Hi All,

I'm just starting the whole process of applying for the lap band at BIDMC. I was wondering if people could give me feedback on their experience, both good and bad (if applicable). Also, which doctor did you use? I'm not sure which doctor I would like to request.

Thanks!

just wanted to jump in real quick to say HI !!! hope everyone is doing well.

Feel better Chrispy!

Off to work......

Hi Nana & Everyone else-

The diet is going well now. I've evened out a bit and I'm not anywhere near as starving and miserable as I was initially. I'm at 338 now from 358, and I'm looking forward to being able to use my fancy Brookstone scale that maxes out at 330 by early next week. That way I don't have to go down to Newmarket Square in Roxbury and weigh myself on the scale that they weigh pallets of Porterhouse steaks on. Yay for me!

Hey all!

nana - to copy all you have to do is highlight what you want, press contro and the c button. to paste it into your signature press the control button and the v button hope this helps!

congrats john on getting over the hump! let us know how the bookstone scale is!

chris - take care of yourself..i have chronic bronchitis and it sucks!!! add that to asthma and breathing is next to impossible!

sherry, deb, kaydot - hope things are well!

when's our next get-together?

Hi aaamom!! :wave: Glad you popped in to say hi!! How have you been.

Stormbrewing - look at you rocking the weight loss already! :rockon: You are really doing a fantastic job and are just melting away. I'm sure we'll see a big difference at our next get-together.

Deb - I should be around that week in February, although I'll be working. Maybe we can grab dinner one night?? You'll be in the Canton area, right? Maybe we can get some others to join us!

hello folks....not feeling well today. Got myself a nice cold and I can't breed fro my node

Hmmm wonder if Chrispy gave it to me hee hee...no I think I got it from hubby or my nephew...either way it stinks. Sneezin, running, stuffed up mess. Hope you all have a wonderful night.

Hey everyone!

I have my first preop appointment in a few weeks, and I am just making the bills as it is! I was wondering if anyone knows if the $500 due at the first pre-op appointment can be waived by the financial office or anything? I'm on free state healthcare as it is...

I was just wondering if anyone had any experiences with that or not!

Also, I met Dr. Jones tonight at the Info session- He's so great!!!!! I can't wait to get started! BIDMC is sooo much better than B&W, where I was thinking of going before!!!

hi all.......staying away from power tools for a little bit for now. look like finger is healing good and they will not have to cut open to drain. fingers crossed (ha ha)

everyone seems to be doing great except sherry (sorry about cold)

chris that would be great, yes i will be in canton, i guess the kids are planning my days on feb vacation..going to keep grandma on the go

i was thinking if you call BI and speak to michelle she can give you my phone number

well hope everyone is staying warm

deb

hello to everyone! I am on the verge of scheduling lapband surgery in Mexico with Dr. Rombault in March 2007. I have been reading about the lap band for about 6 months. My bmi is 32, I am 52 years old, and I do not think Massachusetts docs will "band me" as my bmi is too low. I would be self pay. I would like to join someone's practice, however, so I can go to support groups, etc. Any suggestions? I could just go to the new fill center usa in Rhode Island, but I would like to have a local surgeon to turn to in case of problems. I have been overweight for about 15 years, but before that I was pretty normal. I would love to be able to play tennis, etc again!

Susan

Susan have you actually tried any of the Bariatric centers here in Boston first? I thought any BMI over 30 with additional co-morbidities were accepted. Do you have back pain, foot pain, knee/joint pain, high blood pressure, sleep apnea? Any of those plus some others are considered co-morbidities. I also believe if you fill out an application/questionairre with BIDMC they'll let you know if you'd be accepted into the program or not without paying any fees yet. I think you should give that a shot.

I am not sure my co-morbidities would help me to qualify as they are not yet severe enough--but if I wait a few years I am sure they would!

On one of the forums--this one or the obesity control center lap band forum--a member stated that doctors "treat you like a leper if you were banded in Mexico" . Some of us fall in the gray zone of not meeting local criteria so follow up care is difficult, but we qualify for Mexico care.

I bet in three years this will work itself out.

Susan

Unfortunately Susan, with malpractice suits I can understand why a doc wouldn't want to touch a patient of another doctor let alone someone having work outside of the country. That is why most docs don't want to work on another patient. The liability is just too high. I would highly recommend talking to surgeons in our area just so you don't have to go through that. Have you gone that route yet?

I have not yet talked to local surgeons--that will be my next steps. From reading the websites, it appears to me that I will not qualify to have a lapband, even with self pay. Maybe I am wrong. There are a lot of programs now at most larger hospitals, so maybe someone will do it.

It seems that some people go to Mexico and then go to fill centers, but that idea makes me nervous. Maybe if I lived on the west coast I would feel differently. But living near Boston, it is a long haul to Mexico if something goes wrong. I would guess that over a lifetime--which is how long these bands are in place--one would need some follow up care.

I guess I am nervous about going so far from home for the band, so maybe someone local will do the surgery.

Susan

Susan - I agree with Sherry, try some of the centers here in the area...there are so many. How is everyone else? good luck with the cold, Sherry. try some airborne and zicam they work wonders!!!

Dez

Hi All, I just wanted to say a quick Hi and tell you that the whey drink was OK. I can't believe it. And I ordered the drinks that were non dairy and the goat's milk to try. So, I might even have a variety. How is everyone else doing? Talk to you soon. Nana

Hi All,

Nanaviv-congrats on finding a drink that doesn't make you sick! Wonderful. Bariatriceating.com has a lot of whey protein samples that you can try out so you do not have to buy the big jugs until you know if they work. Good luck.

Chrispy-thanks for the hello! I have not been online at all this past week. We had a death in the family and it was very crazy around here. Things are settling down a bit now. Sorry to hear about the bronchitis. Take care of yourself so you can get back to dancing soon! :confused:

John-congrats on the date! You must be psyched. Way to go on the weightloss. I could not have stuck to a liquid diet pre-op. I am impressed. I too had major fears about the fatty liver and I joined WW for 2 months pre-op. It helped me immensely and I acutally still go because it keeps me accountable. I don't know if that seems ridiculous but I still like going.

Sherry-I hope your code in node is getting better. I hate being stuffed up.

Rainbow-power tools? watch out. I would love to get together over feb break, let me know what your schedule is. My kids are off but I still have school so it may be hectic but worth a shot.

I am sleepy tonight. I had a bit too much wine last night and it has me wrecked today. I normally don't drink but went out last night and the winde went down too easily. I learned my lesson though. I am really glad I didn't get sick since that would have totally freaked me out. I did eat a handful of cheez-its before I passed out though...but I chewed them really well in my buzzed state. <---bad girl!

Have a good week everyone.