Hi Y'all from Nashville

Thread Starter  

I am new to signing up but not new to the forums. I have bben following them for about a year now and think it's great that there is some place to go for additional info. I hope to have my surgery sometime in the next couple months. Already went to a seminar and have my psych scheduled for next weeks. I am soooooooo happy to see that Tricare is now approved the Lap Band. I have been following y'alls forums and love to see all the progress everyone has made. It actually brought me to tears when all the Tricare carriers were finally approved. I am so happy for them hopefully I can be approved too. I am right at BMI 40 and right at 100 pounds over so hopefully everythings checks out.
Congrats to all that have done so well with their surgeries and great hope for all those who are waiting.

Hi there and welcome. I'm glad you are posting. I lurked for about a year before I actually joined.

Have you had your surgery yet?

Welcome CnShawk!! I live in the Nashville area too! Was just banded on May 9th at Vanderbilt and lovin every minute of it! Where will you be having your surgery?

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Thread Starter  

Hi 2Btiny I'm having at Vanderbilt as well. No date yet schedule. Just waiting for the Cpap month to be over. Hopfully in early July or sooner. Who did your surgery? Dr Richards will be doing mine. How are you feeling? I have read that some people feel like their starving. I am soooo excited for you I can't wait any longer, the anticipation is killing me.

CnShawk- That is awsome!! Hopefully, you will get your date soon! Dr. Holzman did my surgery and he put in the new Realize band. I am not starving, in fact I am eating less than allowed. I am loving it so far. My first 3 days post-op I was very nauseaus but after that and getting rid of the gas pains I was good to go. Vandy docs are the best!! Which I actually work here too...so a little bias! Keep me posted or feel free to shoot me a message outside of the boards.

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Hello fellow Tennesseans! I live about 55 miles west of Nashville!
I am having my surgery in Dickson by Dr Huerta. Hopefully in July! I am in the final 2 months of the 6 months of supervised weight loss that my insurance says I have to have! I have a question about the Realize band that was mentioned. What is the difference between that and the standard band that is used?

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Becky
278/265/254/150 Banded 9/22/2008

Welcome BeckyinTn! The realize band has been used in Switzerland for the past 15years and evidently it has less errosion, less slippage, the port is more stable. I am loving mine so far! Congrats on almost completing your Ins diet. Have you lost a lot of weight?

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I am not from TN I am from Arizona but I wanted to wish you well on your journey. I have been on these boards since I started my journey in Jan. I am still jumping through ins. hoops. I hope to be banded in the fall. We'll see how it goes. Wish me a speedy approval. Good luck to you.

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Nasvillian here as well - I am curious - I tried to get started with the lap band at Vanderbilt late last year, wanted to have Dr Holzman since he did a hernia repair for me. I was also a VUMC employee until last Aug. I had a horrible time just getting appointments @ Vandy, the wait was like 3 weeks then 7wks. Did either of you posting in this thread have that trouble? I switched to Baptist WLSC which I LOVE. I am waiting on insurance approval and hope to be banded in June by Dr. Morton.

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2/2008 - Aetna 3-mos pre-op program
5/2008 - file off to insurance for approval!
Approved! Surgery 6/17/08

Hi McSteph! I have had some trouble getting appts; however, I have just learned Dr. Holzman is only there one day a week so that could be the problem. It also seems he is out of town a lot. I felt obligated to hang in there because of the ins. The clinic went through a lot of changes at the end of last year too...which caused all sorts of havoc on my process. Things seem to be straightened out now. I know Dr. Holzman through my job...so I email him directly when things aren't in a timely fashion. He has responded well to that. Good luck at Baptist!

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Thread Starter  

Sorry all, for not posting in awhile. Well, I FINALLY got approved and have gotten my authorization letter. Just waiting for Vandy to call and set up appt. Not sure if it's an appointment for an appointment for surgery or if it's for the actually surg. Tiny how did that work for you through Vandy once you were approved? Wish me luck. I can't believe it's finally gonna happen. My anxiety level is through the roof. I'm excited and scared at the same time. WHOO HOO!!!!!

Hi McSteph!! My appts were scheduled like Tinys, no trouble getting them, but they were spread out. I'm having my surgery with Dr. Richards who is head of the depart, so I can only imagine when he will be available. I'm hoping for early July. I started this in Feb and the insurance wasn't the hold up is was all the time stretching from the surgeon. I had to have a sleep study, then a titrate for the CPAP. (which I love, don't know how I lived without it) then I have to wear it for 1 month (which we be up on 6/24) then approval, which took 3 days from Tricare (God Bless them, now that they are accepting Lap Band) and here we are. I did however have trouble with communication. I had to do the calling to Vandy to keep up and see what was happening, otherwise I would hear nothing. I hear they are great doctors and they ARE a "Center for Excellence" which helps.

Wish me luck

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H/235 S/229 N/222 G/140

I had my surgery at Vandy and Dr. Holzman was my surgeon also. I love him and everything went wonderful, but I am getting very frustrated now because he's so busy I can't get fills. At my last appt.(march) he said he wanted to see me in 6 weeks, well once I got up to schedule it I was told he didn't have an opening for 12 weeks. My appt. that was already way past when it should have been was supposed to be on Tuesday, but I got a phone call today telling me it needs to be re-scheduled and now it's out another month. So, if I had it to do all over again I'd probably go somewhere else.
I am actually from Clarksville and I called the surgeons here and they won't do my fills, but it was worth a try, lol!

BeckieO - you might try Baptist Weight Loss Surgery center. I think the Nurses do the fills, but they do lots of them, so I am sure they are good.
My Doc, Morton said he will do my first fill in 3 weeks and then it will be nurses after that. Sixth day with the band and I am feeling pretty all-right!

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2/2008 - Aetna 3-mos pre-op program
5/2008 - file off to insurance for approval!
Approved! Surgery 6/17/08

Thanks Steph, I'll call them, it can't hurt to ask! I am 6 months post op and only have had 2 fills, TG he(Holzman) is aggressive with them(plus he put 3 cc's in at the surgery). I have 6.5 cc in my 10 cc band, but I do need another fill someday soon!

CnShawk-you will have an appt with the surgeon prior to having your surgery appt. Dr. Richards will probably be more accessable then Holzman. Good luck in getting in soon!

Beckio-I would recommend contacting Eric McWilliams he is the manager of the clinic and let him know you can't get appts with Holzman as you need to. I think the the nurse practioners also do fills. You should even see if you can switch docs or something. I'm sorry your having such a hard time. I get my second fill Tuesday. I currently have NO restriction. Initially my fullness was in the upper portion of my stomach but now I can tell everything goes right through the band and my full is below the band. I hope he gives me 3 or 4 cc's. Keep me posted. Good luck

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