jackie506

I can totally relate to this. I have a almost 16 year old daughter who was very small and petite until she was about 8-9 years old then she started to get 'husky'. She just kept going up. The last couple of years she has stayed right around 220-230 but she is totally miserable!!! When I started looking into the band for myself (I am yet to be banded. In the process of insurance approval and etc) she asked me if she could do it also. I called our insurance and they will not cover until she is 18. e then talked about going to Mexico but I just can not get myself comfortable with that so we have decided that she will wait until she is 18 and up until then we will keep trying. It is so hard because here I am morbidly obese trying to teach my obese daughter how to eat. Talk about blind leading the blind!! She gets frustrated with me sometimes and she will say 'not all of us can have surgery.' I am so worried about her psychy after I have the surgery. She tries to be sooooo supportive and yet sometimes I feel as though I am 'abandoning' her. Our insurance requires a 6 month supervised diet and they told us they were thinking of increasing that to 12 months so our family doc and DD and I have all talked and we will be working on this supervised diet for the next 2 years. She needs to lose the weight now so we are starting (should have done that a while ago). I hope she can lose the weight on her own over the next 2 years but if not....she will have the dreaded supervised diet over with so she will be clearing her way for surgery if she opts for it. The benefit is she will be seeing first hand front row seat what I have to go through after the band. She will be able to see first hand all the work, dedication and life style change. When she is 18 IF she is still obese, she will be able to make an INFORMED decision about the surgery. The next two years are going to be very hard for her but I am all for waiting until she is at least 18. I myself have struggles most of my adult life with obesity losing 60-70 lbs 2 times only to gain it all back and then some. She is almost 16 and her friends and her go out to eat lunch and sometimes supper now. She has always been accepted and had friends that accept her for who she is but SHE does not accept herself. It is disheartening to see your beautiful daughter dressed in big hooded sweatshirts or zip up coats in June and July when it is so hot to try to hide herself. Today she was with friends and they decided to go swimming and she told them she 'didn't feel well' so that she could get out of it gracefully. So disheartening to see her pull herself out of a group and hang back. She has a great big heart and wants to wear all the pretty girl things and do the girly things ut always feels as through she has to 'hide'. I think banding for alot of teens unfortunately is definately in their futures. I noticed at the high school on several occasions the last couple of years that A LOT of kids are over weight and obese. I don't think we should encourage the surgery but I can tell you I can not wait for the day my daughter can be at a healthy weight and feel ok about herself whether she accomplishes that surgically or naturally. I just want to see her happy and to see her fluorish. She is an A honor roll girl and has a lot to offer. Sorry for such a long post. I am just so happy to see others who deal with the same heart breaking issues with their teens.

Thank you for posting about your 6 years. I am not yet banded but I rarely see anyone post on here that is over 2-3 years out with the band. It was really encouraging for me to read your post and about your success. Congratulations to you on your 3 babies and marriage. You have really accomplished a lot in the last 6 years

Do you have BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF IOWA?

TheLid I have 1 more month. I have seen my doctor every month since January but in January when I went I was so angry about the weight and hadn't made my mind up 100% so I went in to 'talk' to him about my weight but refused to be weighed. Stubborness just gained me another month because I have to have 6 consecutive 'weigh in' months before submiting. I go again tomorrow for another weigh in and I am going to plead with my doctor to fill out a paper for the month of January. We are going on a trip in August so I am hoping to be on the other side of bandland and be well on my way to healing. My doc is really great so I am thinking he will do it. I was there and my weight has not really changed up or down that much (I am down 12 lbs now) so he does have it documented that I was there and we talked about it so I am thinking he can document a weight because I have stayed so close for the past 5 months. Cross your fingers and toes and everything else and please pray for me tomorrow afternoon.

Ditto to what Lucy said. I don't think any of us could have said it better but I know all of us here can relate.

Congratulations to you!!! I am soooo envious. I am finishing up my supervised diet. You are really lucky you didn't have to do it. BCBS told me they would not approve if a person doesn't do that. Lucky you!! Whens the big date? Where are you having it done?

XGRL Lorsbander and I are both seeing Dr Glasscock also. I printed his credentials and took them to my regular PCP and he looked over them and told me Dr G has great credentials. I have also met a few other people who have had surgery by him (rouxenY and lapband) and I have not met one person who doesn't rave about how good he is. Good luck!

I am not banded yet but I was interested in all of the different things everyone has posted about times their surgeon gave them. I looked back in the paperwork I got from the surgeon at my consult to confirm and he says nothing to drink 1/2 hour before meals and nothing for 1 hour after. There really is a lot of discrepensies (sp?). Who knows who is right? LOL

Congratulations on making the decision to pursue the lapband and wellcome. Hope your consultation goes well. Keep us posted!!!

Hey Lori!! I have missed hearing from you. Hope your pulse ox was good. I got the CPAP but I really don't like it. It usually falls off my face a couple of times a night. I am one who tosses and turns so that is why. The straps come undone pretty easy. Got the results of my endoscopy yesterday. He says that I have a small amount of inflamation from the acid reflux but the biopsy they took came out normal and he does not see any reason I will not do fine with the lapband. He told me he thought I am a great candidate. YEAH!!!!!:clap2: I still have to see a pulmonologist but Mary at the office said I could just wait until I am approved if I want because it won't take me long to get into one. That is all that is left and then to have blood work right before. My goodness I better be approved! LOL. Feel like I have been ran through the mill. Are you submitting to insurance after you get your pulse ox results? Good luck!!!:biggrin1:

Do as many tests as you can. My PCP ordered all of the tests that I have already done and BCBS paid. I was really nervous about doing them all pre approval because I read some where that one person done that and their insurance wouldn't cover the costs because they weren't approved. I personally didn't think that made sence since we have to do the testing to see if we have co morbidities.

XGRL I know what you mean about the phentermine. I was on that stuff back in 99 and 2000 and that is why they made me have an echo to make sure I had no damage done to the heart valves. Luckily everything is 'clean as a whistle and looks 100% normal' (quote of the doctor). I have been on several supervised diets also. Just not 6 consecutive months within the last 2 years. I had given up on doing them because the only one that ever worked was the phen phen and then they took 1/2 of that off the market. I was to scared to continue taking the phentermine after that. Held off all these years without having an echo too surgeon said I had to have one befor he would do surgery so I done it. Was so relieved when they told me everything was fine. I really think I will get approved. The surgeon's office told me that BCBS is not hard to get approved if you meet their requirements and do everything they want done prior to submitting. I sure hope they are right. I am so afraid of getting my hopes up and then being shot down. I have totally met my annual out of pocket maximum so my surgery itself will cost me nothing. I had some other testing done for something else and then all these others the surgeon wanted so I met the $3,000.00 out of pocket max quick. Keep your spirits high and fight for what you want. Don't let them tell you no.

XGRL My BMI is 47. My friend has a BMI of only 36 and she was approved. She has diabetis. She has been trying to get the surgery for a while but she only had 1 co morbidity. Now she has high cholesterol and they approved her because now she has 2 co morbidities. Am I the ony one or does that sound ass nine? They wouldn't approve it until her health became WORSE!!! I don't get it. Good luck to you and congrats on taking control now. Don't let them deny and then walk away. Keep trying!! I haven't had surgery yet either but I am hoping by August. The surgeons office told me they don't think I will have any problem getting approved because of my BMI and I now have diagnosed sleep apnea and use a CPAP. I have 1 more visit for the supervised diet and then we will be submitting. I have already done my endoscopy, sleep study, psych eval, nutritionist, surgery consult, echocardiogram and now just 1 more month of the 6 month supervised diet. I have been very proactive in this persuit getting all of my testing done prior to even submitting. The surgeon told me that was great because I shouldn't have any waiting time once/if I am approved for surgery except for the 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery. Thank Goodness. Good luck on your pursuit and keep us posted. I will post when/if anything new happens here.

THank you soooo much for your words of wisdom Lori ann. I just needed to hear from someone else who had the same situation. I have also done the sleep study and they have found that I have sleep apnea so that is another co morbidity. I have achey knee and ankle joints and doc has told me for 2 years it is my weight. I am 34 and my BMI is 47.7. I am REALLY praying that I get approved and can have surgery in August. I called the surgeons office today and they reassured me AGAIN, LOL, that they think I will be approved the first time and that this happens to a lot of people. Those people are just AWSOME with patients. The co ordinator at the office always has time to talk and answer questions or just lend an ear. LOVE 'EM!!! I appreciatate all the support I find here and would love to hear from anyone else who has BCBS of Iowa. Thank you!!!!!

I will be praying for you and keep us all posted. You are a real trooper and seeing how you push through things encourages me when I begin to fatler in my thinking. Thank you and good luck to ya!!!!

I am so sorry Alex. I hope that you will be able to turn their decision around. Good luck on the 6 pounds you have lost though. Keep your spirits up!!!!!!!

I am hoping to be banded in August of this year. Do you think all doctors will start using the 'new' band? I am really hoping so.

Thanks for the information. After reading about the whole process :star: it just reaffirmed for me that the lapband is the right one . I am just soooooo afraid of having things removed and rerouted in different ways than God intended. I will continue on my journey to try getting the lapband. Thanks again for the info.

Honey- I am so sorry for your loss. I am not yet banded and I worry about band slipping, being stuck or one of the several other things some people talk about. Good luck!!! Can anyone tell me what the 'DS' is. I have read several other threads before that talk about converting from the band to the DS. I was just wondering what that is and are the cutting some of the stomach and intestine out and then rerouting anything? That is what scares me about the rouxenY. Good luck all and keep posting. This site has really helped me in my journey BEFORE banding. I am learning a lot!!!

I just got my results of my sleep test today. I have mild sleep apnea. I really honestly was not surprised but very disappointed. Just another problem caused from my weight but also another reason for me to get healthy for myself. My daughter has told me for about the last year that I snore really loud and sometimes I wake her up because I 'gasp' for breath like I can't breath. Funny because I don't ever remember waking up but they said I woke up several times through out my study. I am waiting to hear from the Dr. Office as to when I will be going again to getting 'titrated' with the machine. Anyone have the machine and was it hard to get used to? I am actually looking forward to it in a small way because they told me I won't believe the difference in the way I will feel after having a peaceful night of sleep with no apnea episodes. Anyway just needed to tell someone. Crossing my fingers that my endoscopy and echo cardiogram are ok. Have endo tomorrow and echo in a week. Thanks everyone

I have had GERD for the past 10-11 years and I was told that I would still be able to have the band. The surgeon had everyone he does surgery on have an endoscopy done prior to surgery and if they find a hernia they will repair it during surgery. I am still not banded (getting pre banding tests, supervised diet completed) but I am not worried about being banded if something shows up in the endoscopy. I agree with everyone else.....look for a second opinion and good luck to you;)

Mandi I am not yet banded but I was told by my surgeon that I had to have the testing to rule it out even though I didn't think I had it. (he has EVERYONE he does surgery on either do a clinic or oximeter test) They told me I would be surprised by how many obese people have it don't know it. They told me that now since I was diagnosed as having sleep apnea that I would have to have the CPAP for at least 2 weeks prior to surgery, while in the hospital and 2 weeks after surgery because by treating my sleep apnea it will promote healing. They also told me that the anestegiologist (sp?) will take more precaution due to the apnea. My thought on that was they should be taking that precaution on everyone anyway. I don't know really. I just wanted to pass on what I have been told. There are alot of others that never had it. My friend that is going to the same surgeon did an oximeter test at home and she was told that since her O2 stats never went below 97% she does not have to do the clinic because she doesn't have apnea. If you are not comfortable with the whole thing yet talk with your doctor and tell him your concerns. Let him explain his reasoning. I have read so many different opinions on this.

The clinic I went to would have done the same but the tech said that I didn't meet insurance criteria meaning that she wasn't sure if I had it or not. She said the doctor who read the results would do several different mathematical equations to see if I had it. (how many apnea episodes I had per hour divided by plus minus blah blah blah HAHA) Anyway, I found out that everyone has sleep apnea but the 'normal' person has 3-5 episodes an hour and I had 7. In my opinion that should be ok but my surgeon says 'no you need the machine or he won't do the surgery so I am doing the machine so I can have surgery and as I said before....I honestly did sleep better and felt great the next day. It would have been nice to do it all in one night but that is ok. At least now I can say I am done and it is over with.

Congrats to you happy@83. How long did you have the band before converting to the sleeve. I am not banded yet and I am just weighing all of my options before. I am REALLY leaning towards the band. So many have success with it and their are some that don't. I am trying to talk to both groups to get all of the pro's and con's of it. I am 106 lbs over weight and I am hoping that the band will help. Thanks!!!

they called on april 27 to set up my first appointment for May 10 and then I called on May 21 to set up my next appointment and I got it for the very next night May 22. I was lucky I guess. Some people say it takes so long to get into both nights. The surgeons office couldn't believe how fast I got it all done and they got the results the very next day after both nights.