kiz

Great! Thanks for asking. Just waiting for my lap band evaluation and losing sleep thinking about it..lol

I am so sorry about your port site, kizzie. That makes no sense at all. :tt1: Of course, what I know about it could fit in a thimble, but just under your breast at your bra line sounds ridiculous. Port site locations will be another question I will ask my doctor next week at my consultation.

Mine is $190.

At the seminar, we received a packet of information and it included a list of psychologists that do the gastric surgery evaluations. One was $300 and another was $100, so it's good to check around. Someone asked if their personal psychologist could complete the evaluation, and the doctor said it should be fine but to check with their office. I'm seeing a doctor in the Richmond, VA area.

Hi, dld, and I think you'll find this board has a lot of great advice and information. I'm pretty new too, but I've already learned so much here. I'm self-pay, but I'm sure if you're more specific with your questions, you'll get some good advice. Because I don't have to get insurance approval, I don't have to have my weight history documented. Different insurance companies seem to have different requirements. I know during the seminar I attended, they did say, for instance, you could use your Weight Watchers profile, had you been a member, so I don't think it always has to be from the doctor.

Hi Brooke. I'm not too far ahead of you. I have my first physician appointment scheduled for next week. I've gotten a ton of information from this site. Welcome to LBT, and good luck!

I was at Walgreen's today, and they have the Magic Bullet for $59. That's probably around the same price as the 2 for $99 after you factor in shipping.

Dang, girl, and you just DROPPED a size?? "I'll have what she's having!" :rolleyes2:

That's so great to hear!!! It's so encouraging to read these stories. Thanks for sharing.

Growing up in the 60s/70s we always drank 2% milk. Skim looked watery and light blue back then..yuck. Then toward the later part of the 70s my mom started buying skim milk, and it was thinner, but wasn't blue, and didn't have a weird metallic taste like it did when I was younger. Now I can't tolerate any kind of milk except skim. It seems like cream to me. However, in coffee, I'd rather take it black then put in skim. I think it's too watery for coffee, and gives it an off taste. For really bad tasting milk, I find the ultra pasteurized milk disgusting, It has a long shelf life, and to me, it tastes like it's been sitting on the shelf forever. :rolleyes2:

My doctor gave me a list of numbers to call. The first one charged $300 for a two hour appointment. The second, and the one I picked, charged $100 for a one hour appointment.

shelly, I'm so sorry that happened to you. Thank goodness you are recovering, but it must have been dreadful. I'm very glad you took the time to report your experience. I hope to be banded soon, and I was wondering if the doctor gave you any indication as to how this happened? As you said, the chances of this happening are very minimal, but I'd rather be informed of possible risks.

The doctor here said that they don't remove it. It's left in place, and with its blood supply, it will not cause any problems.

That's really good news, Shelby! I have an appointment July 1 with the surgeon, and I'm hoping to get a mid August date. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us. :biggrin:

I really haven't thought about the reason you feel full with less food with a band. From what I've seen, the top part of your stomach is banded, so that you have a small pouch where the food is collected. The food slowly goes through the stoma into the rest of the larger stomach area. So, if the larger area of the stomach is open and somewhat empty, do you still feel hungry, but without the ability to fill the larger stomach because the small pouch is full?

penny, you're making a very wise decision for yourself. If you aren't 100% ready, I really think WL surgery is a mistake. The thing that has gotten me to the point of deciding to go with a lap band is that I have come to the realization that this thing called obesity is a disease. It's a disease that negatively impacts a big part of my life, and one that will eventually lead to my early death. I'm treating obesity as if I had cancer. If, for instance, I had to get my leg amputated to live, I would do it. My life wouldn't be the same as before, it would be harder in some ways, but I love my life and my family, so it would be worth it. Having to give up the way I eat now is not something I'm looking forward to in the least, but I have the affliction of obesity, and I hope the lap band gives me the necessary tool to kick the disease out of my life for good. Best wishes to you!!

I'm used to having one or two 12 oz bottles of diet/caffeine free Coke a day. Also, I like getting diet coke when we go out for Mexican, but what I'll miss is having an ice cold beer. It's not even that I drink beer often, but when I do, it's usually in association with something fun. Barbecues, sporting events, out with friends, etc. I just find beer to be more of a social experience, and there's no drinking it flat or having a substitute. I know it's not a huge price to pay for getting healthy, but I will morn my loss...:drool: (Well, truthfully, that might be a tad melodramatic - lol, but I will miss it)

I love your new hairstyle, Ezma! Congratulations on your fabulous weight loss too!!!

candiland, I don't know if you'd be interested in going the loan route, but in the packet I got from the hospital, there was pamphlet from National City Bank that is offering special discount rates for the Realize Band. I'm not sure if it's for every state or what the discount is, but it says you can go to www.RealizeBand.com for additional information, if that's an option you'd like to look into. I'm sorry your insurance won't cover the procedure. Mine doesn't either. :tongue:

I know what you mean, because these pounds always go on a LOT easier than they come off! Whether I have additional health problems or not, the extra weight, by itself, is a huge problem. I'm self pay, so it's not an insurance issue for me. The National Institute of Health has set minimum guidelines for bariatric surgery.

At the seminar I attended, the doctor said one of his patients came in and complained about not losing any weight. She said her only indulgence was yogurt. It turned out she was eating TEN containers per day! So, while he said yogurt was okay when eaten in moderation, it slides down the banded opening, and is not something you want to get into a habit of snacking on. I don't know the right amount because I haven't gotten that far in the process, but it sounds like, in moderation, dairy is fine.

I haven't had my evaluation, but I know I have to get my bmi to 40 to qualify for the surgery because I don't have any co-morbidities. I'm self pay, but there are still rules for qualification for WL surgery. So yeah, I have to gain weight by July 1...go figure. :tongue:

I'm glad to hear you're doing well. I keep reading about people having lingering pain at the port site, so at least that sounds pretty normal. Hopefully, it means it's anchored well. It's nice to get another good reference for Dr. Brengman. Thanks!

YES! That's exactly the way I feel. Seeing the pitfalls ahead of time is exactly what I need. There's no way for me to plead ignorance now, which will help me tremendously.

I feel very fortunate that I found this forum so early in the process. I've seen that several people have done things against their doctor's advice, but I also have come across so many questions that I would have never thought to ask my doctor. Also, there's so much to learn that I might have gone on information overload and not comprehended it. Now, I have plenty of time to browse the forum, pick up tips, and hopefully not have too many surprises. I know I'll have my challenges, but having all this wisdom at my fingertips will help me get through those times. It's really ashame there's a increased number of people who may be handicapping their success before they even get started. Addiction is hell.