Bandmom

I have BCBS and aftercare is my copay. I had the prgram fee up front that covered classes, and all those items, but then aftercare is part of the insurance coverage. Sounds like he is trying to pad his pockets. He will charge X to the insurance, insurance pays what they feel like paying, he has to write the rest off, well instead of really taking the hit and writting it off, he passes those amounts on to you via an after care fee. I think the prgram fee is wrong, so that aftercare fee is nothing but a bunch of BS.

Do an internet search and you should find other doctors in the area that do the surgery. I was lucky, I started at one doctor and when we found out that my specific plan did not include him he was more than helpful in finding me a GOOD doctor that was covered, and he gave me some pointers on all of them, good and bad, so I could decide. I am not sure I would ask this doctor though cause if he is so focused on that fee then he isn't really thinking of helping overweight patients get better!

What area are you in? Maybe we can all offer some search information or personal information if we are in that area?

I have BCBS and I was approved that fast as well. The Doctor's office was floored. I called to tell them I got the letter, and she said Oh honey you couldn't have it has been to soon. I said No I am telling you I have the letter and I faxed it over and she called back and said I am so sorry you are right you have been approved, she said she didn't even look at all the paperwork when it came in because she assumed it wouldn't be that quick!!!! Now we are starting the process to get my husband approved for the bypass surgery!!! Hope it goes as quickly as well.

different doctors different stories different requirements. Crazy. My best friend didn't have to do any nutrition meetings, and really wasn't told half the things I have been told! I found some Centrum chewables that have everything the nutritionist said I need. They are orange flavor and I DON"T LIKE THEM. I chew it up a bit and then take a drink of Water, but then you have the stuff stuck in your teeth and then I burb this nasty taste all day! I haev another kind a wafer chewable I got at GNC I am waiting to try. I am just trying to force down these others till then!!

Yeah you start it and think okay I can do this for X days, no problem, and the first day it is tolerable. the second you are like "seriously?" and by the third you are ready to rip someone's head off! Not a fun stage! And to have to go back on it after each fill! I was stupid and didn't eat all day on my first fill. Got busy and then it was time for my appointment. next time I will watch the clock more and make sure I get some real food in before my cut off!

I go for my second on 6/29 so we are right there together!

I hear ya! I went back to mushies over the weekend after having an issue with somethign getting stuck. OUCH! The eggs and cheese were so good....

I am there with you. I have had one fill, and I can tell it is more restricted then if I had no band at all, but it is not what I would call 'working' yet! Mainly my restriction is me being afraid to push things and manually monitoring myself. I will be glad when I actually hit a good restriction point. I have so much stress going on right now, trying to watch my diet on my own (and we see how well that has always gone) so it will be nice when I know I have the band there helping.

Mine refused to do it any earlier simply because you need to learn what you can and can not eat (we say no restriction but reality is we really have some. Not enough to really stop us from eating what we want, but we do have to be a lot more careful about how we eat it and how we chew it) and you have to give your stomach time to heal from the initial shock of the surgery. I keep thinking I want to ask him to be a bit more agressive on the fills, but then I think the time in between is nice to 'learn' my new restrictions, rather then going from zero to full all at once!

popcorn, nuts, fruit with seeds, and some veggies with certain skin types were all on the do not eat list for a good 6 months. Then others were okay after that with some rules around them (only eat the top, not the stalk, no skins, well coooked, etc)

I had been doing real well and hadn't had an issue with anything getting stuck (I was counting every bite I took, making sure I chewed really well) and I only have 1 fill in so far, but sure enough I was talking with my husband on Saturday and I didn't pay attention and I swallowed some bread before chewing really well. OUCH. That hurts and I don't ever want to do that again! I can't make myself get rid of it like some can, so it was a rather long ordeal of pain and waiting for it to come back up! I put myself back on a liquid diet for the day and then Sunday stuck with softer foods, I was really sore for a while after that. Not pleasant. But I learned a heck of a lesson!

I bought some of that flavorless stuff and mixed it with sugar free koolaid and it wasnt good. It changed the texture of the drink and was very odd. I think it would be fine to mix with some yogurt or sugar free pudding or something thicker, but liquid just made it to "odd" for me.

right there with you. I bought a couple the other day to try and I do not like them......

I didn't have to do Clear liquids for my pre/post diet. Just liquid, so I could do the protien shakes. I am still struggling to find those that I can take, so I can't offer much help.

I haven't had any premade that I liked. What I have been able to do is rubbermaid has these little locking lids bowls that are small enough for like salad dressing etc... They are the prefect size for one scoop of protien powder. I think I got 5 or 6 of them. so I fill them on the weekend, put them in my work bag and take all of them to work, but them in my drawer. Then in the morning I get in and make my glass of Water and I have a shaker cup (got it at GNC, has a silver metal ball that helps blend everything) and I make my shake and drink it while I work.

I put the bowls back in my bag when empty and refill the next weekend, so I have a steady supply!!!

See my doctor isn't even testing that, but then again it is the first fill and I didn't have any issues up to that point so maybe tehy will watch it closer as I get other fills????

I was banded 3/18/10, and have found I'm tight in the mornings and the Protein drinks are a lifesaver. In fact, I've found that the days I use it are days that I don't have food cravings later in the day.

The first 2 weeks after surgery I couldn't stomach it. It's much better now.

Sharon

Banded 4/29 just got my first fill and I agree, I am tight in the mornings. I get hungry when I don't drink my shake in the morning and I have issues eating the rest of the day.

I do that to, I have found that I lose from my top stomach first, and then I lose some from my bottom stomach (I am trying to be nice and say stomach but we all know I mean roll), which makes the top not seem so flat, and then I lose some from there and so forth.

I thought the port is lower down on the abdomen. This spot is directly under my left nipple area. When I eat the area under the incision swells up so much that it looks like I have a plum or something that sized implanted into my abdomen. I guess I will find out tomorrow, but I was sure the port is not higher than the LAP-BAND®

They put it in different places it appears. My best friends is on her right side below her rib, mine is in the middle, right below the sternum. I freaked when he showed me, cause I was all prepared for the fill in the side of my stomach and thinking about a needle in the middle of my chest was a shock!

I was told to avoid salad for quite a while. First because as Jensmallwood mentioned I was warned it could be a trouble food and second because you have to push your protien. I have been way to scared to try that yet.

I have had several surgeries, and the only time I have had this issue is with stomach surgeries (Hysterectomy, lap band) when I had my other surgeries on different areas of my body (hand, leg) I never had this problem. The doctor warned me that this would be a problem from the gas, and all the pamphlets you get to read talk about it.

I really do not think it is the anesthesia.

You are not alone. It isn't so much as a security blanket for me as I have not always been overweight, but more a fear of failing. If I fail at this then what else is there? How bad must I be to fail with the band? But if I know I cheated or did this or that then I can justify it and say it wasn't really me that failed.

I have been successful at almost everything I have ever tried. I was inthe top of my class in high school, managed to get a bachelors and masters degree while being married with two young kids and working full time. I am the "smart" one in the family. But if I fail at something that seems so easy as losing weight, then what am I?

Wow. I am about 5 weeks post op and I can fill some restriction with this fill. I am not able to eat much at this point, even with slider foods like Soup and such.

I will keep that in mind (the Water bottle) he didn't have me do anything and I was so excited about getting the fill I didn't think about that. I asked how much he was putting in, when I can have another and those kinds of things but forgot about testing the fill!!!!

By best advice for staving off the hungries is loading up on your Protein and fiber instead of refined carbs and moderate your fat intake. QUOTE]

Man that is true. I forgot my protien shake this morning and I was starved by 9. I didn't realize how much it worked at satisfying me till I forgot it!!!

I did fine with the pre and post op surgery but tuesday I didn't eat before my fill and then was stuck with liquids for 24 hours, and I got dizzy. I think just all the changes your body is going through catches up with you. I started on some Soup and feel a lot better now.

They pump the air in your belly and for some reason it hurts yoru shoulders as it works its way out. Your shoulder is fine, nothing has happened to it, just that is where you feel the pressure and pain as the air works out of your system!

Breath deep, it helped me.....

I had my first fill on Tuesday. 2 cc's. I haven't had any problems, but I have read on here about everyone having to do the swallow test. I didn't have to do that after the surgery (I mean they made me eat ice chips, but no x-ray) and I didn't have to do anything after my fill. I was literally up and out the exam room door within a minute.

Like I said I haven't had any problems, nothing is getting stuck, but I have stuck with soft foods so far (liquid the first 24 and soft for 2 days then test regular foods as I feel I can handle) but it concerns me that once I get past the first couple feels I might have some issues since I am out the door so quick.....

anyone else get fills without the tests afterwards?