gabi311b

I am having surgery like 20 miles away from where I live. What other kind of medical evaluations do you have to have?

Oh my goodness...where do I begin!!!! I look forward to... -riding comfortably on a plane (possibly in the middle seat) -wearing a swimsuit -not worrying about not fitting in seats like at church, the movies, etc. -being able to tie my shoes comfortably -being able to buy knee high boots that zip -not shopping at Lane Bryant -not using a pillow to hide my stomach when I sit down There are oh so many more but those are the biggies that I can think of right now. I can't wait for that to change!!!! New body, new attitude here I come.

Since I am self-pay I didn't have to go through all of the hoops with insurance but I do have to get some blood work done as well as an upper GI and a meeting with a psychologist and nutritionist. I have been already seeing a psychologist and I have my appointment with the gastroenterologist Wednesday. The blood work has to be done within 30 days of the surgery so I will at lease wait until 2/8 and I meet the nutritionist on Sunday. Things are way faster for me since I'm not going through insurance but I am so happy I finally made the decision and have my date! I just ordered my Protein bullets for when I have my surgery and they look amazing. 3ozs of 'juice' with 42 grams of protein. Where are you in the timeline? I hope that helps...

I just ordered mine. I got the fruit punch and the variety pack. Has anyone tried the fruit punch? And by the way, I used the promo code today and it was a straight $5.00 off. $6.00 for shipping but still...totally worth it.

I have heard that Colace is a great over the counter remedy to constipation and hard bm's. It is alot of times used for c-sections or natural deliveries since that area is so tender and the stomach muscles are so well worked. I'm not sure how it tastes but I hear it's very soothing and easy on the stomach. I am going to get it for my surgery.

I am about to be banded on March 8th and I have seen all over these boards a term called 'Onederland'. Can someone explain to me what that is so I know when I'm there? Thanks!

Go to your 'used cp' which is located at the top of the screen and it will take you to your dashboard where you can see everything you have posted. It is a great area in which you can change your signature, add friends and find all of your posts and threads. Good luck!

So, I am now scheduled for surgery on 3/8/09 so unfortunately I am not going to be a Bandster Bunny! I am so excited that the date got moved up and I am now having a hard time focusing on anything else right now...like my job!

I got my surgery date...March 8th!!! I am so excited, it's actually real now! I can't believe it.

I am so excited and nervous all at the same time. I met with my surgeon, Dr. Nazarian, on Sunday and filled out my 25+ pages of paperwork. He only is in that office on Sundays and does consults and surgery on Sundays. He was really impressed with how much knowledge I had regarding the pre-op process, the surgery and the post surgery support and he told me he loves operating on people that are so well informed. It makes his life so much easier. I was really happy with his bedside manner this time around...he didn't yawn! The first time I met with him, at a different practice, he yawned and didn't seem engaged at all. I almost wrote him off but decided to give him one more chance and I was much more impressed and comfortable. I also love the nursing staff there, they seem so caring and sweet. I was told I only need an upper GI and some lab work so I will be doing those next week. I have a second consultation with the surgeon on Feb 1st and at that appointment I will meet with the nutritionist and set my surgery date. :thumbup: Insurance didn't work out and it was way too much stress to fight a battle I knew I wasn't going to win so I am now self-pay. My total surgery quote including anesthesia and 6 adjustments is $14,200. The nervous part is now coming up with that kind of money (it has to be paid in full 7 days prior to surgery). I have been having bad dreams about it and everything. I would hate to get this far and not be able to piece it all togehter. I am hoping that my surgery will be 3/1/09 but it might have to be 3/8/09. My birthday is on 3/11 so what I birthday present that will be! I can't wait! Please pray for me that I can come up with the money and if anyone has any suggestions about anything please let me know. I am being so impatient but I know that my day will come and it's coming sooner rather than later! :biggrin:

Soooo it looks like I'm now going to be a March Bandster. I am definitely going the self-pay route so I will most likely have my surgery on 3/8/2009! YAY my bandster birthday will be three days before my real birthday!

I'm with you! I was going to be April but it all worked out and I'm now going to be a March Bandster! What is our name going to be? The Lap-Band Leprechauns?

I actually figured it all out last night and I will be using my 401K for a little more than half of it. My parents are going to help me out and I have some commission money coming from my job. So I am way less stressed out about it now and will not need to have any kind of long term financing which I'm very happy about. I am going to call the office today and schedule my appointment. My mom is actually going to come down from Sacramento to help me so I will schedule it for March 8th since that date is better for her. I think it's amazing that with Dr. Nazarian he was charging $18,000 to have the surgery in Beverly Hills and he is charging $14,000 to have the same surgery in San Dimas. I know it's the location location location but seriously... OneHotMama - how are you liking banded life? What should I be prepared for?

Hahaha that is so funny! I am hopfully going to be an April Bandster. I am also most likely going to be self pay since I'm a borderline insurance approval candidate. I look forward to sharing this journey with all the other April Bandsters.

I LOVE my Wii Fit. I got it for Christmas and I played it non-stop for a week. I love the hula hoop and balancing games. Step aerobics is fun too. I know I should be using it more than I am and that was the original thought... I am hopefully going to be banded in March or April of this year (that has been a game all in itself) and I am so excited.

I haven't posted in so long but I am now at the point where I really want to get this ball rolling. I used to have Kaiser So Cal insurance and switched to Aetna PPO 1/1/09. I did this in the hopes that I could get approval through insurance but I keep getting blocked. It seems that even though I have a BMI over 40 right now that isn't good enough and they want to see a two year history of BMI >40. I have been 35+ for over two years but that isn't good enough either. I haven't even tried to go through insurance cause I don't want to get declined. I just want the damn surgery! I have been going to Overeaters Anonymous in order to deal with the emotional issues as to why I eat over everything so hopefully I will have all of my emotional ducks in a row once I get the surgery. So, now I am in the process of finding doctors who will do patients that self pay. The doctor I wanted only does clients with self pay if they meet the criteria of getting insurance to cover but somehow get turned down. That was Dr. Martin @ Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. I am really hoping that some of you can share some of your experiences, strengths and thoughts regarding doctors, self pay options, prices and any other advice you could possibly give me. I just need help and I feel like I keep coming up on dead ends... I am in the Pasadena area and the surgeons that I am going to place calls to are Dr. Owen, Dr. Nazarian, Dr, Liu, Dr. Korman and Dr. Oliak. Does anyone have any other ideas? Any suggestions? Any reviews? HELP?!?!?!?!?

Do you happen to have his contact information? I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Has anyone gotten banded by Dr. Jamshid Nazarian in Southern California? His bio reads... Dr. Jamshid Nazarian is a diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons. As an active member of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery and International Federation of Bariatric Surgery, Dr. Nazarian's focus is on Bariatric Procedures. He has been practicing in Los Angeles since 1986, and has performed over two thousand Bariatric cases. In total, he has participated in more than four thousand Bariatric surgeries. After completing his general surgery residency in New York at the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, Dr. Nazarian completed his fellowship in thoracic surgery at Wayne State University in Michigan and Hahnamann University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Nazarian’s practice specializes in Laparoscopic procedures (minimally-invasive Gastric Bypass), and he has performed a large number of difficult corrective Bariatric surgeries referred from other institutions. Dr. Nazarian believes that each individual’s needs are unique and require customized care. He strives to improve each patient’s quality of life through his surgical expertise, professional qualifications, and extensive experience. Residency and Fellowships: General Surgery Brooklyn Jewish General Hospital, New York Thoracic Surgery Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI Hahnemann University Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA Societies - Memberships - Affiliations: American College of Surgeons The International College of Surgeons The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity Maybe I'm freaking out a little but he yawned during my consultation and I just think that's kinda rude. Also, the staff that works at his 'practice' are kinda pushy... What do you all think?

YEAH 2009 Bandsters!!!!1 I can't wait!!!!!

Kmcoolone, You are too funny. I am Kellster's roommie and I have been going to OA for aobut 2 months. I am planning on getting banded in the first part of 2009 and I haven't told them yet, I don't know if I even will. I just celebrated my first 30 days of abstinence and it felt great. What I have been thinking about alot lately though is...what happens when I have to commit my food to my sponsor each day and it all of the sudden becomes 'band-friendly' food? I feel like I'm keeping such a secret but I know that alot of people within OA don't believe in the outside assistance to help in physical recovery. Any suggestions...i just keep going one day at a time and my favorite line in OA so far is 'just for today'...I can do anything!

The sooner the better!!!! I can't wait!!!!!

I don't have that exact issue but I do have the issue that my roommate and I both have Aetna PPO in CA. We LOVE this surgeon and he is technically out of network for our insurance. The facility he uses however is an approved in-network facility so part of our surgery (the really expensive part, hopital stay, anesthesia) is covered. Maybe try and find a surgery center that is IN network and even if the surgeon is out but practices there then the cost isn't soooo bad. You do have to do a little manual adding and stuff but I think it's well worth it if it will save me money.

Wait...I'm confused....the price quote I got from Dr. Nazarian's office in Pasadena was like 15,999. You guys got a quote from them for 13,000? Also, are you talking about Dr. Nazarian when you say office in San Dimas? I am so confused! Who are the doctors in the Beverly Hills office (top surgeons)? I was going through Beverly Hills Physicians and that is how I found Dr. Nazarian & Nicole (the sales lady). Can you guys help me out cause I might be self pay, might be covered with insurance. I don't know yet but I need to weigh all my options. Also, can you guys put your progress on this thread so I can follow too? Thanks!

I'm so sorry, I think though the personal insurance sounds like a good option! I would keep in mind the 'red flag' issue though...that could be a little scary.