sunsetskies

I was banded on Monday Nov. 10th . So far I am doing "okay" lol. I also had a big hiatal hernia repaired at the same time (which I didn't even know I had) and I think that is causing me more problems then the band itself. It is really hard for me to take a deep breath as it feels like my diaphragm is too tight (he stitched the hole closed after he pulled the tummy back where it goes) I have also been very gasssssy and it hurts like crazy to burp LOL. When I feel a burp coming I have to hold onto the wall and the burp comes out and then a wave of pain kinda goes over my tummy/chest area. I have had noooooooo cravings for food yet and I have a hard time just drinking Water. I feel kinda nauseous still. I also am still having the shoulder pain even though I am moving around like crazy and out shopping etc. It bothers me mainly at night and I get that icky achy feeling in my left shoulder. But, all in all I am glad I did this and these feelings I know will be short lived! :thumbup: Ohhh and my big incision on my left side where the port is .. is really tender still and swollen more then the others. No redness or anything so thats good. Just very tender. I am just happy that I have the nausea because the way my tummy keeps complaining about being empty (rumblings in the tumblings) It would drive me insane otherwise!!!! LOL

When I started the process the very end of Sept. My PCM told me that Tricare in the past few months has changed the requirements for the lapband and it is so much easier to get it done now. I was approved the next day for my referal and had an apt with the nutritionalist on base that very next day as well. From start to finish my surgeon required 6 week time frame, 2 nutritionalist apts... 1 psych eval and that was it. It was simple. He showed me a chart that they had from tricare and said even if he didn't count my co-morbidity of hypertension... I was still within tricares standards of being overweight... he had a scale that looked like a bmi chart. This is how it all worked out for me...... ~Sept. 22th - I had an apt with my PCP for blood pressure medication, asked about the lap band, she said that tricare just recently started covering it and she would put a referal in for me... ~Sept. 23th - the nutritionalist (Erin Wilson) on base called me the next day and said she had an apt available that day so I took it. ~Sept. 23th - saw nutritionalist who went over how I would be eatting before and after the surgery and gave me some literature on eating with the lap band. ~Oct. 1st - Saw Surgeon. I had a few issues with finding a Surgeon in the Corpus Christi area that was in the network, but finally found Dr. Griffin a general surgeon who is a bariatric surgeon as well. He said I needed to make an apt to see the nutritionalist one more time (total of 2 visits with her), have 6 weeks total wait before surgery, and a psychologist approval (he had a list of 2 of them in the area that were for Tricare) so i called for an apt. ~Oct. 27th - Saw my nutritionalist one more time to get my pre-op diet instructions. (Dr. agreed that I could follow the nutritionalist on bases diet) ~Oct. 27th - (same day as nutritionalist apt) Dr.'s office called to say I was approved with tricare (before i went to the counselor for approval lol.. that was weird) ~Oct. 30th - and then went to the counselor (Aurora Ortiz) who sat with me for 13 minutes and asked general questions about my family and the surgery, gave me an approval paper to give to my surgeon. ~Nov. 4th - went to see my surgeon last week for surgery day instructions and orders for the hospital to do my preop blood work, xrays, and get registered. ~Nov. 4th - went to hospital for pre-registration stuff. (blah took 3 hours of waiting around they were so busy) ~Nov. 10th!!!! - surgery is scheduled for Monday November 10th!!!

Hey everyone! My husband is in the Navy, and we have been stationed in... Ingleside, TX - 1994-1999 Colts Neck, NJ - 1999-2002 Guam - 2002-2004 Inglesdie, TX -2004-2006 Corpus Christi, TX 2006-2008 And moving next summer to who knows where.... Probably San Diego, CA. I think I am going to take my daughters and move back home to Kansas while he goes to the next duty station. My girls only have a few years left till they go off to college and have never lived near any relatives. I want to give them a sense of the extended family life (DH and I are both from a small farm town in KS and all of our family is there)... not seeing grandma and grandpa once a year for a week for the past 15 years of their lives... I know it is going to be hard on our marriage, but I feel that they need this before they are gone.

Hey Kristi! I am from Corpus Christi as well! I am having my surgery done by Dr. Griffin next week on November 10th. I am sooo excited. And wow congratulations! that is quick! I am glad that he was able to speed things up for you! So far on the pre-op diet i've lost 12 pounds!! I can't believe it! Which hospital are you getting your surgery done at? I will be doing mine at Spohn South. Sunsetskies Weight - 261lbs prior to surgery Weight - 249lbs after 8 days of preop diet Goal - 140lbs (hopefully hehe) Surgery date - November 10, 2008

:wink5: I have tricare prime as well. The way it worked for me... ~Sept. 22th - I had an apt with my PCP for blood pressure medication, asked about the lap band, she said that tricare just recently started covering it and she would put a referal in for me... ~Sept. 23th - the nutritionalist (Erin Wilson) on base called me the next day and said she had an apt available that day so I took it. ~Sept. 23th - saw nutritionalist who went over how I would be eatting before and after the surgery and gave me some literature on eatting with the lap band. ~Oct. 1st - Saw Surgeon. I had a few issues with finding a Surgeon in the Corpus Christi area that was in the network, but finally found Dr. Griffin a general surgeon who is a bariatric surgeon as well. He said I needed to make an apt to see the nutritionalist one more time (total of 2 visits with her), have 6 weeks total wait before surgery, and a psychologist approval (he had a list of 2 of them in the area that were for Tricare) so i called for an apt. ~Oct. 27th - Saw my nutritionalist one more time to get my pre-op diet instructions. (Dr. agreed that I could follow the nutritionalist on bases diet) ~Oct. 27th - :ihih:(same day as nutritionalist apt) Dr.'s office called to say I was approved with tricare (before i went to the counselor for approval lol.. that was weird) ~Oct. 30th - and then went to the counselor (Aurora Ortiz) who sat with me for 13 minutes and asked general questions about my family and the surgery, gave me an approval paper to give to my surgeon. ~Nov. 4th - went to see my surgeon last week for surgery day instructions and orders for the hospital to do my preop blood work, xrays, and get registered. ~Nov. 4th - :smile2: went to hospital for pre-registration stuff. (blah took 3 hours of waiting around they were so busy) ~Nov. 10th!!!! :tongue2: - surgery is scheduled for Monday November 10th!!! So all in all.... It went suprisingly fast. I am glad this is something that I have wanted for years now and that I did a ton of research on prior to initiating it all, otherwise I would have just been like a deer in the headlights. Sunsetskies 32 years old...5'9" and 261lbs Hypertension and Tachycardia for 12 years

Will be the beginning of my journey!!!! I am so excited, I am being banded on November 10th at 8am! I live in Corpus Christi, TX, I am 32 years old and I weigh 261.7 pounds, I have been married for 15 years and have 3 lovely girls and hypertension for 12 of those years. I have been overweight now for about 13 years and I have done it all.... Weight watchers, Jenny Craig, slimfast, atkins, pills... you name it. Don't get me wrong, I loose the weight very easily, it's just a matter of keeping it off more than 6 months. I love the taste of food and have a hard time feeling full. So those two traits mixed together are a bad combo. I am hoping the band will help me to loose the weight and keep it off. I am on day 3 of my pre-op diet. My nutritionalist has me drinking 4 carnation instant Breakfast (sugar free variety) a day and plenty of Water. So far it is keeping me full and I am doing okay. I am scared and nervous like everyone else and can't wait for the surgery part to be over! Sunset

Hello! I live in Corpus Christi and will be banded on Nov. 10th by Dr. Griffin! I am sooo nervous, but it is the "good" nervous feeling. I start my pre-op diet next week (eek). Sunset

My surgery date is scheduled for November 10th! I am sooo nervous like the rest of you. I went to see my nutritionalist today for my preop diet instructions and she has me drinking the carnation instant breakfast no sugar added with added Protein 4 times a day. She also told me if I have to eat something, I can have a chicken breast or a small salad (no carby veggies though). Does this sound similar to you guys? I figure I have a few more days before I am 2 weeks out from surgery so of course I am trying to eat like I am an inmate on his last day on deathrow lol. I am not overstuffing myself, just grazing around rofl. Sunset:thumbup: