taylorrae9

Lisa, I have been following your posts for a while now and hope that you get a break a heal well. Good luck on your journey.

Penni you look so happy. Congradulations! Melanie

Therese, I hope your surgury goes well. I know I posted that I was in alot of pain but I later found out that the discharging doctor prescribed a low dose of pain meds for me. As a result I had a lot of pain and had a gall bladder removal as well. SO between the two it is not the norm. I am feeling better and I am getting around pretty well. I have lost 30 pounds since I came home and am hoping to get better soon. So good luck and I with pray that you have the perfect experience and that it easy for you. Melanie

Hi Guys, I am newly banded and have a few questions. When I lay down I feel a lot of pressed at the breast bone level. I had surgury five days ago and am wondering if this is normal. It happens more at night and I am sleeping more in the mornings because of it. I thought it was gas but that has eased up some. It could simply be swellling. I will call the doctor on Monday but was just wondering if you all had trouble lying down and sleeping/ Also burping causes a liltle pain around the same area. ALSO ... I am on Clear Liquids and seem to be tolerating this well. My partner is suggesting that I try and go to thick liquids and I feel hungry but want to not cause any damage to my lapband. She had the RNY and was eating some more condensed food by the this time. Did I say I am very hungry? She suggested some creamy Soups or yogurt but that is at week two. The end of week two I think. It is not as clear as I hoped because everything says 1-2 weeks...2-3 weeks.... Thanks for all your help.

Hi Guys, I am home from the hospital and have my band. I am sore but am getting better already/ :Bunny I Will email soon. Melanie

Hello everyone I am on the mend and am having all the challenges I have read about. I have pain, gas pain, watery stools and am hungry. At moments... I have cried and wondered if I made a mistake...but soon recover. It is also hard because I was on pain meds and motrin which I was told I would be able to continue but upon discharge I was told not to. My MD was not there. The hospital went into strike and I felt pretty dumped in the end. It is so funny because they quote that they have after care unlike Mexico but I failed to get that defined. So I am in pain and the liquid pain meds are not working well for me. I took my pills but they did not work well either. SO maybe I will be forced off the meds after all. The good news is ....I got up and showered again, took a walk and spent some time watch Elf with the kids. They are off the a fairy show in the morning. My helpful friends had a lot of stuff on their own plate so we flew by the seat of our pants. The 1st day home I had to call for help because my partner thought I would be able to care for the children by myself for a few hours. I found myself crawling around to change the baby's diaper all the while thinking I chose this insanity. Well it is the weekend now. Everyone is home and we are managing. I think I recommend bringing some relative to help you when you have small children. I'll post again when I feel a bit better. :banana

Hello everyone I am on the mend and am having all the challenges I have read about. I have pain, gas pain, watery stools and am hungry. At moments... I have cried and wondered if I made a mistake...but soon recover. It is also hard because I was on pain meds and motrin which I was told I would be able to continue but upon discharge I was told not to. My MD was not there. The hospital went into strike and I felt pretty dumped in the end. It is so funny because they quote that they have after care unlike Mexico but I failed to get that defined. So I am in pain and the liquid pain meds are not working well for me. I took my pills but they did not work well either. SO maybe I will be forced off the meds after all. The good news is ....I got up and showered again, took a walk and spent some time watch Elf with the kids. They are off the a fairy show in the morning. My helpful friends had a lot of stuff on their own plate so we flew by the seat of our pants. The 1st day home I had to call for help because my partner thought I would be able to care for the children by myself for a few hours. I found myself crawling around to change the baby's diaper all the while thinking I chose this insanity. Well it is the weekend now. Everyone is home and we are managing. I think I recommend bringing some relative to help you when you have small children. I'll post again when I feel a bit better. :banana

I am hurting and am trying to convince everyone here that I will be better soon. The kids are crying but I can talk to them to sooth them. My partnet is putting them down now. I am trying to sip fluids slower and am hungry but am not willing to do anything but what is recommended for me to do. I just wish I knew how uncomfortable I was going to be, I think getting my gall ballder out made it a bit harder as well. They said it wil be about one week for the pain to disappear and I can't wait. My next post will be more up beaat I am sure. Hugs, Melanie

Hi guys, I moved my surgury date up to November 30th and would have gone on the 23th if I wasn't going on vacation to Yosmite with my family and friends for Thanksgiving. They asked me not to miss the vacation and I am trying to make it work between two major family trips. We are going to NY on December 17th-27. So I thought I should do it as soon as possible so I can enjoy my family. Then the doctor told me I wouldn't be able to lift anything over 10 pounds for four weeks and freaked I out. I will not be able to take care of my baby for 4 weeks and then I panicked. I had planned for one week or so but not that long. So some of my friends have promised to step up and help us out but I feel like it is a lot to ask for. I also thought I should hire a nanny but have been unable to find one. I wondered if I should put it off buy and wait for the baby to get older? Did you all have to wait four weeks to lift? I feel selfish charging to doctor bills and now this ==== it seems like a lot to put my family through. I feel like this is my best bet to be really there for them in the long run but yikes!!! I am really worried. :Bunny

Hello New banster - I will also be on liquids before surgury for one day. I admit I have been trying to not overeat but thinking that tomorrow I will not be able to has my mind working overtime. So ...Yes, it sounds like it is what you remember. I also will be on liquids for one day and we'll be ok. Try some clear juices and it may take the edge off. Let me know how you are and lets keep in touch since we are so close together. I live in Santa Rosa, CA. Melanie

Hi everyone, Thanks for all your support and information...I needed it. I am excited and scared all at the same time. And was cut off from the internet most of the week and missed reading all the posts. :cry Thanksgiving was good for me and my family but I am happy that I have some time to get adjusted to the band before Christmas. I was able to see to look at this holiday and say that Christmas will be totally different...in a lot of ways. I came home a night early from my trip to Yosemite so I will have some needed time to pack and get ready for Tuesday. I have a few unfinished tests they want done for Tue but they assure me that all will be okay come Monday morning since the surgury coordinator was out of the office for the holiday. I have to get proof of my pap, mamo being clear and up to date and redo some blood work because it is more than two weeks old. I have to do some quick money stuff as well so I am preparede to pay the 12,000. They also give you the option to buy a year to fours years of follow up care. I think I am going to buy the one year follow up care because they aid most hit their goal in a year. I am not sure how it will all work out but they said worst case is that I am put off to Decemeber 3. I couldn't help but think how much easier next Thanksgiving will be. I will be able to sled with the kids versus cheer them on. I will be able to hike Yosemite instead of visiting the day use area. I will carry my son down the cavern to see the caves instead of my partner carrying him the whole way. I almost did not go because I was afraid I would get stuck in the narrow tunnels. I have a friend who is almost the exact same size so I went down last when eveyone else left. I was really concerned but it was okay. The cavern was 160 feet straight down and over 200 in stairs. Every employee looked 10 years younger than their age and were incredibly fit. It gives a whole new meaning to stair stepping. In any event, I beleive that I will be at least 75 pounds lighter and able to run circles around my children. I have already lost 25 pounds and want to hit 200 pound by next year. althought that may sounds like a high goal weight it would be as huge step for me and would be as exciting as climbing half dome...actually more exciting to me.

Hey Guys, Thanks so much for your encouragement. I have decided to have the surgury and will hire a friends daughter to help out and another friend will be here for three weeks while my partner is at work. Then I will leave for New York and stay with my sister for the next two weeks for the Christmas Holiday. I think I will feel a little over whelmed but it should be okay. I am glad to have the 10 days with the kids just to relax with them before hand. My son if 16 months old and 25 pounds. So I am concerned that he will have a hard time because I am home with him most of the time. We adopted him eight months ago and I am worried that he will be upset if I am unable to care for him fulltime. This is why I chose the surgury in SF versus Mexico so I could be gone only one day. Also for my two older children as well since I take care of them as well. My partner is helpful but they seem to feel out of sorts when I am not around. I do need to look at why it will take two people to do what I do in a day and that is with canceling some of their scheduled activities. My partner basically said they could skip tutoring, irish dance, hip hop and brownies for one or two weeks. I will try and keep the tutoring and dance going but it will be a challenge. Their homework is huge job as well. I realize how much I do for them all. I have been working on them to pick out their clothes, clear and set the table and do some simple chores but they are not really that interested in keeping things in order or clean. Please understand - I am pretty easy going and all I am asking is for the dirty clothes to hit the hamper versus the floor. So I am little worried but I agree I will be a better Mom for all involved when I feel better, can bend and move easily and am less tired. The only thing I am really avoiding is all the concern that I have decided to self pay. I look at how we have paid for cars, houses, toys and many other things and believe that my health is far more important. I am also telling myself I will feel like doing more and will make up the money in work or not hiring a gardener or someother person to do the chores that have come to be to labor intensive. I am also wondering if people in general did the counseling after the lapband or if things felt pretty okay after a while. I read some people have a hard time and others don't. I am just praying that in two years I will be at or close to goal weight. I weigh 280 and am shooting for 200 even though the most I am supposed to weight is 169. I will be doing the happy dance at 200 since that seems to be a weight that I did not feel trapped in a body that did not work. I know I am rambling and it seems that as soon as every person I know is a sleep that is when my brain kicks in. I love this board and again thank you all for being here. It always is helpful when so many have walked your path and you know that you are in great company. Peace to all. Melanie

Hello Everyone, Well, I decided to go for the lapband and do the self pay with Dr. Jossart here in S.F. California. I will pay 12,500 and 4,000 for five years of follow up care for fills ect. I was going to try and find Dr. Ortiz but thought it would be easier on my children in I had it done close to home for one night. I just adopted my son eight months ago and really feel uncomfortable being away for too long. I have been home on disablity for over a year and think it is time I do something so I can really enjoy my children. I blew a disk and need to replace my left hip from a football accident that happen when I was 12. So I am doing the lapband ad my 1st procedure. My partner had gastric by-pass August 2003 and has lost 130 pounds. During that time my 8 year old daughter started to fall apart and came to believe we were not ever coming back. When we were in Kaiser there were a lot of complications for my partener and it turned into a 14 day hospital stay versus 5 days. She almost died and another woman did died. I was so overwhelemed with all the complications I saw. So for my children's sake who are 8, 7, and one I thought I'd keep in short and sweet in hopes of keeping their anxiety down and so I'd be around I chose the lapaband. It was hard because I would most likly have full coverage for the by-pass with Kaiser. I hope to recoup some of the money when I start feeling better and earning some extra money later down the line. I keep telling myself that I am worth it and I will be able to pay off the money as I get better. I watched Oprah the other night and they had done a special on a woman who had been 500 pounds. She lost 301 after by-pass surgury. Her story motivated me to do something. I too keep telling myself I can beat this by .... and the years keep passing and the medical problems keep mounting as my weight creeps up and up. She talked about the pain she was in and how she had come to accept it as normal and that she had some to point she was unable to move. Even though I am 300 pounds I feel the same way. I am in pain all the time and move more like I am eight verus 38. I need the help and while some have asled whya message I am sending my daughter by having used surgury to loose weight I hope that by being healthier they will follw my example of eating well and caring for myself. In fact, my daughter came in and saw some of Oprah with us and said something like you need to sweat to loose wieght like her to loose weight ...right. I don't think she gets that the surgery part is a tool but she inderstands the life style changes are necessary for me to feel better. I simply told her it was my turn to get better. My partner is better and while it seems that the weight loss with the lapband is slower I hope to loose 100 pounds. I am scared but I hope to be a sucess like so many people here. Thanks for listening to me ramble. The baby is up and I need to go. I hope all is well for everyone here. Take care, Melanie :banana

Thanks you guys for all your support and encouragement. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the decision to have the lapband but think it is the right one. I am reading about all the life style changes and all the work necessary to be sucessful and it scares me. My partner is pro by-pass but I am too scared to go that route even if it means paying cash. I have been reading every night and am grateful for this forum. It has let me know I am not alone and all my questions can be answered with a stroke of a computer key board. You all are great! I love my family and think the will be very happy in six months so it is a matter of just taking the first step. So I will keep you posted. Melanie

oops - make that 12/03/04

Hello everyone, Thank you so much for all the information you all have posted because it has been really helpful to me in making my decisions. The decision to have the lapband instead of the Gastric by-pass was easy but now I am not sure how to proceed. I am hoping that someone might have some ideas to help me. I met with Dr. Jossart from San Franscisco and he advised me that the lapband would be my best option and that my insurance would cover it. Also that I would most likely need to have my gall badder out at the same time. I did all the pre-opt tests and called to see when surgury could be. But they said thay they called my insurance and I was told that my insurance has an exclusion for weight loss surgery which I knew but was told they had been able to have the surgery covered for other patients. I was advised to try and go through my HP department but that they have not covered the lapband historically and would most likely not. I am able to get the gastric by-pass through Kaiser but really am afraid of the surgery. I was cautioned not to go to Mexico by my primarycare doctor, Dr. Jossart and my ortho doctor. They all said that the care was inconsistant and risky. I am uncomfortable with charging 12,000 and think 8,000 is a much better deal. I also asked if I could pay the difference between the gallbladder and the lapband but was told I would be charged 6500 from the hospital so they would be paid twice for the services. It just seems unfair to charge doublebut I am unsure how to approach this. Again, thank you all and I am amazed that there are so many people who have gone trhough the surgery and are doing so well. Thanks, Melanie :banana

Hello Everyone, I just wanted to give you a quick update. After speaking to my insurance company, hospital adminstrator and my doctor's billing department I was told I would have to pay about 12,000 - 14,000 for my lapband and that the gall ballder surgury would be "carved" out but in no way would they be able to adjust the fees for the amount they would recieve for my gallbladder removal. It seems that they have cut costs as much as they feel they can and historically they have tried to adjust this but have been unsucessful. Everyone cautioned me greatly about going to Mexico claiming they have had clean up they work done to people who have had no abilty to sue for damages done in Mexico. At this point, I was told that I should wait for the new band that will be released next year which will force down the costs here in the US. I am really disappointed but will keep looking into other insurance or something. I thank all of you and have learned so much reading all the posts late at night. Thanks, Melanie

Thanks Marie and Sarah, I will talk with the office and then the hospital to see if they can pt it all in writing and submit it to the insurance office and then if it is more than I can afford I will go to Mexico. Do you pay more when you go through a coordinator? This is what I was told that it costs about 1,000 more then calling the office directly. Againm thanks - putting it all on paper made me realize I have some serious stuff to check into. Melanie

Thanks Marie, My insurance will cover 70 percent of the MD for the gall bladder and 90 percent of the hospital. The lapband done on the same day will cost an additional 6500 for the hospital and 6000 for the doctor. So my costs could be over 15,000 all said and done. While Mexico is cheaper. I don't think I was clear. I was hoping to have the costs combined and pay for the band and a bit more but not twice for the same day. Thanks for your help. Melanie