Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

Hello!

New to this site on the gastric bypass side anyway... I was a previous member before and during the golden days of the lapband. The golden days are over, I am so ready to get the band out... It seems there were different stages of life with the band in the past few years, that I thought were bad and seemed to get more uncomfortable. The more horror stories I hear the more I realize this thing is crap and should be taken off the market. I started the process to get band removed and revised to bypass in Oct 2013, Met all the requirements and wasn't approved by psych, did therapy and it helped, then as a military family we moved and had to start the process all over again. So I finally have a surgery date August 12!! I received the insurance approval on Friday !! Whoot! Whoot!! I am so excited, as well as a little nervous. I know several bypass patients who have been very successful for 10, 15 and 20 years... I am ready to live a healthy life forever. I am in the process of buying my Vitamins and trying really hard to do the modified pre op diet until next week and then I will start the pre op diet. Which consists of lean meat and veggies, and 1 fruit a day. Which is too far out from what I am doing already. Although I am super excited these are my concerns, was wondering if yall have had any of the same concerns.

I told my boss I was having surgery, didn't mention what type he's a doctor and didn't want to go into details, and judgment of the lapband. But I feel like I should tell in case their are complications.

I am scared to death, I will wake up with the band removed and the bypass not completed.

And last surgery is on the 12, and I have to be back to work the 24th. I work in a small practice and there is no one to cover for me if I need more time.

Thanks to everyone and cheers to getting the band removed and starting a new life!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome to the other side! What a long wait you had to go through for approval. So glad you made it through. Congrats!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The one thing that is evident...the band is defective....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Agreed!! I've despised every moment of mine these (almost) five years! ????

Congrats on your approval! :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Congratulations! I am new to the board. I had my band placed in 2003, and it never worked for me. Not to mention the fact that I developed Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea over the last few years.. I have gone back to my original surgeon and he is very on board with revising to GB. UHC will only cover it is there is something defective with the band. Good grief. I have to request a scope with my PCP, which I don't understand why my surgeon does not order one. So now I have to HOPE that I have something wrong with me in order to get mine approved. If I had $13,000 laying around, I would just have it removed and be done with it all.

anyway, I am very happy for you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have been jumping through the hoops all done except psych evaluation and I just went to the pulmonary dr and discovered it is more than 99% chance that I have sleep apnea....I have to have a sleep study done.I can't ever remember having a full night of sleep.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×