Ms_Kb718

Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone who responded. We decided to err on the side of caution and cancel our trip. I asked my husband if he wanted me to postpone my surgery for another month and he said "Absolutely Not! You've already had to wait so long!" We will celebrate our anniversary locally and renew our vows in a ceremony with friends and family. I decided that I not only want to be 100% healed, but I also want to be able to eat regular food and I want time to lose enough weight to be able to enjoy all the things that we haven't been able to do during past vacations because of my weight (like zip-lining). Thanks again for the advice.

Hello Everyone, I am scheduled for surgery on June 21st. Hubby and I are booked for a weeklong trip to Jamaica to Celebrate our 10-year anniversary on July 13th. I spoke with my doctor's nurse and she said that unless there are any complications, they usually clear patients for travel 7-10 days after surgery. My question is whether or not you would have been up to going on vacation 3 weeks after surgery? I am just fine with lounging around and relaxing all week and I also understand that my diet will be limited and I am prepared to take my Protein supplements with me. We did purchase travel insurance so I am trying to decide if we should reschedule the trip or just try to stick with our plans. I know every person and their post-op experiences are different, but how did you feel 3 weeks after surgery and would you have felt comfortable traveling to a place like Jamaica?

Hello Everyone, I received a call this morning that my surgery has been pushed back from May 23rd to June 21st so I moved over from the May group. I am having a revision from a band that was placed in 2010. My pre-op nutrition class and hospital tour is scheduled for May 22nd and my 4-week pre-op diet begins May 23rd. Good luck to everyone!

I just received a call from my surgeon's office. My surgery has been pushed back until June 21st, so you can remove me from the list. I can't believe that I'm not more upset. June will be here before you know it and I feel fine about waiting. Good luck to everyone having surgery this month.

I hate to say it, but your Dr. may want to do them separately for financial reasons. He will get paid less if he does them together. You should ask him how it is in your best interest to be put under twice and be cut twice when both procedures can be done together.

Hello, I don't know about your hospital, but at my hospital children under 13 are not allowed in patient care areas (pre-op included) unless they are visiting mom and a new sibling after labor and delivery. Patients have the option to visit children in the 1st floor lobby if the doctor/nurse says it's ok. So the first thing you should do is check hospital policy. Even if my kids could come to the hospital, I think it would scare them to see me hooked up to an i.v. and being in pain and loopy from the drugs. That being said, I have 5 children ages 11, 9, 6, 4 and 16 months. The oldest is actually my stepson and I don't want my business getting back to his mom so I am only telling my 9 year-old that I am actually having surgery. I feel like the younger ones will either not understand or just worry. They will be dropped off with my parents the night before surgery and will stay with them until the day after I come home. My youngest has only been away from me for 1 night and she did much better than I thought she would. My mom didn't even want me to talk to her to say good night because she was doing so well. I insisted and of course she started crying when she heard my voice. This time I think I will just leave the kids alone and let them enjoy a few days with their grandparents. When they come home my husband will tell them that I am sick and that I will be ok, but they have to let me rest (yeah right) and help him take care of me. I also have thought about possibly dying during surgery and leaving my kids without a mother. I've decided to write a letter to each of my daughters, my stepson and my husband. I will give them to my parents to keep. If the worse case scenario happens, my parents will give the letters to my husband and he will make sure the kids get them when the time is right. I do fully expect to make it through surgery, but I just feel that writing the letters is something that I need to do.

I live in Anne Arundel County, MD about 20 miles from DC. I am a patient of Dr. Paul Lin at George Washington University Hospital. He is the chief of surgery and has a lot of experience with bariatric surgery revisions . I am scheduled for a conversion from a band to RNY on May 23rd. I'm just waiting for final approval from my insurance company. Dr. Lin spoke with the medical reviewer from my insurance company last week and he is confident that I will be approved. I had my band placed in 2010 by Dr. David von Rueden at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore.

Hello Everyone! My tentative date is May 23rd. I am in the process of trying to get a revision from a band to RNY. The request was submitted to my insurance on April 4th and on April 15th the medical reviewer for my insurance company responded with a letter approving my band removal. She also stated that while I am potentially a good candidate for a second weight loss procedure, she needs more information before medical necessity can be determined for the conversion to RNY. She requested to speak directly to my surgeon, she also needed more info on the amount of Fluid that had been added and removed from my band over the past 3 years (this was on a form that my former surgeon's office accidentally left out of my records) and she requested that I have a pre-op consult with the nutritionist to discuss my current dietary behavior and how that would change after surgery. My surgeon spoke to the medical reviewer on April 16th and I had a phone "consult" with the nutritionist on the 17th. I also had the coordinator from my former surgeon fax the missing info to my current insurance coordinator. All of the info was faxed over this past Friday, April 19th. Although I have not yet been approved, my doctor is confident that I will be, so I have been scheduled for surgery on May 23rd. I don't think I will fully accept it until I hear the final word from the insurance company, but after receiving a copy of the letter from the medical reviewer in the mail yesterday, it does sound as if she is leaning towards approving me. I am just so nervous.

For my first WLS (Lap Band) in 2010 I had Carefirst BCBS of Maryland 1. 6 visits w/nutritionist 2. mental health evaluation 3. sleep study 4. pulmonary function test 5. chest x-ray 6. upper gi 7. echocardiogram 8. blood work I currently have CoreSource (employer funded plan). I am waiting to be approved for a revision to RNY and I had to do: 1. blood work 2. echocardiogram (surgeon's requirement, NOT my insurance) 3. upper endoscopy to check the position of the band (surgeon's requirement, NOT my insurance) 4. mental health evaluation 5. After submitting to the insurance they asked that I have a consult with the nutritionist before they make a final decision so I spoke with her over the phone for 15 minutes last week and she faxed her report Friday morning.

"Girl, you are too nosey and need to stop minding my business!"

Good Luck!

I'm glad you called. Congratulations!

Why is your PERSONAL HEALTH up for discussion anyway? People (in-laws or not) need to learn their place. I wish someone would try to force their opinions/judgement/questions about MY health on me! My husband is not allowed to tell anyone about my surgery plans and that includes his family. Even if I hadn't spoken the words he would never tell anyone anyway. I don't know if they would have anything negative to say or not and if they did, they wouldn't say it to me! I just don't think it is any of their business. Not that I care what other people think, but I'm not going to give them the opportunity to ATTEMPT to volunteer their opinion. I've only told my parents, my sister and a close cousin about my plans. You need to do what's best for you and tell them that you are not concerned with whether or not they understand your dieting and/or exercise habits. I'm sure there is a nicer way of telling them to mind their own business, but someone else will have to help you with that...

You should call and ask for a status update. My surgeon's office submitted my paperwork last Thursday and I will be calling for a status update this Thursday. How long do they have before they are required to give you an answer? My insurance has to respond within 15 calendar days so I don't think it's too soon for me to check in after 1 week. It's been over a month for you, so definitely call. Good luck!

Can't you just get a new doctor? One that will work for you since you are the patient and you pay him for his services! Seriously, find a new PCP.

You should definitely call before you go. I have a feeling they will cancel your procedure anyway when you tell them that you have been taking Aleve. Before my EGD my nurse made me verbally admit in front of the doc that I was mistaken when I said that I had taken motrin the previous 5 days. I haven't taken motrin since 2010 prior to getting banded, but for some reason my brain was working a little slow that morning and I said yes when I asked. The nurse originally thought I was lying so they wouldn't cancel the procedure.

Hello, I've been banded since 2010. I've been steadily gaining weight over the past year, have no restriction even with several fills in the past few months and I have been experiencing a lot of reflux and incessant hiccups. I had an Upper GI Series last week and an Upper Endoscopy yesterday and my band has slipped up to the base of my esophagus in the cardia region. I've only heard of the band slipping down with the stomach sliding up over the band. Has anyone ever had their band slip up?

Hello, I've been banded since 2010. I've been steadily gaining weight over the past year, have no restriction even with several fills in the past few months and I have been experiencing a lot of reflux and incessant hiccups. I had an Upper GI Series last week and an Upper Endoscopy yesterday and my band has slipped up to the base of my esophagus in the cardia region. I've only heard of the band slipping down with the stomach sliding up over the band. Has anyone ever had their band slip up?

I live in Anne Arundel County, MD, but I will be having surgery in Washington, DC

Hello Everyone! My name is Keke and I just wanted to introduce myself. I am going through the process of converting from a Realize Band to RNY. Once I have my EKG next week, the paperwork will be submitted for insurance approval. Luckily my insurance company only requires that my band be at least 2 years old with less than 50% of my excess weight lost. Since I actually weigh a few pounds more than I did when I got my band in 2010, I am not anticipating any problems with insurance approval. My band to RNY conversion will be done at GWU Hospital in Washington, DC. I have my Upper GI this coming Friday and then my EDG next week. I see my surgeon on 2/27 for final pre-op consult and I should get my surgery date then. I am hoping for a late March or early April date. I am nervous, but excited. I am looking forward to starting the next chapter. I feel like I have wasted so much time with this band.