Alexandra

(((Donali)))

:)

Tropicana, the first step in this journey should always be a physical with your general practitioner, in which you discuss the need for surgery. Get the diagnosis Morbid Obesity into your file and have a complete workup done on all the aspects of your health. Get your GP on board, because he or she will be asked for a letter in support of your request for surgery precertification. Then call a bariatric surgeon who performs the banding and make an appointment. Find out what HIS office needs you to do before the consultation, and get started. You'll probably have some tests to do, some homework (in terms of writing down your diet history, etc.) and whatever else he deems necessary. Don't worry, it sounds like a lot but taken step by step it's all doable. Good luck!!

It's not all that surprising that the phone jockey didn't want to commit to you verbally. It's also possible that person didn't actually have access to what was in the letter; maybe all they could see was that some communication was sent to you. Don't worry--even if it's a denial it may just be that some tiny piece of information is lacking. United HC is, overall, one of the best with regard to banding (as long as it's medically necessary).

Gained 4 oz??? Kim, honestly, you can gain 4 oz drinking a glass of water!! For crying out loud, this is not a "gain." I just had to comment on that. Yes, you have reflux, and yes, a slight unfill will fix it. That's MUCH more important than a "gain" of 4 ozs. Yikes!!

It wasn't until after my second fill that I really felt increased restriction. The first fill was sort of a baseline fill, and all the others since have been the ones that really made a difference. But everyone is different, and our experiences mean relatively little. Do you feel any restriction at all? What does your doctor say you "should" be feeling at this point? I mean, is he sneaking up on restriction or does he think you should be pretty restricted now? Do you have fills under fluoroscopy?

Locked at request of thread starter.

Nykee, you're supposed to be getting 60 or so grams of Protein a day, and milk can't be your only source. You're really heading for nutritional trouble if you continue down this road. (Are you taking Vitamins? I hope I hope? There are lots of chewables out there; even if all you can find are children's vitamins those are fine if you take two.) If you're determined to stick with this too-tight level of fill, do yourself the immense favor of trying to find better foods to eat. Think about high-protein mushy food like cottage cheese, eggs, string cheese, hummus, yogurt, things like that. If you take in more calories in high-quality protein you will be less hungry later in the day, I promise! From the amount of juice you're drinking it seems like you're not having trouble with liquids, so soup shouldn't be an issue unless you're trying to take it in too fast. Chew everything very, very well and wait a good minute between bites. TAKE IT SLOWLY and don't think that a whole serving of soup is "too much." It's not TOO MUCH because it will keep you away from the crap later on. And that's what it's all about.

Congratulations, La Madam!! :) You're truly an inspiring woman.

Flower, as with any surgery insurance will only cover it if it can be proved to be medically necessary. I can't really imagine a situation where an arm lift would be such. Lots of extra skin on the breasts, abdomen, legs and elsewhere can cause really bad rashes and skin infections, making skin removal necessary. While I guess it's possible, they'd have to be pretty impressive batwings to create a medical problem.

Donali may be right! But wouldn't they poke you in the eye when you're drinking? I still think they're golf-ball-placeholders. Not holders for the golf balls, but markers to put in the ground when you pick up the ball for some reason.

I know, I know! I think. I think those are golf-ball-placeholders that you stick into the ground when you pick up your ball. I don't actually play golf, you understand, but that's my guess and I'm sticking with it. My husband thought they were roach clips, but they're not actually clips, right? They could also be bookmarks, I guess.

Justcallmequeen, don't be offended. I think the point princess was trying to make is that no insurance carrier is going to smile on anyone seeking coverage for a specific condition or procedure. Laws are in place depending on where you live that protect insurance carriers from consumers shopping for coverage in that way. Kathy makes a great point, though. You really should try appealing if the only reason you were given for the denial is that the procedure is "dangerous." That's an absolute crock, and they know it. I won against my carrier on appeal and it was a similar type of denial. Who do you have your insurance through? Is it an employer plan? Individual? Maybe your husband has a plan you can explore buying into?

Argh, what a pain! In more ways than one, too. Please take good and careful care of yourself and in time this will all be a memory. Good luck!!!

Shopping for an insurance company has to start from the ground up. Your options are dictated by your location, so your first stop is a local broker who knows the market in Louisiana. Whether you can buy an individual policy or not, and all the rules related to that, are state-mandated and nothing we say here will be of any help to you if you are not eligible. Call a broker! That's what they're there for. And there's no charge to you. You may not get the answers you want but at least you'll have the correct information.

My skinny friend says there's nothing magical about her ability to maintain her weight--she eats healthfully (and very little) and exercises regularly. She says it's not easy, but obviously for her it IS easy and she has always been skinny.

The size of the band installed is a medical decision made by the doctor. There may be some differences in restriction/fills and so on, but the effect is the same--you eat less. If the surgeon feels one size is preferable to another for your anatomy, he has his reasons. Doctors in other countries have more options, since only a couple of sizes of bands are approved for use in the US.

Hi Chellseabelle! I'm another happy Abkin/Bertha fan, and agree with Alexra that you should come to the support meeting. It's a great way to meet other bandsters, ask all the questions you have and get real answers right there.

Please help me and my husband out, we're in a quandary and don't know how to proceed. Here's the situation: My younger daughter Catie is extremely tall for her age and precocious in most other ways. She just turned 4 in May and is often mistaken for being her sister's twin (who is 7, in 2nd grade, and tall for HER age). Catie isn't scheduled to start kindergarten until fall of 2006. But she's going to be so physically out of synch with her classmates, and she's already learning to read, so we're considering trying to have her admitted into first grade next year. Being out of step with one's classmates can be challenging for any child. I know, because I was taller and larger than my classmates all during my school years, even though I was young for my grade. I never felt like a full-fledged member of my peer group, and quite frankly it was torture a lot of the time. I can think of a lot of things I might have done differently if I hadn't been dealing with feelings of isolation during my formative years. Which leads me to my question: which is preferable, to be larger and the same age as one's peers? Or to be younger and closer to the same size? If Catie starts 1st grade next year, she'll be waiting behind while her friends are bar or bas mitzvahed, have sweet sixteens, learn to drive, date, and all the other milestones of adolescence. (But if her physical development continues as it's been going, she'll probably hit puberty long before her peers do. And that could be way worse.) Stories from your pasts are welcome. We're really trying to see into a crystal ball here, and it's hard!

Why did your doctor say no Tylenol? I've never heard any doctor say that. Are you sure you heard it right? Liquid Motrin still has the suppressive action that can lead to gastric trouble; it's not just the physical presence of the pill in the stomach that is problematic. There's something about the way the drug works in our bodies that cause increased susceptibility to ulcers and bleeding. That's reason enough for me to stay away completely. Of course, I'm not dealing with any chronic pain issues, and anyone who is will have to do the risk/benefit analysis with their medical professional.

Since I posted this question we've been watching Catie closely to get a better handle on where she is developmentally. We've pretty much come to the conclusion that she is better off in her own age group, even if she towers over them physically. If, in a couple of years, she proves academically advanced we can address that when we come to it. But right now she's having too much fun still being a preschooler--and though she says she wants to start kindergarten that's probably more about wanting to be like big sister than anything else. Thanks so much for your input, everyone; it really helps to hear other POVs!!

Patty, McDonald's chicken strips have been a staple for me all through my journey, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. About a year ago, though, I discovered Wendy's which has MUCH MUCH better food and greater variety. Is there a Wendy's on your way? Their chili has saved many a bandster from fast food hell, and their salads and chicken actually taste like real food. There's nothing wrong with you or what you're doing. You have a long life to live with your band and if McDonald's is a part of your life just learn to work with it. It's all good!

Eileen, where did you go to pick apples? We went pumpkin-picking yesterday and plan to do apples this weekend or next. Last year we went up to Warwick NY and it was great but a long drive. Did you go somewhere closer?

Cindy, that MPH scale varies from person to person also depending on how long their legs are. 2 MPH for a person with short legs might be just as much of an effective aerobic workout as 4 MPH for someone who is 5'10" with long legs (me, for instance). My treadmill speed is now between 3.7 and 4.0 for a fast walk. When I started I was doing 3.0. So it will get easier as you do it more, don't worry!

And the $64,000 question--how much does this surgery cost?