MaRosie

Hi everyone, I just thought i would jump in as I too was banded on March 31st after a year of going to thru the hoops that Medicare put you thru. I am 67 and It was a medical thing with me getting this weight off. Although I have been trying for years, you know the ups and downs of weight on weight off.

Well the surgery went well, but I too had a hernia and well they were fixing it they (Doctor) nicked my liver, so I was in lots of pain for 4 days and then I started to turn the corner. I will tell you "I HATE BROTH" But I did find some find some different kinds of flavors that was much better that I cubes.......jello wasn't to bad but now glad on am on liq. Soups, and things like that.

Well so glad that you are all doing good. Lots of luck...

I was banded in Idaho Falls, Idaho

Hi, yes I am feeling much better...A little sore inside but other than that I am doing good. Now I can start on a new road.....I lost 22 lbs in 21 days. I think that is good, but not sure if for this its good. although I am happy.

I am now able to eat Soup, and soft foods, 1 per cent milk, don't know if i can do that. I am a milk drinker and I will probably end up giving up milk, except for hot cereals. Next week I think I will be able to go on full food. I don't have to see the doc. any more unless their is a problem. I still have to go to I.F. to New U, as they will do my fills and everything else. I am a little worried about my first fill. I think I will need one as I still am getting a little hungry in between meals.... I wasn't before but I think that might of been because of the swelling. But life if good now if I can get on here when I am not tired and get the ticker on here I will be on my was.

Thanks for the concern.

Hugs Rosie

Phyl, You are right, and I am not liking it either. I haven't really had a hard time with being limited until yesterday, it's like I'm not all that hungry, but i am craving different taste. I have clear broth, Jello and Water. I do like C. L. but It gives me heart burn. I also find it hard to drink all that water because I have to sip, and that takes alot getting it down. I get tired of sipping. The good news, I hope it is good. Thursday I go to I. F. and have my first meal.......I think it must be oatmeal or something soft like that but there are lots of soft food. So I am excited about that. If I can have Tomato Soup, I think I would be in heaven....Well thanks for the info.

When did you get banded? and how are you doing? I would like to hear your story.

Well got to go and try and get a pic. on here.

Hugs, Rosie

Just checking in, well I am really feeling better, still alittle week but got it together, except.....what do you all eat after your surgery? I am living on broth, Jello and Water, is there anything else we can have? I get a high just off of smelling foods. I am not hungrey, but I crave a different taste. If anyone knows something else PLEASE let me know asap.

Have a good one. Hugs Rosie

PS I hope everyone is doing great and losing pounds!!!

Hi all, thanks for the advice..I can see somewhat better now, eyes are open so I hope my spelling is better. I don't really feel better, but I guess I am getting better, I don't hurt as much but still feel week and sick. I know I am doing to much sleeping but i just can't stay up long or move around much.

My lap band doctor is 3 hrs a way, but I go in to see him on the 9the, thursday and I am hoping all is well. I am going to call my doc. today as I need to go over my meds with her.

I will post later with more info. I love reading everyone's stories and the weight they have lost. I did get on the computer for a few Min yesterday and read some horror's stories....but I am hoping not to be one of them. Thanks again for all your input, I will keep you up dated.

Hugs, Rosie

Hi everyone. I was banded on March 31st and to tell you the truth I am not doing all that well. I am not hungry, but hurt and feel sick. like the flu or something. My eyes swelled shut and just yesterday they opened to slits..... I have lots of diaherra, which I hope is normal. I know that they said that they nicked my liver and had to stich and glue it so maybe that is why I am feeling like I am. but it's been 5 days now and I still feel like shit. Has anyone else had this problem? Well i will keep you posted, this is a great place to reach out.

I do have a question, when I post I go to quick post reply, but I am not sure this is the right place for me to post. Do I post and reply in the same place? and what is Go Advanced? I still haven't gotten this all down. When I feel better i will try and post a pic and also a ticker.

Hugs to all

Rosie

Joannmarie, Thank you for your support and encourgment. Tomorrow will be my new beginning. I just called to see if our passes are open yet and they are not, but hoping by 11am they will be.

I will be back after my lapband.........Thanks again

Rosie

Hi all, Well I am getting ready to leave for I F tomorrow, and will have my surgery on Tuesday, March 31 st. I am so excited. I live in Dillon and all the passes are closed, can't get in or out........so I just hope they open up tomorrow so I can leave. I think I have done pretty good on my liver diet. I haven't checked my weight except on the fifth day of my diet and I had lost 6 lbs....so I hope I am down some more. I know they say you should lose between 15 and 20 lbs, so we will see tomorrow.

I have to stay over night but will be home Wed. and I will let everyone know how I did.

Also I really would like to know how to set up my pic. and the ticker....Good night talk to you all in a few days.

Rosie

Hi Karen,

My date is almost here...I will go to I F Monday, spend the night as i have to check in the hospital that day and then surgery on Tuesday at 12:30.......so excited about all this.

I hope I have been doing well on my diet. I have Dr. Chamberlin, so I think we have the same liver diet. It is really hard for me to get the oz's down, but I really try and keep it light. i usually have a piece or 2 of the deli meat with a piece of low fat cheese rapped inside, rolled up......a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and 2 cups of veg. also a fruit. Some times i will have a egg beatter with some veg. but don't really care for it to much. I went to my doc. and weight in, that was at 5 days and I had lost 8 lbs. I am not sure that is good because I hear that we should lose between 15 and 20 lbs.....I only have 13 days on this diet...I am somewhat worried but we will see how it goes when my 13 days are up.

Well keep me posted. I am so excited about your weight loss. I hope mine is as good and that my health will be better.

Have a wonderful day. Rosie

Hi Karen, I don't know if you remember me but I met you at our first New U meeting in I. F.

Did you have your surgery? and if so how did it go? how are you doing now? questions, questions.

Well I got a call from New U in Jan. saying I would have to go do another 6 months.....not likeing that. Went to my first meeting in Feb. Got a call from New U. and my time was waved, don't know why but so happy. Went and seen my doc. and got my date March 31, 09.....then got my diet. I am so happy, excited and nervous.......

I have thought about you often wondering if you got your lapband. I have not been on here in sometime as I didn't really have anything to say and I think alittle down knowing I wasn't getting my date. Now all that has changed.

Hope to hear from you.

Rosie:smile2:

Hi all,

I got my date, March 31, and today i started on my diet.....to shrink the liver, I think I said kidney on my last post....Sorry. I am so excited about all this. I really didn't know if this day would ever come....I am on my way.

Rosie

Hi all, well i haven't been on for a long time. I had about giving up on ever getting a date. Medicare said I would have to do another 6 months......I started this program March 2008, and started another 6 months Feb 2009, but as luck would have it I got a call last week saying Medicare was oking my surgery........So today, March 18 I am going to Idaho Falls, Idaho to meet with my doc for a second time in a year and he is going to give me a date, after that I go and get my instructions for my kidney diet......I am so excited and so ready. A little scard about the whole thing. yes, but know this is going to be my life saver.

Now i will be back on and sharing and getting info. Watching alll my new friends as they lose.........God Bless. Rosie

I don't know if you can bargain with Medicare or appeal, but I think I sure would try!

You have to go to the page where you edit your profile. It's complicated and I always get frustrated every time I want to change my picture. But just stick with it. I've found the easiest way is to first get an account with "Photobucket.com". Upload your photos there. You'll have to resize it down to avatar size... I think there's a pre-set size that says avatar. Once you've done that, some little boxes pop up with various "codes" in it for your photo. Copy the one that says "direct" something or other. THen go to your edit profile page and .... I think it says upload profile picture or something like that. When you click on that a box will pop up asking you for the "url" address of your photo and that's where you paste in the code. Then, find where it says "change avatar" and if it worked.... your little picture will be at the very end of all the other little cutsie avatars. Then you pick that and "save". If your experience is similar to mine, by the time it works you'll be spitting bullets!

:biggrin::biggrin::cool2:

I know there's a tutorial with great instrusctions and photos for setting up your ticker, but none that i know of for the photo stuff. Hope it works for you!!

Thanks Phyllser,

I will try that and if you see my pic you know that it worked.....I did call medicare but didn't get anywhere with them....

Rosie:confused:

Hi everyone,

Well it is not happening, at least not for awhile......yesterday, i got a call saying that medicare required me to go to 6 months of classes before they would pay for my band.......so that's it, i will have to do that. I should then get banded sometimes in last Jan or Fed, 09......it is a long time off but I won't give up now. i will stay in touch and hope to see all your progress.......

ma:sad:

:thumbup:thank everyone for the words of encouragement......it's a bit of a set back but not one that is going to keep me from being banded. I was told that medicare of Montana just started doing this, wouldn't you know. I don't have to be on a diet, I don't think just have to attend 6 classes, one a month for 6 months....My first one is Sept 12 so I will know more then.

I will stay close and keep up on your progresses, and know soon I will follow.

Have a good day

Rosie

Ps. I still have not figured out how to get my pic. on my post.

Anybody from Idaho use medicare for lap band surgery? Which doctors take it? Boise or IF area. I'm in the middle so either way is 2 hrs. Anything I should know about the medicare coverage?

Hi zoomomma,

well I am going to be banded in Idaho and have been to all the classes and seen the doc. and was just waiting for my date. i started this in May. I have medicare as my primary and bc bs as my secondary...just about a half hr. ago I got a call from Idaho and found out that medicare is requiring that i go to classes for 6 months before they will pay for my surgery. I am really crushed but I will go as I want this surgery more than anything. So I do not know if this is the norm or not but just be prepared.

Ma:sad_smile:

Hi everyone and thanks for the info Docsly.......Today I got some bad news, medicare is requring that i go to classes for 6 months before they will ok the lapband......I don't know why or if this is the norm but i sure am sad, although if that is what I have to do then I will.....I am 67 and just feel like I am running out of time......has anyone else gone thru this? Boo Hoo, but I will hang in there. I got my dates starting Sept thru Jan and then I hope that will be it and I can be banded........Rosie

Hi Rosie,

My doctor put me on Optifast for 2 weeks---that shrunk my liver really well for the surgery!

Nancy

Hi Nancy, wow, was it easy for you to only take in liquid?

Rosie:unsure:

Hi everyone, hope all is going good for you.....I have a question, what is the diet for shrinking the liver? I have seen all the doc. but have not gotten my date yet, and thought that maybe I would get a head start as I seem to be putting on weight and that is not good.

thanks Rosie

Morning Rose -

No appt with the dietician yet about the pre-op diet. I expect to start it in mid-September - I think you're supposed to be on it for two weeks prior.

Definitely let me know when you get a date set. Hope it's soon.

My doc should have all the paper work by mid next week, and then i figure by the end of the following week maybe he will send everything into the my Insurance Co.........and although both my Insurance Co's will pay, I have no ideal how long it will take for them to ok all this............So I could be looking at a long time, but again maybe not......All i know is it will be worth it......but I will let you know as I hear anything and you keep me up to date on what is going on with you...Can't wait to hear about the diet...

Rosie:thumbup:

Hi Karen, glad that you got your date, I can't wait to hear how you do. when do you start you liver shrinkage? I still don't have a date yet, but I when I do I will let you know.

Rose

Has anyone been to or know anything about Dr. David Chamberlain in I. F. Idaho? He will be doing my band, and i really can't find anything about him.....Thanks for any help coming this way

Ma:smile2:

cher......They told me that my medicare would pay, and what they didn't pay my supplement would pick up. It just depends on if your medicare is primary, if they arn't they might not pay or not as much. You would think that all insurance would pay for banding with no questions as it is a life saver.... Ma

Hi Joann, just was reading and if you have medicare as primary then you shouldn't have any problem with it being paid for as i understand. I am 67yo, 5'1 and 224 lbs. I have not been banded yet but am hoping to be soon, although I thought i had been waiting along time, well to me it is. Reading I have found out some have been waiting a year. I think the self pays goes much quicker because the doctors don't have to summit and wait for all the paper work to be processed with insurance co. I went to my first appt. in May and did all the classes and met with my doctor this month but no date....good luck to you and i will watch for everyone's progress.....Ma

Jazzy, don't you have medicare? are they your primary? I have medicare as my primary, and blue cross/ blue shield as my second but because medicare is my primary i am told that I would have any problems with Blue Cross......they said if medicare pays then they do to.....but I have heard that Atena is really good. I did have Atena years ago and had good coverage. When your on medicare and look for a supplement insurance it is hard to know which one is the best...but maybe it doesn't matter if you have medicare first......Well I sure hope you get yours done soon, I will keep you in my prayers and hope one day soon we will meet back here and both be banded.

I am not giving up just hoping that is comes soon.

I am here in Montana and I have to go to I.F. Idaho to be banded and that's about a 3 hr. drive and in the winter i have to go over the pass and it can be very scary....I signed on with New U...and they are really a great team.....they keep you under their wings for a year, they have classes, support groups that meet reg. they have a gym and trainer there for you at all time.....they monitor your diet reg. a week after surgery they have a get together and dinner for those who were banded that week.......everything is paid for. well hope to talk to you soon.....I still have to figure out how to get all the tickers and stuff on......just haven't tried yet...have a good day, and a big hi to everyone !!!!