Damander

My surgeon had me get a Dobutamine Echo/EKG/Stress Test due to the fact that I have been having shortness of breath. She called me yesterday to tell me that my tests were negative and all was well...or so I thought. She called me first thing this morning to tell me that she had a coworker look over my test results and they noticed that one of my valves isn't closing all the way. She said that I had to see a Cardiologist and have them clear me before surgery. If this is what it is, will I still be able to have the surgery? I am 25, I've never heard of this before...I searched the forums but I didn't see anything else out there.. any help!?

If you do a search in the forums for Tricare Prime, you will find all of our other topics on it. Tricare Prime has now changed their requirements and no longer use the MetLife chart to determine ideal weight. For Tricare Prime, if you have a BMI of 35-you have to have at least one co-morbidity. If you have a BMI of 40 or higher, you do not need a co-morbidity. I am waiting on my approval now. Good luck!

So the bras that I have now are CUTTING ME IN HALF! I am debating on whether or not I should buy a new bra considering that I should be having my wls next month and should be losing the weight and then the bra would fit properly.. The only reason that I question it is because my bras are super expensive, as I have to purchase them online because my bra size is 36G. Most plus size shops start the waist size at a 40 (which is plus) with the cup size being G since most plus size girls are larger around the waist..I don't know if I want to waste the money now only to have to buy smaller ones once I have lost a significant amount of weight. so.. to buy a new bra or not to buy.. that IS the question..

I can't find any that fit my boobs. I am a G cup and no store I have ever been to has ever carried anything close to that size..

I have Tricare Prime also and I was required to do the psych eval and the nutrition appointment. I had my psych eval last week and my nutrition appt is oct 6.. you may want to double check the requirements, I would hate for your surgery to be delayed because you were missing two simple things.. good luck!

I am thinking the exact same thing! I've already told my husband I am almost 100% positive that my boobs will be disgusting when I'm done with weight loss since they are just so big now so I have already decided that when all is said and done, I will get a lift and probably a large C cup or small D cup to make them perky.. I am 25 years old and I don't want my boobs looking like sad dog eyes..lol..although they already do since they are so heavy!

Fredericks is where I buy mine now.. and Figleaves is very good also. The cup size isn't the issue, its just around the waist. Thanks!!

I know its going to vary between surgeons and bariatric centers, but what is the consensus on when paperwork will be submitted to tricare? In MY opinion, I think it should be submitted first thing to see if it will be, so that can save us from having to do everything else if we don't get approved. I have done my seminar, my consult and my psych eval..the only thing I am lacking is the meeting with the nutritionist..so shouldn't they go ahead and submit?? I mean alot of people I have read about have surgery dates before anything is even submitted to their insurance so I am just curious.. I am going through scott and white bariatric center btw..

I think everyone that posted here covered almost everything that every one of us want to do! I must admit, reading all of the posts made me tear up because I related to all of you. Here's my list: I want to be able to stand up for longer than 5 minutes without feeling like my ankles are going to collapse. I want to be able to carry my handicapped son from the car to the house without being so out of breath that I need to stop for a long "breather" I want to be able to take my kids to the park or the dogs for a walk without hurting all over. I want to look forward to doing outdoor activities of any kind and not dread them because I'm too fat. I want to feel comfortable around my husband and feel sexy around him I want to wear shorts and tank tops in the summer instead of pants (I live in Hell! [Texas]) What I want to do more than anything is just...live.

I didn't even know they made those! Thanks!!

I'm 25, 5' 3/4" and 214 lbs. I will be getting the lap band next month; I am only waiting on my appointment with the nutritionist. I think that the lap band is a great choice with anyone suffering with a weight problem, just as the first poster said. Although I have chosen not to tell anyone about it, I am so proud that I am able to get this and I view it as a tool to help me get to where I need to be. Don't stress about it. If you feel you want/need the lap band, don't worry about other people thinking you are too young, I think better sooner than later. Good luck!!

Hi guys, I really need some advice!! I am 25 years old, I am 5'1" and I weigh approx. 208 lbs (last time I weighed; weeks ago). As far as I know, I don't have any other health issues (aside from being fat and VERY uncomfortable) that I know of (I go to the DR in the am) but I am addicted to food.. I don't quite know my body type, I would say I'm small framed but the Metlife site says I'm medium.. I want the surgery. I've tried every diet possible, my latest was the HCG diet.. I dropped 60 lbs (from 230) and kept it off **kinda** until I got pregnant, gained a bunch of weight afterward and I can't get it off for the life of me. In order for my insurance to cover it (Tricare) I have to meet all of these requirements..my question is there anything that I can tell my Dr that will convince him that I need the surgery and that he agrees I should have it? This is just my regular physician to talk to him about my weight.. ugh...I just don't know what to do.. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Yep, my surgeon is the same surgeon who gave the seminar that I went to. A really nice guy, and every question was answered the way it should have been. He didn't rush through anything or blow anyone off, I really liked him! The appointment that I had with them last week just went over everything, and I got these really thick books about the lap band, which I will have to carry around everytime I see him or when I see the nutritionist because there are questions in there that I have to answer and turn in, as well as pages that I need to sign once things have been done. They are supposed to go ahead and send everything to my insurance for approval. The soonest I could see the nutritionist was Oct 6, but once insurance approves they can go ahead and give me a surgery date for after the nutritionist appointment. He said that it could even be the day after, as long as I go to that appointment. I am hoping that is what happens because I really wanted to have my surgery sometime this month so that I could have lost a tremendous amount of weight for my husbands military ball coming up..sigh..at least I'll be on the road to losing the weight and even if I have it next month I can still be better than I am now! Be careful with your PCP, as mine was brand new also and I got stuck with the guy who was completely against weight loss surgery, but after I pressed on and on about it, he finally sent my referral. Remember that even though he/she is a doctor, they work for YOU, not the other way around!! Good luck and I hope everything works out for the best!!

I had my first appointment with my surgeon.. I have a stress test scheduled on the 21st to make sure everything is ok since I have some chest pain and I had my psych eval, which I'm sure i breezed by it.... the only thing I have left to do is have my seminar type thing with the nutritionist and I should be good to go! I am just waiting approval from Tricare and that should be pretty quick! Yay!

Found out that it was because I listed my dysplasia as a medical condition and they want to know that I've had the LEEP to show that I am having it taken care of and I am under a physicians care for it....no biggie!

For those of you that have been following my other post about the process in getting the lap band, I was able to make my appointment today to see a surgeon. I see him next week and the receptionist told me that one of the criteria for getting the surgery will be having a current pap smear.. that's all fine and dandy except for the fact that I have/(possibly had) moderate to severe dysplasia. I found out I had it while I was pregnant and then was retested and biopsied after I had my son. In April I had the LEEP procedure done and I am supposed to schedule a follow up pap to see if its gone. Am I not going to be able to get this surgery since I have dysplasia?? I haven't read anything else like that so I was stunned!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Amanda

Thanks ladies for all the responses! I thought that was absolutely absurd as well and definitely will be asking about it when I go next week! And thanks for the laugh Screeden..lol I definitely lol'ed!

I do/did have very irregular and HEAVY periods. 6 weeks after I had my son, I got the Mirena and I don't have a period at all now, but I didn't tell the Dr that. He knows im on Mirena but doesn't know I don't have a period anymore. I just said "yes" when he asked if my periods were irregular..lol Thanks!!

Ok, I know I said I was going to keep this up to date, so I went to my Bariatric surgery seminar tonight and got the information to go to my psych eval (which tricare WILL cover) and I also talked to the surgeon afterward which is actually the surgeon at the surgical center that I would be going to about whether or not it would be difficult in getting approval and he said his experience with tricare prime is that anyone with a BMI of 40 or over gets approved automatically. The patients with a BMI of 35-39.9 are the ones that have to have a co-morbidity. I do have reflux which is considered a co-morbidity, but not really to Tricare. So basically he says since my BMI is 40.4, I will get approved no problem..lets see if he is right! He said if I get my psych eval done and meet with him and the dietician, I can have my surgery by mid september, yay!! Keep everyone informed!

I am hoping that after I attend this seminar tomorrow, things start running smoothly. Today I hit a BMI of 40 and while I know that Tricare doesn't go off of BMI, I am hoping and praying that I get approved for this. I REALLY need this.

So I just had my two week checkup with my dr to go over my lab work. He is running more labs because my thyroid levels are borderline high and my iron is low but other than that, no health issues. I am attending the required bariatric surgery seminar tomorrow night before I can get in with a surgeon for a consultation, but I'm telling you after all is said and done, I am going to find another PCM. When I told him again today, that no I don't want any medication I want a referral to a surgeon, he went out to talk with his colleagues and I heard him talking about the fact that I gained 30 lbs in 8 months..and laughed. So, I have gained weight but that is no reason to laugh at me. I am so furious about this.

Wow! Congratulations! Can I borrow that scale?! I think mine is broken..

Good bye Dos XX, hello thinner me! Small price to pay for what we will achieve with the band!

Completely agree with Cindy C! Some places that I shop I am a 14, and others not even the 18's fit; it just depends on the brand but of course I love the places that say I'm a 14

I know everyone is different and sees themselves differently but my question is this: For those who have been overweight for a while and physically look in the mirror and see fat, when you lose the weight after the band is it hard to tell the difference? Do you see a thinner you or do you still see the exact same fat person as before? I ask because I am in the process of trying to get approval for the surgery, but in every diet I have been on before (even where I lost 60 lbs ) I still saw a gross me. I looked in the mirror and still saw the same person that I was before I lost the weight..Does that ever go away? Does my head ever catch up to my body??