Preparing for the surgery

[austex 0]

COLTONWADE,

yes that is true the more ur stomach heals with the band u do become hungry I am content with the mushies though , I am scared to eat meat right now anyways so I can deal with it , maybe that is why alot of if patients are so successful?? but i know a few of them and they never mention about being hungry ??? to me that is all that counts. I cant be hungry , then I feel as though I cant focus.

[coltonwade 27]

COLTONWADE,

yes that is true the more ur stomach heals with the band u do become hungry I am content with the mushies though , I am scared to eat meat right now anyways so I can deal with it , maybe that is why alot of if patients are so successful?? but i know a few of them and they never mention about being hungry ??? to me that is all that counts. I cant be hungry , then I feel as though I cant focus.

Well There is a phase called bandster hell and nearly everyone goes through it . Its the phase between when your healed and the time you get a fill.

Mushies are a good stage though . LOL You can find lots to do .

My friend did say not all his patients have the 5 months stage. But her BMI was not very high , you would think the larger BMI woudl be better ?

But anyway , just thought I would mention it cause I dont think i would go 5 months post op w/ out solids.

Mindy

[austex 0]

coltonwade, my BMI was low 41 as well so I didnt do a pre op diet, or anything like that either, yes mushies are fine for me too,

I will be ok , others may not if u are right about the solids but think about it during that time u will lose weight , might be hungry LOL but u will lose weight, thanks for the heads up on hell part lOL

[creed2474 0]

Thanks everyone... I made an appointment for a seminar with southwest bariatrics also.

[creed2474 0]

She told me the fills are only 50 dollars out of pocket..... I can handle that. She said it would be more if it is another type of appointment.... but, I think I can handle that part.

What i'm worried about is if something goes bad..and I don't have my federal insurance.... and my state insurance doesn't pay..... what happens then? They leave you to die? lol

[coltonwade 27]

She told me the fills are only 50 dollars out of pocket..... I can handle that. She said it would be more if it is another type of appointment.... but, I think I can handle that part.

What i'm worried about is if something goes bad..and I don't have my federal insurance.... and my state insurance doesn't pay..... what happens then? They leave you to die? lol

LOL NO I dont think so , I think if its a life or death deal your primary insurance would pay for at least some things.

that is my guess ?

mindy

[aubrie 6]

I'm curious about a few things....

The pre-op diet is two weeks? How about the diet afterwards? How long is that.... and how long is it about until you actually eat solid foods? (Steak, chicken, etc) What do you eat during pre-op?

My pre-op diet was low fat, low carb for 5 days, and the last two days was liquid. The first three days after surgery were Clear liquids. The next two weeks were full liquids, and the next two weeks past that were mushies, then one week of soft, and then I was on a full diet.

How long does the pain last from the surgery? I had my gall bladder removed... is it similar to that pain?

I just had my gallbladder out the first week of August. The pain was similar, but with the WLS you will have the added discomfort of the port area, and trying to get used to having that. The port is stitched to your muscle, so it's tender for a while. Ab work, straining, etc. will be a bit of a challenge for a month or so, but you should be able to return to work in a week or so. I took two weeks off. I was able to sleep on my side after about 6 days.

What does a psych evaluation consist of? Is it just a bunch of questions they ask? What kind? How long is the evaluation usually last?

Mine lasted about an hour. They ask questions about how long have you been large, what is your diet like, what are your plans for sticking to it, what support systems do you have in place, your attitude about your self and your self image, etc. Pretty basic stuff. It was easy.

Did you vomit any? Do you feel like vomiting?

I didn't vomit at all. The surgeon put an anti nausea patch behind my ear just before surgery. It was good for about 5 days. He gave me an extra one to take home with me, to switch out, so I didn't have any problem at all. You DO NOT want to vomit. If you do, call your surgeon immediately. You could rip up a lot of fresh stitches.

I'm sure I will think of more questions....... just help me out. I'm just curious is all.

Miscellaneous things to consider. Your incisions will itch a lot. I also had the unpleasant situation where my body spit the sutures. The doc had to keep trimming them. Some people just do that. DON"T pull them. You will have a lot of gas after surgery and it can be quite painful. Mine wasn't to bad, thank God. It sometimes settles in the shoulders. The anesthesia will also cause some horrendous Constipation. Be prepared. The drastic change in diet will perpetuate this. Don't let it go more than 3 days. You'll be miserable. For whatever reason you will also get VERY cold. Shivering cold. Not sure why, but a lot of people mention it. It was very strange. Lasts several weeks.

[creed2474 0]

Well, I start my job back Nov 3rd and my insurance coverage starts Nov 9th. I'm going with Federal BCBS..... my friend had it two years ago..... went to a great surgeon in Dallas.... told him he wanted to do the surgery..two weeks later. WOW But, he rescheduled to do it a month later. He and his wife did the gastric by pass at around the same time. He only paid for himself 200 dollars for co-pays and that was it.

So, I'm looking to have the surgery ASAP. Bring it on!!!! Even if it means not having turkey this Thanksgiving! LOL

[Altoonasoup 0]

What i'm really worried about is I have two insurances. My full-time job does not cover the lap band surgery. Even if it is medically necessary. My part-time insurance is what will cover it.... but, if I ever decide to leave my part-time job..... and lose that insurance. Will my full-time job insurance cover the fills, x-rays, and any complications that I have?

There has to be at least one person on here that has had the same situation.

:eek:

I was talking to a lady that was in that situation. They wouldn't bill her secondary insurance, because the primary wouldn't pay. Her employer suggested that she drop her primary for a while so that her secondary was her only coverage. Then she could pick up her other insurance again later. Just an idea, but be sure that the other insurance will take you back.

[coltonwade 27]

I was talking to a lady that was in that situation. They wouldn't bill her secondary insurance, because the primary wouldn't pay. Her employer suggested that she drop her primary for a while so that her secondary was her only coverage. Then she could pick up her other insurance again later. Just an idea, but be sure that the other insurance will take you back.

EWW good point . that is something to look into !

Mindy