Nchaka

Congrats! Sounds like the sleeve has done great for you.

Ask your Doctor about the "rose Procedure". It is used to shrink the pouch back to the size it was after surgery. I dont know if it would work in all bypass surgeries but its something to look into. Here is a link to some info and video. ROSE Procedure at Los Angeles Weight Loss Centers Also do a search on www.obesityhelp.com for rose procedure, there may be people who have had it done.

I have an appt. with a Doctor from weightloss centers in southern Ca area. The surgery is in Beverly Hills, but everything else will be closer to my home. Has anyone used this Center?

Hi how did your surgery Go? How was your surgery day?

Hi, If I may ask, what insurance do you have? I'd like to get the sleeve but my insurance(Cigna) doesn't cover it yet. So I'm leaning towards the band. But I'm not sure how the fill appts will fit into my work schedule. Also, look on this board for the sleeve forum. There is good info on them. "wasabubblebut" and "elisabethsew" have alot of good info on the sleeve. Good Luck

the article looks like it written by someone who promotes the "Kimkins Diet". Of course they are going to say bad things about wls, they want your business. Also it appears that they have a lawsuit against them.(i didn't read it)

Have you heard of the Rose procedure? It is a surgery that restores your stomach pouch to the size it was after gastric bypass surgery. Here is a link ROSE Procedure at Los Angeles Weight Loss Centers This center is in Los Angeles. They may also have better after care. Good luck

Look up Wasabubblebutt, she has a lot of good info on getting the sleeve after band removal.

i don't have Aetna but do you have a dated pictures for 2007? You can include those with a letter stating your weight. Did you get physical for work? That may help also.

Congrats! I just started with weightloss centers(800 get slim) and have to do my 6 month supervised diet. I hope everything works out for you.

I agree find a new doc. I'm 405 lbs and my doc says the band is perfect for me. Check out the Doctor forum or do a search for for Dr and San Francisco. I believe there are a few people who have used Dr's in SF and liked them. Good luck

Where can you find the checklist on Cignas website? thanks

In the book "Expert guide to wls" Dr Davis suggests starting with 10 Min's of exercise 3-4 days a week. Then increase a little every day till you can do 30 Min's a day. It can be walking, Wii fit or something else you might like. Good luck.

Congratulations on your weight loss!

Yea I have started the journey skinnydom! I went to a seminar/ personal consult with Dr. Salimitari of weightloss centers. I felt he was very nice, informative and answered my questions well. I have to do a 6 month diet for insurance reasons and the dr wants me to lose 50 lbs before surgery for health reasons. I guess to make sure my liver has less fat around it. My BMI is 58. Barring any insurance problems, I'll probably have my band placed in Oct! He uses the Lap Band AP system 10 or 14 cc's. And another wonderful suprise, I was told after I reach goal My insurance will pay to remove my extra skin!! I figured I'd have to pay for it or deal with it. But this is great news.:thumbup: I read the book "The experts Guide to weightloss" by Garth Davis I recommend it to anyone starting out. Also read this board!! Lap Band talk has help keep me informed of all aspects of being banded. Thanks to everyone for your posts! They have helped me alot.

I'm not banded yet but here goes: 1) Go back to Tahiti and retake my honeymoon pictures. 2) Be able to buy the clothes I like and have them fit! 3) Be able to tie my shoes without feeling like I'm going to black out. Sue- MILF means Mothers I'd Like to (F) have sex with (trying not to too crude)

Love this thread!!! I'm not banded yet, but I tried to explain these to my wife and she just gave me a funny look. Especially about the tongs!

Hi I need help. I'm trying to find a Dr in So. Cal that is a perferred Dr with Cigna. I'm trying to keep my out of pocket costs low if possible. I call Cigna and they don't have Dr's separated by specialty. They are listed under surgeons. So i have to ask for each Dr. by name. This is time consuming and I haven't found one yet. I've seen afew I'm interested in talking to, but they aren't in the Cigna system. I appreciate any help you can give me.

Congrats! I'm still looking at dr's for lap band. I have 2 appts/seminars in the next 10 days. If they recommend a bypass I'll direct them to your post! Large weightloss can be done with the band- you just have work at it. Something I've from this site is the band is a tool, it'll only work if you use it right.

Thanks for the info. I'll look for your experiences'

Hi Elisabethsew If you don't mind me asking Who was your Dr in Mexico and how was the experience? I am leaning toward the Sleeve but insurance won't pay for it.

Thanks. after 4 days I contacted them and set a dr appt. Which they moved to two weeks away. I'll check out liv-lite

Bullit is a blender you can get at target, walmart etc. I have one and it works great. You can make shakes, etc in a cup that you can drink/eat out of. It costs about $40. Hopefully this is what you've heard people talking about.

I'm considering getting a lap band, my appt with the Doctor is 4/09. I'm at 57 bmi and only have heard of the sleeve on this board. I checked it out on the web and I've found that for my bmi level the sleeve is only a first step and I'd probably have to do a 2nd step to finish my weightloss. (for lower bmi it is good for an only step) Have you heard anything about this? I'd appreciate any info. Thanks I got this from www.obesityhelp.com

Hi Froggin' at the top left of your page click on "user cp" then on left side click on "edit details" and you should be able to fix you age there. I hope that helps.