Chiquita

Hello all. My appointment with my doctor was today. After talking with the surgeon and with the nurse, it looks like the best option for me is the bi-pass. I was starting to feel that might be what he would tell me, giving my BMI of 70. I know some of you have done it, but one thing she said, is that with my weight, it is commong for people to loose half of what they are overweight, then after that it is more difficult to loose the weight,, she asked if I would be ok if I only lost half of The weight that I needed to be at a normal level, and thinking about that, it would leave me at around 200lbs, and that is not what I want, I like to be 130-150. Is a long road ahead of me, but with the bi-pass seems that will be less time. They where very good at informing the good and bad of both surgeries, and this doctor has best in the state for surgeries on both types. So with that said, my surgery will be scheduled tomorrow after I make one appointment for my pshycollogical evaluation, once that date is made I can arrange to get my date, and I go and get my blood work and EKG done too. Well for now I say my goobyes, I will search for a forum on the bi-pass for support with that. Best of luck to all, and may you all loos tons chiquita:car:

Hello all. Just wanted to hop in here and say hi. I am still not having the lap band surgery, will have the Gastric by-pass still, and now I have a surgery date. I will go in on January 8th. Sometimes I get so scared thinking of what will be done at me, but I am convinced is for the best. Congrats on all your dates mine came up earlier then I thought, as my pshyc eval was not scheduled until January 30th, but they had a cancellation last Tuesday and they called me in to see if I could be there in 1.5 hours, so I did took it and drove like crazy lol. So stoped by the surgeons office to schedule my surgery, will post again after surgery just to let you all know I made it ok and how I am doing, hopefully. Best wishes to all and good luck!

Hi Jen Congrats,, I hope my surgery dates is around the first half of the month of January too. My first date to see the doctor is tomorrow, I am a nervous reck, but trying to stay busy. I have a house full of people on the weekend before Christmas, so I don't think I like to have it done before, and I doubt if he want me to as I am sure he will require a 2 week diet at least. I will post again once I have my date, and I will do the Dance of Joy!! :whoo:

Bensor that is my first appointment with the surgeon date too Best of luck !!

I have been avoiding coming to the forum in the last couple weeks,, I been hoping the time goes by fast to my first appointment. I have lots of weight to loose, and I have been doing 2 liquid meals a day prior to seen the doctor the first time, just so I loose some weight and so he sees what I am doing and hopefully he won't make me do to long of diet before the surgery. I am finding out that everytime I think about this coming up, I feel lightheaded, I feel butterflies in my stomach, almost upset about it. I was watching this show on tv about this teen girl in Europe, was 475 lbs and had her stomach stampled. They followed her case for 1 year, and seen how she struggle with her emotional rollocoaster of feelings and dealling with the lost of the food comfort. I been hidding more and more since I found my daughter has autism when she was four and a half,, I had been on a diet program and had lost 70 lbs, and would go to the Gym five to six days a week, I loved it, was feeling so good, then that hit me, I became depressed and slowly backed away from it all, slowly started gaining the weight. One year later we got my son's diagnosis with also autism. Now, I have gain the 70 lbs back plus about 50 more, I don't know, maybe 70 more, or 100, who knows, I don't bother with the scale, and I don't bother with the doctors. Last couple times I have gone in I have not had them weight me and they have not insisted. The road is so long, I have over half my weight to loose, well more like 2/3 to loose, I be happy if I loose half! I am depressed tonight, so many little things have gone silly this week and I just find my self crying and venting here and I apologize if I sound negative, but maybe because I am. I know I have depression, but nothing will stop me, I will do what it takes to get my surgery. I am selfpay and for the last two months I have been saving everything I can for the surgery. I have the money for the pre tests, and I am about 1000 short for the surgery cost, but I will have it in a couple of weeks. I plan on going all the way, actually, the heck with I settle with half, lol, I do all 2/3, so you all might as well get used to me :rolleyes cause I am in for the long windy road. Just wish I could sleep until my appointment was here.. go in on Wednesday morning, drive is a bit over an hour to get there, I can't wait, it's killing me :faint:

banana smoody,, milk and a banana blended together.. good for the memory too Beans, so refried sloopy beans?? lol. Peanut Butter has Protein, maybe get the Adam's with no sugar, and take a table spoon of it with a glass of Water and just eat some peanut butter and some water after to wash it down. Can't think of what else, I am like you looking for ideas, but the banana smoody is quick and has lots of Vitamins and minerals and protein

Ahaha,, thanks so much for this thread I been wondering what qualifies as liquid diet,, I have my first appointment on Dec 12th and wanted to start on a liquid diet priot, but having milk shakes from low carb stuff at the store (slim fast type) was not enoug and I was having trouble,, this is great. TYTYTY :clap2:

Hi sleepy I was wondering why they have you do 6 months? is that for insurance reasons? Hope all is going well. chiquita

Got my appointment for my initial consultation. Dec 12th. I am so heavy I started a liquid diet, hoping he won't make me do too many weeks after the visit of this in order to have the surgery. two nights ago I started, and had a low cab shake, yesterday I had one for breakfast, a chicken sandwish for lunch and a shake for diner, and lots of water. Today I wanted to do 2 meals liquid and one solid,, I was doing ok until a horrible headache hit me, and I had a cup of spaggeti. I was probably hungry since the sandwish I made for lunch, my daughter stold part of it. I will still have a shake here soon to get enough calories in, and tomorrow I take the main meal off to have some turkey :hungry: with my family. I called my doctors for medical records and will pick them up next week. filled all the paperwork and diet history they want. I am also keeping record of all I eat between now and the appointment to show I am serious about this. Geesh, you would think I am getting to relocate ha,, well maybe, into a new body

Hi all. I am sure I will have mine done on January, however I just found out today that the 10000 price goes away after the 1st of the year and it goes up to 12500, so might do it December if they can work me in, unless they can warranty me the 10000 if I agree to have it for sure and set a date. What things I want to rid off, Holly cow , um: High blood preasure which I started one year ago, Artritis (even if it just helps it some) Snoring lol, my husband kicked me off the bedroom now almost a year ago Aches, pains. Acid indigestion, kills me Both my grandmothers had diabetis, and died from complications from it, so I am doomed, want to delay it if not completely avoid it. oh yes, not sure if this allowed here, but if it's not kick me lol.. I want to have better sex?? Does that count?? it has to help my psichological health right?? believe it or not, It does, if not mine my husbands Now I zip it :eyebrows:

Thanks I made my first appointment just one hour ago. I go in on the 12th of December and probably will see what they need in the way of tests and such before the surgery. Unfortunally, Christmas gets on the way so slows things down a bit. I am confident it will be on January, the first half either way as I am self pay and have no insurance so I pay all of it on my own. I will post my date once I have it.

I have told 2 friends, one is a friend online, and one I known for several years, and my husband, that is it. I feel my husband is not in complete agreement, but he don't say much, silence is the worst sometimes and that is what I feel from him. I won't tell no one else other then this people. I have been put down enough in my life, and expected so much of, that I don't feel anyone deserves to know, including my family. I keep it to my self, and when they notice the weight loss and say something, I will not put much into it, praise has always bother me, because I struggle as much when I am loosing to when I am not loosing the weight, there for don't change who I am, but people tend to want to talk to you more when they think you are heading to where you are more socially acceptable, there for, I am very unsocial lol. I know I sound sore, but I been fat all my life, and gotten the bad looks all my life and sort of makes you this way. Me, I am happy I made this decition, I know, so that is good enough for me :scared:

Oh, and just because I compred it to combat games, I ment the graphics, but the game is not about combat, is mainly about life, or whatever you want to make it be. Like they say.. Your World, your imagination

I am planning to have lap band. I just started contacting the office where I will be doing this. I wonder for those who self pay. Or anyone at all that would know. When doing taxes will this be considered a medical expense that can be deducted? I will have to pay 10,000 for the surgery plus what not for pre test and any other pre and post and fill ups, etc. Anyone have ever done this and had an ok on having it be a medical deduction? and Anyone tried then got trouble with them saying it is not deductible? At this point I feel is this of my life.. My BMI is at a Shocking 73.2 and my heart feels tired. This last year has been very hard on my health. I started with blood preasure issues one year ago, before that I was at a low blood preasure end been my normal. I also have sleep apnia, not that I have gotten a dianosis, but my husband and I have noticed it. I am at hight risk of many things. And due to both Granmothers having diabetis and dying from complications of it, well I am doomed to have it, and I want to live life for once. I am 39, Have two kids with autism 7&8 and I desperately need the energy. I am saving to have this done, and I keep thinking ok early next year, because I do not want to loose SSI for my kids disability until next year, as I found a good job online working in a virtual reality community, been saving the money, which is play money until I cash it out, but it equals 6000US, and at the pase I am making it, in another month I will have the 10000 needed for the surgery. If this is deductable, I can get away on pulling it out before the end of the year and scheduling the surgery. After that I don't care if I loose the SSI, but for the rest of the year, I need to save to save my life. Now I am just going in circles, not sure if this makes sense. Any help and suggestions?

lol,, ok I will just put it here for all those wondering what Second Life is about. Second Life is a Virtual Reality Game played on the internate. Kind of like those fancy video games you see on tv of combat, or thumbstone or what not. It is free of charge for a basic account. You go into Secondlife.com and can read a bit more about it. The difference is here you get assigned an avatar of your choice, and you can customize it to look anyway you want, like a very nice sexy girl or guy lol, or a puppy, a dragon, well I seen aliens and even huged Santa Claus lol. He was naughtey and gave me a candy cane, imagine that :car: People use second life for many reasons. There are support groups that meet for all types of things, like cancer support groups, disabilities. Groups for fans of Star Trek, Doctor who or what not. Everything you see in the game, someone build, the clothes the avatars wear, the homes the plants, the cars,, everything is made of a basic building block call prim, or clothing or is animated with what is called a script which is basic computer programing. Many try to make money in Second Life, some do just enough to give them a nice vacation once a year. Some to make enough to buy things to keep on playing and not having to deep into their "Real Life" income to enjoy the game. But there are some who make enough money to make a living out of the game. There is a play money currency called the linden dollar, the exchange rates is about 275 lindens per US dollar. It goes both ways, you can buy lindens and you can sell lindens. you get to loose about 10Lindens per US dollar everytime you convert lindens into dollar, that is one way the game makes their money to keep the game running. Some go into designing clothing for avatars, that is big business in Second Life. Some script. Some are builders, some are entertainers, counselors, teachers, etc etc. It is amazing what you can do to make money if you put your brains into it. One thing, I caution, is many go in the game wanting to make money, but, just like any job, you have to put your hours and work into it. The game is extremely addicting and to get good you have to take the time to learn it. I have been ingame for almost two years now. Didn't really got serious about making some money in the game until about a year ago. I started teaching others how to play the game, build, etc. One thing led to another, and found my self making lots of graphics, what the game calls textures, in order to teach and have materials for my students to learn with. Now I make textures full time, I still teach from time to time for free now since I can afford it, it brings me customers and I get a lot of referals for my business this way. I am now making about 2 times more what my husband makes :clap2:. I have to say, it did not happen overnight. I have spent my late hours on the computer working, sometimes until 3 am to get enough material to sell to open a descent size store. The good thing, with the graphics, once I make them I don't have to make it again, they sell over and over with no additional effort after I put them for sale. So residual income adds up. I have saved 2/3 of what the surgery is going to cost me in the last 7 weeks of so. So I can proudly say now, it has been a success for me. Hope this helps to answer some of the questions about Second Life. Now I shall catch some z's :notagree

hi I will send you a private IM about Second Life.

I just recently decided to do the band. I am self pay and for me the suregery is going to be 10000. This includes The doctors fees, the aid fee, the anestesiologis *(sp) fee and the hospital fee. I am wondering on the related costs, the things that are possible that the doctor might send you to get prior to surgery and after surgery. So from what I have read, I am making a list here. if you think something is missing, if you let me know I will add it. And if all those who have had self pay any of this things can post what it cost them, I will be updating the list with prices people say they paid. Hoping this will help some of us prepare money wise prior to taking the first step. Post: Pshic evaluation: Blood work ( know it varies case from case so please be specific): EKG: Pulmonology: Upper GI (barium swallow): Classes: Nutritionist ( I read some have had to ): Initial Consultation: Fills (sepcify what type-Water or?): Ok I think that is it for now.. any other thing just let me know

You bet I am affraid of dying, yes there is the risk. But if I don't do this now, I will end up dead for sure sooner then later. At least I die trying then don't try at all. The way I see it, I have more chances of living if I have the lap band done then If I don't, and I will. January first half

I recently decided to do this and was excited to find this forum. I haven't even made my appointment yet for my first visit. I am self pay so I will have them schedule me for early January, wanted to do December but I don't think I will have it all saved by then. I will but then I still have tests to get done I know so don't have enough for both. I have a LONG road ahead of me, but I am pig headed and I am determined, and this is what I will do. I finally can see a light at the end of the tunel, and freedom is at the other end, does that makes sense? it will be sometime but, I am upto it. I don't even know how much I weight, so I will put that ruler thingie after I get weighted in my first visit.

hehe now you got me doing numbers,, my brain is wheels are smoking and sparks are going off . I just talked to a friend, who is the only friend I have told I am saving to do this, and she is excited about me, my BMI is 73 and you can imagine, I am short and look like the great pumpkin. The only thing she said, is, wait until after Christmas so you can have one last nice Christmas meal with your family,, well, if numbers look ok, and I talk to my husband and he ok's this, I might settle for Thanksgiving been my last nice large meal with my family, I just went shopping, got me the smallest Turkey I could find, just so there is not so much, I feel to eat a lot,, time to start changing habits. I am excited about this today, infact, I feel better already, more energy and my spirit is up since I made the decition and well seen how much I have saved. I saved up for a brand new computer this year and 2 plasma monitors, it helps my work, and I was so happy when I got my money for that knowing I paid all of it by my self, and is all tax deductable so now this is so much more,, ok, forgive me, I am just in a good mood :bounce:

TheGhost You are right on that.. When withdrawing the funds they say it can take from 1 to 5 days max to get the money. I am planning on having them put it in my paypal account and using the debit card, which also acts as a mastercard, to pay for the surgery, paypal has a cash back deal, I get a small percentage, like 1.5% back, and even if it's not that much I think it would be like 150 dollars, which probably covers a few trips back and forth for check ups since I have to drive a bit over an hour each way. I guess next thing is, talk to them and see what they think. I hope to get the information packet today, but I just called yesterday, so I might not get it until tomorrow or next week. Will go through that and then move on to make my first consultation. Thanks so much, your advice is very much appreciated, as well as everyone elses too :clap2:

Yes basically, Once I pull my money out of this game, I will have an income of around 4000 a month, going from 0 to 4000 plust what my husband makes, well that will for sure take away the SSI as we are border line. Right now we get the max,, after I start making income they go on a sliding scale, but since I will make twice of what my husband brings home a month, I say yes, it will go bye bye. And that is ok for me, but I don't want it to go away prematurely, or it will back fire on me, I need the SSI on December for getting us through the month, and december is the most expensive month of the year for us. I will limit to a couple presents to my kids. My present for me is the surgery and my husband gets that too :bounce: but in return he gets a happier me if that makes sense. Unfortunally, I don't have the credit to put it in a Credit card or I would go for it. And not sure if the doctor would be up to holding a check until after the 1st lol. I have hear many say, put your money on paypal, that way you don't have to pay taxes on it, well I think that is desonest, I think if you get the money on paypal is like having it in the bank, and the IRS would see it that way, I just do not wish to cause trouble with taxes and end up having us audited, which it can't be fun at all having someone going through your records and demanding to see paper work, I can verely keep my self after my kids, don't need the addes stress. Other then waiting for January, I can't see any other way?? but if any of you have any fancy ideas lol, I would really like to hear them out

delete,, double post sorry

Oh this is so great info thanks all. I am wondering if I should put my surgery off until January ot have it on December. The doctor I will go charges 10000 and the money I am saving for it is in a virtual reality game, some might know about called Second Life. In the last few months things have gone well, and I started saving for this surgery just 2 months ago and have over 6000 or it, by my calculations, in one more month I will have the 10000. My struggle was if I do the surgery after the 1st of the year, then I can deal with the tax portion then, since I don't get taxed until I convert my play money into US currency, I know is complicated, but is a game, and is no income until I do that. Until now, we been broke all our lifes, and we receive disability for our two kids with autism which has helped a bunch since I can't go to work because of needing to be available for their care and related things. Once I pull this money, my income a month will go up where I loose SSI for both of them which is fine, but I don't want to do that before I have the money or it will slow things down. It is complicated I know:faint:In a way I want to just do it. But then it means to have it right before Christmas and not sure if I am emotionally ready to do that, especially since we do a Christmas party at my home for all my husbands family. Yes that means lots of cooking. I keep it simple with Soups, bread and something sweet, but still be hard if I cook it all and can't eat it Soo enough of me going in circles. This really helps me, and yes encourages me as well, knowing that at least I get a break from all this money I am going to spend. But I feel is so very well worth it