strikeuptheband

Me too, me too!!! I just found out my date today. Surgery on June 2nd. How awesome. For 17 years, I celebreated my wedding day on that date. Then got divorced and tried to forget it for the next 20!!! lol Now I have a New Me date to celebrate every June 2nd!!:cursing:

In about an hour I am leaving for my surgeons visit and pre admission to the hospital. I will know later today when my date is. They say most likely on June 2nd or 4th. Hope the 2nd so I can be recovered enough to hang around (and probably not do much else) on the 6th for our Relay for Life. They say walking is good after surgery, but I dunno about all night!!! I am excited to be a June Bug!!:thumbup:

this forum is in my favorites. And it used to work...but the last 2 days it took me to the search engine. When I clicked on "Why am I Here?" it said you tried to go to a site that does not exist. gimme a break. I just kept clicking on all the 'similar' links until one opened up to here. Then I saved it in my favorites again. Dunno yet if I can get back with my new saved link. Guess I will find out next time I log in. I love this place and yes, we do exist!!

OK so I am talkin to myself. Just trying to make the ticker thingy work.

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OK and anyone know how to make my ticker look like a ticker? I copied and pasted it just as it was and didn't change anything!

I live 2 1/2 hours from where my doctor is. I took off a day for the psych eval, and another day where they booked my physical therapist, dietician, bariatric coordinator meeting and an evening support group all on one day! One visit left next tuesday to see surgeon and pre registration at the hospital. Then I will take 2-3 days off after surgery. I have a desk job so I doubt I will need much time off. Good luck to ya!

Hi, I have been reading these threads now for several months and posted a few times. Thought now that things are starting to roll, I would introduce myself. I have been fighting weight problems since my youngest was born...and now she's 20! So I can't write it off as baby fat anymore:sad: I am 5'3" and BMI was 37.1 at my last visit to the Dr. I am being banded (hopefully, will know for sure on May 20) the first week in June. I have had my psych eval, orientation, initial surgeon's visit, seen dietician and physical therapy. Today I got bloodwork done and see the surgeon and do hospital preadmission next tuesday. Its coming at me like a freight train!:biggrin: My insurance, or rather my employer will not approve the insurance, so I tried the VA option, as I am a veteran. No go there either unless I was willing to gain up to a BMI of 50. Now how smart was that advice! So I have gathered all my pennies together, said forget it to ever retiring and got enough together for self pay. I will be getting the Realize Band at Columbia Bariatric Services at Boone County Hospital in Columbia MO. My doc is Dr Pitt, who has had lapband surgery himself. I would like to find others who have gone to this hospital or live nearby. I livd 2 1/2 hours from Columbia so I would not get to go there often for their support meetings unless I schedule a fill on a day that it meets. It would be nice to talk to people in the same area so we can compare notes.

My doc is now using the Realize band. I go tomorrow for dietician, physical therapy appts and to see the coordinator, and to a support group in the evening. They also are going to want a chunk of change tomorrow...I am self pay. Then on the 22nd, see surgeon and hosp preadmission. lab work, xray and whatever and surgery date is probably going to be June 2 or 4th. I am really getting excited about it. I have stopped drinking soda's now for the last week and I think that's gonna be harder even than the liquid diet!!

I am going to get the Realize band. After getting nowhere with my insurance or the VA, I am going to dig under my couch for money to self pay. I see the dietician and physical therapist on May 8th and Dr pre-op consult and hosp preadmission on May 22 and surgery on June 1st or 3rd. Its amazing how quickly things start to happen when the doc's smell cash. To my understanding, the Realize band has a flatter port and less prone to 'flipping.' In exchange for being one of the first to get this one (he's done gobs of other lapband surgeries, tho), I get free fills for life if I go to the Realize band website and keep track of my food and exercise there regularly. Sounds fair to me! Can't wait to get banded!!

Jason, I googled VA loans and all I can find is info on home loans. Do you have a link to where I can check out if VA will give you loans for medical needs? Thanks,

Thanks, Jason. I might need to look into getting a loan. Hate to do that tho, and it gripes me that the VA wont do this life saving surgery but they will (maybe) give you a loan so you end up paying for it.:sad_smile: Gee, and usually I am such a happychick! Can you get any more info from your dad? Did the VA eventually do the surgery and just charge him or did he get the loan and pay another doc to do it. I have a doc all lined up and have approval, but my work insurance wont cover this. Thats why I went to the VA to see if I could get it thru them. I knew as soon as I saw the skinny *itch of a doc that the answer was gonna be no. She said I could just diet and exercise (like I haven't been doing that and failing and hurting myself for the last 30 years???) I wonder if the VA rate is cheaper than an outside doc. The doc I saw would do it if you paid up front 12,500.

Judy, I live in Missouri. Let me know if there is a way to upgrade UHC, if I can pay the difference in the premium that might be worth looking into. What gripes me about the VA is they won't do it for Veterans, but I have read on these boards that dependents of veterans who have CHAMPVA or Tricare seem to be able to get it done. (Don't mean that dependents are any more or less important), but if they won't approve it to those of us that put our name on the line and gave active service, geez....and I can't qualify to be a dependent of anyone because 1. When I was married, I wasn't his dependent cuz I was active duty, and 2, now I'm not even married to him so I am still not his dependent! (hehe but thats ok). Good luck, hope you get approved somehow!

How much does my mind weigh???? I will take weight loss any way I can get it!!

I have UHC where I work also. They will cover IF.........your employer has chosen to include WLS in the plan. I found out after I went to the seminar, went to the psych doc, and paid out of pocket for the surgeons consult that my employer has excluded WLS. They explain it like if you buy a car without air conditioning, then complain that the AC doesn't work, the company won't do anything about it. Its a crock, not fair and I am really ticked off by it. Plan B for me was to hook up with the VA Center since I am a veteran. Was told yesterday that they would only do that surgery if my BMI was over 50. Well, geez louise, its at 37 now and I can barely walk, have high BP, high cholesterol, triglicerides, and am prediabetic. I will probably be dead before I reach a BMI of 50! My surgeon will do it for $12,500 if you pay up front. I think there are other places that charge less but you might have to go to Mexico for that!!:wink2: Now I am trying to come up with Plan C. I don't have a clue where to turn next. Anyone have any ideas?

I haven't been banded yet, but am confused a bit on this PB business. I haven't seen this question yet, so I will ask. Suppose you get nausous (from the flu or something). Is it even possible to throw up once you are banded? If stuff past your band in your lower stomach is churning, how do you get it out? Can stuff go back thru the band and out? Sorry if you are reading this at lunchtime. I just wondered.

I had breast reduction a few years ago and I was told to NOT expose the scars to tanning (or sun) until they are totally healed. If you don't the scars could turn and STAY bright red. Once the scars are healed, you might be OK but definitely ask your doc first.

I like what the little green guy says: Do or do not, there is no try.---Yoda

Truckoholic, when you find out what your insurance will cover, take the next step and talk to your HR dept where you work to see if your employer has put an exclusion on WLS. My insurance would cover it but the particular plan my employer bought does not cover it. I am now going to see if the VA center will provide this service since I am a veteran. Good luck and keep us posted.

I have a pantry full of the stuff if anyone wants it! lol The first time I did Nutrisystem was right after my divorce when I was out to become 'all I could be'--that worked well for a while, lost what I wanted and was pretty motivated. then when I couldn't afford the food any more, I gained it all back and then some. That was close to 20 years ago. I tried it again last year, struggled for a long time to finally lose 10 lbs and got tired of the gravy or sauces on everything and quit eating it. I have gained back lots more than those 10 lbs. Seems for me, nothing works. I am now researching to find a way to pay for lapband.

I had breast reduction a few years back and had a miserable time getting my bra to not press on my incisions. Right after surgery I started slipping s soft minipad under each breast and that seemed to soften things and make it bearable. 4 years later I still have some pain but mostly itching along the scars and still can't wear anything but a stretchy sports bra. Not banded yet, I am trying to find a payment source. My insurance where I work won't pay it. Good luck, try the minipad...no one can tell and it makes a soft cushion.

Thanks, WasABubbleButt! I am going to get registered at a VA center next week and see what happens next. I don't care where I have to go, it VA will cover it, I will do it!!

I have UHC too and its my employer, not UHC that has denied me. The reason is "its too expensive to add into the policy. It would raise your rates way too high." This from my HR dept! Have they looked at all the walking heart attacks waiting to happen when I work??? HR put an exclusion on WLS so it won't do any good to appeal. Plan B is that I am a veteran so I am going to hook up with a VA center thats about 2 hours from where I live and see where that takes me. Wish me luck!

I am not active duty now and did not retire. Got out after about 10 years of service. I know I can hook up with VA. Looks like Tricare won't help me then. Send the link if you will, can't hurt to check it out. I live in Missouri. Thanks,

minpinmom, Do you know if TriCare is for military veterans or is it just for families of military? Back when I was in, it was called Champus..is this the same thing? I want to pursue TriCare since I have heard (mostly from you) that it works. My work's insurance wont touch WLS even though they don't hesitate to increase my rates! And they will be more than glad to pay for my heart attack, stroke or other weight related illness when I get them. Yea I am being snarly! lol Just trying to find an avenue that will help me pay for this. My BMI is about 37 and I have high BP, high chloresterol and borderline diabetic. Also lots of leg, knee, hip joint pain. Do you think I am miserable enough to be considered?? :-)