Dave_NW

I agree with Amy. I had in-the-pool physical therapy a few years ago after knee surgery, and I felt so good afterwards, I continued doing the movements in the Water for months afterwards. If I'd had the opportunity to learn how to do aqua aerobics, I'd have kept that up instead. Exercise is less like work if you enjoy it. Dave

Jenn, what does your doctor say about this? If you really are this frustrated, and if things are that bad, then you need to ask about it. Dave

Wow. My psych eval was very, very different than yours. Mine was a friendly interview that lasted about 20 minutes. We talked about where I've been in my weight loss life, how I feel about having surgery, and whether I know how things will be different after surgery. There was no questionnaire to fill out. He signed off on things, and that was that. Hmm... Dave

I also take pain meds for my degenerative arthritis. I've been assured that there is no problem taking my prescription with the band. :thumbup: Dave

It works well for me. I like it. Just be sure to use it cold. Makes the flavor beter, I think. Dave

I think the people who have the most trouble are those who think the band is a magic bullet that will suddenly fix everything, and make the person's life perfect. Reality is far different. As I've heard a hundred times, "The band is just a tool." The rest is up to the person to use the tool properly. For all the failures I read about, I think I read more success stories. And I'm just stubborn enough to think that I'll be a success story. I got fat by eating one meal at a time. I intend to get thin the same way. :blushing: Dave

Ross, maybe you should try changing WHAT you're eating, not necessarily how much or when. I admit, I haven't yet been banded, but I'm an old hand at dieting. The first time I did South Beach Diet I lost like crazy. I had dental surgery so went off the diet, and I gained it all back, plus a bunch more. (No surprise there.) The next time I tried South Beach, even though I ate exactly the same things I did the first time, I didn't lose more than a few pounds, and then the scale got stuck. I finally gave up in frustration. So maybe look at the way you're eating, and what your meals are made from, then turn it on its head, and do things completely different. Or eat dinner for Breakfast, or something. Try shaking up how your body receives the calories you give it, and see if it makes a difference. Go on a liquid diet for a few days, or change the type of Protein you're eating. Look at every little thing you eat, and make sure you aren't defeating your own efforts through inclusion of something that is adding carbs or calories or whatever back in through invisible means. (I once found the salad dressing I really liked was LOADED with calories, and was mislabeled. Changed to a different dressing, and life moved forward.) Weight loss tends to be a mathematics game: Calories Eaten - Enough Calories Burned = Weight loss. So maybe you should look into getting one of the Bodymedia armband monitors to help you track your calories, exercise rates, and sleep quality. I just got one and am excited to use it. Check out bodymedia.com, but buy it from costco.com. They have a better deal. Good luck! Dave

Tara, just a follow-up to your questions: I'm now approved for surgery. Here's the schedule: Referral from PCM to WLS Surgeon 19-Aug-10 Attended WLS Seminar at Surgeon's Clinic 25-Aug-10 Office Consult - Surgeon/Staff 29-Sep-10 Lab Work 1-Oct-10 Endoscopy 14-Oct-10 Surgery Request sent to Insurance 15-Oct-10 Surgery Approval from Insurance 20-Oct-10 Office Consult/Sign Surgery Consent forms 16-Nov-10 Surgery Scheduled 6-Dec-10 This process could have been done faster, but my surgeon and I both have scheduling conflicts. We ended up postponing surgery for me from the first week of November to the 6th of December. So the answer to your initial question is No, Tricare does not require you to see a nutritionist or go on a managed weight loss program. Dave

unjury is excellent Protein powders in several flavors, and vitamins/supplements sold under a sister brand name (Opurity). www.unjury.com. And to the OP, I don't think it's sold in stores. Dave

Congrats, Kaye! I'm also approved and scheduled for December 6th. It'll be a great day for us both! Dave

I bought one from costco.com. It arrived today. Looks pretty cool! It comes with a year's subscription to the website, but I don't want to set it up till I get closer to surgery day, so I don't waste that subscription. Anyone have any tips to share about how to get the most from it? Dave

Yes. Different names, but the same procedure. What makes the sleeve work well is that your digestive tract is left intact. Your stoma and pylorus are not changed. Your intestinal tract is not modified. Basically, everything is left alone, except the stretchy part of the stomach is removed, so you can't eat very much. But if you're experienced eating with a lapband, you already know how to eat small. One of the biggest advantages to sleeve surgery is removing the stretchy part of the stomach also removes the grehlin, which is where hunger pains come from. Imagine a life where you have to remind yourself to eat, because you never feel hungry. And before you ask: I would love to have this surgery for myself, but my insurance won't cover it yet. I don't want to wait, so I'm having band surgery first. If I need further help later on, (and if my insurance will pay for it), I'll have it revised to the sleeve. Good luck! Dave

Make sure you're not confusing vertical gastrectomy with vertical gastroplasty. The first is the sleeve procedure that is still gaining in popularity. The second is stomach stapling, which most surgeons no longer perform because it doesn't work very well. All else being equal, and if your insurance company won't budge, then I think I'd opt to having the band removed, and don't do anything else at the moment. Start saving like crazy, then self-pay with a better doctor for the surgery you want, if it turns out you need it. I'm seeing ads all over this forum for lap bands for less than $4K, and sleeves for less than $5K. You might want to spend a bit of time reviewing www.verticalsleevetalk.com, the sister site to this one. It is an enormous resource, and the success stories will amaze you. A great number of people on that forum are self-pay, since their insurance carriers won't pay for it either. Good luck! Dave

Honestly? After that kind of ordeal, I'd look hard at alternatives. Sounds like your banding hasn't been good, so a third one almost seems like asking for more trouble. Bypass is radical and irreversible. There are complications, and if you don't have lots more weight to lose, it may be unnecessary. Have you considered vertical sleeve? You get the restriction you need, there is no slippage possible, no fills needed, you can take whatever meds you need to take, and you can manage your diet to suit your situation. Since you already know how to eat with a band, you can do the same with the sleeve. You'd be way ahead of the curve. So that's my vote. Good luck, regardless of what you decide! Dave

I don't know how Tricare sees it, but my surgeon's team includes a Nutritionist on staff. I've checked the claims section of my Tricare account online, and it shows where the Nutritionist billed Tricare for my consult - and Tricare paid for it. :w00t: And nobody has mentioned a "program fee" or anything else from the surgeon's office. So maybe they don't have one for certain insurance programs? I do know they "vetted me" before they'd schedule a consult. So maybe they like Tricare for being so easy to work with. ?? At this point the only thing I expect to pay for will be the $25 copay for the overnight stay at the hospital on surgery day, and a $12 copay for office visits. Dave

I agree Tricare Prime is pretty easy to work with. My surgeon submitted the request to approve for surgery last Friday, and I was approved yesterday. From day of my first consult appointment with him till yesterday was only 22 days. The hardest part of the whole process has been waiting for the appointment days to roll around. Dave

Sekinj, you have a valid point. But I've noticed there is a problem with this entire website: If you click "Today's Posts" under Quick Links at the top of the page, you get a list of post titles, one after the other. The post titles are enticing, interesting, and a lot of them invite a response from the viewer. But the title of the Forum it's posted in doesn't display till the far right side of the page. Posts get all scrambled up, and it's confusing about where the actual post belongs. I noticed it on my first day here, and I figured the place is so huge, and has been around so long, that the individual forum titles don't mean much to most people. That's why so many women post in The Men's Room, then apologize when they realize what they did. (Not a complaint, just an example.) The same thing happens in other Forums. So even if it's inconvenient to wade through the posts you don't expect to find, you need to remember you may find the answers you're seeking in a forum other than the post-op one you read most often. There can be some pearls hidden among the chaos - you just need to dig for them. Dave

Go check out

I'm not required to have a pre-op diet either, but I wanted to see what I was in for. So I've been experimenting with different Protein shakes, to find one I like. So far, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury.com has the best flavors. I was home from work last week for a few days, and I decided to try following the post-op clear diet for a day. I drank 2 ounces of Protein shake per hour, plus six to eight ounces of Water in the same hour. I was not hungry all day, even though I expected to be. If it's going to be like that, about the only thing I think I'll be fighting on Clear liquids is boredom. Dave

There seems to be a lot of different processes and requirements, depending on who your insurance is with, who your surgeon is, and your medical condition. It is possible to "fast track" things, if you're persistent, and your surgeon has his/her act together. But there still seems to be specific requirements most everyone needs to meet. In my case, my surgeon refused to even schedule to see me until I'd attended one of their weight loss seminars. He has an on-staff bariatric nutritionist, physician, psychologist, and nursing staff. I was able to see everyone needed on the same day, during a marathon back-to-back appointment day. So I think my journey has been pretty short. Here's my timeline: Referral from PCM to WLS Center approved by Insurance: 8/19/2010 Attended Mandatory WLS seminar at Surgeon's Center: 8/25/2010 Surgeon's office consult and marathon appointments: 9/29/2010 All Lab Bloodwork done (14 tubes of blood): 10/1/2010 Endoscopy: 10/14/2010 Surgery Request submitted to Insurance: 10/15/2010 Surgery Request APPROVED by Insurance (YAY!!!) 10/20/2010 Surgeon consult, to sign surgery consent documents: 11/16/2010 Surgery Day: 12/6/2010 Things could have gone even faster, except my surgeon had scheduling conflicts, and I had to wait a month after the seminar before I could get in to see him. We were going to plan surgery during the second week of November, but I wanted to be sure my support people will be available to help after my surgery. We elected to wait till after the Thanksgiving holiday, which I suppose is weirdly appropriate. Even with the scheduling delays, from date of PCM referral to the WLS Center to my Surgery day will be about 15 weeks. That's pretty fast, I think. Once you've seen your surgeon, you'll have a better idea of what you're facing. Don't try to short circuit the system - things exist for a reason. Take your time, do your research, start gathering the pieces and parts you'll need for pre- and post-op life, and get ready for your big day. A word of polite caution: You didn't get fat overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight. This is a process, not a magic bullet. If you get too impatient, you're setting yourself up for severe disappointment. How does the old saying go? "Slow and steady wins the race." Good luck! Dave

Congrats, Erick. Sounds like you're well on your way. I'd enjoy the loss, and know you shouldn't ever see those pounds again. As I understand it, sliming is basically your salivary glands going into overdrive, making excesive amounts. You keep having to swallow or spit lots of mucus and saliva. PB is just that - a "productive burp." Basically, a belch with chunks, that is more than just expelled air. Nasty. Neither is fun, from what I hear. Dave

I'm liking the unjury chocolate Protein shakes quite a bit. If you go to their website, www.unjury.com, you can order sample size packets of their flavors. In addition to two kinds of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and unflavored, they also have a chicken Soup flavor. Nice variety. I find they go down very easily, if I put in ice cubes and fat free milk, then run it through the Magic Bullet blender. If ice cold, it's really very good. Dave

Since he's only legally married to one of the women, nobody is underage, and the kids aren't being subjected to anything inappropriate, I don't see where they're breaking any laws. So I don't think the State has any grounds to bring charges, other than to stir up lots and LOTS of press about things, which results in ratings for the show. (These people were even on Oprah last week...) Having said that, (and probably because of all the press), I watched a few episodes of the show yesterday. I think the wives are the smart ones, and I think the husband is a colossal, arrogant jackass. I was projecting things a bit, but can't wait to hear the one wife has divorced him, and the women are all living as a group home without him. I think when the media frenzy is over, the show will quietly fade away, like so many others of its kind. :smile: Dave

Well, hi everyone! I guess I should stand over here with all of you. And I am SO glad to finally be here! As of today, I'm penciled in for surgery December 6th. Everything is done except for a consult with a specialty surgeon who assists my regular surgeon during bandings. (He's the hernia guy - I have both a hiatal hernia and an umbilical hernia they'll be repairing.) My insurance (Tricare) reports my surgery approval is "Pending Review" which I'm told means it's a done deal, once they look over all the supporting paperwork. So after reviewing everyone's schedule, we decided on December 6th as THE DAY! UPDATE: As of this morning, 10/20/2010, I am officially APPROVED FOR SURGERY! My insurance carrier called, did a little phone interview, and approved me on the spot. Nice! I'm so ready. Wishing all of you successful surgeries! Dave

Thanks, guys. That's what I was looking to hear. Dave