depressed_bandster

I just started the pre-auth process for a panniculectomy w/breast reduction and lift. Anyone out there have this approved through Anthem BC PPO and if so, how long did it take to get approval? Did you have to appeal to get approval?

I have Anthem BC PPO also. They approved my band on the first submitted auth request and approved it very quickly; about 5 workdays. I think my BMI was about 38-ish and my only comorbidity was sleep apnea. If for some reason you are not happy with the dr at your seminar, I have been VERY please with my doctor(s) from LapBand VIP. There are 3 doctors there, all of which are WONDERFUL! I started with another lapband company and was not happy, switched to LapBand VIP, had surgery November 2011, and have lost 64 pounds. My docs have been very responsible with my fills & I have had NO problems, no over-fills, no vomiting, no sliming and have follow-up appointments every 4-6 weeks (more often if I feel the need). Their main office (& surgery center) is in Tarzana. Make sure you are able to contact your docs anytime you need to (I have al my docs cell phone #s). Ask how they do their adjustments (fills), I think these should be done on an individual basis; I have heard some docs do "routine" adjustments, giving everyone the same amount. Ask if you will have available to you a nutritionist at no cost to you; this will be very helpful to you should you ever have a plateau or just need some advice. A nutritionist familiar with the lapband is additionally helpful, so if the office offers this, it is a BIG plus (mine does). Can't think of any other questions to ask at the moment. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime. I recommend the band to anyone who is willing to put in the work...the band is a tool & does not do all the work for you. It was the best decision I made for my life!!!

My husband was the same way..."not dieting right, not exercising right, more output (calories burned) and less input (calories in)".....easy for him to say, he's NEVER struggled with being overweight and even at age 40, has an incredible metabolism & an awesome body. HOWEVER, I made the decision to do it, did not ask his permission, but informed him I was doing it.....FOR ME, because I needed it! For my health, physically and mentally. AND I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!! And he is too. Now that he has seen it works, he is supportive and my biggest fan; every Tuesday (my weigh in day) he asks how much I've lost and tells me how proud he is! Like everyone else, he went online and read all the horror stories, not so many success stories. As long as you research your doctor and trust him, you have nothing to lose....EXCEPT ALL THAT UNHEALTHY WEIGHT!!!! He will respect, once he learns the truth about the band, that the band is a tool and does not do it for you. It is NOT the easy way out! You HAVE TO do your part. You have to be willing to eat right, listen to your body, make the necessary changes to your habits, and exercise. The band helps you eat less and not be hungry, thus, taking in MUCH fewer calories. The changes are easy to adjust to when you see the scale moving in the right direction. That was always my big problem....dieting & exercising, being super strict and losing only 5 pounds in 3 months.....VERY discouraging!!! HOWEVER, using the band as your greatest tool, you will see the pounds coming off, which is SUPER encouraging and will help keep you going in the right direction. With the band you can still love to eat, you don't have to deprive yourself, you just eat LESS....one cookie instead of the whole box, half a sandwich instead of 2, 1/2 cheeseburger instead of 2, one brownie instead of half the batch, etc....again, this will be easy to do when you see it working!!! Getting the band a year ago (Nov 3, 2011) was the third best day of my life...only behind marrying the love of my life and the birth of my children. I LOVE MY BAND!!! I have lost 60 pounds and I'm still losing! I would recommend the lap band to ANYONE who is willing to make the changes necessary and willing to exercise and wants to make life changes for a healthier happier life!!!! I am so much happier and healthier than I was at this time last year, thanks to my band!

Best decision I ever made!!! You will not regret it if you do your part and remember the band is a tool....it won't do all the work for you! You have to do your part of eating right and exercising. Nov 3 is my one year bandiversary & I've lost 60 pounds and still losing! The day I got my band is #3 important dates of my life....right behind the day I married the love of my life and the birth of my children. I LOVE MY BAND!!! Good luck! Follow instructions of your dr and YOU WILL SUCCEED!!!

I was banded on Nov 3 and I love my band and I'm 100% satisfied with it!!!! I have lost 44 pounds in 5 months, pretty easily. I do watch what I eat (calorie-wise) and how much I eat & i do have to remind myself the band is a tool and does NOT do all the work for me. However, I am able to eat anything I want & the band doesn't keep me from eating anything. I have never had a slippage issue, I have never had a stuck issue, and I have never vomited since being banded. I chew my food VERY well, eat less, and take smaller bites. I have heard a lot of nightmare stories about people vomiting with every meal or being stuck with every bite they take, but I have not experienced this. These same people also complain about feeling "too tight" so I partly blame the doctors for their bad experiences. My doc has been great! If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I would recommend the band to anyone and everyone! It was just the help I needed!

Taste of Home, Comfort pod Diet Cookbook.....has nutritional information for all recipes. Recipes are great for families too, your family won't even know its a diet recipe!!! So many yummy recipes, hard to choose recipes for just one week!

2 months......AND LOVING IT!!!

Welcome! I made my decision to be banded in early October and was banded Nov 3.....and I'm so happy I did it!!! This is exactly the tool I needed! This is an awesome site for information. People ask questions you would have never thought to ask....and others answer them! It's wonderful! What questions do you have?

Mrs Rogers, this is a life changer....for all in your family. You do need to tell him how YOU feel about your weight. My husband has always thought the band was "the easy way out" and had only heard the horror stories about the band, so I knew it would be a sore subject when I decided to do it. I went to a seminar and did A LOT of research before making my final decision to have the band & once I made my decision to do it, I had to tell him. It was hard for me, just because I knew it was not going to be a pretty conversation. He is a healthy, muscular, can eat anything he wants man with a high metabolism so he has no idea what it's like struggling with weight or dieting. He has never had a problem with my weight (246 on surgery day) even though I was about 115 when we met. Luckily, I had my surgery within about 2 weeks of making my decision and telling him. He didn't think it was going to work, he was afraid for me having surgery & having a foreign object placed in me....but now that he sees its working and sees it is NOT the easy way out, he's my biggest cheerleader! He sees the band is just a tool & i have to do my part.....watch what I eat & exercise. I weigh every Tuesday & my whole family can't wait til Tuesdays to see how much I have lost that week. I am 2 months post-op & have lost 28 pounds, fairly easily. I am already a happier person and my family sees that. Your husband, I'm sure, will want you to do what you have to do to be happier and healthier so you can share a happy healthy life together! Get your data and research together when you talk to him, bring him on this site, and show him it is NOT a dangerous surgery like we all hear about & it does work. This site is sure to answer any questions he might have. Good Luck! And just know this is the best decision you will make FOR your life and his!

Stacey Diederich-Speager started a PRIVATE facebook page for people banded in November. Send her a friend request and let her know you were banded in November and she will add you. It has been very helpful to us all. We are all going through pretty much the same things, pretty close to the same stages & it's so nice to talk to others going through the same things, so you don't feel so crazy! It's been an awesome tool for my journey. If you choose not to join this FB page, feel free to message me anytime. I was banded Nov. 3 and had my first fill today. I really have not had any problems, other than feeling increasingly hungry before my fill today. I am excited about this new life I am beginning and feel this is one of the best decisions I have ever made!

I have Anthem BCBS in So Cal....took me 4 days to have approval. Paperwork was sent at closing Monday, had approval on friday, had surgery the next week! I was banded Nov 3, have lost 16 pounds already, and I'm so happy! I suggest you call and bug them, they didn't mind my calls at all and were very nice and helpful every time I called.

VERY WELL SAID DAVE! I am 11 days post-op and the only problems I have had are the post-op gas pains, which I survived & a little constipation. BUT the biggest change has been the 16 pounds I have already lost! Would have taken me a couple months without this wonderful tool. You have to remember it is in fact a tool to HELP YOU have results from dieting and exercise; you still have to do YOUR part or it won't work and you might as well be on the same rollercoaster. The dieting & exercise I have done (many times) in the past is MUCH HARDER WORK than this liquid diet I have been on (now mushies, yay!) and the gas pains I finally survived. It is a life change for it to work, however, this tool does make the world of dieting and exercise MUCH EASIER when your actually losing weight! Good luck! And read around on this forum.....lots of good info and support, as well as success stories to motivate you too!

I am 11 days post-op. I take chewable vitamins as well; can't handle the liquid. The gas pains were really the only pains I had, but they were bad for about a week. Keep with the diet your doc recommended & you will be surprised and motivated by the weight you lose! Good luck!

I use the Bullet....you can find them cheap at Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, etc. You might want to invest in one so you can make protein shakes later too. They are good/healthy meal replacements when you aren't too terribly hungry. Good Luck!

I'm in California...Southern California. Surgery went well & I'm feeling good. The only discomfort I have at all is from that darn they use. I read today someone used gas-x strips right after surgery and they aren't having any gas discomfort at all, so you might want to get you some! I'm going get some later today. I don't have any pain in my abdomen or at the incision sites (maybe has something to do with the pain meds). I walk around every couple of hours and move around my arms/shoulders and that helps with the gas pains too. If you have any questions, feel free to message me!

I too was banded yesterday morning! I am so excited! I do have some discomfort from the gas...wish I'd known about the gas-x strips. I will have my daughter get me some when she gets home this afternoon, that is the only pain I am in. BUT not enough pain to make me regret it! I'm excited to start this journey of being healthy and looking good and feeling good about myself again! I have been walking around every few hours, which seems to help with the discomfort. Thanks for sharing about the gas-x strips!

I'm having surgery tomorrow and I went to my seminar/consultation the beginning of October! I have been fortunate. I did not have any insurance delays....took only 3-4 days, because I was a pest. I started with one doctor group (800-get-thin), had one sleep study & with them, it was going to be 6 weeks getting all the results back BEFORE they would even submit to the insurance company. I needed to have my surgery by the end of the year so I went searching for another group, which I found from this & they have been AWESOME! Two and a half weeks after having my endoscopy through them, I am having surgery! I am so pleased with the doctors and the staff. I have read some nightmares on here with people being denied, appealing, having to wait months and months for approval. I guess it depends on your insurance. I have Anthem BCBS PPO, my BMI is barely 40 and I have moderate sleep apnea. Because of my BMI being varely 40, I didn't have to do the pre-op liquid diet, thank God! My liquid diet will start after surgery. If you don't have any known co-morbidities (heart issues, diabetes, etc) I think all docs do a sleep study to see if you have sleep apnea (most overweight people do). If your BMI is 35-39, you have to have a co-morbidity, if your BMI is 40+ you don't have to have a comorbidity. There are BMI calculators online to help you find your BMI so you can see if you are a candidate. In addition to the sleep study my doc (& I think all do) required an endoscopy; this was done the same week as my sleep study. My psyche eval was done over the phone & my nutrition consultation was done the day of my endoscopy. Some insurances require 3-6 months of nutrition classes; mine did not. You insurance company should be able to give you their requirements. Good luck! Hope your journey is as easy as mine has been thus far! Tomorrow will begin the REAL journey!

Hi Kim, I started looking into the lapband surgery earlier in the year & decided to go for it in October. I researched all the options....bypass, sleeve, etc. I decided on the band because it is not as invasive and "permanent" as the others. I just needed a tool, something to help me. If I lose weight, I will be motivated to keep losing; dieting and losing 5 pounds in 6 months is very discouraging! I am being banded tomorrow! I am so exicted. I can't help you with all of your questions yet, but I can tell you, you should attend a consultation/seminar. What state do you live in? The consultation I went to motivated even more, so I went all in, full speed ahead doing whatever necessary to get it done. I will try to remember to get back on here in the next few days to update you on pain, recovery, etc. This is a GREAT forum and a GREAT way to help you decide and motivate you. Everyone on here is very helpful and there are so many topics....so many you'd never even think to ask about! Look around on here and all your questions should be answered. Talk to you soon!

:bananapartyhat: I was originally scheduled for surgery on November 17th, but my date got moved up to Noveber 3.....TOMORROW! I am so excited! I so ready for this new journey to begin, to be healthy again, to look good for my husband again, to walk without being out of breath and take pictures with my family instead of insisting on being behind the camera or behind other people in the photos. I know this tool is what I need to be happy again! I am so thankful for this forum; I feel I am so much more prepared being able to read people's stories....both success stories and struggles. I have sleep apnea, so I have to go in tonight for a second sleep study and when I wake up.....I will be having surgery! Anyone else having surgery tomorrow?

Thank you Lizzy2150, that's a GREAT idea!!! I bought several Isopures to try them before & I tried the mango peach one and BLEH is an understatement!!! It tasted like rotten eggs! I will NOT be trying the others! I will be exchanging them for the some unflavored Protein powder! THANK YOU AGAIN!