Lch8

Hi. I'm curious about those lapbanders that are under 30 or got their surgery while under 30 years old. I don't have specific questions. However, I'd like to hear experiences, please. :smile:

I started off well this morning. I was super productive and then at 5 I needed a break and had dinner. I'm about to go back to writing my paper and I feel a little fatigued. I hope I can concentrate. This morning working on my paper kept my mind off of being hungry, I hope I can continue that momentum. Nean, I would like to keep up with you after your surgery too. I'm quite interested in knowing how younger people who had the surgery do post op. I need all the support I can get! My name is Lucy, btw. Thanks for the encouragement Laura Lane. It means a lot to me.

I did that on purpose. My plan was to be too preoccupied with finals that I wouldn't have time to think about being hungry....I hope it works!

I can't complain because I'm not on a strict liquid diet, I get one small meal a day. However, I'm not allowed caffeine and I have two weeks of finals! I'm having my last Red Bull tonight. :ohmy: I hope I can make it through finals without caffeine...

I found this, however, it is a bit dated... USATODAY.com - IRS allows tax deduction for doctor-approved weight-loss

Hello, I decided about a month ago that I was going to get lap-band. I told my mother and went to a seminar within 2 weeks of deciding. Two days after the seminar (a week ago yesterday) I was at the doctor's office, doing the pre-op visit, meeting the dietitian and getting a psych evaluation. It happened really fast. The only thing I was waiting for was my funding, which is coming out of a savings account. The managers of the account said it would take 4-6 weeks to process the request and get the check out to me. I sent the request out less than 2 weeks ago and the check came in the mail today! Now I just have to call the Dr. and let him know we can go ahead with the tentative date we had planned on. I can hardly believe this is really going to happen! I'm so excited and kind of scared. It's a lot of change and very quickly (I also got a new job this past week), but I know it's for the best. Now this is where I could use help... I have so many questions about what to do and how to do things. I can't think of them all now, but I'm sure they will come to me. But for starters: 1. How do I tell friends and family? What friends and family did you decide to tell? 2. Are there any special preparations that I should do ahead of time at my house for my recovery? 3. Anything nobody told you that you wish you had known? Thanks so much! :wub::bored::wub:

That's great! I feel the same way! The only thing I was waiting for was my funding, which is coming out of a savings account. The managers of the account said it would take 4-6 weeks to process the request and get the check out to me. I sent the request out 2 weeks ago and the check came in the mail today! Now I just have to call the Dr. and let him know we can go ahead with the tentative date we had planned on. I can hardly believe this is really going to happen! I'm so excited! Good luck to you!

I was so inspired by this piece in Glamour Magazine. I can't explain how much I could relate to it. Zulekha Haywood is the daughter of Supermodel Iman and she tells her story of her journey with weight loss. Imagine You Are the Daughter of a Supermodel.: Health & Fitness: glamour.com

I'm seriously considering having him of Dr. Gonzales do my banding. This is a great post! Anything else you may recommend for me to ask or do? Also, any other things that I may have to worry post-op? I'm paying out of pocket, so I want to know about any additional costs in order to plan accordingly. Thank you so much!

Thank you for all of the replies! :scared2: I narrowed it down to two doctors, but I haven't met either of them! First I made a list of all the doctors offering WLS in my city and visited their sites. I was able to narrow it down to 3-4 and then I gave them a ring. Based on the information that I was given, I was able to narrow it down to my first and second choices. I've scheduled a meeting with my first choice and my second choice. I'm quite confidant that one of these two doctors will do my operation. They also have good comments on this board, so it helps me feel better. The price difference between the two doctors is maybe a $1000 difference but I can't really tell which package would be best for me, maybe y'all can help me out.... First Doctor includes: Pre-Op Appointment Dietitian Evaluation Pre-Op Lab Surgeon’s Fee Facility Fee Anesthesiologist The LAP-BAND® Device 1 Year of Monthly Follow-Up Appointments 1 Year of Adjustments The Behavioral Assessment is not included. It's an additional $150. Also, fills are a flat rate of $100. And I would have to pay out of pocket for any additional lab tests, if needed. Second doctor includes: Nutritional and exercise counseling by our counselor. Surgeon's fee. Hospital's fee. Anesthesiologist fee. Post-operative visits at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 18 months, and annually for 5 years. Attendance to Support Group meetings. For Adjustable Gastric Banding Patients, 4 band fills within 12 months after the operation. Does not include Pre-operative labs and necessary exams to qualify for surgery (your insurance may cover these). Psychologist fee for psychological evaluation. Protein drinks and nutritional supplements. Any thoughts???

Thank you all very much! It seems like I'm closer to getting it done... It turns out my parents have a college fund for me that I never dipped into (I'm currently getting my Master's) and they have agreed to let me use it for the surgery. Although I haven't even been in to see a doctor, it's sunk in that I will most likely be going through with this. It's exciting/frightening! The next step will be to look for a doctor. I've been reading on here about doctors that others have used, so I have a list. But this brings me to a few more questions... -How many doctors did you see before you found your doctor? -Since I'm paying out of pocket, are there other things that I may need to pay for that may not be included with the surgery? E.g. nutritionist, fills, etc? Thank you for the advice and encouragement!

Hello. My name is Lucy. I've recently made up my mind about getting WLS in order to attain my weight loss goals. However, I have so many questions. I'm thinking perhaps I should list them... -How do you know you're doing this for the right reasons? Other than the health risks, I find that my weight limits other goals I'd like to accomplish. For example, I would like to get a PhD but I can't even fit into school desks. I don't want to have these limits on my life. That is the second reason why I've decided to do this and sometimes I think it's the number one reason. I have a fear that that may not be the right reason to go ahead with WLS. -Is it normal to have doubts that WLS will work? I've been overweight my entire life. The only time I actually lost some weight was when I lived outside of the US. As soon as I returned, I gained it all back. How do you deal with past experiences of having had everything fail and reconciling it with WLS? These are my two biggest questions. I have tons more, but I want to explore the forum as well. I know others must have had these concerns too. Also, if anyone from San Antonio can offer me advice, it would be greatly appreciated.