kagead

I think every insurance company and every surgeon is different, but both my Dr. and my insurance co REQUIRE the psych eval. While it isn't as cut and dried as a yes or no in my program, the psych needs to tell the surgeon whether or not he feels I am a good candidate and whether or not I have realistic expectations of what I'll need to do to be successful. He needed to hear that I truly understand how the band works and what my own roadblocks have been in past attempts at weightloss. As I stated a few posts down, my ins. only covers 50% of psych services so my out of pocket was about $125. Best of luck as you work through this crazy process! :biggrin: kagead

I am 230 lbs, size 16/18 in pants. I just flew on Southwest last month and while I fit in the seat, there wasn't much room left over. I am not entirely sure the armrest was sitting flat, but the guy next to me who hogged it the whole time didn't seem to mind. I didn't need a seatbelt extender, but it was a close call. kagead

I'm not banded yet, but at my seminar, the surgeon said the port placement can vary according to how you are "arranged" inside, so to speak. Things like muscle thickness, organ placement, scar tissue from previous procedures (if any) and the like seem to affect this decision. He said that there are two preferred locations and they base the decision at the time of surgery on which site will allow them the best opportunity for a secure placement that will not interfere with daily activity. I am sure someone who has been banded already will be able to chime in with more useful info! kagead

Similar to mimi368. I have suffered from terrible heartburn for years (even bananas can give me problems!) I mentioned it to the nurse practitioner during my very first meeting and she ordered an Upper GI on the spot. HH was found and measured then and will be repaired at the same time I'm banded. Hoping for the day that I can safely leave the house without a thing of Tums in my purse! :thumbdown: kagead

My psych consult seems to have been very different than what many here experienced. I met with the Dr. for about an hour and we talked that entire time. He asked general questions about my childhood, family relationships and social activities. He asked how I reached the decision to have surgery. He wanted to know if I had told anyone about my plans for surgery and if so, what the reactions had been. He asked if I felt I had the support network in place that I said I needed (I do.) Then he asked me what my personal challenges were related to food and dieting. He asked me to tell him what I knew about the procedure (and was surprised I knew as much about the technical aspects as I did about the emotional ones pre and post op.) We came up with a couple "immediate action" steps I could take to curb some of the worst habits (skipping meals, eating too fast when I actually do eat) and some longer term goals. After we met, he did hand me a 20 question form, and I filled it out before I left the office. It asked somewhat general questions (IMHO) about my mood, confidence, activity level and the like. As an aside, my insurance, which is covering the procedure, only covers 50% of mental health services, even when in-network. I am self employed on a individual plan with BCBSIL. Hope this info helps someone out there! kagead

This is a good thread. Thanks for the info. I haven't been banded yet but I don't eat fast food and I don't eat beef or pork but I am on the road for work at least 1 week per month! If you have a Jimmy John's near you, you can do an "unwich" which is any of their sandwiches wrapped in lettuce rather than bread. I know some people have trouble with lettuce but it might be worth a try for others. The pintos and cheese might be a good solution for me when I can't stop to eat a salad. I have only been to Taco Bell once in my life and ended up with a meatless taco. That might be another option. kagead

I'm a teller. Personally, I just know I'll do better with a good support network around me. My mom had Lap-Band 2 1/2 years ago, so the family was no problem. None of my friends are overweight but they all know the struggles I have gone through. I have been friends with some of these people since I was in grammar school, so they know me VERY well. Even the few that don't really understand why I need to do something this "drastic" have been nothing but supportive. I am self employed so the boss/coworker thing isn't part of my equation, but the companies I represent and my clients do not know. I have a few colleagues that I travel (and dine) with frequently and some of them do know. I say, whatever works for you is what is best! kagead

Don't quote me on this, but I think for 229 lbs, you should be somewhere around 25 points per day. Keep in mind that a point is roughly 50 calories (not taking into account Fiber, etc.) so that would put you at about 1,250 calories per day. I don't know when the next point drop would be... FWIW- you can do WW online for about $16/month. It might be worth it for a few months so you can get used to tracking and have access to the points info and you won't have to deal with the backlash at the meetings. Good luck! kagead

I am sorry you are having trouble. I haven't been banded yet but I have noticed that threads with descriptive titles seem to get more responses. Things like "help" "why" "how much" and the like don't get as much attention as "no longer losing weight- help me assess my eating plan." Maybe change your title and post again? I also notice some people post their questions in more than one forum. Good luck to you and I hope you get some answers. I'll probably be looking for them myself when I get banded. kagead

I am not a fan of exercise but I do it (probably not as often as I should, and usually very grudgingly :thumbup:) I hope my attitude toward it changes for the better once I am banded and see some results!! That said, my mom had Lap-Band® surgery 2 1/2 years ago and lost 130 lbs. in a little over a year and never did one single minute of exercise. She was vigilant about what she ate and was lucky to find restriction after 2 fills. She had a TT and BR in April of '09 (lost another 8 lbs. right there) and has been maintaining within a few pounds with no problem, and no exercise at all. If I have learned one thing from this forum, it is that each of us is so very different and what works for one, most definitely will not work for all, but the idea exchange sure is interesting! kagead

I know this doesn't apply to most, but it may help somebody else down the road: I am self employed and have an individual policy with BCBSIL. (Lap-band is covered!) My office copay is $30, my annual deductible is $250, they pay 50% for psych services and I have a 20% coinsurance payment on most procedures. IIRC, I have a $3000 max out of pocket. I am going through Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and there is no "program" fee. I started this process in November, and so far, I have spent about $750 out of pocket for the psych eval, upper GI, EEG, 1 nut meeting, 1 nut class, and meeting with program director. (The one on one meeting with the nutritionist and the 3 nutrition classes are not covered at all.) Now that it is a new year, I'll have to meet my deductible and still have 2 nut classes, all my blood tests, my annual exam with my PCP and the surgery itself, of course. I am hoping to do it outpatient (I live about 10 minutes from the hospital) to avoid the cost of an overnight stay. I'm guessing my total OOP will end up somewhere between $3 and $5,000. kagead

Hi there, I have a very physical component to my job (setting up and working trade shows= hundreds of pounds of catalog boxes, display materials and the like.) My sample case alone is about 55 lbs. My Dr. said nothing over 10lbs. for 4 weeks, so I'll have to wait until I'm done with trade show season for surgery. You might want to ask about specific post-op lifting instructions. kagead

I'm blogging, too! Details are in my sig. kagead

Very cool- a bunch of new blogs to follow! I'm blogging too, it's in my sig. kagead

You don't mention why you aren't working so I don't want to make an incorrect assumption- but if you are able to work at least part time, why not apply to a Whole Foods or a healthy grocery store in your area? That might help you accomplish two goals! You'll be surrounded by healthy foods and you'll be working so you can afford to purchase the foods you need to help you on this road. kagead

I haven't been banded yet but I have started watching what I eat and have increased my exercise so I am starting to get comments. My new response, which I imagine I'll keep up post-op is, "This time I'm not focusing on the number on the scale- it has been my downfall in the past so I really have no idea." Once the number becomes significant (hopefully!!), I may have to adjust, but I hope this approach will work for quite some time. kagead

Oh no! I'm going to feel even SHORTER than I already do?!?! I'm only 5' 3" to begin with! :biggrin: kagead

My mom lost over 100 lbs. with the help of a lap band 2 years ago and had a breast reduction and tummy tuck earlier this year. Both surgeries were done at the same time and the Dr. she used works frequently with her bariatric surgical team. The recovery was more difficult than she anticipated (dealing with drains and fairly large incisions) but she is so glad she did both at once. Insurance covered the breast reduction (she went from a DD to a C) but the tummy tuck was out of pocket. The nice thing was that the OR, supplies, anesthesiologist and other things were covered as they were billed as part of the breast reduction, so she only had the surgeons fees for the TT. FWIW- she looks, and feels fantastic. kagead

Bra arrived yesterday (despite being out for delivery on Wednesday...) Strapped it on today and did day 1, week 1 of Couch to 5k. While I definitely wasn't running at top speed, I was very well contained. As others have said, it ain't pretty and all those hooks can give you fits if you have any issues with your hands, but once you are in it, you are IN it. There is no bouncing AT ALL. If it doesn't fall apart in a few months, I'll consider it well worth the $$$. kagead

FWIW- I did not have to undergo anesthesia for my upper GI. I know they sometimes give a local for an Upper GI Endoscopy, but I just had a regular GI where I drank the stuff, rolled around on the table and tried not to burp. All done in 15 minutes and allowed to return to normal activity immediately after. Drove myself to and from the procedure. kagead

I have had terrible heartburn for years and years and have never taken anything other than Tums to treat it. Honestly, I get heartburn from things like bagels, bananas, pretzels and other seemingly harmless stuff, and I eat Tums like they're candy. I had an upper GI two weeks ago. They found a hiatal hernia (no surprise) but no other damage. The NP said unless it is very large, they generally repair hiatal hernias when they put in the band. Even if they are large, that doesn't preclude you from surgery, but it might require a separate procedure to address it. Good luck to you! kagead

Not a vegetarian, but I haven't had pork, beef or lamb in 23 years. I do eat chicken and turkey occasionally but I eat a ton of fish and seafood so that helps with the Protein. I'm not banded yet, but I make good use of Morningstar farm products- "burgers", crumbles, and Breakfast items. Hoping I can continue to eat these at some point post op. There is a local vegan manufacturer here in Chicago that makes a seitan crumble that tastes just like Italian Sausage. I have been putting that into Pasta sauce and eating it over spaghetti squash. I also threw it into a bean soup I made the other day- very tasty! I love all kinds of Asian food, so I keep the veggie potstickers and frozen Asian Vegetable Mix from Trader Joe's on hand at pretty much all times. They also carry marinated extra firm tofu in a bunch of flavors. They are great for stir frys and salads. Another favorite is Trader Joe's breaded eggplant cutlets. Baked, not fried and fantastic for making a quick psuedo-eggplant parmesean. I do get most of my protien from Beans. Never been a big fan of eggs although I have found myself forcing them down more than in the past. I've been making some scrambles with egg beaters, spinach, a little cheese and tons of hot sauce and that has proven to be a filling breakfast option. Good luck to you! kagead

I had to do an Upper GI to confirm a suspected hiatal hernia, a psych evaluation and a slew of bloodwork. kagead

I'm in the city and will be banded at Northwestern. I'm a bit older than you, but I'm with BCBSIL, too. Other stats are in my sig. Good luck to you! kagead

I've seen multiple guidelines given and have been advised by my surgeons office, but I was wondering what your real-world experience has been. I am having a very hard time figuring out how much time I'll REALLY need off from work. I have a slightly unusual situation: I am self employed and work from a home office, but I have a fairly physical component to my job. I do many tradeshows throughout the year and carry a heavy sample case (about 60lbs.) to client appointments in their offices. For the shows, I pack and unpack my car with the display itself, materials for the display, catalogs (10-15 cases, usually about 40lbs each) and samples, and carry all this in and out of the tradeshow location 2x per day (set up and breakdown) for 5 days running. I also drive in between cities (2-4 hrs per day) and start all over again. For regular client visits, I just have my sample case and individual sample bags I make for my clients (3-4 lbs each.) My case is on wheels, but I do have to lift it in and out of my car. The bags go into a wheeled cart but again, need to be loaded in and out of the car. I am thinking I'll take a week off from everything, then hoping to do "office" type work the 2nd week (booking appointments, quote and project followup, email blasts and the like- all phone and computer work.) Do you think I'll be able to do client visits on week 3? Will I be able to do a tradeshow by week 6? While I'll be eligible for surgery in March, I know I'll have to put it off until May when I am pretty much done with the spring shows. I just need to make sure I'll be ready for a show in mid- July if my surgery doesn't end up happening until mid or late May. (FWIW, I do all this stuff now with all the extra weight I am carrying, so I am fairly strong. Hoping this helps my recovery and the whole tradeshow process becomes easier when I'm not schlepping my own weight in addition to the other stuff! :smile2:) Thanks for any advice you can offer! kagead