geochic77

Hey there fellow Texans! I have my first appointment with my surgeon on March 14th. Can anyone tell me about how long it takes after the initial appointment to get the surgery done? Thanks.

I'm glad I'm not the only one getting banded on April Fool's Day! Woo Hoo! Getting a little anxious and nervous. Pre-op testing is wednesday, then surgery on friday. I swear, I think they should prescribe everyone a really big bottle of Valium or Xanax for the week prior to surgery to help relieve those pre-surgery jitters!

Well, I had my appointment with Dr. Chung on March 14. He initially wanted to do the surgery on Good Friday, but anesthesia is off for the holiday. My surgery has been scheduled for April 1. That's right, April Fool's Day! Anyway, my pre-op tests are going to be done on the 30th. It's amazing to me how many of the "necessary" tests really aren't so necessary when insurance isn't footing the bill. The only tests I have to have are bloodwork, an EKG and a chest x-ray. I'm not really nervous, just a little anxious to get it over with. At least I'm able to have one last hoo-ray at Easter. The day after Easter I start my liquid diet. That means I'll probably eat so much turkey and other goodies, I'll make myself sick. Gotta remember to wear my eating pants that day cause it's the last time I'll need them!!!

Hey everyone! Before joining your fabulous site, I did a little exploring and saw some of you ladies' before and after pics. You guys look sensational and you should all be so proud and overjoyed of what you have accomplished. Kudos!!! I have already selected a surgeon. I will be using Dr. Keith Chung in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Although I do live in Texas, it's just a hop, skip and a jump across the Sabine River to Louisiana (about 35 miles). Right now, I'm doing most of the leg work trying to get one doctor's information to the other. I am very lucky because this surgery is going to be close to my 28th birthday and it will be my parent's gift to me. Wow! What a present, eh? Anyway, I've done as much research on the Lap-Band as I think may be physically possible and have jotted down several questions for the doctor when I get my first appointment. Overall, I think I am very well prepared for the surgery and at this point, it's just a matter of letting everything run it's course!

Right now I'm at 267 lbs. I'd really like to get down to around 150 lbs. Getting down to that weight would alleviate most of my health problems. I thought about going with Dr. Spiegel, but he was more expensive and the nurse practitioner at my doc's office used him and didn't recommend him (she's having a lot of trouble). She had heard good things about Dr. Chung and recommended for me to use him. Though he prefers to do gastric bypass (his specialty), he also does Lap-Band. I guess at this point its just a matter of being each doctor's gofer and playing that dreadful waiting game. I'll let ya'll know what's going on as soon as I find out anything.

Thanks you guys. Since I'm self pay, I may get this done sooner than I expected. I'm sure I'll find out when I see the doc on March 14th. I'll let ya'll know as soon as I know anything.

Well, all is going well. I have my first appointment with my surgeon on March 14th. I'm excited, yet nervous. I know I don't have anything to worry about, but I guess everyone has these feelings. I'm hoping that I can get the surgery done fairly quickly since I don't have to wait for insurance approval. We'll see, I guess.