KarenB

Thanks Betty! Wow, we were losing in tandem, and now LOOK AT YOU GIRL! I'm so happy for you. I'm so proud of my buddy.

I'll keep you all posted as long as I don't get any flack about my decision. (I don't mean from you--I've just seen so much RNY & other surgery bashing on this site!)

hugs,

Karen

I got my approval today (finally!) for band removal/RNY. I'm excited, relieved, happy, and I know as it gets closer, I'll be scared. (June 18th, the day after my birthday!) Too bad I'll be on liquids that day--oh well--small price to pay.

I never, ever thought I'd be having RNY, now I'm so excited. I guess it's the old glass house saying; or is it walking in anothers' shoes? You get the point. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:clap2::clap2:

The journey begins again...

Karen

I've never heard of the stitch problem. Do you mean your port stitches? Sounds like something the doctor should fix???

The unfill idea sounds good to me...it's like a test drive.

Take care,

Karen

Lisa, every band doc feels strongly about not drinking while eating. It's one of the "cardinal rules for bandsters." Many people have to drink a warm beverage before eating in the a.m. or wait till later to start eating. In my own opinion, if someone has to drink to get food down, then that person is filled too tightly. Sounds like you've only recently had this situation; maybe you should speak to your doc. In any event, congratulations on your amazing weight loss!

Karen

If it's the same doc you should be able to have your anniv. dinner.

My doc is being so nice because of the situation w/my husband that he scheduled my RNY pending approval for 6/18. Day after my b'day. Do you know how BUMMED I was to discover that the day before surgery I have to be on liquids? There goes my well-planned sushi, steak, wine & dessert dinner. We'll just have to have it the week before. LOL!:hungry:

Your re-banding is right around the corner. Heck, I don't blame you for enjoying fruits & veggies again. I slurped up a whole mango this a.m., something I couldn't eat the entire time I was banded! Like you, I'm enjoying all the "bad" stuff too. I think I'm eating all that stuff in vast quantities in case I get denied. Then I can go get re-weighed w/a higher BMI. Seeing it in writing makes me feel like a real nut-job!

Alex, you are one of the most supportive and sane people on this board--give yourself the same love that you give everyone else.

Karen

That's one of the big mysteries of my life too, Alex.

I know exactly what you're feeling. I always wondered why I could stop smoking in a snap because I wanted to get preg. 20 yrs. ago, but can't stop over-eating!

Do you think that sub-consiously you're enjoying another "last hurrah" because you're being re-banded on 6/4? I

Do you have to go on liquids pre-re-banding? If so, that will help you out.

Hoping you're having better weather today that we in NY are (murky, rainy, yuk) to get out & enjoy yourself.

hugs,

Karen

Thanks, Mrs. D. I'm so glad you're o.k., that's, of course, the most important thing! I googled MRSA--Is it a staph infection?

Karen

JSRICO--I love and adore Dr. Ortiz & love Dr. Martinez even more. I think they're both fine doctors and when I was having problems they spent countless hours with me and my U.S. doctors on the phone.

Having said that, I agree with Katherine 100%. Hope your surgery, wherever you have it, goes well.

Karen

Thanks, Alex. You've always been such source of support; now I have no idea why I temporarily left the board when I was gaining so much weight back.

So, since this topic is "Life After Band Removal," I can keep you posted even after it's out, right?

Had endoscopy Wednesday --I've been such a busy person, you'd never know I have a full-time job--I'm grateful for Blackberries & laptops! All is fine, just a tad of reflux, which Nexium used to control completely, but now my insurance doesn't cover. By the way, I don't have symptoms of reflux, but the doc could tell by bile presence. None of the other PPI's seem to work as well. Band is fine, in perfect position, no slippage, etc. So ironic!

Have a great weekend!

Karen

This is just a thought...perhaps they deny because the band has a slower INITIAL weight loss amount than other weight loss surgeries? They all equal out after 2 years (I think it's 2, but they do eventually equal out.) Again, just a thought, but who knows what these companies' ratioanale about anything!

Good luck in your appeal process,

Karen

the meeting was great...process is what I outlined. Interesting comment my doctor made: It is against the law to deny WLS to a patient who meets the criteria of BMI 40 or over or 35 w/2 co-morbidies. Next time I see him I'll ask him if that's a NY state law or USA law.

Little did I know until I called on another matter today that his office has already submitted their request for authorization to my Oxford. Keeping fingers & toes crossed...

Karen

We live in a society with a very troubled medical system. I am thrilled that I have sleep apnea because that increases my chances of being approved for RNY.

My whole sleep study was uneventful and funny. Everything I've read on these posts about the hair gunk is true and worse. I woke up every time I turned over. They're not really supposed to give results, and since many people told me that they'd come in during the night w/a mask (or whatever it's called) if I had SA, I was kind of disappointed in the a.m. when they hadn't. I had told the tech my situation, and after I said "I know you can't tell me the results, but...." he smiled and said "I'm sure you'll feel better after your surgery," and proceeded to give me a paper to fill out that was entitled "Questionaire for Sleep Apnea Patients." Some secret!

Anyway, I had my endoscopy today, and my poor unfilled band is just fine...no erosion, slippage etc. He did notice some bile, which indicates reflux. When my insurance covered Nexium there was no bile. I'm on Previcid sol tabs. I know there are other PPI's out there, but I miss my Nexium!

I'll keep ya posted!

Take care,

Karen

Evcase, you certainly are a trooper. I too am having my band removed, and for me, before my esophagus problems kicked in, it was great.

Your advice is excellent. I would still recommend a multi-Vitamin, there were several fruits I couldn't eat.

I hope you have a speedy, uneventful recovery.

Karen

Thank you!

Listywood, I'm sorry for your problems. I'm going through something similar, but the problem is not my band, it's my esophagus. My GI dr. and Dr. Ortiz diagnosed Nutcracker esophagus, which caused tons of spasming. My body did not reject the band, it just sits there now, sad and unfilled. Oh yeah, that's me. Now as I've been unfilled for about 9 months now, and regained over half my lost weight, I'm awaiting approval for RNY at the same time my band is removed.

BTW, are you sure your insurance won't pay for band removal?

Take care,

Karen

Nataliesmom, I hope you're feeling better, and I'm sorry you are going through this.

For what it's worth, I used Dr. Ortiz in Mexico,and when I developed problems, he spent hours on the phone w/me and my docs here. I had arranged aftercare here, and when my bandbecame totally closed up I was able to have that taken care of here. I cannot stress the importance of having aftercare in the US in place before banding, unless one is lucky to live very close to Mexico!

Now that I have to have my band removed, I was lucky to find a doc in NY who feels that no matter where a person was banded, if they need medical care, he will see them.

Nataliesmom, the most important thing is your health and that of your precious little baby. I wish you all the best and a VERY HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Karen

Apparently they do this all the time. I'm meeting someone tonite @ his support group who has Oxford Freedom...the submitted the paperwork & she was approved in 4 days. Since I have all these weird (6 degrees of separation) relationships with this doc., I HAVE A SURGERY DATE OF JUNE 18TH. It's the day after my b'd, so one last meal and all that stuff. Of course if insurance denies it, it will have to be postponed.

He is not w/any insurance for reasons you stated, but he does get out of network approval & the patient's responsibility is $1000. The hospital is in-network & that will be covered; I checked.

I'll let you know more after tonight's meeting...thought, maybe it's different in N.Y.,

Alex, interesting, I called Oxford today to double-check if approval is necessary, and they require the same thing as for in-network. All the tests submitted to the doc then they apply for approval. Go figure.

Kay, I had was banded in Mexico and had all my fills done by Dory Ferrara in Wantagh & paid out of pocket. She does GREAT fills. But alas, as I've posted elsewhere, I have to have my band removed & am going for Gastric Bypass.

Karen

Wasabubble Butt, it's all there, about 3 posts up. (long post, dated yesterday)

Alex, If you tell me what moderating entails...I just might do it! Can a newbie (which I will be for RNY) be a moderator? I guess you'd better PM me.

That's what I thought, then the doctor's office told me something else. I guess they want to make sure it's deemed medically necessary?? Thanks, Alex. Hey, where am I going to go after I have the RNY? There can't be a board as nice as this one!

Has anyone gotten approval from Oxford for an out-of-network doc? I do have out-of-network benefits.

I have Oxford Freedom & the doc I want to use for my band removal & RNY is Shawn Garber. He works out of network & only charges the $1000 out of pocket max that Oxford charges for going out of network. I'd rather stay on LI than go into nYC for Dr. Ren--they didn't call me back anyway.

couldn't edit...all i got was smiley faces, millions of them!

***THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS, PLEASE KEEP SENDING THEM!***

Hi everyone.

The sleeve is not an option because it's not covered by my insurance. Also, I can't take a chance on relying on just restriction.

Nutcracker Esophagus is a rare condition marked by very rapid contractions through the esophagus; it's confirmed by a minometry (swallow test where they put tubes through your nostrils into your exoph. Not fun, but worth it.) It can cause pain, I thought I was having a heart attack, and it can ultimately result in cancer. It was first suspected in me when my barium swallows went down so fast & they saw so many contractions under fluro. when the barium went down. Then when my fills kept closing up after 2-3 good weeks, I had the minometry. One time, it got to the point where I couldn't sip Water, had waited a week for an unfill becasue the person who does them wasn't around, and I when the Fluid was out, I spit out a tiny Welbutrin pill that had been sitting there for the whole week. It looked untouched.

Don't worry, it's RARE!

Betty, Hanna's doing great. She's down 50+ lbs., still a little way to go, but a great difference in her life. She's been in Israel since September, due back June 7. I can hardly wait. She's 19 already, can you believe it? And look at you, girl, down 98 lbs. WOW! That's so great. I am so happy for you. You must be lovin it.

It's so nice to hear from old friends. That's my bad habit, hiding out when things aren't going well for me. I'll tell you about my family, my job, anything except me, because I think I failed. I thought I could keep the weight off once the band was unfilled. Ha!

Having lots of tests, Tuesday's endo. & phych, Thursday's nutritionist (and colonoscopy, but that was from before), next Monday's stress test, echo, and the lovely sleep test. It's so weird, because when I first met the doctor, it turned out that he knew & is friends w/ my doctors from my mastectomy...so he's getting me in when docs supposedly have no appt's. also the psych didn't have appointments for over a month...when I heard her name, I realized she had led a weight loss group Hanna participated in years ago...I emailed her Thursday night & I'm seeing her Thursday. Weird, huh?

Just waiting to hear when the endoscopy will be. I'll definately be approved for band removal, it's just the by-pass that we'll have to wait for. Maybe they can just sneak it in as long as I'm on the table.

Keep ya posted...

I just moved my thread to "Lap Band Removal" Seeing your post reminded me how much I missed you guys.

Thanks for the good wishes.