Veronda

Oops...FYI, I had the ingredients wrong on the Beneprotein. It's whey protein and soy lecithin, not soy protein. The more I look into the Beneprotein, the more I think that's going to be a mainstay for me as I get closer to surgery. I'll try some of the others, but I'm still not sure about them!

Awesome...thanks for the info on the Unjury chicken soup! Makes it easier to spend the money ordering it. I just found another option, and I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before because we use it at our hospital: Beneprotein. According to the Nestle website, it has 6g of protein per scoop with 0g carbs and mixes into anything hot or cold. I will probably give that one a try too...the only ingredients are whey protein and soy protein. I don't even have my date yet (I've been approved but need to pay my co-insurance before getting a date, and I'm trying to stretch that out because late November is the earliest I can do it work-wise, and I'll need an extension on the approval to get it then), but I'm sooo nervous about the protein shakes!!! It sounds like you have the same taste buds...I start gagging at stuff I don't like, especially if I have to repeatedly eat/drink something, so two weeks is going to be torture. Why are you on 10? Are you referring to the post-surgery period when you're eating other stuff in addition to the shakes?

I agree with RestlessMonkey...first thing in the am after using the bathroom. It will always been the most consistent time of day. (Actually, yes, breathing releases a lot of water, albeit in very small increments per breath, so it does, in fact, affect weight.) This is also a technique used in patients who have fluid issues, such as those on dialysis or with heart failure. Another tip is to choose ONE morning per week to weigh in so you also aren't too concerned with day-to-day fluid variations.

I didn't have to write an "essay", but I did have to write a letter. Actually, I needed a letter from myself and also two from support people (I selected my husband and my mom). All three had to include things like how long I've had trouble with weight, the problems I've faced because of weight, and why I'm a good candidate for surgery. My husband wrote that it breaks his heart to see my struggle and that he wishes he could give me the sense of fullness that he naturally feels; he also mentioned our primarily healthy lifestyle and that he's willing to give up whatever I'd give up to help me succeed. My mom wrote about my childhood obesity, that teachers would tell her how bright and sweet I was but that I was taunted by cruelty that only children can inflict; she also mentioned that my weight was in the 99th percentile while still on breastmilk alone and that the pediatrician believed I would have lifelong trouble. I wrote about how I understand weight loss from an intellectual perspective but that I can't make it happen because of my perpetual hunger; I also mentioned things that I have already implemented, such as buying a bike and joining a gym, to show the commitment that I have. I would suggest using personal examples from your past and how you plan to overcome obesity by using the band as a tool. I think they want to be sure you understand that it's not magic, that there is work and dedication involved. If your program doesn't require support letters, I would describe what support you have (family and friends). Good luck!

I still get surprised every time I hear someone in favor of bypass...partially because of my own thoughts on it, but also because I feel like there are so many advantages to the band. I will admit that the fast weight loss that results from RNY is tempting. But that's, to me, the only advantage over the band. Again, maybe it's just me, but have you noticed that a LOT of bypass patients LOOK like bypass patients? I feel like they always have a different look to them...like a partially full bag or something. I would consider the slower weight loss with the band a plus, actually. It gives your body more time to catch up with the weight loss. Furthermore, have you heard that bypass patients have approximately one year to lose the weight they're going to lose? And typically, after that year is up, there is at least some uptick in weight...the graphical curves I've seen show the band as a slow but steady loss that eventally surpasses bypass because bypass patients typically gain at least a little (if not all) weight back. Here's a sample of my "pro" list for the band, if it helps: 1. MUCH less invasive of a procedure 2. Reversible, if needed 3. Fewer complications 4. No malabsorption problems or Vitamin deficiency 5. No dumping 6. Corrects overeating behavior 7. LIFELONG modifications to increase nutritional intake when needed (eg, pregnancy, endurance training) and decrease when needed (eg, weight gain, slow weight loss) I think my biggest plus on the band side is that it's a TOOL. I see it as something to help me lose weight now--slowly but surely--and help me maintain over the long term. Of course, it's a personal decision, and we know that RNY works. I know that, for me, the band is better because I need more help with portions, etc. I love that I could have all the restriction removed by removing saline...but then fill it back up if I slip. My mind has wandered over to bypass only when I crave that quick fix (not that it's easy...but it's definitely quicker). Good luck with your decision!!

In addition to specialist copays at $45 a pop and my $200 deductible, I'll be paying approximately $2,000 for the surgeon and hospital. This is my max out-of-pocket. I consider it a bargain because I was planning on spending $16,000 to $18,000 on it if I hadn't gotten insurance approval.

Thanks for the information! Vanilla Chai sounds awesome, so please let me know what you think once you've had it. I did some extra research yesterday after my original post, and I found that Unjury has a chicken soup option...which sounds pretty good since it doesn't require being sweet...and it's 21g protein and 1g carbs. Anyone have any experience with that one? Unjury also has an unflavored powder, which could also work, but they recommend mixing it with liquids that have artificial sweeteners...ugh!! Has anyone tried this one and maybe mixed it with tea or something? Getting nervous...and I've probably got two months before I need to start.

Thanks for posting on Dr. Hoxworth. My insurance restricted me to Central Carolina Surgery, and I wasn't thrilled because I had a much better experience during my research with a surgeon while I was living in Phoenix. I selected Dr. Hoxworth because I'd heard from a recent Bandster that she liked his bedside manner, even though he'd only done her first fill, not her surgery. I really liked him during my consult, and my insurance was just approved, so it'll be point of no return soon! Thanks for sharing...makes me feel better about it.

So after four years of contemplating, it looks like my surgery will be within the next few months. I was approved by insurance the other day (!!!) after seriously almost paying out of pocket twice. Here's my BIGGEST concern: I can't tolerate artificial sweeteners, so I am petrified of the pre-surgery protein diet. I have been told that for two weeks I'll have to have protein shakes with 15+ grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs. Yikes!! Does anyone know of any shakes without artificial sweeteners that aren't too gross? The nutritionist gave me a scared look when I told her I couldn't have artificial sweeteners...which wasn't encouraging. Please share if you have any experience with the shakes!!!!

Fair enough, Restless...we've been in the company of different types of people, it seems. You're right...over-charging is unfair, but if the market bears it, the guy will keep charging it. So I'm thankful that Greta's post and the resonses will help others to realize there are options out there and not to jump on the first one they come across. I do know for myself that when I was going to pay close to $18,000 for the surgery, I was going to be very proud of it...money well spent, less than a car and giving me so much more! So now I have insurance that will cover it, and if my claim is accepted, I'll pay probably $2000 at most out of pocket. A $16,000 savings! But in order to see this savings, I have to use a surgeon group that's dictated to me, I had to spend extra money to go through supervised weight loss, I had to gather a bajillion extra documents, my surgery date will be dictated (and if I can't get out of work for it, which is likely, I'll have to wait even longer)...and these are all the compromises I'm making in order to not spend the extra money...and I hope that Greta can supress her bitterness and see that the $3500--which is a stupid program fee, I agree--was her compromise to get it done with her other terms intact. Sometimes I think I didn't make the right decision by not paying for it completely out of pocket...it's now three years later, I'm even heavier, I still have no tool to help me, and it's still in limbo as to whether I'll be able to go forward with it with insurance. Hmmm...different topics, maybe? Anyway, my point is that I hope Greta can get past that expense and feel good about her decision to go with the surgeon she did. Greta, maybe a good payback would be to find another provider to do your follow-up and fills? If it's possible to find someone who will, there's no sense in giving this guy any more money, whether yours or your insurance's! By the way, I took a look at the surgeon's website, and the program fee is blatantly described right on the website for patients and non-patients alike. And Greta admits that she understood she'd be paying it (per the website, it's due at the first visit, which is definitely unfair). There really is no blame. If gas is $2.49 at one station and $2.69 at the next, I go back to the $2.49 one and wonder why there are people filling at the $2.69 station...but people still get their gas at the more expensive places. It's a choice.

Well, it's true that I think she was cheated out of a lot of money, but I also think that that money is what got her her surgery in the timeframe she wanted...obviously she couldn't find someone else to do it when she wanted it done...she said she had already taken the time off work and wanted to get it done...so it's the unfortunate price she had to pay. I'm all for her trying to get it back. But yes, I have seen plenty of people who get more out of the things they pay for compared to getting things for free. Money is a big incentive to people, and people tend to take things for granted when they're handed to them, and that sadly includes their money vs their health. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but I encounter it literally every day. Think about other possessions...aren't you more willing to get rid of freebies compared to similar items you paid good money for? At any rate, what's been done is done, and she's named the surgeon (whose ad I've seen multiple times since reading the thread) and helped others to avoid it, and now she can use her personal cost as ammunition to really make it work for her. If she doesn't, then yes, that $3500 was a waste...if she doesn't use the band for all its worth, then she could have waited to find a surgeon who didn't charge the fee, saved that money, but been without her weight-loss aid for all that extra time. I'd say it's money well spent if she can look at it that way. Believe me, I'd be kicking myself too, and I'm glad I've seen someone else's mistake so I can be prepared. Greta, if nothing else, your experience has helped others!

From an interaction/safety standpoint, yes, you can use both. (I'm a clinical pharmacist.) It's true that the simethicone won't help gas that's outside the GI tract, but it could ease other pressure. Good luck!

Greta, this may be an out. I'm not positive, but I think it may be illegal to bill your insurance company for something they also charged you. Have you brought it up with your insurance company? They may be able to help you if it turns out what he's doing is also costing them money. And not that I'm condoning this program fee at all, but if you can't get a refund, I hope you'll be able to look at it more positively. I work in healthcare, and the people who pay out of pocket for things tend to value them so much more than those who do not or who have very low co-pays. This means they're getting more out of it because they've made an "investment" in their health. So I hope you (and the others who paid program fees) can consider the $3500 an investment in yourself and as encouragement to really make the band work for you...it's only a waste of money if you get nothing out of it, right? And it was a compromise of sorts...you had everything settled except for the surgeon, so you paid a premium for it to work within the schedule you set. Similarly, I almost paid cash for the band a few years ago but decided to wait until I had insurance that covered it...I'll be saving about $16,000 compared to the cash price, but my compromise is that I can't get the band from my preferred surgeon and instead have to deal with a practice that I'm not too fond of. I'm a glass-half-full kind of person, but if I let something like that get to me, it'll consume me, and in the long run, it'll cause me to fail because my efforts would have been on being angry instead of making it work for me. I hope you can get past the fees and really make the band work for you. Just think: You're banded! Hooray for you!! If you hadn't paid the fee, would you be banded right now? I think you did the right thing by naming the surgeon so others don't get lured in. Good luck with your band! V.

ncgypsygirl, I hope you'll share any experience you've had or will have with Central Carolina. I am currently in the process of going through the six months of MD-supervised "weight loss" required by my insurance before being approved for the band. My insurance restricts me to who I can see because of my employer, and I think Central Carolina is all that works (unless there's someone else that I don't know about who perform surgeries at a Moses Cone hospital). Last year I had gone through the seminar, and I was quite displeased with the waiting time and the less-than-stellar responses I would get from the office coordinator. I had been to a few seminars in Phoenix before I moved here, and they were all so much better. However, a few months ago I received an e-mail from a new coordinator, and she seems soooooo much better, so I'm feeling a little better about Central Carolina. But I do hope to learn more about them from people who have used them!

Sammysue78, wow, it does sound like our situations are similar. I am assuming that since you just had your band placed and it's September that you had it while you were in school...how did recovery go? If I do it, my surgery will be November 1, but then I'm due on rotations on November 6. Let me know how you felt five days out! My surgeon seems to think it won't be a problem at all, but I also hear I could be really out of it. I can't really afford to miss a rotation as it'd put me a year behind. Did you finance or use a credit card? Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing your stories! My plan, if I go through with it, is that I could pay a little more than a third of the cost with leftover student loans, and then for the rest I'd try to talk my credit card company into giving me a very low rate (I say, they either get all that fee they charge the surgeon plus the small amout of interest, or they get nothing!). It's also possible that I could borrow the money from my parents, but I'm trying to keep them out of it. SmittyJulesberg, I was thinking the same thing...that I would probably take my band more seriously if I'm shelling out all the money for it. Kat817 (does your birthday happen to be 8/17 like mine?!), I was worried about the waiting period and requirements before surgery too, so that even if it is covered for me in a year, it could be two before I even get scheduled. Besides, I can't find a doctor who will help me lose weight other than "write down what you eat" (duh) and "exercise" (I already do!), so what counts as doctor-supervised weight loss? I had thought about going to Mexico for the half-price thing, but I'm just too scared to do it and to try to find the aftercare (I live in Arizona, and most doctors here won't even look at Mexican bands), and while I've read of good experiences on here, I've also heard some horror stories. If I am banded, it will be on November 1. I have the consultation with the surgeon next Thursday. I just can't make up my mind! Oh, and I'm getting married next summer right after I graduate. So I was thinking I'm crazy to want to spend my extra money on the band when I have a wedding and honeymoon to pay for...but then I think about how much happier I'd be at said wedding and honeymoon if I were skinny!!!

D'oh...I had mentioned in another post that I'm a pharmacy student and forgot to mention it here. My first rotation starts November 6, and it will be in a community pharmacy...which means plenty of standing. I contacted my preceptor about the possibility of sitting during the first week, and she said that we could "work something out". My problem is that if something were to happen and I couldn't do my rotations, I'd be a year behind in graduating...and I'd have to start paying on my $150,000 in student loans until I could get back to rotations. I know it's risky when I only have a five-day window, but part of me just wants to get it done and get to losing. My next opportunity wouldn't be until next summer!

How'd you all feel five days post-op? If I get banded, it would have to be on November 1. I would be due on rotation by November 6. Is five days enough time to recover do you think? My surgeon says it wouldn't be a problem. On rotation I would have to stand a lot and have good cognitive function. Thanks for your input!

Hi, everyone! I'm a pharmacy student on the brink of making a decision on the Lap-Band. My issue...I'm on school insurance and have an absolute exclusion for anything weight loss related. I think I may be willing to finance it, but of course it's a lot of money. Then again, it's far less than I've spent on cars already in my life (and I'm only 30), and this would last me forever. I had almost gotten the surgery last summer, and a year later I regret not having done it then because I would have been more than a year closer to goal by now. Anyway, would I be a sucker to pay out of pocket? A year from now I'll have graduated and will have real insurance. I'm an intern at Target, and I know their insurance covers it for some patients (I may or may not qualify), and it's likely I'll work for them after graduation. So is it worth the difference in time spent without the band in order to not have to pay out of pocket? If you did have insurance pay, would it have been worth it to you to pay yourself and not have gone through the approval hassle? I'd love any advice you guys have!