NewYearNewMe2025

Thanks for the website link. Makes me feel even better, as i have these "doubts" as the day approaches (alternating between being totally calm and confident to freaking out). I'm also in Houston. From what I understand, he does fly down for our post op appointments, and our fills will be done by a nurse. I do intend to ask him at my pre-op what do we do if an emergency arises, since he will be in Richardson...

I think you just described exactly what I am going thru today. I haven't been handed yet. The whole "deciding" to have surgery instead of "having to" have surgery (like for my cesearean when there was no advance notice). I think that is what I am struggling with, even though I've been fighting my weight for 9 years and over the years I've had chest pains, back pain, etc not to mention a family history with everything you can imagine that obesity can contribute to. I know I need to do something about my weight and what I've done in the past hasn't lasted longer than a few months at a time. But still, I am having the cold feet thing today although I'm 3 weeks out - probably due to talking to an unsupportive friend just a few minutes ago!

I really need some support right now. This is long, so I apologize in advance. This board was just the best place for me to turn to. I have 2 best friends - I've been friends with both of them for 26 years (since I was 5). One ® is obese, the other (K) has basically been a size 6 or 8 her whole life, and is just trying to lose the last 10 lbs from her pregnancy. My obese friend ® is the one who invited me to attend the lapband seminar with her. Afterwards, with the information, I was much at ease and begin considering it, especially since it was much less dangerous than gastric bypass, and I know at least 5 people who have successfully had gastric. It turned out R's insurance excluded the surgery, but I've been approved and am having it Dec 28th. So far, only my mom, dad, and my friend "R" who invited me to the seminar know that I'm having lapband surgery. Out of the blue today, my skinny friend "K" asked if I ever went to that seminar with "R" and what she thought of it. I told her it wasn't covered under her insurance, and she said "Good" and then started talking about how she didn't think people should have surgery just to lose weight, etc. So I'm sitting here, knowing I'm having it in 3 weeks listening to this (which reaffirmed my decision not to tell her because she obviously won't be supportive). I did make a comment to her that when people have 100-150 lbs to lose, its practically impossible to lose it on your own and keep it off. She said yeah, I've been trying to just lose 10 lbs. To make a long story short, now I am doubting myself. Wondering if I am putting myself at risk of dying "just to lose weight" when I could leave my 15 year old son without a mother. He will be out of town with my father when I have the surgery. He sees his dad, who doesn't even pay child support or attend his birthday parties or sports events, etc 2 days a month. His dad lives a totally different lifestyle - its always been just the two of us (me & my son). I couldn't forgive myself if I elected to do something that caused my son to lose me (even though I guess I would be dead I wouldn't even know). As you can see, my state of mind is not good right now...I don't know why I am letting my friend affect me like this. Now I'm thinking about death. Something that I hadn't really worried about after I saw the video of the actual surgery. I've always had a fear of dying and leaving my son to end up living with his father. It took a lot for me to be strong enough to undergo this surgery. Its not a decision I took lightly. I've had surgery before (cesearean when I had him) and that was much more invasive, and I was up taking care of him the next day, and obviously I lived. I don't know what I'm looking for in writing this post......maybe just letting my fears out, maybe asking if others had the same fear, or dealt with the same situation with a friend. I should be able to tell my best friend that I'm having surgery, but she has always been a very judgemental person. Thanks in advance for any wise words....

First website didn't seem to take me to the right place.....2nd one worked fine. I just had to click on the 2nd tab - favorite recipes.

Thanks for sharing your great find! I will have to save those websites! I'm 23 days to banding too, and on the 14th, I start my shakes. I am a very picky eater, and I know I will need something to help improve the taste and help make it easier to stick to.

I also have the same fear. I have a son about to turn 15. I'm a single mom and I do not want him to end up with his father (long story). That's my main fear. I have made out my will (although I need to get it signed & notarized). Actually I made it months ago before seriously considering this surgery because as a single parent, I need to have one. You never know when you walk out the door in the morning whether or not you will be in a car accident. Nobody plans to die, in general. I have my parents down as guardian for my son, but still, I worry about him ending up with his father just because I wanted to lose weight. I've had a cesearean, not its not like I haven't had major surgery before, but that was 15 years ago! I'm not really scared of dying during surgery (One of reasons I didn't do gastric was because it does have more dangers and I was scared of that surgery). I think my fear is....I don't know. I go back and forth. Between completely content and excited and can't wait, to "what if something goes wrong and I lose my life for vanity?" But then I have to remember, its not for vanity. It's so that I can walk from my office to my car with out being in excrutiating back pain. It's so I can be healthy. So I can have more energy and do more things with my son. Yes, I want to look better and I think it will help with my self esteem, but I know I'm not doing it only for that reason. I wouldn't risk it just for the sake of looking good. I think the idea of writing a letter to your child explaining why you made this choice is a great idea. I think I will do that, just in case. The next 23 days are going to seem like forever!

Thanks. It seems like he has a good reputation. I'm glad to know that he is very thorough and likes patients who have a lot of questions because I definitely have my list ready! Congratulations on your surgery!

I think so....doing google searches, I found references to facial/skin care.

Thanks! As long as they work with skim milk, that's fine for me. Mixing it is a great idea. I like chocolate, but I was thinking that it would get old after a while but I'm not a big fan of vanilla. So I may try mixing them together also. Does your husband just have the shake with milk, or does he add fruit/ice, etc to make it into a smoothie? The lady associated with the doctors office is a representative, so she can give me the 35% discount off the online price and the shipping isn't bad. Thanks again for your help.

My dr. office wants me to order Arbonne figure 8 shakes (Protein powder) for my pre-op diet. She told me up front that they taste bad with Water, but they had some recipes that a lot of people use to make smoothies so they taste better. Anyway, wanted to know if anybody had tried this brand and what you thought of it, and if you recommend a flavor-they have chocolate, vanilla, and chi-tea (mispelled I'm sure) THanks

All of you helped tremendously! I think I started to have a little panic attack, but its better now! Yes, I am in accounting! Month end close are can't miss days unless you are in a hospital.... I'm glad to hear that some of you had the surgery Friday and were back at work Monday. Due to the new year being on Tuesday, I already took that Monday off. So I won't have to be back until Wednesday. It's also nice to hear Dr. Felts called to check on you. That makes me feel better. At least with my work, I'm dealing mostly with paper, and not people, and I can close my office door to keep others from bothering me too much if I'm still not completely up to speed when I return. Thanks so much! Thanks to all of you.

Thanks everyone! Looks like I should pick up knitting! I remember trying that as a teen - I never could get the hang of it. I definitely can't afford to start shopping! I did cross stitch a lot when I was younger and I was really good at it and even used to frame some items. I still have a lot of stuff in the attic (although its probably too old). I think I may get some new patterns and supplies and relearn it. Cleaning is a good idea too - I always have stuff around the house to clean with a teenager! Thanks everyone!

I did call back and talk to the office, and they said that I do not have to sign the consent form in advance. I can bring it to my pre-op appointment, and sign it after I talk to him. She said it had never been a problem before, but if I felt more comfortable waiting, I could. She also assured me that he had no deaths or stomach perforations. So I guess I feel a little better. Still would like opinions on everything else though!

Hi everyone, I need to know what you think of the below and whether or not I am over reacting. My doctor primarily works in a different city (about 5 hours away), although he flies in once a month for a few days to see patients and do surgery. Insurance has been approved. I was repeatedly assured, as recently as last Thursday, that he would be doing surgery in my city on Dec 21st, which was great because it would give me until Jan 2nd to recuperate. When the lady called officially today to schedule, she said he was doing it Dec 28th. How does that change between Thursday and Monday? That give me Friday-Tuesday (Jan 1st) to recuperate and I would have to be back to work the following Wednesday. I can't take off longer than that because I can't miss the first 4 of 5 days of the month in my field. He always does surgery and followup appts around the last weekend of the month in Houston. He is in Dallas the rest of the time. So even if I did the surgery a different month, I still wouldn't be able to take off much time (plus insurance would have to be reapproved for 2008) I work in an office , so its possible that having fewer days to recuperate may be okay. I've seen some say they can go back after the weekend, others seem to need longer. Also, the office emailed the consent form to me to sign and fax back "as soon as possible". Well, I haven't had my pre-op appt with the doctor, so why would I sign a consent form stating that I had, and that we had discussed my individual situation and the risks, etc (which are mentioned in the letter)? So now that has me questioning whether I should go ahead with this. Will it be a rush job - see as many patients as possible on that day, and fly back that evening? I am putting my life in somebody else's hands, and I'm a single mother. I want to make sure I am dealing with a reputable doctor, and not an "in and out" processing plant. There are supposed to be other Houston doctors that are on call should an emergency come up. Actually, other doctors located in Houston are affiliated with this company, but the one whose seminar I attended happened to be the one located primarily in the Dallas. Also, my first followup is after 1 month. How often do you normally have follow ups? Is it just assumed that everything is okay for the first month after surgery? Again, I guess they are there for me to call, but is that a red flag or is that normal? I could just be jittery and ready for it to be over, and hate it being put off another week because that gives me another week to worry about the risks. Also, now, my surgery will be done when my father is out of town with the grandkids (my son included). I still have my mom, but my dad and I are really close and I know he liked the fact that he would be in town on the 21st. Any and all comments about all of the above are welcome.

How do you adjust the ticker as you lose weight? Thanks

Congratulations on your fast approval!!! :clap2: I think it really has something to do with it being the end of the year. It seems everyone is being approved so quickly! I completely understand the shock that comes with being approved fast and knowing that the surgery is actually really coming - its scary! I keep thinking - 3 weeks from today, and I'll be sucking on an ice cube after surgery! I'm trying to make out my lists of what to buy and what I'll need. If you look under one of the presurgery threads, at the very top there is a thread that has some lists that people posted their lap band shopping lists, or things they wish they would have had before or after surgery and didn't. It's very helpful. Congratulations again! Do you have any idea of when your surgery will be?

What kind of replacements did you come up with to replace eating out of boredom, stress, emotions, being tired,etc? Obviously, I won't be able to eat my way thru those emotions, so I was wondering what others came up with. I thought that in the evenings, a hard time for me, I could catch up on a ton of reading. I love to read. During the day at work, I can start back working out during lunch at the company sponsered gym, instead of going to the food court and eating lunch at my desk. But I'm looking for other ideas for when things are really bad. Thanks

No, you helped a lot. I didn't know that the surgical center would take payments - I've heard of people being told to show up with thousands of dollars right before surgery, so if they will work something out with me, that will work out perfectly. I'm definitely not going to let the cost stand in my way. I'm set on having this surgery on December 21st, no matter what! I spent over $4000 this year trying to lose weight with personal trainers and a weight loss center, so my possible $2300 out of pocket will be nothing compared to that, except that this weight loss try will be long term and I won't have to repeat the same cycle over and over. You have been very helpful. I really appreciate all your answers, and letting me know how everything works with the center. It has helped put my mind at ease. The "unknown" causes a lot of anxiety for me, so it helps to have answers. Officially 3 weeks to surgery day! I am so excited and ready to begin preparing. It's so hard not to tell everyone! But I'm only told my mom, dad, best friend, and I will tell my teenage son before surgery.

That's great news! I got a call yesterday from the doctors office, with the amount to pay him & the anestiologist (sorry, mispelled). I was surprised by how low it was! Much less than I was expecting. Then I discovered later that the real cost is the facilty charge. They bill separately, so I had to call them. They can't tell me how much because they haven't gotten my file yet, but from my calculations, it will basically be the remainder of my out of pocket expenses allowed by my insurance company - I have about $2,250 left to reach my max out of pocket. The facility cost is $14,500 (before insurance). I was shocked because the doctor was so low. The facility originally said I would get a call about 3 days before my surgery with the cost. I thought that was kind of crazy and told her I needed to know before then, so I can make sure that I have the money. I hope they will take payments also. I get my bonus in February, and could pay it off completely. It really would be better if I did the surgery in 2008, when my FSA benefits reset, but Christmas vacation is the only extended time I have off work until March, and I'll have gained another 20 lbs at the rate I'm going right now! And I definitely don't want to wait until next summer. By then, I hope to have lost a lot ofweight so I can finally enjoy the pictures we take on summer vacation!

Wow. I just looked at your results between surgery day, and current, and it's great! Thank you for your great response. It is very reassuring! I just received a call about my costs from Dr. Felts office, and I have a billing question for you. Did you use insurance? If so, how did the facility charge work out? Dr. Felts office called and gave me the fee for the doctor, and the max that I would have to pay for the anestesiologist (sorry for the mispelling). All together, that was $360. I was amazed (expected it to be much more). She said the facility bills separately and that I would have to call them to get their cost. She gave me their number. I called them, but since I'm not in their system yet, they haven't called my insurance and can't tell me how much I will have to pay. She just assured me it would not be more than my out of pocket maximum, which i know is $2400. Then she said I would receive a call 3 days before my scheduled surgery with the amount! I told her I needed to know earlier than that, so I can make sure I have the money and plan for it. So I asked if they have a set charge for the facility, and then I could figure out the amount based on my 15% copay. She didn't seem to want to answer, but I told her there has to be a set facility fee-that can't vary depending on the patient-only the amount they have to pay depending on their insurance. So finally she told me it was $14,500. 15% of that is $2,175. I was shocked that the facility was that much - so much more than than the $360 that I would have to pay the doctor & Anest. Does that sound right to you? Also, I had based what I would have to pay on 15% of the $12,900 price they advertised which covers the total package including the doctor and facility. I asked her how the facility charge could be more than that, but she said that's only the price for cash customers because insurance pays differently. Which I understand-insurance normally discounts the amount billed before they pay out. Anyway, just wanted to know how the financial part with the surgical facility worked for you (I don't have to have exact #'s). Did it run smoothly? The tone of the lady I was talking to was a bit rude (the doctors office was quite friendly and helpful). Thanks again!

I've been staring at the phone the last 2 days, waiting for them to call and give me my exact amount to pay after insurance, as well as schedule my surgery as definitely being on the 21st. No call so far! During the other 2 weeks, I contacted them 2 or 3 times, so I don't want every department knowing my name, so I'll give them until Monday, and then I will call, because it will be less than 3 weeks away and I will need to be thinking about a preop diet!

Thanks everyone! Heather, I'm glad you got approved so quickly also! Especially before you insurance changed! No telling what the hassle may have been then! Good luck with your surgery!

Thanks! You answered one of my concerns, which was how it would work, especially the aftercare, with him being based in Dallas and flying down here. I didn't realize that he also flies down during to see his patients during the month, and not only for surgeries. It's great to hear about his Houston staff being easy to work with. I assume you are happy with your results from the lap band and have no regrets? Do you remember the names of anyone you worked with on his staff? I've been to the building on main street (AIGB) for my medical evaluation. Is there another part on that floor set up for surgeries? Does it look like an actual surgical place? Is there a good waiting room? Did you feel that if something would have gone wrong, they were equipped to handle it or could get you someplace quick? From the outside, the building looks like a regular office building. I don't want my parents (who are taking me there on the day of surgery) to panic because it doesn't look like a hospital! It's taken years to get over my fear of dying on the operating table and leaving my son with no parent(that's one why I'm not doing bypass). But after attending Dr. Felts seminar and seeing the video of the actual lap band surgery, I felt much more at ease. Now my only concern is adjusting to eating so much less after the surgery! Thanks again for your opinions!

Great! It's nice to hear from someone who worked with them. And it was really nice of them to find you another doctor! Thanks

Thanks everyone! It helps to know that I'm not alone or "crazy" and that others are or have been in the same position and made it thru. Hearing your personal stories really helps alot. And Edie - your picture looks great!