RestlessMonkey

What is your insurance deductible, and then what is your max out of pocket for a year? If I know that, i maybe can help....

Even if you can't see the doctor you should call and ask.

IMHO you should wait to panic until you have the letter and see WHAT is missing. Many insurance companies stall this way; and it is possible something got lost (the stuff IS processed by humans and we do occasionally lose things etc) The letter will let you know how to proceed.

I'll tell you how I found the one I like in San Antonio, Texas...Google. I knew I wanted a "behavioral" psychologist (I wanted to modify my eating habits, not cry cuz i didn't get a pony...I DID get a pony! LOL not to belittle people with true emotional issues, that just wasn't the problem for me) SO I googled behavioral therapis eating disorder and up popped a list! I read through, found about 10 that took my insurance, and picked the one I ended up with. Had I not clicked with her, though, there were others to choose from. You may want to try that. If you don't have a specific desire for a type of therapy (like I wanted a behaviorist) then just google psychologist eating disorder Amarillo and see where that gets you.

It depends! A very good surgeon can and will remove most of the gas that is put in during surgery. And honestly if your doc can't or won't remove it before he "closes you up" then Gax-X (and other meds) will NOT touch it, because it isn't in your gut, it's outside your organs. The other type of gas is produced by us and it depends on you partly. If you don't swallow a lot of air and stick to your doc's diet, you may not have issues. If you do, though, Gas-X can be a god send. (You will have abdominal surgery. Your stomach and digestive system will be "upset"...so you may do everything "right" to prevent gas and still have some, anyway) So I say yes get some Gas X for just in case, but I used tylenol more than Gas X

You know, if I thought the reason I was fat was because of my stomach, I'd be more likely to agree to having it chopped up and removed, or worse, left in there, sewn shut, still producing acid etc. If I thought it was in my small intestine I'd be more likely to agree to having my innards rerouted. However, while I know that altering these organs produces weight loss, they are NOT why I'm fat. How vile would I feel if I had my stomach removed and then they had a breakthrough? When I was a kid I needed training wheels before I learned to ride my bike but once I learned it, off they went. I guess I want something removable/reversible (and the band is more reversible than any other WLS out there) so IF science hits on the answer (and they are looking, boy are they looking) then I can have the band removed. Kind of like Jachut said on a post (don't remember which) if it doesn't last forever, when the time comes that I need a new one, who knows what options they'll have? We all must make the choices for ourselves. For or against surgery and if surgery, what type. If my surgeon had not wanted to "band" me I would have found another surgeon. We change doctors all the time. Just because a doctor says something doesn't make it true,. Research and soul searching is needed for any medical intervention, especially one as drastic (and potentially life changing) as this. So good for us all for fighting the weight monster, and good for us all trying to find the best weapon FOR US. We are not one size fits all; we are not one surgery (or one intervention) fits all. I love my band and do not regret it but I am truly glad there are options for those who've been unhappy with it, or feel the need for a different interventionl

You get pregnant "after" the lap band the same way you'd get pregnant "before" the lap band! Many surgeons ask that you wait at least a year post banding because 1. the point of the band is to cut caloric intake and lose weight and 2. losing weight isn't really what one wants to do when pregnant. And the band isn't "in" your stomach, it's around the outside of it at the top. If necessary it can be "unfilled" , slightly or totally, so that you can intake sufficient nutrition for you and a baby during pregnancy.

Yes you'll be able to eat part of a burger. You'll be as tight as you want to and there may be times when you won't be able to eat the white bread, but others when you can. I just ate about 1/3 of a Sonic Cheeseburger the other day (that was all i wanted) I'm told there are things that are not good selections for weight loss (like that sonic burger I chose) that may very well be part of a maintenance diet down the road. So odds are yes you'll be able to eat a McDonald's burger.If you really want one (LOL I am one of those rare humans who can't stand pretty much anything from McDonalds'....not that it slowed me down any)

Adhesions are always possible after surgery, but something we aren't really told much about. It's why I slept on my stomach etc from the start; to keep things stretched and to prevent abnormal, well, "joining" of tissues! That won't help you now but may help some newbies... ANYWAY even with that adhesions can form and unfortunately there isn't too much to be done but what you are doing. Even surgery to correct usually just makes MORE scar tissue! Just use whatever (heating pad etc) you can and work the dickens out of it.

I hate to say this but I'd go to a different surgeon. Yes it may take a little longer BUT...you need someone WAY more responsive to you. I can't believe they will not initiate ANY new cases until June because someone is on vacation. If true, that's a stinky way to run an office. Do you REALLY want your life in the hands of a crew like that?

Your doc may prescribe something other than liquid lortab, oxycodone, or hydrocone; mine did! If you are allergic or have a preference, just ask; but otherwise each surgeon usually knows what works best for his/her clientele.

What the doctor prescribes for you, and tylenol for when you don't need the prescription stuff.

honestly if you don't have a fill, odds are it's gone and you're just nervous about it. CAREFUL with drinking liquids though; if something IS stuck and you drink, you can cause yourself some trouble (because if the hole is blocked, the liquid isn't going through either)

Asking your doctor is the right thing to do. Be sure and tell him how much water you are getting and how seldom you are urinating, ok? Also unless you have another medical issue you didn't post about, you may want to check your salt intake. We're supposed to get around 2300 mg a day (2000 or less for people who are salt sensitive) so it's possible you're getting way too much salt.

They didn't weigh people at the seminar I attended. That was done at my 1st appointment.

Ask your doctor. Acid reflux is never "normal" and if left untreated can erode your esophagus, among other things.

Preop diets are not required by all surgeons...and even those who do require one can vary it depending on the patient etc. I am sure they feel with your starting weight and the results of your tests that you don't need one. If you are truly unsure, call back and tell them you're scared; they can either give you one or reassure you. But truly, you just need to do what your doc wants. If s/he felt you needed to be on one I'm sure you'd be given one.

The left shoulder pain is "referred pain" from your diaphragm. It sits above your liver and stomach and is, well, "upset" during surgery! LOL Regardless of how gentle your surgeon, many of us have that shoulder pain. Some say it's trapped gas but if so, it's gas that is agitating the diaphragm. For me, it only hurt when I breathed deeply...like after going for a walk etc. For me, the pain was like a muscle cramp and having my husband rub my neck (and having my breathing rate/depth return to normal) made the pain go away. Some say lying on their left side with their hand stretched above their heads works (but again that's just releasing the cramp in the muscle, like when you have a charley horse/cramp in your calf and stand up on the painful leg to make it go away) A pain that radiates from the elbow is different...different cause, quality, treatment. Either way, though, it will pass.

If you chose lap band because you didn't want excess skin I have bad news: If you lose a lot of weight FAST or if you lose it SLOW...if you're going to have saggy skin, you're going to have it. Whether or not we have baggy saggy skin depends on many factors: our age, our skin type, our nutrition, how long it's been stretched, how MUCH it's been stressed, past sun exposure, etc etc. What it does NOT depend on is losing really slow. Trust me, if it can bounce back it will. So if that's your reason for chosing the band, then get Roux-en-Y without any worries. Either you'll have saggy skin or not; the speed with which you lose won't impact it. AND...skin is an ORGAN. Exercising may tone the muscle underneath the skin (and that is good for you! Exercise, that is!) but it doesn't reduce the skin. When you see someone who is muscular...they are just that: muscled. IT isn't that their skin is all tight or in nice cut mounds, but that their muscles are big. Not to discourage you but saggy skin can be hidden (unlike fat) and you can have it surgically removed if you need to. I always figured I'd rather have a tummy tuck than open heart surgery because of blockage from being fat.

I had: abdominal ultrasound, chest x-ray, upper GI test, ecg, tons of blood work, nut and psych consults, and meeting w/surgeon. It was all done in 2 different appts; fast and easy.

Wasabubblebutt...because I know you never make wild claims without backing them up, would you mind posting a link (or links) to the stats you're quoting? Since they are contrary to what I found (about a year ago, have NOT dug around lately) and what I've experienced (on a limited basis with bandsters, but have seen MANY GI issues etc with bypass patients etc) I'd like to update my "data bank". I need to read and process the source etc...if you don't mind posting?

I'm Tricare standard. I had to use a "Center of Excellence" surgeon. He's head of bariatrics at a local hospital and they had someone (thank you Nadia!) do all the paperwork for me. From seminar to surgery was 1 month and my approval took about 48 hours.

If it's not on your list of foods approved for your stage post op, then I'd avoid them.

I don't really understand the question. What type of RN? A nurse practitioner? And do you mean will insurance cover it? THat depends on the requirements of your insurance. But generally yes RN's are legally able to do fills, although I'd assume they'd need training in the procedure.

Actually you don't need to wait 6 weeks to sleep on your stomach post band, unless you are "opened up" the traditional way. It is best to stretch and "be normal" to prevent adhesions. I never heard that the stomach takes 6 weeks to recover from "any surgery"...but of course if your doc tells not to sleep on your stomach, then don't. I slept on my stomach from the start and had about zero issues.