goodlife

Is it painful?

Is it standard OP to have an upper GI done and if so, what is the purpose? And Congratulations on your getting your date scheduled!

Hello...I'm brand new here. I haven't yet posted because I've been absorbing everything like a sponge. I hope I'm not breaking the rules by posting this and I'll certainly delete this if I am but I saw your post about needing a script for the bloodwork. I run a company called DirectLabs and we sell discounted bloodwork directly to the consumer. So you don't need doctor's orders for your bloodtests....we provide that for you AND at up to 80% cash prices at the labs. We use LabCorp for all our bloodtests and are bringing Quest on board as a backup for places where there are no convenient LabCorp's. The website is in my profile I believe. www.directlabs.com. I just wanted to make you aware of that option and that it could certainly save you money.

After doing all of this research for the first time in a very long time I feel.....HOPE! I'd been calling the Dr.'s office for a few days now trying to get information on how to start the process....make an appointment, etc. They've yet to call me back. I called again just to ask what kind of wait I should expect for a callback and I explained that I'd called and left messages a few times. She took my name and number and said she'd walk it back there and ask them to call me today. I then asked her how long it usually takes to get an appointment. She said it really depends on how quickly they can verify insurance benefits. Apparently they do that before you even get a consultation. I asked her about self-pay if the insurance doesn't cover it but she said the girl who will call me back can answer all of those questions. I also signed up to attend their seminar on the 8th. WOO HOO...I'm excited about that. I sure hope they call today....I'm anxious to get the ball rolling!

Well..she called me back not long after I posted this! She is going to contact my insurance to see if they cover it....but I was just reading through my benefits book and it says they do NOT cover "services surgeries or supplies for obesity or morbid obesity regardless of medical necessity" I asked her how much it would cost if my insurance didn't cover it and she said between $12,900 and $19,500. Sigh.

I moderate the Sean Hannity online message board. We have over 40,000 registered users. Of course....we only have about a 1000 or so that are active. It's a pretty hectic and busy place...lol

I'm not banded....and I totally understand and even predicted what the answers to this question would be....and I guess maybe Alexandra's answer kinda summed part of of my question up for me too...but as I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of this...I do have a question..kinda technical in nature. With your stomach capacity so severely diminished....it seems like a body couldn't help but lose weight...by virtue of the pouch alone it seems that simply the way decreased amount of food you can eat would assure a weight loss....is it not this way because if you are not restricted then even though your stomach capacity (pouch) is much much smaller than it used to be...the opening from your pouch into the rest of your stomach is big enough that the food just passes right through?? I sure hope I'm not offending anyone with my questions...I'm really just trying to understand. BTW....this is the third day since I've called the Dr's office and noone has STILL called me back...gggrrrr

Red Red Red Red Red Red Red!!!!!!! Lol

Hi all!! I am a full time mom and wife first and foremost...but I hate housework..lol I was a Realtor but I've given that up until my children are older and less demanding of my time. I thought it would be manageable given I could set my own hours in Real Estate but you really have to put a lot into it in order to be successful and of course most people want to look at houses after work and on weekends...and of course that's when all of my kids activities are! I have lots of hobbies...I love to read, I love to garden, I love to fish, and my husband just bought me a brand new jetski for my birthday so that's going to be my newest hobby (I'd really like to lose weight and look good on that thing...hehehe) I also Moderate a very large and very active political message board....so I do spend a lot of time with that...(my husband would tell you TOO MUCH time...lol) In my first post here on this forum I mentioned that we had a friend who is going to have the procedure done...that friend is Mr. Tink...another new member here. I found this site and sent him the url. Hi Tink! My husband and son are archery nuts too! Anyway....this is an interesting thread and I've really enjoyed reading here on the forums and have learned so much already. I took the first step yesterday and called the Dr. office to see about getting an appointment. They said I had to speak to someone in patient advocacy first...so I'm still waiting for them to call me back. I did call and leave a second message today.

For that "head hunger"...something that has worked in the past for me just being on diets and stuff was instead of reaching for that bag of chips or cookies I'd pop a lollipop in my mouth...kept my mouth busy for a while....now I realize that a lollipop (tootsie roll lollipops are my favorite) is all sugar....it's still better than a bag of oreos!

Are you really that upset because you can't eat what you want?? Don't you think in time your dependence on food will lessen? Perhaps you are accustomed to using food as a substitute for other things..

Is it only the texture of the food that you have to look out for?? Do spices/acidity etc. matter? What about fried foods? I'm a cajun and we eat spicy food...lol Salad?? A nice salad is one of my very favorite foods to eat...I've read that some people have a hard time with lettuce....I don't get that. I've read where people say foods get "stuck"...stuck where? and why??

I don't have a story yet....

I haven't been banded yet...I'm still in the learning/research/decision phase of this.

Hello everyone..I just found this site while doing a bit of research. I'm a 34 yr. old mom of two. I've been heavy most of my adult life. I've taken diet pills and lost lots of weight but always put it back on. The thought of this procedure seems both exciting and frightening at the same time. I would dearly love to get back to being active so that I can do all the things I enjoy with my family. I guess what I'm wanting to know is....does anyone here regret having had this procedure done? Was it harder or easier than you expected? Was the procedure itself painful? How often do you experience any discomfort now after the fact? Would you do it again? Thanks in advance for any replies..

Hey..I'm in Louisiana too...whereabouts are you? Nevermind..just looked at your profile...you're in New Orleans...I'm on the Northshore. Who is doing your surgery?

of doing a sleep study test before surgery? I'm not sure I understand the correlation here...I've read plenty of testimonials and I talked my friend who's having the procedure done in May and he also said they have scheduled him for a sleep study.

I've recently started snoring...and I've also recently started doing something else...but I'm not sure if it's sleep apnea or not. I guess if I decide to go through with this they'll make me have a sleep study and I'll find out. I will fall asleep but then it's like something is clogging up my throat or it kinda feels like my tongue is blocking the airway or something..it's weird...but it's new. Maybe I do have sleep apnea....??

Did they give you any sort of prescription for pain?? Or do you just take otc stuff like alleve or advil??

Patty...how are you feeling today??

What causes esophagitis? Did you get this because of something to do with your band?

I was just reading your profile on the link you posted...you are a funny guy... Congrats on the upcoming baby!! I wish you lots of success....I'm just beginning to research this and am contemplating having it done...so it will be nice to follow your story.

lol...I didn't see this forum until just now. I already posted here http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5342 I'm just starting the research into this...and I found this site...what a wonderful place you guys have built here!! Lots of information..I'll be reading for a while...lol Thanks for having me!!

Wow...you really hit the nail on the head with that one...I've lived my life so long turning to food for "comfort"...it seems that is how I deal with stress. The thought of not having that is frightening and it's also scary to know if I CAN make the changes and stick to them. I would to do this...put my family through this only to fail in the end...which of course would just lead me to eat eat eat...lol No way...I loved your answer!! I'd love to hear more about the psychological complications....

Thank you all so much for your replies. I had mentioned to my husband a while back that I was thinking about the gastric bypass surgery and he said NO WAY...he'd heard too many horror stories... A couple of days ago he come home from visiting a good friend of his and and told me this friend was going to have the banding done. I think if I can convince my husband that it's a safe procedure he'll probably go for it. He wants me to lose weight...he's getting concerned about all of the health problems that can occur due to being overweight. He says he wants me to be around for a long time so we can grow old together..lol I'm going to call his friend too and talk to him about it.