healthychange

Surgery on Thursday, sex on Saturday (very careful sex). Wine about one week after.

Don’t pay it. And don’t waste your energy fighting it. Just move on and find an excellent surgeon who won’t charge you a program fee at all. There are plenty out there. BTW – I have Blue Cross Anthem as well. Every plan is different, just like every surgeon is different. I chose a surgery center that would take care of all the insurance paperwork and pre-approval for me. My first visit was on June 6, and I was approved within 4 weeks. I had my surgery on July 28. I did not have to do any kind of supervised diet.

There are days when I'm amazed at how little I can eat and still feel full, and then other days where I'm worried about how much volume it takes to feel even mildly satisfied. I don't get my first fill til Monday, so I'm not exactly in your shoes, but here's what I think: if you are losing 2 pounds a week, you are doing GREAT! This whole band thing is a learnng experience. It sounds to me like you are on track.

Thanks for sharing! I was banded July 28 and get my first fill August 29 and I can't wait - I'm almost as excited as I was for the surgery! It's nice to hear what your experience was like.

I was banded July 28 and gave up beer two weeks prior while doing the pre-op diet. Ain't gonna lie - I miss it. But I have committed to no beer till Super Bowl, and at that point I'll try it and see how it goes. Good luck!

Thank you, I appreciate your level headed approach and support. :>) And congrats on how well you are doing!!

Hi everyone, I was banded 2 1/2 weeks ago. Doctor had me start back on solid foods after 2 weeks. I worry that I can eat more than I should, and it is not causing discomfort. For example, I can eat a 6" Subway turkey sandwich on wheat bread or a hamburger with bun, and I get full but not overly full. I chew really well don't eat any sides like chips or fries. Still, isn't this too much food for one meal? If I stop halfway through and wait a while I am not full so then I finish. Luckiliy I have not been hungry at all between meals, and I am tracking calories and Protein. I have lost 2 pounds and surgeon says not to worry about losing until after my first fill, which he has scheduled for August 29, two weeks from today. Any feedback on whether the amount of food I can eat is "normal" at this stage would be appreciated. Thank you!

Thanks for your comment - keep in mind, a 6 inch Subway turkey sandwich is 280 calories - well within the 1200 calories a day I have been advised to eat. Our old habits were things like foot long subs and chips and Cookies with it. The great thing about a lapband is it will help us get full on less, and help us make smarter food choices. That deosn't mean EVERYTHING from the past is bad. 12 inch sub with cheese and fattening sauces = bad. 6 inch sub with healthy veggies and no sauces = good. I have confidence in my ability to make smart choices with the help my my band. BTW - 2 1/2 weeks after surgery I feel 100% great!

Thanks to those of you who shared that you've had a similar experience. To Nicole: I don't feel beat up, but I do think you need to realize that not all surgeons have people follow the same eating plan. Mine had me on liquids for one week, mushies for the second week, and full-on normal food starting the third week. Though your doc requires you stay away from veggies and salads for 3 weeks and carbs for 6 months, mine does not. I have to follow a 1200 calories a day diet and eat 60 grams of Protein daily, and I have been doing that. I wasn't asking for commentary on m food choices, but rather the voice of experience on whether the amount of food I can eat is normal.

My surgeon asked for a 10 pound weight loss in the 7 days prior to surgery. He had me follow an 870 calorie a day high protein diet: 3 protein shakes and one small meal daily. I lost 11 pounds and he said he loves over achievers. :>) The purpose of the diet is to shrink the liver and make the surgery safer and easier.

Don't worry, you will be fine! I had my surgery last Thursday at 7 am and was out by 9:30 am. I went for my doc's recommended four, 10-minute walks that day and felt great. One week later, I am in no pain at all and am so glad I had the surgery. Congrats on getting approved!

I had to go to surgery center at 6 am Wednesday. Surgery was at 7 and I was back at hotel by 9:30 am. I flew home Saturday night and plan to go back to work tomorrow (Monday) for a full day. I am a bit sore and tired but think I will be fine. I work at a desk so no heavy lifting. I do move around the office quite a bit but I know the movement will be good for me. Doc had me taking four 10-minute walks a day right from the start anyway.

I am 4 days post-op and also had pain around my breastbone but a little lower right after surgery. I saw the surgeon the day after because I was an out of town patient and he wanted to check me before i flew home. I was able to ask him about the pain and he said not to worry, it was just the port site. It hurts because they sew the port to muscle. My doc keeps you on liquids for one week, but that includes yogurt (no chunks), pudding and thin soups so hunger hasn't been bad.

I am on day 5. I have occasional, severe left shoulder pain that is far worse than any pain form the incisions. For what it is worth, my surgeon said that the shoulder pain is not caused by gas. He said it may come and go for a few months but is perfectly normal. All in all I feel GREAT and look forward to mushies in a few days. Ha - never thought I'd say that!

I am on Day 4. Also feeling pretty good and very positive that I've had this done. I luckily have not had too much trouble with gas. My surgeon had me taking four 10-minute walks per day right from day 1, and i think that helps a lot. I am able to eat yogurt (no fruit in it), soup and pudding. Just a few more days till mushies - yea! By the way, my surgeon said that pain in the left shoulder has noting to do with gas, though that's what many people attribute it to. He said it may come and go for as long as a few months but will eventually pass. The shoulder pain has been much worse than the incisions pain for me. Anyway - we did the right thing and now we are on the road to much improved health!!

Okay, so I know that technically this belongs in the post-surgery section, but I wanted to share a little about what it was like with the pre-lapband readers because I found this forum so helpful when I was pre. Guess what - I'm feeling great! My surgery was at 7 am yesterday morning and my husband and I were back at the hotel by 9:30 am (we live in another state form the surgeon I chose.) Everything went extremely smoothly. I felt good when wegot back to the hotel, but very groggy, and in a little bit of pain. I took the pain meds and slept till about 1:30. Then we went out for a walk. The doc wanted me to walk 10 minutes, 4 times a day, starting right away. I went with my husband to get lunch and had about half a cup of turkey broth. I ordered turkey Soup and asked the waitress to just give me the broth from the top and leave out all the noodles and chunks and she happily did so. My husband had a steak sandwich and it didn't bother me at all to see him eat it. The rest of the day we watched Tv, read, and went on the little walks. Today was a tiny bit rougher - more pain, especially in my left shoulder and the port site. But nothing unbearable and I actually enjoyed some outlet shopping and got a cute new bag! This evening I am pretty sore again and the doc told me to expect that the second day would be worse than the first day after surgery. My husband and I fly home late tomorrow evening and I couldn't be happier. To anyone in the Seattle area still looking for a surgeon: I totally recommend Pacific Weight Loss Surgery. Good luck all you pre-bandsters!

Hang in there! You will feel better. If you've already had Subway, you need to start over again in your counting of days to the first day when you did not cheat. It takes 3 full days of not cheating before you feel okay. Think of it this way - as miserable as you feel now, you will feel far more miserable someday when you get all the health problems you are having the surgery to avoid. Don't give up!

Yea for you!!! My big is Thursday, can't wait!

I also have Anthem BC/BS. Doc’s office handled all the paperwork for me, and I was approved with no 6 month diet in about 8 days!!! My first doctor visit was June 3 and my surgery is scheduled for July 28. I suggest you let the doctor do all the contact with the insurance company. I called Anthem several times before finding a doctor and got different answers every time. One time they said I had to do the 6 month diet, another time they said I didn’t. After I was certified, I called Anthem to see if they would cover any travel expenses since my surgeon is out of state, and they actually said the surgery wouldn’t be covered at all! When I explained I had already received pre-certification, the person on the phone said, “Well, I’m looking at your policy and it simply isn’t covered.” She was wrong, but this is why I suggest you let the docs staff, who do this all day every day run the traps for you. I think every employer has a different level of benefits even though it’s all Anthem, so you really won’t know for sure until the doctor requests precertification. Good luck!

I am getting banded next week! (So excited.) I actually found the psych evaluation to be really helpful. As others have said, they ask about suicide and whether you have done your research and are really ready for change. But, my psychologist went much deeper and actually helped me explore some of the reasons I got to be so fat. This new understanding will surely help me as I make the banding journey. I think that like everything in life, you will get out the psych evaluation what you put into. Don't be scared; instead, use it as an opportunity to explore how you got to where you are and what you will need to do to change. Good luck!