GraciesMom

Hi JustAskInThx, (and everyone else), This has been a topic that has been discussed in other posts here at LBT with much the same responses. $200-$300-up to $500 seems to be the acceptable amounts for the "extras" aka "program fees" , but in the thousands, that is definitely off the charts. There is no excuse for those types of costs, and to me they simply reflect a group of greedy doctors who are taking advantage of the obese and their great desire to lose weight. After all, if those costs were really necessary they would be covered in the insurance costs. It appears to me that those "mandatory" costs are all subjective, and come with a various list of pre and post surgery avantages, but none that seems to be worth 1/3 of the actual surgery costs (approx.). Personally, I am very leery of any surgery program with those outrageous add-on costs, as I know there are wonderful surgeons that have developed their own success based programs that involve all the pre surgical and follow-up post care you will need at the rates I listed above. My surgeons were suggested by my insurance company and are the required "Centers of Excellence". I would suggest that would be ones first prerequisite when searching out a surgeon, check with your insurance and see who they list on their websites as surgeons that they recommend for any bariatric surgery.

Hi Jamelyn, yes I can really feel my port, in fact, I can it easily when I stand, sort of feel it when sitting, and cannot hardly feel it when I am laying down. I am sooo disappointed with the rather large scar from the port as well. I know, with all things taken into consideration I should not be complaining, BUT, darn, I don't need another lump or bump, after all, isn't that the purpose of this surgery??? To get rid of all the lumps and bumps???:wink2:

My Dr. does as well twopoint0, that is why (on page 5 of this thread), you will see my response to craving a banana. An apple is like a huge slice of apple pie in my mind at this point. However, I have to say, the weight is coming off, and it is only for a short time in comparision to what it took to get me here. Thus, I move forward, still craving a banana or apple! I will have to try a Ovaltine shake, because I have to say Swiss Miss just does not cut it. Thanks. ~Cheryl

I am able to snack on string cheese and beef Jerky, but I craved something like peanuts for the crunch. I found a great alternive (for my taste anyway). I buy a pound of Roasted and Salted Soynuts:( serving 1/3 cup, fat 7g, Carbs 9g, Protein 11g, and just because I know someone will ask, it's 50mg of sodium.) I then dump them into a large zip bag and shake in about 2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash's, Fiesta Lime. I let that all sit overnight and then bag 1/3 cup servings into the snack size bags. They are then ready to grab when I want a snack. I have been a Hungrygirl subscriber for years, and have enjoyed her evolution from blogger to cookbook author. Her emails start my moring off every morning. Signup for her emails and great recipes and other important inf at HungryGirl.com

I came here to do a search on hiccups, as I knew there were zillions of posts on burping. I have to say there aren't many on just hiccuping, but that is what I do almost every meal, just as I start eating and then when I am almost done or done. I have to agree with Astramom about it being a signal of my quickly approaching full feeling, but why do I hicupp when I first start eating? And actually, they aren't quite a real hiccup, they are more of a backwards burp. I know it's a weird way to describe it, but that in fact is what it is ...more or less. I am almost two months out since my surgery, and have done this since my very first liquid meal just out of surgery. They are just a weird phenomenon that occurs I assume because of the surgery more often to be noticed/or as a signal as stated above.

Chris, what is at hand here is what ever anyone wants to talk about. If you read the posts here you will see conversations from nipple piercing to Sarah Palin (just some posts here on top tonight) Just people with questions, issues, problems, gripes or whatever. BTW, you sooo sound like a teacher!

:w00t::drool:

It was a spelling error that allowed 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day. The young man claimed to be an agent of al-Qaida, and attempted to blow the plane up. I'm just saying... IMHO, the worse is the "Texters", who continue their texting spelling here. U no wht I mean? (I'm not much of a "Texter" as you can see)

How are you all soooo lucky! My doc has me still on a rigid non-carb (my surgery was 11/24/09), strickly 4 oz.s (per meal) of protein diet. In fact in about 2 weeks, I can only add 1/2 cup veggies ( except corn, tators, and peas) No fruit, no cereal, no nothing! Just cheese, eggs, meats, and soy products. I eat soy nuts and beef jerky as treats. I totally blew three weeks of this diet trying some of the stuff I saw here, but lost only a wee bit of weight when I did that. Then I went to my required 6 week nutrional meeting last week and got back on track. I've lost 3 pounds this week, so I guess it does work, but DA-M, I want a banana!!!:thumbup:

I answered a post very much like this that was posted before my surgery with my conviction for pro-telling everyone. And I have to say I felt very alone with that response, in fact I think I said " I have told anyone who would listen". Yep, I too have told many, and have from the start. But my reasoning is for accountability purposes. It has served me well all my life, and have found that secrets are always found out anyway. I believe in this new tool that I now own so much that even those neighsayers of the surgery walk away sincerely wishing me the best. But now I have a real point to prove to them, and I am not going to let this new tool and it's usefulness not show it's purpose. It has only been a little over a month, but the weight is coming off, and it is noticable, and I am getting very positive feedback, which is awesome. Now, I just have to steady myself for all those "you are losing TOO MUCH weight" or "You are getting too skinny". I know those will be next as there seems to be two mind sets for those who are not in the WLS know, you are either to fail completely, or you lose way to much weight and get skinny. There is no healthy in-between.

Hi Susi, I was banded on the 24th, a day before you. Some Thanksgiving dinner we had, huh? I drank mine!:smile2: Anyway, I would suggest you call your doctor ASAP (Monday?) and tell them what is happening with this incision site. Did this just start? Wasn't the site where it is discharging pretty well healed over? I have seen my doctor twice already, and I am sure if there was anything wrong it would have been noticed if you have seen your doctor as well. I'm not sure about the tummy band, or even know about what type of hernia surgery that you had, because I had hiatal hernia repair done with my surgery which required no tummy band. I would think just keep the area clean, (including the band), careful with the warm compresses for to prolonged periods of time, and liberal use of neosporine is probably overkill as the discharge is from the inside coming out, but after cleaning the area a bit put on couldn't hurt. I think what you are experiencing can wait for the doctor until Monday if it is only a small amount of discharge, UNLESS, you start running a fever, cannot hold down Water or liquids, or you start having pain and red blood discharge. Let us know how you are doing. Cheryl

WHAT?????:mad2::smile2: I am sooo sorry about this for you, I can only imagine your frustration and great disappointment. Pardon me, but just what is a "liability co-payment? I have never heard of that. What I have heard of is a indiviuals surgeon charging various extra costs that have to be paid by the patient before surgery, but that extra money goes for various classes and shakes and Vitamins, and such. BTW, who is it that receives this co-pay, the insurance company or the surgeon? And why in sweet heavens name did they not tell you about this long before??? I don't understand, as I am sure you don't either?? This is just terrible, and again, I am sooo sorry.:tt1: