Randi

Hello, Everyone, I'm baaaaccccckkkkkk! I was banded this past Monday (November 20th) and all is well. My surgeon repaired my hiatal hernia along with placing the band, so I got the 2 for 1 special! For the next 6 weeks, my diet consists of liquids, liquids, and more liquids. Did I mention I'll be drinking a lot of liquids -- LOL. The purpose of the extended liquid diet is for healing and to meet the aggressive fill schedule my surgeon has planned for me. In two weeks (December 6th), I'm scheduled to see my surgeon for the first fill. After the initial fill, I'll get small fills every two weeks thereafter to reach a proper level of restriction. Of course the same rules apply -- If I don't feel physically up to having a fill, don't want a fill, or don't need a fill, then I don't have to get one. Thanks for all the posts and well wishes. Now, my focus turns to learning my closest ever new best friend and our journey to Onederland . . .

I'm short-waisted and my surgeon believes the low-profile port will work better for me. Fortunately, all fills are done under fluoro so the port size isn't an issue.

APinkSoprano, So far, I've found two other people in this thread -- You and Cassandra -- who have the same band date as I do! Yeah, us! How much weight are you required to lose prior to surgery?

Cassandra, Initially, I was very nervous because I was just notified this past Tuesday of my band date. I knew that because I'm self-pay I would get scheduled sooner, but somehow I thought I would have at least a month notice. Now, I'm just trying to mentally gear up for the surgery and get my "house" in order. I'm not required to do a pre-op diet. My surgeon told me just not gain any more weight. So, on my own I started a low-carb diet this a.m. just to get a little bit of a headstart before surgery day, to avoid sugar withdrawal headaches, and hopefully, get quickly past the gas pains I've been reading so much about.:cry I'll probably go to an all liquid diet one or two days before surgery, but no more than that. The reason being that my surgeon requires a 6-week liquid diet before I can begin mushies and does fills at two week intervals beginning two weeks after surgery. So, I don't want to self-impose the liquid stage for an additional week. I'll have plenty of time to "enjoy" liquids (NOT!). LOL

Hi, Dani, I see we both agree -- TRICARE SUCKS! I'm being banded on November 20th -- self pay.

Hi, Cassandra, We're being banded on the same day!

Sunshine, Why not take him with you to a future seminar? I find that there are many people who think weight loss surgery equals gastric bypass. They aren't aware that there are any other types of surgery. Plus, by hearing the same information at the same time, y'all will have the same foundation on which to discuss your upcoming surgery. My guess is that once your husband realizes lapband is the least invasive weight loss surgery and doesn't require intestinal rerouting, he will be on board with your decision. My husband was totally against the surgery. Once he attended the seminar with me and heard the information and saw the device, he was supportive about me getting the lapband. . . . just nine more days 'til my surgical transformation begins . . .

Pass on the fill. Not because of the meal, but because of the long holiday. As far as the food, start mentally rehearsing now EXACTLY what you're going to eat and the quantity. That way, the meal won't turn into a feast (or rather a feastette since you're already banded. LOL).

Great NSV. I wear 'em, but I secretly believe they're another male devised torture device like bras and high-heeled shoes. LOL

Wow, Carol, You are burnin' up the scales. Tell me ALL your secrets. LOL

Pepsi Peach Cobbler or Apple Pie

Janiee, You fit the criteria for banding even without the comorbidities. You can call your insurance and find out if CPT Code 43770 is a covered procedure and the requirements for coverage. Or, you can just wait until your surgeon's office informs you of your insurance requirements.

Jachut, The letter is a great idea! It allows the writer to get all their thoughts and feelings down in writing without the interruptions of an argument. The reader is then left to read and re-read the letter and digest the message. I have used the letter approach myself and it was VERY effective.

Your wife may have low self-esteem. For the past eight years, she's been totally dependent upon you for support -- financial and emotional -- and now has two kids as well. That makes her a stay-at-home Mom who has been out of the workforce for eight years. What would happen should you leave one day and decide not to return . . . You've already made it perfectly clear that her weight is an issue and she's made it clear that she feels your love for her is conditional. It sounds to me like there may be shattered expectations on both sides. Is it possible that she expected you to be more emotionally and physically available to her on a daily basis and there to help cope with child rearing on a daily, continuing basis? Your business offers you the opportunity to travel the world. Is that a respite that your wife enjoys? Or, is she always the one left behind to care for the home and kids while you get to break away from the routine, mundaness of every day living on a regular basis? I'm not placing blame, mind you. I'm just trying to empathize and offer up some perspective. Thanks for caring enough about your wife to post.

romance Elliptical or Treadmill

Hello, All, I'm joining the bandster ranks on November 20th and I'm getting the low-profile port to boot! Yeah, me!

Whew! I'm already tired! Great post, Telly.

Tricare Prime only pays for the gastric bypass and a couple of other weight loss procedures that involve cutting, stapling and/or rerouting. The adjustable gastric band (lapband), CPT Code 43770 is an excluded procedure. If you want the lapband and the only insurance you have is Tricare, you'll have to either self-pay, go through the appeal process, wait to see if Tricare changes it's policy in 2007, or try to find a military treatment facility (MTF) that does banding. Currently, the only MTF I've heard of doing banding is Walter Reed.

Great Post! It's good to know that I'm not alone in trying out the band rules prior to surgery. I've also tried not to drink during meals. Although I've been able to do it, I agree it's not easy to do when you're used to having something to drink with your meals. However, I can see why a smaller portion post-band should leave me less thirsty.

You should inform your surgeon about the person in the billing department. Dr. Dimarco probably has no earthly idea about what she's been doing. Allow him the opportunity to fix what's wrong with the billing department for you and future patients.

Laurend, You should qualify based on your current BMI and the high cholesterol.

Diana, Here's are some names of lapband surgeons located within 100 miles of Tuscon: <TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>MONTE J SCHWARTZ 4530 EAST CAMP LOWELL DR TUCSON, AZ 85712 Distance: 5 miles Telephone: 520-320-1200 </TD></TR><TR><TD> STEPHEN BURPEE 1980 W HOSPITAL DR #213 TUCSON, AZ 85704 Distance: 7 miles Telephone: 520-219-8690 Website: www.arizonaweightloss.com </TD></TR><TR><TD> PATRICK M. CHAISSON 1980 W HOSPITAL DR #213 TUCSON, AZ 85704 Distance: 7 miles Telephone: 520-219-8630 </TD></TR><TR><TD> MICHAEL J ORRIS 1492 S MILL AVE #201 TEMPE, AZ 85281 Distance: 100 miles Telephone: 480-829-6100 Website: www.weightlossinstituteofaz.com </TD></TR><TR><TD> JOHN DEBARROS 1492 S MILL #201 TEMPE, AZ 85281 Distance: 100 miles Telephone: 480-446-9474 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Also, here's a link that will show you lapband surgeons who have self-identified on the Obesity Help website: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/bariatric+surgeons+in+arizona.html

Bettina, The band can still slip. A slip can occur if you overfill the pouch with food and it pulls the lower part of the stomach upward on the side of the stomach that is not sutured over the band.

I'm with Cloe. It's time to pull out the slow cooker . . .

Doriana, I have a hiatal hernia and posted a similar question a while back. From what I've learned on this board, hiatal hernias can be repaired during lapband placement. There are a few LBTers who didn't even know they had hiatal hernias until after they woke up from surgery. So having a hiatal hernia doesn't necessarily prevent the lapband from being placed, but your surgeon may want to run some tests to be sure.