2b-banded

I count it as part of the water added at the end, it calls for 1 cup boiling water added to the powder, stir until disolved, then add 1 cup water. I add the bullet plus 5 oz water, or if making the half cup servings, add 2 oz ice (measure 2 oz water, freeze in a cup, then add to jello) plus 2 of the 3 oz bullets. it does have colagen in the bullets, so it sets up a little thick. I like it that way, but if you don't, add a little more water.

I make sugar free jello with the 42 oz ones. if you use 1 box jello and the 42 gram bullet, you can make 2 one cup servings with 98 calories and 23 grams protein (jello claims 1 gram per half cup serving), or use 2 bullets and have 4 half cup servings with 22 grams protein and 49 calories. Tastes really good, no funky aftertaste. Counts as a clear liquid, so a protein option from day 1!

Ok, so I called my Primary care MD's office to see if they had the results back on the two tests my surgeon needed that doc to order prior to being submitted to insurance. Turns out the results were back, and they were in the process of being faxed at that moment (so the assistant said, and you could hear the fax machine do that "fax done" beep in the backgroud, so SOMETHING was being faxed). I called my surgeon's office to see if the EGD had to be done prior to submission, or just prior to the actual surgery. The insurance coordinator called me back about 5 minutes later, and said she missed my call because she was sending paperwork on several patients to my insurance company, including me!!!! She also said that my insurance plan has a policy that the decision has to be issued within 1 week. ACK!! I'm so nervous, and excited, and scared, and nervous! Did I mention nervous? I had talked with someone in the Bariatric Management Department a few months ago when I was having Helluva time getting the Bariatric Program at the hospital to call me back or set up an apointment, and they said that based on the info I gave, I would be approved, if the surgeon said ok. I even called back a few times and talked to a few different people in the department, who all said the same thing, so now I just have to wait for approval to get my date set. I'm trying to get the surgery done before the end of the year, because insurance changes Jan 1, and I'd have to pay deductable again, which will be higher, and pay a higher co-pay and percentage of the surgery. Looks like it will be about a $1500 difference, which would absolutely SUCK!!! Not to mention I've been trying to get this done since LAST November. So anyway, wish me luck, and I'll let you know how long it takes to get approved or denied, as well as when my surgery is.

make that APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee!! I haven't been scheduled yet, but it's looking like mid to late November, or first week of December. If it's December, I'll have vacation time to take, if it's November, I'll have it sooner, so win-win!! :smile:

I called my insurance company yesterday, and they said they had not received anything on me. She even put me on hold and said she went to go check if it had just not been assigned to anyone yet for review. So I had to call my surgeon's office back and ask that they send everything again, because Humana said they didn't get anything, and to request a confirmation of receipt, since that's what the Humana rep said to do. So now I'm worried it didn't go, and I'll have to wait even longer! I know, I know, a lot of insurances make you wait 4-6 weeks or longer. But I want it done now! I'm trying to get everything done, so I can get the time off scheduled this year, and don't have to promise the world to get people to trade shifts with me.

OK, let me start by saying I'm cheap. I love Greek yogurt, but am way too cheap to pay $1.40 or more (Fage is 2.09) for one little 6 oz pot. I make my own, and usually get a quart and a half or more of really thick Greek yogurt for the cost of a gallon of milk. And my Greek Step-grandmother in law says Greek Yogurt can be with cow milk, it's the cultures and thickness, not the animal that makes the difference. A good recipe is Bean Sprouts: How to Make Greek Yogurt. I make a gallon at a time in a huge glass bowl, and stick it in the oven with the light on. Keeps it warm enough, and is really easy. I then strain it in a strainer with 2 coffee filters, or in a muslin bag over a bowl in the fridge. I do it in batches, and stop at different times, my husband and son like it a little thinner. And yes, I have made it with fat free milk, you end up with a smaller amount, but it's still really good. I also sometimes add powdered milk to the milk prior to heating. You can add some honey to the milk, or what I do, heat some fresh or frozen berries until some juice is formed, cool, and put that in the bottom of an 8 ounce container, then fill up with yogurt. YUMMYYYYY:drool:

A lot of surgeons do require it, not all. Mine does, he says "I need to know what condition the stomach is in before I go messing with it" He want's to make sure I don't have H pylori, ulcers or esophogus problems. I'm with you, it's a little scary, but figure it's not that bad. I've observed them before, so at least I know what to expect.

My surgeon specializes in WLS for the super morbidly obese. I was the smallest person he saw that day, and I need to loose nearly 200 pounds! He told me that the Gastric bypass is archaic and outdated, with too many long term negative effects and too little longterm benefit, since most start gaining the weight back. He does Gastric Banding, Lap Band and Realize both, on people over 700 pounds, some even into the 800's. He said the highest BMI he's done was about 175, and 4 years later the person is down over 400 pounds, and is still losing. If your dr doesn't want to do the surgery, find another one! There are plenty of docs across the country who will perform the surgery you are comfortable with. I would also recomend going to the high BMI group, they can answer a lot of questions, and offer support. Somebody over there started out with a BMI of 105 I think, and is down to about 40, if memory serves.

I have tried about 20 different kinds, pre mixed, powdered, power shots, etc, and have about 15 more to try. I have probably spent 60-70 dollars on samples. I've only gotten things that come in single serve or sample packs, so that limits the selection a little. I am not normally a big Health food fan, I go to a farmers market, and use a specialty butcher, but that's fresh food as opposed to health food. Anyway, Spiru-tein that I found at a health food store where I buy my fruit is really good! I figured I'd pay 1.50 each for a couple single serve packs, and they'd be mediocre at best, but the Chai latte, cappuchino and black cherry chocolate were all really good. I went back and got big containers of each of those, as well as a few different flavors in the sample size. I was amazed that a health food store would have that many Protein drinks and such. FYI- they are vegetarian and Kosher, if anyone is looking for that. My husband makes fun of me because I have a little grid setup for my taste reviews. But it is so subjective, what one person will like and what other people will like is not always the same. Just look at any of the threads on here about the Protein Drinks, people saying smething is great, then someone else says it tastes like "fruit flavored feet" which is an actual quote. Anyway, I recomend trying for your self, what others like won't neccisarily work for you. Some of the recomendations I got were HORRIBLE to me, but plenty of others like it.

Wow, wish I could say the same. I had so many frustrations I almost decided to just pay for it myself, and to heck with the insurance crap. Which, in my saner moments, I figured was the entire point! Because of my husband's insurance, I have to use the program run by the company he works for, or pay 60% out of pocket. But the program is a massive pain in the keister! No one wants to return a call, and they seem more interested in making sure I bring the required cash, and less interested in do I know what the lap band is and what is required. It took me 5 months to get my apointment with the bariatric program, which you have to have before your first surgical appointment, and even then I had had to get my husband to email the VP of surgery at the company he works for. My first apointment with the surgeon is next Monday, and so I can't even be submitted for insurance consideration until next week! ARRGGHH! The surgeon's office is much easier to work with, luckily. I just hope they don't require a thousand more clearances before they submit me. I already had the psych consult, dietitian, sleep study, 6 mo diet, and primary MD recomendation. No history of cardiac issues.

Ok, so my last appointment for the 6 mo diet is Wednesday, It was supposed to be last week, but we had major windstorm 8 days ago, and MD office with no electricity = rescheduled appointment! But hey 2 more days til that's over, appointment with my surgeon a week from today, hopefully I can be bitching about my pre-op diet by Halloween! Or even better, the POST OP diet! Woo Hoo! Sorry to steal some of your thunder, But I'm right there with you, and so Damn excited I could kiss someone! Feels like my 6 month diet took 12, how about yours?

ok, bear in mind, I'm a nurse, and I tend to be a bit more graphic in my descriptions, so fair warning! My doc asked me, and I gave a similar answer. That wasn't a good enough answer, so I said pretty much word for word, "The idea of slicing and dicing my digestive tract, and then reassemble it in the wrong order on purpose just seems wrong, and frankly has never appealed to me:scared2:." I think the doc was surprised I put it that way, but that was the end of that line of questioning!

I am considering a couple of Dr.'s in Louisville, Ky. Drs Jeff Allen and Jorge Rodriguez. I am looking for individuals who have been banded by these Dr.'s and would like for you to share your experiences, both good and bad as well as suggested questions I should ask. I'm looking for the best support pre and post op. Please give any and all experiences as well as opinions that will help me make my decision. Do the listen to questions? Do they do their own surgeries and fills, or do they pawn you off on other people in the office. Thanks. Oh, please don't recomend the St Mary's Group, they aren't on my insurance.

Suburban has had deaths from lap band. Dr Geller may not have, but the hospital has. I also looked at deaths in the first 30 days if the death is related to the band or the surgery, like from infection, but not if you get hit by a car or something.

My psych eval was about 10 minutes long. I couldn't believe it. He asked me things like "have you ever hallucinated or had delusions?" I don't know if it was like this because I'm a psych nurse, or they are all like that at this place. Maybe it was because I emailed the vice president of surgery in the corporation and let him know that I had been getting the run around from the bariatric center for 3 months, so they had already made up their mind ahead of time.

I went to the St Mary's info session as well, and I liked it a lot better, but it would end up costing me between 6 and 8 thousand more to use them, and I didn't like them THAT much better. My husband works for Norton's in a physician practice, so in order for it to be in network, it has to be done at a Norton facility. Suburban also does Lap Band, but the complication and death rate at that hospital is too high for my tastes, or at least it was 2 years ago when I looked, very briefly, at having it done there. From what I can tell from the research I've done and the people I've talked to, Dr Allen is the one who proctored all the other docs in Louisville on laprascopic anything, and the bands in particular. He's a great surgeon, but his follow up appointments for fills are about 90 seconds long, and he doesn't listen real well. At lest that's what I was told by 2 different people, one of who switched to Dr Rodriguez for care of a complication, and all followups since. But I'd like more than just 1 person's opinion.

do you have a history of loosing/gaining/loosing/gaining? I have a friend who will loose a lot of weight, once even lost 170 pounds, and then slowly gain it back. Maybe they are afraind they will mention it, but you will have started gaining the weight back, which might embarrass you and/or them. Don't know if that could be it, but I know I've stuck my foot in it often enough that I'm reluctant to mention it to very many people, especially people that I'm "work friends" with as oposed to "friend friends" if those terms make sense

check your insurance policy. A lot of them require some comorbidities if you are under 40 BMI. high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, vascular problems, any other health issue ight be considered one for your insurance. Check your policy really closely

Dr Nigam who is in plaza 1 attached to St Mary's. She does a lot of the 6 month diets, and knows what to put in the letter. It's I think $90 the first visit, and 45 each time after that. Most Insurance doesn't cover the 6 month diet. You could also call the bariatric center you want to use, and see if they have any suggestions.

ok, so I FINALLY got my Dr to send a letter to the surgical center recomending surgery. I am trying to get everything in order, and for this center you have to submit all this BS, they review it, you get an appointment with the Bariatric program, and only then are you allowed to get an apointment for your first consult with the surgeon. I don't know if they are trying to run people off, or if they are just trying to get more money out of us, the poor pitiful fat people who have to deal with them if we want to be "blessed" with their help. Yes I'm bitter, I had to change centers because my husband works for this parent company, and I would end up paying about 5-6 thousand more to go to the program I would prefer, which is closer to my house, with staff that at least PRETENDS to give half a damn about the patients, not to mention that trivial stuff like answering the phones or CALLING SOMEONE BACK WHEN THEY LEAVE A MESSAGE!!!!!!!!! sorry, I'll climb down off the soap bax and get back to the orriginal bitching, ahem, I mean topic. Anyway, I hadn't been to a doctor for a few years, so also made this doc my primary care physician. The Dr doesn't send letters of support as a PCP until you have been a patient for at least 3 months. This letter is the last of the 25(!!!!!!!!!) things the bariatric program requires prior to your appointment. So anyway, asked for them to send the letter, which they did, and I got a copy of it mailed to me as well. It's a well written letter, but... it's the post 6 month diet letter. I go for my 5th apointment in just over a week, and am supposed to have another one in Sept. Do I need to get them to write a different letter, only to then have to request and politely hound the office for another letter almost identical to this one 6 weeks from now? This letter contains all the info needed for the primary care doc letter, as well as the 6 mo diet letter and yes, I do intend to go to this appointment and the next one, so I will have actually done the 6 month thing, even though I have a great letter saying I've already finished it. Call me paranoid, but what if it's a test to see if I'll stick with it after the hoop has been jumped through, just to see if I will continue with the life style changes, and giving the doc an opening to then recind this letter if I don't.

I'm loving the no nonsense approach. I was starting to wonder if this was for me, seeing all the posts with detailed instructions on "keeping a food diary every day for the rest of your life and run a marathon a month, did I mention the gallon of protein shakes a week?" crap. I work much better on a "use your brain, but you don't have to be OCD about it" approach. I'm a Psych nurse, I prefer to leave the OCD and other mental illnesses at work as much as possible, not develop a new one personally!

good luck at banded life take 2!! hope everything goes well this go around!

I looked, and didn't find this anywhere else, so I started a new thread. Does anyone have an "aha!" moment, when you knew you had to do something drastic about your weight? More than just diet and exercise? I was talking with someone, and she asked me, and I got curious if most of us had one. Mine was the day I realized if I lost half my body weight, I would still be "obese." I've been overweight for years... Ok, to be frank, I've been obese for decades! But that was the moment I knew, "this fat has got to go!" I'd love to hear other people's turning point.

ok, so I found out at my last MD appt that my 6 month suppervised wt loss means 6 calender months, not six months from start to finish! YEA!!!!! I'm 1 month closer than I thought. My Dr also told me "I'm going to recomend you for the surgery, it's definately the way to go, and you have the right outlook on it, and don't expect miracles without working for it. Just don't screw it up." Makes me feel better about the whole process.

I've never told the truth. When I got my first licence, it was on there, and I lied. Then wt came off the licence, went back on, and has since been removed again. everytime I had to list a weight, I said 100 pounds. I haven't weighed that since elementary school, but if I'm going to lie, it's gonna be obvious. I agree with whoever said it earlier, why does that need to be on there anyway? Most skinny people lie, too. My b-i-l ADDS 30 pounds, so it's not going to be right no matter what.