Rediscovering Erin

Hi there, I'm Erin and I live in Brooklyn and work in Manhattan. I am 31 years old, single and have two dogs...no children no plans for children. I am going to be banded one week from tomorrow. Tonight is my meeting with my doctor to go over pre-admission testing and get final approval. Of course, I keep expecting something to happen to postpone this surgery. I could really use a friend to talk to as I go through this...

I know how you feel but keep this in mind. You are braver than ALL of them. You knew you needed help and you got it. And soon enough, you'll be one of those in shape people. And, if you pay attention, you'll notice those people aren't looking at you...they are gazing at themselves in the mirror

Well, it happened. I was banded on Friday the 21st! I dunno. It hurts. Most in my chest and in my left shoulder. Finding a comfy sleeping position is tough. I am glad I took a week off of work because I think I'll need it to be 100%. But honestly, it isn't so bad or I wouldn't be up typing this message. It is really strange because, between the gas and the pain, I could not be less hungry. In a few days I went from being the always hungry girl to the girl who has to be reminded to drink something other than water. Here's hoping that continues. And best of luck to those of you being banded next week.

Hi Kyle. I'm Erin and I was banded on Friday, Jan 21. My experience in getting approval was way easier than I expected and I will help you out in any way I can. My PCP is Dr. Richard Funaro in Bay Ridge. He is a little gruff but every supportive of the lap band procedure....he actually suggested it to me and it took me 2 years to believe I couldn't do it myself. I did a ton of research on hospitals and attended 4 info sessions and ultimately chose NYU Langone. My surgeon is Dr. Christine Ren and I think she hung the moon but others I know have seen Dr. Fielding and Dr. Kurian at NYU and said similar things. These people are rockstars! Another great thing about NYU is that they have someone on staff to do the 6 month weight loss program for insurance approval. Her name is Dr. Stiles and I adore her. Each month, she told me how well I was doing and really used my six months as an opportunity to teach me how to eat after surgery. The best part is that she is technically a PCP herself so you pay the non-specialist co-pay for insurance, which is nice. You'll still need the support of your own PCP, however. I cannot rave enough about NYU and their staff from the surgeons and Dr. Stiles to the psychiatrist they use. This can be really frustrating but you are on the right track. Feel free to send me a personal message if you need a buddy. I also happen to work in insurance so I can decode their requirements if you get confused. Best of luck, Erin

I have been seeing a nutritionist since June and my surgery has been approved. Luckily, I have access to NYU and they are rockstars at getting things approved. I have my letter of medical necessity and have had it since early December. My date is 1/21/11 and I go in for pre-operative testing Monday. I keep feeling like the other shoe is going to drop and they will cancel my surgery. I guess I won't feel comfortable until its done. I started my pre-op diet today. Some people are so lucky. I get 2 cups of veggies per day plus shakes. That's it. It's rough!