Alexandra

That sounds like a GREAT idea, Kirsten! How cool would it be to have an LBT contingent there! I'm totally up for it, absolutely. Just as an aside, I'll bet you can do a 5K right now. That's like 3 miles, right? You know, in NYC that's only 60 blocks. We could do it before Breakfast.

Hi Vauren, Congratulations on your banding! People have lots of different reactions to surgery, and yours might be your body still working the anaesthesia out of your system. I don't have any specific advice but hope things improve quickly! The tight feeling in the chest is normal, I think--at least, I remember having that sense for a week or so after surgery. Not surprising, considering that things got moved around in there and there's healing going on. Rest up! And let us know how you're doing.

What a PAIN, Vera!! I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. I'm looking forward to the day when you can post that all these issues are behind you and I know you are too. Yep, I'd want a whole new band too, if they have to go in anyway. Absolutely! Sorry, Vera. Things aren't fair.

Maria, my doc's office is in Florham Park and that's where the meetings are. It's pretty convenient to Routes 80/287/24. PM me and I'll give you directions if you want. We'd love to have you! Hmmm, a visit to the Mom of DeLarla? Sounds like an entertaining way to spend an afternoon!

Good luck, Laura, and best wishes for a totally uneventul surgery and recovery!! :D

Congratulations, Princess! Welcome to bandland!! :D

(Copied from myself in another post, but my message exactly applies here, too.) Thank you for coming back and letting us know how it's going. You sound so happy!! That's wonderful, and I'm so glad you found support here. :D Now the trick is remembering this moment when you hit a plateau, because you will. When you get on solid food your weight loss will probably screech to a halt, and that's the time to resurrect this post and remember that it WILL start again after you've had a fill. Patience and fortitude, those are the twin banding principles. This is not a sprint, it's a journey and yours has just begun.

Thank you for coming back and letting us know how it's going. You sound so happy!! That's wonderful, and I'm so glad you found support here. :D Now the trick is remembering this moment when you hit a plateau, because you will. When you get on solid food your weight loss will probably screech to a halt, and that's the time to resurrect this post and remember that it WILL start again after you've had a fill. Patience and fortitude, those are the twin banding principles. This is not a sprint, it's a journey and yours has just begun.

Norma, you've been initiated! That was pretty much a PB. That means "productive burp" and refers to any scenario where something has to come up rather than go down. The relief is usually immediate. Whenever you have something like this happen, you want to stick to liquids for the next meal or two. The stoma and esophagus can get irritated and that can lead to worse problems, so a PB is a sign that we need to baby ourselves for a while. How wonderful to see you write this!! I'm so happy for you and your new buddy!

Hi Maria, Believe me, what you're in the middle of is by no means unusual. Lisa is right on about the psych exam--and not only will your surgeon require it but your insurance carrier does too. It's not a big thing at all, but really can save heartache down the line. While it would certainly be nice to find one who participates in your insurance network, you want a therapist who is really educated and experienced in the issues surrounding bariatric surgery. That's why your surgeon works with someone specific, and I really suggest you try to see that person. The expense is well worth it, especially if you have a plan with out-of-network benefits and the cost can be applied to your deductible. I have an HMO and so had to swallow the cost of the psych eval, but altogether my surgery came to less than $500 with that included so I'm not complaining. But I do think it's not right that your doc's office charges for support-group meetings. There are very good reasons for attending them, absolutely, but they shouldn't cost more than a token amount if anything (like a coffee contribution, or something). Have you looked at other surgeons? I know my doc's office has monthly support meetings and there is no charge at all. You ask if anyone has been disgusted with all the preparation. I have to say no, I never was. Preparing for this surgery was the best medical care I ever gave myself, and the operation just topped it off. And this comes from someone who started the process a full year before actually having surgery. It's certainly frustrating at times--we ALL feel that--but everything your doctor is asking you to do has a reason. All the preop testing is to make sure you're as healthy as you can be before undertaking this big step. People have had hernias, cardiac conditions, ulcers and lots of other things discovered during the preop testing, and it's ALWAYS better to find that stuff beforehand. Stay strong, Marie. You're not alone by any means and as Lisa says, good things are coming your way. Let me know if you are interested in coming to our support group--there's a meeting next week and patients from anywhere are welcome!

[hijack] Lisa, HI!! Nice to see you!! [/hijack]

Best of luck to you, Melissa! I hope everything else is found to be in good order. Please let us know how it goes. We're thinking of you!

I wasn't told to avoid drinking before eating for any length of time. After eating the wisdom is to refrain from drinking for an hour or so, because it will wash food through and make you hungry sooner. But I can't think of any reason why we shouldn't drink before meals, even right up to eating.

Jane, that's fabulous!! Congratulations on a really wonderful milestone. I hope your kids recover FAST. That's the worst, when your kids are sick. Take care of yourself so you can take care of them. Good luck, and enjoy that cute little cardigan.

30 or so grams of fiber is the generally recommended amount for adults. I'm sure that for bandsters an adequate amount would be lower proportionate to the amount of calories we're taking in. But I too have real problems getting in even 15 grams some days. Benefiber is a staple of my day, in my morning coffee. But that serving is only about 3 grams. My Protein bar has 10 grams (Atkins, which is why I like that brand) but lately I've been eating Cereal for Breakfast just because I can and I like it. Raisin bran seems to have no effect. Otherwise I have no helpful advice, because I need WAY more fiber in my diet. It's tricky, for sure.

Wow, Michelle, what a fantastic story!! I'm soooooo happy for you! :D Waaah...now I wanna get engaged all over again. I'll bet you're walking on clouds. Sigh...

I'm glad it's closed and LET'S HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY!!!

Oh, sweetie, it hurts to see you say that. None of us deserve to suffer but I know exactly what you mean! Before banding I wished like crazy for something that would be guaranteed to make me sick every time I overate. :rolleyes Banding will work for you, though, and I think you're right that a fill will help. One thing you can do right now, though, is start timing your meals. You can eat a chicken fajita but "it takes a while"--that's an indicator that you DO have restriction and you have to respond to it. Eat for no more than 15 or 20 minutes, and then STOP for an hour. Let your body accept what you've eaten, and see if by doing something else you can't totally refocus your attention. Chances are really good that if you're not trying to eat more, you won't actually want to. Let it sit until the next meal, and you may be astonished to see that half a fajita is plenty to get you through. If you do get a super-tight fill and immediately cut your calories drastically, you might not see the dropping of weight you expect. The thing to do is really start drinking more Water (yes, WATER), and trying to stop eating sooner. When you get your fill you will have to get used to the idea of 1/2 a slice of pizza being a whole meal, which is psychologically challenging. So why not start now? Good luck, and please know that you do not deserve to suffer. You deserve to be healthier and you're on the right track!

Teresa, I too hope you resolve the pain mystery soon. Nothing it worse for quality of life than chronic pain. I'm so sorry you're suffering.

Yo, this isn't fair!! Shelly, your fan club is waiting for your news. Come spill!!

Muriel, you might want to start a new thread in the General Discussion area to ask questions about the surgery, or even just read through lots of old threads for information. You'll get lots of answers but probably not here in the Insurance section.

Megan I can just hear the glee in your voice (in your fingers?)! I'm so happy for you!! :D I went through that not-believing-he's-for-real thing when I first started dating my DH. Being in a lousy relationship really does a number on us, doesn't it? But with time and his attention you'll believe you deserve it, and that's the road to a good solid relationship. Yaaahooo!!!! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

Absolutely agree that you're doing the right thing. Being banded is not supposed to be torture. Let us know how it goes!!

Take it easy on yourself, Kelly. It's great to know everything is in good order!

Just FYI, approval letters never guarantee payment. Payment decisions are always made only AFTER the claim comes in. There are still all sorts of technical reasons why a claim might be denied even with an approval in place. The carrier has to cover its butt by letting you know you still have to comply with x,y,z provisions of the contract and claim process before they will make a payment decision. But it's standard language and nothing to worry about. You're good to go!!