anyone from Detroit?

[DMJC 9]

I am looking into having my procedure done at Harper Hospital with Dr. Wood. I would love to talk to others who are considering the band or has it to give me some pointers.

[vzghj3 0]

Hi DMJC,

I had my procedure done at Royal Oak Beaumont in June 2008 and couldn't be happier. Not sure how far along you are in the process, but the one pointer I have is to get engaged with a doctor and insurance as soon as possible to make sure you meet all of the requirements and have all of the necessary documents insurance recommends. What insurance do you have? If you have BCBS, I highly recommend you engage a Health Card Advocate. It is a free service and they can push the process along and be the go between with the insurance and doctor. It took me 15 months to satisfy BCBS! Fortunately since I've gone through the process, BCBS had dropped their requirement for a supervised diet plan from 12 months to 6 months. Best of luck and please let me know if you have any specific questions.

[DMJC 9]

Hi Vzghj3,

I am in the beginning stage. I have Blue Care Network. I just started the process two weeks ago. So far I have

· Seen my primary care Dr. for a referral. She wants to review my complete medical history before she will give me a referral.

· I have checked with my insurance. They will pay as long as I have a referral and I go to a Dr. from the Bariatric center of excellence.

· I have selected a bariatric Dr. who is part of the center of excellence and have an appointment scheduled for a seminar on Feb. 4. The Coordinator at the Dr. office told me as long as my BMI is over 50, I don’t have to do the six month diet thing. My BMI is 51. The Coordinator is also named three other papers I needed (psy eval, a swallow test, and I forgot the third one).

I have a lot of question, but I am going to go slow. Right now my biggest problem is dealing with people who are against the surgery. I am having a terrible time dealing with my weight and it is getting harder everyday. I am 5 feet tall and am very active so I do not look as big as I am. People are shocked when I tell my weight. Even my primary care Dr. told me to try harder. I could write a book on all the programs I tried and the money I wasted trying to lose weight.

Should I stop telling people or just tune the negative ones out?

Thanks for you time,

Donya

[vzghj3 0]

Donya,

Sounds like you are off to a good start with your primary dr. and insurance requirements.

Ahh the old dealing with people problem...I think all of us on this board have experienced this problem and definitely have the issue of dealing with weight, that is why we have chosen the Lap Band. I too have always carried my weight well, I am 5'7". My primary doctor was shocked when she saw my BMI number, she said she never would have guessed it. And of course I have tried all the diets and spent hundreds of dollars on products. So as you can see, you are not alone out there.

As far as telling people, that is a personal choice. I for one chose to tell no one. I didn't even tell my husband until I received my surgery date and if I didn't need that ride to the hospital, I wouldn't have told him either...LOL. I chose not to tell anyone more so because I am a very private person and of course to avoid any negativity or judgement. Another reason is there are always those people that you think you can tell them in confidence and before you know it, the whole world knows about it. I didn't even tell my manager even though I was off work for 3 weeks. Only told her that I needed to go on medical leave and then let HR handle the rest. In my mind there really is no reason that any one needs to know. However, I can't stress enough that you do get support from the right resources. Such as joining any support groups that the Bariatric Center may offer and discussion boards such as this. So not sure if that helps you at all, but again it has to be a personal choice.

[DMJC 9]

Thanks for the rely.

Did you need the whole three weeks to recover? I am a teacher and I am trying to get my surgery during my next week long break. Did you make any major changes in your diet before your operation?

[vzghj3 0]

I probably would have been fine after on week of recovery, but the ideal time was two weeks. I felt pretty good after surgery and had no major issues. Just experienced a lot of fatigue. My doctor said three weeks, it was no issue with work and I was paid for the time off so I took the full three weeks. Every ones recovery experience is different. I would think one week would be sufficient. With your teaching job, will you have the opportunity to sit at times or are you standing all day? You may want to discuss this with your doctor.

I did not make any major changes in my diet prior to surgery. My doctor did not require any thing. I did however a few weeks before I did make an effort to cut back on my eating and managed to loose 6 pounds. Again this is something else you will want to discuss with your doctor. Depending on your weight/BMI some doctors have you go on a liquid diet.< /strong>

[DMJC 9]

Good Evening,

I hope all is well in your life. Thank you again for answering my questions. I have a few questions about your experiences with fills. Did you get the regular lap band or the realize band? How many fills did you need to get good restriction? Did you have to see a nutritionist? And lastly, has your diet changed drastically?

Donya

[vzghj3 0]

Donya,

I have a 10cc LapBand. I've had 6 fills that got me up to about 6.5ccs and I felt that the perhaps the last fill I got put me at my sweet spot. But recently I have felt the restriction has greatly reduced. I was supposed to go in for my regular check up today and was hoping for a fill, but they cancelled my appointment . Every one is different with where they obtain their sweet spot. As far as my diet, it has changed, but I would not say drastically. It is now primarily all Protein and I try to get in a decent amount of fruits and vegetables. I could still eat whatever I want in moderation, but I choose not. I have found there are certain foods that I definitely need to stay away from to prevent them getting stuck. Other than that, I have allowed myself the occassional treat. It all comes down to control. The LapBand will not eliminate any bad eating habits. However, you will find once you start eliminating sugar and all those carbs, you will no longer crave them. So choose your foods wisely and always select Proteins first. I do see a nutritionist regularly. It is a big help with keeping you on track and providing food suggestions.

[DMJC 9]

Hello

I have made a lot on progress of my Quest to be banded.

· My PCP agreed to give me a referral.

· I go to a support group meeting on Wednesday.

· I ordered a copy of my medical records.

I need to work on getting my psychological Evaluation. Who did you see for your psy eval?

Do you have any pointers for the selecting a doctor and being stress free for the eval?

Thank you for answering my questions; you are truly a blessing to me.

Have a wonderful day.

Donya

[Losing 2 0]

I was banded at Harper Hospital by Dr. Laker of Great Lakes Weight Loss Center. Their webpage has loads of questions and answers.

As far as telling others... I am usually a very vocal person about what's going on with me - especially whenever I'm excited about a issue (such as lap band surgery); however, in the past, I've heard the worst responses to WLS from those who really don't know the facts. So, thus far - I've only told two folks at the job. I've decided I'll tell when I feel like it, or maybe I might not ever tell. My family knows and that is what counts.

Best of luck to you

[DMJC 9]

Hi,

Did you get the lap band or realize band? I looked at their website. What area do you live in?

Donya

[Losing 2 0]

I have the Allegran(sp) band. I live in Chicago.

[DMJC 9]

Nfaith,

Wow you really traveled? How long did you stay off of work? Whats the Allegran(sp) band? How does it differ from the lap band?

Donya

[Losing 2 0]

That's just a brand name... I have a regular lap band.

Yep, I traveled - I was self-pay and this was affordable, vs the $19,000 to $24,000 self-pay options in Chicago.

[DMJC 9]

Hi,

I have been approved for the band. I am waiting on my surgery date. What kind of Protein drink do you use?

Donya