I would like to hear from some Texarkana Bandsters about their experiences. re: doctors, pre and post surgery, and how things are going for them now. I am considering the lap band.

good luck lisa g keep us informed!!

Thanks, hippmom. I promise if and when it happens, I will be shouting from the rooftop! lol I am soooo tired of all this waiting.

lisa

i was banded by dr h on 7/14 i have been slow losing but the drs are great and i had it done at the surg. center there in texarkana because i'm self pay and it was a few k's less and the nurses and staff where great there and of course deb and betty may are the best.

i go mon for a fill and i think that after it hings will get to moving

What was the difference in cost between the hospital and surgery center, if you don't mind me asking. I have chatted with a couple of others that are interested. Thanks

sugarbear

my total was 14800 for anthes. surg. center and dr cost

at that time they were not doing surg. at st michael i

dont know if they do now or not and i dont know if they

are still doing them at the surg. center but i dont live

in texarkana and they are now doing the suport meeting

in mt. pleasant so i dont see many people that have the

surg. from out side of mp

oh yea i think the cost at whatley was around 17000

Sugarbear, they do the surgery at St. Michaels now. At my appointment in October, one of the nurses ask me which facility I wanted to have mine at. Then, she said, "Oh, you will be going to Wadley." (insurance thing) So... I didn't get to choose anyway. (boo hiss!)

lisa

I got approval!!! Yeah, aw-right! Surgery the 29th. Started liquid diet last nite. No Christmas dinner for me this year. Oh, well.... I don't care cause I will be skinny by next Christmas! lol

lisa

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I am so excited for you. The next few months will be the most trying and the most rewarding of your life. I have lost a total of 93 lbs since May 15, 2006 (the day I started my liquid diet). I feel better than I ever remember feeling and no longer take any pain medicine or anti-depressants.

My advise:

*get yourself a journal and log every bite you put in your mouth. Eating too little will slow your weight loss the same as eating too much.

*don't depend on the band to do the work for you. You still have to be on a very strict diet. The difference now is you won't be hungry. Just remember when you want to eat sweets that this will not last forever and that feeling good and looking good is much sweeter than any food will ever be.

*don't get discouraged when you stop losing. I have noticed that when the weight stops, I start going down in sizes. (When I started I wore a 24 jean. I bought a pair of 14's last week)

*don't get upset when people do not notice your weight loss. This would upset me terribly. No one noticed until I was over 50lbs lost. You will be slimming down but people are just too wrapped up in their own lives to notice. I now have people do a double take and some don't even recognize me.

I don't mean to sound bossy. I am just so thrilled with my surgery and I want everyone to feel as good as I do. I don't want you to fall into some of the pitfalls that I did. Feel free to contact me anytime. I did not find this forum until about two weeks after my surgery. I had so many questions that they answered. The people here are some of the nicest i have ever encountered.

Good luck and may God be with you.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I am so excited for you. The next few months will be the most trying and the most rewarding of your life. I have lost a total of 93 lbs since May 15, 2006 (the day I started my liquid diet). I feel better than I ever remember feeling and no longer take any pain medicine or anti-depressants.

Just a question for you, since we have attended the support group meeting together I think. I had my surgery in Texarkana on 7-5-06, and have been to all the meetings since then. Do you ever have days when your stomach feels like you have done a bunch of situps? My tummy and port area have sort of been achy some days, and I get that mini sore throat feeling on those days. It seems like it is always within a week of a fill( I had #4 last week) but today was really nagging as a tried to shop. Do you ever have any days like that? I have never had any other trouble, only pb'd twice since srgery, both times at the Olive Garden. Mizboo

I got approval!!! Yeah, aw-right! Surgery the 29th. Started liquid diet last nite. No Christmas dinner for me this year. Oh, well.... I don't care cause I will be skinny by next Christmas! lol

lisa

Congrats Lisa G. !!!

Keep us all informed. Hang tough with the pre-op diet. I know it is going to be tough, but it will be worth it. Just keep thinking of the end results. I hope I am not far behind you.

MIzboo, I have only had one fill so I don't know if that could be effecting you. The only time my port bothers me is when I exercise hard. As far as the sore throat goes, I believe getting too tired causes this. Doctors do not agree with me but it is true. My daugher was diagnosed about 6 years ago with Chronic Fatigue (most doctors don't believe in this either). I have never been diagnosed but I believe I have it also. She and I both do the same thing. If we get really tired and do not rest our throat gets sore. If we still do not rest, our glands in our necks will swell. Resting will make them go back down. I know this is not very scientific and I am not suggesting that you have Chronic Fatigue, but you might watch and see if fatique might be a factor. If fatigue is a factor you may not be taking in enough good calories. I have to really watch my calorie intake. I become dizzy headed and get headaches if I do not eat enough or drink enough Water.

Have you noticed if colder weather effects you pbs? I went camping in the mountains and could not keep hardly anything down. I had to make sure everything I ate was hot and soft. With only one fill you would think I would not have much of a problem with PB's but whenever a cold front comes through everything gets stuck in my throat and comes back up.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.

Thanks Jana for the advise. I will remember. I hereby promise to get a journal and start keeping track.

Thanks also, Sugarbear. You are very correct about the pre-op diet. I started Tuesday nite and it has been TUFF! But as long as I stay busy, maybe it won't be too bad. Little man is out of school now. He will keep me hopping. I think the worst time is going to be Christmas at Mom's. I KNOW that's gonna be the worst time. lol :hungry: But, I will make it. I have waited toooooo long for this and I don't wanna mess it up for just one meal.

Merry Christmas Yall !

Thanks again,

lisa

Oh, when is the next support meeting? I know in January. But, what day? I forgot.

ljg

I live in Texas and used Dr. Carter at UMD hospital, he was very nice[

quote=Sugarbear;329987]I would like to hear from some Texarkana Bandsters about their experiences. re: doctors, pre and post surgery, and how things are going for them now. I am considering the lap band.

I had a call yesterday from the girl who was preregistering my husband for his sleep study, and I ask her since he was having the study done at St. Micheals, could he also have the lapband done there. She said they were not doing them there yet, because they did not have the paperwork in place to do it through Medicaid, so they would not do any till they could do it for all who qualify. Don't know if that is all the reason or not, but that was the reply I got, she said so far only Wadley, and she didn't mention the surgery center, so , WHO KNOWS!!!

Oh, when is the next support meeting? I know in January. But, what day? I forgot.

ljg

The support meeting is always the second Monday of the month. I have to go through my calendar and mark it for a few months in advance or I forget the day. Mizboo:faint:

Mine is scheduled at Wadley. When I was a Dr. H's office one of the girls ask me which hospital I wanted it done at. I don't know why if they aren't doing it at St. Micheals. But, my insurance says I have to have mine done at Wadley. What ever they say, that's where I will go. Know what I mean?

Thanks for letting me know bout the meetings. I will already have my band when I get to come to the one in January. (aw-right)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

lisa