munchkin392

Ok, so I just dropped the $229 on this, I hope it is as great as everyone says because I'm going to be in big trouble with my hubby when he finds out I bought it!

Hello fellow nurses! I am a critical care nurse on the Illinois/Iowa border. I am getting banded next Wednesday, November 7th. Wish me luck! All my coworkers have been super supportive, but I've gotten a ton of flack from the doctors I work with!

I'm having mine on the 7th!

I can totally understand how you feel. I cannot believe how much flack I have gotten for my decision to get the band. I am a nurse and the worst ones of all have been doctors who lecture me not to get it!! Even my primary care physician, sat and told me that my lipids were high, I was going to end up diabetic, I was at high risk for heart disease, etc, then in the same breath turned around and tried (once again) to talk me out of having the lap band! I reminded him that there were recently two major studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine that stated lap band surgery can basically reverse this trend, all to no avail. My friends however, have all been very supportive of it, as have most of my relatives. I still just can't get over all the doctors who have given me a hard time about it. One gastroenterologist spent 30 minutes telling me all the reasons I shouldn't have it. He had me so scared I almost changed my mind!

Ok, so I am supposed to have my surgery next Wednesday, November 7th. This has been a long process from the start because the hospital doing my procedure just started doing lap bands, and they didn't really have their shit together to begin with (pardon my language). I went to my seminar at the beginning of August, and they just finally finalized the surgeon fees 2 days ago, and finalized the hospital fees last week. They also made a mistake on when I wanted my surgery, when I told them from the beginning that I wanted it the week of the 5th because that's the only time I have off work. (Did I mention I have also worked at this hospital for almost 10 years and have never seen such disorganization on their part?) Long story short, it was conveyed to me by the bariatric center that since I am self pay, I would have to put a down payment down, and would be able to pay the rest off with a payment plan. I went to see the surgeon yesterday, and they were going to make me pay their fees upfront. I was like "Whoa-that's not what has been told to me for the last few months, and I never gave the bariatric center the impression I would be able to pay you upfront. It was my impression that they had spoken with you specifically about me and it was agreed upon between the surgeons and the bariatric center that I would be able to do a payment plan." So, the financial services rep went and talked to someone, and came back, and said that was fine, since I had already gone this far and seen the doctor, that they would let me pay the remainder off over a 12 month period. I signed a contract stating as such. So, this morning, I went and had all my preop tests-chest xray, upper GI series, pulmonary testing, EKG, labs, and a meeting with the dietician. So I'm psyched, right? Then I leave the hospital, and my cell phone rings. It is the financial services girl from the surgeons office telling me that she talked my surgery over with the doctor, and that they are not going to let me do the payment plan, but are instead requiring that I pay upfront. Granted, they did offer to give a discount, but I still do not have that money lying around, and made it clear from the start that I did not. So I am extremely frustrated right now. Now I feel like I can't necessarily even trust the surgeon doing my surgery or the bariatric center. My grandma offered to loan me the required money, but I am having such mixed feelings about what transpired that I don't even know what to do. Sorry for the lengthy post, but does anyone have an opinion on this?? Thanks! :help:

By the way Kacee, this is kind of off subject, but thanks for the link to the Isopure drinks. I love them!

Kacee, Both the hospitals in my area are equally new at doing the lapband. I am an ICU nurse and I have full trust( as far as skills go) in the group of surgeons that are doing the surgery. The next closest places would be 2 1/2 and 3 hours away, respectively. I really didn't want to have to drive that far for fills, etc. As a nurse, I also decided that I wanted local surgeons in case of a complication, because most surgeons don't want to touch someone elses complication for fear of liability, and I did not want to have to drive that far if I had a complication and did not feel well. The other local hospital, as I already mentioned, also just started their program, and they are more expensive. I am getting some benefits out of being an employee of the hospital where I am having it done. They have given me discounts on alot of things, like the anesthesia fees. The surgeon has even agreed now that she will give me a $2000 discount if I pay upfront. It would cost me approximately $5000 more to have it at the other area hospital that has equal experience.

And I would have been fine with paying upfront, if that's what had been presented to me to begin with. I'm not fine with all the miscommunications.

Thanks Always Curious! I needed the cheerleading! I would have done the Optifast, but around here you have to special order it from Walgreens, and it would not have gotten here in time for me to complete my entire two week diet. (Not that I'm doing so well there anyway...) Oh well, today is a new day, and I went to the store yesterday and stocked up on clear liquids instead, so hopefully I'll be good to go in that area. I'm glad to hear someone else heard the same thing about Slimfast. I mean, this doctor was REALLY adamant about the effects the Slimfast would have on my liver. And he is a doctor I have worked with for a long time, have a good relationship with, and trust. He has never done wrong by any of my patients. My thought is this, and someone mentioned this in another thread-maybe it depends on the experience of the surgeon doing the surgery. Our lapband program at our hospital is brand new and they have only done a few procedures so far, so maybe it is a learning process for them also. I meet with the surgeon Monday morning and I have lots of questions to ask her. We'll see how it goes!

Thanks for all the helpful input from everyone. Yes, I agree, we need counseling and I am going to take him with me to my counselor next week. And yes, he is yelling at me about not eating right. And the stress of that is not, I repeat not, helping me deal with sticking to the diet I am supposed to. Especially when he says things like "Well I guess it will be ok with you if I go out and have a couple drinks." Again, not the same as eating. The other problem I am having is this: I am a nurse, and I have gotten more flak from various doctors that I work with about having this surgery. Every single one of them has told me not to have it, that it is unhealthy, that I don't need it. A liver specialist actually told me that the preop liquid/Slimfast diet will harm your liver and cause problems down the road, possibly causing liver failure. I am so confused.

Hi everyone, I am being banded Wednesday November 7th, and my doctor requires that I be on a diet consisting of 3 cans of Slimfast Optifast per day and Clear liquids. My question is this- does anyone have any good ideas on how to make Slimfast more palatable? Has anyone tried blending it with ice in a blender? I think the taste is just sooooo gross. Thanks! Heather

Thanks for the replies from everyone! I will try some of your ideas!

Hi, As long as it is not hot to touch or foul smelling, don't get too worried, but definantly make an appointment to go have it looked at. It could potentially turn into an abcess and get bad quickly. I am a nurse and I don't think it should look like that, especially 12 days out of surgery. I don't want to worry you, but if I had a patient with an incision that looked like this I would not consider it a normal finding-I would be culturing it and definantly dressing it. And again, if it starts to smell foul, run, don't walk to the ER or your surgeon and make sure they do a culture of the discharge. Covering it with gauze is not going to hurt it, it will protect it from getting any new cooties in it and absorb the discharge so it doesn't get on your clothes. You can also go to the drugstore and buy a dressing called Telfa. It is a nonstick dressing that will help absorb the discharge. Just tape it on loosely with some paper tape. But, gauze will work just as well and let air get to the site, and it is cheaper. Hope this helps!

Hello everyone! I have been lurking around the site for a few weeks now, and finally officially registered. I am being banded next month (tentatively November 6th) and I cannot wait. I think this site is great, it is a wonderful source of information and support. Just wanted to say hello to everyone!