A place for bandsters in their 60's

Topdownbug · 10-07-2007, 07:36 PM

Hi Everyone! I'm so glad I found this thread. I mean I like 30 year olds and all.. but their issues are quite different. I'll be 58 on the 21st of October and I'm having my surgery on the 16th. My daughter told me today (when I told her about my surgery) that they were planning a nice dinner party for me on my birthday and we agreed to wait for a few weeks when I can actually eat 'something'.

I'm also very excited and looking forward to having the next 30 years of my life be much more enjoyable when I've lost about half of me! I live in Ohio - so anyone else in this age group from Ohio .. would be fun to keep in touch!

Good luck to all of us!

Judy

phyllser · 10-07-2007, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAROL99

I really like this site but find it's very confusing trying to find my way back to certain areas of interest such as this thread...took me all morning....and a nap to refresh me before I found you again....Is there some easy way of getting here?

Welcome to this thread. I will try to help you find it again more easily:
Across the top of this thread you'll see some headings, one of which is "Thread Tools". If you click on that, you'll see an option that says "Subscribe to This Thread". Click on that and in the future, you should get an email whenever there is a new post on that thread. Some say they don't always get the emails, so I'm not sure exactly how that works, but even if you don't get the emails, once you are subscribed to a thread, you can go to the home page and click on "Quick Links" and then go to "Subscribed Threads" for the list of the threads you've subscribed to.

I am Medicare, on disability, also. I had a difficult time finding a doctor and facility who were "Center of Excellence" and who would take me without a lengthy waiting list. I had my first consult in early May and my surgery July 20th.

CAROL99 · 10-07-2007, 11:34 PM

thank you for directions!
what did you have to do to get your surgery date?
Carol

phyllser · 10-08-2007, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAROL99

thank you for directions!
what did you have to do to get your surgery date?
Carol

Had to do a pre-op diet as doctor wanted me to lose 10% of my body weight. Took me about 6 weeks to lose 20# and doctor agreed to give me a surgery date. I didn't have to do many of the preliminaries others have had to do... sleep study, psych eval, cardiac work up... none of that I already had a CPAP from previous sleep study, had a cardiac workup within a year and psych wasn't required, so just a dietary consult, which I was told Medicare wouldn't pay for. I've only had about $200 out of pocket expenses so far.

CAROL99 · 10-08-2007, 06:20 AM

Good Morning Phyl,
Hmmm,
I would then have to lose 30#....
How did you lose your weight? Is this to help the liver?
Did you go to a bariatric clinic or a regular surgeon at a hospital approved to do lap bands?
I've heard good reports about these two surgeons, father and daughter team, but after my back surgery at another hospital in town I am a bit skeptical about all the doctors here. May only other option is to go about 70 miles and see a dr. that is advertised as a bariatrics dr....I think I will probably stay here...it's more convenient....
I have been trying the different drinks I read about for post op....not too bad. What was your favorites?
Carol

FoxyGramma · 10-09-2007, 01:02 AM

I have been going up and down lately. I can't seem to go down and keep the scale going down some more. I know I don't need anymore fill. It's getting frustrating.

One good thing though is I am down 55 lbs from when I started. I know I would be on my way up the scale without the band!

2bthinagn · 10-09-2007, 01:12 AM

Just an FYI. I had surgery 8-8-07 at a Center of Excellence. Medicare would not pay the hospital bill because they said with Lap Band they only cover the hospital if it is an overnite stay. How much sense does that make? So far the hospital says they wrote off the whole $20,000+. So just beware. I havent heard from the surgeons office, hopefully Medicare did cover that, if not I am in a heap of hurt.

phyllser · 10-09-2007, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAROL99

Good Morning Phyl,
Hmmm,
I would then have to lose 30#....
How did you lose your weight? Is this to help the liver?
Did you go to a bariatric clinic or a regular surgeon at a hospital approved to do lap bands?
I've heard good reports about these two surgeons, father and daughter team, but after my back surgery at another hospital in town I am a bit skeptical about all the doctors here. May only other option is to go about 70 miles and see a dr. that is advertised as a bariatrics dr....I think I will probably stay here...it's more convenient....
I have been trying the different drinks I read about for post op....not too bad. What was your favorites?
Carol

Hi, Carol,
I started my pre-op diet drinking SlimFast in the morning, usually a salad at lunch time and small meal at dinner.... meat, veggie. Then I found a protein powder at Costco that I liked so I started using that instead... fewer calories, more protein. I was eating between 500-800 calories a day. Yes, it was to shrink the liver. And my BMI was over 60 and my doctor frowns on doing surgery on patients with 60+ BMI.

I searched on the internet for bariatric surgeons certified as "Center of Excellence" affiliated. Then I started making phone calls to see who would take Medicare and how long the wait was.

Someone posted that Medicare had refused to pay their hospital bill because it wasn't an overnight stay. So far, I have only had to pay $202 and I think that was for the dietary consult. My surgery was 7/20, so I'm thinking that if anything was refused I would've received a statement or bill by now.

jenifermarch · 10-09-2007, 10:27 PM

This is great! I love talking to the other over 60 people. I'm 63 and was banded August 20. I've lost about 30 lbs. and am feeling pretty good. I was just at my support group meeting this evening and we discussed the throwing up thing tonight. It seems that no matter how slow we eat and how small our bites are, there are going to be times when the food gets stuck and we are going to throw up. I just take it in stride and keep striving to take more time and be more careful. I seem to be able to eat anything as long as I take the slow and steady course.

I have changed the things I eat; i.e. no white bread, white flour, white rice, white potato. I concentrate on protein first, then veggies, then fruit. I try to have a small portion of a good carb (like sweet potato, butternut squash, quinoa, spelt, oatmeal, etc.) once a day and try to get in my high protein supplements (high protein shakes or bars, as long as they are low in carbs and sugar). Food tastes so much better now.

I have been fighting the overweight/diet battles for over 40 years now and feel like I have finally found something that will actually work.

Hope to hear from people.

FYI: my support group has asked me to put together some of my receipes because I'm really good at coming up with tasty, healthy things to eat. So, if you'd like me to share when I get it all put together, just let me know.

Best to you all.

Jenifer

FoxyGramma · 10-09-2007, 10:57 PM

I would really like to see your recipes. I have a hard time coming up with things that are easy to fix. I live alone so I don't like to make things that take a lot of fussing.

phyllser · 10-09-2007, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenifermarch

my support group has asked me to put together some of my receipes because I'm really good at coming up with tasty, healthy things to eat. So, if you'd like me to share when I get it all put together, just let me know.
Jenifer

There is a thread for sharing recipes. That would be great. We had lunch at a friend's house today and she made this Lentil soup that was really good. Do you have a recipe for that? She had hamburger in it, sliced mushrooms, carrots, peas, and probably beef broth. I really enjoyed it. I want to try to make some.

CAROL99 · 10-09-2007, 11:57 PM

Hello Jennifer,
Hmmm, not a very appitizing subject at your meeting!...but a necessary one I'm sure.
I just joined and am bothering Phyl for answers...sorry Phyl....
I love recipes....bring 'em on.....either here or the recipe thread...just let me know were to find them.

Phyl,
I am researching the 'center of Excellence'....found them in southern WI.....I will try to find info on this dr. I'm intersted in.
I copied your reply and will 'try very hard' to follow your diet. When you say 'protein powder' are you saying whey or soy? Could you give me the name of the product? We don't have Costco's up here....we have WalMart....?
I have no desire to stay overnight in a hospital.....not since my 15 day stay after my back surgery.....I swore I'd never be in a hospital again....oh well, never say never!

Thank you for posting, Carol

phyllser · 10-10-2007, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAROL99

Hello Jennifer,
Hmmm, not a very appitizing subject at your meeting!...but a necessary one I'm sure.
I just joined and am bothering Phyl for answers...sorry Phyl....
I love recipes....bring 'em on.....either here or the recipe thread...just let me know were to find them.

Phyl,
I am researching the 'center of Excellence'....found them in southern WI.....I will try to find info on this dr. I'm intersted in.
I copied your reply and will 'try very hard' to follow your diet. When you say 'protein powder' are you saying whey or soy? Could you give me the name of the product? We don't have Costco's up here....we have WalMart....?
I have no desire to stay overnight in a hospital.....not since my 15 day stay after my back surgery.....I swore I'd never be in a hospital again....oh well, never say never!

Thank you for posting, Carol

Hi, Carol,
I have some unflavored Whey powder that I've used from time to time, adding it to something else for the added protein. But the protein drinks I use, the brand name is E.A.S. and I think it might be soy based. I like it best mixed with milk and its very tasty that way... really like a chocolate milkshake. Sometimes I add some sugar free Da Vinci syrup... raspberry. I ate a lot of salad on that pre-op diet, and lots of veggies. I ate very little meat during that time so I used the protein a lot.