Ms. Blue

I finally got my date!! October 8!! My partner is having hers October 1. So relieved to have a date... 8 months after my initial consult visit, I've jumped through all the hoops and my insurance approved it today!! I start the surgeon required Optifast 2 week diet next week. I went for my clearance appointment Friday and they hadn't heard from the insurance company (it had been a week) and when i was reviewing my paperwork i noticed one number was off in my SSN. I threw a minor fit (since I just KNEW that's what was holding up my insurance approval) the office manager promised to call my insurance that afternoon (Friday after 5) and this morning (Monday) I had my approval. Super. Super nervous now. Plus I tasted one of my partner's Optifast bars and it's terrible. Here's to my last week of relative food freedom. So excited to start this new chapter...

Today I got a call offering to move up my final clearance appointment. It's now Sept 6th. After 7 months of classes and tests and appointments this just got real. After this clearance appointment I'll get my surgery date. I'm incredibly nervous. Now all that's left is getting this final medical clearance and insurance approval. Yikes.

MY partner is getting the band too. She's been telling EVERYONE. Her family, her coworkers everyone. I asked her to keep mine to herself but she is not doing such a good job. I told my partner and one of my good friends only that i was considering it. I work with a bunch of small-minded gossips so I'm planning on telling my work only that I'm having surgery. I've already started to lose weight on my own so hopefully it wont be too much of a stretch. There are 2-3 people here that have had WLS and I know because everyone gossips not because they told me. So that cemented my decision to keep the news out of work!!

That sounds good. Can you link to what you mean by ricecakes? The things I'm picturing are large and I cant imagine them working well in a sandwich press.

Good luck, I hope they find some answers. The procedure itself is quick and easy. I agree, we usually know when something isn't right with our own bodies.

It matters in the same way that a straight person would share information about their opposite sex spouse. Straight people dont think twice about telling a Dr. this is my husband, he's going to be with me for surgery and follow up. It's different when you sometimes feel you have to hide that part of your life. (Will I be treated rudely because I'm gay, should I just tell them this is my friend waiting for me after surgery?)

I'm kinda new around the site. I'm still working through my pre-op stuff. I was actually looking for an LGBT group, glad I scrolled all the way down here and found it. My partner and I are both getting the band late Sept. early Oct.

That decision is obviously up to your doctor and yourself. I chose the band because it just felt right. I feel really uneasy about bypass, making the stomach smaller and changing where digestion occurs. Same with the sleeve. After reading about all the choices I just felt like having my stomach cut and stapled wasn't the right choice for me. I like the flexibility of the band (adjustment if necessary, fills until you get to the right spot etc) Also, if a woman were to get pregnant or have some other condiiton where more food was needed the band can be unfilled or even removed. I havent had my surgery yet though. Also, there are a TON of people on here who have lost 75.. 100... 100+ lbs. It seems to work really well if you're willing to put in the work.

I have wanted the Band all along and have done all the research which lead to be cementing my decision. MY surgeon was great and also agreed. Once I got to an appointment with a nurse practitioner she was pushing me to consider sleeve. I'm also 29 and she kept pushing even after I said I wasn't interested in that option. She even told the psychiatrist so when i went for my consult (same appt) he had me do the education questions for the sleeve too "just in case" I was like, WTH? Don't let them push you into something you're uncomfortable with. If your Dr/Surgeon agrees then I wouldn't worry about it.

Mine is a continuous process: http://thefatgirlthin.blogspot.com/2012/02/skinny-bucket-list.html

Definitely talk to your nutritionist/surgeon. The great thing is you're both only still a few months out. Still learning. There's plenty of time to turn it around and get the results you want. I would definitely talk to a nutritionist and keep a food journal.

That's a great question. My program required us to pay like $160 for various classes, lifetime membership to support group etc that isn't covered by insurance. I also got a lot of info about various bands that I didn't keep because I hadn't committed yet. Wish I had kept them now. (Working through my insurance hoops, hope to be banded in late sept early oct)

Not ridiculous at all!! I also have a short leather jacket on my small list of "when I lose this weight"

Thanks and congrats on your successes. I haven't been banded yet- still working through my insurance hoops. I've been heavy all my life and chose to get banded because I'm not even thirty and I have high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, nerve damage in leg, knees starting to give out, fatty deposits on my liver, acid reflux... the list goes on and on. I've always wanted to lose weight for vanity's sake-- I feel very embarrassed and invisible because of my weight but the thing that pushed me over the edge of decision is health. I recently thought, this is no joke, I am going to die if I keep living like this. I was scared. Am scared. All of my doctors are very supportive of my decision. I hope to be another happy health success story. I may even throw on a summer dress just for fun.

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Are you able to call your doctor and just run things by him? I haven't been banded yet but was recently giving this list of acceptable liquids by the nutritionist. Your doctor may have different requirements but it might be a place to start for ideas.

I think she was just trying to scare us but my nurtitionist just told us No Gum. She said a client of hers accidently swallowed it and it got stuck and he had to have it surgically removed. True or not? Not sure but that's what she said. Might want to avoid/ be super careful with gum.

Hi! I'm currently jumping through my insurance hoops and am hoping to be banded around September or October. My question is about artificial sweetners. I've noticed that a lot of the things on the clear and full liquid plus pureed phases say things like: Crystal Light, sugar free popscicles, Jello etc. Even a lot of Protein shakes have articfical sweetners. I cannot have artificial sweetners (Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, Equal you name it) they give me migraines and I'm really sensitive to the taste, I can taste even the smallest amount and it tastes chemically awful and lasts for hours. Did anyone else go through this without artificial sweetners? So far it's looking like unsweetened apple sauce, Water and unflavored Protein powder. I'd love to hear your tips and suggestions

I havent had surgery yet but I got this at one of my classes. May be helpful? We tried the chocolate healthwise shake made with water in class. I thought it tasted ok (would be better with milk/blended with ice). It had artificial sweetner which I can't have, but otherwise it was ok. I'm leaning more and more towards the unflavored unjury and any chocolate that doesn't have artifical sweetners (if such a thing exists)

Hi, I've been lurking here for a while and really enjoy this site. My partner and I were recently approved by the surgeon for the band. We've started our pre surgery hoops that includes a 6month medically supervised weight loss program. If all goes well looking to be banded in Sept 2012. I have a BMI of 49 (Jesus that's terrible). I hope to post more as I go thru the process. I was on WW first in Kindergarten and remember being embarrassed to see my teacher at a meeting in middle school. It's time to lose this weight and the band will help me. I'm so happy in all other areas of my life now it's time to get healthy. I also have a blog to encourage myself and hopefully others. http://thefatgirlthin.blogspot.com Blue.