Evilah

I did alot of faxing to get the insurance process moving. I can't believe I'm still out in July. I was sure I was going to be done in June. The coordinator "broke the news" to me yesterday. I had my intake in April and at the seminar I was told the surgery for insurance is 6 weeks out from intake including insurance approvals, etc. I gathered and submitted my weight history myself and repeatedly called my insurance and still I am 3 months out from intake for surgery. That's TWICE the amount of time... I'm so glad everything is coming together for you! I'm nervous and excited and I don't know what to eat. My problem is that I go up and down with my weight. I know how to lose weight, I just don't know how not to gain it during stressful times. That's like the story of my life, gain during stressful times, lose during peaceful times. Summers are usually when I lose weight and I normally I would be on a huge diet/excercise adventure right now, but I'm confused and I don't know if I should have my last go with food, see how much I can lose before the surgery, load up on Vitamins and good stuff so I can heal... I don't know! I am excercising and taking vitamins to keep my body healthy so I can heal. Currently fighting some nasty allergies! How are you? Evilah

Did wearing supportive underwear/shorts/tanks/bras/leggings help your skin shrink back?

lauren! YAY! That's awesome. How long have you been waiting? Evilah (I started deciding I wanted to go this route in february after swearing to lose weight in June of last year, and I lost 27, gained back 15, so here I am.)

just because the band is overpriced, DOES NOT mean the band surgery isn't good. that's nuts. just go buy inamed stock and get some dividends.

trying out my signature

Thanks tracy, I'm trying to keep myself together until the surgery date. If you bump it, they will come. lol! evilah

wow, I'm nervous about surgery and it helps to hear people saying that they would do it again even someone who had complications! evilah

Does anyone else know they are having surgery in July?

I've been really frustrated with my cpap, and I hope to just quit using it entirely after I've lost 75-100. I did not like having a sleep study, and I would only do it again if I suspected I still had sleep apnea after significant weight loss. evilah

mimin, do you plan to have anymore plastic surgery? evilah

a friend drank tons of soy milk while she was pregnant and her son was born with a malformed penis (the hole was on the side) and he had to have surgery to correct it. Her son's doctor asked her if she consumed alot of soy, and told her that soy estrogens cause that type of malformation in baby boys.

omg! MIMIN, you've lost almost 100 lbs. in about 8 months? that's wild. evilah

I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07! Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

ho god! I went to the dentist today and my mouth is still sore. Bleck. It intensifies my fear of surgery. Best wishes to everyone having surgery this week! I didn't go to the seminar tonight because i was feeling cruddy-- I had a mercury filling removed/replaced and I feel weird. I'm wondering if I breathed or swallowed a little too much alloy. The support group next Monday at St. Joshep-- are you guys going? Even if you just had surgery? Evilah

Do some more research, I think most of the people who do the lap band and are successful with it do exhaustive research before hand about the risks, the expected outcome, the commitment on their part to diet and restriction. It's a huge step and depending on where you live, there should be several good doctors in 2 hours driving distance. Just postpone it and keep doing research in the meantime-- this site is a great resource for info. Take your time, be wary, learn as much as you can, Evilah

suzzie, I go for my pre-op endoscopy, and maybe labs too (if insurance paperwork is there by then) on friday the 18th!!! I hope to get my surgery date then too! evilah

now I'm so nervous!!! I keep thinking, am I going to have a bad outcome? Then I think I am being too paranoid! I don't know what to think! evilah

I bet some of the anorexia web sites would have good ideas about how to hide your eating habits in public. I'm not joking, I am also afraid of how I'll look in public and how I will avoid eating without broadcasting the state of my lap-banded stomach to the world. At least I don't go to church luncheons anymore like I did when I was living at home, those were terrible. If you're too fat, then you couldn't look like you ate too much, if you're too thin then you have to look like you're eating alot. Someone inevitably asks you midbite if you've lost/gained weight. It's like the dentist asking you about your flossing habits while your mouth is propped open with a hand in it. Evilah

No date yet, but I start my pre-op testing friday. evilah

I've decided where to go, my insurance made it easy--- the doctor I already saw is in-network, and the other doctor I wanted to see is NOt! So there, it's decided, where I'm going, and how it's getting paid for. I just have to eat my pre-op diet, do my pre-op testing, and anticipate the surgery date (which is yet to be scheduled due to paperwork being processed) Big relief. Although I have the overwhelming urge to eat a bag of chips and drink a 7UP now. LOL! Evilah

<p>In response to anyone who has been reading my posts telling my frustration and anxiety about picking a doctor, the decision has been made. I found out today that NWWLS is out-of-network for my insurance, and so surgery with them would not necessarily be paid for, and if so, not at the higher rate at which it pays to dr. oh, who is in-network. </p> <p> </p> <p>I feel so light, like I could float away! The weekend fretting about this wasn't so bad!!!</p> <p> </p> <p>Evilah</p>

wenjea! After I had my c-section, I did a little experiment on myself. My doctor removed my staples before I was ready for them to be removed. I know you get a frankenstein scar from staples left in too long, but if they're taken out early, bad keloids can form, and I've gotten those before. In fact I have one on my nose from a bad pimple wound (lol) Anyway, after the staples were taken out, I religiously maintained closely spaced steri-stripped one side of the incision, and on the other side I did what the doctor said-- leave them alone until they fall off then keep the area clean. Well, there is a keloid line on my right side where I followed the instructions, and a nearly invisible line on the other side where I steri-stripped with devotion. After the outside heals, the lower layers of skin are still split. The strength of the outer skin that healed is weak, and needs the extra support from the steristrips to stay closed and assist the lower layers of skin while healing. My mom is a wound nurse, if you have anymore questions, I'll ask my mom. I'm having the same surgery with the same doctor so I'll probably want to ask an questions you want to ask. Pass them on! Evilah

nice ticker. Turtles are my mascot! Merrillee, I know, this indecision is madness! I chose Dr. Oh because he's been doing all kinds of weight loss surgery for over 2 decades, and st. francis is a center of excellence, meaning proven low complication rates. When I made the decision I didn't know much about NWWLS except that I heard some bad things about the staff when they were at Evergreen. Other than that, I knew nothing about them, and I was under the impression that they had started doing their surgeries in Everett. Anyway, at this point I'm leaning towards staying where I'm at. There will be a few long drives (45m-1hr) but after the surgery, if it's too hard, I'll just switch to NWWLS for aftercare. I keep coming up even when I compare the two places, even counting the convenience or inconvenience of the drive. But then, I'm going to their seminar tomorrow night, and maybe that will change my mind! Evilah

a lap band only support group? !! I don't know if I want to go to a support group with gastric bypass patients, they're experience with diet, and self-control, etc. seems to be so different. It would be very cool if you guys would start a dr oh/hirai/srikanth/fox lap band support group on the south side! evilah

lisah are you going to a support group there? evilah