tulips

KU girl, You'll get it all worked out I'm sure. It's too bad you have to do that much pre-op. I assume by your username that you went to KU? I went there too. I loved it. Go Jayhawks!

Are you currently filled at all? Maybe you could unfill completely and see how it goes for awhile.

I am in KC and am self-pay. I have an appointment on Wednesday with Dr. Wanda Kaniewski in Lenexa. I have heard good things about her. She has done over 800 bands. I hope to be banded no later than the 24th. The cost is $13,500 for the band. Fills are $100-$150 and another couple hundred I think for the pre-op work. Seems like a very comprehensive program with lots of resources and support.

I still don't have a date, but I will be banded this month. I should know no later than Wednesday when my date will be. I'm excited, nervous, scared. I can't wait. You all seem like a great group and I hope we all can learn a lot from one another. I am so thankful for this board and all I've learned here already. What an incredible resource!

I plan to keep her! She is great. It was the first time I vocalized wanting the lapband. I was very fortunate to get the reaction I did! She didn't talk down to me or anything.

I was surprised at the response I got from my OB when I asked her if she thought I would be a good candidate. I am a lower bmi'er 32-33ish and she said YES. Very encouraging. Ordered blood work for me. She told me about patients of hers that have it and are doing well with it. I was expecting her to steer me away from it.

Okay. I have an appointment for my first consult, but I have alredy decided that I will have this procedure done. I am self pay and hope to be banded on the 24th of July at the latest. My story: I am 5'2" and with 184 as of this morning. The most I've weighed was 194 (exluding pregnancies). The least I've weighed that I can remember was weighing 135 on the day I got married. I had been dieting for months to get there. I was running 5 miles a day at least 5 days a week and not eating much. I swear, i must have gained 10 lbs on our honeymoon. My weight fluctuated after that from the 150s to high 160s for years. Then I had my 2 kids, who are 7 and 4. After my 4yo was born I dieted and went from 176 to 144. Again, running played a huge part. I actually maintained the weight for 6 months to a year, but the weight kept creeping up on me again. I just see this as such a pattern and want to end it. All of my friends are thin. Even at 135 I wasn't any thinner than anyone else. I was about the same, if not bigger. My family fights weight too. My father passed away at 69. He dieted most of his life too. He would have drastic swings of weight loss/gain. I am like my dad this way. My aunt was severely obese and confined to a scooter for the last 15-20 years of her life until she died at like 74. My mom is heavy. She is probably a size 20. My siblings all have to be careful. Right now, I am the fattest of all my siblings. I always used to be the small one. Anyway, I have decided to get this under control on a permanent basis. I can't wait!!! I am nervous, but more excited. i know it won't be an easy thing to lose the weight, but I hope to have control over my eating again. We leave on a cruise August 9th. I, of course, hoped to be thin for the cruise. That's obviously not going to happen. It would be nice if I could be 10 or 15 lbs down by then, though! I haven't been in shorts all summer. Capris are the closest I get. My legs are the very worst part of my body. They have always been huge. Even when I'm thin (relatively speaking) my legs are fat/thick. I have been going to a tanning salon to get some sun on my legs before the cruise. I know i can't avoid shorts or a swimsuit -- I will try though. I feel like I'm cheating my family being so big. I am not willing to take them to the pool b/c all these skinny moms are there in their cute suits and there I am in capris feeling fat and stupid. My kids and DH deserve more and so do I. My DH. He's a great guy. We have lots of fun together and he never makes me feel fat and gross. He is thin and very self-disciplined. He is successful in his job and we are, for the most part, happy. I don't think that he totally understands why I don't just eat the right foods and exercise more to lose the weight. At the same time, he is very practical. He sees the pattern too and even said "the best predictor of future behavior in past behavior". He in 100% on board with me having this done and has okay'd the $13,500 it will cost to have it done. Honestly, I don't think he has ever said no to anything I've ever wanted. I am so glad he didn't start now! Anyway, that's basically my story and where I'm at in this process. I am sooo looking forward to having a healthy lifestyle and being thin again!

Okay. I have an appointment for my first consult, but I have alredy decided that I will have this procedure done. I am self pay and hope to be banded on the 24th of July at the latest. My story: I am 5'2" and with 184 as of this morning. The most I've weighed was 194 (exluding pregnancies). The least I've weighed that I can remember was weighing 135 on the day I got married. I had been dieting for months to get there. I was running 5 miles a day at least 5 days a week and not eating much. I swear, i must have gained 10 lbs on our honeymoon. My weight fluctuated after that from the 150s to high 160s for years. Then I had my 2 kids, who are 7 and 4. After my 4yo was born I dieted and went from 176 to 144. Again, running played a huge part. I actually maintained the weight for 6 months to a year, but the weight kept creeping up on me again. I just see this as such a pattern and want to end it. All of my friends are thin. Even at 135 I wasn't any thinner than anyone else. I was about the same, if not bigger. My family fights weight too. My father passed away at 69. He dieted most of his life too. He would have drastic swings of weight loss/gain. I am like my dad this way. My aunt was severely obese and confined to a scooter for the last 15-20 years of her life until she died at like 74. My mom is heavy. She is probably a size 20. My siblings all have to be careful. Right now, I am the fattest of all my siblings. I always used to be the small one. Anyway, I have decided to get this under control on a permanent basis. I can't wait!!! I am nervous, but more excited. i know it won't be an easy thing to lose the weight, but I hope to have control over my eating again. We leave on a cruise August 9th. I, of course, hoped to be thin for the cruise. That's obviously not going to happen. It would be nice if I could be 10 or 15 lbs down by then, though! I haven't been in shorts all summer. Capris are the closest I get. My legs are the very worst part of my body. They have always been huge. Even when I'm thin (relatively speaking) my legs are fat/thick. I have been going to a tanning salon to get some sun on my legs before the cruise. I know i can't avoid shorts or a swimsuit -- I will try though. I feel like I'm cheating my family being so big. I am not willing to take them to the pool b/c all these skinny moms are there in their cute suits and there I am in capris feeling fat and stupid. My kids and DH deserve more and so do I. My DH. He's a great guy. We have lots of fun together and he never makes me feel fat and gross. He is thin and very self-disciplined. He is successful in his job and we are, for the most part, happy. I don't think that he totally understands why I don't just eat the right foods and exercise more to lose the weight. At the same time, he is very practical. He sees the pattern too and even said "the best predictor of future behavior in past behavior". He in 100% on board with me having this done and has okay'd the $13,500 it will cost to have it done. Honestly, I don't think he has ever said no to anything I've ever wanted. I am so glad he didn't start now! Anyway, that's basically my story and where I'm at in this process. I am sooo looking forward to having a healthy lifestyle and being thin again!

At this point, I don't think it's about restriction. The liquid diet isn't for weight loss. It is so you can heal properly. I could be wrong about this, but scar tissue (I think) is supposed to form around the band during this stage and is supposed to help prevent slippage in the future. If your band slips, that means surgery to remove or repair. Please don't take the chance. You have come this far. Don't eat any more solids. Please! Go back to liquids!!! Good luck and keep us posted!

This reminds me of when I delivered my oldest child. I'm not kidding. I was retaining so much fluid and was so swollen that I came home from the hospital weighing 2lbsmore than when I went in. My daughter weighed 7lbs 5 oz. Of course, as the swelling went away so did the weight. In 2 weeks I was down around 15lbs. I'll be banded later this month and with my luck, I'm fully expecting a similar experience. LOL. I hope your feeling well and have a quick recovery!

I am so sorry to hear about your experience. It doesn't sound like you got much information about how this process works and what you should eat etc. There is lots of great info out there on all of it. If I were you, I would go to a local Dr. that specializes in lapband and ask for help and guidance. As far as food choices go, if you go to iabsobesitysurgery.com and go to patient corner there is a diet guide explaining the different stages and what you should be eating when. I really hope you feel better soon! I'm sure there's lots of similar resources out there, this is from the doc I'm seeing. Good luck and keep us posted!

kland, That is awesome! Congratulations on your quick weight loss! What is your goal weight? I don't even have one yet. The thinnest I've been in the last 15 years (I'm only 35) was my wedding day 10 years ago. I was 135. I was running 5 miles a day and eating very little. I must have gained 10 lbs on our honeymoon and have yo-yo'd from the 140s- 190s (usually around 175) for many years now. According to the bmi charts I should be around 120. I can't even imagine how I'd look. I'd love to find out though. So, how are you feeling? Have you been able to exercise yet? Since we are both starting from the same point, I'd love to hear more of journey! Tulips

Thanks so much for all the advice. You have more than answered my question. I will try to get the surgery moved up if possible. If not, I will schedule it the day after the play. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but we have had these tickets for over a month and paid over $200 for the seats. My DH and I are surprising our girls and taking them to the Wizard of OZ so I can't miss it. Everyone seems to be doing a great job on their weight loss. How is everyone feeling. Is everyone happy that they got banded? I can't wait! I love seeing how much everyone has lost and can't wait to post as I move down the scale. Right now I'm 5'2 and 183. Ughhh!

I actually am okay with being around the food. I am more concerned about how I will feel after the surgery. How long of a recovery time am I going to need before I can go out and do things. If I have surgery on Monday a.m. is it plausible to go to a play on Monday p.m.? Is a little over 2 weeks okay to go on a cruise or will it be too hard with my dietarty restrictions and pain I may still have. I just don't know what to expect post surgery. I have read a lot and people have reported lots of gas pain and such, but can they go out and do stuff or do most still feel too bad and for how long? Thanks for all the great advice. Have you been happy with your progress on the band so far? Do you still feel like you are dieting or does that go away at some point?

I am getting banded later this month and other than my DH, I don't plan on telling anyone. My bmi is 33 and I know people would say I should try a regular diet (like I haven't already done that over and over again!) before resorting to surgery. I want this to be a permanent solution and just don't want to have to keep explaining this or feeling judged. Plus, my mom would freak over the cost since insurance won't cover it for me. I don't even plan on telling our kids -- only 7 and 4-- they would blab it to everyone -- including my mom --for sure. All of my friends are really thin. I bet none of the women I'm friends with are over 140 lbs and most are probably around 110-125. I don't want the judgment from them either. Thank God my husband is supportive!

Want kind of alcohol? If it's beer I wouldn't because of the carbonation. If it's wine or mixed drinks, maybe. I have not been banded yet, but from what I've read, carbonation can hurt the band.

Hi all, I'm new to this forum -- sort of. I was considering a band w/ the help of insurance a few months ago. I had a bmi of 35 with no co-morbidities. I had blood work done (I am very healthy) and eventually dropped the idea since I knew insurance wouldn't cover it. I have been trying to lose over the last few months with very little success. My bmi is now 33.7. Anyway, I had a talk with my DH and he is okay with me going self-pay. He doesn't totally get why I can't eat normallly. He has never struggled with weight and is very self-disciplined. At the same time, he is unbelievably supportive and I don't think has ever said no to anything I've really wanted. Okay, I have talked with the nurse and I have a consult on Wed. She indicated I could probably be banded as soon as the July 23 or 24th! We have tickets to a play on the evening of the 23rd. I am assuming I won't be up to going and should schedule the surgery for the 24th instead? Also, we have a cruise planned for August 9th. Will I be miserable on the cruise? I thought about putting off the band until all of these things are over, but we always have something going on. At the end of September we are going to Europe to celebrate our 10yr anniversary. I am secretly hoping they will be able to squeeze me in a week earlier -- like the 16th or 17th. I doubt it can happen so quickly, but I am not above asking. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I got a call from a nurse at my Dr.s office. She said my blood work came back with "fabulous" results. My cholestoral is low-- 167 I think. My blood glucose level (diabetes) is also low -- not even borderline. I really don't have any other comorbidities. Unfortunately, I'm not going to pursue the lap band at this point. I have already started losing some weight (only 6 lbs), but even that puts me under a 35 bmi. As far as my diet goes, I was on the treadmill for a little over 30 minutes. I did a combo of running and walking with an incline. I skipped breakfeast -- I know that's not good, but I was in a hurry. lunch was super healthy -- a bean burrito and soft taco from Taco Bell (yes I'm being sarcastic). For dinner I had a salad with grilled chicken. I hope everyone is doing well. Honestly, I probably won't stay on the board much longer since I'm not going to pursue the band right now. You guys are great and I hope all reach your goals soon!

Veronica - Thanks so much for all your good advice and support. I really appreciate it! I will post what I ate each day and how much I exercised (if at all). I think that will help me be accountable. I hear what you are saying about submitting to insurance regardless. If they say no, though, I'm that much further behind in losing. I have a lot to lose between now and August. I will post again later this evening. Hey, how are you feeling? Fill us in on how it's going for you.

Veronica - Glad to know you are feeling well! Are you hungry at all or do you feel satisfied with just liquids? Keep up posted on your progress. Tonia - what kind of insurance do you have? I've decided that if my blood tests come back showing I have diabetes or high cholestoral, I will try to get insurance to approve me. If it shows nothing, I don't think my chances are very good of getting approved. I've already started to lose weight and want to keep it going if the chances of insurance covering it are low. I've already lost 6lbs. I'm 5'2 and weigh 187. I'd have to gain less than 10 lbs to have a bmi of 35 for insurance purposes. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be hard for me at all. I am surprinsingly motivated to lose right now. I am so scared I won't be able to do it on my own. I'm even more scared that if I do lose the weight I won't be able to keep it off. Story of my life. We have booked a cruise for August and I'd really like to look decent when we go. This October my DH and I celebrate our 10th anniversary. I dieted before the big day 10 years ago and got down to 133 -- I haven't seen that # on the scale since. I hope to hear about my blood work today. I'm not sure what I want it to reveal.

That's exactly what I've done. The Doc I want to see has his informational seminar on Monday night. It is all full, though. I called the office and left a message to see if there's any way I could get in. The next one is at the end of March. He requries attendance before he'll meet with you. I'm not sure what I'll do if I don't get to go Monday. I am really motivated to lose NOW and if I start/continue dieting, by the end of March I'm not going to qualify anymore because of my bmi (if I qualify at all). I don't want to not lose weight before then because I'm afraid if insurance denies coverage (even with a bmi of 35 ==their minimum) then I'm that much farther from my goal. Ughhh. I hate this. I hope I hear from the doc's office soon.

Thanks for the nice welcome. Biker girl, congratulations on your banding! I'll look forward to hearing your progress. I'm trying to go through insurance -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of California. On paper their guidelines seem reasonable. I hope they are easy to deal with and approve me quickly. I haven't even been to my initial consult. I made an appointment for Wednesday, but I think I'm going to cancel. After reviewing this board I found some pretty bad things said about the Dr. I had an appointment with. Anyway, I'm going to see if I can get an appointment with someone else without doing the seminar. I hate not knowing if/when I'm going to get this done! I'm not very patient and way too obsessive -- not a good combination!

BGB, You really seem to be doing great on your weight loss. I can't believe you were just banded 1/5 and have already lost so much weight. I hope I will have similar success (if I'm able to get it done)!

Hi guys! I really like this thread a lot! I am brand new to this process, but have read a lot about it. My initial consult is Wednesday. I am really nervous about my insurance covering this procedure. My bmi is 35. I went to my annual check up yesterday and I asked my GYN if she thought I would be a good candidate for Lap-Band. She said yes. However, my insurance (BCBS of California) requires a co-morbid condition. My Dr. suggested I get some blood work done to see if I have high cholestrol or diabetes. I probably won't get these results until eary next week. Since this is the low bmi thread, I am curious as to how many of you self paid and how many were covered by insurance. I can hardly wait 'til Wednesday. I want this procedure!!!

Hi! I am new to this and have a lot of questions! I haven't even had my intial consult yet-- it is scheduled for Wednesday. I have a 35 bmi. I am cautiously optimistic that insurance will cover it. If not, I won't be able to get banded. Could someone answer a couple of questions I have? First, I 've been reading some of the discussions. What is the rationale for not being able to drink with meals. Is that a permanent thing? Also, what is BPing? I look forward to being part of this board and hope to be banded soon! Robin