DLW

Nessa, which one do I use? HTML? And where is my signature? Do I cut and paste it everytime I send a message? I don't get it. Sorry for being a bone head. Dianne

Thanks Nessa. I'll give it a try. :-)

Hi everyone! My surgery date is Nov. 5th! I'm excited about it and scared at the same time. I don't know how to really maneuver around on this site either. Like how to get the ticker, what the difference between the quick reply and new reply is. Hopefully I will get better because I really want to stay in touch with other November bandsters. Practice, practice I guess. I live near Cornell University and am having my banding done by Dr. Moon - Arnot Ogden Hosp. Blessings, Dianne

Hi Ann, thanks for replying. Good luck at your doctors appointment tomorrow! Will it take allot longer after they submit to your insurance though? Sometimes the insurance companies drag their feet. I've been reading things on this site and there actually is a place where they have things to have on hand before surgery. I'll have to go locate it again now and print it off. No, he won't start me on anything prior. My next visit with the surgeon is the same day as my pre op physical at the hospital. I go to see him right after. That will be on October 30th. Just a short time before surgery. I started back up on the atkins diet this past Saturday. I was on it for 3 1/2 and lost like 67 pounds. I went off the beginning of the summer, to have real summer type foods, and gained back like 30 of the 67 pounds! Keep me posted about your doctors appointment tomorrow. Dianne

Hi everyone. I'd like to know how your surgeries went and how you're feeling now. I'm scheduled to be banded November 5th and I'm scared. It's funny how that happens since I've been going through all the processes for the past 6 months to get here. Now it's here and approved it's like..... Augh!!!! I'm scared.

I'm being banded November 5th. Scared too. Maybe we could talk?

Hi all. I was just approved to have the surgery! I will be banded on November 5th. Like Karen I'm scared now. It's been a long time waiting - going through all the procedures to be banded. Like, endoscope, nutricionist, psycologist, stress test etc. Now that my insurance has approved the surgery and the scheduling has happened I'm scared. I'm scared of the puking, getting something stuck and all the other things that can happen. My surgeon has not put me on any liquid diet at all before surgery. They did say that I should diet prior to the surgery so the liver will be smaller though. Anyone else being banded in November or has been banded just recently? How are you doing? How is the recovery? I'm so grateful for the site. I'm now going to go look for some prior to surgery needs. Hope to get in contact with someone real soon. Dianne

Oh that would sooooo stink if I had to prove more diet attempts. Geeeez, what do they think anyway?? Like we haven't struggled with it long enough? Augh!

I have a grandson who was 9 this past July. My daughter and her husband have been trying for 8 years to have another baby but were not able to due to my daughters size. She had the gastric bypass 2 years ago this past April. She lost about 100 pounds. She became pregnant! Her due date is Dec. 23rd. As a matter of fact she is seeing a Perintologist today. The pregnancy is considered a high risk pregnancy. She will also find out today what she will be having. I'm excited about that! She did have an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago but they were not 100% as to the sex so they wouldn't confirm it. Looks like a girl though and my daughter is 100% convinced that it is. We shall see in a few hours. :-) I hope that it is a girl for her sake but my grandson would love to have a baby brother. lol A girl would be named Brooklynn Nichol and a boy would be Aiden Christopher. I had my physician send a letter to the surgeon with all the attempts for weight loss. I've pretty much been dieting on and off since I was about 13 years old. Hopefully the page long list of attempts will justify the surgery. Fingers crossed. Dianne

Nope, no surgery yet. I have to go for my physical next Tuesday the 21st. They will then submit to my insurance company. I've already seen the psychologist and nutritionist and have gotten the go ahead. My insurance paid my initial visit with the doctor, which by the way was $1400 for a one hour visit! Wholly cow! He is in my insurance plan so they paid him like $550 and I paid a co-pay of $30. It would seem that if they paid the doctor the visit then they would more then likely pay for the surgery too. I really hope it goes smoothly so I'll be able to get it done and over with before my grand baby is born in December. Maybe a thinner gramma by then?? That would be very cool. Thanks for replying dmtjet. Dianne

Ash, how did your surgery turn out? You've been banded a little over a month now? I haven't a date for my surgery yet. I'll be having a physical on the 21st though. How are you doing with the banding? Have you had your first fill yet? How was that? How was the eating for the first few weeks? Sorry so many questions, I just want to be prepared before having the surgery. Thanks Ash, Dianne

It's so good to hear from someone considering the same doc! Yeah! I went for my visit with Colleen, nutricioniist (sp?) and then with the psychologist, I can't remember her name though. I have my physical this coming Tuesday. I guess they'll submit to my insurance company from there. Have you seen Dr. Moon yet? I only met him once, for my initial visit. I liked him. My daughter had the gastric bypass 2 years ago this past April. She had Dr. McKane. Dr. Moon is a specialist with the laproscopic procedure. Dr. McKane did my daughters surgery "open". She had a long recooperation period. Where do you live? Elmira? I live in Newfield, close to Ithaca. Thanks for posting Amaara and I hope that we will be able to stay in touch. Dianne

Thanks for all the feedback. The 14th is just around the corner. I'm excited about getting one step closer. I'm praying that my insurance will cover this procedure. My first doctors appointment, which lasted only an hour with the surgeon, was billed to my insurance company at $1300! Wow!! Could you imagine getting $1300 an hour just for explaining the procedure to someone? Of course they were only paid $500 from my insurance (because they are in network) then I had my $30 co-pay. I can't imagine how much the bill will be for the surgery let alone the hospital stay. I really can see why insurance company's turn down some procedures. It's sad but true. :-( Hopefully though I pray that I am excepted. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I venture forward? Thanks everyone. Dianne

Thanks for the replys. August 14th is coming and I'm looking forward to the next steps. I too have United Healthcare but it seems that the plan is different for pretty much every company and person. Hopefully mine will fly by with no catches. I would love to have this done and over with by December 25th since I will be a new gramma at that time. I'm very excited about that and want to be well enough and feeling better physically enough to help out with my new grandbaby. Thanks again everyone. Dianne

Tyanna... I am a 50 year old woman and I'm having my 1st visit with the nutritionist and psychologist on the 14th of August. Things will move quickly after that, if approved by my insurance of course. I did check into it and it seems like there should not be a problem. Anyway, my question to you is how overweight are you, how long did they say it would take to take off a substantial amount of weight? The reason for the questions??? Sometimes I feel like I may be too old to start doing this now especially if it will take like 5 years to reach a goal? I dunno. Guess I just may be second guessing what I'm doing, or maybe I'm just becoming afraid of going through with it? I'm 250lbs and would be very happy and content to be 180. Does anyone know how long that would take to achieve that? I am planning on sticking to the program and doing all that they say should be done also. I'm not a huge sweet eater but love bread and red meat, which I hear are 2 things that people who have the lapband surgery cannot eat much of anymore, especially white bread? I don't know if I could go without red meat either. Some say it's trial and error, you in agreement with that too? That after the surgery I'll have to try different foods out to see which ones can be tolerated and which ones can't? Please help and let me know how it's going for you since it's been a short time for you. Thank you, Dianne ps... I live in NY. I see you are from OH. I watch a program on TV about some surgeons from OH. It's on the learning channel I think. Called Big Medicine.

I just went to my first consultation this past Friday. I had to pay a $30 co-pay for the surgeon. I've made an appointment to see the nutritionist and psychologist in August. These are separate charges. One is $150 and the other is something like $100. I have United Healthcare also. I'm looking forward to August! Good luck to you eyespy but I'd look for alternatives too if I were you. $450 right up front sounds a bit pricey to me. Administrative fees?? Is that something like the filing paperwork fees they charge you for an extra bank statement? haha

Thanks for the quick response crabcake! So I guess it's a trial and error thing? I'm just concerned about the what's it called? PBing? Is that the right verbage for throwing up? I don't think I've done that like 3 times in my whole life. Well as far back as I can remember anyway. I do know that I'm really not too fond of that part either. Is it a tough go with your stomach not excepting some foods? I'll probably learn very quickly I imagine as to what is a go and what is not huh? Are you glad you got banded? When were you banded? Was the surgery tough? How is/was the recovery? Sorry so many questions, it's just that I need to make a decision soon and I'm so on the fence. Tell me the good part?? Thanks crabcake, Dianne

Hi everyone. I'm female, aged 50 this past May, BMI 42. I would like to lose at least 75 pounds. I had been on the Atkins diet, which worked for me because I love meat, but I didn't want to be limited to the "Atkins approved foods" for the rest of my life. I had lost 58 pounds. I went off the atkins 3 months ago and gained back 25 pounds. Depressing. I decided to try for the lapband. My daughter had the gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago and has lost 110 pounds. I didn't want to go that invasive of a surgery so I opted for the lapband. I had my first consult yesterday. He told me that I wouldn't be able to have read meat of white bread again. Augh! I don't know if I can go without red meat!! Is it true that we would not be able to have the red meat?? The white bread I can live without but the red meat?? I dunno. Can anyone help me with this question?? Help! I appreciate this site and I'm really liking this part of it - for those of us over 50. Very nice. Thanks everyone. Dianne

Sunsett... I also have UHC through my company. I will be going for my very first visit next Thursday. I'm hoping for a very quick decision will be made as for me having the surgery done. It is so differernt for everyone. I've seen where some folks had to wait a whole year because of thier insurance policies. I'm hoping this doesn't pop up when I go to my doctor. I did check with UHC and the only criteria I had to meet was being labeled morbidly obese. I think I just make that criteria. They didn't say anything about having to do anything else. We will see I guess when the doctor submits my request for the surgery I imagine. I'm really hoping that all will go smoothly. As for the fills... what would be the approximate cost if I had to pay for it myself? Can anyone answer that for me? And to be able to do it yourself?? I guess I could do that but I'd be afraid I'd do it incorrectly. Kinda scary. The reason I'm directing my question to you sunsett is that my name is also Dianne - must have been the 2 n's thing. :-) How long have you been banded? Would you do it again? How much weight have you lost? How long did it take? How often do people get the band filled? Why do you have to keep getting it filled? Does the saline go somewhere? Does the band become stretched out? I don't quite understand what happens to the band to require more fillings. Sorry so many questions, I'm just a newbie. Any advice and explaintions would be greatly appreciated. Dianne

I will be going for my first visit with Dr. Moon on June 7th. He is in an office with 2 other physicians. Dr. McKane and Dr. Cole. My daughter had the gastric bypass surgery by Dr. McKane a couple of years ago. I'm trying for the lapband surgery. Has anyone been to Dr. Moon and can you tell me a little about him?? Thanks! Dianne W.:help:

What is rouxenY? I haven't had my first visit to the doctors yet. It's coming up on June 7th. I'd like to know what the differences are. Why would sweets be a problem? I'm not a big sweet eater, thankfully, but I would occasionally like to have some. What are some of the side effects people have? Thanks! Dianne

That's what my problem is. Not so much the quality of the food I eat but the quantity. I'm so hoping that I will be eligible for banding. I am 5'7" and 250. I have to be documented as morbidly obese in order for my insurance to cover the surgery. I think that I am borderline. Geez, wouldn't it be something if I had to gain another 10 pounds in order to have the surgery? lol That would be easy. My highest weight was 287. That is when I decided to go on the Atkins as a last ditch effort. I felt like I was literally dying inside from the weight. I got down to 220 then went off the Atkins after 3 1/2 years. Back up to 250 now. Augh.. how frustrating. Hopefully things will work out with the insurance and the doctors visit next month. We shall see. I really don't know what I will do if it doesn't. Probably go back on the Atkins. bummer.

Thanks Alexandra and Mannamay for your replys. I'm looking forward to getting to know people here on this website. The reason I was asking about the difference between the gastric banding is that someone had posted that they had wished they got the gastric banding instead. Maybe they had gastric bypass? That may be the reason. Anyway, thanks again for your replys. Alexandra... 125 pounds off! Wow! Way to go. Obviously you are glad you had the surgery? How has your eating habits changed? Banding slippage? Where did it go? Is the re-banding just moving the one that's there back into place? Is this covered - or do you have to pay for the surgery all over again? No guarantees? Sorry so many questions, hope you don't mind. Thanks again! Blessings, Dianne

You haven't been banded yet? I hear that there is a couple of different types of banding. Gastric banding and the lap banding? Is there a difference? Do you know? I'm here at work and leaving in 10 minutes; If you don't hear back from me, please check back tomorrow? Thanks for your quick imput. Dianne

What is RNY? I'm very new. Can you tell? Sorry. I just don't want to go the wrong route with this and I would love to be able to go to my first visit prepared. Thanks!