Corliss

i am not sure how much they bill your insurance but i have paid as much as $400 for a fill when they were billing my insurance which sucked. they can switch you to cash pay where they dont bill your insurance and it is $125. it just depends on your insurance.

this is for the flouro in the gbi's office. i have never been to an endoscopy center.

Is GBI in Dalton? I used to go to the weight management center at Memorial but never had a fill with my old band. I just saw the doctor and he gave me meds to try to deal with the difficulties I was having. Then when I had to have my band removed I saw him there for follow up. I originally went to a doc in Maryville TN for my fills. I don't know a lot about the other doctors here, as I have only seen Dr. Sass who is no longer at the Weight Management Center. Thanks, Corliss

i know. i am just frustrated. i have been going up and down with the same 5-10 pounds since the beginning of june. waiting has to do with letting the band properly encapsulate or something. bleh. :thumbup: i am ready to start losing again. i know i will with my 2nd or 3rd fill.

Hey Punkster and anyone else on here that has info, I am wondering how much the endoscopy center at memorial will bill my insurance for my fill. I got my first one there last tuesday. They are billing insurance but I have no idea whether or not my insurance will pay as they refused to pay for banding at Memorial. I think I need another fill as I am pretty darn loose this morning and it is still early. I would like to just work with this one as I feel some restriction but I know I may actually need a tad more. I suppose I could just get it in Dr. Sass office but I have always been afraid to get them without fluoro cause of the possibility of a puncture. I have never had a fill without fluoro though I have had an unfill onetime with the old band without. I also fear not seeing what is happening because of my history of Hiatal Hernias and prolapse and gastric edema. Anyhow I am just thinking ahead. I am able to eat a pretty good bit and yesterday at lunch I sort of ate a normal size lunch. I was happy about being able to eat an apple but at the same time, I know I ate more than I should without any overfullness. dinner was a different story. I really had to take it easy there and I wasn't hungry at 5:30 but ate anyhow. Anyhow if anyone can help me with the financial info, let me know! I may just have to exercise the old will power muscle.

thanks,

Corliss

Hi everyone!

I just found this thread, someone on the intro thread mentioned it. Wow, I can't believe there are so many of us over 50 going through this! A week ago, I would have sworn to you that I would never have WLS. But on Thursday, I went for my annual GYN exam, and my holistic-minded, all natural, fight the establishment doctor told me YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, my weight is out of control. She recommended Lap Band! So I am going to the meeting on Sept. 3rd. I have spent the past few days pouring over the info on this site and for the most part everyone seems happy with the results of this process. I have changed a lot of misconceptions already, like this is the easy way out. Far from it! Sounds pretty hard to me! Lap Band is obviously a TOOL not a quick fix. Ironically, I try to eat healthy foods, I never consume artificial sweeteners or soda. But you know, they do make organic potato chips and cheese puffs!!

So I called my insurance company, they will cover 80% after a 6 month supervised diet. I have found out that my local hospital will not do the surgery anyway until you have gone through their 6 month pre-op program regardless of your insurance, I think that is a good thing.

Happy to be here, looking forward to getting to know you all better. I live in Bethlehem, PA.

Deb:smile2:

Go for it Deb:thumbup:, you will not regret it. Look forward to getting to know you and so glad you found us.

Corliss

Hello everyone, my name is carole from pearl, ms. I had the lapband done on june 23, 2009. It was a little diffenrent. I had major surgery for a ventral hernis repair...was in surgery for 6 hours and icu for 5 days. During my surgery dr. Adkins put the lab band on. I saved so much money. Bcbs paid for everything except the cost of the surgeon and the lap band. I have now lost 45 pounds, this is mainly from the hernia surgery. I will have my first adjustment tomorrow 8/20. I am a little apprehensive about having the needle put into the port. Woe is me, i am a nurse and still apprehensive. How did ya'll do with the weight loss after your first adjustment? Another question. I have hugh upper arms, i know i will have lose skin hanging for a mile. Any exercise suggestions? I really look forward to visiting with all of you. Please excuse all caps and no paragraphs...it is a nursing thing...blessings, carole

Hey There, Another nurse here. I just had my first adjust ment yesterday. No problem. The doc numbed the port area and I didn't even feel a heck of a lot of pressure. He put the Fluid in and I immediately stopped feeling hunger, and I was pretty hungry as I had nothing since midnight and it was 2:30 pm. I am sooooo looking forward to loosing the rest of my wt. I had lost a lot previously from my first band and gained 65 back. So now I am rockin' again. I even felt cold last night, which is reasuring reminder of what it was like with my old band before it went bad and had to be removed. I loved my first band so much when things were right with it, but had some major problems for over a year and lost to goal stayed there about 2 wks before I had to have it removed. I tried to keep the weight off, but honey, I gained wt. on the Meditteranian diet. I was back up above 200 in no time and by my birthday I was 235, I lost down to 214 and then back up and decided I had to have another surgery and chose another band because the new ones are not as likely to slip as the old smaller models are. I also considered a gastric sleeve, but opted for the band. I am feeling so wonderful today, I want to dance, LOL!

I am very happy you are starting this way of life. When you go back to work and are like me and work a very busy floor just remember at work, Water, Protein Drinks and Soup are our friend. Don't take any chances on eating too fast and getting stuck. Stay away from the junk that all us nurses are prone to eat. My supervisors brings us loads of chocalate every shift. That will be my biggest challenge, but for today I ain't interested.

As far as exercise untill your surgeon tells you otherwise, just walk. I have been a member of a gym for a long time and have started back with my trainer. We are working on balance and leg issues for me. I can't lift wts anymore because of my carpal tunnel syndrom. She is also working with me on that. It is expensive to buy the sessions but I get better results and have more fun when I work out with a trainer.

Welcome aboard the Bandwagon!

Corliss

corliss - can you remind me why you needed a new band?

i have been feeling mad and bitter today about my whole slipping situation. no need to spew my negative feelings all over this forum but i am still dealing with this. thought i would briefly share.

Hey Punk, I understand your anger. I was so mad and didn't know whether to be mad at myself, the band or God. I started having problems about 14 months out. I first had a major stuckage which passed but after that, it was back and forth, back and forth from not being able to eat any thing to being able to eat only at certain times of the day. It went on almost two more years and then started getting really bad. I started having major reflux. Every night i had it. Had to sleep sitting up in recliner. Then I got to the point where I was vomiting even when I had not been eating. I was essentially vomiting my own saliva. I could eat one time a day generally and usually did not puke it up, but anything else was gonna come up. Then the last few days I puked everything and nothing. It didn't matter if I had eaten or not, I was just constantly puking. The meds didn't help. I decided to call my local doc and couldn't reach him immediately, I went to the ER and my prealbumin level was below severe malnutrition and some of my electrolytes were out of whack. I had talked to my Mexican surgeon about having my band replaced with one of the newer ones and he had advised me to have it removed and then to wait a few months and get it replaced or get revised to a sleeve. I didn't want a sleeve. I had loved my band when it worked right, but I didn't want to go on with the problems I had been having. It got so bad the day I went in the hospital I passed out and woke up with my head in the dogs bowl. Fortunately not face first, lol! I had my local doc remove my band and I had hopes I could keep my wt. off without a band. I was down to around 165, maybe less. Wrong! I wonder if I should have had him replace it, but I didn't. I proceeded to gain 65 lbs then loose 20 then gain it back, then lost 15 as I prepared to go back to Mx. for a new band as my insurance would not cover my band replacement.

I was extremely depressed during the time I was bandless. I felt like I had killed off someone I loved who was hurting me. I called my friend and told him that I felt like I should have tried harder! Anyhow, long story I know, but I have my new band, lower slippage risk than old one, and I am keeping my fingers crossed, and hope to make use of my experiencee with the previous band.

Hang in there, you still have your band, just be very careful, and make it work if it will. If not, get it out, and get a sleeve or a new band. It is just a tool.

Corliss

Well, I am having my gallbladder removed on Friday. I've been really having a lot of pain lately so it's time to split up with my GB and say goodbye.

Keep me in your prayers on Friday

I am sure all will go well. I am trying to avoid same surgery. Luckily for me my FMLA starts over in Sept. so maybe I can hold out. Trying to eat by the gall bladder diet. I am going for a scan prob next week. Just got my first fill with this new band, so as the wt loss cranks up I do hope the gall bladder attacks don't. OUCH!

Corliss:thumbup:

Corliss, I'm 57 and had my first surgery June 18. What do you mean you lost your band due to a slip?

LOL, just what I said, I lost my first band due to a slip. Technically the band didn't slip the stomach did. It moved up above the band and my stomach stayed irritated and inflamed and eventually nothing would go through even though I had no Fluid. I had it removed Sept 19, and had the new band placed June 18. I had my first fill today. It feels good to not want to eat.:sad:

Corliss

good luck corliss!How is everyone else doing?

Got my first fill with this band. Dr. Sass did not have a hard time hitting my port and I was so scared he would. I like the equipment they use as they have the table that stands you up and lays you down and he can see the port easily when you are laying flat. He numbed me and it was over pretty quick. He had the nurse give me a swig of barium and it went through like no tommorrow, then he put in the Fluid and it slowed it down and I could actually feel it going through. He said he put in 3 ml and suggested taking a little out in case I tightened up as many of us will over a week oor so. I agreed and he took .3 ml out and I definately still have restriction as I am having to sip now, but things do go through. I got a glass of tea right away as I had to wait over two hours for my fill, and then came home and got some broth and heated it up.

I am glad I have my clear Proteins left over from when I had my surgery. I won't get nearly as hungry as I would on regular clears. I have to be on clears 2 days. I guess this is standard around here, it was just first day on clears with my old fill doc.

I couldn't believe I was so nervous. With everything I have had go wrong, I just knew he would find something wrong, a flipped port or a slipped band, lol! Anyhow I am so glad it is over.

I ended up with 2.70 mL and I do want to be conservative so this is a good thing.

Corliss

I havent seen Fage at Sams but if I do I'll let you know. I have only had the flavored kind (strawberry so far). not a big fan of plain yogurt in general though.

You know I might like the flavored Chobani's but I don't think I would like it well enough to use it instead of mixing my own fruity yogurt, but boy that price is good. Have you tried mixing up the greek yogurt with your own fruit? I started doing that many years ago with regular yogurt when I was in eating disorder treatment. All they gave us was plain yogurt and I couldn't eat it by itself, but they also gave us a piece of fruit at the same time and man it was good mixed with that yogurt. It is not nearly as convenient as the preflavored ones, but you get more good stuff, and with the Greek yogurt the taste is amazing.

Thanks for the heads up! I probably should join Sams but hopefully my grocery bill will go way down any day now as I get my first fill with this band today! Wish me luck.

Corliss:thumbup:

Hi Corlis,

I love the bit where you say you were "incarcerated in a jail of fat" etc... because that is so very true. That is exactly what it becomes, jail!!

Congrats for getting your degree and your wonderful outlook on life. I'd go for the ps as well but it's way out of my $ range unfortunately.

Good on you.

Katydid

Thanks Katydid, I think though the ps cost is a burden, (I spent money I did not have), that it was sort of a neccesary one for me as everytime I looked in the mirror I wanted to cry. I had lost all that weight only to leave my face looking like a 75 year old instead of a 57 year old. My arms were so bad they were disfigured. Hopefully I will stay healthy enough and employed and will be able to repay my pension plan for the money I borrowed. Everyone has to make that decision for themselves and I realize I am fortunate to have at least had that option. I just think of it as getting my self fixed up rather than buying another car which I really would not have thought a thing about a few years ago. I would just sweat to make the payments on time. I am driving a clunker and will continue to do so as long as it runs, LOL! :hurray:

I don't know about cost of plastics in Australia, but Mexico was a much cheaper alternative for plastics and especially for lap band than the US, as I had to private pay. If you are seriously interested you could go through one of the Medical Tourism companies if you see India or another country as a possibility. I am not real good on geography and have no idea the cost or wisdom of flying from Australia to Mx or Costa Rica, but they do great work there and have many many reputable surgeons and hospitals, and I hear they do in India.

Anyhow, just thought I would throw that in incase you or anyone was interested!

Corliss

Question......What happens to the band if I get the flu. Does constant vomiting move the band?

I had the dry heaves for about an hour here about 3 wks ago. As far as I know I didn't do any damage to the band placement but I should find out for sure tommorrow as I go for my first fill and it will be under fluoro. I do plan to ask for an RX of phenergan to have on hand just in case this happens again.

Corliss

What is special about greek yogurt?

Hey cmx. Greek yogurt is a lot richer and thicker than regular plain yogurt. It is almost like cheese. I absolutely love the Fage but don't care much for the Chobani, and the Oikos is some where in between the two. I have bought plain regular yogurt, and it tasts a lot more like buttermilk. The full fat Fage is wonderful but so is cream cheese, lol! There is more Protein in the Greek yogurts because they are denser than the plain but there are only 90 cals in 6 oz of greek yogurt. I mix mine with berries and sweetener for an amazing breakfast. I have also made a good cucumber salad with it.

The price of the Chobani < $1 at Sams is tempting, if the Fage was anywhere close to that price I would join Sam's just for the greek yogurt price.

Corliss

i found individual greek yogurt cups at sams today. i am so excited. just thought i would share.

Hey Punk, do you mind telling me what brand are at Sams? I buy the ind Fage at Greenlife and like most stuff there it costs an arm and a leg.

Thanks,

Corliss

you sound hungry. :thumbup:

How'd ja guess? Mostly head hunger though!

Corliss:tt2:

YEP!! That's the one!

My very favorite of several that I read. And I got to (sort of) meet the lady when a friend took me to one of her LapBand support group meetings. She tells it like it is in person, too!

Hey Jessie is something else again. She has had her band longer than anyone I know of. Over 10 years now I think. You can interact with her regularly on the yahoo message boards under Smartbandsters and GraduateBandsters. I am a member of both of those boards and she interacts daily, answering questions, offering support and sometimes kicking butt, lol! Her book is a good one too!

Corliss

Octillo....thanks for sharing the story of your 53 yr old friend who finished up her nursing studies! This is just what I needed to hear. My grandmother was a nurse and I just always had the calling but never followed through on it. I'm 50 and want to start to get my LPN license but I keep talking my self out of it thinking I'm being crazy ...but then I did the same thing when I thought about getting the Lap Band and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made! Finally free of my food addiction....now onward ho...

Go for it Sooverit, but why not RN instead of LPN. Lpn's do the same work for less money. School is generally 2 years as opposed to 12 months or 18 months in many cases. I think at 50 there is no reason to avoid either.

Good luck, Corliss

thanks for the suggestions. i wasnt sure if things like grits were good for weight loss. i am just really confused now about everything band related.

corliss - i unfortuanatley hate oatmeal. i never had a problem with eggs at all before but they think that may have been what caused my slip. :confused: i am trying and to avoid them at all costs. they told me to be extremely careful with eggs and any other avoidable foods (hotdogs, etc.). i am scared that i will be eating poached chicken breasts for the rest of my life.

cmexrl - i was talking about long term.

thankfully i am over the beginning diet stuff. i had my "first" fill today. back to "regular" food. is everything in air quotes now? talk about altered reality. i gained 9 lbs when I weighed today. I knew I was going to gain but I wish it hadnt been that much.

Hey punk, grits only have 120-130 cals in a full cup and if you make them thin even less. If you have a half cup along with a half slice of cheese or a wedge of laughing cow light that isn't much at all. I also don't think the egg drop grits would be difficult at all and it gives you some Protein. I would put one egg in about two servings of grits, and put the cheese in afterwards, Check out the consistency and see what you think if you want to try this. I absolutely love oatmeal. you can eat it with cheese in it instead of grits and it is wonderful. You might like the steele cut oats. I like Peanut Butter and crackers too.

I will be so glad to get my fill.

Corliss

Corliss, your story is amazing! I have a friend that is 53 and is gong to finish her RN degree this year. Your weight loss is amazing. This is the stuff I need to hear to keep myself focused. Are you happy with the PS?

Thanks Oc, I am extremely happy with the plastic. I would like a little revision on my forehead and will probalby go back for it next summer. I absolutely love the lower face, neck and the eye work. The arms are not dramatic, but the look like normal 57 year old arms now instead of looking disfigured. I am soo glad i had it. Thanks for the complement on my story. Have you seen my plastic surgery pictures? I posted a load of them, lol!

Corliss:thumbup:

I was wondering what you all are eating for breakfast regularly. I have had a slipped band that was repaired and so I am not going to be eating eggs or breads.

My thoughts are yogurt and cottage cheese but I bet that these will get old.

Any other ideas for food besides Protein Shakes?

Hey Punk, I think oatmeal is a good choice and my absolute favorite is grits with cheese and an egg dropped in it just before taking it off stove. stir it before droping it, it is Egg drop Soup, Tennessee style, lol!

Are you going to permenantly have to watch things like eggs or were they always hard on you? Since I have my second band I haven't restricted myself, but maybe I should.

Corliss

I just found this thread and am excited to know that others my age made this choice also. I have learned a lot through all the years of yo yo diets and can loose 30 pounds; but then gain it back and more. With the band I know this is it. I am saying goodbye to this weight for the last time. I want to go into the next stage of my life healthier, feeling better and with more energy. My children are proud of me that I didn't get to this age and just give up on my weight because I am "older". I was banded July 22 2009 and will have my first fill 9-4-09. I am happy to share a thread with other spirited people who are still working on making their lives better.

Hi Kay Ellen, Glad I found this thread and glad you are here. I was banded for the second time (lost first due to a slip) on June 18, 09 and had face lift and brachioplasty June 23, 2009. I had lost 203 lbs and regained and lost to the point that I was 50 lbs above goal when I had plastics. I carry most of my wt. in my legs so I was sooooo in need of face lift and brachioplasty and I got it! I love the results. Now I look on the outside like I feel on the inside!

I don't think of myself as old. Other people do though. I finished nursing school in 2007 after a 30 year career as a medical social worker and most of my co-workers are in their 20s and 30s. To top it all off, I looked so much older than I was and than I felt, many of them don't know what to make of me, but that is their problem. I can work rings around most of them, lol!

I may even go for the boobs and Tummy Tuck in a year or so, who knows? I probably won't cause it packs away pretty nice as is, I just need to focus on getting to goal now.

Keep your eye on your goal. I intend to live my last 50 or what may come active and healthy, both physically and mentally. I was encarcerated in a jail of fat for far too long, and I am making up for lost time.

Corliss

I had the exploratory surgery yesterday. I had endometriosis, a uterine fibroid, and 2 large cysts on my left ovary. The doctor said he took care of everything. I am in a lot of pain though.

I am glad you are getting this taken care of now. You should be much better within a week. My most recent lap band was a breeze and you are smaller than I am. Your size makes an amazing difference, not to mention that you are a youngun' and I am older than dirt! LOL!

Corliss

April 12th 2009

Well CMEX I don't have a clue how much you lost before but if you lost 20 before surgery then that would be 40 lbs in 3 months. That is terrific! Average is 1-2 lbs per week. I do know a fill will help but don't get too anxious. Your doing fine.

Corliss

I know it just a tool. I don't expect anything else. I just want the tool to be sharper:smile:. Most of my 61 lbs came with the pre op diet and the first month and a half after the surgery. Since that time it has been a struggle.

LOL!

How long since banding?

Corliss

Thanks. I was upset at first, but I'm ok now. I am starting nursing school in a few weeks, so everything will work out.

Sorry about the job loss, but you will probably be better off without the stress because nursing school is major stressful and you need to just get your breath and get ready to rumble!

Corliss:thumbup:

I have an adjustment today. It is my fourth and I hope they get aggressive with this one. I am ready to lose some weight but I don't feel like the band is helping me enough yet.

What??? :eek:You have lost 61 lbs and the band isn't helping you! Baby the band is just a tool, you still gotta do the work. It sounds as if you are doing great. Don't risk getting yourself too tight, that can actually slow you down and can lead to slippage.

Corliss:thumbup: