allygator

I am still in the early stages of pre-surgery process..haven't had my first appt yet! But I ma trying to get off soda already. For me it is Dt. Mt. Dew (I know..redneck) But it is just SO bad for you, banded or not. I am officially at 36 hours no pop. Not giving up my coffee though....Once cup a day then water or a little juice for the rest of the day. Last time losing weight on my own I drank very little maybe 1 20 oz per day, so I know it makes a difference.

I have just recently started this whole process and am waiting formy first appointment and ins approval. I am anxious to get started on my new me in the new year, but my BMI is only barely over 40. Ethically I am having a hard time with not starting, as well as being anxious to see some results, but I know if I lose just a few pouds I will probably not be approved by my insurance!!!! I feel like a hipocrite but after so many years of trying I know I need the help of the Lap-Band. Could this mean that I am mentally ready for this lab band journey lol???? Anyone else in the same predicament?

OK this is not good for weight loss for obvious reasons and I am not sure if it is OK with the post op diet but I had a nurse tell me to take a teaspoon of sugar and put it under my tounge and let it dissolve. I get horrible hiccups alot (not banded yet) and this has never failed me yet!!

Hello All! My name is Allison and I live in N.E. Tennessee. I have been thinking about and considering weight loss surgery for a few years, and finally took the plunge and contacted a surgeon to talk about Lap Band. I sent in my patient info yesterday, and they are verifying my insurance (Empire BCBS) to check for coverage. Fingers Crossed!! I am getting largely positive responses from my friends and family about the decision to explore WLS, and feel greatly encouraged by the things I am reading here. I have PCOS and have all the lovely symptoms that go with it along with being morbidly obese. I am going through some major life changes, new career, entering middle age, and am READY to make this change as well.

OK so sorry if this is an asinine question but other than the obvious effect of having a smaller stomach and getting full much faster, can you actually feel the thing? either inside or from the outside?? I have heard people say it is tighter at certain times of the day and at different elevations and stuff....is this referring simply to the feeling of fullness??

Thanks Dave, makes total sense!!

I'm a counseling student...not an expert by ANY means...but those types of questions are looking for stuff like personality disorders, schizophrenia, everything down to simple depression and anxiety. SO they try to cover the gamut of all psychiatric disorders to make sure you are stable enough to deal with the surgery and major changes it brings.

Victoria I contacted the surgeon directly too. I have learned over the years that I have to be my own advocate and if you don't ask they usually wont tell..at least with my PCP!! I was starting to think I had done the whole thing backwardds but the surgical group had me fill out a ton of paperwork and said they will contact my insurance. I was thinking maybe I should go ahead and make an appt with my PCP just to have that conversation in case I need a referral but I think I'll wait until I hear from the surgeon. If ins covers it it will pay 90% after the 500 deductible, which I have in a health care spending account, so I am thinking Ill end up paying another 500 or so out of pocket...which I DONT have but I am willing to find a way to make it happen. I am lucky I have such good coverage for now. I will be changing jobs in a year and who knows what kind of coverage I will have then, possible none since I will be interning for awhile, so I decided to take the plunge after "thinking about it" for about a year now.

Good luck Victoria!!! PCOS is a nightmare for me anyway..I can take just about everything but the hair, that's when I freak out!!!! Just haven't been able to get weight off no matter what, and even though I never thoght I would actually have surgery to lose weight, but as I near 300 and have more and more symptoms and aches and pains like someone twice my age I know I have to do this!!

PCOS=Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a lovely disorder that is named after a symptom instead of what is actually is, which is basically a hormone imbalance. Essentially, when PCOS-ers eat our bodies make MUCH more insulin than a normal persons would, causing 1. more hunger 2. more fat storage. All this insulin and fat causes an excess of testosterone which opposed to popular theory does NOT drive up the libido but causes things like facial hair, acne, more weight around the middle, skin tags (basically moles) and..hence the name...a failure to ovulate fully which can cause small cysts on the ovaries. I don't have TOM for months at a time then will spot for like 3 weeks unless on some kind of birth control. I currently have an IUD which has triggered a weight gain of about 50 lbs in the last 2 years, not that I was thin before!!!. It is treated with birth control pills for period regulaiton and some diabetes medications, usually metformin, but the only "cure" is weightloss, which because of the insulin stuff is VERY hard...I can restrict eating and workout like a crazy person and lose half of what others around me are. sorry may be TMI but I love to educate women about it because there are so many out there with it, this is an incredibly common syndrome, who don't know anything about it until they start trying to conceive. I was lucky enough to have a surprise baby back in 2004, but many struggle with infertility their entire lives.