks:--Thats what we are here for, If you want to whine......You go to it....Im sorry to say that men have not changed much from my college days You are a beautiful young girl who so much to offer these people. Unfortunalty we live in a world where beauty is measured against the anorexic bimbos we see in magazines or on tv. Just think...its almost October, only 2 more months of the semester after that.......Do the best you can to find a steady group of students that you can all contribute equally. You can do anything for a few months.....

Jackie- Was is your Dr. who said that the fill is felt right away? I only know from the one fill that I have had, but I did not feel restriction right away, about 10 days later I started to feel more restricted. I wouldnt say I am at the "sweet spot", but I definatly feel more restricted now then following the fill itself.

Kathy- Congradulations to your family. The pictures were so great...you look fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!! What a blessed time for you and your husband. Best luck on your trip.....What do you do for your job? Hello to everyone. Sorry I am not able to adress everyone. I work about 30 hours in 3 days-Tues through thursday.....I get online only to check up on somethings, and try to read and keep up on the posts but its so hard.... I think that the Drs office was right. I feel more restricted this week than last... I did not feel any different with my fill last week at all, but I have been struggling all day to get food down. I had to order lunch out today....We got a local chinese takeout. I ordered steammed chicken and broccoli-no sauce and brown rice. I got one bite of chicken and one bite of broccoli in- the third bite got stuck. I took small bites and really chewed, but I coulnt get it down at all. It took a while for it to come up also. It really made my inside feel "raw" all day. Tonight for dinner I just had some broth, and had trouble with that!! I can take small sips of water only right now. I am taking it easy for the rest of the day. Goodnight to all......

Indio- whats a dg or dw?? Im so not up on this lingo!!

goodmorining Lucky Sevens, I just got back from a walk, so much to do on my day off. I really should clean my house but I really dont want to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this weather, I just want to go out east on Long Island and go the farms to pick up mums and get ready for the fall....I really have to organize myself over the weekend so I dont end up in all day on a monday cleanning. Hope you are all doing well. I got on the scale today and it said I gained 2lbs. I could not believe it!!!!! I was very careful all weekend about what I ate, and I walked. I have got to be retaining water from "aunt flo"...I am not going to go nuts over it, I am still doing what I should be doing. I had my fill last week, and I do not feel a difference at all.

I wasnt told to come every 6 weeks, but when I was leaving Melanie told me to make an appt for 6 weeks, I asked her if that was how the fill appointments were spaced apart and she said yes, it you needed one only.

ssanskoffa- I scheduled my next fill appt when I left the office after my first fill. Melanie told me to make the appt for 6 weeks from the first fill (she said they only do them 6 weeks apart)- Did that Dr tell you to?......I really think that I am going to call ahead of time to request Melanie or Deidra- I do not want to ge the Dr. that you got.

Candle- how are you doing. Have you gone for your 2 week post op yet?.. Your progress is amazing.

Sooverit, You should go to the Long Island support group. There are a few people who live out here in suffolk that were banded in the city and are very happy with their doctors. You should go to the next one and speak to one of them. The most crucial after care I would say is 1 month after surgery and most people do not have alot of problems, after that you are talking about a trip into the city once ever 6 weeks. Thats 8 trips a year into the city for something that will be paid for 100%---

Ssanskoffa- I did not loose anything between my 2 wk post op and the fill appt. I stayed the same. Maybe thats why she gave me 1.5cc?? I hope I dont get that Dr. next time I go.

Indio- you had to be on liquids for a week? I only had to be on the 2 days.

Not at all, Melanie decided what she was going to fill me with. I didnt ask for a certain amount. She just fill me. When she did insert the needle to see what was in the band and tube, there was nothing at all in there.

But the reason that they bill out the huge amount is so that when the insurance companies decide to upgrade their "fee schedules" (what they will pay out" they will see what is being billed out and raise what they pay. If the dr.s and hospitals billed out what the insurance company actually pays, the insurance company thinks its paying what it should pay and wont ever raise the ammount that they pay out.

They might not pay the full amount, but some will pay way more that yours did. And if the hospital or dr is not a memeber of your plan and you choose to use your out of network option and pay the %- it most likely will be on a very high bill. The ammount that the insurance company did not paid gets adusted off the bill. They just write it off because the aggreement that the hospital has with the insurance company.

[quote name='IndioGirl55;56527 Peaches - Yes that is what the insurance claim form showed $64' date='000 for 7/17 to 7/19 - and I had TERRIBLE night nurses !!!! But what the kicker is - is that they are on my insurance as a center of excellent (i could only have surgery at a hospital that was a coe) and they (the ins co) only paid $3500 - so with my $350 - that $3,850 total paid for the hospital - what happens to the $60,250 left - My whole thinking is why does the hospital inflate their charges to such an astronomical amount when they already have a deal with the insurance company that the will accept $3500 and be done with it... I hate the game playing and thats all it is... If you take all my pre-surgery test (and I had tons) and surgery the total billed to insurance is $83,000 - insurance has paid $10,000 and me about $900 (excluding my program fee to dr) - that means the doctors/hospital etc all over billed $72,000 - Why don't they just bill the about that they are going to get from insurance??[/b'] Indio- the reason why they bill the insurance companies the "reasonable and customary" fees is because of all of the insurances that they don't agree to their fees -they are getting paid what is billed. Astronomical huge bills!! and they are getting paid in full for some of them. Also, from time to time, the insurance companies will adjust the fee schedule that they pay to Dr.s and hospitals according to the actual costs that are billed to them. All institutions must bill out actual charges and then adjust after the claim is paid to what they accept.

ssanskoffa- I had my fill on Monday. I did not notice a difference the first two days as I was on liquids. I saw Melanie the PA- I was given 1.5cc. (nothing came out of my band at all, it was completely empty)--Who did you see? I have notices a slight difference since starting regular foods. I have to make sure I am chewing my foods very well. I have pb'd the past 2 days at least once a day- Its because I am not chewing well. I do feel a little difference since the fill. I get satisifed quicker, and it is lasting longer.

Hello to all, I have been MIA for since Monday. Going through some very emotional things, while trying to keep up with work and family life. I had my first fill on Monday. All went well. I was on liquids for the 24-48 hrs (I did about a day and a half), then mushies now solids today. I actually pb'd-today on chicken. I have some restriction (in the sense that I know that I am having to chew alot more thorough or its getting stuck...I still am having trouble with knowing when to stop. I havent read all I have missed so I am going to go and do some of that now, and the rest in the morning.

Kathy thanks for responding so quickly- Im sitting here with my water.....Im actually kind of glad I didnt get sick, because, that would have been just one more thing to deal with. I did call a friend and she was great to talk to, and she prayed for me also, which was very comforting. My husband did what he does in times of stress--he shuts down and doesnt want to talk, my kids have been living with the situation in the house for a long time (which kills me that they have to go through this also)- I think thats what triggered my bindge (guilt for my other 3 kids)---Its amazing what hold food has over me. I definatly try to numb myself.

Well, I fell in the black hole of trying to numb myself with food tonight. I am going through something very hugh and upsetting with my 19 year old son. By the time evening came around, I started with the microwave popcorn (I was trying to not be bad)- then proceeded to pringles....then a leftover hamburger in my fridge. I was amazed at how much I was able to eat in such a small amount of time (and it all went down fine)- I dont know what to do!!!!!!!!!!!! Eating is what I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in such a distructive state!!!!!!!!!!

I added a new avatar picture....this picture of me is 3 years ago exactly. I had just lost 80lbs!!! Of course----I gained that all back ..............it is so sad all of the yo-yo-ing that I have done. I have lost and regained so many time. I am looking forward never regaining this weight again. I thought it would inspire me to keep looking toward the goal every time I post.

Marcy--What a wonderful night for you. Your husband sounds like a real romantic.....How sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!---Hey- I want to see the moose butchering. I loved the chicken pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

My motivation for having this surgery is that I want to look HOT.