Jodi_620

Yes if you go to another doctor they will likely charge you (or your insurance if applicable) for your fills...I don't see them allowing you to transfer your free fill offers to them.

If you are considering being a self-pay then go ahead and find a surgeon. Have their insurance coordinator deal with insurance...they are better trained at it. If it turns out that you have to self-pay, your surgeon should be able to give you a detailed cost breakdown. I am in Northern Virginia and the self-pay price for everything is $17,500.00. They can also offer information on financing if you want to go that route.

They taste like fruit punch Kool-aid but they are a little thick...sort of like Jello before it sets. Most people have problem with the consitency so they mix it with their drink but I am able to take it straight...it is only three of four gulps to get it down.

They look like this: They are usually called Protein shots. I get mine at Walmart for $1.97 each, 26 grams of protein per shot-fruit punch flavored. I had been mixing it with Crystal Light but now I just drink it down straigt from the tube. With three protein based meals, one cup of skim milk with my Vitamins and one of these shots per day I am able to get my 70 grams of protein in. I have read as Maudi said that we can only absorb so much protein at one time and I have also read that this is a myth...I have not been able to verify it either way. I want to try and catch the nutritionist at my surgeons office and see what she says. You my feel like you are getting enough protein but you really need to know for sure. You should keep track of your daily intake and make sure you are getting in what your surgeon and nutritionist recommends. Mine recommends 70Gper day, I am supposed to eat three meals per day with protein in each then take the supplements to make up for any shortages, I was told not to use these shots or shakes to replace a meal. Bandsters can become deficient in protein which can cause healing problems, Fluid retention in your hands, feet and abdomen, weak and decreased muscles, hair loss etc.

You, my dear, had an episode of what is called SLIMING. When you get food stuck your body produces excess amounts of mucus in an attempt to dislodge the food. Does your doctor allow soda? The fizz can stretch your stoma(pouch) ...not a good thing and something that can't be fixed. Best advice is to take small bites and Chew, chew, chew. I have read that if you get stuck and cant get it loose, pineapple juice helps.

How many doctors did you speak with choosing one? Two Is a lap band like a diamond [forever] or do folks have them for period of time and them have them removed? It is meant to be forever, but there may come a time when it needs to be repaired or replaced. It is still pretty new in the US (approved in 2001) and fellow bandsters, correct me if I am wrong but has been around in other countries since 1995. What is the rate of expected weight loss for men? It wholly depends on the dedication of the person, man or woman. Are most members of this forum women? If so, why? I think most are but there are quite a few men too...don't know why. There are a lot of banded men coming in an out of my surgeons office though. Will exercise cause the band to slip? [i don't want to give up my lousy golf game, throwing around the kids in the pool, or gardening] No, exercise will not cause your band to slip, you would be able to do it all Can anyone recommend doctors in the metro DC area? I am in Northern Virginia and my surgeon is in Reston, VA-Dr. Eric Pinnar.

3-4 days of clear liquid diet Liquid diet/mushy diet is not for weight loss, pre-op it is to shrink the liver to make the surgery safe, post-op it is to allow healing of the internal sutures 0 caffeine for 3 months 0 caffeine is recommended by some but not by others, it can cause nausea right after surgery. Some also recommend avoiding it because it is a stimulant that can stimulate your appetite...but either way it is good to avoid caffeine 0 carbonated beverages Yes, carbonated beverages can stretch your new stomach and it really isn't that big of a sacrafice. 6 weeks of liquid diet See clear liquid (above) followed by 6 to 12 weeks of shredded food diet see clear liquid (above) I DON'T SEE ANYONE ON AN 18 WEEK DIET. I WAS ON 2 WEEKS LIQUID PRE-OP, 2 WEEKS LIQUID POST-OP THEN 2 WEEKS MUSHIES THEN SOLID FOODS. 0 bread (there are certain foods that people can no longer handle, bread is often one of them but not for everyone, again to me it is worth the sacrafice) 0 potatoes (not true, although some of us choose to be on a low carb diet for weight loss but it is our choice) 0 high fiber veggies (absolutely not true, high fiber veggies are highly recommended) 0 fried foods (again, not true. Of course maybe some can not handle it and it really should be avoided by all of us for health reasons, you can have fried foods if you want...too much will hinder weight loss though) 0 nuts See bread (above) 0 fruits with the skin still See bread (above) 0 steaks and maybe 0 hamburger for some See Bread (above) I can handle nuts, steaks, hamburgers, fruit skins (if I CHEW VERY WELL). I got stuck on bread once but I am going for low carb so that is a good thing to me. The diet is not extremely strict. You can eat anything that you can tolerate but the band does not allow you to overdo it. Of course if you want to reach your goal you need to make good food choices and it is recommended to eat your Protein first then your veggies then carbs, that is about it. If we could just pretend that we have a band and just eat less on our own then none of us would be here, would we? The band keeps us from overeating and keeps us from being hungry. It is a great tool and I am very happy with it.

I have more energy. It is much easier to keep going when you are eating right and carrying around less weight.

They never gave me a card for restaurants but I did get a Medical Alert wallet card that just bascially says that I have a band that fills to 10cc's, and caution needs to be taken for abdominal procedures and prescribing ulcerogenic meds. On the back the same information is repeated in four other languages. I was also told that there was a potential for problems at the airport...not for the walk through security scanners but the hand-held wands can go off if waved around the port area. I was told that I should offer this card if that ever happens.

I am not supposed to eat or drink anything four hours before a fill.

I agree with Leslie. You certainly don't have to be left out at any event...the Lap Band would really suck if we had to do that! Prior to the event I try to schedule my meals so that I will be ready to eat at the event. When I arrive I order a drink right away and stop drinking when the meal arrives. I order the appropriate food, and I eat very slowly so that I am not finished way before everyone else at the table.

This list is from an actual lap band handout... Situations which could make Lap Band surgery a poor choice for you: You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, esophagitis, or Crohn's disease. You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (a dilated vein). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasias (dilation of a small blood vessel). Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal. For instance you might have a narrowed opening. You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the LAP-BAND System has been placed, the band may need to be deflated or removed. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill.) You are addicted to alcohol or drugs. You have an infection that could contaminate the surgical area. The same is true if you need a procedure that could do the same thing. You use aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs often. You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure. You are not emotionally stable.

The only two things that I have found so far were bread and surprisingly to me, watermelon. If I want a sandwich I use those whole wheat wraps and do fine with them but regular bread gets stuck every time. I only tried watermelon once and the experience was so bad I probably won't ever try it again.

Micheleaner I am sorry to hear that your surgeon was not clearer with you on this process. It sounds like maybe you had some misinformation or miscommunication with your doctors and your surgeon. I have to say that my surgeon and his team were very clear on what I should expect. And what I did not learn from them, I learned from research before deciding to go with gastric banding. I went with this procedure because although it was quite clear to me that the weight loss is slower, the procedure is much less drastic than gastric bypass. And we all know that the slower weight loss is healthier and allows our bodies to adjust/ But I understood that I would still need to do my part to make it work. If you have adrenal issues that will not allow successful weight loss then your endocrinologist or physician treating you for thyroid/adrenal issues should have let you know that the lap band might be less successful, your surgeon should have been aware of this too. My surgeon knew my entire health history. I am hypothyroid, although I see my endocrinologist every 6 months to keep my TSH in check; my surgeon wanted to double check to make sure my thyroid was functioning properly before surgery. I also have PCOS, my surgeon discussed this with me and made it clear that weight loss could be harder for me because I have this condition but that weight loss may also put it in remission. I hope things start looking up for you.

You are just being a little too impatient. Don't be disappointed in the band before you even give it a chance. First of all, 23 pounds in 7 weeks is great. You didn't even really start using your band until a week ago when you got your first fill and it will likely take another couple fills until it really starts working. Your doctor is correct by filling you a little at a time...giving you too much restriction is not going to do you any good, you would be miserable-overfilling can cause a lot of problems. It takes time to get at the right restriction, just stay focused and stick with what you have been doing...if you do that you will succeed!

You probably qualify now. Insurance companies are different but generally the guidlines are: a BMI above 40 or a BMI of between 35-40 with comorbidities. Comorbidities are conditions brought on by obesity, back pain and high cholesterol would count. Good Luck!

It is sounding pretty good for you Carly. Terilynn, In my experience, Insulin Resistance in the form of PCOS is often considered by the insurance companies to be a fertility issue. When I mentioned PCOS (Insulin Resistance) to my insurance coordinator she said it wouldn't count.

Money was a bit of an issue...it IS alot of money. But then I started to look at my mom and other older people that are overweight. My mom has a slew of medical problems and a cabinet that looks as well stocked as your local pharmacy. She has diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol... just to name a few. I know that the costs of obesity are piling up for her more and more as her income becomes less and less in her older years. I also had (and still have) a hard time believing that this will work for me. I have been overweight since I was a small child, I failed at weight loss so much that I still can't completely believe that I will someday reach my goal...it just doesn't happen for me. And the thought of failing after going through major costs and major surgery is very scary. It is a big step to take and it is natural to have reservations. I had plenty but I don't regret moving forward.

Try to figure out what triggers this head hunger...Is it boredom? is it stress? What do you crave when you get head hunger? Are you eating too much refined carbs? I know that my triggers are mainly boredom and carbs. When I am bored and get head hungry I get out of the house away from food. If I take a 20 minute walk or if I am at work I try to do some deep breathing then take a quick walk around the office. The exercise releases seratonin and really helps to take the head hunger away. And I feel so much better about myself than if I had given in instead. I am also addicted to carbs. When I eat carbs, I get insulin spikes then crave more carbs. Think about which foods pop into your head when you get head hunger. If you are craving sugar, bread, Pasta, crackers, cereals, chips etc. then the head hunger is coming from carb addiction. The only way to stop this is to break the cycle by removing this stuff from your system. The only carbs I have allowed myself since before my pre-op diet are those that come in natural forms like vegetables (no starchy veggies) milk and fruit (higher Fiber is better) and oatmeal. I always eat my Protein first then my veggies and then my fruit and never eat a carb alone without a protein. If it is depression, you need to learn to deal with it without eating...either by yourself or through counseling. During my psych evalutation I was made to sign an agreement that if at anytime my surgeon felt I needed counseling to deal with my head hunger then I agree to comply.

Of course all insurance is different but for insurance purposes, typically you need a BMI above 40 or 35-40 with comorbities. PCOS, Gallbladder removal and family history probably wouldn't be counted as co-morbidities (I have PCOS and a terrible family history and I was told they don't count...gallbladder is not a co-morbidity or even a condition once it is removed). But high cholesterol would be considered a co-mobidity. But your surgeon might not require you to be within these guidelines in order to get the surgery. If you plan on using insurance, I would make sure I am within their guidelines before I went to any expense...if you are not, they just aren't going to cover it. Otherwise, move forward dispite what this doctor said.

I take chewable Flintstones too. This same question was asked a little while back and someone said that Flintstone Vitamins were not a good choice and not strong enough for adults. So I asked my surgeon, he said that healthy Children ages 4 and above and healthy adults need the same nutrient amount and the dosage of Flintstones are the same for anyone ages 4 and above. I also take Caltrate Plus D chewable.

What Denise said...just wanted to add that I have read here that some people had their surgery covered by isurance but then the insurance company didn't want to cover fills. When you check into your coverage, that is something you will want to verify to be on the safe side...seems to me that if they cover surgery they should cover fills but apparently that is not always the case.

I had to do: Two visits with the psych in surgeons office (one filling out psych test, one reviewing results and asking questions) Two visits with the nutritionist in surgeons office (one one-on-one visit to discuss my eating habits and one classroom style visit to go over pre-op and post op diets and discuss when and how to eat etc.) Barium Swallow Test at the Radiologist (in my opinion the worst part--that barium stuff you have to swallow sucks :thumbup: but I survived it!) Blood work, EKG and Sugical Release with family doctor (all in one visit) Sleep study was optional--I didn't have any symptoms of apnea so I didnt' do it. Then a pre-op visit with the surgeon a week before surgery where he reviewed the results of all the above and discussed details of the upcoming surgery.

Same here, I just say that my diet is medically restricted and nobody has refused. You can print your own if you like. Here is a link that gives you different designs to choose from: Restaurant Card Bariatric Surgery

I got my first fill last Thursday and up until now I was sure I would need to go back early for another. But nearly a week later I am now finally noticing a difference today. I could only eat half of my typical Breakfast this morning yet here I am about an hour and a half past my usual lunch time and I am still not hungry...and I have a cup of chili here that I am so looking forward to for lunch.:eek: Hope this is a sign that my fill has kicked in!!!