RestlessMonkey

contemplating...you're preaching to the choir!

WOW I honestly would NOT pay almost 1500 in "fees"...I truly think that is just an end run around insurance. Is there no other facility you can use? "New Beginnings" is a franchise, I think...but there should be some reputable bariatric surgeons in your area and on your insurance that don't charge a fee apart from insurance. In some cases that is actually illegal. Just something to consider; I don't know about you but I'd hate to pay almost 1500 for something that should've been covered by my insurance.

It is at your doctor's discretion, whether or not there is a preop diet. If your physician doesn't require it and you trust him, then don't do one. If you don't trust him, find another doctor! Same about the ultrasound; I had to have one.

From Rutiglius' response on another post this is just curiosity. OF course no one should countermand his/her physician's orders for any anecdotal "evidence" read on this site.

I didn't notice any difference AT ALL until I was at 5.5 ccs in my 14 cc band...that was fill # 4. And then I got "stuck" because I didn't chew well. If I chewed well, then who'd have known? I was eating less than before, got full faster, but it seemed to just "happen". I didn't feel the band. Some "feel it" after the 1st fill; for others of us it takes a while. Until then, except for the scars on my stomach, I'd never have even known I had surgery.

My post op diet was: week 1 clear liquids (which meant no protein shakes) week 2 liquids (including blended cream soups, etc) week 3 mushies week 4 mushies and soft foods week 5 regular food... and I stuck to it. i learned my lesson the hard way during my preop diet.

It may NOT get easier, but it is finite; you don't have to "eat" (or not eat!) like this forever...just preop and then for a short while post op while you heal (very important then, as you know!) You can make it and the weight loss really helps!

Actually in some circles snackers/grazers aren't considered lap band candidates because the band controls high volume eating; if you graze constantly you can "eat around" it. I think MAYBE you are over-analyzing a little; just fill the paperwork out and send it in. You can drive yourself nuts trying to second guess every little thing. If your insurance will pay for it and you are sufficiently overweight (or if YOU Will pay for it without insurance) odds are you'll be considered a "candidate". Don't fret! And I've never heard of anyone getting fat who didn't overeat. Regardless of chemistry, genetics and so on, at some point you have to take in MORE calories than you use in order to gain, and you have to USE MORE than you take in in order to lose. If you really don't overeat, and that isn't the cause of your obesity, then no the band won't work, but you wouldn't want it anyway.

I didn't really start losing until this May when I FINALLY got restriction, and I got my band last August. Further my doc says that for many of his patients, loss (except that preop stuff) doesn't really happen until at least 6 months post op. Prior to that he wants patients to heal really well and adjust mentally to having a band. In fact unless a person gets aggressive fills or is the rare one who feels restriction with just the band alone, early on the band is just "there" and any loss is due to old fashioned dieting and toughing it out, with not much help from the band.

Many insurance companies would provide this coverage IF the purchaser pays for it. In other words, hypothetically, Company B wants insurance for it's employees. However, to keep costs down it can adjust things. For example, it can have a higher deductible, higher "Out of pocket costs" for employess...it can opt to have a lower lifetime maximum...and it can EXCLUDE certain things. Since weight loss surgery is considered an ELECTIVE surgery then it is often excluded and it is not illegal to do so. You'd have to sue your employer for picking the insurance that didn't cover WLS. Ins. has a right to deny certain things...surgeries or therapies that don't have a high success rate aren't necessarily covered, either. So I can see why it's omitted from some policies. Tell your employer you want the coverage, that's a better place to start.

A BIG drawback to having surgery done "away from home"....whether in another country or another county...is finding aftercare. Once you get the band you'll see that fills and follow up are as important, if not moreso, than the band, and MANY surgeons will not take on a patient who was operated on by someone else. That is a big problem we read about on here quite frequently, so if you do decide to go to Mexico (and there is a forum on that...just click on Home and then scroll down) make sure you either plan to go back frequently for fills, etc, or find someone locally who will take you on as a patient.

It probably wasn't the altitude of the plane ride, but the dehydration. Flying is VERY dehydrating...

If you're preop call your doc and ask if you can chew sugar free gum. Post op I think the gum will be off limits; and it's important that you really stick to your post op diet to the letter (healing, sutures can be pulled internally etc) SO Hang in there! ask about the gum. You can get through it.

I didn't have any liquid in my band post op (many of us don't). It's tough but you follow the liquid diet and get through it. It's only for a few weeks; just hang in there.

I take all my pills easily, including 2 potassium pills that are HUGE. It's no big deal. But then, my surgeon is one who expects his patients to have a normal life, able to eat anything, but small small portions. So far, so good! :tongue_smilie:

knrpick...if your doc didn't clear you for watermelon, DONT eat it! Its very very high in carbs/sugar.

June 2? What's your diet like? If you were banded JULY 2 I'd say yes it's common (especially if you aren't taking an opiod pain killer)...but June...would depend on your diet.

Maybe the band isn't for you? From reading your other posts you've really changed your mind a lot about it, there's nothing wrong with that. It isn't for everyone. Wish there WAS something that worked for all of us but there isn't. The preop diet is hard, the post op to me was even more so because I already HAD the band (no carrot to motivate me!) but post op is vital too, or you can have a slip. The band is work; preop and post op are maybe the most severe but it's just a tool. I don't mean to be snooty either; I'm just a little worried about you because this seems to have been a pretty emotional decision (which is great!) but there's a lot of nuts and bolts things about the band that need to be considered too.

I didn't do meditrim, but I did have a simlar diet. I cheated. They couldn't place the band because my liver was too big. It is amazing how that can motivate a person, the shame, the misery.... so I promised PROMISED my doc I would do exactly as he said if he'd give me another chance. He did, I did, and I got the band just fine. Let me be a horrible warning...just hang in there. It's only for a short time (2 weeks is NOTHING! most of us can do anything for 2 weeks!) and you'll be through it. Post op you'll have liquids for a while too, but that is to let you heal. So stick to it. We did it; I know you can too!

I'd recheck my source if I were you...I don't think that's exactly correct; it's a little high. What I've read and been told is that 3 years out people with the lap band lose 35-55% OF their excess; so that if you needed to lose 100 pounds you'd be down 35-55 pounds at 3 years out. Not 1 year. HOWEVER..that's an AVERAGE. Individual results vary.

That would depend totally on what your insurance requires. Many policies differ about what they require before they'll pay for the lap band procedure.

Hang in there! All docs seem to have different post op diets; I've read of some where the patient is on liquids for 4 weeks (or more) and NO cream type soups! It is HARD...no kidding, but stick with it. Your doc knows what works best for his/her patients, and you are almost through it now. You'll make it!

Yes yes...Like my friend HH said...you don't need to feel guilty. We all have food issues or wouldn't be getting the band and if your doc makes you feel ashamed, well, the shame is his. It's just that eating before you're healed is a major cause of slips and since you have an odd pain, it's safest for you to make sure it didn't happen! (they are RARE but they do happen) So get checked out then hang in there; it's a short time to suffer but so worth it! :tongue_smilie:

Yes...as long as you each follow your doc's orders you'll be fine. I didn't have to watch volume either and could get buckets down (that's not uncommon any more; old bands were smaller/tighter and caused some people early restriction but now more and more they are sized and once initial operative swelling goes down, one doesn't feel ANY restriction) Now is the time for healing so you guys take it slow, follow doc's orders, and you are both doing great!

If it says 4oz an hour, then that would mean 4 oz of ANY clear liquid. And ask tomorrow if you can have more than 4 oz an hour. And here's a link to a ticker tutor: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/