susan1961

It was very impressive. He is an inspiring orator and an obviously intelligent and thoughtful man. All of these things are a change from the last administration! The NY Times magazine did a spread on folks in the Obama administration... I think his chief speechwriter is 27 years old. WOW. I feel old.

You shouldn't even have to see your PCP again, or repeat anything you've done. Just call your PCP's office and tell them you need a new referral to a surgeon who is in your network and operates at a hospital with which your insurance has a relationship. Might help to call the insurance company in advance and find out which ones qualify. You will want to be sure that the anesthesiologist who supports your surgery is also in network so there are no surprises. This doesn't have to hold you up all that much, though changing horses midstream is rough.

No, I do not believe that is normal. Having had your band for over 4 months you should know what is normal for you, and it doesn't sound like this is. If I were you I would eat only liquids until discussing with my doctor. I wonder if you might have an inflamed esophagus (esophagitis). You could try some OTC acid-suppressing medications in the interim.

I started walking immediately, could do some serious biking (road bike, 20-30 miles) by about day 10. I was told no pilates or ab work for 4 weeks, and no lifing anything over 10lbs for 3 weeks. I had my first pilates class today (4 week mark) and it was fine.

Hi there I had my band in December as well, and also started at a low BMI. I've lost 20 lbs so far, which has been noticeable, which is encouraging. The first 2 weeks were heavenly, because I just wasn't hungry.... harder these last few weeks because I am. I want to lose another 40lbs, and keep reminding myself that it may take a year, and I shouldn't expect it to happen overnight... but the bottom line is I sure wish it would! Best wishes on your journey and your fill.

refried beans with a tiny bit of cheese, then low fat sour cream and guacamole on top. yum.

I will cast a dissenting vote. I would definitely pay the $500 and go with the guy 5 minutes away. There is a big difference between being filled and being cared for. This doc has already shown himself to be personable and responsive, and he's nearby in case you have any problems. Having someone nearby assume responsibility for your care is great and I think important, and differs from someone just completing the technical aspect of your fills. It sounds like an ideal situation to me. Peace of mind? Priceless.

I can feel mine very easily. It is under the largest incision, tucked just under my rib cage, on the left, about 4 inches left of midline.

That is a common practice. It is not meant to withold info from patients, but from competitors; the hospital negotiates rates with multiple different intermediaries. I agree with the prior poster; what you need to ask is what your share of charges will be. THAT they should be able to tell you. Good luck. You are persevering, and that's a good sign, and I am confident you'll make this work!

General rule is BMI 40 or greater, or BMI 35-40 with comorbidities (ie significant weight-related health issues like hypertension or diabetes, but there's a long list). There is evidence of benefit with BMI < 35 but insurance won't pay for it. Almost all surgeons will require a psychological evaluation and a meetiing or meetings with a nutritionist. Those cost me $300 each (one psych eval, and 4 meetings with the nutritionist, 1 pre-op and 3 after).

Yes. Happened to me too. It's a dissolvable suture. It's no big deal. Clean it, clip it at the skin site, and don't worry about it unless there are signs of infection. Best wishes!

Bigpapa, you definitely did the right thing. You should be very proud of yourself and the discipline you've brought to your journey, which has led to your success. They all were educated, and know what they should be doing, and are unwilling or unable to do it. Having that highlighted for them would only make them feel bad. I think one could certainly say 'I've figured out how to work with my band and am happy it's working so well for me, I'm happy to help you if you ever want my help'... but that's about as far as it should go. Congrats on your success, and on being such a thoughtful person that wants to help others.

My doc's philosophy is that he would like his patients to be less hungry, more easily sated, to make good food choices, and to eat smaller portions- but NOT to feel restriction to swallowing and NOT to be unable to eat certain foods or food groups. I was banded 1 month ago. So far, there isn't anything I haven't been able to eat. I eat many of my meals out, or catered at meetings, and it has worked fine. I do pick and choose, keep my portions small, my bites small, and I chew well. I have never vomited, PB'ed, or slimed, though things have briefly gotten stuck a few times. I'm learning to feel the signals on that. I have lost 20lbs in the first month. I have 40 more to go. Isn't this how it's supposed to be? Or am I just a really lucky outlier? I hope to get a small fill next week, and it would be nice to be a little less hungry like I was in the first week post-op, but honestly don't want to get where I can't eat real food and need to put a lot of energy into special eating requirements.

Unfortunately chances are very good that your insurance will deny you.... at BMI 35-40 they generally want to see 2 co-morbidities, and I'm not sure if they count PCOS. But it's worth a try. At least start documenting the weight and the efforts so that if they deny you now you'll at least be leaving a record of to establish an ongoing problem for a re-try down the road. I was a low BMI patient with no significant comorbidities and paid cash..... a lot of money but well worth it!! Best of luck on your journey!

Just clean the area and clip it off at the skin. I had that happen to. It's a dissolvable suture used in the subcutaneous tissue. It's not a big deal. Clip it, keep the area clean and dry, and unless you develop signs of infection don't worry about it!!

I'm a health professional...I'll say that right up front. And I suspect I'll get blasted for my perspective. But here's my 2 cents: $165 does sound like a lot for a minor procedure. BUT: please keep in mind that that $165 is also paying for: - the RENT on that space in which you get your fills - the utilities for that space - the person who answers the phone and schedules you - the phone they answer - the malpractice insurance (this ranges from $20K to over $200K PER YEAR depending upon the state and the doctors specialty) - the benefits (FICA, disability, health insurance for the staff) - the training - the supplies - the advertising for Fill Centers (so you know they're there and can find them) - their recruitment and retention costs - and of course the profit for the chain. Someone invested in this idea and needs to see a return on investment. Or there will be NO Fill Centers - etc. Physicians who do surgery make enough on the surgery to pay their office overhead. A business that does only fills has to make enough just doing fills to cover all their overhead and, if it's a for profit business, their profit. Competition is good. If there is money to be made in this, there will be competitors. The fact that there aren't competitors suggests to me that, overall, no one is making a killing on this.

FBNH: If it's just you you should only have the individual max out of pocket, not the family max of $4000. Usually the deductible IS part of the max. Good luck with all this. I spent nearly $20K out of pocket and consider it money very well spent!

I gain about 4 lbs during TOM; keep up all the good things you're doing and the scale will drop the next few weeks, you'll see. Congrats on that great weight loss!

I must admit I've thought about it... but I'm a health professional who does this sort of thing to other people.. and I've done other things to myself (like draw my own blood, remove stitches, remove skin lesions, etc) in the past, so I know I can do it with appropriate sterile technique and no squeamishness. My doc is 3hrs away, so I will be tempted, mostly out of convenience, not to circumvent my docs plan or allow me to eat more (if anything, I'd want to go in the opposite direction). I don't think your average user, without knowledge of technique, should mess with this, so I'm glad most folks said 'no way!'

Well I got over my pizza craving the hard way! I am now on a full diet... so yesterday I decided to have 1 small slice of thin crust light cheese pizza... and it got stuck. If this hasn't happened to you yet count your blessings, as it's extremely uncomfortable. :grouphug: It'll be a while till I consider having pizza again! Except for the crustless kind, that is- it's an idea I got on this site. I take some pizza toppings, add some low fat mozzarella and sauce, and microwave. Today: B: 1 small yogurt and a small soy latte L: 1 cup broth-based soup Snack: 1 yogurt parfait (yogurt with berries and a little granola topping) D: (planned): 1 crustless pizza (1/2 cup total)

my favorite mushy meal was refried beans with a little sour cream and guacamole : )

Well, I decided on post-op day 1 that white wine is a clear liquid : ) and so had 1/2 glass each evening (2oz) which I personally think was good for my recovery.

I was told not to drive for 3 days.

A silly little NSV for me: I am now more willing to bake treats for my kids.... before I wouldn't bake cookies, etc because I didn't trust myself not to eat too many of them!! The band makes me less susceptible to undisciplined eating so I'm not worried about that and can be the sort of mom that bakes cookies or brownies for the kids. I can now also walk past the treats at work pretty effortlessly. Man, I love this!!

If you prepare in advance you will not need a caregiver. I would so much rather be alone than with someone whose company I don't enjoy when I'm not feeling 100%!! I agree with the prior posters you'll want to plan ahead to have your meds and the right stuff to drink, but if you do that you'll be fine on your own. I stayed at a friends home, but she was gone to work all day and it was great. Best wishes.