Long2BFree

Just because she said it went okay could mean that she got the results she needed so you won't have to come back a second time. They aren't allowed to tell us how it went as that is up to the doctor when he reviews your study. You will probably know in about a week what your results are.

I am reading so many posts about the lack of communication between doctors and patients before and after surgery it makes me wonder how everyone is being treated. I have this feeling that many wouldn't know what to do if it weren't for this message board. What has your experience been like? I'm still going through the steps needed to get banded but so far I have received a lot of info from the nutritionist, once when I had an hour, one on one appointment with her and then I had to attend a 3 hour nutrition class with her. I received over 150 pages of info at both appointments. I also received a packet from the surgeon when I attended a seminar and then received a two page contract I had to sign which had specific instructions on when I should contact him should I experience any complications/problems, along with what is required from me. Now I'm waiting for my surgeon to receive and review information from my psych evaluation before I get an appointment with him to find out when I will get my band date and other tests I might need.

Congrats on your wonderful weightloss! Info from my nut lists the following foods - Cream of wheat, Cream of Rice, pureed oatmeal - can add unflavored Protein to the cereals Non-fat or soymilk, plain yogurt, sugar free yogurt, cottage cheese, soft cheese Pureed, moist, fresh or canned fish, turkey and chicken, tofu, pureed Beans broth, bouillon, consomme, strained cream Soup made with soy or nonfat milk, bean Soups, tomato soups Sugar free smooth puddings, custard, Gelatin, popsicles, pureed fruit

Congrats on being banded! I hope you are doing well. I don't blame you for being disappointed in no one calling you or the doctor not checking on you before you were discharged. That does seem a bit odd to me. It would definately make me feel that I wasn't valued as a patient.

I am so sorry that you are having to go through this. You have every right to be so upset. I agree that I would contact the HR office and get more info about exclusions. Ask them when all of this info was supplied to the employees. Get everything together as far as when you called your insurance to find out out about bariatric surgery, get your receipts together for your appointments and write everything done showing a timleline. I would then fight being denied, because it sounds like your company was negligent in supplying you proper information but BC/BS also told you it was a covered benefit three times.

I chose the band over gastric bypass for the following reasons - death rate from surgery is lower, surgery doesn't take as long, with the band your stomach stays in tact where the stomach is cut and a new pouch is created with GB. Gastric bypass is not reversable where LB is. GB has a high rate of malabsorbtion of nutrients and there are certain foods you can't ever eat again. LB you can eat regular foods. Reports have shown that patients who have LB and GB lose the same amount of weight in the end, but it does tend to be faster when you have GB. I encourage you to visit some message boards about gastric bypass and see what they have to so say. Personally for me when I read the memorial thread for gastric bypass patients I knew that it wasn't for me.

Awww....:thumbs_down: you all sound like you are going to have so much fun that I was hoping to see pics and hear some stories when you get back home.

Congrats on hanging in there and getting banded! Glad to hear that you are doing so well. Keep us posted.

You must be on cloud nine with having two positive things happen to you! Congrats on both things!

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow. I hope everything goes well with all the medical staff being there.

Katie, Congrats on being banded and glad to hear that you did well. You should call your doctor to find out about your diet as so many of them vary. I've so many things that are different than what my doc wants so I would see what he want you to go by. I can't answer your other questions since I haven't been banded yet. Take care!

I know it is hard not to think about failure when so many times many of us have failed. Get rid of the 'fat clothes' and don't give yourself a reason to get back into them. BTW, you are doing great for being just over a month since having surgery!

Each doctor has their own opinion about this subject. Here is the information I was given... In addition to meeting with my nutritionist for an hour appointment, I had to attend a 2 hour class which discussed nutrition post surgery. We were told to avoid alcohol at all costs for the first year of losing weight. Not only does it lower your tolerance to alcohol but also puts your liver at increased risks for liver toxicity, cancer and other liver diseases. It can also contribute to hypoglycemia. ulcers and malnutrition. It was explained that your liver is not only working overtime burning fat from your body but if it has to process alcohol then it's giving it a double wammy for having to work that it's defenses are at higher risks for getting sick.

My surgeon will not operate on anyone who smokes. He feels it is too much of a health risk and increases your chance of pneumonia and is rough on your heart on top of surgery. Did the doc offer a patch or pill to help with the cravings? Former heavy duty Diet Coke drinker here. Giving up the Diet Coke was easy. I didn't think I could do it but started drinking Crystal Light and Water and haven't looked back.

There are several factors that will determine whether or not you might have sagging skin. The more weight you have to lose, the longer you have been overweight and the faster you lose will contribute to sagging or non sagging skin. I know that I will have extra skin because I have been this weight for about 10 years and I have 150 lbs to lose. I can tell that my tummy already sags even though I haven't lost a lot. For a long time I thought I couldn't handle the sag but I would rather have it than the fat. Exercise will help some people. Insurance will normally pay for the surgery to remove it if there is a medical reason. If it is for purely cosmetic reasons, they won't cover it.

SDP, your letter was very professionally written and said a lot of things that I bet others wish they could've written. Perhaps in the future it will help the WLS office explain things a little bit better at their seminars so that others will know better what to expect and not walk away upset. For many of us our weight and struggle with it is a very sensitive, private thing.

I know as a mother it is hard to put ourselves first but we need to learn how to balance our needs just as much as everyone elses. It's not like you are asking for a $30K car. I know that my surgeon charges less if you are self pay and also lets patients chose a surgery center over the hospital which makes it even cheaper. Check your options for insurance. It might be cheaper in the long run to change policies or even get a private policy for yourself.

Being a nurse I'd say you definately know what to expect. Where are you PCSing too?

Yes, she is at goal and has been so for a couple of years. She is bedridden about 90% of the time but also has rheumatoid arthritis. She has to carefully plan and chose what is important to her because she gets wiped out so easily. She wasn't expected to live past her 40th birthday but by the grace of God she is still alive. I admire all that she has gone through because she still has such a love for life.

I live in CA and go through Triwest. My nutritionist appointment wasn't covered and I had to pay up front for my psych appointment but he gave me a form to submit for reimbursement. I'll be happy if I get something back because that appointment was expensive. Mommakatx2 - congrats on getting a surgery date. Make sure your surgeon knows you will be riding in a car that long of a time. There is concern with blood clots when sitting for extended periods of time.

I guess it is hard to find other things to do when you belong to a fraternity. I guess pamper parties and other such things wouldn't work.

I appreciate my DH telling me how proud he is of me. The one thing I wish he wouldn't do is bring foods into the house that are really hard for me to control. If he goes out to get in ice cream cone and eats it in front of me it doesn't bother me but if he brings a 1/2 gallon and puts it in the freezer that is really hard for me. He sometimes mindless brings me things to eat that I don't ask for which really bothers me too.

Traci, you are correct in the fact that I have not had my surgery yet. I hope to get a surgery date for May. The recumbant bike is actually an exercise bike so no need for a helmet. I do have bike that has been sitting the garage and will actually ride that once I drop about 75 lbs. Believe it or not I like how I feel after I exercise and used to be very active until I ripped a calf muscle 8 years ago and then got heel spurs in both feet which has greatly reduced my activity. Thanks for the encouraging words. I appreciate it.

I bought a recumbant bike last year and had been begging DH and DS to put it together for me. When DS asked me what I wanted for my birthday, Mother's Day and Christmas I asked him to put it together and I even offered him money. I kept telling them I needed to get on it because my health was deteriorating but that didn't seem to matter. I finally got someone to drag it into the living room and I put it together. That was a couple of weeks ago and I've only been able to do 5 minutes 6 or 7 times a day. Today I was able to do 20 minutes straight, with the last 5 minutes being really hard. I discovered that looking at a magazine instead of the display screen made it whole lot easier. I feel so proud of myself. Now I'm wondering how long after surgery will it take before I feel like exercising again?

Congrats on being banded. I hope you post how you are doing in the days to come.