heather113076

excarolinagirl-I've never had general anesthesia before so I never would have thought of that. I will definitely ask my surgeon about it-I have to call tomorrow to schedule a visit for my first fill. Thanks!!

Definitely NOT pregnant lol!! :girl_hug: Hubby had a vasectomy after baby #4. I was banded on 08/26/08 and since then I have noticed a lot of weird things like this scent thing. I dont know what it is or what is causing it.....I was that way when I was pregnant but I am 110% sure that is not the issue now.

There is no certain scent/food, no certain time but sometimes (more often than not) a scent (only scents from food) will make me feel sick-like I am going to vomit. Yesterday for example I opened a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew and I literally almost vomited from the smell of it. I asked my 14 year old if it smelled bad to her(I thought maybe it was expired) and she said no. That is not the first time that a scent has affected me that way. Am I the only one that experiences this?

Shelly~ I keep telling myself that while doing the 6 month diet required by BCBS I lost 53 lbs and that in and of itself was an accomplishment that I am proud of. I just get discouraged when I see people say they got banded 3 weeks ago and have lost 20+ lbs. I try my best to focus on the positive but sometimes I can't. Thanks for letting me know you are experiencing the same thing I am. That helps make me look back at the positives.

I got banded on Aug 26. My pre-op visit was Aug 20 and my weight that day was 300. I went on a liquid diet for a week and weighed myself at the hospital the day of surgery and my weight was 292. So the day after surgery I weigh myself and I am back at 300!! :w00t: So I figure it is the swelling plus the fact that I havent had my diuretic in 2 days (dr told me to start back on it one week post op). So I have been back on my diuretic for 2 days and my weight is now at 294 :cool2:-still not surgery day weight. WTF?!?!?!! I am only on liquids and not taking in more than 800 calories per day. What gives?!!?!?

I am now banded! I got my band on 08/26 which was 3 days ahead of schedule. I was down 8 lbs from the mini goal I had set for myself for surgery day so I was excited about that! The only problem I am having is this feeling like I need to burp and can't. I have tried the gas x thin strips and maalox and nothing seems to help. I havent weighed myself yet because the last time I did (Thursday) it was showing me as having gained back that 8 lbs which I attribute to Water weight(I had to stop taking my diuretic for a week) and being swollen. I am counting down the days till I can have mushy foods :smile:

craz~ I hope everything works out for you before your hubby leaves. Where is he having to go to? I called Neomi 07/10 and told her that I knew she had not yet recvd her copy of my approval letter but told her that I had called BCBS and asked if we could go ahead and get me on the schedule and she said sure. She pulled my chart to verify that I had completed everything necessary and looked at the schedule and the earliest she had was 08/29. Maybe you will get lucky and someone will cancel or something and you can get it all done quicker.

Craz~ Neoami submitted my paperwork 06/23/08, got the denial immediately(she HAS to submit info online, that is the only way BCBS will allow them to submit so she got the denial immediately). She was then able to fax over all of my documentation the same day. I called BCBS for status update on 07/09/08 and it turns out that was the same day BCBS approved me and sent out letter. I got approval letter on 07/11/08. So it took them 11 BUSINESS days to approve(I didn't count Sat/Sun or July 4). I was told that they can take up to 30 days to approve. When is your hubby leaving?

Is anyone here going to the nutrition class at St. Vincent's East on August 13, 2008?

Hi everyone. I didn't go back and read everything posted previously but I just wanted to say that I have never had an issue with Neoami at all. I went in for my consultation on 01/17/08 and completed my psych. eval and sleep study, finished up the required diet(required by BCBS) on 06/07/08 and Neoami submitted my paperwork to BCBS on 06/23/08. At first BCBS denied me stating it was not covered under my plan, Neoami printed my plan showing where it states it is covered as long as it is medically necessary and resubmitted my paperwork the SAME day. I got anxious and called BCBS on 07/09/08 and asked for a status update and the customer service rep told me they had actually mailed out the letter THAT day and I was approved. Just reading some of the posts here and a couple of friends I have made on this site that use Dr. Miles & Schmitt I guess I am LUCKY with my experience. I am getting banded on August 29. I am very excited!

Hi all. I have a question. My surgeon doesn't require a pre-op diet and that bothers me a little. I have read most people say that the reason given for the pre-op diet is to help shrink the liver. I want to do a pre-op diet even though my surgeon doesn't require it, I sure don't want him getting inside to discover that my liver is too large and "in the way" and him not be able to place my band. Am I being paranoid? So what I would like to know is what does your pre-op diet consist of? I know everyone's surgeon is different so I look forward to all the responses. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I was invited to this forum a few weeks back but I haven't been on the site in a while :thumbup:. I am 31, married and have 4 children. I am getting banded on August 29. I am excited but the closer it gets I start to get a little nervous :cool2:. I have been very open about with my family and co-workers about my decision to get banded. Everyone has been very supportive :thumbup: which is great. I am a very open-minded person :thumbup: and am brutally honest :thumbup:. If there is anything you want to know, just ask me! :thumbup:

My surgeon's office uses both bands as well and the insurance co-ordinator told me that the decision would be mine to make. I have been researching lapband for a year and just started my research on realize a few weeks ago. I am leaning more towards the realize band because it is a wider band with less chance of slippage. I haven't had my pre-op visit yet but will discuss this more with my surgeon then.

I will be getting banded August 29 by Dr. Miles at St. Vincent's East in Birmingham, AL. I started my journey in November 2007, I am excited and scared all at once but I figure if I can deal with the pain of 4 c-sections :frown: surely I can deal with the pain of getting this procedure done:thumbup:

It has been a long time since I posted on this site. I have been so busy doing everything required of me by BCBS plus working plus taking care of my family. All of my paperwork was faxed over to BCBS on 06/23 for review. I am waiting to hear back from them. The insurance co-ordinator at the surgeon's office told me they can take up to 30 days before giving a decision. I really want to call them to see where they are in regards to my request but am hesitant to do so for fear of denial. Logically I know there is no reason for them to deny me-I have met all of their requirements. I did the 6 month diet, I had the sleep study which uncovered that I do have sleep apnea, I used(and am still using) my CPAP machine continuously for 2 weeks averaging 6 hours per night which is required by my ENT BEFORE she will/would give me clearance for surgery and I met with the psychologist. I am well over 100 lbs overweight and my bmi is 55. When I first started this journey my bmi was 63, I have lost 43 lbs while doing the 6 month diet which excites me to no end. I am still going around showing people the waist band of my pants and how it is too big :biggrin:.

If I am not mistaken fills at Dr. Miles office are $125 each. I contacted BCBS again and the CS rep that answered me told me that fills ARE covered. So I guess I will find out once I am banded.

When I attended the seminar they were giving out samples of VHT by extreme smoothie-the strawberry and chocolate were awesome!! I haven't been banded yet but I plan to use those after I am banded.

I had my sleep study on Feb 28 and they never came in after I went to sleep to put me on the CPAP machine. When the nurse from my ENT's office called she told me that the results showed that "on average" I stopped breathing 33 times per hour!! I have to go back this Thursday and be hooked up to the CPAP machine for a second sleep study. I have to admit that I was SHOCKED as I did not think I had sleep apnea. I have never woke up gasping for air, I don't sleep with my head on more than one pillow. I am always tired but I always just assumed it was because I have 4 children and work full time. I am also a "light" sleeper which apparently is also a sign of sleep apnea, I didn't know that. My sister is planning to be banded as well and she had her sleep study last night. The results of her study were not significant enough for insurance to cover the cost of a CPAP machine-WTF does that mean!?!?!? That is what the sleep tech told her, I told her to wait until she hears from the ENT or her nurse.

Whimsy~ I am glad you got some needed laughs! :thumbup:

I contacted BCBS of AL to ask about fills as I am not yet banded. They will cover my surgery but will NOT cover the fills. WTH!??!!! It just makes no sense to me that they will cover the cost of surgery but NOT the fills...FILLS are part of the lapband process!!!

Jigboy~ I have BCBS of Alabama and I am in month 4 of the 6 month diet. My doctor told me it doesnt matter how much weight you lose as long as you are still at a BMI of 40(or 35 with co-morbidities) at the time you submit paperwork for approval to the insurance company. I have only lost 12 lbs so far but I have not been putting in but about 50% effort. I plan to really start this month and see if I can get my weight down some before surgery. Good luck to you!

I was just wondering how you (Fairy and Dashley) feel about the "free" assistance the illegal immigrants get? Also how do you feel about the fact that legal immigrants come to this country and get assistance for housing, food and loans with low interest rates to start up businesses?

Talking about Wal Mart, I think your theory holds Water. My wife was driving down the main aisle of our local Wal Mart and this older man shoots out of a side aisle and almost hits her. She continues on out to make a left onto the main road and he chases her, drives around her right and makes a left to cut her off. He proceeds to yell at her for not giving him the right of way and that he is a retired police officer and knows the laws, blah, blah, blah. She was so in shock that she didn't know how to react!

This SAME thing happened to me in a Wal-Mart parking lot!! It was some older man driving thru the parking lot as opposed to up and down the aisles, he almost t-boned me and then he was yelling and shaking his finger at me. I turned my car around and went and found him as he was walking into the store. I told him that those big yellow arrows that point UP and DOWN are the way you are supposed to drive thru the parking lot not across it like he was. He told me that I wasnt even watching where I was going. I told him that I was driving correctly, he was not therefore I did not have to watch where I was going. He said something about calling the cops and I told him fine by me, lets call them and see who was driving incorrectly in the parking lot, I am willing to risk getting a ticket, are you? He just glared at me, called me a bitch and started into the store. I called him an old ignorant MF that needed his license revoked and I drove off. As I am driving off my mother (who was with me) who had been silent thru the whole ordeal leans over and yells DUMBASS as I am driving off. I was livid. I am 31 years old, have been licensed since I was 16 and have NEVER had a ticket for ANYTHING. I can not stand for someone who is clearly breaking traffic laws to tell me that I can not drive. I dislike going to Wal-Mart but DH and I have 4 kids so we are constantly there. I had a pharmacist get smart with me b/c I asked him why he had to call the other pharmacy when I was transferring a prescription(I honestly did not know why he had to call them) and he scoffed, rolled his eyes and said "b/c you cant have 1 prescription at two different stores AND I have to verify that you still have refills". I said you know what Patrick? Give me my damn pill bottle back, he did and I said you can take that phone and shove it directly up your ass you dickhead!

Once I lost 47 lbs in a week:eek: BUT it was due to a c-section :thumbdown:

It really doesn't matter if this was happening in the US. Even if there was no welfare system in the United States at all the good ole government would find something else to do with our tax money, like start another war with another country etc. I think that the welfare system needs to be reformed in a serious way, people should only be allowed to receive welfare/food stamps/government housing for a certain time frame and during that time frame they should be going to some kind of technical school to better themselves. My sister is a single mother of 2 children(ages 15 and 9) and she makes $12 per hour at her job, she was told that she makes "too much money" to qualify for food stamps. She lives paycheck to paycheck. This government is seriously f***ed up in the way it "helps" people.