Machele

Hi all, I just talked to Diane's DH on the phone and he says she is home and resting comfortably. :clap2: Her surgery took about 3.5 hours and during the surgery, she had a pain pump inserted. He also said that she is not in as much pain as they expected. I'm sure the pain pump helps! She has gotten up to walk around, I think just to keep from going "stir crazy"! She should be checking in the next couple of days. Good luck to all on your journeys!

Hi, I bought a pill crusher from GNC for half the cost. It is similar to the "Handy Little Pill crusher" on your link. It screws down and crushes the pill into powder with a few small chunks. I take some big pills for my knee and it works great for that!

That is very close to what I had to say to my parents to get them to stop their jabs about my weight. I had 2 comments rehearsed and waiting for them at Christmas time. 1) "I am attempting to alter my gentic outcome" and 2) "I am changing my heritage".... This is probably the primary reason I have NOT told my parents about me being banded.... The support is not there now and has never been there, why would this surgery change things???

Hi all, It sounds like my fellow Marchies are doing good!! :clap2: My surgery was March16th. I went through surgery just fine, and did not have any of the terrible gas pains after surgery that everyone else has talked about. BUT, I have had a throbbing pain from the swelling where my port was placed since surgery. :phanvan My doctor told me that I would be swollen for about 3 weeks, so I have another week of the pain. :faint: I was on liquids for 2 weeks and moved to soft/mushie foods on Saturday. I am soooo enjoying scrambled eggs and cottage cheese! :biggrin1: I still do not have much of an appetite, and almost no energy! I eat about a 1K calories a day, and since I am not hungry, I have not had many cravings either! The lack of appetite and cravings is a good thing, since my first fill is not scheduled until April 19th! So far I have lost 25 pounds and my clothes are fitting a lot looser! :clap2: No one that I work with knows that I had this done, so even though, I have baggy pants, I have not had any comments. I have not started exercising yet and I don't want to tell someone that "diet and exercise" is how I'm losing weight, when I still take a nap every afternoon after work!:notagree Gook luck to everyone and I hope all of our weight loss continues!

After my surgery I was given liquid Lortab. It killed the pain, but the taste was terrible. From what I know about Darvocet, you can still continue to take it, but you will have to get a pill crusher so not to get stuck. You can use applesauce or yogert to cut the taste of the crushed pill. Good luck!

There is usually a procedure code that the dr.'s office uses to get approval/denial from your insurance company. I called the dr.'s office and asked what the procedure code was for the band. Once I had the number, I called mine and my husband's insurance company to see if either of them covered the procedure. Once you have the procedural code, it is much easier to get information from the insurance company. Good luck!

There is usually a procedure code that the dr.'s office uses to get approval/denial from your insurance compamy. I called the dr.'s office and asked what the procedure code was for the band. Once I had the number, I called my insurance company and my husband's company to see if either of them covered the procedure. Once you have the procedural code, it is much easier to get information from the insurance company. Good luck!

Who said we can't win it? My brother is in Iraq, and as a soldier and an American, he believes that the US military CAN win in Iraq.

Everything Wheetsin posted is correct, but the biggest thing is you have to itemize in order to claim any medical expenses. If you do not file a Schedule-A with your taxes, there is no way I know of to take the medical deductions... And yes, the travel expenses to get to the doctors, and hotel bills if you had surgery away from home are also deductible as part of the medical expense.

There is a doctor in Denver that cost $9950.

Well darn. I guess my finger got trigger happy! :phanvan

From my understanding, there is fat around all of your organs, the stomach included. As you lose weight, the fat disappears as well. Therefore, the stomach becomes smaller. The fills are needed to keep the restriction around the stomach tight as the stomach gets smaller. However, I have only recently been banded myself so, I don't have any experience in this. It is just what I have read on here.

From my understanding, there is fat around all of your organs, the stomach included. As you lose weight, the fat disappears as well. Therefore, the stomach becomes smaller. The fills are needed to keep the restriction around the stomach tight as the stomach gets smaller. However, I have only recently been banded so, I don't have any experience in this. It is just what I have read on here.

Have you made any other changes, such as vitamins or supplements when you got your band? I had a rash on my foot that went up the back of my leg. I suffered with it for several months until I could find a dermatologist that could tell me possible causes. It ended up being too much dietary metals in my vitamins. So, I had to change vitamin brands. Just my 2 cents...

I'm a closet bandster also. I have not told anyone in my family, just because of the critizism I've had in the past from them. My husband knows and 1 friend. I took off 3 days from work and all I had to tell my principal was "female problems", and he did not want to know anymore! :biggrin1: My friend has yo-yo'ed with her weight for many years, and understands the issues with it. She has been very supportive and even called me on my way home from the hospital! That's a real friend, who took the time to remember the day and the time of my surgery! Good luck with your "closet"!