BetsyB

Yes, but mine was only $300. $3,000 seems awfully high! Do you have a flexible spending account? It may be reimbursable through that. Most program fees are not, from what I understand, reimbursable through most health insurance plans.

Anne, I'm so glad your cancer treatment is just about wrapped up---and that you are here & healthy and looking forward to another form of self-care. It's interesting that you describe yourself as a caretaker. I wonder if you're like me. I, too, am a caretaker par excellence...except when it comes to myself. Learning how to do care for myself in the same loving way I do with others has been ...well, difficult. But also very rewarding. My dog and cats are often my favorite members of my support system, too. They think I'm waaaay smarter than I am, and they listen to me far better than the humans in my life most of the time! Karen, I agree--Chicago is gorgeous, architecturally. I'm in the suburbs now, in a cookie cutter subdivision (that is magically built around a few acres of what little wetland prairie remains in Illinois)----but do plan to live downtown again when I have no kids at home. I want a huge loft with lots of wide open spaces. When I have grandkids, they can zoom around on Big Wheels and rollerskates :scared2: It's astoundingly beautiful here today---I think Truman and I are going to head out for another walk. It'd be criminal not to soak up the sunshine!

It's hard to address the weight question without knowing what you're eating (and how much). In general, the rate of loss of someone without a great deal to lose will be slower than the rate of those with more to lose. At a month out, you should be planning on seeing your doctor at frequent intervals for the next year or so---every six weeks is pretty typical. You'll be assessed, your progress measured, and your band adjusted. (There's not much point in having a band if you don't use it!) Your pain should be discussed with him/her. If you don't have an appointment, make one. Off the top of my head, though, I wonder whether it's port-related. My port site still gets quite sore--and the pain can be persistent. The one thing I CAN tell you with great certainty: avoiding the doctor will NOT help you avoid necessary treatment. It can, however, severely compound a problem that might begin as something very easily treated. Make that appointment today.

Sorry, Jacqui--that was a tad clinical, wasn't it. Didn't mean to trigger your gag reflex! But then, it's not exactly creme anglaise we're discussing LOL

Please go ahead and start taking the meds. If you have low thyroid levels, it won't produce the scary side effects you've read about; it will normalize your levels (and also make it easier to lose weight). Also, I think you can relax regarding approval; it won't be hindered by this diagnosis. Hypothyroidism is very, very prevalent, and along with your other comorbidities will help build a good case in favor of surgery.

I returned, very part-time, right away--the day after surgery. But I have a very flexible job that can be done from home. If I had a more traditional job, I really would have liked 10 days or so.

I completely understand what you do & why--because I've been there, too. Not since banding, but still... I wonder: instead of telling yourself you deserve the food indulgences, would it help to reframe it by telling yourself you deserve to take good care of yourself in other ways? I know this sounds really elementary, but for me, there really has been, in the past, sort of a sense that I'm not worth the effort and success. I'd achieve a certain level of success, then convince myself that I deserved to deviate---when, in fact, I really was self-sabotaging because I just didn't feel worth it. I don't know if this applies to you at all--just a thought.

Liz, good to see you! I didn't know you were from this area! Who's your doctor? I grew up on the North Shore (now I'm further south). Sybaris is awesome. Getting a weekend away sounds like a wonderful idea! Yes, it IS possible to lose inches and not lose weight. The body does a lot of redistribution. Also, remember that workouts usually result in a bit of fluid retention. They say the scale doesn't lie--but sometimes it really does.

This is where having an dog with bad table manners comes in handy. Mine sits and drools and stares at me. When I reach the full point, I just say, "Oh, ALL RIGHT!" and give the leftovers to him.

Anne, I'm glad you're joining us :wub: Bob, you can blame your pseudo-gain on estrogen, if you want. You're losing weight, so you've got more of it than normal in your bloodstream. I am sure that just makes your day. (Lucky for you: the damn hormone will GO AWAY instead of make you a raging ball of...well, you can fill in the blank.) Leigha, I find myself doing the same thing. I'm having a party on Saturday, and am already planning how I will get my evening walk in! (I love entertaining...I will muddle through this dilemma somehow.)

Insurance companies are well aware of the customary and reasonable costs of each procedure they cover. If they actually did cover the full amount billed, then someone on the insurance end is involved in the fraud. I'd report it to my state's department/board of insurance. I'd probably also report the doctor to the state medical board. But first, I would call the clinic and ask for an explanation and request that the very obvious error be amended --- with the understanding being that if it is not, you will report. It's NOT unusual for out-of-pocket payers to be given a small break, price-wise; they don't have the same administrative costs associated with their care. But what you've described is ridiculous--and if true, criminal. (Time to find another clinic for follow-up care, I think. If a doctor/group is that unscrupulous, then you don't want them administering your medical care.) ETA: I'm not sure what "risk" is assumed by going through insurance, since each and every doctor gets pre-approval!

Hi, Bree--welcome! Karen, I'm near Chicago--but was born in Philly :wub:

I'm with Elfie on this one. My surgeon is brilliant--at performing surgery. He also happens to be really on-the-ball about nutrition. This is a bonus I didn't expect, but was thrilled to receive. Most North American surgeons are not. All the "due diligence" in the world won't change the fact that the vast majority are just regular guys with opinions when it comes to nutrition. The most honest among them will freely admit this. We choose them for their surgical expertise. If you get more, you are fortunate. Most do not.

Of course you're still sore! The incisions are tiny, but they're just that: incisions--and there was manipulation done inside your body that you can't even see. Add in muscle soreness from surgical positioning, and so on--and yes, you are sore! I probably am one of those "I'm fine" people you refer to. But "fine" is relative. I felt SO much better than I expected to feel, and found that my pain was pretty tolerable. But I took pain meds to get moving as much as I could as soon as I could--so my "fine" probably was not a lot different from what you're feeling now. What you're experiencing is completely normal. And it really does improve rapidly. By Day 10 or so, I really did feel "normal."

Of course, this is your decision entirely, but I would suggest rethinking it. It may take months of fills before you achieve restriction; why not make use of that time to practice eating the way you will need to eat in order to ensure good loss and good health maintenance?

Infection after catheterization is very, very common; many/most doctors avoid catheterizing for short procedures to prevent infection. It's also common for infection to develop after urinary retention due to anesthesia. (Add in that the retention itself often requires catheterization, and the likelihood is compounded.) It's really inconvenient, and very uncomfortable, but if promptly identified and treated, should resolve quickly. Be sure to get plenty of fluids--it really helps. Hope you feel better fast!

Hummingbird, I agree; I'm really enjoying getting to know everyone more each day. This is such a warm, welcoming place. Speaking of welcoming--Amy, WELCOME! How exciting--banding a week from tomorrow! I look forward to hearing about your progress. :wub: Christie, I'm glad your son has his poppa wrapped around his finger. Good grandparents are such a blessing. My poor kids got the short end of the stick in that lottery. Isn't closet-shopping fun? I have actually been "shopping" my my daughter's closet (after swiping my son's shorts :tongue2:). I, too, need new undies, and she is the QUEEN of underwear. Seriously, she can't walk past a store having a sale without stocking up. (When she was doing laundry before returning to school this weekend, she told me, "This is the first time I've done laundry this semester." She probably has 100 pairs...) I draw the line at drawers, but have swiped a couple of bras she never wore, but left behind when she left for school. I figure it's only fair. For years, my kids have treated everything I own as community property so now it's PAYBACK TIME! :laugh::tt2::smile: Good luck with Fill #3. Mine is a week from Friday....I have a feeling this is going to be a significant one in terms of result. What's on everyone's agenda today? It's supposed to be gorgeous here--near 60 and sunny. Truman and I will be heading out for our walk in just a few minutes. Then, I get the excitement of an orthodontist appointment with Preston. I think I will let him stay home for the rest of the school day after the appointment....maybe we will hit the gym. But I also have to get busy, because we're having a party on Saturday, and I have tons to do. The scale was up an inexplicable 1.4 pounds this morning. I am chalking it up to being female and having hormones. But I don't like it one.single.bit. (There is no way it's "real" weight...but still. It's there. On the scale. Which makes it seem real---and makes me CRAZY. :thumbup::smile2:) Oh, well. Gotta keep on keeping on. Have a great day, everyone!

I was going to suggest first bite syndrome, as well. I'm sorry you're having difficulty--hopefully, you'll be able to figure out how to "prime" your stomach to prevent this from continuing. (It's my understanding that fill level has little to do with it; it involves spasm as passes through the esophagus into the stomach, rather than stuck-ness as food leaves the pouch into the stomach below.) Good luck!

This is a pretty common effect of scopolamine--so common that medical personnel can become sort of blase about it, and forget to share with patients. And that is VERY scary for patients, as you know! I'm sorry you went through this ordeal. You should have been told to expect it. (I'm glad my doctor used a different antiemetic--and glad I know pharmacology...because a pupil-size discrepancy would flip me out, otherwise!)

Kris, I am so glad you went in! Dehydration can set up a vicious cycle, and nipping it in the bud is so important. Are you feeling better today?

If my insurance had covered the sleeve, I would have been hard-pressed to make the decision--it is very appealing in many ways. I'm very happy with the band, but if I should ever require revision, that's the route I'd take. Good luck! I hope you get lots of good info at the seminar on the 1st, and move along toward your goal quickly!

Yes, we're all worrywarts at the beginning--really! It gets easier. And the good news is that, postop, you'll really have a million different sources for good-quality solid Protein, and it will become far less of an issue.

Drasan, you took the words right out of my mouth (well, fingertips)! Between the slower metabolism that comes with loss and reduced intake, the loss of insulation, and the estrogen released during fat loss (body fat is mildly estrogenic), I think I'm slated for the easiest perimenopause in human history :wub::laugh::tongue2:

I don't think you're strange at all. Many people do not share with others. When I was in the preop, pre-approval stage, I shared very judiciously. But as time has gone on, I've been more and more enthusiastic--and cared less and less about peoples' reactions. That doesn't mean I tell every single person who notices I've lost weight that I was banded. It's more personal than that. But I do share, if someone I know and care about asks how I'm doing it. Part of the reason why I have done this is because, back when I was losing on my own, the father of one of my son's friends stopped by to pick the boys up. His wife mentioned that he, too, had lost a lot of weight---and when I asked how he was doing it, he said, "I don't usually share this, but I have a gastric band." About a year later, there I was, still struggling to lose weight---and thinking about banding. I'd seen his success---and his willingness to share that with me really helped me make the decision to at least attend a surgeon seminar. (I didn't know, at the time, that we chose the same surgeon---but was THRILLED to find that out when I was making my final decision.) I figure: If knowing about this very, very positive thing I've done for myself helps anyone, I'm willing to share. It's not shameful, and so far, I've gotten nothing but positive feedback from people. That said, there are people I have not shared with because I don't want to hear their responses (inlaws, anyone? No, really--I'm giving them away!) Good luck with whatever you decide.I don't think there's a right or wrong way to handle this information. It's YOURS, and yours to deal with the way you choose.

Wow! Great job--congratulations!