Sugarbear

If anyone located SW Arkansas or NE Texas oe that surrounding area want to talk to folks from there, go to the Texarkana Bandster thread, Quite a few there. A lot of them use or are planning to use Dr. Heiker/Dr. Keilin in Texarkana Texas.

Thanks wish412. I am glad that your husband is doing so well. Keep us posted on his progress. Tell him I am rootin for him. I know that liquid diet must be hard. I think it is great you both are going to be eating the same and taking care of yourselves in the same way. I think that would make it much easier. Good luck.

Welcome blondylocks!!! Have you been to a seminar or to see the drs. in Texarkana? Everyone at Precision Surgery (PS) seems to be very nice, staff and drs. alike. They are very helpful if you have any questions. I am hoping to be a bandster soon too. Welcome aboard. There are many people here on the Lap Band Talk that are very knowledgeable and have already "been there done that," that are ready and willing to help in anyway. This is a great support system. Good Luck!!

Thank you Lisa G. Yes, you made perfect sense. I did go to a seminar a long time ago. I will go back and look through my folder, haven't done that in awhile. Mine may be too old. I will compare thos prices with what I have. Than you again.

I wonder if anybody ever goes to chat???? I never catch anyone there. I tried to go ther now and it says someone else is is logged in with my user name ect. what's up with that????? I think it is me but somehow it has me logged in twice. I don't know.....

Hey Lisa G. Glad to hear you are doing so well. Congrats on the 12 lbs!! Then there will the next 12, and then the next 12, then the next...ect. You are doing great. I have read many post about the weight losses and so many are different. At least you are losing, good for you! I hope to be a Texarkana Bandster by early March. How is the soreness around your port? Hope it is all gone by now. I read a lot about it but not sure how long it takes to go away. Keep up the good attitude, you are going to do just fine. Take care.

Thanks WannaBe. Is that 18,000 just for Wadley, alone? Wow. I thought the whole thing was about 16,00 counting the dr. bill. Anyway I think I have finally gotton a pretty good estimate. I know exactly how much the dr. is and an est. for the hospital. Havent gotton a good estimate for the aneth. yet. Wadley has their own anest. but I think it is billed separate. If you don't have insurance they gave a price of 800. but of course it is different if you have insurance. I am sure it is way up there. My insurance pays 50% after my 500 deductible. I think I will hear from Dr. Keilins office next week about a confirmation on the surgery date. We are shooting for March 7. I don't have anything planned for that month, no out of town trips. I am waiting to hear from wish412 (Mizboo) again too. I think she and I have the same insurance. I am just not sure about her deductable. Anyway thanks for the info. Everyone on this thread has been very helpful. It's nice hearing from people that are using the same facilities and doctors. Of course I like hearing from all the others too. I am sure when I have my surgery I will have a dozen more questions. Take care!

I have a tentative date of 3/7 for my surgery date. Waiting to hear from the doctors office for a confirmation. My insurance pays fifty per cent. Not sure what I'll actually have to pay after insurance write offs. We'll see. I have to go out of town between now and then and didn't want to be gone to far away right after surgery. So I am going to wait til I get back home.

Hello everybody. I have a tentative date for surgery. Mar. 7th. Just waiting to here back from the doctors office. Still can't be sure what the exact cost is going to be, but have a pretty good estimate. (I hope). Thought I would here by today but it's nearly 3:00, so I guess it will be next week. Hope everyone that has just had surgery is doing well. I believe Lisa is one of the most recent. Hope to here an update from her.

hello Trichard. Congrats!! Sounds like you are doing great. Sounds like you are way too determined to let that last 25 lbs. get to you. Good luck, you can do it!

Hi again wish412. I believe you are the one that told me you had ar blue cross blue shield. Have you figured out how much you were out of pocket all total? Hosp. doctor, anethst. ? I believe we have the same insurance. I believe you may have said your husband is going to do it too? If so I hope all goes well for him too. Thank you so much for all your info thus far. It has been a great help. I am just trying to wrap up this money thing. If so I think I am going to shoot for a date the end of Feb. I have so much going on between now and then, thought it better to wait til things slow down. I have to be out of town ect. Thanks again

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys the Texarkana Bandsters thread is located in the Texas forum. Sorry.

Ouachita, where will you be having your surgery? Do you have a ridgid pre-op diet?

Good luck Ouachita, hope all goes well for you!!!!!!!!!!! Be sure to let us know how you get along.

Hello. Just thought I would let you guys know, especially ones located close to Texarkana, there is a Texarkana Bandster's thread. The doctor team their is Dr. Heiker, and Dr. Keilin. Just in case you are interested.:confused:

I just want to thank all TEXARKANA BANDSTER'S for all your replies and feedback on so many subjects. I think this is a great help for all of us waiting to be bandster's. Keep em comming. Thanks everyone!

We have a freezing rain advisory after midnight tonight. We are along the edge of the stuff comming through. Maybe it will miss us. I hope you get your fill. Maybe if it is bad in the a.m. you could ask to come later in the day. The temp has really fallen in the late afternoon today. At one point early afternoon it was 61. Now threat of ice. Weird. I am still trying to find out what this surgery will cost after insurance. I would like to set a date but I am going to talk to my insurance Tues. to see if I can get a closer estimate. I think they will be closed for MLK holiday tomorrow. Good luck with the fill.

Hi wish412. I have gotton my approval from my insurance. Actually didn't take long. I am trying to find out what I am going to be out of pocket. I have ar blue cross blue shield which pays 50%. But can't get it figured out what they contract for. (write off). I just want to get a good estimate. But that seems impossible. I have talked to Wadley and they finally said I would Owe them 5000 IF the surgeons get in and out without any problems...hernias ect. I guess I will call the anesthesia people next and see what they say. I think I know what I will have to pay Dr. Keilin. They were the only ones that were cooperative about the money issue. The hospital said they just couldn't really say for sure. It is just that I don't have so much money that I can do it whithout being in the know. I never bought anything without knowing how much it will cost and that is what they seem to want you to do. thanks for everones help on here.

Hi Hippmom. I noticed you said you aren't losing. You were just banded in July '06 ! 6 months. Wonder why? I am seriously considering banding, But that scares me.......... Yikes! Hope all goes well for you. I have done WW along with MANY others. That is why I thought I wanted to be banded.

Mizboo, do you live close to the Texarkana area? I am glad I ask to hear from T-Town bandsters. There are more and more posting. I really like hearing from those that are using the same surgeons and their experiences. Everyone seems so positive. I haven't read one bad thing in this thread.

Mizboo, thank you so much for the info. That is the most solid info I have recieved from anyone including hospital. One other question, how about the anesthisia people? Hope I am not bugging you too much. Thanks again.

Well, still waiting on the call from Wadley. I don't know how some people go into this without knowing what it is going to cost them. I know it is worth it and all that but I have to be practical. I know what my budget will take and what it won't. Can't bring a hardship on my family. My husband works very hard for our money.

Just got a call from Wadley in Texarkana. Someone else is working on the cost for me. Still hoping to get some kind of out of pocket figure (average). I know some take longer than others, or things come up but I need to have some kind of figure here. I don't have a bottomless check book. haha. I have Ar Blucross Blue shield and it pays 50% for this procedure. If I didn't have such a high premium I could afford the surgery better. On top of that it has a max payout, about 25% of the total cost. Crappy. Has anyone else got this type of insurance policy? I am interested on how much you out of pocket was. Thanks for everones help.

Lisa G, Glad you are doing ok ! Who did your actual surgery? I have approval for surgery but haven't set a date. Trying to find out how much this is going to cost me. My insurance will pay 50% up to a certain amount about, about 25% of the cost. I pay them a fortune every month and this is what they pay........I will have to save the words for how I feel about that. I am thankful they pay something, but I think they should pay like any other surgery. The hospital is trying to figure out how much I will be out of pocket. I know there is lab, anesthesia, and not sure what else. I don't want any surprises. Well, glad everything went good for you and you are feeling ok. Will keep you in my thoughts.

Poodles. The amount of food you listed....are you talking about in one meal?? I thought you could only eat 1/2 cup of food (total) at one meal. Protein, veggie, ect. combined. I could be wrong but that is what I understood from the nutritionist that talked to me. I think that is about the size of the pouch. That doesn't count liquids either. The nutritionist in Texarkana said because it is such a small amount of food you should start with the protein, then veggies, ect. I guess that way you will come closer to getting the nutrition you need before you get too full. When you think about it, that is a small quantity of food.