Cadets71

Hey, San Diego! I have my surgery on Thrusday and couldn't sleep tonight, so here I am. I am sending you my best wishes for today! You will do fine but please come back and tell us how it went. You're in my thoughts!

Here are some of the questions I asked (in no particular order of importance): 1. Did he have his patients stay overnight? (I wanted that security) 2. Did he do a barium swallow before releasing his patients? 3. What type of band did he use and why? 4. Who was doing the anesthesia and when I could meet that person. 5. Did he use staples, sututres, or glue for his wound closures? 6. How many incisions and where? 7. How frequent were followup visits and when did he consider do0ing the first fill? 8. How accessible was he if I got into problems? 9. Did he do his own fills? 10. What was his pain management philosophy? 11. What was his rate of infection - specifically in his practice? 12. What was his complication rate - specifically in his practice for band slippage and erosion? 13. Did he have a comprehensive guideline for what to eat pre-op and through the post op recovery stages? (surprising how some people don't get that guidance). 14. How many lap bands has he done (at least 300)? 15. What are his credentials? Is he Board Certified in Surgery and what Bariatric surgery certifications does he hold? I think there may have been more, but this is what I recall. Good Luck to you.

Good luck! Don't forget to come back and tell us how it went. I am two days behind you! You are in my prayers!

Leigh, I am thinking about you and sending prayers and good thoughts your way. Let us know how it went. I am going in on Thursday and will be so happy once I am on the "other side".

I am excited too...and still nervous about the IV (no veins) and anesthesia. Thursday is my day and I am shocked now at how quickly it rolled around. I am thrilled to have you all here. I am so glad we have our Jazzy June Group! I too will write a note when I get back home. God Bless all of us! Our moment has come!

How many of you had a catheter placed before the surgery? It hadn't occurred to me that one would be needed but I am reading the day of surgery stories and it seems several people did have catheters. Thanks!

Thanks everybody!! Well, it does seem to be a preference thing from surgeon to surgeon. I am hoping I don't have to but if I do, I am all for putting it in after I am asleep! I think it is just another venue for infection. Thanks again! Really appreciate your comments!

Mominlv, My surgery is this Thursday (the 5th). How about if we try to get a small group together a few weeks later? Cherieinnv has surgery on the 27th...so maybe in between the two. I promise to keep in touch and make this happen. Cherieinnv and I are having surgery with Dr. Teng, but the groups are in Summerlin, so something closer would be nice as well. Thanks for getting back to us.

Sharon, thanks for posting this! I think it would be great if we could get a group of Henderson folks together. Most of the formal support groups with the physicians seem to be in the Summerlin area. I am flexible on times, so for those of you that are working, weekends are great too.

Fran, what support group is at SWCC (what is SWCC - a community college?). Thanks!

I am in Henderson and I would love to find a group!!

I am so sorry to hear this! I had a negative experience here in Las Vegas - the largest practice for lap band surgery will only take 1 Tricare patient per month because "Tricare pays too little". And this practice is the preferred provider for lap bands! I was so angry about their discrimination that I called the manager of the Tricare Provider Relations department. Apparently they can do this. However, I don't believe that the practice would like to see Headlines in the local paper that they are discriminating against military families! I think what your hospital is doing is very discriminatory. Wonder if that CEO/CFO would like to see an editorial on the local news!! I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that you can find a more reasonable hospital. Does your surgeon practice anywhere else? I don't know where you live but I hope you are in an area with more choices. Good luck!

Hi guys... I am in Vegas and am scheduled to be banded next Thursday, June 5th. Have not seen too much info about a band support group in Las Vegas. Have you? Glad to hear you are both doing well. I am really looking forward to moving past the surgery!

Hi Everyone. My name is Mary and I live in Las Vegas. My band date is June 5th! I am married to the love of my life - we will have our 8th anniversary in October, but we met 33 years ago in Europe! I am a retired Army nurse, and then I retired a second time from the Healthcare technology industry. My husband is also retired from the Army and the federal government. We are now blessed to enjoy everyday together and to travel often. I became ill about 6 years ago and that was when the weight gain spiraled out of control. I have lots of things to look forward to and I want to be able to enjoy my health everyday. The lap band is the most important thing I can do to get my health back in order. I love that we have this group! I want to hear every detail about everyone's experience. I am scared about the procedure but NOT about the journey. Just want to get past that anesthesia! You are all in my thoughts and prayers. In a few days, it will be our month!!:sad:

I will be banded on Thursday, June 5th by Dr. Teng in Las Vegas, Nevada!! I am so excited to be a Jazzy June. So, how do I create one of the Jazzy June glitzy signs? I have clicked on them and fgone to the site but I get lost from there. Any help on that? So glad to be with all of you!! Mary in Las Vegas :cursing:

CathyChatts, THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your Protein shake recipe(s). This has been the one thing I have really struggled with. Hoope your cardiac exams come out okay!! Let us know.

The very best thing to do is to call Tricare directly. Go to www.tricare.com and you will find the numbers for your regional contractor. Ask to speak with the authorization and referral staff. That is the only way to get accurate information. Good luck,

cmayes...I am so sorry. I believe that you will find a way when the time is right. Come back and visit so we know how you are doing! Hugs to you..

Tricare doesn't require any specific tests, documented dieting history etc. They do require that you meet the weight requirement with co-morbidities or 200% of ideal weight. Any other requirements are specific to your surgeon and they seem to vary somewhat among different medical practices. Tricare standard just requires an authorization for the surgery. Tricare Prime requires a referral to the surgeon AND an authorization. Generally, I think they are very fast on doing the authorizations. Mine was a one-day turn around. Here is a link to the policy manual where everything is spelled out. Good Luck to you!! FALLS CHURCH, VA. - TRICARE beneficiaries whose weight poses a serious health risk now have a new surgical alternative available. For those who medically qualify, TRICARE now covers laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, also commonly called Lap-Band surgery. Although the TRICARE policy change has only recently been made, coverage is retroactive to February 1st, 2007. "We at TRICARE are careful to only cover procedures that have been proven safe and effective, and are accepted by the medical community," said Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, deputy director of the TRICARE Management Activity. "We've added this procedure because, for some beneficiaries, it may be the right course of action to preserve their health." Granger adds that, like gastric bypass, gastric stapling or gastroplasty, Lap-Band surgery is only for those suffering morbid obesity. In medical terms, that means their body weight is 100 pounds over ideal weight for their height and bone structure, and their weight is associated with severe medical conditions known to have higher mortality rates. Body weight that is more than twice the ideal weight for the person's height and bone structure may also indicate morbid obesity. In addition, TRICARE will cover the surgery if a patient has had an intestinal bypass or other surgery for obesity and, because of complications, requires a second surgery. Details of the coverage are available in the TRICARE Policy Manual, which beneficiaries can view online. A search for "morbid obesity" goes directly to the correct section.

I have been very selective in who I have told. No friends know (I just didn't want to deal with all the questions, including "how much weight have you lost". My husband, sister and Mother know (That's the sum total of my core family). I am retired so I don't have to worry about the work place. I just wanted to keep this private - it's my personal journey and I didn't want a lot of banter from the sidelines. :smile2:

I am curious what pain meds your doctors prescribed. Since it will be in liquid form, I am wondering what is commonly used, particularly if you are allergic to codeine. Thanks for sharing your experience in this area!

Hi, SpecialKay. I will be banded on June 5th by Dr. Teng. I would love to get a group together. There was one that started but I can't get any current information from them. Who did your surgery? I know Dr. Teng has monthly group meetings but a small group who can get together for our own discussions and sharing would be wonderful. Where in Vegas are you? I am in Henderson (Sun City Anthem).

I was very excited to hear about these shakes. I am desperately trying to find a protein shake I can tolerate. I went to Kashi's web site and was disappointed to see that the shakes have about 33g of carbs - not good for a diabetic. So, if carbs are an issue - need to be careful with the kashi shakes. It's probably why they taste so good.:biggrin:

YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. I LOVE THE WAY YOU DID YOUR PICTURES - IT'S EASY TO TELL HOW MUCH YOU ARE CHANGING!! THANKS FOR SHARING!

Reality is definitely setting in. Right now I am a little panicked because I haven't found a Protein shake that doesn't make me sick to my stomach. Am going to check out Walgreens tomorrow. We are taking a 10 day trip the end of this month so I feel like I only have about 10 days to get my stuff ready for the hospital and then coming home. Without this website, I don't know what I would have done. The lists of things to have on hand have been great. Same with the recipes, etc and just the experiences everyone has. There is so much I would not know if I hadn't spent time here. I am so glad we have our group. It will be so helpful to hear from everyone as we go through this! My thoughts and prayers to all you!!