scared

Hi Susan, Well I have not had my fill yet because actually it takes some time for an appt. Her earliest open dates for new patients are at 4wks waiting time. so my suggestion is that u make an appt for fill upon your first week on solids so that you will be on your 6th to 8th week at the time of your first fill. I will actually be at week 11 and not to happy about that but I didnt know I was going to have to wait that long. As far as the insurance, I have nj bc/bs and she is participates with them so she actually charges them as an office visit and not as a fill per say so I'm assuming that is why it is covered. she Informed me of that, because I was also figuring they would not pay but she told me I would only have to pay my copay > > ,which needless to say I was quite happy. I was also told I needed the operative reports and an esophogram by Dr. Ren... I did not request the report at the time i left OCC but they faxed it to me.. I would suggest however that you ask for them when u leave this way u have them handy... they will give u everything right away if u ask... no to the big question... did my insurance cover the surgery...well...i have read others taking there chances and submitting there bill to the insurance company and after some persistence and mailing all operative reports it was paid...at least some portion... So I figured I will give it a chance too..... I havent heard from them yet... honestly I dont expect them to pay for it.. but if they give me back anything.. I will be happy. My suggestion is that you ask the doctors at OCC for a letter of medical necessity for the surgery as it may help. When I was there they told me they would do that for me but at the time i wasnt even thinking, or planning on ever submitting it to my insurance just figuring they would not pay anyway...but if u can remember to ask them for it i would suggest u do it. good luck

Hi jetdeck, i finally got my appt w/dr. ren...although i do only have to pay my copay for the fills they told me i have to pay for a nutritionist... did u? have u gone back for a 2nd fill? my appt isnt til july 2nd..

Yes, i have tried the french vanilla. it was just okay to me ... it did curb my hunger but very very sweet with slight after taste. I preferred the eas advantage.

Since my surgery on 4/11/08 everything has been just fine. Since I have not had my first fill yet I actually have no restriction and am able to eat just about anything... Havent pb'd at all.. but then the other day... I ate breakfast like normal..and I started fixing something in the bathroom and stretching my arms up but to me nothing that serious and a few minutes later when I was finished i started to get a horrible pain in my chest. I thought I was haveing a heart attack.. was having problems breathing... I knew it was my band because i was right by the 1st incision between your breast and I tell u it hurt like hell... I started thinking the worst, it slipped, I busted a stitch, the tube is wrapped around my lung and is sufficating me ( i didnt know what it was.. i was going to go to the hospital but I was afraid they were going to remove my band without even trying to find out what the problem was... i laid down, took some liqued tylenol and just prayed for it to go away... it subsided but it never went away...i didnt eat anything else all day except for some protein water which I was able to keep down. and today and definately much better... still have no idea what the hell could have happend.. any ideas?????

hello everyone, its been a while since i've posted but it's just that I have been very busy.. I was bande 04/11/08, and previous to that i had been in a car accident. had problems with my back but I have been doing better, i would like to believe since I have lost some wieght... well my doctor scheduled me to have shots in my back... i never told him I had the surgery.... i told the chiropractor i had a hiatel hernia fixed.... do i need to tell them..???? I dont see what shots in my back have to do with my lapband.. other than i will be under anesticia and they may see my scar.. what do u think... i really dont want to have to tell them since im in the process of sueing the other driver... any response would be greatly appreciated.

i called to try to make an appt , they said they needed an operative report?....was this required from u too? and how long did it take u to get that from OCC?

I dont know if I missed this part...but how did u find out it was flipped? when u went for fill?

Jetdeck, I was just wondering how you are doing with ur fill? I was thinking about going to Dr. Ren or Mount Laurel for my fill since TJ is really not an option for me at this time. Please respond and let me know how u are doing. I hope to get my first fill by 5/24, which will be six weeks for me. thanks

nebmom, I would be very careful and hold of on the chicken until your 3wks... I will be the first to tell u that it was also very hard for me but and I also did cheat but I think eating the chicken is pushing it. you can try mashed potatoes, oatmeal, and oh way the protien drinks do help the hunger pangs... lets see what else... banana... and of course the soups.. oh yeah and puddings..they work.. these are some of the things I cheated with and even though I had no side affects I was very afraid I might have stretched my pouch.. so that the big thing to be careful about.. good luck

I have not been to Cosmed but previous to getting banded I was doing research on having Lipo in TJ.. and I have heard many good things about Cosmed. Also when I was at the hotel, there is an plastic surgery center across the street and I asked Dr. Ortiz mom about, she also recommended Cosmed which she stated was only a few blocks away... she actually wanted to take me there the same day for a consultation but I just wanted to get back to the hotel room and rest. She stated that Cosmed has always been highly recommended by other patients..and like I said I have read alot about them on other forums. When I'm ready I will also be going there. One more thing... I believe Carolyn the coordinater has also had some work done by them hope this helps...

mmmmmmmmm thats sounds good....thanks for the suggestions.... It's so hard to think of new things to eat and have them taste good ...especially when ur not to creative like me...

I knew it... I often have thought about sushi because I love it ...but because of the rice I figured I was not going to be able to eat it... ( ( ( good by sushi forever !!!!!!!! ( (

okay so before my band i would eat a bagel everyday for breakfast What's the first thing dr. Miranda says when we are first able to eat..."Bagels usually don't go down well with the band".. okay so now on 5/2 I will be able to finally eat... and looking forward to it.. dont want a shake for breakfast...so does anyone have any suggestions???? :lb12:

hello punkgirl, I do suggest that u let Dr Miranda know and like mama michelle stated if your a little short if should be fine. But I do suggest u try to lose atleast 6 of the ten u need and I think u should be able to do so in the time u have a left. another reason for the diet is to lower the fat around your stomach... if u do a search on this forum, some have experienced problems because of that and u dont want to risk that... i know it scared the sh** out of me....so the last week befor my surgery i really buckled down and got on my diet... I know its not easy... and especially after haveing two shakes u dont look foward to eating a lean cuisine but u can alternate and try a lean meat and vegetables for dinner... remember dr miranda states u can eat anything green.. good luck.

I have been on her website and she seems to be very knowledgeable. I had really wanted to go back to Mexico but it doesnt look like it is going to happen. I am in NJ, so Mount Laurel on NY would be an option. For anyone who has had a fill done by Dr. Ren can u please update on who u are doing. thanks

I thought I'd bring this topic back as to see if we would get more feedback... I must admit... I have cheated... :lb12: BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.... I want to add.......please no one follow what i do/did because everyone is different and everyone's body reacts differently. I am on week two... and I have had mashed bananas, or I should say a mashed banana and applesauce.. and a dissolved cracker here and there.... BUTTTTTTTT thank GOD... I have not had any complications (YET.. knock on wood).. no PBing, no chest pain, oh yeah and I have had some watery mashed potatoes... i continue to drink my protien drink in the morning and my creamy soup at lunch... it's just the evenings that kill me... so that's when I have used my imagination. Please ... I must warn anyone though.. that u should definately follow Dr. Miranda's instructions. I know others have tried to eat before they should have and have suffered different consequences. The post op was difficult for me because previous to surgery I never ate soup... actually I dislike soup.. the closest thing to soup I ate was from the chinese restaurant.. (wonton) I have a box of popsicles in the fridge dont eat those either... they freeze my teeth... so what was a girl to do???? Again, the reason for me posting this is not to discourage anyone from following the rules, I just wanted to be Honest and share my expierence. M

Mama michelle, that is a great idea, i may also try it... I hate vegetables..... and I cant even swallow V8... so I may just try your concoction (did I spell that right?) thank for the idea

mona, I dont see were it would hurt so I have started taking them.. I do have to crush it though.

do u think it is possible to stretch the pouch even though u have never pbd?? or felt full. I'm still on post op diet but I'm wondering because port site and stomach look distended. I have no pain, and I can keep liquids down so I dont think there is any slippage. However, I can sip all day and never seem full????? does that sound familiar to anyone?

I was wondering if I can continue to take it on the post up diet. I really think it was helping me on pre op diet so I was thinking about continueing to take it to help with weight loss. anyone else continue? what do u think?

hey... yes I survived... I was the one laid up in the corner room. Well, first I must say that I'm a punk for pain...so then next day I was not up and around like everyone else.. I had serious pain in my chest, like a giant gas bubble ....ohhhhh it hurted... I took gas x, i took phazyme, and even took the pain meds.. i tried walking in the heat... which i think made me pbd right on revolucion ave... but it just wouldnt go away. But I was trying to deal with it so I kept walking in the heat.. I dont think that was a wise decision because i think i mightve been dehydrated... Finally on sunday... I felt a little better... it would come and go but nothing like the day before oh yeah and I had shoulder pain. I had a 5hr flight home... i was miserable but i tried to sleep most of it.. here I am on my 3rd day... right??? i kinda lost track of time... I was have a dream that i ate a chicken sandwich..and my chest started hurting... low and behold it woke me up and my chest was hurting again... i havent taken anything today.. I'm just trying my best to get along with out it... so that's my update... how are u doing?

I only lost 5 also, last week when I spoke to her she and I had only lost 3 she said well try to lose another 5...so I'm going to remind her she did say TRY... : and I hope they will still do the surgery... I'm doubtful that I will lose anything else from here to friday... see you there.. marilyn

How cute... Thanks for sharing!!!

Hi brook, I will be arriving in san diego about 330pm... so i will probably get to meet u in th hotel.. I am struggling with this pre-op diet... I have been doing it..but have only lose an additional 1.5...making my total..3.5pd... i hope i can lose another 3 by next week so atleast i lose 6... she also told me i needed to drop 10pds.. i dont know what wrong with my body....the only the thing I am not doing is eating the green stuff........I HATE VEGETABLES ( ( ( ( ....so i dont know what else to do....???

OMG > > > Thanks for posting your pics...i really enjoyed them... you seemed to be having too much funl..lol.