NWgirl

Like it's been stated, this is your decision. Don't forget that there are also negatives about the sleeve: higher complications, longer recovery time, possibility of weight gain after the body learns how to reabsorb things. Have you thought about the Iband? It's a procedure where they take the stomach and suture it into the shape of the sleeve without removing the stomach portion, and then a band is placed at the top. From what I've read, this lowers the risk of slippage with the band due to the stomach shape and also requires less maintenance/fills because the plication of the stomach only allows for so much to be held. The negatives of the lapband are easily found too: hard to eat breads/rice/pastas, fibrous veggies, some leaner meats. You must go in for regular visits with the Dr. to get fills and check ups. You may get a leak, a flipped port, an erosion, or a slip. Recovery time is a lot less than the other WLS because you are not getting anything cut or rerouted. I just look at it like this: if any of the above complications occur with the band and prove it to be a tool I cannot use, I can always petition to insurance to have a revisional procedure. But, if it does work as planned, I have my whole anatomy and I lose weight. And, maybe in the future they will have developed an even better way to lose/maintain weight and I can upgrade then. Just really analyze the pros/cons of both.

lapbandgal (http://lapbandgalsjourney.blogspot.com/) has a blog and didn't have her first stuck episode until recently- I believe she has had her band for over two years now. It is possible if you are super careful and mindful.

I believe I read that Dr. Ortiz in Mexico is about 8-9k. He seems to be recommended most, but is one of the higher priced Mexican Dr's. I also remember seeing a post awhile back about a Dr in Colorado who did the procedure for about 9k. I would think this would be the better bet, as many practices seem to shy away from Mexican bandings but will take on patients from other US Dr's.

You can also try to find the breads in grocery stores called Flatouts. They advertise on the package that they are good to make a pizza with. They are super thin, but am not sure if they would remain soft or get crispy with baking.

I had to gain 10lb to be covered. I don't really have any other "real" comorbidities (I have borderline high cholesterol and hypertension but am not on medication for either). I go in for my sleep study on Wednesday, which is a requirement from my practice's office for anesthesia.

remember that you won't be stripping down, so your clothing will also add weight. Also, depending on what time you made your appointment for, you may weigh more (I weigh 5-6lb more in PM). Good luck.

Just don't freak out! I have read on here about people getting denied for TOO much information provided in the documents. Just realize it's a game, and if you meet the requirements set forth and they still deny you, call the department that oversees insurance in your state and report them.

What is your BMI? Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea etc are all comorbidities. Usually insurance would rather give you the run around and deny you, hoping you will not appeal. Make sure you satisfy all insurance requirements and if you do, call them and ask why you were denied. If they tell you the BMI was too low (and if your BMI is within their acceptable range, which is usually 35 BMI with two comorbidities or 40 BMI without) but you saitisfy what they say, then you need to appeal. Sometimes they just want more information. Don't give up. Have your PC write a letter of necessity, if they have not done so already. What do the people at the place you want to get surgery say?

My Dr also said it depends on if you have an AM or PM surgery.

I will probably be submitted next week after surgeon consult and also have anthem bcbs. I also only need to submit a history of the programs I've tried. When you submitted to anthem, did you only do name of program and year(s) on it? My case manger with anthem said that was all they needed, but it seems too simple!

your medical team will probably request a history of what programs you've done and how much weight you lost on each. To find out the full requirement list, you should find the page in the benefits book or even call the insurance and ask what specifically must be submitted for approval. My insurance is pretty lenient and only requires document of failed weight loss attempts. I called my bariatric case manager with my insurance and found this is only a simple list of all of the weight loss methods I have tried. My case manager said it did not have to be in depth and only needed to list program names and years. You can also ask the insurance coordinator at your surgeons office- they should know the requirements.

I am not, but my SO is. He was always really skinny when we were younger, but after diagnosis he was placed on lithium and invega. He had about 30lb weight gain and has slowly been losing. He is about 150 now, but does not have the physique he once did. is what you're feeling head or real hunger? Unfortunately weight gain is a common problem with these types of meds.

my psych eval consisted of a 370 question test. A week after the test, I came back to talk to the psychiatrist and a student from the local university who was shadowing him. It was a pretty basic conversation where they asked some questions and I would respond. I was really scared before I went, but it was very laid back.

I am not required to do a 6 month diet, but recently read someone else had been on a 6 month diet and was required to do another 3 or 6 months due to weight gain. Not sure if this is the norm or not.

Did you put the Fitbit in a bag of rice? I washed my original one after only having it a couple weeks and after a few days in rice, it came back to life. Try it.

I'm guessing you will gain temporarily from the surgery, but as long as you exercise will power/restraint until the band is tightened, I would assume you lose more weight.

I've seen people post that they were okay flying after a week. There was a recent post about the same thing in the past few days.

Please watch this video about drinking/eating at the same time http://formerfatdudes.com/460/friends-dont-let-friends-drink-and-eat/ My dietician told me that no drinking for about 1 hour after and to stop drinking 15 minutes prior to eating.

For me, I still have a nurse practitioner consult (tomorrow AM), sleep study (consult Thursday), and a consult with my surgeon (TBD after nurse practitioner clears me). I started the process on January 17 (had been scheduled since mid December 2011) and I am being told the process should go super fast due to very few insurance requirements. I am expecting to be banded sometime in February, maybe early March. After cruising the boards for so long, it seems like many people are scheduled for surgery around the time they submit to insurance. I've seen some people be scheduled for two weeks after submission, and some up to 6 weeks. I guess it all depends on the Dr. Maybe you should ask about the timeline at your next visit?

That is also something I forgot to mention, the customer service is GREAT. My Fitbit original started acting up a few months ago, and after a brief troubleshoot, they just sent me a brand new Ultra. No requirement to send the old one back and no charges whatsoever.

I have owned both the Fitbit and the Bodybugg. Hands down, I would recommend the Fitbit over the Bodybugg (or Bodymedia, etc) anytime. The Bodybugg (or like) costs more up front and charges a subscription fee every month. The Fitbit is $100 and has no other charges, unless you want to upgrade to premium data, which is NOT needed to get to your goal. The Fitbit is also minimally invasive and can be clipped on your bra, pocket, etc. The bodybugg must be worn on the upper arm. Not only does it draw a lot of attention, but for some people (me included), it creates a rash due to moisture under the device. I also found I needed to switch the Bugg from arm to arm every few weeks or I developed a very obvious indent in my arm where the bugg/strap sat, regardless of whether I was wearing it or not. This indent does go away though, so there is no permanent line. When I was using the Bugg program, the food logging was in need of a serious update. I have no idea if this has been adressed since I have not had the Bugg for almost a year, but it was definitely a large annoyance. The system often timed out and you'd have to log in multiple times to enter a meal. I am also unable to access any old data from my Bugg, unless I am willing to pay a subscription fee. There was not an option to export data, so to have access you must pay. With the Fitbit, you can join the site for free regardless of whether you actually have the device. Therefore, you can always have access to old data. Another plus for the Fitbit is the ongoing expansion to integrating with other sites/technologies. I have the Fitbit linked to myHealth medical records and Lose it!. They seem to be adding new apps often enough, and I recently saw that it can integrate with the Withings wifi scale!!!!!! (can you tell I want one?) Why don't you do a free membership to the Fitbit website for the time being and see if you like the basic bells and whistles? You can do this without the device and can test drive it. If you like the features, then you'll love the actual device. Sorry for the long post.

A pound of muscle is the same as a pound of fat. You would not gain a noticeable amount of muscle in such a short amount of time. When you first drastically up your exercise routine, the body takes a few weeks to adjust. The muscles retain more water. I remember reading your post about eating more, but can't remember the actual calorie amounts. If you are very low, you may even need to up your calories. I'm guessing that in another week or two, your body will be ready to lose again. Just keep with it and reap the benefits of exercise.

I am guessing the new Dr would want to check that everything was done correctly by the original Dr. It would be bad for one Dr to take over another Dr's patients and have complications due to the original Dr's work. That would be bad for their practice.

Have you been to any other types of doctors? Gynecologist? How old are you? If you are a younger gal and have been overweight for most of your life, you should try and get your weight records from your childhood doctor.

there is a YouTube video by someone called former fat dude that shows a demonstration of drinking with your meals. You should look it up and watch it to remind yourself why not to drink. It is definitely a good visual.