erink58

Hi. I have Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield. My doctor submitted the paperwork last Monday and I got the approval today, so one week. Not bad. I was expecting a problem because so many people here have been put through heartbreaking delays and denials. I am so greatful I got such quick approval. Good Luck to you and I hope you hear soon

Hi Kat, Welcome. I have been on this web site for a few months now and the people here are very helpful and full of useful information. Read everything you can, people here will help you. Have you attended a seminar or seen a surgeon yet? Most people attend a seminar to learn about the options available. I would suggest that you start there. Also, if you have medical insurance, find out if they cover bariatric surgery, Good Luck

Spartan, thanks for the long reply to my post. You have given me alot to think about. I do see an endocrinologist who has doubts about the lap band but she will support my decision if I chose this route. She did suggest that I get a second surgical opinion which I will do soon, Thanks for all the info.[

Hi Elfiepoo, I think you have responded to some of my posts so I will return the favor. Basically, my feeling is that you should go with your original plan and proceed with the lapband, Your friend, might be subconsciously trying to sabotage you before you start. You said you have two children, well a large weight loss would improve your health and your children's lives. You know it or you would not have started this process. Why dont you make a list of all the fun things that you will be able to do after losing some weight, such as: shopping in the normal section of the store!! running around with your kids in a park!! I am sure you can make a long list. Bring the list with you to the hospital and keep reading it when you feel scared.. I am scared too but I have to go through with this. I keep telling myself "if not now, when?". If I could have done this on my own, I would have by now, Now I have to get help. I finally just said that I can not do this on my own. Your friend does not live your life, you do. Also, you have to keep motivated after the surgery to be successful, so you might have to make sure she is not trying to sabotage you after the surgery. Good luck and please post to let us all know how you did. ps SAGGY SKIN = SPANX IT BABY!! I look forward to saggy skin. Spanx will suck that right in!!

Hi All, I have my surgery date of May 6th. So far, it has been pretty easy as far as the surgeon and the insurance company, But I realize that I am terrified. I know everything will be OK, but I have an unusual reaction to any type of medical procedure. I CRY like a baby!!! When I had two angioplasies with stents put in my heart, I cried all during the pre-op part where you lay around waiting to be wheeled into the OR. Also, when I had two cataract surgeries, I cried also. When I had my colonoscopy and endoscopy, I cried during the part where they put the iv in and waiting around to be wheeled into the room. I am afraid of crying like a baby during this surgery. To me the worst part is waiting to be called into surgery. No matter how nice and professional the staff are, I still get terrified during the 'waiting around' part. During the cardiac thing, I used up an entire box of tissues from crying and blowing my nose, The nursing staff avoided me and acted like I was some sort of freak for being upset. Do rational people just calmly enter into operating rooms without being terrified? I know it is normal to be afraid, but is there any way I can avoid the crying part so I dont embarrass myself??? I know the surgery part is the easiest part of this, it's the pre-op that gets me everytime, I can't stand the waiting around and answering 1000 questions by all levels of staff. HELP ,,,how can I avoid being a total basket case????

Hi, You said you needed some encouragement. Well, I would be happy to oblige, I have received alot of invaluable help from these forums. People who try to discourage you probably know nothing about the lap band. I did not learn anything until I started my research. If you really care about your friends, give them some articles to read so they will understand the challenges you will be dealing with, To help myself stay motivated, I started a list of reasons I want the lap band. Every time I think of another reason, I add it to the list. I will pack this list when I go to the hospital for surgery. I am scared, but I know I will go through with it no matter what anyone else says, One fun thing on the list is the fact that for the first time in my life, I will be able to shop in the normal size section of a store. I am so used to going to the "WOMENS SECTION" (which means "fat clothes"). Can you imaging how fun that will be!!!! Keep thinking on the great stuff and ignore anyone who tries to bring you down,. Good Luck....Erin K.

Thanks Marcyloo for the quick reply. It helps. I find it difficult to ask for help with this, but I feel that if I tell the surgeon about it, he will forget by the time surgery rolls around. But I will try. The other times when I mentioned how upset and scared I was, I thought maybe the nurses would tell the doctor, but no one responed. I will try to be more assertive next time. Have a great birthday, I am a Taurus too! PS GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY!! KEEP ME POSTED ON YOUR PROGRESS. Erin K.

Hi everyone, I have not been banded yet, but in doing my research and reading all these posts, I am making lists of things I need to buy, etc. One thing that is on my list is a Louis Vuitton bag!!! I think that after all the preparation for this surgery (and as we all know, it takes a few years from first thinking about it to actually going through with it!), we deserve a special gift. I think of it like a 'push" present that women get for giving birth. I keep focusing on the bag that I want to keep my spirits up. I know the ultimate gift will be getting fit and healthy, but I think that we all deserve a special something. I quit smoking five years ago and every year on my anniversary, I give myself a piece of jewelry, to keep me on track and feeling happy about quitting. So I think that everyone on this board, needs to get themselves a "banding day' gift. Please submit ideas!!! ErinK

HI everyone, I am obsessing about every aspect of surgery. Someone posted that they had a catheter for surgery. I did not know that they would use one for this surgery. What I would like to know is, did you have a catheter inserted for surgery? If yes, did they do it pre-op or after you were asleep? I assumed this would not be necessary but I would really like to know what to expect. Thanks

Hi, The way It has been explained to me is that the pre-op diet is for the purpose of "shrinking a fatty liver". The liver has to be held out of the way during the surgery. The surgeon uses a retractor based on the size of the liver. Our livers can have alot of fat which makes them get in the way. If the liver is too large, the surgeon will not proceed with the surgery and will make you re-schedule for when you lose enough weight in the liver. The pre-op diet is mostly protein shakes, veggies and fruit, no fat or carbs - no snacking. This makes the surgery go smoother and also the head start on weight loss makes recovery from surgery easier for the patient. My surgeon calls for three weeks of this. The thought of having surgery cancelled will help me stay on the program. I am just waiting to get the call with my surgery date. I actually have tried this out for a couple of days to see if I can do it. Hope this helps. PS go on youtube and search for videos of actual surgeries and you will see exactly how the liver gets in the way.

Run as fast as you can to another doctor!!! No reputable doctor would let you do all the preparation and get insurance approval and then wait one year!! No good doctor would want you to lose motivation and get depressed with a long wait. If that doctor is too busy to operate, they should never have taken on a new patient. What will happen if you have a question or a problem after surgery? Are they going to make you wait for help? This indicates to me that your doctor is running a lap band factory and does not care about the patient. Also, insurance approvals usually expire after a certain period of time. Your situation could change in a year. So you would have to go through the approval process all over again. Get copies of all your paperwork and run, don't walk to another doctor. Be prepared to pay a fee for your records, but your new doctor will be able to approve you much faster with all the current records. PLEASE let us all know what you decided to do.

Hi, I am a newbie, I have already attended a seminar, seen my surgeon, and am scheduled for the psych eval this week. Luckily, my insurance does not require a diet. They used to require 6 months of medically managed weight loss program before approving surgery. However, they have recently lifted that requirement. I feel I will be approved shortly after the paperwork is sent in. But I am wondering if anyone else is like me. I seem to be on a "Good bye Tour" of all the fast food restaurants that I will never be able to eat in again. I think I am getting it out of my system. But it is similar to a mourning period. I am sad about all the restrictions I will be putting on myself but at the same time very happy that I am taking my future in my hands and making this major change in my life. We are all very brave to do this. I am sure alot of people think that surgery is the 'lazy' way to lose weight. However, as I am learning, there is nothing lazy about this process. Living with the lap band is going to be a major committment and is going to take alot of work to be successful. I was just wondering if what I am feeling now is normal? I am looking forward to ending this "good bye' period and starting on my healthy eating plan for about a month before surgery. Erink58

Please forgive a newbie question, but how do you get the ticker tapes with the weight loss goals and BMI's at the bottom of your posts. I can not find anything like it on my profile page or any instructions on how to do one for myself. Also, I noticed some people have the dates of their consultationm, psych eval, etc on the bottom. How do you do those??? Please help

Thanks for the help. I think I have it now. Erink58

Hi, I was wondering if you would not get approved for lap band with gastroparesis? I suspect that I have a mild form of it but I do not get nauseous or throw up. i have not mentioned it to my lap band surgeon yet. But I am having a gastric emptying study done next week. I will ask my endocrinologist to send a copy of the study to my surgeon. I have not been banded yet but I am really curious if I have it, would my surgeon reject me from getting the band????? Did you have any trouble getting approved??

Hi NYY&NYG fan, I know exactly what you are talking about. I worry about my two sisters who also need to lose weight. I worry that when I start losing, they will (subconsciously) be a little jealous and start treating me different. I think it is human nature, because if I am successful, it will only draw negative attention to them. I was telling my niece about the surgery and she immediately turned to her mother (my sister) and said "mom, why don't you get a lap band too!". Everyone has to do this in their own time. It takes a long time to be ready mentally to accept all the restrictions we must live with. So we are all not ready at the same time. A direct confrontation with your friend, might be difficult, but it would be worth it to clear the air. A simple statement by you that you are hurt and miss how close you were would probably open up a discussion. She probably has some hurt feelings too and does not know how to explain them to you. Also, make sure that noone ever thinks that lap band is an easy weightloss choice. People who do not know about this have no idea of the amount of hard work involved in living with the lapband every day. Be sure to spread the word! Good luck to you and I hope you and your friend will repair your friendship.....Erink58 PS I am a huge NYY fan

Good Luck on your surgery. You got approved really fast and maybe that is why you are panicking. You probably thought you had more time to get used to the idea. Don't go nuts or eat inappropriate food right now, you need to be in tip top shape to have a good surgery. I am waiting to be approved and I think I will have a few weeks to do a low fat, low carb diet to prepare for surgery. I am scared of anesthesia and being in the hospital, but I know I am doing the right thing. Keep thinking how great it is going to be for you when the weight starts dropping off. Even living with all the restrictions, ie. no soda, no drinking with a straw, all the food restrictions, it is still worth it. Being healthy and happy is so much more important than all the things we are giving up. Dont let anyone think you are taking the lazy way out. This whole process takes alot of bravery and courage. Good luck and God Bless!! Erin