stuntmonkey

First off, my weight loss journey with the band is going really well. I'm down over 40 lbs since mid-December. The band is working exactly as I hoped it would, and I am very happy with my decision to get the surgery. I am slowly coming to realize how much I self-medicated my anxiety with food. No one is more surprised than me. If you had asked me if I was an emotional eater prior to surgery, I would have said no. I HONESTLY just felt constantly hungry. I was hungry all day. Now that I physically can't eat when I'm stressed, I notice how much higher my general level of anxiety is all the time. It's not like I feel like I want to eat all the time anymore -- I truly don't. I'm not hungry between meals, and I don't even want to eat between meals. I am having a very easy time keeping my portions small and not overeating. However, I miss food as a comfort. And I'm just so surprised how much I relied on it and never knew. Just wanted to share in case anyone else is experiencing something similar.

I read this forum a lot prior to getting my band, and I thought it would be good to post an update for those who are waiting/deciding/nervous. I am very happy with my band. I started at 250, and 3 months and a few days later, I'm down to 217. It has been a very smooth process. My constant hunger is gone. I feel in control of my eating. I can eat pretty much whatever I want as long as I go slow and chew. I don't try to diet at all -- I just go with what feels right and good to eat, and so far, so good. Anyway, just thought I'd add to the success stories here. I still have a ways to go, but I'm feeling so much better and am very happy with my decision to get a band.

So happy to be posting in this thread!!! My official sugery date is December 14th. I'm so excited to finally be on the schedule and start this process!! Woohoo!!! I have my barium swallow and primary care sign-off both on this Wednesday (11/23), and I have my pre-op visit on Dec. 5. My pre-op diet will be for one week and it will start on Dec. 7. And then it's surgery time. My surgeon is Dr. Robert Pinnar, and he works out of Reston Hospital (in Northern Virginia). I'm blessed that my insurance is covering the vast, vast majority of the cost. So, so excited!

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I called CareFirst on Friday and went over each and every requirement with the representative on the phone. They only require one comorbid condition when your BMI is over 35. I checked twice. Severe sleep apnea counts. I am still frustrated because the rep I talked to said that "In her opinion, she saw no reason I should be denied coverage, but they will do a review of my file after the surgery to make the final decision." I just think that's nuts! From everything I've read and from my long and detailed conversation with the insurance representative, it sounds like everything will be fine, but wow, this is nerve-wracking. I would really prefer a pre-surgery approval! Here is a cut and paste of the official policy of my exact plan: Surgical treatment of morbid obesity is considered to be a viable treatment option in patients who meet allof the following criteria: Age: (criteria met -- I'm 33.) 18 years old or older and Psychological examination: (done and submitted to my surgeon) complete a psychological examination to determine readiness and fitness for surgery and necessary postoperative lifestyle changes and Structured diet program: (I did WW for 6 months. I went to at least one meeting a month and have the sign-in records and my payment records.) Maryland and D.C. plan members only: must complete a structured diet program in the 2-year period that immediately precedes the request for the surgery by participation in either: - one structured diet program for 6 consecutive months or - two structured, non-concurrent, diet programs for 3 consecutive months. (can include commonly available diet programs such as Weight Watchers® or Jenny Craig®) and Weight requirement: (BMI is about 40 (depends on the day), plus I have severe sleep apnea) Maryland and D.C. plan members only: must meet eitherof the following criteria: - BMI of 40; or - BMI equal to or greater than 35, in combination with one or more of the following co-morbid conditions: hypertension; a cardiopulmonary condition; sleep apnea; diabetes mellitus; or any life threatening or serious medical condition that is weight induced

I have CareFirst BCBS (BluePreferred PPO, DC plan), and I have met all the requirements for my insurance. (I called back when I started this process, and my employer's plan does cover bariatric surgery, so no worries there.) I am over 18. I had a successful psychiatric evaluation for bariatric surgery. I did a structured diet (WW) for six consecutive months, going at least once a month. My BMI is over 35 and I have severe sleep apnea. My submitted all my stuff to my surgeon's office, and they submitted it all to my insurance. Well, my surgeon's office called me back to today and left a message that my insurance plan doesn't do preapprovals for bariatric surgery, and the insurance company said that they will pay for my surgery after the fact. The nurse isn't in tomorrow, and I will call her back on Monday morning for clarification, but now I am curious/worried about this. Is this a common occurrence? It seems weird that I have to have the surgery first before they will make the final decision on whether they will pay for it or not. Any experiences you can share with this would be very, very appreciated! Thanks!

The insurance guru at my surgeon's office told me to call her once I have completed 5 months of the 6-month required supervised diet, and then she will give me further instructions on when to schedule my pre-op tests, etc. She said my surgery would probably be able to happen very soon (within weeks) of the day I hit the 6-month mark.

Do you work for FCPS? I was told the same thing about being able to do one 6-month supervised diet or 2 non-consecutive 3-month supervised diets. I'm using Dr. Robert Pinnar (in Reston) for the surgery. Good luck to you, too!

When I called my insurance for the exact rules, they told me that weight watchers did count as a medically supervised diet. When I spoke to the insurance specialist for my surgeon, she told me that most insurance companies will not accept the online weight watchers programs -- you have to weigh in and go to meetings in person for it to count. Hope that helps. It's so hard because every insurance is different...

This is my exact plan. I have not formally submitted anything yet, but I spoke to the insurance manager for my surgeon and she said they are very good to deal with regarding lap band surgery. I work in VA, but I have the DC plan for some reason. This plan requires a 6-month supervised diet. The actual virginia plan does not require the 6-month supervised diet. Good luck!

That makes total sense. Sounds like a small sip will be okay, and that is really all I need after a meal. Good to hear. Thanks!

At the seminar I went to, I was told that one of the things that I would have to change was eating and drinking at separate times. I am fairly certain they said I'd have to wait 45 minutes after eating to drink liquids. My question is, do they mean I have to wait 45 minutes until taking a single sip of liquid, or do I just have to wait 45 minutes to drink a high volume of liquid. I currently usually take a few sips of a drink after a meal just to "wash it down." Does that need to end, or just drinking large volumes after you eat? Thanks!

I did my sleep test in-office, and it wasn't bad at all. I'd recommend doing it in-office if you can -- much more reliable results and much less hassle. You go there, they hook you up, and you sleep. It was pretty much just like being in a hotel room with stuff connected to my body. Nothing bad at all.

Wow! 50 lbs pre-surgery is awesome! I haven't gotten my lap band yet, but I don't think you need to worry about cleaning your own stomach prior to surgery. They will do that when you are on the table. I've had two c-sections and a laproscopic apendectomy, and I've never needed to worry about cleaning my own stomach. Best wishes!

Have any of your surgeons prescribed you a prescription appetite suppressant for your pre-surgery diet? Is there any reason why it would be bad to take a prescription appetite suppressant before lap band surgery? I ask because a few years back, I used an online pharmacy and ordered some phentermine (37.5) as an appetite suppressant. It worked great for a while, but then the effects wore off. I am really hoping that the lap band will give me the same results, but for the long-term and won't wear off... I think it would be helpful for me to go back on the phentermine until surgery just to get back into the place where eating decisions aren't ruled by my constant hunger, but I certainly don't want to do anything that would be dangerous prior to surgery. Will my surgeon think I'm crazy if I ask for a prescription? I have an appointment at the end of the month.

I’ve been reading a lot of your posts on this board, and I’m left with a large question. Why are so many people on here being so secretive about their lap band surgery? I don’t get it. I don’t think we have anything to be ashamed of. In fact, I think that the more we talk about this process and this surgical procedure that research actually shows can treat obesity successfully, the better the path will be for those who come after us. If people think this makes me weak or judge me or whatever other negative reactions they might have, they win if I go cowering in a corner and let them make me feel bad. And if I do (and I expect to!) lose a large amount of weight with this procedure, if I stay quiet about it, I will just be one more person who overweight people think has weight loss results that they themselves are not strong enough to achieve (not true!). So, educate me. Why the secrecy? I mean no disrespect by this question at all. I have no doubt there are good reasons behind this, I just don’t understand them yet.