marz88

Hey Michele I don't know how far into WY you are, but I went through Scottsbluff NE doctors, Forney and Holloway. Their office people were FANTASTIC!!! Laura was the one I contacted each time I was told to call back concerning my approval. She did so much leg work for me. In the end, I had to call the insurance company because everytime she called she couldn't understand the accent of the insurance rep. When I called, I got a very American sounding person who said, "Yes you were approved and your letter was sent 4 days ago to tell you that". Music to my ears! You didn't say what kind of insurance you have and if you should happen to be a self pay patient and go to Mexico, the doctors in Scottsbluff will do your fills and maintainence. They take care of a lot of patients from Colorado because they have a hard time finding a follow-up physician. Good luck and don't give up!

DrewsLou got me to thinking...how much is everyone getting on their first fill? I have found little info on the actual size of bands and how much they hold. My friend had surgery 2 days before me and we both got our first fills today. We both asked the dr how much our bands hold and of course how much the fill was. My friend got the answer of 5cc capacity and a fill of 1.5cc. I got the answer of 12cc capacity and 4cc fill. Either way, we both got our bands filled 1/4-1/3 of the capacity. So, I tried to find why I have a much bigger band and the closest answer I could find was related to my BMI before surgery which was higher than my friend and because I carry my weight around my middle and my friend is evenly distributed all over. Does anyone else have a better answer or know what size their band is?

Hey Cloe I too am hungry a lot! Way more than I thought I would be. But I don't seem to have any restrictions! I am trying to follow the soft foods that the doctor told me to but it is very hard! I haven't PB'd even though I have eaten more than my 1/2-1 cup of food. I'm not eating steak or french bread, but I have eaten spaghetti, popcorn chicken from KFC and rye toast without any problems. Not that I'm proud of that but I was hoping for some kind of restriction before my first fill which will be on the 19th. I am looking forward to that almost as much as I was for the actual surgery!!! So be thankful your body is telling you to stop, or that you've gone too far so that you can learn. Right now I'm at a stand still with my weight loss even though I'm exercising and have cut back on the amount of food I am eating. (Obviously still not enough!) I lost 13 before my surgery (5/18) and 13 since. And you are right about this being a time for healing, that's why they don't want us eating certain foods, because of the stress it puts on our stomachs.

I realize most of us have the Inamed band...Did your doctor give you a booklet on the kind of diet/foods to be eating at the appropriate time? The information I was given from the dietician was a bit more lenient than the booklet(thank goodness!). There is a disclaimer in the booklet that says,"The following information is meant to be an overview. Be sure you know the instructions your doctor wants you to follow." Inamed recommends a liquid diet for the first 1-2 weeks-clear broth, skim milk, fruit juice, and no-sugar popcicles. 3-4 weeks-pureed chicken or fish, mashed potatoes, peas, and lowfat yogurt or pudding. 5 weeks-soft foods-tender cooked fish and ground turkey. I'm sure almost everyone has a different plan according to their doctor/dietician and most of us are onto the soft foods by the 2-3 week post-op. Some of us have/will get the first fill by the 4th week. So what I guess I'm trying to say is try to stick to what your doctor has prescribed for you as much as possible. Don't feel bad if others move ahead onto different foods before you. And don't push yourself into the next level without consulting your doctor. We'll all get there eventually, just like we all finally got banded in May, whether it was the 1st or the 31st or anywhere in between! Just know that "This too, shall pass", the soreness, pain, trapped gas etc...If you are having a hard time getting in your Water, try other low/non caloric drinks. Most doctors say it's okay to have Crystal Light and I'm hooked on the Lipton Green Tea Citrus and Mixed berry flavors! Maybe even try a bit of lemon in your water. Sometimes it's something so simple to help you get it down. And one last thing, thanks to everyone who has encouraged, prayed, and offered advice or hints for us. It is all so appreciated. HERE'S TO JUNE!!!

I have a question...I am 2 weeks out and have been waking up at about 4 am because my stomache is growling. Did/has this happened to anyone else? I moved on soft foods a little earlier than recommended hoping that it would stay with me a bit longer than the liquids. I'm trying to eat just the 1/2 cup portions, three times a day, drink all my water and exercise. Not sure if there is a remedy or if I'm doing the right thing. I'm not getting a fill until the 19th.

That is so sad! My husband has bc/bs through his work and they quit covering the band 01/01/2004. But they still covered bypass! When I found this out, I was torn. I DID NOT want to do bypass. Finally through a co-worker at my work I found out uhc did cover it. But I had to wait until an enrollment period came around, then had to wait for the first of the year. My surgery was 2 weeks ago (May 18th) and I'm waiting for the bills to start rolling in. Right before I got the approval from insurance, I found out my Dr is 'out of network' which can work to your advantage or severely against it. So I'll continue waiting. And if I end up paying a few thousand dollars, it's still better than self-pay either here in the states or Mexico where sometimes you have a problem finding a Dr to do maintainence.

I have a question for all of you who have gone to Mexico for your surgery...I live in the middle of the country and if my insurance hadn't covered my procedure, I would have considered going there myself. Have you all been denied by insurance for the band or did any of you opt to go there because of the doctors? It sounds like there is a wonderful bunch of surgeons there, although I loved the one I had here in Nebraska. My doctor also takes care of quite a few banders who have gone to Mexico due to insurance denial.

To all of you that are experiencing nausea...Check your pain meds that you might be taking. A side effect of most pain meds is nausea. Try taking it just before going to sleep or napping. It might help a bit. Good luck. Welcome MiniMandy! Best wishes on your surgery! Glad you could 'sneak' in on the month of May.

Welcome Nala! Congrats on your band. Yes, there will be lots of changes in the next week or two. I'm over one week out and just now starting to get my appetite back. A recommendation my doc gave me was to do things as I could, but don't over do anything. So I found myself trying not to sit for too long, stand for too long, lie down for too long...you get the point. A bit of exercise is good also to mix in there. Take a short walk around the block more than once a day. Hope something here helps. Best wishes on your recovery.

Update from Nebraska, yes, the middle of the country is where I live. I'm a week out (May 18th) and feeling GREAT!!! I had a bit of congestion for a few days but used a pillow against my stomach when I had to cough and that was a life saver! I also broke out in hives all over my belly and breasts but that is almost gone-Yeah! I'm 21 lbs lighter than my heaviest recorded weight which was on May 5th and 8 lbs lighter than my surgery date. I am on pureed food for another 2 weeks and then get to move to soft foods. I haven't been hungry or even have any cravings, praise God. I have been walking about 20 minutes 2 times a day and my husband's dog loves to go with me. I can hardly wait to start riding my bike again and I really want to start some yoga. Great job to all who have done well-keep going and best wishes to the few that are left for the month! We are almost to the end!

Just a bit of info for those of us still doing our blenderized phase. I have always liked the Bear Creek brand of Cheddar Broccoli soup, it's an instant soup in a bag. So I figured I could eat it during this phase. Well the broccoli chunks are a bit bigger than I remembered. So, I used this cool shaker from Pampered Chef to sift the big pieces out. The shaker looks like any salt shaker but has a domed screen instead of holes. It sifted so perfectly. If anyone else has an instant soup that might need 'refined', I'd recommend trying this.

Well, I'm three days out and can hardly wait until tomorrow when I get to start my 'pour off the spoon' eating. I went to the store and purchased sugarfree pudding, apple sauce, tomato soup, and yogurt. I haven't felt any hunger pains. Tonight I tried playing my flute for our church service and boy was it hard. It was hard to get in a big enough breath without feeling a bit dizzy. Any advice I can offer is to take it easy. Do what you can, and certainly don't over do anything. Best wishes to all of this weeks bandsters. It won't be long and it will be June and we will all be on the other side!

Hey everyone I tried to post last night but I had just taken some liquid pain med about an hour before and found myself not thinking or typing clearly. So I decided to wait until today to update. My surgery was on Thursday and the only problems I had were nausia right after waking up and then the day after, my belly started itching. I had a reaction to the betadine like stuff they rubbed on it before surgery. So once I got it completely washed off, the itching finally stopped. Otherwise, everything has gone like clockwork. My youngest daughter named my belly "Frankenbelly" because of the staples. I'm just so happy to be on my way to a new, healthier me! Thanks to everyone for support and prayers.

I am leaving in a few hours to prepare for my surgery tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who has offered support and given testimonies to their journey and beyond. You all need to be commended for making this decision and setting your mind to doing that which will make you healthier. So here's to wearing smaller sizes, exercising more, accepting compliments graciously, and thanking God we might all live a bit longer and be able to enjoy life to it's fullest capacity! See you on the other side!!! ps Thanks for the pumpkin soup! Now if you'd only ladle it into my 1/2 cup! Ha Ha

I just have to tell my story...I work retail and my sales manager had a band put in a year ago, February. She has been an absolute inspiration! When I finally got insurance and approvals for everything, most everyone at work knew what I was doing. They have been so strong in their support for me. Tonight was my last night of work before my surgery on Thursday and most everyone was wishing me the best, praying for me, telling me/hubby to call when I get out of surgery. Hugs galore! I just can hardly believe the way people are excited for me. I'm sure it has to do with my manager being so successful this past year. But hang in there everyone who is met with criticism or speculation. Your weight loss will win them over in the end. WE WILL "THIN" IN THE END!!!

And here's to you Heth68! Best wishes on your surgery, time is winding down and it won't be long and we'll all be on the other side of the Banded Life. It just can't happen soon enough. I hope you have a great support team behind you. Don't be nervous if you don't have to be, it's just wasted energy. God Bless! p.s. My husband is more nervous than I'll ever be, he acts like I'm having brain surgery.

Hey Cathmo! Best wishes on the 17th! On the 18th, I have to be to the hospital by 8:00am and I believe I'll be the second of the day. I'm so anxious to begin this journey, I'm not nervous at all, just excited. Let us know how everything goes, I won't be back until late on the 19th. God Bless!

I find all this talk about uhc disturbing. In my area, they are about the only insurance company that will pay for the band. I think so much depends on your employers policy with them. My friend and I are both uhc but with different employers. We started the process at the same time, our requests for the surgery was actually sent on the same day. But she was approved a month before me! And get this, the same doctor is doing both surgeries, but he is considered "out of network" on my insurance. So, I get to pay more for mine than she does. Doesn't make much sense but I'm glad it finally came through and I'll be banded next Thursday.

Hey everyone! I'm reading about the heating pad idea and I think it's a great thought. I have a tip for anyone who can sew a button on a shirt. If you take cotton fabric, and make a pillow about 11"x11", leaving a small opening and fill it with 2lbs of uncooked white rice(which is something we won't be eating after our surgery-Yeah!), then stitch it closed. You have a great "heating pad" after 2-3 min in the microwave. It will lay close to the body and keeps hot for a long time. Be careful if it gets too hot because it can cause burns, but nuke it for just 2 min and add 30 seconds at a time to get the right temp. Hope this helps anyone get rid of the last white rice you might have around. Scout-Best wishes and many prayers for Monday. God will guide.

A Magic Bullet is a small "personal" blender to make individual smoothies or shakes. When you are finished blending, the mix container becomes your glass to eat/drink from. It does a lot more but that's the main purpose.

Wow! What an experience! I had my pre-op on Friday with the blood work, chest x-ray, and other stuff. And let me tell you about the experience. The entire staff at the hospital made me feel soooo good about doing this surgery! I have always felt judged and scrutinized by the medical profession for my obesity. This staff has obviously been trained and it was a blessing to be their care just for the testing. My dietition was fabulous and once again no critical or condesending tones or accusatory language. If all doctors and their staff could be this nice...I'm anxious for the next week and a half to go by, the 18th is my date. I am a working woman and sometimes dread going back to work on Monday, but I'm excited because I know that working will get me to the Band-date faster! Congrats to all who have been banded this month to date and best wishes to all this week! Here's hoping for quick and speedy recoveries for everyone!

YEAH TO YOU TXPEACH!!!! I am so happy your experience went so well. I hope all the other May 1st bandsters did as well. Good luck and prayers to all else who will be banded this month. Your experience has helped me ease a few fears and gives a lot of encouragement to us who will come after you. Keep us posted on your recovery.

Hey everyone! I'm a May bandster too. I am new to this site but excited to chat with everyone about our experiences. I live in Nebraska and will be having my surgery in Scottsbluff on the 18th. I'm starting at 265 and would love to lose half of it, I'm 5'2".

How great! I'm also new here and my date is May18th. I'm in Nebraska and have wanted this surgery soooo long that I can hardly believe that it's only a few weeks away. I am looking forward to learning all that I can to make this one of the best experiences of my life.