outside*looking*in

With the Holidays I am having a hard time with my husband and food. I will be getting a band in Jan/Feb. I am not on a pre-op diet yet. Here is my problem. My husband wants to have a blow out Christmas dinner with all of the fix'ns. The problem, it is just he and I and an 11 & 2 y/o. He wants to make enough food for an army. His excuse is that he wants to have a "Special" Christmas with just us as a family. I explained to him that while I don't mind that we fix a special dinner, I don't want our 11y/o thinking that this is what makes Christmas special, the food and shoving in as much as possible through out the day. I fix special foods, such as breakfast rolls, only on certain Holidays. The idea of fixing as many dished as possible is one that he grew up with. I grew up with similar but I came from a larger family and always had extra family over. Each year his family makes dinner, the first thing they say when they are done eating is, "well - we made too much againg this year and next year we will have to cut down a bit". They never do. Here is what he wants us to have for the four of us. Turkey, bread dressing, mashed potatoes, gravey, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoe casserole, mac-n-cheese, cranberry sauce, peacan pie, apple caramel crumble. Here is what I managed to talk him OUT OF, green marshmellow fruit thing, cranberry-orange nut thing, and ham. Maybe I should post this on rants and raves! How do you live with a food addict, before and after the band?

I have the MBT's that I paid over $300 for. My orthopedic doc recommended them when I told him how my feet hurt in reg shoes after short distance walking (and I am talking less than 2 blocks!). I do not wear them much during the summer but mostly in winter. I did not buy them to make my butt look better but my feet do not hurt like they used to while walking. I do feel a little unbalanced when standing still. I wish they had the cheaper version a few years ago!

Well - I may get pushed back to Feb 2010. My psyc appointment is 1/12 and then all of my ekg, x-ray, blood work to follow. Then I have to take all of that to my PCP for him to clear it. He is not to excited about it. I don't know if it can all get done before January.

I was really shocked by his response. He originally said it was a liability that he would have to to all sorts of test to clear me, totally get that, but then he mentioned how "those doctors have their little package deal yet include his services for free" so is it because he is not getting a take in the cash? He said "if they are going to be that way, see if I ever refer them!" I was just trying to be understanding and keep it nice (thank goodness I was not PMS/emotional). The last time I was in his office and told him my choice to have lap-band he gave me a 20 minute speach on "if you would just get up a 5am and go jogging":mad2: I will be changing PCP's when this is all over. I have only been going to him since May of this year (like 3 visits) since we just moved. I will not let him stop me....neither will my surgeon!

I am in Fl but just to throw it out so you can see an average, I was told that my doc visits will be $75 and if I need a fill it will be another $75 on top of the OV. So basically $150, but the first year of fills are included in my self-pay price of $17,500:crying::thumbup::thumbup:

4) For the record that unrelated to my band (or my diet- they believe it's hormone/vitamin supplement related), last Feb I was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in my right leg and pulmonary emboli in both lungs...(blood clots!) I was placed on Coumadin to thin my blood and ever since then it's just about impossible to lose. I also can't eat hardly ANY green vegetables. I am allowed to have a salad 3 times a week, and that is it. Green veggies counteract the meds (as crazy as it sounds) and for someone who previously LOVED her salads as a filling way to control her weight, this has been very frustrating. :smile2:Hi - First of all, keeping off weight for 6 years......AWESOME! Second, great job finding your way back to some support and motivation. As for your blod clots (very serious - I have been there) if you are having your PT/INR and you are not OVER doing your dark vegetables your doc should be able to keep your levels straight by adjusting your coumadin. Find a doc and go get checked out. He/She will be able to help you with your nutrition plan as fas as your coumadin goes. We are always looking for long timers on this board. Hope you stick around.:thumbup:

Hello fellow January Bandsters. I have my appoinment with PCP Thursday so he can clear me for sugery. Had my phone interview with the nurse last week (don't get this since I already spoke with the doctor during the consult). So, all that is left is for me to go in have my x-ray, ekg, pysc consult and nutrition class. I plan on doing all of those things when I return from my vacation on 1/5 and hope to schedule surgery for near end of January. Doc's office said that should be no problem. I am glad that I have the holidays to distract me. Otherwise, I think this would be like being pregnant and waiting for the last 6 weeks to pass until you can finally have the baby.

Wow! I FINALLY get to talk to someone from St. Augustine. Thanks so much for the reply. I will be getting band sometime in January by Dr. Kopmann. I have never had an opportunity to meet Dr. Marema. I am sure he is nice as I have heard nothing but nice things about him. I have been curious as well about what I should be eating and the changes I need to make before and after surgery. I am self-pay and as soon as I get the financing set up, I can start all of my appointments. I can't wait to follow your progress. Best of luck! And keep posting.

I was wondering the same thing....Not about what you can eat AFTER a fill but should you go in with an empty pouch or eat normal? Will it make a difference in the amount of restriction you think you feel? I have read that some people are told to drink a sip of water just after fill, will it make a difference if you go in with somthing already there?

Hi - I was wondering if the three of you could answer a question I have. (I have been looking around and you kinda spoke of my question - I am sorry if this is what they call thread stealing:blush:) I am going to be banded in Jan. Lately I have been wondering about some of the bad habits I have (as mentioned above) I tend to eat now when I am not hungry, push myself to stuffed when I am full, just eat for no reason...... I notice that I do it in waves and less often than more. I don't want to sabotage myself and the band. Do any of you know if the band will help in those areas? How do you stop yourself from doing these bad habits? Thanks for any reply. Also, I hope you are able to find a fill doc soon.

Goal......? I think I still have mental FAT block and I still can not imagine myself as a thinner person. I guess I want to just be able to do things without having to first stop and think if my weight is going to hinder me. I am looking forward to the little rewards of "hey - I can now do that with ease and before I would have not been able to or would have been afraid to try" :tongue2: Update. Spoke with self-pay staff from doctors office and they said that once I fill out the paper work and get approval, the ball could roll really fast and I could get surgery in December. I said I prefer to get it at the end of Jan to get past the holidays and a vacation we are taking after Christmas. So I am sticking with my January Buddies:smile2:

Right now, I am still holding my breath! I had my consult just over a week ago and now I am waiting for the follow up call from the doctors office. It was supposed to come last week but I guess with the holidays they are a bit backed up. I feel like I am eating anything that is not nailed down! I would love to know what "diet" plan I am to follow before my pre-op diet. I have to get an EKG, X-RAY and stamp of approval from my PCP for surgery. If the stars align, I will have my surgery in late January.

I asked this question to my surgeon during my consult last Friday. His response is that he prefers the REALIZE band for two main reasons. A) The port is larger/wider so it has a larger "target" area for fill injection :ohmy: The Band material itself is a softer more plyable material therefore it is less prone to erosion. He feels that the Realize band made improvments from the Lap-Band, although he did state that there is nothing bad about the Lap-Band. I remember during my seminar that he said their practice was involved in the FDA study for both Lap-Band and REALIZE band, and they prefer the REALIZE. He said a few others but I can't remember exactly what he said and I don't want to give bad info.

Holy Cow....12 MEETINGs with a nutritionist~~! That is crazy. Is that required by your ins? I guess a little part of me can understand a few meetings. I usually have motivation to do some sort of "diet" and since making this decision, I have NO MOTIVATION at ALL! Just curiuos, what type of nutrition plan do they have you following before you start a 2 week pre-op diet (if you are required to do that)? I feel like right now I am so confused by what is right and what is wrong... weight watchers vs. low carb, south beach vs. atkins, all of those diets have me confused about what I should be doing before hand to prepare for life after the band. Maybe I need 12 meetings with the nutritionist! Best of luck.

I guess you can see that it varies. The biggest factors will be insurance vs. self-pay, health condition (will have have to go through extra pre-op testing for various things) and how soon you can get in for all of your appointments. I had a consult 11/20/2009, I am self-pay and I have to do minimal testing (Psych, ekg, chest xray and note from PCP). I asked the surgeon if he thought January would be an okay time to do it and he said that would be more than fine.

Wow - thanks for sharing. You hit the nail on the head about "dieting is like holding your breath". I have never heard it put that way before but that is EXACTLY what it is like for me. Thanks for that.:biggrin:

Okay - so, I went to my consult. It went very well! Doctor was very nice. The only pre-op testing I have to do is get a pysc evaluation, cleared from my primary doc, EKG and chest x-ray. I am hoping to get my PCP to figure a way to get my ekg and x-ray covered by ins. I asked the doc if he thought January would be good or if it was too soon and he said Jan should be fine!:thumbup: I also asked him about getting the BLIScare ins since I am self pay. He actually said that he does not really recommend it for band pts, more for bypass pts. But, he also suggested I speak with their ins/self-pay people. I am expecting a call from them this week.

Just made the appointment for my consultation. It is this Friday. Whoohooooo! Finally the ball is rolling, may be slow, but at least it is rolling. Are there any questions you had wished you had asked during consult but didn't? I want to ask anything I can (especially since I am forking out $295 for the consult):w00t:

Wow Hummingbird - that was FAST!!!! I was thinking I was trying to get it too quick in Jan. I guess it all depends on how busy your doctor is. I know when I called about setting up an appointment for consultation I could have got in that week so it may move quicker than I expect. I have to get my husband to take time off work just so I can go to appointments (we just moved here and have no one we know well enough yet). I really do want to wait until after the holidays though. I don't want my family to put up with me and my "bandster hell" during the holidays. A couple of months is fine for me.:biggrin:

I am wondering how much time it has taken for you all to get a surgery date from the time of your first consultation (not seminar) as a self-pay?? I am trying to get in for a consultation this week or next and I am hoping to have this done by mid-Jan:thumbup: Wondering how long the process if testing and what not will take.

I will be self-pay as well. I have similar questions and would love to hear from others. In my area I have found that the cost is just over $17,000. This will include fixing any problems with the band or surgical site for 1 year after surgery and the first year of fills. At the seminar the doctor mentioned something about "special ins" for future surgeries if needed. I have not had the consult so have not been able to ask more about this. I think that is one of my biggest fears, having to pay for future problems. It does feel bad asking my husband to pay so much, but, I look at it this way. I will be a healthier wife and mom and I have rarely ask for anything around here. So, I can drive my mini-van for 5 more years instead of getting a new car (mini-van is paid for and works fine) and instead, get a new me!

I have the same thoughts. I am very pre-op. Have not even had my consult yet. But, when I was talking about doing the surgery with my husband (who is also over weight) as a thought on why I maybe should not get the surgery he said, "won't you miss, like, not being able to gulp down a big glass of water or something?" I said, I think I am willing to give up gulping if it means I will be leaner and healthier. We are an overweight family. I don't know how "thin" people think about food. I notice my 11y/o scarffing down food and it worries me. I wonder if I will learn to let go of old "fat" ways of thinking and eating and be able to learn and teach my family the new "thin" way of thinking and eating.

Okay - so I have been tossing around the idea of the band for months now. Doing my research, going to seminars and such. Today I had an appointment with my Family doc and wanted his opinion on the lap-band. He gave me a few sentences about it is a fine process for those who have really tried all other methods (which I have) then asked me if I exercise. I admitted that exercise is my downfall and I have difficulty finding an exercise I can stick due to feet problems and can't do the water exercise since I get horrible nausea after being in for 1 min. Anyhow, I know there are things I could do and HAVE in the past. I have kept 40lbs off from prebvios efforts. Long story short he begins to tell me how HE is up at the crack of dawn to exercise and if I would just add exercise to my diet I will lose the weight. So I know I need to exercise. But has he ever tried to exercise with an extra 150lbs pressing on his ankles and knees! Believe me......I would LOVE to exercise. I hope one day I can do those challenges I read about on here but now I get tired cleaning my stinking house and chasing the 2y/o. So am I not getting it or does my doctor not get it? I left the office not really clear on his opinions toward the surgery. :sad: