crash878905

Those alcoholic drink alternatives sound really good. I'm not a heavy drinker, but if I go out to a bar I certainly don't want to be sipping on tap water lol. I'm glad to hear it hasn't been that bad for you! I hope I'm just as lucky. I'm glad you mentioned the bathroom habits, as unglamorous as it may seem haha. I am not regular in that department and am looking forward to some regularity on the liquid diet.

Great advice, I am so happy you mentioned the instant decaf coffee mix. One of the hardest things I'll have to give up is coffee. Having a mocha flavored mix will help ease me into the liquid diet phase. Congrats on your WLS success!

I'm so happy I found this post! Firstly, because I too 'weighed' (haha) the good and bad with the band and bypass. For me, bypass flat out terrified me! I'm sure there are bypass patients who are happy with their choice and dislike the idea of the band, that's the way it is. My mom got banded in February of this year. Being a born-again Christian, she struggled with the thought of WLS because many people feel it's not natural or necessary. My mom chose to tell only her closest friends (either in the church or at work) and they support her 100%. I do believe God gives surgeons and doctors the abilities and skill to help His people. I am now waiting to hear back from my insurance to see if LapBand surgery will be covered. If and when I get my surgery, I don't feel obligated to tell the world if I don't want to. At this point, I don't talk to certain people about it because they will just try and discourage me and tell me what a bad decision I'm making, I can do it on my own if I just try, etc. But on the other hand, the one person who I thought would not like the idea of WLS is my number 1 supporter! I am 23 and have been overweight since elementary school... I'm ready to start my new healthy life! I would say pray about it. That's what my mom did through her whole pre-op experience. I have to take my advice and start praying about it as well, cause as it gets closer I'm getting more nervous and I want to be at peace about it come surgery day! I hope everything goes well for you!! And congrats to the post op patients on being successful and positive! It's inspiring.

I loved your story! I think it's great that you continue to stay motivated, which I'm sure is why you're so successful!

What an inspiration!! I am currently waiting to hear back from my insurance to see if my lapband surgery will be covered. I thought I would be more excited but I'm finding that I'm starting to get more nervous about the actual surgery, band slippage/erosion... but reading your story helps me think of the positive new changes that can be (and will be) made in my own life! To be at a healthy BMI, I need to lose 101 lbs. It'll be a long journey, but it's always nice to hear about someone's success.

This is my very first post! Browsing through the topics, I saw something about insurance denials. It's gotten me a little worried! I am about 5 pounds away from having a BMI of 40. I have no comorbidities other than mild asthma. I'm not sure if age or sex is much of a factor for insurances, but I am a 23 year old female. I have Empire, New York State Government plan. In all of your experience, do you think I'm in the clear? I'd hate to think I made all these appointments and mental preperations to be denied Lap-Band surgery coverage. I know that the minimum BMI with 2 comorbidities has changed to 30. Does that mean that the minimum BMI for someone that doesn't have comorbidities is lowered as well? If I am denied, where do I go from there? Any input is greatly appreciated