binab

I'm on day 8, and drinking something almost constantly... Protein shake, water, water with mio, v8, etc. I'm allowed soup once a day, which I usually do at lunch, the days where I have 'saved' it for dinner have been the hardest. Good luck, keep your eye on the prize, we will get to eat again (eventually).

Curious about this too. I started my biotin a week ago and will be banded on the 27th. Hoping to maybe avoid this side effect. My hair is thin enough as it is...

Sounds yummy, I'm totally jealous of the tilapia! I'm on day 6, 2 shakes and a Soup... It's been easy until today, being at home is so much more challenging for me, just need to keep busy. Good luck with the rest of pre op!

Hey bandtwin! Everyone around me has had bronchitis and I have had the bad, productive cough. I went to the Dr. a week ago and was told it wasn't in my lungs, so they didn't give me anything for it. I was hoping for a zpack too, just in case. I told them of my surgery. But no go, so I've been fighting it OTC ever since. The cough is better, but its not completely gone. I go for an xray and ekg on Monday, so I HOPE it's even better by then. I do not want to postpone this... (Mainly cause I've been 6 days on the preop diet and I will be mad if that has to be extended or repeated!) Hope you get better!!

Definitely check with your Doctor. The only thing I was told I could not add was oatmeal, however since I have seen that many Dr's do restrict the 'naners, I have limited it to once every other day.

I love this thread and all the advice given on it. I have gone back and forth with the decision myself (for 4 yrs) but ultimately I think I need the tool to help me keep the weight off. If you haven't had the opportunity to attend a support group, I would encourage you to do so. Even though I am not banded yet, I think it's been helpful to be in a room full of real people that are living the banded lifestyle. It's not a magic fix, there will be struggles, but there will also be triumph if you follow the banded lifestyle. The one thing I keep hearing at group is that in spite of the occassional struggle, people love their bands... I hope to say the same thing soon.

I've just finished day 2 also; two shakes and any kind of soup for my third meal. I am hungry, but since I'm allowed to have my soup for any meal, I've been having it for lunch. Thats the time of day that I seem to most need to actually eat something, so it's been working out well. I'm already bored with the shakes though and trying to find ways to make them more interesting. Mentally it helps me to add fruit to the shakes and when you blend them up it's like they double in size. ...and is it just me, because I'm hungry, or does it seem like everyone talks about food all day long?!

I'm also 8/27! My Dr. only has one pre-op option - 2 shakes and a soup (any kind). At the support group last night, it was mentioned that those of us in preop could add fruit and such to our shakes as long as we mixed it up smoothy-like. I am going to email the nutritionist tomorrow and verify before I do it, but I can see how adding a banana or something might be a bit more filling and add some flavor.

Yes, lots of pressure in the chest after eating and sometimes feeling like when you swallow something, the food / pill / whatever feels like it's still in your throat. I have minimal acid reflux. Will you have your egd when you get to Mx?

I know many people have the more common, sliding type hiatal hernia repaired during their surgery, but I am looking for people with experience with the less common paraesophageal type of hiatal hernia being repaired during their LB surgery. Did you have to stay overnight? What was your recovery and post-op diet like? I'm not a bit nervous about the LB part of the surgery, but pulling my stomach down from it's place next to my esophagus scares the begeezus out me. I am very nervous but anxious to get it repaired - it is very uncomfortable. Anything I should know? Thanks!

After four years of research, saving, and another failed diet, I am scheduled for August 27. Very ready!

I only participated in the Saturday part of the conference, and as an unbanded person I found it extremely informative! I enjoyed each of the speakers (some on different levels - you all know which ones I mean!) and found each to be sincere in their efforts to help the banded community succeed. As a soon-to-be self-pay patient, I must admit that I was disappointed that there was not a raffle for a free band as advertised. I know it was no ones fault, but I cannot deny that it played into my decision to attend. Overall though, I am glad I went and feel empowered to proceed and embrace the process ahead...

My insurance will not cover my surgery and I'm going to be a cash pay patient. My original plan was to use a combination of 401k loan (I pray it's still worth something!) and a healthcare FSA. My husbands employer is now offering a choice of either having a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA). They are putting some money into the HSA account if that is the selection we make. Can I use an HSA to pay for my surgery? I'm very familiar with how FSA's work, but not at all with the HSA stuff. Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks!

Here's the hotel info from an earlier post - Wyndham DFW Airport North 4441 W. John Carpenter Freeway Irving, Texas 75063 Can't wait! Wish I were already banded so I'd have something to contribute to the clothing exchange. :thumbdown:

I just registered - I am coming alone. I won't be banded until January, so I'm really hoping to learn a lot!

Well it turns out that I'm going to be using TLCEdge and doing self pay. I won't be financially ready to lay out the money until mid January however, so I'm wondering how long beforehand to start the overall process? Also, at what point did you actually have to pay? Two weeks out, that day, etc? :girl_hug: Thank you!!

So after I verified that my insurance was not an option at all, I tried to do financing. I only tried emedical though and I was denied. The denial wasn't entirely unexpected - it's the first thing I have applied for since our BK and except for the car and house (that I haven't been even a day late on), we haven't got anything actively reporting to the bureaus. Luckily, all hope is not lost - I am just going to wait until January when my new year of FSA kicks in and combine that with a 401k loan... It'll wind up costing me a lot less in saved interest and since FSA funds are taken pre-tax, I figure it will save me about 15% on the total surgery cost! Except for the waiting (which is relatively short in the grand scheme), its a win-win!

Did you try yet and were you successful? Inquiring minds want to know... :redface:

I'm not banded yet, but that sounds just like when I am having acid reflux issues. I thought I was having heart issues when I first started having these symptoms (and it is a bit disarming!) but found out thats all it was. Have you contacted your PCP or surgeon to get it checked out?

I am just starting this journey, and while I have UHC, I don't have high hopes for approval. I have a BMI of 35.6 with arthritis, asthma (is that a co-morbity?), borderline hypertension, and possible sleep apnea. I'm trying to consider what my possibilities may be if insurance is denied, however DH and I have a bankruptcy that was discharged in 2005. I saw that someone else had success with medicredit, but they do not appear to be taking new applications at this time. Anyone else with a bankruptcy had success with financing their band? (My last resort option will be to wait until next year and use a combination of flexible spending account and 401k loan, but I am hoping to do this sooner rather than later...) Thanks all!