salsa1877

I had the tests today and I am not arguing with the validity of the tests. I do believe that I would rather have them before and know if there is anything wrong. My insurance is just so crappy and we need preauthorization for everything. The only thing I have left is the EKG and I think my lap band doc is going to do it for me when I go for my medical clearance. My PS is fine with my lap-band doc giving medical clearance so that was good. My PCP was just a little odd. She just said she didn't have enough information about me to justify ordering any of those tests. I think that was the most frustrating of all. Thank you for your input. I truly do value what you contribute and I hope I didn't sound like I was questioning the validity of the tests. I was just wondering whether anyone else had them done and when they were notified. I got a message from my PS telling me this at the end of last week and it kind of took me by surprise! I just had no idea it was coming.

Whew...survived that. I was actually able to go in and have the blood work done during my lunch/prep period. We had a meeting scheduled during lunch but our Asst. Principal had to leave so that freed up my lunch and prep period so that I could have it done and then eat. I was VERY cautious when I came back and ate so that I wasn't eating too fast, get stuck and then PB. Whew...that was a long day. Now I have to go have my annual exam after school, followed by the in person support group. Wow...could today get any better??? NOT! This is the last support group that I will hopefully have to go to though. The lady I go with can't attend the next one and I will be recovering from my TT for the following one. Maybe then she will forget to call me! Wishful thinking!

I just think I am going to change PCP! I called her nurse again today just before I went over for the test and she still wouldn't go for it. I think the problem is that when I went in for my annual yesterday it was the first time I had ever seen her. I haven't gone to a doctor outside of my lap-band doc since being banded (and when I went to urgent care for tendonitis in my foot!) and we moved right before I had my lap-band surgery so my former PCP is in Eugene almost 3 hours away. (I loved her!) At least the lady at the lab place was nice. She said that I wanted to call Dr. Leffel my PCP that she didn't care and maybe the insurance wouldn't notice that she is a plastic surgeon. I guess we can hope!

Unfortunately I didn't have one for my band. The EKG is the one I am not going to get out of since my mom died of a heart attack. I don't mind the testing if it increases the odds of me coming out alive...I just wish that she had told me about this earlier. Money is really tight right now!

Didn't get my strenght training in yesterday so I went today at 3AM!

I actually am doing alright. The lab doesn't open until 7:30 am and I can't afford to take any more time off of school seeing that I have to drive back to my band doctor on June 3 to get medical clearance for my TT. I would have tried to go in at lunch but it wasn't until this morning that I saw that she wanted a fasting cholesterol test, so I have to wait at least 10 hours! So I am just drinking my water and trying to ignore the lightheadedness that I have. My kids are just preparing for their test tomorrow so it is just working with a lot of them one on one and not worrying about them running around the classroom like 2 year olds...they are actually working because they are freaked out over the test...I LOVE IT!

This is going to be a rough day...I have to fast until 2:45 PM and I have been up since 3AM! Not to mention that my hormones have to be off...I am so weepy...as you could tell from my post yesterday! I didn't feel like going to the gym last night so I got up early this morning and went. VERY EARLY! I just lifted weights, but I felt better after going. Keep you fingers crossed that I don't take off the head of a student today!

Good luck Kat...sending you my best wishes!

Thank you for your response. Nope my insurance will not cover it unless it comes from a PCP and mine refused to order the tests for me because she didn't need to know the answer! I am going to participating provider so they can "bill" insurance, but then at least I can make payments. It is the EKG that I am afraid of for the bill!! Thanks for informing me about the pathologist bill...didn't expect that one either!

I think you have advised yourself rather well. You now know that you have to be vigilent ALL the time! I figure for me...I had 20+ years of bad eating habits, and have only had 9 months of good eating habits. I can't stop doing what I have been doing until it is so much a part of me that I can't slip back. I takes a while for habits to set in...that is why dieting never worked. We couldn't do it for periods of time LONG enough for the habits to sink in. I am hoping within 5 years to not have to step on the scale every week, or measure my food, or count calories, but if I have to everyday for the rest of my life...then so be it...cause I ain't ever goin' back. So I think you took an amazing approach. You are going back to bandster rules (are you going to get a fill?), you have retaken control of your life. Be proud that you CAN and are WILLING to do that. Not everyone would be able to. Your courage to share what has happened to you, might be the one thing that will save someone else. I applaud you!

Yes...according to my doctor this can most definetly lead to slippage and dilation of the esophogas. Really the only way is to get a partial unfill. Not the whole thing, but you are most likely way too tight. I don't promote staying on liquids until things pass because I personally don't think it is healthy (and either does my doctor). Sometimes it doesn't pass. I was on liquids and mushies for almost 1 month because I could not get to my doctor because of weather (I live 6+ hours away and on the other side of the mountain range). Not once did it get better. I was MISERABLE So my suggestion would be to get a small unfill...it might only take like 0.2 cc before you fee better. Hope you feel better!

Congrats! Once the "racing" gets in your blood...it doesn't come out. 2.5 miles is nothing to be shy about...that is a long distance. Just let the pride keep builiding in you and pretty soon those 2.5 miles will turn into whatever you want it to be! Be proud!

I forsee great success in your future! Congrats on your weightloss...it is stunning! Take pride in what you are doing...because it is not easy, but YOU are doing it!

EVOO is extra virgin olive oil.

As for the insurance covering my labs...my band doctor would be the last person I could go to. He is out of state and my surgery wasn't covered at all. I talked to the lab place and they will attempt to bill my insurance and then bill me. At least then I can make payments!

Okay broke down in tears and called the PS. I don't know what to do about my weight. I really don't WANT to lose anymore. I hardly recognize myself in the mirror now. I am perfectly fine with being the weight I am. 100 pounds was my goal...and I am going to be significantly lighter after my surgery. My PS said...yes...they often times take more than 10% of the body weight on those shows like Big Medicine and there are no problems...but she also said that is reality TV and those patients are usually the extreme case and have gone through much counseling and waivers so that they understand the risk they are taking. Personally I would rather be a little higher weight that is considered skinny and come out of the surgeyr alive! She said mine was going to be one of the most extensive surgeries she has ever done, because of my anatomy. Her reasoning for not wanting me to be much under 150 is that she wants me at a STABLE weight. If you body is still in losing mode it is harder to heal...and I am going to have A LOT of healing to do. After all, my surgery is going to take 6 hours! She agrees that I will be in the best shape of my life and said if she could get all her TT patients to run a half-marathon 4 days before surgery she would be the happiest doctor alive. However, she does not want me focusing on losing weight. She point blank asked me if I wanted to lose more weight when I was finished with surgery and I SAID NO. She said... that is what I want to hear. Her opinion is unless your skin is interferring with your ability to lose weight (as in the case of LJM) then she doesn't want to do it until you are ready to claim victory. Well I am there. I am not going to stress if I lose more weight (though she REALLY DOES NOT WANT ME BELOW 140) but I am going to try to stop the weight loss. Again she reiterated that I should be at a size 4 when she is done...That is not even fathomable to me. So if I weigh 150 and am a size 4 there is no way that I am going to consider myself fat. I am 5'4.5" tall with BIG boobs. I don't want to look disproportionate. Okay well I am back in tears because I am not certain what I should do.

Well apparently I get all the nutty ones! My PS just sent me the list of things that she wants medical clearance on before my TT. So I called the doc that I am having my annual exam with tomorrow to find out if I needed to fast. They are REFUSING to test me for these. Since I don't have any medical need for them, she won't order them. Now there is NO way that my insurance is going to cover them. Though some of these are legitimate to get tested just because of all the weightloss and the fact that I am losing hair. But her nurse cut me short and said that if I wanted this testing done then my PS better order the labs. My PS did say that she would do the operation if I am under 150 but that she wants me to try and stay at a consistent weight before surgery. I reminded her that I was training for the half-marathon and she is happy with that. It will increase blood flow and I should be in peak health...but the body can go into shock if you take off too much skin. She said it is not as much about being at a certain number because the 10% rule she uses is just to be cautious...but that she wants me to be able to be at a stable weight. She is pretty certain she will be close to removing 15 pounds of skin which would take me to 135. So while 150 is still considered overweight, we do have to take into consideration that 15 of that is coming off with the knife. So if you look at it that way...I am getting to the middle of my BMI. She said we will talk more when we get the test results back and that will determine our course of action.

BBK - I am sorry to hear about your troubles. I am worried about my port as it is already covered in scar tissue. My PS told me that she was going to have to be careful around the port and that it my bulge a bit, but she is not moving the port. As for the pictures I always copy mine into microsoft paint and post them from there.

I can honestly say having lost 100 pounds as of this morning...this band is not a con. I would love to mentor you...but as fair warning...I give tough love. I am not going to condone poor behavior (I don't do it in my classroom either!), but I would love to support you as you change your life. Please either post here or PM me with 2 days of food that you have eaten (everything...licking cream cheese off the knife, tasting a sauce that you have cooked...they all add up) and tell me how much and what exercise you are doing. From there we can take baby steps and you can see how much this band is really going to work for you!

I hope that it will be alright that I am below 150. I don't want to send my body into shock when they remove a lot of excess skin. I am very excited about the weightloss but I don't think I am going to call it just quite yet. My nutritionist is an IDIOT! I emailed her this morning because I wanted to be a good little patient and do what I was supposed to. She blasts back that I should NOT be training for a marathon and that in her opinion I should not be working out until my weight is stable. Her exact quote "Don't you know what your body has been through this year? You have the rest of your life to complete your goals." Yeah I think I said that the entire time I was fat...so that didn't quite work for me. So apparently if you study food you don't take a holistic approach to health...apparently it is just about food...no exercise. So I did my part and now I am going to ignore her. I am still waiting to hear back from the PS. Well I have a bunch of kids in for lunch recovery so I had best get going.

I am very glad to hear that you are going in. I really do think it will be worth it.

Yep Janet beat me too it. you have to figure that these people have seen us fat for so long so when you drop weight they start thinking that you are skinny...and compared to what you were before...you are skinny. It will always take us a longer time to see it though. In fact when I looked in the mirror this morning I said to myself for the first time...you actually are skinny....and I meant it. It has taken me a long time to get there. Now if I had been standing in front of the mirror naked I would have thought that I was jabba-the-hut...six more weeks until that is resolved! As for a size 8...that could be fat for her. Hell I am a size 8 and I think that I could stand to lose a few more pounds (if I wasn't having surgery). As said before...you are not irrational, just notmal. Glad to hear the zoloft is working. One of the side effects for me was that I couldn't cry. Though at the time it was a blessing because I was breaking down in tears during every class! Poopy on all you people ending school right now. I know we have been through this before, but still....I have 4 weeks left.

You may need a slight unfill...your band can (for some unknown reason) get tighter. I had to have more and more taken out as I lost weight. Even now being completely unfilled I have still pb'd. Stress and anxiety seem to compound the problem! Also if you are too tight (which in my opinion you are) then you are not get enough nutrients which is causing the other complications, which is stressing you out and hence causing a tighter band! I would really see your doctor. I am a firm believer that being too tight is a BAD thing. I personally would rather be loose and change my lifestyle through food choices and exercise that have it be so tight that it HURTS to eat. The band is about changing your life, not being so tight that you are miserable. I think that both of you are way too tight and it is hurting you physically and mentally. I wish I could give both of you a big hug! I know how miserable and hopeless it feels when you can't eat without pain. Good luck and please contact your respective doctors. They are there to help.

I think it is a fluke and I am not changing my ticker, but when I stepped on the scale this morning...I was at 150. Do you know what that means if it is true??????? That means I have lost 100 pounds. That would mean that I hit my original goal. I wasn't going to say anything because I do think it is a fluke, but I just had to share. I have an email into my PS about what to do if I get below 150 because I don't want to risk getting the best TT possible because I know she was concerned about me losing very much more weight. Okay I posting this without balloons and smiley faces, because I do think it was a fluke, but we will see tomorrow. BTW, I contacted my nutritionist this weekend and she does want me weighing everyday because we need to adjust calories and she wants to see what is going on with daily weights. So that is why I am weighing so often.

I guess the only reason that I would say they want you to have it fixed is if you need it in the future. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask why! That is amazing weightloss without a fill. I didn't have many and the ones I did have always ended up having to come out because I couldn't handle the tightness. It was either that I was unfilled or too tight. That seemed to be the way for me! In theory it seems that you should lose faster with a "working" band, but in reality that isn't the case. If you aren't able to get food in because you are too tight that can acutally cause you to slow down in weightloss. I definetly think you have the right to ask why you need the second surgery. At least then you could hear the reason. Are they making you pay for it, or is it coming out of the docs pocket?