NurseShay

Queenhunt best of luck tomorrow you're in my prayers hun!

Hey ladies! I'm doing so much better today. Hope all of you are well. I see everyone was up pretty early this morning. I have been doing some laps up & down the stairs & walkin around the house to break up the pressure but I'm still fortunate not to have the pains thu far. I feel pretty good today I plan to go walk around the store later I don't like sitting home much. I took my own BP today before & after my pill its 118/80 so I'm doing better there. Ill still take the meds until my doc says I don't need to. Sticking to low sodium broths! I'm so happy I did this. Thankful to have you all who are going through this with me & understand everything I'm feeling. Friends & fam are great but this support system here is awesome!

So happy to be on this side of the forum. Still a little sore & feel a lot of pressure in the abdomen area. I'm grateful not to have the gas pain (so far!!) that I've read so much about. Glad my B-day finally came & I can fully begin my journey to Onderland! =) yay!!

I use the walmart protein shots 'super whey' fruit punch flavor. They are a bit thick in consistency (nectar thick) for me but they're bearable. They're pretty good with water or added to crystal light in my opinion. They're 26g protein & 110calories at about $2.20 per 2.9oz vial.

Awesome news! What an inspiration to us all. Keep up the good work it'll all happen in due time!

I was banded today! And I had a BMI of 55 when I started my consult a BMI of 53 when I started pre op and up until today I've lost about 20lbs (not sure what BMI that gives me no less than 51 though. I was banded this morning & my only complication was my nausea to the anesthesia. Not even 24hrs later I feel much better! And I think like everyone said you know yourself and what your true needs are. If you know you're commited to the lifestyle changes the band requires go for it! Its a lot easier to revise from the band than it is to go from the other WLSs to the band. Most doctors like many ppl look at ppl with higher BMIs as those who have extremely bad habits & lack of self control/comittment to make the band work so ofcourse they'll recommend faster somewhat easier options but you shouldn't let that opinion sway you. As long as ur healthy enough to go be approved for surgery get what you really want & are comfortable with!

Queenhunt thank you so much for the prayers I'm positive that His favor is what got me through it. Pleassse don't let my experience make you nervous, I still believe this so far is the best decision I have ever made for myself! I am feeling soo much better now that the anesthesia has worn off. I don't have the gas pains nearly as bad as I've seen people describe on here so I'm fortunate! I was also able to lay down in bed & get up & down just using a little leverage from my bf. I feel better than I ever could have imagined 12hrs ago! =) My pain now is maybe a 2 or 3 out of 10 with the meds & I have no trouble swallowing liquids. If you can get through the pre op diet I'm sure you can handle the post op! I seriously do not feel the least bit hungry. I feel fully satisfied off a 1/2 cup of broth & some sips of water & protein shot. Its truly bearable. I was really nervous the week leading up til now I think that's normal though. I was secretly scared also! I don't like being out of control & I hate pain! Just trust in your faith & keep thinking positively! I think we'll all enjoy our lives so much more when we're comfortable in our own skin. You deserve this. =) I wish you the best of luck Friday & ill definitely be praying for you as well.

Hey ladies! Sorry I'm so late getting on its been a long day! I'm soo happy your surgeries went well & that we're officially on the banded side! So proud of us all. I lost a total of 10lbs on my pre op diet (19.3lbs overall this mt) & my bp was 124/84 this morning! My mom joked well let's go you don't even need this surgery you can do it on your own! (But not for very long I said!) Well my surgery as far as the lap band goes went smoothly I'm told that only took 45mins but like Purple said my doc also found a HUGE hernia (he actually showed me a pic). I went in as scheduled about 8am should have been out by 9am but wasn't out til 11:10!! My poor mom, uncle & bf were pacing worried. The doc said he got a lot of reflux when trying to repair the hernia & I guess with the size of it that tacked on 2hrs to my surgery. =/ but as purple said I'm glad that will solve my heartburn & indigestion. Afterwards I had a hard time waking up to the point the nurse began shouting my name & telling me to keep my eyes open & talk. Anesethesia and I have never friends so I expected some complications I was VERY nauseous. I got the max amout of antimetic so I had to just stay uncomfortable (and irritable!lol). The other issue was that towards the end of surgery & during 3hrs in recovery they couldn't get BP readings & began saying they could not send me home the way I was. Even though I was very out of it I knew I didn't wanna get transfered to a hospital overnight.(I'm self pay!) When they did finally get a reading I remember looking over at the machine alarming my BP 188/111 o2sat 94! They were very calm though I knew they were a bit alarmed because they refused to let my family back to see me the entire time I was unstable. I forced myself to stand up tried to calm my nerves & breath deep, it was getting late & I did not want to be transferred. The pain was bearable but the gas pressure & hernia repair were very uncomfortable. My. Incisions feel fine they only hurt when I bend. I finally got out of there with the prize gift of a promise to come back in 5 days since I had a rocky recovery & some blood pressure pills for 30days!! =( I never have taken BP meds and I really felt bad that I needed them at my age (25). Why in the world they gave me pills instead of liquid ill never know but ill gladly take them crushed! I'm willing to suffer anything for my health now. But I am sooo glad this is over & I have celebrated my 'B-day' with some yummy chicken broth! Gunna go rest up now. Happy B-day ladies! And amber best of luck with your surgery! =)

I'm just reading through posts and wondering if I'm the only one who's having my wls through and out-patient surgery center? Its a weight loss clinic in San Diego and all they perform is lap-bands; they do have an anestheologist, surgeon, surgeons assistant, psychiatrist, nutritionist & nurses as part of their team so I'm feeling pretty confident but still since its not a hospital I'm curious if anyone has had any experience with this procedure being performed and going home a few hours later. Just trying to relieve some anxiety with my surgery being 10 days away!

Its past midnight I'm trying to force myself to sleep now! Thank u all for the well wishes. Jaxie & Purple good luck tomorrow as well! Just a few more hours! Yee! Goodnight!

Unless you qualify for medicaid the only other option would be self pay! In the US it can range from $9-25k. You can pay cash or take out a loan, some providers offer payment plans through companies such as care credit. You can apply online for them & find out if you're approved in minutes. The credit line is given based on your credit score (I know they use experian as their source). If you know you have a few dings you may still be approved but maybe not for the full amount. A co-signer would help increase your credit line in that case. Be warned though that unless you pay in 18mts or less for their promotional offer their interest rates run high but again this varies based on your credit. So you can visit their website & search for local approved providers & go directly through your surgeon or you can first find a surgeon you're comfortable with & then find out if he accepts finance plans such as this. With a 5yr plan (in cali they offer only up to 60mts but I've heard other states are longer plans) your payments for an average priced sef pay procedure of say 16k could be about $300/mt. For me when I added up the cost of meds, gyms & jenny craig not to mention the dining out & other weight related bills I would no longer have it seemed like nothing!! There's also the route of having it done in a diff country such as Mexico for as little as $4500- I honestly couldn't tell you what, if any, payment plans they use. Some say ofcourse foreign countries offer lower quality & can have more complications but that's something you'd have to research. With the band though you're required to have follow up care for life & many US surgeons want nothing to do with a foreign placed band- liability! Without the fills your band is useless so if you go that route locate a local fill doc that's willing to work with you first! Also my surgeon told me the company that produces the lap band in the states (Allargan) does not sell its product to places like mexico because they are not certified so the band many people receive there is a swedish band that's an older, cheaper model of less quality subject to leaks & erosion. Ofcourse these are unresearched statements from my bias surgeon. So take them with a grain of salt! It is true the mexico did perform the first lap band & austrialia & europe have also been doing it for years longer than the US who didn't approve it until 2001. So something can be said for their experience. But again in a foreign country you have no recourse if something goes wrong. =/ As a self payer you'd just want to keep in mind that your insurance typically will not cover any part of the wls -in some cases this includes any complications related to it. And remember the cost of follow up/fills that in yr 1 are every 4-6wks or as needed & can vary from $50-350/ visit depending on your provider so shop around for the best program package! Many include 6mts to a yr of follow ups & some practices also offer revision insurance for a yr which cover leaks, slips, erosions & port flips. Be diligent in your price comparisons & research! There's a thread in self payers forum here where ppl have listed what they paid in diff states you could inquire there also! Best of luck!

I think its sad that middle class americans who work as hard as upper class americans & have the same issues as those living in americas version of 'poverty' are completely overlooked. Fact is healthcare has always been considered a luxury and not a right. Weight loss surgery walks a fine line of elective & medical necessity. I'm doing it too but even I feel that much like any other addict I could have & should have done something myself sooner. This was not an overnight habit. I am a nurse but my PPO insurance opted not to cover any kind of WLS. I pay every mt for healthcare & now I pay every mt for my surgery on a credit card. Its a personal choice & although it would've been awesome if the procedure was covered I take responsibility for myself entirely & no insurance denial would have stopped me. But I believe what one can't afford one cannot buy. I'm a child of the law 'a man who will not work will not eat' ( 2Thess 3:10) Bare in mind that says 'will not' not 'can not'! So I waited til I was financially capable. Frankly wether it should be covered by PA, in my opinion, that should be determined on a case by case basis & the necessity should be assessed during the PCP & psych evaluation. Sure there are plenty of scammers out there & plenty ppl who would not be successful with the band & it'd be a waste of tax payer funds BUT there are those people who genuinely need the help & could benefit. I don't think anything in this world is as blk/wht as yes or no to such a loaded question. If you have healthcare coverage of any kind you'd hope it covers all your needs but for most of us it doesn't. The cost of healthcare is simply too high & at least in this country govt isnt giving it out for free, tax payers fund it & there obviously isn't enough people paying into the system for every elective procedure to be covered . That's a fact we all have grown to live with even if we don't agree. I can sympathize with those who use & need it but I can also empathize with btrieger's perspective- poorly as it may have been expressed. Seems his issue isn't so much if it should be covered but who qualifies to be on it! I think majority of us can concur that the PA system is foul & with this society of people who feel undeservingly entittled to everything being free there will always be room for people to abuse the system & make the truly deserving ones be in their shadow of shame. But that's another rant entirely. That's my opinion though!

If you're going directly through your surgeon there's usually less pre-op testing done than what you may have done trying to qualify for insurance or approval or getting your PCP referal. I am also self pay and the process for me was 2 weeks from initial seminar/consultation to surgery. At the pre-op appt I had my blood drawn, vitals taken, weighed & measured, nutritionist & psych eval & finally a talk with the surgeon. When all was done that same day I started the pre op liquid diet & showed proof of funds for payment. Much simpler than the insurance process! (Btw see if you are getting the best package for your $! Having your fee also give you a year of follow up visits & fills. And I hear some practices even have revision insurance if god forbid there was any complications!) Best of luck!

Hi everyone! I've been in so many forums lately I neglected my thread! Oops! =) so we are down to the wire! I got the call today from the nurse @ my outpatient center with all the night before instructions & the same old what are you allergic to questions! I'm soo ready to go! I couldn't sleep today I am so anxious. Baptistthom congrats on your surgery date & I totally agree about the Snacks at the nurses station- every holiday is like a buffet of Desserts & the starbucks runs are merciless! If we have an unusually high # of admits our DON treats us to pizza & krispy kream! =/ Last xmas a couple of us actually took our fbs at the top of the shift & again at the end just to see the change we joked 'can we sue for this like those mcdonalds customers?' Haha But I suppose that's the threat with any stressful job environment. No time to eat so you eat what's around! But yes like someone said the Protein shots can be found at any GNC & most pharmacys. I bought the ones from walmart- theyr about $2.29 & are 26g & 100cal. Idk if its just me but they have a gelatin-like consistency so they're actually kind of filling & its a nice break from the chocolate/vanilla/strawberry flavors of the protein shakes! =) Haines, you're right on our heels! Congrats on all your life changes! I hope your surgery goes smoothly as well! I'm sure ill be the one to come on late weds half drowsy on pain killers to want to update! =) To the surgery center I'm wearing a muu-muu! My grandma left me many (passed away a few wks ago) so I decided to wear one. Keeps me from having to bend to get pants off as well. I'm bringing a splint pillow, gas x, wallet & my phone! =) Jaxie & Purple you both will be in my prayers weds as I get wheeled in the OR! One last day I hope we all find a good distraction & maybe catch a few winks of sleep!

I have one more day of unbanded life! Yay! Sickofitall luckily I only have a cat & she's more my bf's baby! But for the sake of infection I'm keeping her outside too. Slimshelly where were you banded in SD? I'm having mine at the gastric banding center in kearney mesa.

Hi Joe Well to try & answer your question it seems to be without any insurance you'd have to self pay. For lap band this can be as low as $4500 in other countries such as Mexico or between 9k-25k in the US. The lap band requires years of follow up care & fills to reach a theraputic range that can cost from $50 per visit to $350per visit every 4-6 wks for the first yr & every few months for the yrs folllowing. And you must also consider the cost of complications such as band revisions, leaks, slips, erosions or port flips. This for the self payer are out of pocket expenses that are hard to predict & can happen as early as your surgery day or 10yrs down the line. Some surgeons have financing options such as Care Credit which is a healthcare credit card and the limit for it is based on your credit history. You can apply online & be approved in minutes. Beware though that just because you may be approved doesn't mean its for the full amount so read thoroughly. Having a co-signer can increase your credit line & improve your chances of approval if you know your score is low. The trick with that though is to first find a provider that accepts such forms of payment & also be financially capable of making the minimum monthly payment. You do not want to default on a credit card let me tell you!! The other self pay option would be to get a loan but honestly without employment that's pretty hard to do. But maybe your parents could help out there? Finally you could see if you qualify for medicare/medicaid? I'm not sure what health issues you have since you say your health is terrible but being unemployed could also make you a candidate. I'm no expert on public aide but I'm sure you could google the qualifications. I know my surgeons office takes medicare so I know that they cover WLS (weightloss surgery). But as I understand it they have strict guidelines & rules to follow to get approved. They. Usually require u to first meet the guidlines for a band- a bmi over 35 with co-morbidities such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or a bmi over 40 or being 100+lbs over weight. They also like to see proof of being overweight for 5 yrs & documented attempts at weight loss such a supervised diet or weight watchers logs etc. They require a 6mt doctor supervised diet & other pre op tests before you can even submit an app for approval. Keep in mind that if your basis for qualifying for public aide is unemployment & you should happen to get a job you could lose your coverage & if you're still pre-banded you'd be back to square one, if you're already banded those f/u visits & fills would again be out of pocket. Also many work insurance op to exclude WLS from being a covered benefit so even with some insurances its still a self pay expense. So your best bet is to do the research, crunch the numbers & figure out what's best for you. Obesity is a silent killer so do whatever you can in the meantime to get some weight off & improve your health. The lap band is a tool & even with it strict dieting & regular excercise is a must!! So it doesn't hurt to get an early start. Best of luck & I hope this helps!

I would watch the portion size & keep the bread to a minimum & if you do have that sub get it on sliced bread (thinner) & toast it to keep it from being too dougy & getting stuck. The bread alone on a 4in or 6in sub if u were to take one side of the sub & put in a cup sized container with water & make it mushy you can see would easily fill up your pouch let alone what all is in the sub & the other piece of bread. You just got your pouch don't stretch it! Good luck!