Southern Missy

Hello frogee and WELCOME to the Alabama page! I have not heard of the Clinic you are speaking of but maybe you could post on the Doctors thread and see if anyone else has (provided they aren't ONLY in Alabama). Sorry I couldn't be of more help! :thumbup: Deann, I also do not have any experience with anyone in Mobile. :tt1: SORRY! Hopefully, someone will be browsing through posts in the next several days and you will get an answer. Good luck to you!

When I had trouble with spasms, my doctor had me on a drug called Librax. It was pretty inexpensive as well.

ABSOLUTELY!! I was freaking out until I went into a thread and clicked on home to get to the "home" page that I am used to. I like it the way it is now (or the old way?) because I am able to see everything I need to see at one glance.

Oh wow!! There it is! Guess I didn't do it right before. :rolleyes2:

Did it... still same

Hey, no fair!! I still have apple-holding boob-grabber on mine!! What's up? :rolleyes2:

Julie, Don't be too hard on yourself about the weight gain. With all that you are going through, it would be unusual if you didn't gain weight -- it is a very stressful time. Also, please let us know what your DH finds out today. You have been in our prayers.

Hope, I think you may be just a touch sensitive. I'm sure that's not what Ponytail meant. I don't know her nor have I ever spoken to her but I think this was just a way for her to vent a little to help get by with this. Don't take this wrong but I read in another post that you were cheating a little and maybe you are feeling a little guilty about it? We all have to do what works for us but please don't read into her words things that aren't really being said. Ponytail, just hang in there girl!! You want to keep on keeping' on to help your band get seated so there is less chance of erosion. There are some great threads in this section that cover that. I plan on reading those over and over when the hunger is driving me insane!! :biggrin: And BTW, AWESOME WEIGHT LOSS!! YOU GO GIRL!

Band...sorry, don't know how I missed your post! Anyway, it would probably be helpful to us all to know the area you are coming from in order to recommend. However, with that being said, I have been trying to decide between 2 different docs in Bham that seem wonderful! They also have a great staff. Dr. Andrew Dewitt Dr. Touliatos I agree with you about the Miles/Schmitt thing. I think they are very experienced surgeons who do a great job but I just felt like another number instead of a patient. I don't know why that is so important to me but it always has been. Good luck to you and let us know if you have any other questions!! :biggrin:

Di... I can feel your pain! There's nothing like jumping through hoops and just when you jump through the last one... BOOM!! You hit a brick wall. :biggrin: If she is going to be out that long, do they not have someone else who will be handling the scheduling? That seems like an awful long time to go without scheduling people for the amount of business it looks like they are doing. Good luck to you and let us know what you find out...

Kiresk -- How do you know last year's shorts still look/fit the same? Do you have any pictures of you from last year that you could compare to this year? I ask because, like you, I am my own worst critic. If anyone treated me as bad as I treat myself, it could probably be called abuse! Give yourself a break and congratulate yourself on the hard work you've already done! :sad_smile:

This is from an old post but I wondered what you found out from Dr. Mike and if it helped you. I am having probs with hair loss right now so I would really like to try to start taking care of it before I get my band. Thanks! Missy

Also, Julie, you probably need to consider that he is more than likely depressed about the whole situation. I have only been laid off 1 time in my life but it was very emotional for me and regardless of the reasons for the dismissal, it was still hard to take (in my case, they were just downsizing to try to keep from closing the doors). With finances already being tight, I know it would be hard for him to get some counseling, etc., but even 1 session might be helpful. Also, a lot of the colleges offer a test which will tell you what kind of jobs you would be interested in (the name of the exact test escapes me now but if you call an advisor at a college they should know). Most of the time, the fees for taking the test are relatively small. When I took one, it took about 2 weeks to get the results back. So sorry for your troubles. It's not an easy place to be. I'll keep you both in my thoughts! :redface:

Shari, It is my understanding that you HAVE to have 6 visits which document your height, weight, the diet regimen you are following as well as any exercise. However, depending on when you started, it may actually take you 7 months. I was really trying to clear this up for you but now I'm not sure I've cleared anything up! My advice to you is to write down all the dates you saw your provider, call your insurance company and let THEM tell you if you're done or not. Better safe than sorry!! Good Luck!

Not sure where Wheetsin is from but here in the South, we call that a "heapin' helpin' of good ole sarcasm"!

I wouldn't worry so much about not being able to eat as long as you are taking in plenty of liquids. Most people have had to be on a liquid diet for as much as 3-4 weeks and you are only about 3 weeks now (?). Considering some of the other threads I have read about people wanting to eat the "house" after surgery and before the fill, I would consider myself lucky not to have an appetite! :huh2: However, if it really concerns you, I would certainly contact my MD and see what his take on it is. I'm sure you'll be good as new, probably better, real SOON! :biggrin2:

Let me just add... it's because of this VERY thread that I have decided that regardless of what my doctor says, I think at least 3-4 weeks of the liquid diet postop is essential to the longevity of my band. In the scheme of things, 3-4 weeks is worth it if it means I have less chance of a slip. Of course, it may also be what my MD orders but I have yet to go to my consultation (a couple more weeks to go) so I don't know yet. However, I will be including this discussion in my list of questions to him. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all you ladies for your words of wisdom. It would be so easy for you to read these posts and think "Poor idiots, hope they figure it out!". It takes someone special to take the time it takes to write out the important facts, the ins and outs, and just generally hold someone accountable by questioning why they would do things wrong when they know better. I'm so sorry that people had their feelings hurt but I would consider that more of a problem with accountability than being "badgered" and, unfortunately, it seems that everyone has a "don't speak up if you don't agree with me" philosophy. I have plenty of people in my life who tell me what I want to hear... I come here to hear what I NEED to hear. Thanks again! :huh2:

Alright, I have just finished laughing until I cried after reading all of these stories -- they are flippin' hilarious!! GGirl -- OMG!! You poor thing! I would have died, I know. Thanks for the laugh everyone -- I needed it!!

O M G!! :frown: I seriously just hurt myself LOL on that one!!

Moderators and especially FaithMD... I have been following this post as I hope to be having surgery in the next few months. I wanted to thank each of you for your thoughts, opinions, statements. This is definitely one of those cases where the love of food has to take a backseat to our well-being because it is not only for now but in the future. Each of you gave an insight which is priceless to me. I intend to be successful with the band and without information such as this I'm not sure I could be. I liken it somewhat to disciplining my children. Yeah, I could let them do what they want to do day in and day out because it is so much easier for me but what happens next year and the next? As they get older, the things they want to do changes tremendously and, quite honestly, their respect for someone who doesn't set boundaries diminishes as well. I'm not saying it is going to be easy but I know how desperately I have wanted to lose weight and 3-4 weeks in the whole scheme of things just doesn't seem like too much of a sacrifice. Thanks again, ladies, you are all JEWELS in my opinion and I appreciate your candor!! :thumbs_up:

Michelle RN -- I have to agree with you. Not to step on any toes as I know there are many people who go with Miles/Schmitt and LOVE them but although I found the seminar informative I also likened it to a cattle prod. It just seemed too commercialized for me. Also, I intend to spend the night in the hospital and they were commenting on how they couldn't remember the last time they had a band patient to stay overnight. To each his own but that's just my 2-cents.

Bama Belle -- I have a friend who used Dr. Stahl for her RNY and she absolutely loves him. She had it done 3 or 4 years ago and has nothing but good results. Also, my PCP recommends Dr. Stahl. I am not personally using him (he wasn't accepting new patients when I began looking) but from all I've heard, he's a good surgeon. When my friend went to see him, he was pushing RNY over the band but not sure if his opinion has changed. Good luck!

You are so right, that SUCKS! The problem I have with that is that he should have been up front with you about it in the beginning! Will you have to start over or will they allow you to change physicians mid-stream? Good luck to you!

FYI....Just in case anyone wondered...I spoke with the doctor's office this morning and she said she has never known insurance not to approve because someone gained weight on the diet. She said a lot of people do...thus, the reason they are trying to have the surgery.

The 6-month diet is only as required by insurance providers. It is my understanding that Miles/Schmitt require the sleep study as part of their preop workup. The seminar is very informative. They have all their people there, too, so that you can ask questions and make your initial appt. Good luck!