Countdown

[Daisalana 33]

I posted this earlier, repeating with some edits and updates and plan to keep this updated for my own accountability!

I was banded in 2007 at 333lb; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year (220lb) -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again (211!), got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions.

Before my last, last revision I was back to 220lb. Took over a year of testing (with a new doctor - previous doctor disappeared in the middle of the night - that's a whole other story) and got back up to 300. Started personal trainer 3x week at a gym. Down to 270 - then The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. Ruptured a disc in my back and exercise went to nill. Took a year or so of tests and appointments before my doc fixed my back. I've been plugging along for over a year at 300-330lb. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight. Band has been bothering me like it never did before. Waking up choking on acid. Sort of vegetarian by force - no meats are soft enough. Can't eat many veggies or fruits, but hey ice cream goes down! Insurance is terrible (I have never even been offered a plan that has Bariatric coverage, ever. Through different companies. Wonder where this stuff exists.)

So the waking up choking really scares me and I finally made a $700 appt to try an unfill(don't have much if any anyway) and check the band. And it slipped.

In my various revisions They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped.

Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid.

I'm not kidding!! Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it.

I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. Not one more penny!!

It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!).

This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. I was born overweight and it has been my lifelong struggle.

So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery January 4,2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year).

I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time.

But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again.

Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!

---------

1/1 update; took out several loans to pay doctor and hospital last week. Don't know how we will manage but I guess we will. In the midst of this someone asked about paying the anesthesiologist. This wasn't brought up in conversations previous, so it was another slap in the face . Left anesthesiologist 4 messages last week so I know cost and where to pay, no one is calling me back. I guess with holidays. I tried googling an estimate for self pay anesthesiologist and got no results I can use to sleep at night.

Went on 12/29 for preop. With my 5 and 7 year old (who helped me run around paying everyone, ever so graciously). Started the endless paperwork. I showed them my current insurance (2016) and new insurance for January 1. 30m later, he starts showing me payment plan for the preop! $2k!! They are killing me. Another cost not brought up before. I didn't take out enough loans to pay thousands upon thousands more. Then he says it's because my 2016 insurance is out of network for their hospital. I don't even, what?!.... I said well, can I come back January 2 then?? And he said yes. Why wouldn't they lead with that? Anyway, so we left to find Pokémon cards rewards for being such patient little kids.

My doc asked me to do Protein shakes a week pre-op to shrink my liver. He didn't sound stern about it, and it is the holidays.... but I really am nervous about a conversion surgery. Seems more invasive, I feel unhealthy, and I have a lingering cough from a bad cold I got a week before Christmas- so I want to do the best I can. I have done a modified liquid diet based on reading others' diets.

On December 26th I started a liquid diet, broth (chicken bouillon cube in water) mostly. I hate taste of sf products so I'd rather not have them. Also New whey Protein Shots, carnation high Protein essential powder mixed in with coffee. Two nights this week I have also had a low carb small dinner at night. Grilled fish and asparagus/cottage cheese with ragu. First couple of days I had intense headaches by evening. Headaches Stopped December 31. Tried sf Jello on December 31 also, and glad to see it tasted great. I've moved past that sugar hang up. Wahoo. I forgot it can be done. Every time it feels so hard, I get through it by remembering it's only temporary.

I was 322lb at the preop appointment with doctor on December 25. Today January 1 I am down to 309lb. I feel much less bloated than I have been feeling for a while.

Kids don't start school until January 5, husband and I are both busy business owners. This is going to be a rough week. I also have been wanting to get the house good and cleaned before I have surgery so I don't fret about cleaning while I recover, but I can't find the time! Plus, did I mention the kids are out of school?

I am anxious about surgery. I watched two YouTube videos of the conversion. I've had a band for almost 10 years and they make me nervous. What if the band is embedded in my stomach?! Wah! I should not have watched them admittedly. I also have been reading around the forums. Sad to see the interaction is barely a fraction of what it was back when I was doing the band thang.

That anxiety is why I am up at 2:30am posting here. Hopefully I am not messing up my preop tests by showing up on little sleep.

I'll keep posting updates! Hopefully It just gets better and better......

[mamabear87 9]

Wishing you the very best of luck for your conversion surgery. I love the way you write, so open and honest with humour thrown in. I'm pre op, sleeve surgery is in around 8 weeks. It's so different over here in the UK, obviously we have the NHS so if you meet the strict criteria then your op is paid for. Then you just have to jump through whatever hoops the surgeon requires. Sounds like you have really been through the mill! Following your progress x

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[_Kate_ 2,224]

@@mamabear87

Wow you are lucky getting it through the NHS. I was told I would have to wait a mininum of 3 years and even then it would be possible it would change to a longer wait. So I went private.

@@SalesGirl711

Thank you for sharing your story and best wishes for the future. Please keep posting on how you are doing. x

Kate

[mamabear87 9]

@@mamabear87

Wow you are lucky getting it through the NHS. I was told I would have to wait a mininum of 3 years and even then it would be possible it would change to a longer wait. So I went private.

@@SalesGirl711

Thank you for sharing your story and best wishes for the future. Please keep posting on how you are doing. x

Kate

I'm 14 months into the process now, will be around 16 months come surgery. I'm totally blessed to have it done via NHS, my GP said I met the criteria and referred me and it has steam rolled from there ????

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[Daisalana 33]

GARBGLDKFIHERJBJF

Last week they said they are closing at noon today for the pre-op, for the holiday (that makes sense???). I said well when do you open? He said 5am, but don't come early because they'll be busy with people in the hospital. I said so like 10:30? He said yes. Then the preadmission lady calls over the weekend to get questions filled out; and said they close at noon on Monday. I said yep, I'll be there at 10:30.

Couldn't sleep well last night, I've been up since 7am. I get the kids ready for our 45m haul to the hospital. We get there early (10:05am), and the lady says, pre-op closed at 10 today!!!! Are you...argh... what!!! I am so pissed right now.

I asked if tomorrow is enough time to do pre-op for Wednesday -- she said yes, but her super smart office is the one that re-itterated that they closed at noon today, and I see how far that got me.

If my surgery is post-pone due to their incompetence, so help me....

[andreainfresno 11]

I posted this earlier, repeating with some edits and updates and plan to keep this updated for my own accountability!

I was banded in 2007 at 333lb; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year (220lb) -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again (211!), got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions.

Before my last, last revision I was back to 220lb. Took over a year of testing (with a new doctor - previous doctor disappeared in the middle of the night - that's a whole other story) and got back up to 300. Started personal trainer 3x week at a gym. Down to 270 - then The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. Ruptured a disc in my back and exercise went to nill. Took a year or so of tests and appointments before my doc fixed my back. I've been plugging along for over a year at 300-330lb. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight. Band has been bothering me like it never did before. Waking up choking on acid. Sort of vegetarian by force - no meats are soft enough. Can't eat many veggies or fruits, but hey ice cream goes down! Insurance is terrible (I have never even been offered a plan that has Bariatric coverage, ever. Through different companies. Wonder where this stuff exists.)

So the waking up choking really scares me and I finally made a $700 appt to try an unfill(don't have much if any anyway) and check the band. And it slipped.

In my various revisions They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped.

Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid.

I'm not kidding!! Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it.

I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. Not one more penny!!

It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!).

This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. I was born overweight and it has been my lifelong struggle.

So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery January 4,2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year).

I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time.

But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again.

Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!

---------

1/1 update; took out several loans to pay doctor and hospital last week. Don't know how we will manage but I guess we will. In the midst of this someone asked about paying the anesthesiologist. This wasn't brought up in conversations previous, so it was another slap in the face . Left anesthesiologist 4 messages last week so I know cost and where to pay, no one is calling me back. I guess with holidays. I tried googling an estimate for self pay anesthesiologist and got no results I can use to sleep at night.

Went on 12/29 for preop. With my 5 and 7 year old (who helped me run around paying everyone, ever so graciously). Started the endless paperwork. I showed them my current insurance (2016) and new insurance for January 1. 30m later, he starts showing me payment plan for the preop! $2k!! They are killing me. Another cost not brought up before. I didn't take out enough loans to pay thousands upon thousands more. Then he says it's because my 2016 insurance is out of network for their hospital. I don't even, what?!.... I said well, can I come back January 2 then?? And he said yes. Why wouldn't they lead with that? Anyway, so we left to find Pokémon cards rewards for being such patient little kids.

My doc asked me to do Protein shakes a week pre-op to shrink my liver. He didn't sound stern about it, and it is the holidays.... but I really am nervous about a conversion surgery. Seems more invasive, I feel unhealthy, and I have a lingering cough from a bad cold I got a week before Christmas- so I want to do the best I can. I have done a modified liquid diet based on reading others' diets.

On December 26th I started a liquid diet, broth (chicken bouillon cube in water) mostly. I hate taste of sf products so I'd rather not have them. Also New Whey Protein Shots, carnation high Protein essential powder mixed in with coffee. Two nights this week I have also had a low carb small dinner at night. Grilled fish and asparagus/cottage cheese with ragu. First couple of days I had intense headaches by evening. Headaches Stopped December 31. Tried sf Jello on December 31 also, and glad to see it tasted great. I've moved past that sugar hang up. Wahoo. I forgot it can be done. Every time it feels so hard, I get through it by remembering it's only temporary.

I was 322lb at the preop appointment with doctor on December 25.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[andreainfresno 11]

I posted this earlier, repeating with some edits and updates and plan to keep this updated for my own accountability!

I was banded in 2007 at 333lb; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year (220lb) -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again (211!), got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions.

Before my last, last revision I was back to 220lb. Took over a year of testing (with a new doctor - previous doctor disappeared in the middle of the night - that's a whole other story) and got back up to 300. Started personal trainer 3x week at a gym. Down to 270 - then The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. Ruptured a disc in my back and exercise went to nill. Took a year or so of tests and appointments before my doc fixed my back. I've been plugging along for over a year at 300-330lb. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight. Band has been bothering me like it never did before. Waking up choking on acid. Sort of vegetarian by force - no meats are soft enough. Can't eat many veggies or fruits, but hey ice cream goes down! Insurance is terrible (I have never even been offered a plan that has Bariatric coverage, ever. Through different companies. Wonder where this stuff exists.)

So the waking up choking really scares me and I finally made a $700 appt to try an unfill(don't have much if any anyway) and check the band. And it slipped.

In my various revisions They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped.

Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid.

I'm not kidding!! Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it.

I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. Not one more penny!!

It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!).

This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. I was born overweight and it has been my lifelong struggle.

So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery January 4,2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year).

I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time.

But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again.

Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!

---------

1/1 update; took out several loans to pay doctor and hospital last week. Don't know how we will manage but I guess we will. In the midst of this someone asked about paying the anesthesiologist. This wasn't brought up in conversations previous, so it was another slap in the face . Left anesthesiologist 4 messages last week so I know cost and where to pay, no one is calling me back. I guess with holidays. I tried googling an estimate for self pay anesthesiologist and got no results I can use to sleep at night.

Went on 12/29 for preop. With my 5 and 7 year old (who helped me run around paying everyone, ever so graciously). Started the endless paperwork. I showed them my current insurance (2016) and new insurance for January 1. 30m later, he starts showing me payment plan for the preop! $2k!! They are killing me. Another cost not brought up before. I didn't take out enough loans to pay thousands upon thousands more. Then he says it's because my 2016 insurance is out of network for their hospital. I don't even, what?!.... I said well, can I come back January 2 then?? And he said yes. Why wouldn't they lead with that? Anyway, so we left to find Pokémon cards rewards for being such patient little kids.

My doc asked me to do Protein shakes a week pre-op to shrink my liver. He didn't sound stern about it, and it is the holidays.... but I really am nervous about a conversion surgery. Seems more invasive, I feel unhealthy, and I have a lingering cough from a bad cold I got a week before Christmas- so I want to do the best I can. I have done a modified liquid diet based on reading others' diets.

On December 26th I started a liquid diet, broth (chicken bouillon cube in water) mostly. I hate taste of sf products so I'd rather not have them. Also new whey Protein Shots, carnation high Protein essential powder mixed in with coffee. Two nights this week I have also had a low carb small dinner at night. Grilled fish and asparagus/cottage cheese with ragu. First couple of days I had intense headaches by evening. Headaches Stopped December 31. Tried sf Jello on December 31 also, and glad to see it tasted great. I've moved past that sugar hang up. Wahoo. I forgot it can be done. Every time it feels so hard, I get through it by remembering it's only temporary.

I was 322lb at the preop appointment with doctor on December 25.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Wow, my sister had that band, she regained also, she refuses to consider another procedure. And says her band did not failGood Luck, your story makes me accept the $500 co pay that I have, it would have been $250 after 11 Jan because of new insurance options, but I was scheduled and did not want to reschedule. My surgery date is 5 January.

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[Daisalana 33]

$500 would have been a miracle LOL!!

Finally talked to Anesthesia today, it will be $800.

Did my pre-op testing... she said some abnormalities, could be from coffee (I drink Protein shake in my coffee in the morning), and it's nothing they'd not do surgery over.

So, unless my blood work shows something crazy, I am still a go for tomorrow morning!

[andreainfresno 11]

$500 would have been a miracle LOL!!

Finally talked to Anesthesia today, it will be $800.

Did my pre-op testing... she said some abnormalities, could be from coffee (I drink Protein shake in my coffee in the morning), and it's nothing they'd not do surgery over.

So, unless my blood work shows something crazy, I am still a go for tomorrow morning!

????????

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App