faithmd

Totally depends on what each surgeon charges. In my area (SE Michigan) I've seen $19,000 packages and $12,900 packages within an hour's drive. Believe it or not, the $12,900 surgeon is one of the more experienced around here. You may wish to yahoo or google "lapband" and "NY surgeons" and check their sites for costs. Maybe look through the threads in the New York forum?

Brandy, I was just noticing that I feel this way, too! I haven't yet been banded, but have made significant changes in how I eat. Just the tweaks I've made in my diet in preparation for eating post-band have seemed to change my tastebuds or my cravings or something. I no longer seem to crave bread or potatoes or sweets (limiting my intake of simple sugars and even artificial sweeteners has helped this), and I can easily pick up some fast food for my DH and not even consider getting something for myself. As recently as five weeks ago, I'd buy him dinner, me dinner and I'd buy something more to stuff into my face before I even got home. Amazing how eating better just perpetuates itself. I hope, hope, hope that the pre-op diet my surgeon's office requires you to buy (that I am assuming is full of artifical sweeteners) will not sabotage me. I fully believe that avoiding as much Splenda and aspartame as I can has helped immensely. Wonder if I can use that as grounds not to purchase it? Hmmmm. I hope I never eat the way I used to consider "normal" again.

I echo your sentiments, we'll sit together with all of our fingers and toes crossed, okay? I'm hoping, hoping, hoping

Where are you located, famous? Are you in another country where the LapBand isn't the primary band being used?

There is another restrictive procedure that has been used for a while and is growing in popularity (which is evident on obesityhelp): The Vertical Gastrectomy procedure (also called vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Greater Curvature Gastrectomy, Parietal Gastrectomy, Gastric Reduction and even Vertical Gastroplasty) is performed by approximately 15 surgeons worldwide (this number is probably no longer accurate, many MD's are learning and offering this surgery). The originally procedure, conceived by Dr. D Johnston in England, was called The Magenstrasse and Mill Operation. It generates weight loss by restricting the amount of food that can be eaten (removal of stomach or vertical gastrectomy) without any bypass of the intestines or malabsorption. The stomach pouch is usually made smaller than the pouch used in the Duodenal Switch.

Aha! Gastric banding truly can mean more than one thing. The LapBand is Adjustable Gastric Banding. I wonder if your insurance company is talking about Vertical Banded Gastroplasty, here's a breakdown on the two procedures: Purely restrictive operations for obesity include adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). Adjustable gastric banding. In this procedure, a hollow band made of silicone rubber is placed around the stomach near its upper end, creating a small pouch and a narrow passage into the rest of the stomach (figure 2). The band is then inflated with a salt solution through a tube that connects the band to an access port placed under the skin. It can be tightened or loosened over time to change the size of the passage by increasing or decreasing the amount of salt solution. Vertical banded gastroplasty. VBG uses both a band and staples to create a small stomach pouch, as illustrated in figure 3. Once the most common restrictive operation, VBG is not often used today.

LapBand is the name of a band that can be placed during gastric banding. There are other bands out there in the world, but in the US, the LapBand owned by Allergan is the only one that is currently FDA approved and being used. There are several varieties of LapBand and you can find that information on the Allergan site www.lapband.com

Here's the thread that tells you all about it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/get-ticker-your-t16218.html

I would echo the walking, from all I read that helps the most. Gas-x and Tums are helpful when the gas works itself into the GI tract, but at first the pains are from the gas that is OUTSIDE of your intestines (where they insufflated you (puffed you up) with it to visualize your insides. For that gas, nothing you take will really help all that much, you have to get moving to get it out. And please follow your MD's diet, if you are not supposed to have full liquids or cream Soups yet, try to hold off. The Protein does certainly help a lot! Get some unflavored Protein powder like

You can also get Unjury protein powder that is unflavored, many people add it to their liquids, and into recipes, too.

Hello aprilmarie and congrats on your band!! It is fascinating how many doctors are soooo different in their pre-op and post-op plans. But they all have their beliefs, I guess. Yes, the psych and all the other stuff lots of us have had to do is because of insurance. The hoops you have to jump through are insane! You asked how to put the ticker in your posts, here's a link to a thread that explains it pretty well: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/get-ticker-your-t16218.html

Excellent! Glad to hear it all went well! Teachlady, you're in the home stretch!

Hi Monkey and welcome! Use the search function found on the blue bar in the top 1/3 of the page and you'll find TONS of threads about the return to work question. It seems to be different for everyone, reading through som other threads might give you an idea of what different people have done. Here is a link to a thread that also has a Poll on it, pretty cool! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/soon-after-surgery-t31539.html?t=31539

Very interesting, Dr. C!

And here's a list I made for myself (I gathered it from digging through posts here and on other sites): Pre-op to do: Insurance approval Mark stomach/abdomen using Sharpie with “Lap Band” and where waistband/bra sit so surgeon knows. Pics just before surgery, clothed and nekkid (choose one outfit to wear for each picture along journey-maybe buy couple sizes of same items) • Check with Pharmacy if your medications are “crushable” (able to be crushed without causing problem with effectiveness). • Get rid of all the foods in the house you are not able to eat, before you go to the hospital. • Buy all the groceries you will need for at least 2 weeks after surgery. • Catch up on your laundry and housecleaning. • Make arrangements for someone else to prepare family meals – You may not feel like cooking for some time. Buy a Magic Bullet/blender Buy a scale (food and weight) Shopping list:Checklist FOOD For fluid stage: • Bottled water – plain or flavored, some like Propel or Fruit20 • Popsicles (sugar-free as needed) • Crystal Light • Crystal Light “On the GO” in different flavors - add to bottled water • Jello (sugar-free) • Gatorade • Bouillon or chicken/beef/veggie broths Protein Boullion (Better Than Boullion-“BTB” @Krogers with Knorr soups) • Ensure, Boost, Glucerna - or whatever protein drink the Dietitian asked you to drink based on your history* • Protein powder for shakes* • Frozen fruits for protein shakes • Clear soups • Decaf tea Baby juices, esp apple/prune • Hot cocoa mix (sugar-free) Egg drop soup Silk soy milk Butterball broth For creamy stage: • Cream of Wheat • Creamy soups (Campbell’s Gold soups are really good) • Applesauce Baby food (Target and Walmart have best prices) • Yogurt - Dannon Lite N' Fit • "Imagine" Soups - in cartons (Potato Leek, Butternut, Squash, Corn, Creamy Tomato....and more. They are considerably lower in sodium than Campbell’s soups.) • Soup-at-Hand soups • Small pudding cups (sugar- and fat-free) - Take a spoonful to get meds to slide down easier •Sugar-free gum (ask your doctor) •Sugar-free breath mints (Ask your doctor) *Make sure to taste each item before you buy them in bulk For Mushies stage: Ricotta cheese with marinara sauce (baked) Check recipes forum on LBT DRUGSTORE • Liquid medications Tylenol (adult strength) (Walmart best price) Pain medications-get surgeon to write for before your surgery! Gas-X Strips! (Target and Walmart best prices) Milk of Magnesia or colace for constipation from drugs You will want these meds right away when you come home. It can be very difficult to find them in a liquid form. Check with the pharmacy beforehand to see if they stock them or how far in advance you will need to order them. At your preop visit (or earlier if needed), ask the doctor for prescriptions so that you will have them ready when you return home. • Chewable vitamins • Stool softener • Antihistamine cream (Do not put directly on incision), neosporin • Heating pad • Flexible ice pack • Pill cutter and pill crusher Sippy cup Gauze pads 4x4 • Non-irritating tape, such as paper tape • Kitchen timer – for 15 minute sip intervals for the first few days • Blender (magic bullet is only 225watt, Back To Basics Personl Blender Express at Walmart.com is 350W) • Wet Wipes or “adult baby wipes” like Cottonelle • Toilet tongs (long barbeque tongs) – Use if you are just too sore after the surgery to reach around and wipe your “behind”. Just wrap the wipes around the end to get an additional few inches so you don’t have to contort yourself. Medicine cups Nioxin or other hair shampoo Foodsaver (tilia, etc…) OTHER THINGS TO MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE • A few books or movies • Comfy clothes, such as loose-waisted shorts • Slip-on shoes • Squishy pillow for car ride -to cushion seatbuilt • For women, a sports bra – “doc said no underwire for a few days” Small cocktail forks and tiny spoons; small plates and bowls, try children’s size stuff Get some 3-40z rubbermaid containers

You'll find it in LapBand FAQs and References: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/lap-band-faqs-f73.html

You probably haven't done any damage (from what I've read on here), but try to get back on the wagon (so to speak) if you can until you hear from your nutritionist. You really do want to keep your stomach from trying to digest food. The "waves" the muscular stomach makes while digesting can cause stress on the sutures. Remember the lower part of your stomach is sutured up and over your band to hold it in place. the more the muscle contracts and moves around, the harder it is for sutures to "set" or heal in a moist environment. For a GREAT video of the band being placed (it helps to see it, that way you know exactly what's in there and how it's situated), check out: http://www.or-live.com/tgh/1593/ These guys really explain everything that's going on and why. Pretty cool webcast, IMHO. Don't beat yourself up, just shake it off and pick up where you were. And call that PITA nutritionist again tomorrow.

Rh incompatability isn't likely the reason for this one with those types. As I said earlier, it is very very often that we never know why this happens. I wish we did, I really do. I know that doesn't help a lot right now, you want to know why, you feel that you need to know why, but it just happens. It just does. Your partner needs some time too, unfortunately it is right when you need his support the very most. I wish we could all be there for you to give you a huge hug. It will be alright, it will take time. You have to take care of you. If he isn't coming around and is still treating you badly, seek some help. Counseling may be a very good idea if things don't settle down in time. Check out the site I put up the link for, it may help to talk to others who have been through a loss and had their partner react in a similar way.

Call the hospital, get an itemized bill, then call the insurance company and go over it. I was inpatient this summer for three days with a heart condition, had a Cardiac Cath, a Cardiac MRI and an ER visit and it only cost $30,000

Eficka mentioned that her scars are very red because she didn't know about it before she went on Holiday and exposed them to sunlight. Definitely cover them up!

Phatty, I am so sorry for your and your partner's loss. Losing a baby, no matter if you are in the first month, or the ninth month is very difficult. It is not the fault of the band. He is grieving as are you, and one of the stages in that grief is anger. You are both going through a tough time and need a chance to heal. The honest answer is that in most cases we do NOT know why women miscarry. It just happens, and I have to trust that it happens for a reason. I work in Neonatology (we take care of extremely sick and premature babies) and I can tell you from many years of experience, you can do EVERYTHING by the book, eat right, exercise right, avoid smoking, avoid alcohol, take no medications, and still have problems. You did not cause this intentionally. I do hope things get better for you, there are many loss groups out there, when you feel up to it you might want to look into them. Here's a link to one that has been around for a very long time, I hope that this helps in some way: http://www.nationalshareoffice.com/

Here's a link to a list of abbreviations and what they mean, it will help! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/abbreviations-and-they-t7959.html Welcome!!

Hello and welcome! No one will know for SURE about what your policy covers but your insurer. You need to give them a call and ask. Someone else could also have Aetna PPO but may have different riders on their policy than you do. The safest and best thing to do is give Aetna a call first thing tomorrow. Whatever they tell you, have them mail you a copy. You might need it later. I have read so many posts here and other places where people chimed in that they had the same insurance and it was covered, only to have the OP come back and say their policy had an exclusion for bariatric surgery, or for the band.

There sure was , the search function is a great thing, here's a link to the thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/long-your-hospital-t31338.html?t=31338

There are a few really great books out there, and here's a link to a pretty good site: http://www.glycemicindex.com/