teambrown4

I too would not consider Mexico for many reasons but if you won't consider that either then you do have options.

I'm in Cali and have an amazing dr but it's good to find someone close to you for all your visits pre and post op.

My total was 20k. I used my insurance for the Pysch visit and the endoscopy. The dr I used has a nutritionist on site an that visit was $25.

My cost includes all other lab work, my hospital stay and 5 years after care visits for check ups and nutritionist.

Because I was self pay I did not have to have the sleep study as that is something only an insurance company requires.

My ins co.(Cigna) had pre approved me after a 6 month diet monitored by a dr and three weeks befor surgery I was denied! I went through with it anyway.

Most all doctors have a finance company they work with for cash payments and I suggest you check into your dr office for that advice.

It was worth it to me! I know I could have paid less than half that in Mexico but the pre op and post po care needed to be close to me and for my family to be with me, as my hubby insisted on spending the night, it was just important!

Anyway there's lots of options so just do your research! I had seen two dr's before finding mine who had a seminar and then a consultation I went to.

I clicked right away And that was overall important. I read every review I could about him and asked tons of questions and was very happy with my choices.

Good luck to you!

You look great! Love the darker hair. Looks like a different person. Congrats on your success!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I'm on pins and needles waiting to know when I came at sushi again (I'm only 3.5weeks po) I hope someone can give you some advice that we can both learn from.

I for one was told stay away from fried foods, so maybe the tempura is what did u in? Also nothing wrapped will be easily digested (sea weed or typical Cali roll).

Stick with the rolls with baked rice or at Lear brown so it's very dense.

That's all the advise I got from my Nut, but she also said wait a few months. So far I've only had seafood that has been the closest thing to my wonderful sushi.

Good luck and I hope it passes and isnt a thing of the future for us.

So today is 3 weeks post op date. I am very glad that I am feeling better every week. The pain from the incision in the right side muscle was almost unbearable the first week and now it only bothers me when sitting too long.

I am totally used to burping in-between bites..lol.... not something I ever thought I would be comfrtable with, but it has to be done or food gets stuck. I had a bad weekend of trying new foods, and all feeling stuck.

As for the weight loss.... well I feel that I am a slow loser? I can see that lots of people have twice the success as me. I lost 9lbs the first week and 4 since then, nothign since last friday tho. I know that 12lbs is still something to be happy about. I could not even button my pants after surgery because of the iv fluids and gas inside me so at least I feel that I am fitting into my pants with ease.

I know that 12lbs in 3 weeks is something I would not have done on my own. I also know that not drinking alcohol or eating late night Snacks would still be happening if I did not have this surgery. It is a shame I could not have adopted this mind set before, as I am still always hungry, so I have been cranky.

The worst for me right now is the moods! I am hungry... my dr says it is gas, and ummmmm noooooo it is hunger!! so I am depressed not to be able to fullfill that emtiona need sometimes, and then angry cause I am hungry and feel pain when I eat most of the time, so then angry for putting myself in the position of being so over weight that I had to have surgery and then I feel sad that I have so many restrictions which make it hard to enjoy being out with friends and family as we used to.

I am glad I made the choice to do something for me that will help change my life because I know that a year from now i will see this was all worth it.

good luck to all on your journey.

I completley agree! I am also 3 weeks out and I lost 9 pounds the first week, then 3 the past two weeks. Last week I gained 1.5lbs, and lost it, but do not count that loss of course. I think it was because of my period. Which came two weeks early too. i have heard that is an issue for a lot of people too.

I think 12lbs in 3 weeks sounds like a lot, and yes it is... however not when you consider I am following my dr's diet and exercise advice and others i see lose at least twice as much as this. I haven't lost since friday, and that is ok if it is just gonna be a few pounds a week, that is great in a year from now... but I get how you feel right now... just seems like we are doing something wrong, but i know I am not and just have to tell myself to have patience.

Afterall at 42, this weight came on after years and years of being unmotivated, lazy, and hungry-lol... so it will take time to lose it I know! However despite what my doctor says, I am still hungry,... it is not gas pain, it is hunger! so this is still as hard as it ever was to diet, as I am just hungry!

Oh well.... all in due time...

Good luck to you on your journey as well.

Thanks for the tip!

I too am 3 weeks po and have lost 10.5lbs! I feel like its nothing compared to those I know and those here I read about.

Sorta depresses me but I too have told myself to stay away from the scale.

I know I'm following my dr's food and exercise advice so eventually things will start moving for me, they have to!!!!

Hang in there and lets hope we can move past this and into the next phase.

Yep!!!! It was just a nightmare dealing with Cigna! Being approved then not then being told what to do to get approved by them only to have them dent 3 weeks before (again)!

I have many personal reasons for not going to Mexico that I just couldn't see doing but many have had success there.

Care credit is a good loan option the dr office can tell u about.

I ended up paying 20k!!! Yikes... But for the surgeon I wanted and hospital too and 5 years after care it was worth it for my peace of mind for my health.

Now with that said.. Am I glad? Well I'm only 3 weeks out an not losing but I think it'll pay off if I stay patient and disciplined!

Good luck to you!!

I too came home about 7lbs heavier too. I lost it in a week then was the weight i was day of surgery.... :-(

but honestly I don't know if the First few Weeks are golden cause I'm three weeks out and only down 10lbs.

I too am Following my dr's advice on diet and exercise and it's just not coming off :-(

I'm sure it's different for us all!!! I'm trying to be patient as its all I can do not to regret!

Time will tell ;/)

Cigna gave me a pre-approval with my 6mo requirements and then 3 weeks before surgery they denied. I appealed and they were quick to deny again! I went ahead and got a medical loan and paid the (gulp)20k!! Mexico wasn't an option for me on a personal level but a LOT of people go there and have great success for less than half of what I paid. So check into that. Good luck

Cigna gave me a pre-approval with my 6mo requirements and then 3 weeks before surgery they denied. I appealed and they were quick to deny again! I went ahead and got a medical loan and paid the (gulp)20k!! Mexico wasn't an option for me on a personal level but a LOT of people go there and have great success for less than half of what I paid. So check into that. Good luck

That's a great post! Thanks for sharing. I was so ready to make a comment on the drinks until I saw your ps-lol

Congrats on your loss and work and good luck on the rest of your journey!:-)

Ahhhhhhhh I feel ya! I didn't have a preop diet but 9 days after surgery I weighed in and lots only 8lbs. It's been 8 more days and I gained a pound and a half (yes gained) then lost half a pound as of today. It's so discouraging!

I'm following my dr's diet and exercise advice and it's just not moving! Very discouraging.

This is my third week and I just feel so tired and blahhhhhhhhh

I went through almost the same thing with Cigna! Well it was 3 weeks out and I hadn't fasted yet tho! I was crushed and cried that entire day and then said... No this is really important and I jut gotta folloow through.

So I kept my surgery date, used my savings and 20k & 3 weeka later I had my surgery on 2/13/12.

I'm not done writing and submitting info and bills to Cigna, but I just had to get through it!

I wih you lots of luck! if you have the time then email & call them daily! Submit statistics for the long term Health issues and pictures and whatever u can gather to get ONE PERSON to look at u and make te Change!

To approve band and not sleeve makes no sense! State the fact that there's more long term office visits with the band for the constant maintaince and the slippage rates and so on! It's ridiculous to approve any if not all!

Wish u luck

-14 That's great! I was only minus -8:-( but some of my nutrition classmates are -26 & -22(hell if I know how)! You're the norm!!!

Good job!!!!!!

Thanks all! I just had to vent and having nobody that has gone through this to talk to its rough so it ends up here with people that understand!

I'm not feeling regret or like I'm failing, but wondered what I'm doing wrong but when I lay it all out.... There is Nothing! Really... I'm doing as dr says so I'm sure it'll all work out the way I hope it will.

I'm enjoying learning new goods that are god for me and the family! And I do feel better everyday.

Just gotta stay positive right? :-)

Today is my two week po. I went into the dr on day 10 and had lost 8lbs. Of course dr said its all Water and such and not to expect that as a rule.

He said -3lb a week is the norm. And although my classmates in surgery same day (Same Dr all lost more than me).

So I follow his dietary instructions... Keep calories 700-1000 (I'm just barely getting the 700), and 60gram Protein (that's easy), 8 cups of Water (no problem) and under 100 carbs (not even coming close to half) and under 20g fat (max has been 11 so far) plus 30min walking daily.. I'm doing at least that and some days I use treadmill too.

I got frustrated end of last week so said only weigh in on weekly basis... Soooo here I am week two and I GAINED ONE POUND!!!

It's not period weight (not close enough) and not muscle as I haven't toned any muscles or used them enough to consider that per my nurses feedback on my gain after talking to her today.

Her really only thought was maybe I'm not eating enough? how would more food help?

I eat until I'm full and am tracking all calories and ingredients to a T with myfitnesspal, so I read it all to her for a few diff days and she says .. Well that's a puzzle.

I know one sameday classmate told me today she is down -26 and the other -22!!! Wtf??? They're both my size and although one is much younger they say we are basically eating the same and the one with the most loss says she only drinks maybe 2-3 cups of water a day.

I know we are ALL different... I'm not saying I must be where they are I'm only saying I wonder why I am not close? I want to be sure I'm not missing something obvious?

We text each other a lot and one is eating a lot more fat that me and than allowed and even eating candy and still -22 at two weeks!

Ughhhhhh just too frustrated! Losing super slow is depressing enough but A GAIN???? Omg!!!!

What the heck!!!!!!! :<

My pre-op Questionaire was like this:

Do you use a drain tube?

How many incisions will I have? (what he failed to tell me until I went to the hospital in horrible pain on day four po was he has to cut into a muscle to get to my stomach then stitch it and it'll hurt like hell and affect every movement u make and do not ice it after day one, use heat or it'll spasm (which it did) & feel like an alien popping outta your side)... Yes I wish he prepared me there!

.......(cont).....

Will I see you before surgery?

How long will it take?

How long should it take for me to come out of anesthesia?

How long will I be in recovery before I see my family?

Will u update my family?

Do I have a private room for my family to wait in?

What type of pain should I expect?

What type of pain signals a problem?

Will I be allowed Water or ice after?

What medicine will I be on after?

How long until you do the upper gi for the leak test?

How long will I stay in the hospital?

Are u avail 24hrs by phone?

Ok..... Now here's the things that I wasn't ready for while in hospital....

*Nurses walking me very two hours without fail!

*The shot in the tummy before and after aurgery(I for one say it hurt)

*breathing treatments every 4 hours (even tho I'm not asthmatic and had an oxygen line in my nose try say its standard to clear out the lungs so u don't get phenumonia)

*the alien muscle-lol

*itching at the incision lines

*how horribly bad & painful the burping is trying to get out the gas they inflate U with (walking, sitting up at an incline and having someone rub circles on your back like patting a baby will get that out)

Otherwise I think I was very prepared!!! I had a rough first few days but now I'm two weeks po and started mushy food on day 10 and I think I'm doing pretty well.

I haven't lost anything near what the most people post, I was -8 week one and -11 by this second week but as long as I'm at least two pounds a week my dr says its a success. so I have to have patience!!!

Good luck

I have a multi, Calcium, Iron, B12, b1, d3... And a layout the dr suggested, multi, calcium(chew) ,& d3(chew) after bfast, then B12(chew),b1(chew) & iron (chew), after lunch, then another multi and calcium after dinner an one more calcium before bed.

Important fact- do not take iron or calcium at same time as they xcl each other out & you will get naseua.

I only have the multi capsule that's not chewable and my first day I was sick to my stomach all day after taking it.

I now take it while actually swallowing food. Best for me is either in my spoon of activia or nf cottage cheese.< /p>

The calcium chew is really big and sorta bitter so I try to take small bites of that along with bites of foods too.

No more nausea now!

I had one week clear liquids & SF Popsicles then was on mushy foods on day 9. Activia was the easiest and best. NF Cottage cheese went down great. SF tapioca pudding SF Jello. I still use an love the Protein gem (looks like jello cups) because it tastes like jello but has 25g protein!! I have an egg white lightly scrambled and cottage cheese for Breakfast and healthy choice Thai chicken and brown rice for lunch and mostly some other type of bean Soup and cottage cheese for dinner. Snacks of refried Beans and nonfat cheese too. It's a slow process but each week is better and you can add more variety.

Thanks for the share! it's encouraging! You look great and I wish you continued luck.

Thanks for the share! it's encouraging! You look great and I wish you continued luck.

They should offer a seminar. If so then go and go to another somewhere else to compare.

I did that and ended up with Dr Jeremy Korman of LA BARIATRICS in marina del ray. I had a fellow patient Who was from Sacramento and another from bakersfield, which shows something!!!

I couldn't consider that Lapland for me cause of the many issues and the hunger factor is still there and you have constant maintanece for long term. Just too many issues all together.

I was never more sure until i read about The sleeve and I got tht done 2/13/12. I am more than thrilled with my doctor and his entire staff! Which btw are all in one office... Pysch, NUT, plastics, therapist, exercise trainer and so on... So look at the overall benefits and of course their track record since the sleeve is sort of new.

Good luck!!

I am NOT trying to discourage you... Just sharing.... I went through the same thing with Cigna(open access plus), and after all was said and done they still denied my appeal after the 6mo and all paperwork from dr saying I needed it!

They said jut because my BMi was higher than their minimum, I didn't have a "health risk", stating diabetic & high blood pressure.

My response included the fact that I'm next in line for those things and my medical will be used for sure for a very long time for care and even heart and cholesterol issues and so so on...

Another month went by and another denial!

My resolution was a $20k medical loan and my sleeve was done 2-13!

At some point (2years), I had to bite the bullet and take care of what I knew I needed!!!

Now... I hope hope hope your outcome is successful. And if not that you have options!!!

Just wanted u to prepare...

Good luck!!!

Yep it's an every day thing forever.

I have my multi,

Calcium citrate(must be this type of citrate calcium because we no longer produce the acids in our stomach as before),

Iron,

D3

B1

B12

And I take the Biotin to help with the Hair loss. My dr said he didn't approve or disapprove of that one but it won't hurt.