jttaurus

Sunsette and Everyone Else, Thanks for being so nice. I have decied that RNY would be better for me because i do not want to have all the post op maintence that Lap Band requires. I want to do the surgrey and be done with it. THe selling point is that two coworkers had RNY and they are fabulous. I want to lose the most weight as soon as I can. I have hypertension and sever back pains, so this will help sooner rather than later. I know dr bauman is very qualified. At first lap band appealed to me because of the quick surgery times and faster recovery, but i Decided that I want to take longer time do the RNY and not have to continously follow up and get barium swallows. So, this has been a difficult decision for me to make. I'm so excited about my appointment next month and to get my date scheduled. I haven't told any of my family except my husband and close friend. None of my family know's. I just hope I can keep this to myself. THey are so critical, but they live out of state so I don't see them on a regular basis. Thanks, Jennifer

This is great! I cannot beleive how fast everything has moved for you. You will do great... Jennifer

Hello Ladies and Gents, I am looking into lap band surgery with Dr. Bauman in Concord. I know a few of you had surgery with him on this NC forum. I just wanted to say a quick hi. I know I will have ton's of questions. The first struggle is with the finances of the pre-op phase. I had my original appointment in August and I decided I needed some more time. I have rescheduled for October. I am hoping to have the surgery at the end of this year. I do have 100% insurance coverage through my employer, but it's the inital money for the consult and the nutritionist that is freaking me out. I keep thinking if I want until 2006 I will have flexspending money, but if I do it now, I will reap the rewards of this sooner. I'm just confused as to where my priorities are. I will definitly have the surgery done, I'm just unsure when. Could anyone share their stories with me. I am just a bit scared if it's ok to say that. The surgery doesn't scare me, it's the fill's and the unknown outcomes. Thanks, Jennifer

Dianne, Could you wait a few days and do the research with Dr V leaving before you rescheduled your cruise? Maybe they will have better information and availablity soon. I know our insurance coverages can update providers during the year so maybe this would work in your favor. I would think if you have a date set, then the practice would honor it. However, if you are getting lapband I could see where this would be a problem for fills. Jennifer

I'm so stupid. I didn't see this thread had two pages. I'm not normally positive like this, but I'm really excited about this life change. I am always trying to do everything at once and not saving anything for later. I've really slowed down alot since my mom died. IF she hadn't been so sick I probably wouldn't be as affected. Both of my parents are deceased. I'm the youngest kid so no one can related except for my overweight brother. He wants RNY but is scared to make the first step and call the dr's office.

I posted and it's gone. It's crazy, I am sure I'm doing something wrong. I honestly don't think the losing weight equals happiness. Happiness for me is psychological. I know alot of kids and adults that have tons of material stuff and they are unhappy. I think I work with a bunch of idiots. That's all. I speak to the wrong people. My motto is that I'm doing surgery to become healthy and then I can be happy when i don't need clothes with multiple xx's on them, or W after the numbers. I think i'm getting mentally ready. I'm not sure what the outcome is going to be though, I have no excepectations, except going off the $50 a month blood pressure medicine that I'm taking. JT

I have my consult with Dr. Bauman Oct 10th. I had filled out all the paper work online, and I didn't hear back from them. A coworker who had gastric bypass called them and they agreed to speak with me. When I called Angie informed me that they were waiting for me to call and make an appointment. I never got the 'approval' email either, so the phone call was necessary. However, I chickened out. I had a consult for Aug 18th and post poned it to 10/10 - there is so, so much to do. I have my consult in the am, my psych consult in the pm and the next day I have my nutrionist appointment. I also need to have an upper GI, I'm hoping Dr Bauman will order it. I had found out a couple years ago I have GERD and a Hiatal hernia. So I hope the hernia could be fixed too. I atteneded DR B's seminar and he was so awsome. I arrived late due to having the old office address and not the new one. Ofcourse, I didn't have cell phone access and I was lost in concord. Yuck. I will be here to support you as I know you will be there for me. It's exciting. I will be doing my surgery in concord. I am also going to read up some on the 'nutrional' things that I'm lacking. JT

I saw on obesityhelp.com that Dr V was leaving the area. I am sure they are correct. It is on the gastric bypass message board under the NC location. Most of them have already had their surgeries with him.

See, I am not looking to weight loss surgery to find some happiness. I know happiness will come over time. I have several goal's I'd like to meet. I want to be an elementary school teacher in my next career, I physically couldn't do that job with this weight. Not possible in my mind. I would say i'm not 'happy' either, but right now healthy is a better option. I lost my mom 2 years ago and the diseases she suffered from could very possibly be headed my way in the future. I miss her like crazy and I can remember her suffering from so many diabetes related complications. Ugh. Most of the thin people i've spoken with got fat post baby, i've been fat since high school. I just want to leave the plus department adn go to gap and fit in their clothes. INstead of always looking for XXL and it not being long enough. I do dress modestly and for comfort. I will not wear belly shirts knowing I have belly. Go figure. Atleast we are not in denial over the weight problem and I guess this is GREAT. Everything is going to work out for us, this is one thing i'm not going to stress about. Well not too much. I wish you luck too.

I'm curious - who are you going to switch to? You can send me a private email if you'd like - jennttaurus@yahoo.com I am hoping to have my surgery before the end of this year. I know in Oct we register for insurance benefits and this surgery is pretty popular at worlk.

Congrats - you'll have your band before me. You can guide me along. I'm nervous mostly about the liquid dieting... Do you know if you have to go on it for 1 week before surgery? Just curious.

I'd say go for it too, you could relax and recouperate on your cruise. You might feel awsome too afterwards. Good Luck!

Thanks for the warm welcome and inviting me to the support groups. I look forward to having a support group available. I honestly didn't know this website existed. I have been on obesityhelp.com. I am trying to gear myself up mentall for the surgery. I got Oct 10th. I am nervous. I do not think that I will be denied. I hope the surgical approval goes through quickly at UHC. My insurance is excellent - it will cost about $800 or so out of pocket, but it's worth it. Yes, self pay would not be an option. We are habitually broke, dh is just beginning work again after a long hiatus... I hope to launch this new life and enjoy being skinny. A coworker did say to me that some of the fellow workers who had the surgrey are not happy. I'm having surgery for my health, my happiness will come second. I just want to get things moving, fast.... I hope everyone has a great weekend. I hope to relax this week for a change.

Hi Karen, My advice (still pre-op) attend the seminars and just get a feel for your dr and their philosophy. There are not many in the Charlotte Metro area. There's one I wouldn't recommend but that would be based on my opinions and that's just not right to sway people. I'm scheduled to see dr Roc Bauman in Concord, you can do a search or look at obesityhelp.com there are very candid reviews on there. Alot of people on obesity help have used dr v. I would gage he's rather busy filling the demand than being slow. There are only so many hours in the days. A great surgeon is worth the wait. I have a coworker who had a full bypass with dr bauman and she is doing awsome. She tried to talk me out of lap band, but i want somthing not so dramatic. Good Luck, Jen

Hello again, Thanks for welcoming me to the board. I am going to pay for Dr Bauman up front even though the fee's have me stressed. I haven't made peace with my decision yet. I go Oct 10th and I will let him schedule and follow through for me. I doubt my insurance will deny the claim because they pay 100% and it's an employee benefit my company offers. This is one of the main reasons why I haven't looked for a new job. I need a new challenge though. I have been in this limbo state for much of this challenege, I do want and need to lose the weight. I keep wavering on the money. I have dh support 100% so it's important to him too. I will try to make one of the meetings, I cannot promise though, since I work M-F 8:30-5 and it exhausts me sometimes. i will let you know closer to the date, I do appreciate the invite. I do have a question, how big does the band wind up being after iit's inserted and filled? A few centemeters? I'm just curious because I read that when you eat it fills up in the pouch and you have to wait for it to pass. I'm just curious. Can you eat normal foods too? I would figure it's just a few bites. One other thing that concerns me is the fills. How frequently do you have to have them? Do you feel the band in place or do you forget about it after a while. I guess I have alot of questions. Jen

Thanks for the offer. My daughter just loves other children. She's going to be five in December. She's so affectionate and loving. Today we went to concord mills, I wasn't in a shopping mood but we spend alot of time in build a bear. She needs a few sleeved shirts and shorts for school, since we bought tanks and spaghetti straps this summer instead of dress code clothes. I didn't think she'd go back to school this year due to my husbands unemployment. Things worked out weird.

Thanks for all the responses ladies. I had actually given up on having the whole wls thing because 1, it's the money, and 2 i really want the right provider. I had entered all the infor for dr bauman and I never heard back. I had a bad experience with one practritioner in Charlotte whose just starting up. I don't have alot of money to spend on visits and things. My husband is just getting back to work after being out of the work force for about 18 months. So many things have happened. I realize that it's time to put me first. However, I struggle with putting me first. I have a 4 year old and him. Realistically I need to do this, because of the co-morbidities and risks. My insurance is United Health Care and it pays 100% after the $100 copay. I do know they do not cover the nutritional program. This is where it leaves me short, this is $500.00 They do everything they can to accomodate their patients financially. I struggle with putting myself first though. Like is it ok to spend this money for myself. The weird thing is I'm not "sick" like when you have an infection or something so it seems weird to have surgery and not need to remove something. I good in one respect I already had my gallbladder taken out. I have the stamp of approval from my PCP and she's totally supportive. You are right though about god. I just need to turn this over and stop worrying about it. I am a worry wart by nature. My husband is 100% behind me having this surgery. Everything is a go except I'm holding myself back. Why? I just don't know. Sorry to write so much but I need all the support I can get. I have a few close people who are supportive of my and the others' My sister, is totally against it. I haven't even told her that I'm having it done. I figure I'll keep it to myself. I have discussed it at work and one sucessful patient of dr baumans at work is very supportive. Where do you have your meetings at? I could really use some Charlotte friends. I spend alot of time with DH and daughter, since everyone I know has kids and they don't leave their kids on the weekends for any adult time. Thanks for reading, Jennifer