susan1961

I say shop around. I'll bet you can find someone who will accept that amount for payment in full for the surgery, hospital stay (esp if done in surgicenter), and first few fills. Or ask your insurance if they will reimburse claim if you get it done in Mexico. Don't give up!

breakfast: short soy latte and small yogurt lunch: crustless pizza (home made- small slices of pepperoni and italian sausage with low fat mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce- got idea from this site and YUM!) snack: hummus dinner: wheatberry salad with veggies, feta, and vinaigrette snack: sugar free popsicle

It is very often a day-surgery procedure. When I had my gall bladder removed almost a decade ago, which is a bigger surgery, I went home a few hours later. I was surprised my doc wanted to keep me overnight for this. I really would have been fine going home a few hours later, as long as I had some pain pills. I am sure you can find a doc who keeps patients....if you're self pay costs will be higher. Since I was self-pay I don't know if insurance balks at paying for overnight stay. Good luck.

It sounds like you're doing all the right reading and research, and none of the questions are stupid! After my reading I too had come to conclusion that sleeve might be better option, but my surgeon (very highly recommended from a friend who is also a surgeon, he has great credentials, and I liked him so I was going to stick with him) said he wouldn't consider it for me because my BMI was only 32 and it isn't reversible. I think immediate complications are higher with the sleeve because of potential for leakage, but long term complications are lower. Definitely talk about it with whatever surgeon you consult. In terms of how it's going: post-op recovery has been uneventful and I've lost 16lbs so far. I was back in work by day 5 and could have gone back sooner if it wasn't holidays. I was out riding my bike (a road bike for 20+ miles, not a puttering bike) by day 9. I felt 100%, except for some mild port discomfort, by day 10. My goal is 20 lbs by my doctor visit, which is 5 weeks post-op and I'm sure I'll get there. I'm thrilled I did this and wish I'd done it sooner. Again, best wishes. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

Hi there! I had my surgery December 17 with Dr. Higa, at Fresno Heart. Wonderful experience, and I'm doing great. I'm in Sacramento area, and I'm happy to provide any help and support I can through this site- though it's too far apart for in person meetings. Best wishes to you. You're in good hands. I have been very impressed with him, his office staff, and the hospital.

Best of luck. I recently had a band placed, and I was self-pay. My total cost was $19K, but that included an overnight hospital stay and my pre-op psych eval and pre- and post-op nutritional counseling. I have heard of folks getting the surgery for as little as $10K. The prior poster is right about the post-op care. While many folks on this site have had success having surgery in Mexico, knowing all the post-op care that is needed I would not be inclined to get in that far from home (though I'd consider doing that for a sleeve, which doesn't need all the adjusting, etc). The whole process can take as little a a month. Mine took a few only because it was hard to fit the surgery into my schedule. I'm less than a month out but am thrilled that I did it. Best wishes on your journey.

Congratulations on your second surgery going smoothly and your weight loss to date. Please try to get a handle on the overeating so you can work with your band to reach your goals. Try and listen to what your body and your band are telling you! You've gone through so much to get on track and lose weight, so stay positive, try and address the emotional issues that may be driving your overeating, and keep focused on your goals. I wish you luck.

My doc was fine with salad beginning week 3, but discouraged iceberg lettuce. Yesterday: B: 1/2 c outmeal with brown sugar : ) and 1 short soy latte L: 1 cup butternut squash sausage Soup (variation on the pumpkin sausage soup on the 5 day pouch test site) S: 1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce S: 1/2 cup yogurt S: 1/4 cup trail mix D: turkey meatloaf with mixed veggies 1/2 cookie : )

How gratifying to see that most of you support WLS for the less obese patient! I am case in point: 47 years old, BMI was 32 when I was accepted for surgery... 33 by the time I actually had it. Why have surgery at a 'low' BMI? The issues are exactly the same as for someone more obese: you can't lose or keep off the weight, and over time it has health and yes, quality of life consequences. 10 years ago it was 20 extra lbs, now it's 50. Anyone can see the writing on the wall! Did I want to wait until it's 75lbs or 100 lbs and my comorbidities and surgical risks were higher? Heck no! I am a medical professional and researched this extensively. Just like we now recognize pre-hypertension and earlier stages of kidney disease as times for intervention, and treat osteoporosis before the fractures occur, we need to acknowledge and respond to the health consequences of excess weight before it gets extreme. Before the joints wear out, etc. It's an ounce of prevention. I think 10 years from now the thresholds will be moved lower, to BMI 30-35 with comorbidity, or over 35 without based on emerging evidence of efficacy in these ranges. I am grateful my doctor agreed with me, and frankly considered the money I laid out for the surgery very well spent. I probably spent just as much over the preceding decade on weight watchers, diet doctor, special foods, personal trainer, diet books, and you name it- and this is what will work.

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones... only one day of clear liquids pre-op, and on solid food in week 3, but find myself preferring soups and yogurt still. My doc puts a fill in the band when he puts it in, so I don't think I've had quite the hell everyone describes. Stupidly, I don't know my band's capacity or how much he started with... will ask when I go see him in 3 more weeks. Congrats to all on your progress to date! What fun we will all have as we learn to live with our bands and watch the pounds peel off!

Generally $30-70 per hour... the lower end is if you buy a package of sessions through a gym. Private PT will cost you more, especially if you're wanting someone to come to your home.

I get the turkey meatloaf lean cuisine knockoff from my local safeway, and just eat the meatloaf and the veggies, and toss the mashed potatoes. The portion is perfect and I've had no trouble eating it (I'm 2.5 weeks out). I've never done well with meal planning, advance preparation, etc so grab and go from the freezer is just the ticket for me. Thanks to those who've shared ideas!

I suspect your pain is where your thighs rested on the stirrups. Yes, stirrups!! The surgery is usually done in a 'modified lithotomy position'... which means your legs are up in stirrups... with the surgeon operating from between your legs. I was happy not to have formed this mental picture before my surgery! Thank goodness for the drapes. Quote from description of surgery, with translations in parentheses from me: "The patient lies supine (on back), thighs fully abducted (apart) and slightly bent. The operating table has a 30º reversed Trendelenburg (head down) tilt. The surgeon stands between the patient's legs, the first assistant on the patient's left side and the second assistant on the right." LAP-BAND: Surgery Technique

The things I've found most satisfying are refried beans with a little bit of melted cheese topped with salsa guacamole and non-fat SC (1/4 cup of the beans and 1/4 total of all the toppings, combined) and chopped up hard-boiled eggs with a little mayo- both of these were on my doctors mushies list, and they took care of my hunger better than anything else. Tuna salad would probably also be OK so long as it is pureed smooth. The protein is what'll do it. Best wishes- I know you'll come out the other side.

Redmom, hope you're feeling better. I had something similar happen when I was on mushies... I guess I challenged the system a little too much by eating mushy spicy food (garlic eggplant). Felt fine while eating, but starting about an hour later felt like food was stuck and bubble in chest.... I ended up increasing my pepcid dose for a few days and going back to liquids and all was good and needless to say a lesson was learned about keeping my foods more bland. In terms of the fatigue I would be sure to hydrate aggressively and get some extra rest.

Hi to all. I was banded less than 2 weeks ago. I have my doctors OK to return to doing cardio. Before surgery I was a pretty avid bicyclist, riding 20-40 miles at a time at a good clip (16-18mph on my own, 18-20 in a pack). I went out for rides a few times this week and find that my speed has dropped off...and the hills are particularly difficult. I am wondering whether this post-op diet of 500 or so calories per day is simply incompatible with prolonged, moderately intense cardiovascular activity. I don't want my fitness level to go down!! Does anyone have any experience with doing significant cardio in the post-op period? What adjustments did you have to make, if any? How did you fuel yourself adequately given dietary restrictions? I know I have an extra 60lbs of fat calories hanging around my body that could be fuel, but can that sustain activity more intense than walking? Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanks!

I was banded on the 17th. Xmas day, so post-op Day 9, was the first day I felt 100%... and on Day 10 I very comfortably rode 15 miles on my bike. I was told to remove my gauze dressings when I showered and not to put them on. The Steri-strips were removed in the doctors office on my first post-op visit about Day 6, except for one site where they left them on and I'll either take them off myself or wait for them to fall off. Congrats on weight loss so far and best wishes on your continued success!!

I am going to ride a Century ride (100miles) on my bike.... I was a cyclist before the band, but my longest ride to date is 60 miles... I'm great on the flats but the weight made the hills hell. I am looking forward to nailing those hills! I'm also going to go on a big scuba diving trip; I used to dive a lot, but have limited myself in recent years, largely because of weight/appearance (a wet suit?). I'll fit my old wet suit in another 20lbs.

My doc told me that about 50% of patients have a hiatal hernia detected at the time of banding that needs to be repaired (done at same surgery, before the band is put on). If it's not fixed, reflux will be worsened.

I do pilates, which has some similarities (lots of core work). My physician told me I could walk and bike immediately, but no pilates or weight lifting for a month.

It sounds like there is tremendous variability in the cost of the post-op care. I have heard of some including a year of f/u and fills, and others charging you from the get-go. While quality should be your #1 driver, not cost, there appear to be plenty of competent surgeons out there, so if your insurance allows you to pick your provider I would do some shopping around and find someone who is willing to give you a year of office-based office care for their global fee. Obviously, even with careful planning, you can't control all the variables with the band. There's no guarantee against a flipped port, needing flouro for your fills, having a leak in teh tubing, etc. If you really are looking for predictable costs I'd research the sleeve (vertical sleeve gastrectomy). I seriously considered this option, but in the end it wasn't an option my surgeon thought was right for me (since my pre-op BMI was only 32). The sleeve does not require as much aftercare as the band. On the other hand, it's not reversible. Best wishes.

Any yogurt marked 'light' is generally sugar free, even though they don't say 'sugar free'.... the activia light I buy contrains sucralose, one of those low cal sweeteners. I was banded December 17. I had a similar feeling. Since it would improve after burping I believe it is due to distension of the sac, which can occur from air as well as from fluids/solids; the process of eating liquids often results in significant ingestion of air. I think that's pretty much if for full liquids. Good Soups were the mainstay for me. I have now been advanced to soft foods and there are certainly more options (thank goodness).

I had my first post-op today.... down 10lbs. Got advanced to soft foods- and drove through McD's on my 3 hour drive home (just like old times) and had one of their little parfaits (which is not like old times!) and it was perfect. Still not hungry, at all, which I'm enjoying for now! I am also enjoying rediscovering soup, which i have bypassed in recent years in favor of more substantial fare. Bought a camera today and (belatedly) took my before photos. Only 20lbs to go to reach my first substantial goal- that will be meeting BMI criteria for 'overweight' rather than obese.... can't wait to see the word 'obese' disappear from my medical chart! Congrats to all who have made it through their surgery and first week(s)!