jena

Katie, I am doing well! The Atlanta fill office is great. It's like visiting family when I go. As a matter of fact, everyone who works there IS family! The nurse Darlene was one of the first people Dr. Ortiz trained to give fills. Her brother-in-law is a retired MD and also does fills so you will be well taken care of. All fills are done using a fluoroscope so there is no guessing involved. You get to watch your band in action! Nothing to worry about in the Atlanta office! Good luck to you. I encourage you to get it done!

It's not just women who have them. Many men have them too! Especially men who lift weights. You don't necessarily have to be fat to have stretch marks. Many people get them on their hips, thighs and behind during puberty because you are developing your curves and the skin stretching over that area gives you the marks. Next time you see a man with really muscular arms, look really closely and I bet you'll see stretch marks. Jena

I too had a small hernia repair at the time of the band. If I hadn't been told, I would never know. Took a gas x strip before the surgery and I've had no problems with gas or anything since. I'm about 36 hours post banding. :smile:

I have to agree with the person who said they were treated well from the moment they stepped off the plane. Dr. Ortez could not be any more nicer and the entire staff are fantastic. There is a doctor on staff 24 hours a day. The rooms are like small hotel rooms! Sofa, chair, bed, cable tv. I was lucky and have no problem with gas. I made sure to take my gas-x strip before the surgery. Maybe that helped. My incisions are a little sore but not uncomfortable. Sort of like being bruised. My step mom and I went shopping on Revolution St. today where all the vendors are. We had a great time and came home with lots of souvenirs. I haven't been hungry today, I have had juice, Water & chicken broth & some tea. Anyone thinking of seeing Dr. Ortiz, I've had a great experience down here. You are treated like a queen. Jena

I had already paid my deposit and was ready to do it before I told anyone I was going to Mexico. When I did let my sister know she blew a gasket! I listened to her concerns and let her know that I understood how she feels, but I had made up my mind and there was no discussing it. Other people had "that" look on their face (horrified!) but I wasn't asking anyones permission and I guess they sensed that because no one had anything negative to say. Most everyone wants to be sure that I've done my research and I assure them that I did. I'm going this week to TJ to be banded and I can't wait to go!! Good luck! Jena

I'm from Atlanta as well and I will be flying to TJ on Wednesday and have surgery with Dr. Ortiz on Thursday, May 8. I'll let you know how it goes! He is an excellent doctor and is a proctor for the maker of the Lap Band. He's trained many of the US doctors in the Lap Band!! You can get your fills done in Roswell at Fill Centers USA, and from what I hear, they are wonderful there. I found the same thing you did. Self pay in Atlanta was just way too much. With all the charges - surgeon, assistant, anesthesiologist, surgery room, etc. it would be over $24,000! That doesn't include all of the pre-op testing that has to be done and insurance won't pay for because it is part of the Lap-Band process! Jena

Ugggh! Egg white powder is just that. It returns to regular old egg whites when you add Water. The only thing I can imagine that makes it better than cracking an egg and using the white is that the powder is pasteurized so there is no danger of bacteria. Now maybe if I whipped it up with a little sweetener and made meringue...add some crushed strawberries....hmm...maybe it's not so bad after all! Jena

That is such an inspiring post, I had to quote it so it would be posted twice! :tongue_smilie: Jena

From my dietitians instructions as soon as you are able to eat food, you should not be drinking the shakes. They are only to give you Protein while your band is healing. So, hopefully, they won't be a big part of your afterband life!

You love your wife very much and it shows. The thing about being overweight is that it is a very personal thing. Even as close as it seems you are with your wife, she's having a struggle inside her that, based on my experience, she hasn't even shared with you. I was pretty much in the same situation when I was married. My husband was kind and caring and understood the problem because his weight went up and down, but there wasn't anything he could say or do that helped in the long term. He was totally supportive for me, offered to go to the gym with me, walk with me, everything. It didn't help. He was torn because he was hurt that I was hurting inside, but on the other hand disappointed in me when his attempts to help failed. That didn't make it any easier for me. So, with all that being said I have some advice for you. :tongue_smilie: ASK HER how you can help. Quit offering suggestions to her. I know they are coming from your heart, but what she really needs is for the pressure to be off. You can really be the best support by just asking her what she needs. If she's depressed or crying about her weight, give her a shoulder and a hug. Tell her you love her. As was mentioned above, if she's not excited about getting the band, then even with it she will not be successful and it will be just one more time she failed. Hugs to you and your wife, Jena

Good luck sweety! Can't wait to hear how it goes. I'm having mine in 2 weeks, 3 days!

I eat things I can eat on my pre-op diet. sugar free popcicles, sugar free Jello and sugar free jello pudding. I'll drink Special K Protein Water. If I'm really starving I will have a Lean Cuisine turkey/greenbeans frozen meal. It's only about 150 calories. I'm not on Atkins, though.

Do people really watch you while you sleep? That makes it sound like people are standing around your bed watching you sleep. :rolleyes2: But I can totally understand why you think that. Actually, in my case, there was a tiny camera up on one wall that was pointing at the bed. They HAVE to watch you in order to see if you quit breathing and if you wake up while sleeping. I don't think they actually watch you all night long, just when the monitors show you have stopped breathing. Maybe someone out there who is a nurse can tell us more. If you are worried that you might do something to embarrass yourself while sleeping, I suspect they have seen just about anything that could happen! :scared2: Loud snoring does not always have apnea associated with it. Some people are just loud snorers!

Good for you for doing liquids for the next two days!! You will do fine, the weight you gained is probably just Water weight since it is so much in so little time. Two days of liquids should get most of that off of you. Drink, drink, drink water all the time. I sometimes have edema (swelling of the feet) and my doctor staid drinking fluids is the best way to get rid of water weight. Good luck and relax!! Jena

yuck! I can see why you're at the end of your rope with the Optifast. Go to the grocery store and pick up a few cans of other Protein drinks to see if you like them. Get a couple of cans of chicken and beef broth. A pack of Special K protein Water to sip on(pink lemon aid is good). I love the Slim Fast Optima French vanilla and Milk chocolate. The Atkins isn't bad either and has more protein in it. If you like Starbucks frappichino, try the Atkins caramel mocha (or something like that) You will love it. It's only 2 more days! A little variety might help you get through it. Good luck!! Jena

Honestly, it's not the insurance company, it's the coverage that is selected. If you are covered by your or your spouse employer, it's really the fault (if it's anyones fault) of the employer. The company chooses the coverage, the co-pays etc. and it's based on cost. Cost to them and cost to the employees. So, don't blame the insurance company. Blame whoever is providing you with the insurance. Is there a reason why you didn't establish coverage before you went down this path? I read our coverage handbook and it said that bariatric surgery was NOT covered. I had the surgeons office double check and it would not be covered or any associated dr. visits. Because the coverage said explicitly that it would not be covered, there was no getting around it. Period. End of story.

I lost 20 pounds in 4 weeks by having 1 Slimfast Optima for Breakfast, 1 Lean Cuisine for lunch and 1 Lean Cuisine for dinner. I also had sugar free popcicles and sugar free Jello and sugar free jello pudding. I don't think I could have made it just on shakes or Clear liquids.

I've had hbp since I was 14 years old. Well, I was diagnosed then. I'm 50 years old now. It runs in my family. The point about having "real" high bp is you can't control it. You might be able to bring it down a few points by meditation and slowing down your heart rate, but it won't make it go away. Remember, high blood pressure is also called "the silent killer" because there are no symptoms. With that being said, there is a recognized affliction known as "white coat syndrome" which means some people's blood pressure goes up when they are having a dr. exam or getting their bp taken in the dr.'s office. They don't really have hbp, it's just the reaction they have from being in a stressful situation. I see a nephrologist for my blood pressure and my bp is taken when I go back to an exam room. It's taken in both of my arms. Then when the doctor comes in, he takes it in both arms as well. SO, I guess what I'm saying is that you might have white coat syndrome, so if it is high when you go, let them know you would like it taken several times and in both arms to see if you can get a more accurate reading. Also, between now and then, get your bp taken somewhere else. Lot's of drug stores have a machine, or the pharm. can take it for you. Some cities have set up places like fire stations where you can have it read for free. Buy yourself a wrist cuff with a digital readout and check it yourself! They are only about $30. Good luck and I think from what you said you will do just fine! Oh, and while you are in surgery you are hooked up to a bp cuff, so they KNOW what your bp is as you are being operated on.

Hi Allison, Did you know there are places that can do your study at your home? Someone comes out and puts all the little things on you and hooks you up to a machine that captures the data. The next day they come and pick everything up. So, if you have to do it again, request an in home sleep study! My experience was much like everyone else. I told the nurse the next morning that I didn't sleep at all because the man in the next room kept me up all night with his snoring. I noticed that his room was empty and I said "oh I guess he already left." She said he got up at 5:00 am and left because my snoring kept him awake all night and he couldn't take anymore! heh hehe

I just told someone last night that 50 is the new 29. (I turned 50 in december) I've declared 50 to be "The Year of Jena" I'm old enough to decide what I want to change and rich enough to afford it. Heh! I've got my convertible sports car, a way cool job as an Engineer for a social media firm, I just had Lasik surgery, I'm having facials every month and massages every 2 weeks, I'm taking swimming lessons, I've hired a trainer, have a goal to do an Ironman competition for my 55th birthday, I've lost 21 pounds and I'm getting a band to help me lose the other 170 pounds! What other people think about any decisions I make has no affect on me. Who else besides me is making this "The Year of <insert your name here>" Jena

It is my plan that won't cover it. We are a small company of around 50 people and even if I asked that it be covered next year, I don't want to wait that long. Once I've made up my mind, I've made up my mind! Like you said, most people don't realize it's not the insurance company that determines if you are covered, it's your companies coverage that determines it. thanks for the suggestion! Jena

I can't imagine why they would change your surgery date unless you couldn't get a c-pap machine before you were scheduled. The only reason they want you to bring it is so they can put it on you when you are asleep after surgery. when I had a hysterectomy I forgot to bring mine and the hospital brought me one to use. Have you ever been told you snore? Have your cats and dog stopped sleeping with you and sleep as far away as possible? Has your husband or partner taken to sleeping on the living room sofa? :crying::crying: Then you know you have sleep apnea.

This is such a great thread. I've got just under 200 pounds to lose (pre band) and I was worried about doing it. One thing I do know is that NOW is the time to make life changes, not in 3 weeks and 2 days when I get my band. I will be sooooo ready to get the band after working for 8 weeks to get it. By working I mean getting used to living on 1000-1500 calories a day, enjoying and tasting my food by eating slowly and chewing throughly, saying "no" when my mind wants wants me to snack, getting to love sugar free Jell-o (heh!), being able to drive by fast food joints without stopping, AND (this is a big AND) exercising on a regular basis. I'm making the gym a part of my life. I am so grateful that I have a Lifetime gym near me. This place is amazing. For those that have one near you, they are totally family oriented. People of all sizes and ages go there. They have machines and equipment for the very obese. They have Water aerobic classes every day and they are full too. I'm taking adult swimming lessons so I can swim laps. They have recumbent bikes that are so much more comfortable than the other ones. They even have one of those peddling machines that you peddle with your arms for people who cannot ride the bikes or do the stair machine or elliptical. I sound like a commercial for them, but I'm just so happy I found a place like this where I feel welcome. A friend of mine who has maybe 50 pounds to lose keeps writing me saying she is starting Weight Watchers "next week." She's been joining and going to one meeting, then pigging out over and over again for the last 6 months. She's signing up "next week" again, and I got a message from her today saying she's going to one of her favorite restaurants tonight and "get stuffed as a pig" since she'll be joining WW. Then tomorrow night she's going to another place to "get stuffed" since she's going to WW next week. That attitude just sounds so disgusting to me. WW won't change her life if she treats it like the thing that's going to save her. It hasn't worked so far. Thanks for letting me vent! Jena

My boss and my team know. Our office manager knows. If anyone asks, I'll tell them. I look at it this way, I have 160 pounds to lose. I've already lost 20 and my surgery is still 3 1/2 weeks away. There's no way my losing weight won't be noticed! Although, I work with almost all men, and I would probably have to lose 160 pounds and come to work naked for any of them to notice. Heh! There are several guys I work with who are young and extremely overweight. I'm hoping they will ask me what I'm doing when it becomes very noticeable. They really need to do something. They look so unhealthy.

I have to go with the crappy logic thing. Many of us are trying not to be judgmental in our advice and/or opinions, but seriously, if you cannot get yourself to buckle down for two weeks or four weeks or whatever your doctor asks, chances are the band is not for you. Haven't you heard people talking about "eating around the band?" If you can't go without "cheating" for a few weeks, chances are you can't go without cheating WITH the band. Imagine that you've been banded and are out and about and you've had a really stressful day. There's a McDonalds up ahead and boy, wouldn't a chocolate shake or large sweet tea taste good? You could totally get BOTH and suck them down and even if you're restricted, they would just slide right on down. My point is, you CAN cheat while being banded. If you can't follow the doctors orders for a few weeks, what makes you think you will not cheat on the band and not lose weight or even gain weight? IT'S ALL FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!! Why are you fighting it? Maybe you should move your band date up a couple of weeks and give the Dr.'s diet another try?