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Hi Sheila, Here's to a quick recovery! I will be where you are next month and I can't wait. Please post more often and share your experience. As you know, it is so helpful to hear from others. It is also nice to know that you have people on your side who are here to support you. Take Care,

Thanks for the feedback Quakergirl. I am glad that I could share my personal experience with all the folks on this forum. Knowing that my doctor hasn't placed enough bands to rank her as an expert, has made me more determined to do my part... so that we can both be a success. I respect everyone's input and enjoy the fact that we have this forum for such discussions. I will keep you all up to speed on my progress.

Hi Lioness, I am still a pre-band, so I don't have any experiences to share... I just wanted to say that I am sorry you had such a difficult time. Did your doctor end up telling you what the problem was? I am just curious if it could have been avoided or if it was just a fluke. You also mentioned a lot of blood, was that because he had to keep sticking you? I apologize in advance for asking so many questions, I just want to hear the good as well as the bad. If it is too much for you to go into, I completely understand. Hope you are feeling better.

Hi Becky, 23lbs!!! That is wonderful. How long has it been since your surgery, I don't recall if you mentioned that already. Since you are still on full fluids, it must have only been 3-4 weeks ago, right? I am glad you are doing so well. I like hearing about your progress, so please keep us informed. Thanks,

Hi Sultana, Thank you for your supportive comments. I think you are right about this being a disease and the Lap-Band the medicine. I can also relate to your comments about being a control freak... I guess I don't want to really admit it, but I think that fits me as well. Oh boy... just one more thing I need to explore... This can be tiring! I have recently joined Kiera's LapBandits Forum and I left her a message telling her that I agree with you. She is very knowledgeable and a great support. And so are YOU! So with that, I will close. Have a great day!

Thanks Sue. All of your points are well taken. I appreciate your input and enjoy reading your posts. I see your point and realize that you are right, we can all ask the question but must make our own decisions (and live with them) in the end. Have a great day and thanks again.

Hi All, I am not trying to be argumentative, but I wonder if all pre-banders refuse to have their operation by a surgeon who has yet to place at least 50 Lap-Bands... How will we ever get any additional surgeons performing this operation? I will be banded on 2/3/03 and had a choice of two doctors: One has performed more than 50 and the other less than 50. I have chosen the doctor who has performed less than 50 because she has a much better bedside manner and positive attitude about the Lap-Band than the other doctor. The doctor with more Lap-Band placement experience has been performing WLS for more than 30 years, but he had nothing positive to say about the Lap-Band. He obviously hasn't done much research as he made claim that he has seen no real proof that it even works and would much rather see patients get the Gastric Bypass. On the other hand, my doctor is very positive about the benefits of Lap-Band and feels that it is the ideal choice for me. Since I have been successful in getting my insurance to approve Lap- Band surgery and cannot afford to go to Mexico for a self-pay, I feel these 2 doctors are my only options. I understand that some of you would select the doctor with more Lap-Band placement experience, but what about other factors? My doctor has advanced laparoscopic experience and according to her she would love to do more Lap-Band placements, but her patients have been meeting some challenges with insurance approvals and her contract with the hospital is resulting in high costs for self-pays. I feel that she is going to try her best to complete my Lap-Band placement with no complications in order to add to the number of successful Lap-Band patients she has treated and to get to the status of over 50 performed... whereas on the other hand, the doctor with more experience I just don't trust that he would have my best interest in mind. He would already be thinking that I will fail, so let's just get it over with... Just my thoughts and something I will have to deal with through this journey. I hope to be back here in a month telling you all that everything went well and I had no complications. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

That is soooo WONDERFUL Quakergirl! It must feel remarkable to reach a goal that you haven't seen as an adult. I can't wait to have that feeling. Keep up the excellent work!

Good luck Big Al, Hope you get your insurance approval quickly and without much effort. Not sure if you are open to suggestions and I don't know much about UHC, but I can't help but feel that the letter I wrote and gave to my PCP when I asked for the surgical referral helped seal the deal. It was sort of like a resume with sections such as: Personal Objective (to lead a long healthy life, feelings about my future if I don't lose weight, how I am not looking for a quick fix... but a tool); Current Profile (weight, height, BMI, Age, weight related medical issues, family history of weight related illness); Weight Loss History (all the diets, supervised WL programs, self-help books/programs, gym memberships, personal training, etc.); Why the Lap-Band (listed out the reasons why I wanted this WLS vs. others like Gastric Bypass); Research (included some of the websites and books that helped me learn more about my options). I feel that this letter was extremely helpful because even thought my surgeon had me fill out tons of paperwork listing all past WL attempts and including documentation to support these attempts, I was told none of this would be sent along with the surgeons request to my PCP for insurance approval. The surgeon's office planned only to send a letter of request from the surgeon. Well my PCP had my WLS Resume and he included this with my request for the surgeon's referral and I truly believe this is why my whole attempt to get approval took about 1 month start to finish. My surgery date is set for 2/3/2004. I hope things go as quickly for you.

Hi Becky, I am glad you found this Forum. I think that you will find that there are a range of people here in all phases of the Lap-Band journey. There is a lot of great advice, feedback and suggestions on this site. I just love it and the people here are wonderful! I have been taking the time to tune in and "read" this forum daily for a couple of months and now that I have my surgery date I am trying to become more active with my posts. I hope you enjoy this site as much as I do! Good luck to you and keep us up to date on your progress. I will be where you are in a little more than a month.

Hi Kiera, Thank you for the very sound advice... I have been telling myself for about 3 days now to start a journal. All these thoughts have been running through my head. I find that when I am exercising I have nothing to do but "think, think, think"... unfortunately since I am not writing these things down and exploring the feelings to the fullest I tend to forget... or maybe I choose to forget I am not a big sweet eater... only hits me every once in a while when I am having a major PMS episode. I have also been successful at overcoming the urge to binge, but my battle has always been portion control and this is why I agree that the Lap-Band will be the tool I need. You really hit it on the nail when you mentioned that it is not a weakness to ask for help! This is exactly how I feel, not just about my weight... but about everything in my life. I have the most difficult time asking for assistance. I think I am afraid of "others letting me down", I guess it stems from major trust issues. I have to do everything by myself so that no one hurts me. I have to admit that I am getting a little better now that I recognize this as an issue... but getting approved for my Lap-Band so quickly and without much effort brought back those feelings of being weak because I can't do it by myself. Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions. I am going to start using FitDay (www.fitday.com) again and their online journal to track my eating and feelings... I won't let the feelings overwhelm me... but I will embrace this journey and go with the flow. Hope you have a great day!

Hi Kiera and Sultana, I just had to jump in on this post to say thank you. You have both given me a lot to think about as I move through this process... I am trying to stay positive and take to heart all feedback and advice. I am still pre-band, just got my insurance approval and surgery date (2/3/04)... and although I did a lot of research and know that this is the right decision, I didn't feel the excitement I thought I would when I got my approval. My mom was more excited than I was! I tried to explore my feelings and finally realized that I was so positive that insurance was going to deny me because I REALLY don't NEED WLS to help me lose weight. I guess in the back of my mind I was have always viewed WLS as a last result... something that I would never need because one day I was going to be successful at losing weight through diet and exercise. Well, yes... I can be successful with diet and exercise... but I ALWAYS gain the weight back. Getting the referral from my PCP, seeing and surgeon, getting insurance approval and my surgery date all happened in about a 2 month period and the whole time I was preparing myself for a fight. I thought I was going to have to prove to all of them that I NEED this because they were ALL going to tell me that if I just tried a little harder I could do it by myself. Initially, the approval made me feel like a failure... like the world was saying I couldn't do this by myself and I did NEED help. I thought about this more and began to realize that I am in denial. When I look back at all my past weight loss attempts, I have been trying to lose weight and keep it off for 28 years. I stopped major binging some years back and I know all about nutrition and eating healthy for life... I exercise 3-5 times per week for 1 to 1.5 hours... but unless I restrict my calories to less than 1,500 per day I do not lose weight and I haven't been successful at maintaining this lifestyle for any length of time. I end up feeling deprived and go back to larger portions. I appreciate this forum for letting my share my thoughts and feelings. I know that this is the right decision for me and I am already starting to feel more excited about my future thanks to the great posts by people like you and the others on this site. Thanks for listening.

Congratulations sexyred98! Keep us updated on your progress. It is nice to know that there is someone else at about the same stage as me. I got my approval early this week and just yesterday the surgeon's office called with my surgery date... Feb. 3rd. My pre-op appointment is on Jan. 21st. Good Luck!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who contributes to this forum. It has been such a remarkable help to me as I have been researching and planning my journey to Bandlandia! With the New Year quickly approaching, I was waiting to hear news as to whether or not my insurance would cover my Lap-Band. To be perfectly honest, I was expecting a denial… But to my surprise I received an approval letter in the mail today. I didn’t think it could be true and was so unsure that I drove all the way to the doctor’s office to show them (they haven’t gotten their copy yet)… It has been confirmed, I am approved for surgery!!! The doctor’s office needs to get their copy and then they will call me with a surgery date… when we pushed the office surgery for some idea she said that for sure I would be “banded” before March 15th. I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I am awake. I have decided to only tell a few close people in my life and well… of course all of you… my new extended family. Thank you again for all your great support and advice. It is so helpful; you just can’t imagine how much I appreciate all of your feedback and daily support. I may not post much, but I read every day and once I am banded… I hope to have more insightful comments to add. Take Care Everyone and Happy New You!

Thanks Kiwigirl, Quakergirl and Marsha for your responses. It helps so much to know that I have a community I can use to get all the support I need and want. I will keep everyone updated on my progress... thanks again.

Hi Marcia, I wonder if you have tried explaining this to your husband in the same way you explained it to all of us. I would think that he would understand and not want you to feel this way... I am not saying that he should move forward with telling his and your family about his Lap-Band, if he is not comfortable with this... but he may be able to come to your defense when remarks about your weight are made. Sometimes I just don't think people get it... unless they have actually walked a mile in your shoes. Even if their remarks are not meant to be hurtful, they are still causing you pain and that should be enough for you and your husband to come together and support each other through this journey. I imagine that since you don't qualify for insurance to pick-up the costs of surgery you are feeling left out and I don't blame you. Seeing him being successful with the help of his new tool and knowing in your heart that you could probably have those same successes if you were banded... well, let's just say that I agree with Bob... You are a great wife! I hope others on this site will be able to provide you with some support. Remember that there are people who understand what you are going through. Stay strong and good luck.

I agree with Nicole... I hope you don't have to deal with him through this entire process. I too am in the process of all the pre-op tests and hopefully getting closer to insurance approval. I had seen my doctor in July about my concerns with my weight... he had me meet with a dietician... quite frankly I was able to teach her a few things about nutrition :guess And he also ordered a series of tests: Thyroid, Cholesterol, Glucose... All came back normal. After I finished my scheduled sessions with the dietician... I went back to my doctor told him I had been to a WLS informational seminar and wanted a referral to the surgeon. I got the referral and met with the surgeon, she said my labs were recent enough that all I needed was an EKG (also normal) and a chest xray. I went back to my doctor for the EKG and hope to get the chest x-ray within the next week or so. Then???? I guess I wait to hear from the surgeon and/or insurance. What a waiting game! But all worth it if I can get insurance to pick-up the costs. Right now the only negative effect of my weight is my BMI and some joint and back pain. Good luck and try to stay strong... people who have never had a weight problem sometimes feels that they have the right to degrade those of us who struggle with our weight... We are all the same in on the inside and you deserve respect.

I thought that 7-11 was selling diet coke ICEE's, but I found the ICEE web site and they don't list diet coke as a product: http://www.icee.com/ But, they do have nutritional information and yes it is pretty much all fructose corn syrup... but the calories are less than 100 for 8 oz. Ingredient Statement: Coca-Cola classic syrup (high fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose, Water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, caffeine), quillaia and yucca extract. All ingredients are used in accordance with food Additive Regulations and appropriate GRAS listings. Nutrition Information: Serving Size 8 Fluid ounces (240mL) Calories 65 Carbohydrates 18 g Sodium 1 6 mg Potassium 2 0 mg Phosphorous 27 mg Caffeine 15 mg Vitamin C 0 mg Aspartame 0 mg Saccharin 0 mg Protein 0 g Fat 0 g I am not trying to encourage you to do things you don't feel right about, but sometimes for me it helps if I give myself permission and plan around the things I really want. Good luck!

The seminar I attended was very small (maybe 30 people) and definitely nothing to be nervous about. It was general info on WLS, not much on Lap-Band and Q&A at the end. Upon leaving if you were interested in meeting with the surgeon, you could get paperwork to fill out and mail back in to them. I filled out the paperwork and made copies of ALL my supporting weight loss attempts and mailed it in... then I made an appointment with my family physician and asked for a referral. Before the referral came the surgeon's office called to set up an appointment. I waited for the referral and had my appointment with the surgeon yesterday. Now it is more testing and hopefully insurance approval! I'm hopefully on my way!!! Good luck to you, the seminar is no big deal and like the others said... if you have been doing your research you probably know everything that will be discussed already. Take Care,

Vera, Thanks for the reply. I too am concerned about how long it might take especially if I am first denied and must go through the approval process. My first appointment with the surgeon went very well and she said pretty much the same as you… A lot of insurance companies still won’t approve the Lap-Band. She is even in the process of helping one patient with an appear to Blue Cross as they have told this patient that they won’t cover Lap-Band because it is still an experimental device. This surgeon is of the opinion that Lap-Band is the best option younger people with BMI’s over 40 and no co-morbidities. She is willing to help me in any way she can, so I am feeling very lucky. Now, I need to get an EKG and Chest X-ray and wait for word from the insurance company. Thanks again for the info. All the best,

Hi Vera, I am not sure if you already mentioned this, but I was wondering if you tried to get your insurance to cover Lap-Band prior to going to MX for surgery. I too have a BMI of 41 with no comorbitities. I was referred by my primary care physician to see the surgeon and my first appointment is today. Right now, I plan to try and see if my insurance will cover the procedure and I may even go as far as trying for an appeal if necessary… But, I have done my research and decided the Lap-Band is the option for me and may end up in T.J., MX with Dr. Kuri if I get too frustrated dealing with my insurance company. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Hi Caroline, Best of luck to you. I am pre-band and just got my referral to the surgical center today. If I can't get insurance to pay, I am also considering Dr. Kuri. I am looking forward to hearing about your experience. I hope you recover quickly! Anne

Hi Daria, All the best to you. I am preop, so I don't have any advice.... but I do look forward to hearing how things go for you. Please share when you are feeling up to it. Good luck! Anne

I meant to post this as a reply... not a new thread. Sorry

Hi All, My apologies... I really don't know how to post to this site. I was trying to post a response to this thread and ended up creating yet ANOTHER thread on Sacramento. I recently posted a message about other pre-banders and banders in the Sacramento area... unfortunately I didn't see this posting before I created mine! -- Sorry I tried to check out the Yahoo group: Sacramento Bandsters @ Yahoogroups.com... But I couldn't locate it. Is it still active? If you still have monthly meetings, how can I find out more? I recently attended an informational seminar for Sacramento Bariatric Medical Association and Dr. Bruce Wolf is now working there and still doing Obesity research at UC Davis. He was not very positive about the Lap-Band. When I asked him how many Lap-Band procedures he has done, he said about 50 and then went on to say how he doesn't really feel that it is very effective and it works for some, but not for others, blah, blah, blah. I kind of tuned him out because he wasn't present for the beginning of the session and the other doctor (Machado) who is the director at this facility was very positive when she presented Lap-Band as one of the options. I met with my primary care doctor today and he is putting in the referral to have me seen by Sac Bariatric... said it might take 3-4 weeks. I have Cigna HMO and am a bit scared that they will not cover the surgery. I have a current BMI of 41.3, but no real co-morbidities except some joint pain and back pain. We will see... I am determined to get the Lap-Band and will go to Mexico if I have to. Thanks, Anne