Dave_NW

Thanks, ladies. I appreciate the comments. I do understand that these forums exist for people who are having trouble, or who need a cheering section to help them along the way. I think the trouble for me is reading about SO many issues, I'm wondering whether there are any "normal" banders out there. On a sleeve forum I was frequenting regularly until recently, they tried to talk me into ditching the band as an option, and stick with the sleeve, even though I'd have to pay for it out of pocket. One of those sleeve folks asked me to check out how many long-term banders are out there who are truly happy with their results. It was a fair question, and is what prompted most of this thread. The optimist in me is convinced I'll be "that guy," the one who has no trouble, who loses weight easily, and who will be one of those rare long-term success stories I've been trying to find. We'll see how it goes. Dave

South Beach Diet has a number of interesting dessert recipes using ricotta cheese. You could run cottage cheese through a blender and probably come up with something similar in texture. They have one recipe for a chocolate ricotta cream thing that uses powdered Hershey's baking chocolate, a bit of espresso powder, some vanilla extract, and a package of artifical sweetener like Splenda. Whip it all up together, top with mini chocolate chips if you want, and chill in the fridge or freezer for a bit. If you close your eyes, it takes sort of like tiramisu. Actually, it's pretty good. Dave

Thanks, elcee. I appreciate the candor. It sounds like you're well onto how to manage things. I wonder if it will be as easy in five years? That's where I'm having my hesitation. Just like in a marriage - it's great during the honeymoon, but five years later things will definitely have changed. :biggrin: Dave

What about pharmacy refills for your meds during that year? There must be records to show you were on prescription meds during that time. Just because you didn't schedule an appointment with the doctor doesn't mean you weren't being treated. Dave

Help me out here, folks. I was going to get the vertical sleeve surgery till about two weeks ago, when my insurance bailed on me. I was pointed toward banding as the only non-RNY surgery my insurance will pay for. I'm trying to get totally on board for banding, but I'm having a bit of trouble with that. I'm reading a lot of posts here from people who are newly-banded, who naturally love their band. That's great, and I wish everyone total success. However... I'm very curious to know about long-term success stories. Anyone around here who has had their band for several years, or who has hit their goal? How about those who reached goal and are maintaining their weight loss several years after banding? For that matter, is there anyone here who has even reached their goal? I hear about people losing 50% or thereabouts of their excess weight with the band, but I'm wondering about those who have lost more than that. And what about long-term health for those living with the band? There seem to be a lot of posts about trouble with the band, and even long-term bandsters who can't manage the tool. I'm just not sure I want to go there. What's your experience been? If you had it to do over again, would you have chosen banding, or a different procedure? Thanks, Dave

Hi all. Just wanted to provide a bit of an update on my situation. For those who may not have been following my posts, I was working toward having sleeve surgery, which I thought was to have happened within the next few weeks. My Internet research misled me, and my insurance company agent specifically misinformed me, and I didn't know until last week that my insurance carrier will not pay for sleeve surgery at the civilian hospital they referred me to. For reasons I still don't understand, they WILL pay for it if I have surgery at a military treatment facility. This logic escapes me, since the civilian hospital is a center of excellence, highly rated, and considered the best in the area for weight loss surgeries. But it's a non-issue, since my insurance won't pay. No room for discussion. At the urging of some great folks on this forum, I've been looking into getting things referred to the only military treatment facility in my state. I finally got through to someone at that facility's surgery center today, and had a frank discussion with them about my situation. I was told that if I jumped through all the hoops to make the various appointments they require to evaluate me, if I were to get my medical history transferred to them, and if they approved of the things I've done with my current surgery center, and didn't make me repeat anything I've been through, then yes, it would be possible to have surgery there -- in nine months to a year. He said if they decided not to accept what I've done, and make me do everything over again, it would be well over a year before I could expect to have surgery. Apparently, as a retiree, I am near the bottom of the priority list for surgery. Needless to say, I'm frustrated, angry, and extremely disappointed. I don't want to wait that long. I've given it a lot of thought, and have decided to go ahead and have lap band surgery, which I can have done by my civilian surgery center within the next several weeks. I realize a lot of people on this forum have terrible things to say about the band, but I've read on other forums about many more who have had good success with it. I'm going to give it a shot. If it turns out to be the wrong choice for me, then I'll have it revised to the sleeve. Hopefully, at that time, my insurance carrier will pay for it. If not, I'll make that trip to Mexico and pay for it myself. I wish everyone here the best of luck with things, and I look forward to reading of your weight loss success. Even though I won't be one of you, I'll be rooting from the sidelines for you. Thanks for all the great support you've given me in the last few months. You are a great bunch of folks. Dave

Thanks very much for this post! You've said what I've been thinking. (And it's not just this forum. It's exactly the same over at VerticalSleeveTalk.com as well!) As someone who is still researching whether to have band surgery, when I read ALL these posts about this or that band or eating problem, and complaint after complaint thread about people who claim they're starving and how miserable so many people are, I keep asking myself what the hell am I setting myself up for? I thought this band was a tool to help me lose weight, not a magic bullet that will make me perfect overnight. Don't people understand that, or do they forget? Sure, I'd love to be tall and younger and have my balding head covered with the great hair I used to have, too, but for crying out loud - life goes on! I'm actually anxious to have surgery, just so I can either: A: Prove these naysayers wrong, or B: Finally understand what all the whining is about. :thumbup: Thanks, btrieger. You're the voice of reason in a crazy place. :thumbup: Dave

Toni, I think you may have stepped in a bit too soon, and caught the guy off guard. You don't say, but are you two friends? Do you talk about whatever topic in a general conversation sometimes? Do you seek each other out to share some joke or story? If not, he may not think of you as a work friend, and he may have been a bit surprised by your unexpected invitation to lunch. I wouldn't take it too seriously, or even the wrong way. He may genuinely have had things that day that made it the wrong day for him. But before you over-think the situation, and blame yourself for something that may not have anything to do with you, think about these ideas: 1.. He may not like dating where he works. If things got serious, then fell apart, he'd have the work-drama to contend with. So he may prefer not to put himself in that place. 2. He may already be seeing someone. Despite what you may have heard, not all guys are dogs who date multiple people at the same time. 3. Maybe he's gay, but not "out" at work. 4. Maybe you're just not his type. He may like you just fine, but maybe he's not interested in you as more than a friendly face at work. He may prefer to date women who are taller/shorter/different hair color/different age group/ different ethnicity/smarter/less smart, or whatever. There could be a hundred reasons, and none of them are anything to do with you as a person. As others have said, there are other places to meet potential dating partners. Expand your horizons a bit, and give yourself a chance to meet the right guy in a neutral setting where there aren't as many pitfalls. Be smart, and be strong. The right guy is out there, but you just need to find out where he is. :thumbdown: Good luck! Dave

Kathy, you are a complete inspiration to me. Your journey is probably the most successful weight loss with the band I've ever read, and your pictures are awesome. I'm having surgery soon, and hope I can someday report a similar story. Thank you! Wishing you continued success, Dave

Hey guys. Thanks for checking in. Anyone else? I knew I wasn't the only one. With luck, I'll be banded next month. (I'm down to the last couple of things: Endoscopy next week, then they go for surgery approval from my insurance. Supposed to be easy to get. Cross your fingers!) I'm curious about those of you have lost so much weight so fast. 70+ pounds in a few months is awesome! What sort of workout plan are you on? Working with a trainer, or hitting the gym regularly? I really want to get back to the gym, but I want to have the band to back up my effort. How's your daily diet? Any tips or tricks to make it work? My nutritionist is talking about 100+ daily grams of Protein - that seems like a lot. Any of you guys happen to be in the Pacific Northwest? I'm north of Seattle. It'd be great to find another guy around here to compare notes with. Dave

Nothing against the ladies, but I'd like to hear from men who read or post here. What sort of things did you deal with when you were getting ready for banding? How are you doing with your weight loss? Is your experience with the band different than it is for women? Any lessons learned from the male point of view that you'd care to share? Dave (P.S. Yes, I know there is a Man Room forum here, but nobody seems to post there much.)

How did you pay for the surgery? If on a credit card, you may be able to dispute the charges. Dave

If you step over to the forums at VerticalSleeveTalk.com, the sister site to this one, you'll find a LOT of former lapband people who have since had it revised to the sleeve instead. They're a very friendly bunch who are full of very helpful information. Dave

I have Tricare Prime. I'm told they do not require doing a doctor-managed weight loss program. My surgeon's office says they're one of the easiest insurance carriers to get surgery approval from, as long as you meet the minimum requirements. (Excess weight, BMI, other comorbidities.) I met with my surgeon's team last week for the first time, in a "marathon" all-on-the-same-day appointment. There are still a couple more appointments to meet this month, but I'm told I should expect to have surgery next month. That would make it less than four months from first phone call to surgery day. Hope this helps, Dave

The term "vertical gastroplasty" was where I was misinformed by my insurance carrier. The agent I spoke with misinterpreted it to be the same as "vertical gastrectomy." So for months I was working toward getting my sleeve surgery, only to learn at the last minute that there was an error, and the insurance carrier will not pay for the sleeve. My surgeon says nobody does the gastroplasty anymore, because it doesn't work. Sort of figures that my lame insurance would pay for that one, but not for the sleeve, which is what I want. :w00t: Dave

Thanks, everyone. Your confidence in your choice tells me it is a "real" option after all. I think this is going to be okay. I just need time to adjust my perspective. I had a long talk today with a coworker who is banded. He's down 60 pounds in 9 months. Those are valid numbers I can relate to. He's my age and was my size. If I can be 60 pounds lighter in 9 months, I would be a very happy camper. So the journey continues. :thumbup: Dave

Angela, thank you SO MUCH! I appreciated your entire post, but the statement you made that I've quoted above hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized it's not about speed, it's about longevity. How does the old adage go? "Slow and steady wins the race." Thank you! :thumbup: Dave

Hi folks. I'm Dave, and I'm one of the new guys here. I feel a bit weird right now, because for the last several months I've been researching and working toward getting the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) surgery. Of the three main types of current bariatric sugeries, that seemed the best fit for me. I'd double-checked with my insurance carrier, and was told yes, the sleeve was covered. So I'd done all my homework, I attended some seminars, got my PCM to refer me to a weight loss surgeon who does my surgery type, and I got myself all psyched up for a marathon appointment with my surgeon and his team. After weeks of waiting I finally saw them yesterday. Things were going great until they said that I must have a misunderstanding. They said my insurance (Tricare Prime) does not cover the sleeve surgery. It seems the insurance agent I'd spoken with had misinformed me. After a bit of discussion and a visit to Tricare's website, it turns out that they're right - Tricare won't pay for it. They'll pay for LAP-BAND®®® and RNY bypass, even stomach stapling (which nobody does anymore) - just not the sleeve. So I had no serious option except to change directions right in the middle of things. And that's how I came to be here. RNY isn't something I'd want to do to myself, so I accepted the band as my only other choice. I mean no disrespect to anyone here, but I feel like I was at a great sale, and they ran out of my selection at the last minute. After all this time of anticipating and studying and planning for something else, all of a sudden I need to go 90 degrees in another direction. Is there anyone here who went through this sort of thing? Did you who chose the band do so after ruling out the other choices? Why? Or was the band your first choice? Can you please help me get my head around why the band is my best option? Help me feel good about this unexpected change. I want to feel great about this, but need some insider knowledge. What do you think? Thanks, Dave

I can see I have some more phone calls to make. :thumbup: Dave

Hmm. Very interesting. I'm Tricare Prime. Are you or spouse Active Duty? I'm a retiree. Tricare told me they don't do anything at Madigan, that it's a Military Treatment Facility, so is handled by the military, not them. Sounds like I need to call Madigan again. Confusing... Dave

Thanks, Ladies. Your support is great. I've been doing a bit more research: I called the Insurance Coordinator at the Surgeon's office, and had a long talk with her. She was pretty frank with me, and said she works closely with all insurance companies, so she's pretty much on top of things. (The surgeon calls her his "Pit Bull.") She said Tricare is very strict on what they will or won't cover. She said they follow a Governmental list of procedures they will and won't pay for, and if it's not on the list, Tricare won't pay. She gave me the CPT code for the sleeve, and said I should call Tricare and ask them specifically about it. So I did. And Tricare said the CPT code, (it's 43775, if you ever need to know it), is named on the "Government Not Authorized" list. I asked about appeals on basis of medical necessity, and the woman said, "If it's not on the authorized list, they won't pay. Sorry." I asked about appeals, and she said, "Not gonna happen. The list is the list." So I asked her about what Tiffy said, about having surgery at a Military Treatment Facility. Since I'm retired Navy, I have benefits there, too, that are separate from Tricare insurance. The Tricare woman said, "You can call them and ask; they may do it. It's separate from what Tricare does." So I checked out the two military hospitals in my state. One doesn't do anything regarding weight loss surgeries. They were quite specific about that. The other one, Madigan Army Hospital, (a HUGE place), does do weight loss surgeries, but only bypass surgeries. No sleeves. Dang. Mexico is looking more appealing all the time... Stay tuned, Dave

After waiting a looong time to get in, (like three months), I finally went to my Surgeon's marathon appointment clinic today. I met with the Psych, Physician, Nutritionist, and the Surgeon himself. I passed all evaluations and interviews with flying colors, and everyone said I was a prime candidate for surgery. All was going along great until the Surgeon said, "Um, I think we may have a misunderstanding here. Your insurance does not cover the sleeve." :scared0::blushing: Say WHAT????? :scared0::scared0::scared0: I made them go to the Tricare website so I could show them the text that says it's covered. When we tunneled down to the covered services part, and found gastric bypass surgeries, it says: "TRICARE covers gastric bypass, gastric stapling and gastroplasty to include vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band surgery)" When I pointed out the text that says "vertical banded gastroplasty," he said, "That's not the sleeve. That's stomach stapling. Nobody does that anymore." After a bit more investigation, it seems that when I plugged in those words on a website several months ago, it said those words meant the same thing as vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Apparently, that website was wrong. So it seems I may have been doing a LOT of preliminary work for a procedure my insurance won't cover. Crap. When I got home I called Tricare and asked for clarification, the person said what's written is what's covered, but that the surgeon's Insurance Coordinator can contact them with documentation to request it be reviewed as a medical necessity. They may cover it, but maybe not. So my dilemma is this: I'm wide open approved for a lap band or RNY bypass. If you couldn't get the sleeve surgery, which would you choose, and why? Seriously bummed, Dave

Actually, I bought one yesterday at costco. (I figure I need to do SOMETHING to get ready for this trip I'm about to take. The wait is making me nuts!! :biggrin0:) I haven't opened it yet, and if I don't need it, I'll return it. But the packaging does make it look very convenient. My Bosch has a lot of attachments, but seems like it'd be harder to clean. We'll see. Dave

I agree - tell the Trainer what's up, and if you can't agree on a plan, find a new trainer. I'm sure the Trainer is only doing what they think is right, but your WLS situation changes that scenario. If they can't adapt, they need to be gone. Dave

Thanks, ladies. I'm an I.T. computer tech guy, so I think in a linear fashion. I see this weight loss as a basic math equation - the right kind and method of food volume in, plus exercise and common sense, equals the right weight lost. Your experience is very helpful in teaching me what to expect. I'm getting more excited than ever. Dave