lori0307

Find a new doctor who is willing to fight for you. That's what I did. I also have BCBS. I'm in Illinois and had no prior approval needed. Just a BMI of at least 40. Good luck.

My experience at Day One has been great. Dr. Meyers is wonderful. Very nice. My mom was a self pay and paid $14K at Riverside Hospital in Kankakee. Unlimited fills for a year. Very satisfied. Good luck.

Hey Lynn, I just saw that we share the same birthday!

Yes I do have a year of free fills. I've already had 2 this month. They are great. They really helped me get it covered by the insurance. Good luck, and if you have any other questions, let me know.

I just got my second fill yesterday. 2 weeks before, I got my first fill. I didn't feel any restriction with my first fill. I could have just kept eating but my brain told me to stop. I wanted my stomach to tell me that I was full and to stop eating. So I called the doc and he added another 3 ccs to the 6 ccs I already had from the first fill. I hope I start losing now. I think my band holds 14ccs so I am more that half way full. Good luck to you.

I don't know where he is but my insurance approval letter also said I was approved for Dr Shayami at Day One Health. I used Dr Meyer for my surgery there and everything has been covered. He is great, very nice and very accommodating. I have the same BCBSIL-PPO. The staff at Day One has been great and I would highly recommend them. I couldn't afford to be self pay and I had to use insurance. Day One helped me get covered. Good luck.

Congrats Contella. Walk alot. I had severe pain in my right shoulder and neck, then the gas pains traveled to my lower back. I used a heating pad and liquid antacid. A HOT shower helped too. Just let the water run down your neck and back. Good luck. It will get easier. I'm only about 2 months along.

I agree. Soda is a no-no. I use to be addicted to diet pop. I quit it cold turkey 8 weeks ago and haven't had a sip since. I love Crystal Lite Lemonade and Wylers Lite Lemonade. Another good drink that I love is PowerAid Zero...no calories. If you are out and want somethink at McDonalds, they have the Minute Maid Lite Lemonade. It's good too. Good luck and I would try to stay away from the soda.

Thats great! If anyone lives south of the city, my mom had hers done for $14,000 with free fills for a year also. Riverside Health Center in Kankakee with Dr. Kim. He's great.

Thank you for saying exactly what I was going to say. I am in the same boat as you. I was wondering also when is the earliest you can get your first fill? I want it now. I feel no restriction whatsoever. I feel like I didn't even have surgery. I am eating smaller amounts because I know I have to. But I would love to have the feeling of being full. I go to the doctor this Thursday and that is my 3 week post op check up. I really want a fill that day but I doubt he'll give me one. Well good luck and I'll let you know Thursday if he would fill me or not.

Hey there. I would love to meet you guys sometime. I love going to the promanade and IKEA. Let me know when you are going to get together and if I could join you. Thanks.

I was banded on 3/27/08 and I have lost 11 pounds in 8 days!!! Yipee!!!!!

Only had one about 30 minutes before surgery.

3 days only and 6 pounds.

Hey there ladies. My surgery only took about 25 minutes he said. It went just fine and I had the normal aches afterwards. The worst part was driving home from Chicago in rush hour during that blizzard and ice and thunderstorm last Thursday. What hurt the most was the gas pains!!! Oh my god. Not everyone gets them, but I sure did. They traveled into my left shoulder and neck for 2 days. All I could do was cry. Then, when I got rid of them in my neck, the gas pains went into my lower back! Horrible. I laid on a heating pad and took a very hot long shower. Yesterday when I woke up, the pains were pretty much all gone. I even when to Target and Bakers Square for a cup of soup last night. I'm feeling so much better. I go to the doctor tomorrow for the first time. It'll be one week. Can't wait to see what the scale says. Talk to you soon.

Hey let me know. I'm just down I57 in Manteno and would love to meet with others. I just got banded on Thursday so this is very new to me.

Hi MommyMJ. I live in Manteno, just about 30 minutes south of you. I grew up in New Lenox and travel to Joliet all the time. I originally saw Dr Lahmann but ended up going with the Day One Health in downtown Chicago. They were able to be a little more persistant with the insurance and able to get mine covered so I went with them. I know Dr Lahmann is affiliated with Day One Health too. Good luck getting a surgery date. It took me a whole year to get insurance to cover mine. Alot of appeal letters, but one they did, I had the surgery 2 weeks later. I just got banded on Thursday. Today is the first day that I feel better. Let me know how it goes. My husbands friend had his done by Dr Lahmann and had all good things to say.

Hey there. I'm a little further north in Manteno. Just off of I57 and north of Kankakee. I just got banded on Thursday. this is very new to me. Talk to you guys later.

Sorry. I'm down in Manteno, just north of the Kankakee area. I just got banded on Thursday, so this is all very new to me. Email me if you want to talk.

There is absolutely NO WAY that I can even get into that position. I can barely walk around my house. My gas pains are still there a little bit but what hurts me more now is my back pain and my port pain. I feel like I got hit by a bus. I hurt so bad right now. I had now idea it would be this bad. When my mom had this done last year, she was back to normal within 3 or 4 days...and she is 56!

Stand in a hot hot shower and let the water run down your neck and left shoulder. That was the only thing that made me feel a tad bit better. Walking is suppose to help alot too. I can only pace around my house so many times. It's 40 degrees and rainy here so wandering around outside is out of the question.

I just had surgery on Thursday. The neck and shoulder pain on my left side had me in tears! I couldn't get comfortable. Heat seemed to make it a little bit better. This morning I stood in the shower with the HOT water just running down my left shoulder and neck and I feel pretty good today. My back is a bit sore from laying around so much. Hopefully I will feel better in the morning. I have to start back to the routine of driving kids to school. Spring Break is over.:scared2:

Good Luck April. My date is Thursday!!!! I can't believe it is here already. I start on clear liquids today and just moments away from doing my first "bowel cleansing" Yikes. Sounds like a fun day ahead of me today...on the toilet!!! haha. Well good luck.

Hey Lori. I am also a Lori and I am also getting banded soon. My date is the 27th and I can't wait. I have 92 pounds to lose. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Where are you from?

I did it!!! I was 20 pounds shy of having my bmi at 40. It was only 36. I did the math and figured out that if I gained 20 pounds, my insurance would cover it. That was well worth it for me. I don't have an extra $14K laying around to self pay. I was able to gain about 10 pounds by eating whatever I wanted but I couldn't gain the whole 20. So I used the ankle weights. I took out the individual packets of weights and distributed them all over my body. In my pockets, in my bra, I even sewed some into the t-shirt I was wearing under my sweatshirt. Oh and I also scrunched down to get my height measured. I slumped off about an inch and a half. There are tricks and they worked for me. I finally go approved 3 weeks ago after fighting with insurance for almost a year. My surgery is March 27!!!!