Kami63

Hey Topdownbug! Congrats! Looks like I am one step behind you ( I will be banded the 17th) How long are you taking off work?

I didnt have any documentation either, so my insurance made me do a 3 month supervised weightloss plan. It wasnt so bad after I got over the initial shock of being denied. Good Luck!

You know, they now have Gas X strips (like the listerine strips) that just disolve in your mouth! I thought those would be great!

I guess that is right, I never thought about it that way. My real date did turn out to be the 17th of October. It seems so close. I have started shopping for things I will need after surgery. I am still a little freaked out by the liquid and mushie phases, but I will manage. I know I can do this and I am definitely ready. By the way, does anyone know where I can find liquid tylenopl that isnt a cold remedy?:help:

Thank you all for your support, I couldn't be happier and more scared about the journey I am about to go on. After the initial happiness wore off, I got really frightened about all the stuff I know I am going to go through. But I know it will all be worth it in the end, so I will definitely not turn back now!!!

The only thing my nutritionist told me about the band was that you have to chew and you can only eat 4oz of food at a time. I was going through AiGB a center for lap=band, so they gave me the number of the nutritionist that comes to their campus. Basically I paid $100.00 for her to tell me to add oatmeal to my diet and that everything else was fine because I was already on a weight loss plan. This probably didnt help, but it was fun sharing my experience!!

Hi, to get the ticker to show up, you need to copy the link that says bbcode on your ticker page. then you need to go to edit your signature on lapbandtalk.com. take out the link you have and then replcae it with the bbcode link. Then click on preview and it should show you your picture. THen save your signature. Hope this helps!

Hello all. I am new here. I have never posted on a board, but I figure now is a good time to try. I am awaiting approval for my band. I go for all the DIagnostics tomorrow and I am nervous. There are not many people I am willing to tell, so I don't have many people to talk to about this. You all seem so nice. Someone please wish me luck, this surgery would change my life. Thanks! Melissa300 Not Banded Waiting on Insurance approval 306/300/150ish:rain: Ps: why is it raining all the time. I feel like I am drowning in Texas

Thanks for the reply. I only have one more month of supervised diet!! woohoo!! I go for my last meeting on Sept 14th!! Then we resubmit to the insurance. Hope I get approved!!

What decided it for me? Well, I have known people who have had both types of surgery. Particularly one that had the gastric bypass done 14 years ago. She is by no means as overweight as she was before, but her whole life is a struggle to not gain. Since I have known her she has gained 30 pounds and 20 of that was in one year. So her weight loss has been semi permanent. Then I know someone who had the lap band in 2001 when it first was approved. She lost the weight slowly and did not have to have plastic surgery. Also, she was back to work within 3 days after surgery!! On top of these personal experiences with people who have had both surgeries, I did research and more research until I wasn't afraid anymore and I knew the lapband was what I wanted. I am still inthe struggle to be approved but I knnow it will all be worth it when I dont have to take 14 pills a day at only 25 years old. Good luck with your decision. Only you know what is right for you!!:ranger:

Yeah, I thought it was really strange that my company is making me do all of this. But apparently they had an influx of people doing the surgery and decided to put some parameters on it. When I first started, someone told me that my company didnt cover it at all anymore, so I guess I am just luck that they cover it. Thank you both for your support. I can talk about all of this to my husband, but somehow it is very comforting to speak to people who are going through it all as well, or have been there. I am calling my campany representative today to see if the June and July appts will work. If they dont then I am royally screwed. Excuse the language. Oh well, we'll see! I am staying positive see?

I went today for my psych eval, my stress test, and my nutrition eval. I took the day off from work because the stress test had to be done in the morning according to the center. So I get there and they make me wait an hour and then they call me to the window to tell me that someone made a mistake when scheduling me!!! They said that I needed to make an appointment with a Cardiologist outside of the center. So they wasted my time. On the brightside, when I figured out that I needed the day off for the stress test, I scheduled the psych and nutrition appts so I got those out of the way. AND, I found out late last week that the COMPANY that I work for (not the insurance) requires me to have 3 months of supervised diet before they will even allow the paperwork to go to the insurance....SO, now I am not waiting on insurance, now I am waiting until I can get in all the appts for the supervised diet. Luckily I had started one in June, so hopefully they will accept the dr's notes from June and July and I will just have to do August. So needless to say, they cancelled my August 30th surgery date late last week:faint:Thats it. That is all I have to say other than I am trying to remain positive and not pull all of my hair out. (that would be tragic) Thanks for listening and sorry it was soooo long. Goodnight all :notagree

cherylgymnast, The information is appreciated, however, most of us are here because we have tried anything and everything and spent a lot of money doing all of the FAD diets. While there are alternatives to surgery, your doctor and you should be the ones to decide what is right for you. I am still pretty young, but I have a condition that will not allow me to have children unless I drastically drop in weight. So, yes I am young and there are alternatives but I have tried everything I can and I am now ready to use the lapband as my tool for success. Please don't let anyone discourage you from doing what you and your doctor decided was the right decision for you, be it diet and exercise or WLS. Sorry for the ramble but I had to get it all in! GOOD LUCK everyone on making your decisions whatever they may be!

<p>DonHoll1,</p> <p> </p> <p>Good luck! I am happy for you doing the surgery anyway. I would too. I am seriously having anxiety attacks. I have never felt this way. They finally submitted my paperwork to the insurance and I thought I would feel relieved, but now I am more anxious because I hope the insurance approves me. I guess when I am approved I will move on to feeling anxiety about the actual surgery, I am an emotional wreck... I hope that I am the only one who feels this way because I would not want anyone else to endure this anxiety... Anyway please be careful on your journey and let us know how you are. PS....Don't chicken out. It will all be worth the struggles we go through to get there....(I saw that on another post)</p> <p> </p> <p>Melissa300</p>

It doesnt seem that bad that people know. Except I have people who barely know me asking me questions. Thankfully, I found this site and I can answer everyone's questions, but I wish I didnt have to. People at work are soooo nosey!! LOL. Oh well. Life goes on and soon I can look forward to seeing a thinner me in the mirror. Although, waiting on the insurance is not fun. I think the combination of waiting and the thought of surgery itself has stirred up a few anxiety attacks. Never had those before, but I feel so panicky sometimes when I think about what I am working so hard to acheive. I have never had any type of surgery so this is kinda freaking me out. I just know that it will all be worth it. Bad news, my sis (who is just as heavy) has an exclusion and her insurance will not cover the surgery. I feel so bad for her. She seemed like she wanted to cry when she told me. Hopefully in January she can switch to another insurance. Well, this is getting long. Thanks for listening. Melissa300:wacko:

GOOD LUCK on your journey to a leaner you!

RN2be2008, It sounds like we have a lot in common. I am 25 and have been married for 3 years. I have 150 pounds to lose to be the ideal BMI. Every year my company takes us all to six flags, and I cannot ride rides anymore. It is sooo embarassing. It is coming around again in Sept and I am thinking of not going to avoid the walk of shame off the ride when you did not fit. I too have a very loving and supportive husband. Congrats on your band. Hopefully I will be banded soon. Hopefully sometime soon we will both be able to ride any ride we want! Good luck with your journey. It will be both challenging and exciting! Melissa

I guess I told the wrong person, or someone over heard me talking about it, so now it is buzzing around the office that I am having a gastric bypass. Now I have to do some damage control. I am NOT having a gastric bypass. I thought I was careful, but I guess not careful enough. Now the whole office will know... That terrifies me... This is my secret, and I should be able to tell only those I want to tell. On the upside. At least if everyone knows, maybe I will have to answer less que3stions about where i was and why I am losing so much weight! Is it bad that everyone knows?:omg:

Yeah, I finally scheduled my stress test and my psych consult but they are not until the 30th of this month. That was the first available appt. Then the insurance will take 2-4 weeks to answer. At this rate, I may not get banded until September. Oh well, I am trying to stay positive. Goodnight!

ROC, IT is very soon for you! I wish you the best and don't let your nerves get to you. Soon you will de a banded one!!

:faint:Oh my. That does sound rediculous. I have United HealthCare and they wanted BMI greater than 35 I believe and then I had to get records for 5 years showing that I was obese. That was not difficult for me to get. I would probably pay for it myself as well, if I had to wait that long just to see if they might possibly consider allowing you to have surgery. Again I must be lucky. I changed my insurance in Jan to United. I had Blue cross before and they are also pretty difficult to get it approved from what I hear. I would be pulling my hair out right about now if I hadn't made that change. It was good to talk to you. It really put my situation into perspective. I should just be greatful it is covered and fight throught the wait and the testing. Again, good luck and I wish you the best of success on your new journey.

WOW! Would you have had to do a 6 month medically directed diet? Hopefully I will be banded before the end of August! My insurance was relatively easy compared to most, so I feel pretty lucky. I read that someone else had to do a 12 month medically directed diet. I was really shocked. That sounds like torture! Good Luck on your Journey!

Lorien, Whew!! 8 months!! Hang in there and Good Luck! Melissa:clap2:

Roc, GOOD LUCK! I too am scared about anesthesia, I have never been put to sleep. But I rest assured by my Doctors that there have been no incidents at this location. hf2havefun, Good luck!! I'm glad someone else feels this anxiousness to move on with it! LOL. Keep us in the loop! Melissa

Marnie723, Yeah my coworker just never went back and if you don't get to your perfect fill, it is possible to eat enough to gain it all back. It is unfortunate because she went through all of that and she is still big. But the band is a tool. everyone I have known that has had it done says that it isn't just like a magic pill. you really have to want it and be motivated to follow the ten golden rules of banded patients. If not you will not succeed. I have met several patients in and out of the surgery center that didnt succeed because they never modified their behavior. If it is psychological and you are eating emotionally, not becvause you are hungry, they say you are less likely to succeed. I am no expert at this, but I have researched this for years because I have known so many people that have done it and have been successful. Good luck with the 12month waiting period. I am sorry you have to go through that. But at least when you get it done finally, you will know that was what you really wanted and not an impulse decision. After years of research, I finally made the decision, and for me it seems the process can not go fast enough, I would like surgery now, thank you. But I have to be patient and allow the process to unfold. Oh, i almost forgot, I chose my doctor because I got several referrals from other happy patients. I have never heard anyhthing bad about Dr. Fox. Usually if you ask the people int he waiting room at the center, they will tell you exactly what they think of their doctor! Some good some bad. LOL. Good Luck and if you need someone to talk to while you "weight", I am here.