Stacy160

Hi! Is that gel a prescription med or can you get it over the counter?

Grand Blanc here!

I'm going to Dr. Mark Pleatman in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Thankfully he's only about 45 minutes south of me (in good weather), but he and his office deal a lot with out-of-state patients. Here's his profile on OH, where you can read a lot of patient reviews: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&ved=0CBgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.obesityhelp.com%2Fmorbidobesity%2Fbariatric%2Bsurgeon%2Bprofile%2BMark%2BPleatman%2Bhsj.html&rct=j&q=mark+pleatman+md&ei=tfJMS834LYaKNvLt6PgM&usg=AFQjCNHX80xRf8Xr6toyhP5Uu76vlR3bCQ&sig2=NiFU8Kt1F7sVMWJLjI7omA And here's his website: Mark Pleatman MD Weight Loss Surgery Website His self-pay price of $11,200 includes pro-op testing (hospital bloodwork), his surgical fee, the hospital fee, the anesthesia fee, and two years of follow-up care. He has the self-pay deal through Doctor's Hospital and you can click on that link to see patient reviews there. :confused1:

I just met with the nutritionist yesterday, and she covered caffeine pretty well. Her biggest reason why we shouldn't have it is that it's a G.I. irritant, and we don't want to unnecessarily irritate those tissues while they're trying to heal. She didn't give a good reason why we should stay away from caffeine after a couple of months, and the doctor's guidelines actually suggest no more than one cup of caffeine a day. I'll leave it alone for at least 3 months, but I'll probably splurge on a nice cup of regular coffee now and then after that. :confused1:

Just posted in the "Where are the Michigan People" thread, but wanted to say Hi to everyone here anyway. So HI, and I'm really looking forward to talking and sharing info with everyone here! :eek:

I've used nothing but Bare Escentuals for six years and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it. No cream or liquid yuk will ever touch my face again.

I see things mentioned here that I haven't noticed at the Dr./Hospital websites, such as the pre-surgical diet and other testing. I know there's some time when you have to wait for insurance authorization too. What I'm wondering is this: After you see the Dr. for the first time, what happens after that and how long is it, generally, before the surgery? Are we talking weeks or months? Just trying to get a handle on what to expect. Thanks!

No nobody freak, I'm JUST researching for the moment... but does anyone know of any Michigan Drs. performing the MINI-gastric bypass?

Not just naked, but bone-dry with an empty digestive system!

For HER?? Not only no, but HELL no.

I don't think my insurance is going to cover the surgery... I haven't even begun the process yet, but it IS listed in the exclusions (all obesity/weightloss treatments etc). For those who have self-paid, do the the doctors generally want payment in full up-front? Have you financed? Are the payments and interest ridiculous or do-able? *sigh* Thanks....

I don't want to be a downer here, but in looking at more long-term studies out of Europe, it's not real encouraging. Many doctors who were initially really big on the band are now abandoning it because of long-term complications and failure... it's enough to make me decide to pursue other avenues, especially being potentially self-pay.

OH! And do you know offhand what HAP's requirements are? Don't go digging for them unless you already know, I'll find out in a few months anyway. Thanks!

Peyton Manning Matthew McConaughey/Sawyer (from Lost...toss-up for 2nd) Ken Watanabe/The Rock (it's a toss-up for 3rd)

Nancy, thank you! It looks like we're not changing until April 1st (nobody at this company really has a clue what's going on, including the people supposedly in charge of this). Maybe you can answer another question for me: If my primary Dr. is affiliated with a HAP hospital where the lap band procedure is not performed, will HAP pay for me to go to a DIFFERENT HAP hospital where it is? Thanks! :welldone:

OH, the vision thing too! I'd forgotten about that. My vision, even though I had LASIK 9 years ago, is blurry when I'm carbing out. When I low carb, it clears right up.

I was surprised a few years ago (I was single at the time) when I found myself almost unable to look away from the face of a man working in an outdoors store. He was probably 6'2" and pushing 300 lbs, but he was GORGEOUS. Irish looking with the bright blue eyes, almost black hair, perfect smile, and seemed easy-going and very friendly on top of everything else... I was so disappointed when he turned around and I saw the wedding ring!

I asked this in another "port" thread but it was kind of buried and I don't think anyone saw it. The other day I felt someone's port and was surprised by the size and hardness of it. Does that get uncomfortable during s-e-x?? Hell honestly I don't care if it does... it'll be worth it if it help me even feel not too gross for it anymore...

That would be the problem. I used to work for a plastic surgeon who did the tattooing, and the eyes always looked great, and even when it began to fade it didn't look unnatural. The lips, on the other hand... I wouldn't do it. Even if it looks OK at first it won't stay that way and you'll ALWAYS have to wear color over the top of it to avoid looking freakish. Go for the eyes though!

I had the same thing happen last night too, it showed 30 people in the main chat and another 20 people elsewhere but I couldn't raise a response anywhere. There must be a fix for that problem (showing people still there then they've left)... have any Admins contacted the forum people about it?

Hi Bob! Who did your surgery, and where? And how ya feeling?

Hi Rick! You've lost 142 lbs. since AUGUST??? Holy cow LOLOL!! That's awesome, congratulations!! Do a search on "Pleatman", or just flip through the Michigan threads here. Dr. Pleatman isn't too far north of you (Bloomfield? Rochester? Something like that) and he takes patients who have been banded elsewhere. I have not met him personally but he's been very helpful and informative through PMs, and the patients here who have been banded by him just rave about him. Nice to have you here!

That is TOTALLY me. If I'm low-carbing I NEVER have reflux... otherwise, I'm taking Pepcid every night and sometimes chasing it with Pepto Bismol. Atkins is the only, ONLY diet that's ever worked for me (35 lbs, leaving still 50 lbs to go--back then), but, I don't know if you had the same problem, I get so BORED eating the same things all the time... meat, eggs, cheese, the same low-starch veggies. Once I slip, that's it. Like you said, MONTHS at a time. Atkins is actually not dangerous... I used to think so, until I read the book, and it makes perfect sense. I'm hoping that banding, which pretty much necessitates a low-carb regimen, will be the answer to once and for all getting ALL the weight off and not gaining it back. I absolutely LOVE Atkins and the way it makes me feel, but I just cannot stick to it for a meaningful length of time.

FORTY pounds in three months?? I'd say you're doing exceptionally well, and congratulations!!

Isn't that horrible? I look at myself in the mirror and think "Well you don't look THAT bad..." but then, seeing myself in pictures? OMG!! It is horrifying to see that my face and neck are blending into one large white blob. My arms are huge... I have no waist anymore, that was the last thing to go (I even had a waist from the back when I was pregnant), and God forbid anyone takes a picture of be from behind. Then there's the fact that I feel like crap physically and mentally, that I know, from family history, what's coming if I DON'T do something about it. And oh yeah -- all those failed diets. If I hear "Just eat less and exercise more" one more time, someone's gonna die LOL... if it was that easy, would any of us be here now? I feel like banding is my last chance at being able to enjoy what a wonderful life I have, and aside from my weight getting in the way of everything, it really is great. I want this soooooooo bad!