Ellisa

I'm not in the healthcare field, but I've noticed that more often I'm being given options about my health care, sometimes if my doc feels strongly he'll/she'll make a it clear what his/her recommendation is. My GYN, PCP, and surgeon have all given me options recently as to health care and helped me weight the benefits of each choice. When my father had cancer 4 years ago, he too was given options on everything from the type of treatment to the facility and even the option of not doing any treatment. His was a terminal cancer, so it was basically do you want to have 6 months to a year of feeling fairly good with no treatment. Or possibly a few more months and feel really crappy for most of it. He took the treatments, it weakened his immune sytem, he spent weeks in the hospital with pnumonia and died within 11 months. But we don't blame anyone. Might we have felt differently if those decisions were made by his doctor and then we found out he could have done something different? My mechanic also gives me options. I don't tell him which tools to use, but I can decide if it's worth buying the most expensive part that'll last 5 years or one that should last 2, but I'm trading the car in 6 months anyway. I would not be comfortable about having my doctors make decisions about my health without allowing me to weigh the consequences; do I want recommendations and advice about all the options he/she is aware of? Absolutely.

Off topic question here... when I type my posts, I put in paragraphs. I can see them as I type. But when they post it all comes out as one... anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

I stay out of the name calling and try to answer politely, though Redstarr/Isuza was rude. Calling my surgeon a moron and me a fool was a bit over the top. Then posting a You-Tube video claiming it was the Realize band when clearly the video showed a very crudely made thing that didn't remotely resemble the actual band. If you only looked at the port alone it was a dead giveaway. Also, the poster claimed to be a med student on the Realize thread...and quoted WikiPedia as support for a minor detail, a date I think. The only college class I was allowed to use WikePedia as a reference was creative/rhetorical writing. Profs say it contains too many inaccuracies and unverified information. (I'm old, but I still take classes.) Are these varied posters one and the same? Who knows. Are they working for a specific company/surgeon? Who knows. But I doubt it, they aren't doing their business any good. By the end, I began to wonder if they weren't really trying to get a huge support for J & J because... what better way to get people rallying for their band? Once I decided, with my surgeon, which band, I really hadn't thought about it. But thanks to this poster(s), I can now say ah... these are the reasons I selected it! But the truth is, I have one, my DH has the other. I know this is an over simplification, but some like Band aide, some like Curad. I'm glad there's competition, it makes manufacturers of products/drugs continue to look at their product and improve, try to catch up or move ahead. The down side is patent rights. Keeps us from getting the best from all. My DH has the Allergan LapBand from two years ago, before the cushion went all the way around. He's not overly worried about that (uncushioned) area becoming eroded. Lots of folks have that band without problems. I liked that mine (Realize) was cushioned all the way around. Allergan corrected that for current bandsters. I'm sure they will also improve ways of anchoring their ports and making them flatter. And J & J will probably put 20 little pillows in theirs someday and make the ports smaller and on and on. Some things will make a real difference, others will be just for the sake of change.

I had to do low carb liquids 2 weeks prior. Then the day after surgery, full liquids, then pureed for 2 weeks, then soft for two weeks, then regular diet as tolerated. I had no problem tolerating... LOL As everyone has said, each surgeon has their own rules. When DH had his two years ago, the facility had just started offering lap-band. They had been only providing RNY. So he got the same diet as their RNY. That was TOUGH!

Sorry to hear about the insurance. But if you can self pay, absolutely go for it.

Krista, I got my first fill last month and the first two weeks were great. Then as swelling went down, I felt hardly any restrictions. (3.5 cc) Well, to be honest, I still couldn't eat near what I did preband, but it wasn't as good as right after my first fill. So last week I got my second fill (0.5 cc) and for the first few days it was "enough" but now I think I need more. Will get my next one on the 12th of March. I had lost 7 lbs. in 4 weeks, so the NP didn't think I needed much. And she was probably right, but as things continue to heal in place the restriction does tend to reduce. But take advantage of it when you have it!

Is there a possibility that your insurance could change in the near future? If it's through an employer perhaps if they are shopping around, they might consider adding it. Worth checking.

Realize here too... No problems at all. I like that the port is low profile and the way it's anchored. My DH has the LapBand (Allergan), he's doing great too. We have a friend who has a LapBand and her port flipped before her first fill. Will require and additional surgery. I know it's rare and probably could happen with either one, but that's the choice I made. I would be fine with either one, but I do like that my port isn't as noticable as DH's.

Oh my, "Red" is now Isuza? Oh and no offense to natural blonds, my DH is naturally blond and he certainly has more common sense than most.

Well I thought I was done here. But I mentioned this to my DH last night. He said," Honey, I might be a dumb truck driver but...if your band is not shaped like a triangle with nothing in it on the table placed in a circle, and you put it around a stomach that's not shaped like a triangle but round and you add fluid, why will the fluid make it into a triangle?" And he also pointed out that the surgeons would notice that if it dammed off like a straw (as Red/Izuza mentioned in a previous post) it wouldn't hold 9 cc's of fluid. Duh! Boy did I feel stupid for bringing THAT up. I think he's still laughing at me. And I tried to explain I didn't agree with "Red/Izuza" but I don't think he believes me. Oh gawd, he's probably going to tell everyone! I may be blond, but it's bleach I tell you!

Whatever. If it gives me trouble, I'll deal with it in an appropriate manner. And I'll be sure to let you know. I'm sure you'll want to be notified about Lap-Band issues too, so if DH has trouble I'll let you know about his too. But then, he did get the one that isn't cushioned all the way around. But at least Allergan saw fit to fix that for the folks after him. They are catching up aren't they? So I would not be afraid to use their product either.

Both bands were available to the group to pass around and play with at will. No it didn't look like a triange. It was very smooth, stretched out and placed in a circle. I also liked that my band had the soft inner surface all the way around (Lap-Band has changed that design to be soft all the way now) and I preferred the flatter port. But my DH has the older Lap-Band and he's had no issues. Thanks for confirming that my surgeon's technique gave me a smaller scar. I thought that might be the reason.

BTW, regarding scars. My DH has the Lap-Band which he's as happy with as I am my band. But his scar is a good 1/2 inch larger than mine.

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. I'm sure he'll let you come to his office and see one for yourself and you can actually do all those things yourself, like I did.

Realize Band Laparoscopic Procedure - REALIZEBand.com Please check out the photo in this web site and you'll see that what's in MY body is NOT what's on You-Tube. Look at the port and the band.

I think his web site probably needs to be updated since they switched some things in January. Yes do make the phone call, and check around. I think Dr. C is awesome. But if he hadn't been in network at the time I had my surgery I would have had to find someone else I could trust who was. Make sure you get someone who is experienced. I know it's probably going to get more and more difficult as insurance companies are paying only about 1/4 of the charges for the hospital and doctor to their in network providers. I can't blame them for not remaining in network.

Thank you Dr. Curry. I really didn't expect that you'd actually have the time to check this out and reply to the post. But I appreciate that you did. I actually hated to bother you with such a convoluted post but I appreciate that you've set matters straight. I saw and handled both bands and read the literature that you give your patients. I did not feel pressured to choose one over the other. And certainly did not lose confidence in you or my choice.

Awesome! I wish you well.

Well now that I know I'm a moron and fool, I will bow out of this thread.

Let's not be too hasty about judging surgeons here. My doctor uses both bands. He likes the online support for Realize. To be honest, I don't use that. I prefer the way my port is attached and the lower (slightly) profile. But he said they are both good and besides the online support, has no preference.

I don't think you have to pay the entire amount up front. And if you use one of the hospitals you don't have to pay any of that up front, if you insurance is in network with them. He may already have his own surgical center ready by now, if he does and you use his facility rather than a hospital, your upfront might be higher.

Before January, Dr. Curry was in network for various insurances. He no longer is. However, they will work with you and your insurance. You will have to pay part upfront and then be reimbursed by your insurance. Depending on how your policy works, that may or may not be a good option for you. He practices at Jewish and Deaconess. See if either of those facilities are in your plan. Dr. Curry is very experienced and his staff are the wonderful. He works with a NP who is is his right hand. He also has a dietitian, and an insurance coordinator, among others. Most of his staff members are bandsters. I find them to be helpful, professional, knowledgeable, caring, respectful, AND they are fun! Talk to them, they'll help you decide what's right for you.

I don't hesitate to tell people. But I'm not sensitive to negative comments. I probably have an answer for everything. LOL I really don't get many but I treat them as opportunities to educate. To the people who are concerned about insurance covering it, I say, "well, it covers people who get drunk and wreck/smoke/do drugs, etc. etc. etc." And you know what? No one thinks insurance shouldn't cover those health related issues and I like seeing that, "oh yeah" look. Of course I try to be tactful and not use an issue I think the person I'm talking to might be dealing with.

A few years ago I used to buy a product on-line called Carbquik. It's a low carb version of Bisquick type mix. It's made from flour but sort of like Splenda, they left out the bad stuff. Anyway, I'm thinking about ordering it again, but wanted to know if anyone has used it since being banded and if it causes the same "sticking" issues. Here's a link if anyone is interested. Tova Industries Carbquik Bake Mix Thanks for any info. Oops, I accidently posted this on the "fills" forum.

Okay, I had my "fill" on Wednesday. This morning I ate a "Carbquik" pancake. It seems that the fiber does make it come apart when chewed. It didn't "gum up" or "stick." Also, I ate that around 6:00 a.m., it's 3 hours later and I'm still feeling quite satisfied. I will definitely be using this product on my journey. If anyone decides to order it, I will caution that the shipping is a killer, I learned I can order several boxes for about the same shipping cost as one. But I also know that most people will want to sample it before ordering several boxes, so that can be a Catch 22. The texture isn't quite what Bisquick is, but it doesn't have that off flavor that the soy products have.