Ok Banded pro's this is my first time posting , I would like to know if n e 1 has been banded in columbus, ohio at the Mt. Carmel hospital and if so how was your experience? I have just sent in my first set of paper work to be approve by their Dr. Also they are charging $300.00 for administrator fee (paper pushing to the Ins.), not to mention I will have to spend another $200.00 for their nutritionist and this $500.00 is not covered by my insurance:faint: . Are fee's normal? I was just wondering because I feel as much as the surgery cost, these things should be included! N E help would be nice

:woot::woot::woot::woot:

WAY TO GO DEBBIE!!! YOU ROCK GIRLFRIEND!!

1/2 way is awesome!!!! You are gonna be smokin' by next summer.

I'm hoping I'm not the only one that knowing I have to send in the administrative fee and schedule consults isn't a little scary to think -I'm really going to do this. Please keep me in prayer as I made appointments this next week and hopefully get them in by Dec 21 when I leave Ohio to go to Arizona for the holidays. My plan is to tell my brother and sisters in person over the holidays what I'm planning for 2008. I hope they will be supportive. For now, I haven't told family, just 1 close friend and of course folks on the discussion boards where I can be anonymous for a while longer. Chicken....

I'm still going to do this. I filled out their paperwork and I'm mailing it back Monday.. Hold me accountable group!

By the way, I tried to put a smiley face on my one post and didn't do it right and I created a ticker factory BMI ticker but I haven't figured out how to incorporate them into my postings. So help a newbie out please.

i have not used smileys. lets see if it works:clap2:

about the ticker. i cant really remember how i got that to work.

Thinner Me is the one that explained that one to us.

but i think you copy it to your signature. you can edit your signature up at the top of the page under USER CP

hope that helps.

Okay every one that wants to meet for lunch or something...... 1st is Polaris a good location for every one, I live close to Reynoldsburg but I don't mind at all driving to Polaris (Great Shopping for me:)).

2nd. how soon does everyone want to get together, before or after Christmas? I am open for anything.

3rd does anyone have a certain place they would like to go again I am open to anywhere.

Now here goes an update......... It is TOM time and I have not had very much self control 3 C.C cookies:embarassed: not the small one's either:cry, I must to better tomorrow or the scale will show it!!!!

Special K when you want to add a smile just go down to where you see Smilies [More] and just put your curser over it and click, you will then be able to see it next to whatever you have been typing. Now for your Ticker you must go to Weight Loss - Diet Ticker and create your own ticker once you have done that you must copy it and then go to your signature on this post and paste your ticker into your signature spot and then update your account and bingo it should be there.

Okay got to go pick up my son from Basketball pratice, I can't wait till he has his licence!!!!!

Lining up the hoops to jump through!:bounce:

I called today to get scheduled for a cardiac clearance appt and got in for Nov 28 with Dr. Chawla at Mt. Carmel West.

I called today for a new psychologist and their voicemail said they are booking appts about 4-6 weeks out at this point. I'm trying for a new counselor doctor that will be near my home so I have access ongoing for counseling versus using the ones on the list Mt. Carmel sent me. Those on their list weren't on my insurance plan for behavioral health.

I called the sleep doctor's office and found out that I won't have to have an appointment with him since I saw him in the last 45 days or so.

So that's one clearance down! He'll just send in the report! :clap2:

P.S. Thanks for helping me figure out the use of the smiley faces! It worked. Now I'll try working on the ticker.

special k--congratulations on getting all your ducks in a row!

and congrats on getting the smileys to work.

Morning Girls,

I'm off to see the deitician today..... I'm over the 1/2 way mark and so happy about that. Nothing really new to report on my end, just wanted to say morning. :ranger:

Lady, you can choose the location and time. I'm fairly flexable..... though I am from the Newark/Heath area, getting to Polaris isn't a problem as long as I have directions. (BTW, I lived in Reynoldsburg years ago with my ex-husband.)

Special K... Let The Jumping Begin!!! You are doing a great job of getting things in order. Don't let the red tape get you down, its gonna happen, just keep your head up and know that the end is in sight.

Sue.....WHERE ARE YOU MY FRIEND? If you are considering going to the "lunch" let me know if you would like to car pool. I would have to hit 70 and could pick you up at the park-n-ride at 13 and 70. I think it sounds like a great time.

Dorothy..... haven't heard from you in quite awhile.... where are you? I hope all is well.

Hey Debbie :wave:

Ok, I'm now gonna be running late. Have a Blessed Day everyone.

I actually delivered my $300 administrative fee to the doctors' office with the paperwork they needed me to sign so that step is done. I am still waiting to hear about an appointment with the psychologist.

I had a couple doctor appointments today and I had a chance to discuss weight loss surgery with them but decided to keep quiet. My primary care doctor (a woman I really like) was so friendly and things for my annual physical were going so good at my 7:00 am appointment, that I just didn't feel like talking about it with her because she's been real opposed to weight loss surgery, gastric bypass in the past. I figure I'll tell her when I'm ready.

Second, I had laparascopic gallbladder surgery by a really great surgeon at Mt. Carmel and it went wonderful and I went in today for a quick post op check to let him see for himself things were all healed and I was doing fine. It was all of 5 minutes in there. I am really encouraged though because that surgery was very similar in length and things to the lap band laparascopic procedure in several ways. I had a 1-2" size incision up on my abdominal area below the center of my breasts and 3 little tiny 1/2" incisions for the ports for the other instruments. I was in surgery on a Wednesday afternoon for that and able to go back to work on Monday. I was really happy with how that went. The incisions have healed up great from that. So at least I know they can operate laparascopically on me in the abdominal area successfully. I had soreness of my abdominal muscles and I was told it was from where they put CO2 gas in the abdomen to elevate the abdominal wall from the organs underneath the muscles. Anyway, it was only bad for a day or so, by a week, I could barely remember I'd had the surgery. I've seen other postings on this lap band surgery for laparascopic that sounded very similar. I didn't tell the surgeon about the possible lap band because I was only in there 5 minutes but I think I could call and ask him a question if I needed it. I'm sure he must know the doctors (Choban, Price, Miller) at Mt. Carmel because he's done general surgery there for a very long time.

Oh well, my 2 cents for the day.

I have a ladies Bible study group that meets in Westerville on Wednesday nights and these ladies are as close to me as sisters so I decided it was time to open up and tell them what I'm investigating and trying to get approved for. I don't know what I was so worried about telling them -- they were super supportive. I thank God for such good friends.

I just hope my family and other friends will be understanding and supportive too. The whole issue of do I tell or do I keep it secret until its something that I have to tell them (like at work) is on my mind.

Anybody else out there eBay shoppers? I found a great deal on a hand blender and a food processor and I'm hoping to be able to experiment with cooking and chopping with these over the next months to see what I can do with recipes for after surgery. I like homemade soups so it should be interesting.

I love ebay. it is a great place to find neat stuff. those items will help you a lot during your soft and mushy stage.

i am kind of lucky because i dont have any close family, except my son, here in columbus. so i didnt have to worry about disapproving relatives.

my life is a open book. i cant keep a secret. and so everyone i meet knows within 5 minutes. everyone at work knows and when anyone tells me i am looking good i tell them it is because i had surgery. i am sure some of them talk about me behind my back because that is just the way they are at work. but i dont care. everytime i look in the mirror i know i did the right thing for me!

some people out there dont want to see us get thin. it threatens them. so if someone close disapproves dont let that effect your decision. you and only you has to lug around that extra 100 pounds. they dont feel your aches and pains.

about lunch--i am flexible. before or after the holidays is okay with me.

I was able to get my new psychologist appt set up for Nov 29 by being flexible and taking a 2pm appt which is no problem for me because I can work from home that day and go the appointment and then come home and keep on working through the beauty of the internet.

That will be one busy week for me. Cardiologist Nov 28, Psychologist Nov 29 and the Mt. Carmel Support Group mtg Dec 3rd!

Since we've been saying meet at Polaris, how about if I throw out a specific day and time day and everyone can chime in if they can make it.? So here goes...

Meet January 8, 2008 at Polaris Mall in the Food Court area - That's the 2nd level of the mall. Let's say 6:30 to let everyone get off work and get there. We can find a nook or spot where we can sit together and the food court will offer alot of choices of what to get to eat or you can just get a beverage. Whatever is best for you.

Wear PINK and I'll get a helium balloon to mark where the meeting spot is. Shouldn't be too hard to spot a group of us that are losing substantial weight and wearing pink!

i can make it. i work evenings but i can get time off whenever i want.

pink it is.

it is cold enough out there tonight--i wonder what january 8 will be like!!!

my supervisor took us to lunch at cheesecake factory today.

i had the lunch salad and a piece of chocolate cake. took me all day to finish that cake but i finally managed to polish it off.

i wonder how many calories that was.

I got a call from Charlene and they asked if I want to do my initial surgeon appointment now or wait and I think I'll go ahead and meet them now. I think they want me to pick between Dr. Choban, Dr. Price and Dr. Mark Miller for an appt. I think I remember reading one of you had Dr. Choban, has anyone else had Dr. Price or Dr. Miller in the same practice group? If so, thoughts?:help:

Hey SpecialK you are moving along, You'll be Banded before you know it. Debbie and I both had ours done by Dr. Choban, and I just love her! She is easy to talk to and informs you on every thing you need and want to know, I have never met Dr. Price or Miller however Dr. Miller did assist Dr. Choban on my operation.

I can not make it on Jan. 8, 2008. It is Basketball season and my son's games are on Tuesday and Friday nights and the other days of the week he has pratice, Saturday, or Sunday (after church) works best for me. However if during the week works best for every one else I will try to make it another time when we set another date.

I am a little down:cry I did not lose a pound last week! Ok, ok I gained 2 pounds, I ate like a cow:hungry: . It was TOM time and it killed me, there was no restrictions and so I ate, and ate and ate some more I felt guilty afterwards but not enough to not do it again. But that week is over and I will just have to get back on the ball again.

:funscale:

So how is every one else doing? What is new with you Thinner Me, Sue, and Dorothy?

Talk to you ladies later, Be Blessed.

i went out of town again this weekend and ate all my meals in restaruants for the last three days. that is asking for trouble. i wont even weigh myself tomorrow. i would rather just bury my head in the sand.

dr choban is fantastic. i never met the other drs but you cant go wrong with her.

saturdays really work best for me.