New Hope

Best of luck to you! And Good for You for doing your homework first!

There has been a rash of activity on here regarding Belighter.com and Ann Marie. As a result two threads have been locked. The offending posts have been deleted or trimmed. Currently, Ann Marie is using the name Hanna or Banding101. If you are disturbed by any other posts, threads, pms, and/or e-mails... please pm one of the moderators so this can be resolved (quickly and quietly). This notice is in no way meant to start an uproar from any party. Please, let's get back to the purpose of this forum....Support for LapBandsters!

Get your bellybutton pierced, Trish! LOL That's a cute story, thanks for sharing!

Hmmm, sounds a little like the "dealer prep" charges when you buy a new car. If your insurance covers the band surgery, they should cover your follow-up care. Good for you for finding out BEFORE you got stuck w/that surgeon.

Trish, believe it or not, everything will fall into place by the time your band date gets here. Congratulations!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! And many more!

Peg Leg, are you a he or a she? Congratulations on the great loss! Pat, great job! Guy or gal? Zoe, Chicago's not in Texas?

Janie, you're doing something right! You've done great! I understand what you mean. I'm really leary of getting too tight and having serious problems too.

Sounds like you're being very normal! A little like a roller coaster ride, isn't it? The quick reply (located at the bottom of a thread you're reading) is simply that...an easy way to respond to that thread. You can go to any part (general discussion, etc.) of this forum that you want. It's just nice if a person stops and introduces themself first (and shares what they want to). You'll find if you post here very much, that you'll get to "know" the other bandsters here. They'll become an extended family to you. No matter what you're wondering about, there's usually someone here that's been through the same thing and will gladly respond. You'll be doing the same thing before you know it.

Most people being banded in Mexico do not have the co-morbidities (health problems) that the American health insurance companies consider for someone to qualify for WLS here in the States. There are several American health insurance companies that have specific exclusions about WLS - regardless of your need. Hopefully, more and more U.S. insurance companies will realize that this is a life-saving surgery, reduces current (or prevents future) health concerns (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, depression, etc.). Better health saves them $$ in hospitalizations, surgeries, prescriptions, and office visits. You're right, there are many qualified U.S. surgeons. But if somene is a cash-pay patient, those fees vary greatly from dr. to dr. (U.S. and Mexico). The lowest I've seen in the States is $12,000. The bandster has to also figure in the long-term costs to maintain their band. If they're fortunate enough to live close to Mexico, that's not an issue. But if they live a long distance, they have to budget for: time off work, air/drive travel, hotel, food. They must have a local follow-up dr. (confirmed direct) available (BEFORE) they're banded - in the event of complications. Even being banded in the U.S., a banded patient can have problems getting another band surgeon to accept them (unless, again, it's been directly preconfirmed beforehand). Things happen...patients move, the original band dr. moves or retires, etc., and the patient is left scrambling for a dr. to accept them. If they do find one, they're usually hit w/extremely high charges. WLS is something that a person really needs to take the time to fully understand...preband, banding surgery, and post-band care. It's not just about what surgeon has the cheapest price, but also about that surgeon's experience, his/her patients' feedback, hospital facility used, surgeon's availability, his/her staff, and after-care quality. The lapband is a life-changing tool that (hopefully) will last a patient a lifetime and give that person the power to take back their health and get out there and live life to it's fullest.

Joannie, What do you mean by "fasting before your diet"?

Psst., Greg, Becky's b-a-c-k! LOL

The very best of luck to you, Sharon! You're in for a wonderful life change!

Like you can really chit-chat right then! LOL

Jonathan, wonderful! I've switched to decaffeinated tea. It tastes the same and won't keep you up at night.

There's no set time frame as to when to get a fill. If you don't need one, then wait. You can always get it later.

Darcy, thanks for the "wake up call"! It is so easy to forget how far we've already come.

Julie, that's wonderful! Keep up the good work and try lots of different things. Just remember to cut food into little, bitty pieces and chew, chew, chew.

Jen, have you tried tracking on www.fitday.com? It will help you an idea of what types of food (and amounts) that you're eating. Are you getting your waterload in daily (but not w/meals or one houe afterwards)?

Good for you, Jaimie! And it's not just about losing weight. A person can have high cholesterol and/or a silent heart attack and be skinny as a rail. Sounds like you're helping your whole family live healthier. Keep up the good work!

Rachel, you're getting back your health with the help of a little silicone band. This is a wonderful oportunity that you'll be so glad you got. Best of luck to you!!

Aren't they fun?

Regardless of what health insurance you have, the bottom line is going to be what your employer has contracted with the insurance co. You need to check with your benefits coordinator to find out what you do or don't have. Ex. Is weight reduction surgery included, and if so what type of surgery (gastric bypass, lapband, etc.). Or they may have a specific exclusion on any or all WLS. You really need to check direct to find out what you have available. Good luck!

Brenda, you need to keep a filled prescription for Phenergan suppositories on hand (for vomiting). Also, simple hand washing halts a lot of germs (which are on everything we touch). Waterless hand cleaner is also effective. Eat healthy, try to avoid anyone who has the flu, and hope you are lucky.

It's a lot like baby spit-up (undigested food that gets "stuck" in the esophagus). It's usually caused from eating too fast or swallowing too big a bite. We need to take our time and chew, chew, chew before swallowing. It can be quite painful. A "pb" can also be caused when a bandster gets a too tight a fill. (A fill is saline that is put in the band to help restrict amount of food intake). Removing some of the fill will relieve this. Excess pbing is bad, can lead to band slippage and other problems.