mel_smiddy

I've already lost 3 pounds!!! :confused_smile: I can't say that it is easy though cause of course it is high protein low carb low fat!!!! I am really having a tough time with the low carb thingy I love my bread sugar all that good stuff. (maybe I'm fat because I do) LOL I have managed to cut back on my diet coke drastically I'm down to about 16 to 20 oz per day vs 64 to 80 oz per day. It is actually starting to taste a bit bad for some reason. I'm finding it hard to drink that much right now. Hmmm go figure.

it's amazing I bought a small 16 oz diet coke this morning drank 1 drink and tossed it out because it just tasted nasty. I have no desire for it at all anymore. It really hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be.

After going to my surgeon's office on 3/10/08 I am really undecided. When I went in to the appointment I just knew that I wanted a lapband without a doubt. But after meeting several of the office staff at my surgeon's office that have had gastric bypass instead of the band and seeing how wonderful they look and how they make the gastric bypass sound I am starting to change my mind. Please help me make up my mind remind me of the pro's and cons of each one maybe I've missed a pro or a con that will help me make up my mind.

Thanks Scarlettbegonia I think I am going to go for the band for the simple facts of less complications, and reversibility of the operation

I've already lost 3 pounds!!! :biggrin: I can't say that it is easy though cause of course it is high protein low carb low fat!!!! I am really having a tough time with the low carb thingy I love my bread sugar all that good stuff. (maybe I'm fat because I do) LOL I have managed to cut back on my diet coke drastically I'm down to about 16 to 20 oz per day vs 64 to 80 oz per day. It is actually starting to taste a bit bad for some reason. I'm finding it hard to drink that much right now. Hmmm go figure. :tt2:

After going to my surgeon's office on 3/10/08 I am really undecided. When I went in to the appointment I just knew that I wanted a lapband without a doubt. But after meeting several of the office staff at my surgeon's office that have had gastric bypass instead of the band and seeing how wonderful they look and how they make the gastric bypass sound I am starting to change my mind. Please help me make up my mind remind me of the pro's and cons of each one maybe I've missed a pro or a con that will help me make up my mind.

boy I can tell you're tummy is getting smaller already congrats!!! good job

Thanks that's kind of what I thought and even if I had known I still would have taken it because this UTI is really really bad. But thank goodness it is getting better. My regular Doctor's office has an in house lab and I live just a couple of miles from a regional medical center hospital. So I'm sure that the test can be done later.

I have been really sick the last couple of weeks and finally went to the express care clinic at the hospital last night they said I had a uninary tract infection and put me on antibiotics. Problem is tomorrow is my all day appt at the surgeon's office for pre op testing and I started taking the antibiotics and looked at the paper work from the surgeon's office a few min ago and found a paragraph that I missed that says I have to stop taking antibiotics 14 days before my appointment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So now I don't what to do. The surgeon's office is 2 hrs away by car and my appointment is at 7:15 a.m. They have to test me for some kind of bacteria that lives in your stomach and that's why you can't be on antibiotics when they do the testing. I know I can't fudge and tell them that I'm not taking them it might put my health at risk. Does anyone know if I might be able to take the test at my local doctor's office or hospital and have them send the results to the surgeon? They will be testing for h.pylon.

I get to go to my first real appointment tomorrow to get my lab work, physc consult, dietitian, and meet my surgeon. I'm really excited. But I am also feeling really bad right now. I have urinary tract infection, a really bad cold and just feel drained physically. Last night the pain in my back from the urinary tract infection got bad enough for me to give in a go to the urgent care clinic. This is when I found out that I had the infection. Now granted my back was and still is hurting pretty badly but I just couldn't believe it when the nurse came in with a pain shot and a shot with muscle relaxer!!! :biggrin: I mean wow no reason for pain killers! I'll tell you what if they want to fix the prescription drug abuse problem in this area they need to start asking doctors why they are prescribing the pain medications to start with. I refused the shots and told them to keep their prescription for pain pills. I told them that I would take the antibiotics for the urinary tract infection but they could keep the rest of it. The nurse thought I was crazy. I told her not crazy just don't take narcotics unless I am in extreme pain.

I get to go to my first real appointment tomorrow to get my lab work, physc consult, dietitian, and meet my surgeon. I'm really excited. But I am also feeling really bad right now. I have urinary tract infection, a really bad cold and just feel drained physically. Last night the pain in my back from the urinary tract infection got bad enough for me to give in a go to the urgent care clinic. This is when I found out that I had the infection. Now granted my back was and still is hurting pretty badly but I just couldn't believe it when the nurse came in with a pain shot and a shot with muscle relaxer!!! :confused_smile: I mean wow no reason for pain killers! I'll tell you what if they want to fix the prescription drug abuse problem in this area they need to start asking doctors why they are prescribing the pain medications to start with. I refused the shots and told them to keep their prescription for pain pills. I told them that I would take the antibiotics for the urinary tract infection but they could keep the rest of it. The nurse thought I was crazy. I told her not crazy just don't take narcotics unless I am in extreme pain.

Hi, I have 30 sick days banked and since I get paid for them anyway I'm gonna get my surgeon or my primary doctor to write me off for about 2 months after the surgery. I had gall bladder surgery done laproscopiocally (sp) and really wish I had taken more than a week off from work. It was very very sore for a long time.

That's wonderful hope you enjoy your newly found sex appeal!!!! Have fun with it.

I don't have any copay at all with prime. According to what I've been told by Tricare my surgery will be covered 100% if I was standard then I would have cost share of 20 to 20% depending on if I stay in network or go out of network.

If I were you I would wait and stay on Prime you will save thousands in copays and cost shares. If you do POS for the surgery Tricare will only pay for 50% and believe you me that is alot that you have to pay for out of pocket. It wasn't hard for me to switch from Tricare standard to Tricare Prime I was able to do it the 1st of the next calander month. My soldier is an E-5. I switched from Standard to Prime for the EXTREME savings to me. My surgery will be paid 100% I am only responsible for $500 vs at least $1150 with standard. Hope this helps. Oh BTW I am not close enough to a MTF so I am able to go to an out of network Civilian surgeon. As long as Tricare approves my referals to my surgeon it is my understanding that they will pay 100%.

I've got my referals for my appointments on Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a go I think that Tricare will pay for the surgery at least I hope so. According to the Tricare Rep that I spoke to if I get the referal approved it means that they will most likely pay for my surgery with my out of network surgeon. Doing my happy dance. :party:Anybody else want to join me?

I've got my referals for my appointments on Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a go I think that Tricare will pay for the surgery at least I hope so. According to the Tricare Rep that I spoke to if I get the referal approved it means that they will most likely pay for my surgery with my out of network surgeon. Doing my happy dance. :party:Anybody else want to join me?

I can't see the pics =(

Congrats on the weight loss!!!! Super Super job!!! I can't wait to go to my appointment next Monday. I am afraid to lose even 1 pound before then as I know that what I weigh on that day will most likely the weight that they tell Tricare and since I'm so close I don't want to chance not getting approved. Hope the time flies until your appointment. So far as the needle goes just think a little discomfort for a huge loss!

Good luck I'll be praying for you!!!!

Good for you!!!!! You've gotten farther than I have. I'm starting my diet/exercise next Monday when I go for my consult. I think that then I could lose weight and not worry about not qualifying with Tricare for coverage.

OMG this is so awful I have to log everything that goes into my mouth for 1 whole week. This is day one. I am starving to death but can't bring myself to eat the rest of my McSkillet Burrito because I know that the dietitian is going to be looking at the log and saying to herself "yep I know what this one's problem is" I think I'll eat the whole thing and skip lunch then it won't look so bad right? I mean after I have the surgery there won't be anymore fast food for me so why not live it up. I know that's the attitude that got me here or at least part of the problem not all of it. So long for now I have a date with the rest of my burrito.

I can't wait to get my band and be restricted I would love nothing better than to be like the tiny skinny girls that take a bite or two and claim that they can't eat another bite!!!! Let me tell you all what also. I can't wait for someone to actually call me skinny again. Before children and husband I was a size 3 now I'm a size 22!!!!!!!!!! OMG and it's TIGHT!!!! I think I may have to order some size 24 for my uniform pants.

I know it's horrible when you think OMG I can't write down that I at 10 carmel girl scout cookies!!!!!! Oh no not 5 slices of pizza too. Makes you think to yourself they are going to think I'm a total hog. Which of course I am otherwise I wouldn't need the band right.

That's not a bad way to look at it. I'll try that next time but unfortunately this morning was crazy and to tell the truth I didn't have the time to cook. Oh well tomorrow I'll do better (I hope) LOL. Thanks for the insight maybe I'll have some weight control oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow instead. Oh yeah I managed to throw out 1/3 of the burrito so I did save about 190 calories. That's better than I normally do I would have eaten the whole thing then felt so guilty that for lunch I would have had to have something worse. To make me feel better. I know I am totally sick when it comes to my relationship with food. But I am working on it.