ardelia

Hey, PhillyGirl. I totally get this. When I phone my (potential) surgeon, I never get a person. He is part of a large group (like, 12 or so) of doctors and they have an extensive voice mail system. No matter which option I choose, I always end up leaving a message. It is weird because I feel like I have to be very specific so that my message gets to his (or his nurse). Usually the nurse does call back in a day or less, but I really wish that a HUMAN would pick up the phone!!!!! I did call on Friday (as I had been told to do), but no one has called back yet. I am out of town from this afternoon through late Tuesday night, so maybe they'll call in that time. (I hope.) Keep your chin up! Though I have no patience myself, I think that might be the key here. *sigh*

I am not the kind of gal to be satisfied if I don't get what I want. I will get banded. It is just a question of how long it will take, but I am a very stubborn creature and I will NOT give up on this. No way, baby! A hippo? Tee hee. Frankly, I love hippos! They are lovely and majestic - and not to be f-ed with! Hippos are quite graceful. Have you ever seen one swimming? They're fantastic!!! Don't you forget it, PhillyGirl!!! :tongue2:

I have an update. Today I spoke with the nurse at the surgeon's office (very nice lady) and told her that I likely don't have apnea. She sounded disappointed. I mentioned the height discrepancy between the surgeon and my PCP and she said that she would mention it to the surgeon this week to see if he would be willing to go by the PCP's measurement. If so, then that puts me solidly at a BMI of 40 and I should be in!! :blushing: At one point I mentioned that I have been eating like a beast to try to gain weight and she said, "Oh no! Don't do that. He won't like it!" Oh good grief...So unless my height is revised to the lower height of 5'3" or the sleep doc says I actually do have apnea (very doubtful based on the tech's assessment), then I am screwed. I am to call the surgeon's office back on Friday (unless I hear from them first) because the nurse said she'd talk to the surgeon about the height issue to see how he wants to proceed. I am crossing my fingers that this works out because I don't want to have to start all over with another surgeon.

Ummm...congratulations on your high blood pressure. Just how weird is THAT to say to someone?! :thumbup: It does seem wrong to think, "Holy crap, I hope I have high blood pressure or sleep apnea." I left a message at the surgeon's office a few minutes ago to get a follow-up appointment, and you can bet your butt that I am going to get remeasured. I also plan to eat heavily and drink lots of Water prior to that appointment. Oh, someone else mentioned a BMI of 35. My insurance requires me to be at 40 or higher or 35 to under 40 WITH a comorbidity. Since I just cannot pay for this on my own (I'd rather keep my house!), I have to hope for a slight modification in my numbers. I am definitely NOT giving up. One thing about me is that when I set my mind to something I GET IT eventually. That's how I roll. :thumbup:

If I do get banded, only one person will know. In fact, I wouldn't even tell THAT person if I didn't need a ride home after surgery. He is thin - always has been - and he just doesn't understand being fat. NO ONE at work will be told. Why? Well, my supervisor actually revealed something that another co-worker had told her in confidence. "Oh, well, Jane Doe can't come to this meeting because her dad is dying in the hospital. Oh, but don't tell her that I told you because she told me this in confidence and wanted no one else to know." What an ethics-free, disgusting bitch she is. Jane Doe's secret is out and I feel like crap that so many of us now know. I do not trust that she would keep her fat mouth shut, so I'll just say I need time off for something medical. If she asks what specifically, I'll just ask her whether the HIPAA laws require me to tell her anything. (They don't, BTW.) That'll shut her miserable pie hole. Bitch. :scared2: ---Whoops! Sorry for that slightly OT rant, but I had to get that out....thinking of blowing the whistle on her for an ethics violation, but worried about retaliation...---

I'd stick to the facts. Forget about anything emotional. Don't embellish anything. BTW, if that is your real name, you may want to consider editing your post. I surely would not want my real name and all of my comorbidities out there!!!

Well, I had my consultation with the surgeon last week. He's very kind and his staff is also good. Unfortunately, I seem NOT to be fat enough for surgery. The height my PCP and surgeon took are a solid inch apart. DAMMIT. I should have asked the surgeon to do my height again - and I will when I go back. (if I go back, that is...) He told me that it would be unethical of him to do the surgery on me with a BMI below 40. (I think I came in at 38.6.) Without a comorbid condition, I am on my own unless I gain some weight. :smile: That said, he did think that I should see the pulmonologist because he thought I might have sleep apnea based on a few answers on the questionnaire. Happily, there was an appointment about 30 minutes later since the pulm had a cancellation. I saw the pulm (also very nice and took time with me) and he thinks that there is a 75% chance that I have sleep apnea. Um. Yay me? I have been scheduled for a sleep study. I do not sleep with any humans in my bed (just cats), so I don't know if I do snore or gasp for air. Obviously, I am conflicted and quite disappointed. Without a positive diagnosis of sleep apnea, I am out on my butt. If I do have it, then I could probably qualify under my insurance. (Though my credit scores are all over 800, I simply cannot afford private pay.) Oh, and it seems that my insurance is really good (the office lady said so) and covers everything but the nutritionist. I learned so very much on this site and through others' experiences and now it may all be for naught. It is just so disappointing. Of course, I ate a whole box of donuts when I got back from my consult. :scared2: I just had to vent a little since I do not have anyone I can tell about this.

I would recommend NOT using peroxide on your wounds. You can Google it and you'll find things like: it "has little ability to reduce bacteria in wounds and can actually inflame healthy skin cells that surround a cut or a scrape, increasing the amount of time wounds take to heal" and others. TMYK and all that....

Should I be concerned that I cannot find any reviews (well, found just one from when he was in NY) or much useful information about my potential surgeon? I met him at the seminar and I have an appointment with him tomorrow...but I wonder what y'all think about this. Feedback, please!

Yes, I think that it is odd that the insurance company won't tell me that big secret. No worries...my surgery consult is on Thursday, so I'll ask the office staff then.

With regard to asking what the hoops are to be jumped through, I can tell you my experience today. I called my insurance company (Keystone Health Plan East) to ask a lot of questions. I found out that LAP-BAND surgery is covered as an inpatient procedure "based on medical need" and that the patient "must meet all criteria." Of course, I asked what those criteria are, but she told me that she is not permitted to give out that information. She also refused to tell me what the insurance code is - not that having it would do me any good. She did tell me that there "are 7 to 10 things" that make up the criteria and that my doctor's office (surgeon) would be able to tell me what they are based on my insurance. I also found out the following: My co-pay would be only $250 (the inpatient co-pay). All pre-op testing is covered, as would be any procedures afterward that would be medically necessary (e.g. band slippage repair, defective port having to be replaced). The nutritionist is not covered, per my company's specifications. All of the paperwork would be submitted to the pre-certification department and that their decision would be mailed to me in 7 to 10 business days. After approval, I could schedule the surgery based on my surgeon's availability. So...YMMV, but this was my experience. The woman I spoke to was extremely helpful and very patient with my numerous questions. We were on the phone for a good 25 minutes. Oh, one more thing...When I asked about bariatric surgery, she specifically asked, "What are you considering? LAP-BAND?" I guess they must be getting a lot of folks asking about it? She did not mention the sleeve or GB.

My favoring of the LAP-BAND has a lot to do with my brother-in-law. He had gastric bypass a little over 90 days ago. He has had no complications (happily), but he has lost 100 pounds already! :confused: I cannot imagine losing that much weight so quickly! I plan to tell only one person about my WLS (if I can actually get it, that is). If I lost 100 pounds soooo quickly, I'd almost HAVE to tell people. (I mean, I know not really...but there would be A LOT of questions about my sudden, extreme weight loss. I know I'd be cornered about it and I am NOT pleasant when cornered.) With LAP-BAND, though, since the weight loss will be more gradual, I can just use the ol' "diet and exercise" reason when asked about my weight loss. It is no one's business, and I think that hiding my LAP-BAND surgery would be far easier than hiding gastric bypass.

Lower chance of issues with malnutrition Adjustable & removable, unlike GB Better paced weight loss (lower chance of saggy skin) No dumping syndrome Faster recovery time Lower mortality rate post-surgery Fewer complications post-surgery I am sure that there are many more, but my brain is a little slow today...I know that there are many more, though. Best of luck to you!!! Keep us posted on your progress.

I found the contraindications on the lap-band page and it does not specifically mention APS; however, it does mention autoimmune connective tissue disorders as contraindicated with the lap-band. I'd ask a surgeon or even call the toll-free number and ask someone at Allergan. The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if: You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe esophagitis, or Crohn’s disease. You have severe heart or lung disease, or any other disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery. You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. That might include esophageal or gastric varices (dilated veins). It might also be something such as congenital or acquired intestinal telangiectasia (dilation of a small blood vessel). You have portal hypertension. Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance, you might have a narrowed opening. You have/experienced an intraoperative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement. You have cirrhosis. You have chronic pancreatitis. You are addicted to alcohol or drugs. You have an infection anywhere in your body, or one that could contaminate the surgical area. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You might be allergic to materials in the device. You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device. You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases.

Not that this is my sole motivation, but this is a biggie for me... I want to be able to fit into a pair of buttery soft black leather pants that were tight on me even when I was at my "thinnest" adult weight around 2002. If I can get myself into those, I will be happier than a clam. :drool: Oh, yeah, I also have a fairly sizable wardrobe of custom-made corsets (including a leather one) that I hope to be able to fit into, if not completely have to discard...and then I'll start with a complete new wardrobe of them!! Is this shallow? Yeah, maybe a little, but I need all the motivation that I can possibly get. I am less than two weeks from my first surgery consult and I am getting excited for that...Let's just hope all goes well. :thumbup:

This is kind of an odd question, but I fear that I have found myself in the unfortunate position of not having someone to drive me home following surgery or to watch me to make sure nothing weird happens. My friend was supposed to do it, but a severe falling out now excludes this as a possibility. The question is: would a private duty nurse be permitted to bring me home after surgery and stay with me the first day or so after or must it be someone who is my family/friend? I really don't have anyone else to help with this because my circle of friends has significantly diminished since I have packed on so much weight. Actually, the circle is non-existent. (If you refuse every single request to go out with friends, eventually they stop asking.) No, there is no family member to help - both parents are dead. Please don't think I am here for a pity party. This question is quite serious and I am hoping that someone here can help.

I haven't scheduled surgery yet...but I am a (compulsive) planner and I like to be prepared. I certainly am hoping that my life will change after surgery. Many around here (lapbandtalk.com, I mean) seem to have great success after their surgeries.

Please stop smoking before AND AFTER your surgery!! Nicotine constricts your blood vessels and with a reduced blood supply, your incisions will take much longer to heal, if they do at all. Long story short, my sister had a breast reduction and she refused to quit smoking (not sure why the doc even DID the surgery...). The end results? She had 7 surgeries over the next three years and she had to have her areolas tattooed in. Her breasts just look scary. It is simply not worth it.

I would not feel guilty about this, but I do not really have many close friends that I would tell about this. I plan only to tell one person and he is sworn to silence. If I didn't need someone to drive me home after surgery, quite frankly, I'd not tell anyone! It is no one's business but mine.

I realized after the poll had already posted that I did not include "other" or "none of the above" in it. :thumbup: Sorry about that! If someone knows how I can add it, I'd be happy to!!

Are you close to Hershey? I lived there for three years and grew up not too far away. Howdy, neighbor!

I see that everyone who gets banded needs a psych eval. Can someone who has had one enlighten the rest of us? The more details, the better. ( I am not particularly interested in the insurance/financial aspects, but more of the actual psych exam itself.) (I go for my surgery consult on July 15th and I am getting nervous ...trying to kill time here before that, so please help!!)

Yes. No spicy food. That may very well kill me. :scared2: If no spicy food is my biggest problem, though, then SIGN ME UP!

Hello from the suburbs of Philly!! Where are you having your procedure done? What doctor? I cannot seem to find people from this general area who have gone through this.

I went to an information session and the one man there was very interested in having the surgery. The doc told him he was too old at 70. The doctor did say that this was his own guideline and that other doctors might be willing to operate on him.