la8again

Hey I had to have mine a couple of weeks ago and I was just like you I thought that they were going to put a tube down my throat also., Once I got there I realize that it was as described above. They gave me a small cup of crystals and a tiny sip of Water they said to throw the crystals in the back of my throat and then swollow it with the sip of water. That was had because it was very fizzy. They tell you that you can not burp. Then the have you stand up in front of an xray machine and take a few big gulps of a very thick barium mixture. ( It is hard to get down it tasted very terrible) THen they laid the table down and had you lay on it face up, then they ask you to roll over as fast as you can. Then you are asked to lay on your side and take small steady sips of a thinner barium through a straw. (By this time I couldn't hardly drink anymore, I was gagging and they had to give me a spit-up tray) They watch it go down and go through you digestive track while you sip it. Then you are done. I was very sick at my belly, all day, after drinking that stuff. If I was you I would leave there and go stright to get something to eat. Maybe that would help. So anyway it was do able, but I wouldn't do it for $hit$ and giggles. I wish you the best of luck!!!

I am not required to do any sort of preop diet other than I have to lose 10 pounds so that my liver will be reduced. I was given phenterimen to help with that. I am so happy that I do have to do any sort of liquid diet. I have to stop drinking and eating at midnight.

Hey I dont want to be a bummer but I did want to let you know a little about mrsa. My step mother has it and has for about 4 years. It started on her upper left thigh and has now moved all down her left leg, moved to her right spread through it, and now she has a spot on her back. She has had 18 surgeries in 3 years and after surgery they have to leave her wounds open. She has had up to 7 wounds open at a time and some of the holes have taken 17 months to heal. She has to pack them twice a day and clean them out. She has been wound free for about a year, but has had a few infections that just haven't fully "poped up" yet. The only medicne that seems to kinda keep it a bay is $100.00 a day and insurance will not pay for it. Thank God for the church helping with the price!!! I really hope you have much better luck with it. I am sooooo sorry for you haveing to go through this. I will pray for you.

Hey Nikki I am 22 and have been over weight since I was about 14. I didn't even know that they would do it before you were 18 in the USA. I know how it is to feel like you have to defend yourself because of your age, I got married at 15. I don't believe that your age should put a barrier on your life I think it is just a number and you should be treated like the age that you act. So please don't take this the wrong way, but how much overweight are you to be having it done so early in life?

You all make me so nervous I only have about 80 pounds to lose so I hope I dont have wet socks on my chest. I plan on having a boob job done when I am done losing my weight if its that bad, but I am really hoping that my boobs aren't affected and I wont have to spend the money on a boob job. I just feel like at 22 I shouldn't have empty floopy boobs. Thank you all for your replies.

Hey ladies I have a question. I am still going through all of my preop things and I am wondering, How much of my boobs will lose? When I lost my weight after my divorce I went from D to a C cup, but when I gained my weight back I didn't regain my boobs. So I am now a C and I am really worried that I am going to lose even more!!! So please let me know how much it affected you.

Thank you very much for all of your input.

What my doctor told was that it would only take 1 shot and 30 seconds to be legally drunk! I guess it will make going out a whole cheaper.

I feel so lucky I went in for my first nut apt today and I don't have to do any sort of preop liquid diet. All I have to do is lose 10 pounds in the next four months, and I will be done Also I go to solid foods starting week 3. I am so excited about the diet requirements. I would wonder about the diet except that I am using one of the top rated surgeons in TN. They are also a center of excellance, so they are tried and true. I am just so happy right now!!!

Hi, I'm from Knoxville, TN and I am using Dr. Colquitt in Maryville @ Blount Memorial. That wasn't by choice, but my insurance requires me to use a center of excellance so he is who I got stuck with. He does seem very nice, not great bedside, but he seems to really know his stuff. He is just not who I choose to use. I was planning on using Tenn weight loss center out of UT Hospital. My insurance plan changed right after my first apt with them so I had to change docs then. Well nice to meet everyone!

Hey I wanted to let you know that there is a section on pregnancy. You can find it towards the bottom of the first page. Hope this helps! And good luck with everything.

Hey a good idea to make a milkshake with it is to put it in a blender with ice. I had a friend who did this and it was really good. Also on her preop diet she was allowed to have natural Peanut Butter. She would put chocolate Protein Powder, skim milk, ice and the peanut butter in the blender, also sometimes for an extra boost of Protein she would add some powdered low fat milk. yummy yummy

I have not started mine yet I am still doing all of my testing and classes. But my friend was banded in December and she lost 23 pounds on her liquid pre-op diet. I thought this would maybe give you some insperation.

Chubby Checker, Most of the doctor I have heard about have these same requirements or at least one very close. There are a few that do not require this, but most do.

I just wanted to let you know I am so sorry that you are having to stress over this. I kinda thought that would be an issue with my doc. So I did stuff my pockets when I went in keys, cell phone, and a few layers of clothes. One thing you can do to drop a few pounds is DO NOT eat at all before you go to the doctor. Hopefully your apt is in the morning. Dont drink alot and do not eat and you will be alright. If I dont eat before I go to the doctor I show at least 2-3 pounds lighter than I would have if I had eaten. Also if you can wear cloth pants instead of jeans that will make a diffrence. Jeans weigh about 2-5 pounds and take your shooes off before you weight. Some doctors make you do that anyways, but I have a few that dont make me take them off. So if they dont require it do it anyways. Best wishes!!!!

I wish you all of the luck in getting pregnant!!! Just try, try, try. Im sure your husband wont mind! HaHa But remember only every other day. There is such a thing as too much when you are trying to get preg.

Hi I am a little confused on what you mean are you having several sugeries r is that just what they called it? What most people go through is a physican supervised diet. That is just your basic diet with 30 min excercise a day. The only differance is that you have to go to the doctor once a month to let them check all of your vitals and to be able to talk to you about what all is going and how you handle the diet. Most insurances require this for eiher 3 or 6 months. Some are a year, but that is very rare, (I think only medicare and medicade). You just need to lose like 2-3 pounds per month unless you are way over 40 bmi. Just be careful you can lose to much weight and and then not be qualified for the surgery. That is my issue. I am starting my 6 months as of Monday, and I only have a BMI or 40.3. If I lose more than 10-15 pounds I won't qualify for the surgery anymore. I am required to lose 10 pounds, by my doctor, but if I lose more than 15 pounds they will assume that I cando it on my own. Also my insurance will not approve the surgery because my weight will be to low. Anyway I hope this is what you were talking about and I was not just rambeling on.

I had the exact same thing happen to me. I had call my insurance company (Humana) to check my benns and they told me that the doctor that I had chosen was covered. When I got to the doctors apt and was back in the office, the insurance lady told me that my benns had changed Jan 1. I had called Humana on Jan 12 and that is when I was told it was covered. What had happened was that the 2008 plan wasnt in yet so they just told me plan benns for 2007. So as of Jan 1 I have to go to a center of excellence. I tried the whole thing of making them pay because they had told me the wrong thing after when the plan had started. They told me that there were not any exceptions. Even if I had been approved and my surgery was in 2 days from that they would have not paid. I think that it really sucks, but I do know how you feel. I am also having to start the whole thing over again. I went to another simanar that night and had my first apt today. Now on top of everything else my insurance company requires a 6 mont diet prior to submission. That started last week. I was so angry when I found that out I jst cried all night. I was suspose to have my surgery next week with the first doc and now it will be August.

What my doctor told me was that it only took one shot of liquer and 13 seconds (yes i said seconds) to be legaly drunk! I dont think I would have more than 2 drinks if I were you. I am 22 years old so I know exactly how you feel. Also he said that wine was better than liquer. So if you like wine at all I would try that. Another trick is that for the first few times you drink Water it down. Like 50/50 the first time then a little less water each time. Also a good tip that I was told is to eat 15 goldfish crackers 15 min. before you plan on drinking, it will help to not make you feel sick. Hope this helps.

Well, I dont want you to feel like I am being pushy, but I have to say I am 22 years old. And there isn't any way that I would let my mom be so controling (granted she is dead now, but if she were alive) you are a legal adult. If you feel like you need support then you need to seek that out. I am not saying to tell everyone. But you should tell your closest friend or maybe even two. I understand the thing about respecting your mom and I completely agree that you should respect her. I just think that she should respect you also in the fact that you need someone for support besides her. Telling your best is just natural, also your friend would proably be very upset if she found out latter that you didn't tell her. I have chosen to tell some people and others will not ever know. Just like all of my family knows (very small family, dad, 2 sisters, and a grandfather) and they are very supportive, but I DO NOT want any of my inlaws knowing. They are stuck up a$$ holes and would be very mean about if. I also have told 3 or 4 of my closest friends, but I do not plan on telling anyone else. They can just think that I am on a really good diet. I really hope that this helps coming from someone so close to your age.

Not real good advice but I have seen it on here alot. Where ankel weights to the first apt then when you take them off at the next apt you will have lost the weight. Now I did not do this but I have heard that litterly like 30% of the people have done some type of tricking the scales. Now I did wear a few layers of clothing and my heaviest shoes.

There was a few other reasons that my doc had. He said it is wider there for less chance for slipage, it doesn't have a fill limit, and the clasp is better than the other band. I hope this helps some.

The COE is also a new humana policy. I am now having to switch surgeons due to the policy change on 1/1/08. I was just worried that it would takes weeks to get the approval done. Thanks for your input!

Well today was my first visit with the surgen and half way through the apt they told me that my insurance plan had changed. So we called the insurance company back and they gave us 4 diffrent stories in 45 min on the phone with them. The final anwser is they now only cover a COE. So I have to start every thing over again with new docs at a diffrent hospital. I was in luck and they did have a seminar tonight. But my first apt with them isn't even untill Febuary 13th. I would have been about to have my surgery by them. I was just really settled with who I was going to use. The worst thing is right before we found out about insurance, they told me that my surgery would be done by the end of Febuary. I am so angry that my plan changed 3 weeks ago. I have called to verify every thing just last week, after the changes, and they quoted 07 plan instead of 08 plan! The only good thing that has come from all of this is that now instead of having to pay $2000 out of pocket I now only have to pay $500. Sorry, but I really just needed to vent for a min. So to all of you listening Thank you very much!

Hi, I have Humana and I am wanting to know long it took to get your approval. Or if you did not get yours approved, why not? I will be submitting for approval in about 2 weeks after my phys eval is completed. I go on Monday the 28th, but then they have go over it so it will be a few days after. So I am hoping I can kinda know what to expect from them. Thank you in advance for any help!

I also have Humana and I do not have to do the supervised diet. I have my first apt tomorrow, but I spoke with Humana and they told me on my plan they do not require the diet. I am lucky they also cover the $550 office fee for the after surgery diet class. I am so sorry to hear that they dont cover that on your plan, but I have read on here about people saying that the insurance and the doctor use your first weight not the after diet weight. I hope you can figure something else out. You could try to speak with humana and see which weight they will use. I know they have a seperate weight loss surgery department they will know more than anyone else. I hope I was some help!

Hi I'm In Knoxville, TN. I am using UT weight loss center with Dr. Scott and 2 Brothers Dr. Mancini. I have my fist apt. with them tomorrow.