MMS

How long was everyones psych eval is you had to have one?? I got there at 7:50 am, in almost immediately and didn't get out til 12:30!! The worst part was the little block puzzles, I felt like SUCH a complete moron.

It is 99.9% sure that I will be denied having my insurance cover the surgery. I spoke with two people in our Health Plans office and two reviewers from my insurance company and it does not look good at all. I have 3 dietician appointments yet and unless the surgeon becomes a pulitzer prize winning dx writer, I am sunk. I always knew there was a possibility that this would happen. I have a BMI of 37 and my co-morbidities are "soft". I didn't expect to be this let down. I have been dreaming of buying things off sale racks and having more energy and being skinnier and healthier. I still want to get there, but GOD THIS SUCKS! Escpically after the RN was telling me all these great results of patients they have. AND she told us of a lady who had the surgery last Oct and has lost one pound. Someone like that can get coverage and then, what I think, waste 20,000 bucks and not do the right thing and here I am DESPERATE. This is so sad, I can't even talk about it anymore.

I have read a number of things about Mexico. It crossed my mind more than once. You can't help looking into it - it's everywhere you do reasearch on the band! Even that amount would be a strectch for us right now. I am willing what I need to do to get healthier, but I won't do it at the expense of not paying necessary bills or feeding my kids. I just don't see getting that amount together anytime soon. We don't have a ton of expedible income right now and I can't justify sugery for what we do have. I appreciate all the good ideas though. I did make the appointment with the surgeon and I will see what he has to say. I think I may need an even LONGER psych eval. I can't believe how sh___y I feel! I keep telling myself that I am healthy in every other way and that's a good thing and that I need to suck it up. There are thousands of people without health coverage and that have to walk themselves or seriously ill children to Doc's and I have no reason to complain about this little glitch. The worst thing is. A friend of mine had her's done today. The day I find out mine is all falling apart. Ahhh irony, gotta love it. I didn't know she was getting it done til like a week ago. I was and am SUPER excited for her, she needs it way worse then me, but now I am jealous! I hate that. So not me and that's the part I hate the most! :rolleyes

I know, I have heard of that option. I can't put my family financially in that spot right now.

Yeah!! I love the stories!!!!!! Rapunzel!! That is a good analogy! I know it will go fast. Just everything all at once is on a major hold. And the information I was waiting for in the mail? Ya, today the genius that works in the record department mailed it to my house instead of the school I am applying to. They have a policy about it arriving to them in a sealed envelope. I threw it on the counter like it was on fire and was frantically dialing the phone. So that will set me back a few more days, at least I now know what the hold up was. But that is totally my luck! So this is lame, but in 16 hours I will know more and that makes me feel better.

I am in the beginning stages of this. I went to the seminar, had my really, really, really long psych eval and I have the appt with the RN and Nut on Thursday and it's KILLING ME. I am a naturally inpatient person and this is really kicking it into high gear. I also have some other things I am waiting for to come in the mail and phone calls from people to line things up for the school year and haven't gotten those. It's all too much for me this week! I know that my surgery probably won't be til November at the earliest, in my head, I am ok with that, but just getting passed this stage is totally making me crazy! Tell me all the great things you can do now that you could not before, give me your before and after stats. Something, entertain me!!! LOL!!! We also go some pics back from our last hiking trip that were taken at the spot we got married. I look like frickin' hell in hiking boots. I WILL NOT LOOK LIKE THAT NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! N O T That really did it for me today. I don't get all sad and bummed anymore, I got really motivated and excited for this change.

Yes, I know, patience. Yesterday was a particulary bad day. I have so many parts of my life that are in a holding pattern right now. It feels a bit disorganized and I don't like it!!!!! I love reading all the stories. There have been some very lively ones too!! I love the B&A pic seciton - WOW. Those are amazing. So in 24 hours I will be on my way to the RN and maybe I will have SOME idea of what is going on. Well, off to the mailbox to see if that stuff I have been waiting for in here!

I met with him first, did one computerized test, went back did the block and word association type test, went back again and did the second computerized test and then met with him again to go over the results. He said I was being guarded during the second set of questions. I just found them a bit more confusing. He gave me the true, mostly true line. I couldn't decide if something was indeed firstly true. Just glad it's over. I have my RN/Dietician appt this Wed. This week is going to go by sooo slow. All my info has to go to a "team" for review. I keep thinking for some reason, that this is just not going to happen.

But I guess I am sort of miffed by the stereotype that all of us got big because we used food as a drug. I thought kind of along the same lines a couple times. The fact that you are overweight means you have some sort of psych problem. Fat or thin, who the hell hasn't at some point???? I know some in-shape skinny people who are REALLY f'ed up. No one questions them for 4 hours when they eat a big Mac. I am starting to resent it a bit now that I know others only were in there 30 min to an hour. Must be regional, I have talked to a few other people who were in there as long or almost as long over the last week. No wonder surgeries around here are scheduled out 5-9 months. :angry

God, wish I had a surg date. I am just doing all the before hand stuuff first. Mine told me anger can be a form of depressions, makes sense I guess, who knows. It explains why I feel irritated for days one end, probably mild depression which I have had in the past. He told me the only thing he could see was that 1.) My husband should be coming to ALL my appointments. He works at a hospital and has seen many, many, many patients with the band and RNY. He knows the drill and what the complications are. It's surgery though and he is worried, but not becasue of the unknown. I didn't think I would want him there for the shrink appt. He is coming to the RN appt and the Nutritionist since he does 98% of the cooking in our house. And just to get the info first hand on the different stages and to see if any questions he may have come up after what they have to say. The second thing was I needed to get my nighttime "head hunger" sort of bingeing under control, again, thanks Sherlock, why do you think I am trying to make these changes. I think he made it a way bigger deal then it is. I admit it used to be worse, and maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe he though I was sugar coating it or back pedaling. It's best to be honest. If someone does truly have something, why not discuss it with a professional given the chance? It will only make you that more successful, not only with weight lose, but life in general. This type of surgery and life change can compound something that seems small now.

The DUH thing I know! He told me my weight is causing some stress in my life and a couple of other "thanks Sherlock" statements. Wondering how much my visit with Captain Obvious is going to be.... He did bring up so good points. Things I have asked my self, but when you hear someone else say them, you think, WHOA, I better figure that out. Like the what are you going to do when you can't stuff your face? I said "um, take up knitting??" He was NOT amused. Someday I will learn to pick my audience..

I went to a info seminar last week. I have been researching for about two months and am so on board for this, I would have it done tomorrow. I currently have a BMI of about 37. I have asthma and very mild rhuematoid arthritis, but it causes me a great deal of pain when it is flared up and I get horrible plantar facitis. The asthma is seasonal/enviromental and One thing that keeps nagging on me is the pre/post op diet. I know this very important from a medical stand point. To get belly fat down and reduce the size of your liver. Also to acclimate your body to the new stomach. It looks like a newborn-toddler diet! I guess that's why people liken the search to a rebirth! I have been in the stuff-my-face-raise-that-BMI-mode before I meet with the RN next week. I know that's not cool nor healthy. I feel SO bloated today!! I have the copy of what I *hopefully* will be doing for the pre-op diet and I am going to try it starting tomorrow. One, to break this cycle I have gotten myself into in a short time. And two, to prove to myself I can do this. Two weeks in the grand scheme of things is a small, small time. I want this so bad and want to do it right, kind of like a practice run so I get it right when it's for real. I also have only shared with my husband, best friend and sister I am considering this. The husband is full-on board and very supportive. He knows I have struggled with this all my life and am just not the best me I know I can be. I know people have a hard time saying they can't wrap their heads around how they look after they lose a significant amount of weight. I can't believe what I look like now. I can't believe that's me looking back at me in the mirror. I know eventually I will have to tell people just because of how much less you can eat. How did you all handle that? I would be more inclined to tell my Dad, he would be concerned, yet understand. My Mom is a freaker and panicker and I have enough to process right now. I don't plan on telling my children at all at this point. I am not ashamed or anything. I just an not comfortable explaining this to them right now. The whole binge eating thing. I am really careful with them, because this is the age it started with me and I know what I WISH would have been done differently. They WILL learn good eating and exercise habits. food does not equal love in our house. It isn't offered up when they are upset. We try at least one new food or recipe each week. They all know how to read and udnerstand food labels and have found some great substitions on their own. They reach for spray butter instead of regular. Any full on fat sour creams or milk intrique and gross them out at the same time. Don't get me wrong, they get McDonalds and things, I am just smart about it and we never do it more than once or twice a week and I make point of doing the other two meals or Snacks are SUPER healthy. They are fit and healthy and participate in things that I only could dream of at their age. I also am doing this so I am not sitting on the sideline watching, I can be out in the pool with them or on the ride at DisneyWorld next spring. We can sit at the cool tbel with the tall chairs and I don't want to be hidden in a booth, little things like that motivate me to take this tool as help. I meet with the psych guy on Tuesday. I know what to expect, yet not sure WHAT to expect. Has anyone blown their chance at surgery with this part??? I meet with the RN and the dietician in one week. I am really looking forward to that one for some reason! I just want to go to sleep and wake up with a new attitude. So maybe putting this down in black and white will be a beginning of that for me. I really enjoy reading all the posts on here. There is some very good information and some of it is just hysterically funny! I do have one more question. I know that peoples relationships change after you lose weight. Espcially with finace/bf/husband. I am really not concerned with that part. We are really in sync with all that. We are "eating buddies" though. We like to go out to lunch and make bad things to eat and watch movies. He also is 5'11, weighs 168 and runs 6 miles 5 days a week. Not a major concern for him. He made something last night and we talked about it a bit and discussed the fact that that is the EXACT reason I am in the position I am in. (Admitting your have a problem is half the battle!!) We did discuss it a bit after that. Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do? We like the exercise together and backpack for days at a time. So we are moving in the right direction there too. I am rambling now, thanks for any input!

Hi, I just went to a semiar. They said the average time from today till we would be banded is 5-9 months. I didn't except it to happen very fast, but I was taken aback by that time frame. How long for everyone else? Thanks

I have only the last few months have been reading a womens blog who was an alcoholic. I don't think she ever said to what degree, but admits she had a big problem. She now runs ULATRA MARATHONS Like 3-4 a year. That is anything over 26.2 miles. Her latest was 103. She does a couple a year like that. When you read her blog, you can tell she is addicted. She trains every, every day no matter what. Gets up at 5:30 to trail run 8-10-12 miles a day. Hitting the gym while her kids are at activities. Bike riding 14 miles a day also. I can't image having the mental fortitude to do that let alone the physical. I think that's a heck of a transfer!

I have this same question rambling around in my head.... Here's another perspective. I know a lady who had RNY and she can't STOP talking about it. It drives me mental. I have to hear about how her creepy husband chases her around now. I REALLY don't want to know. She is in really poor health too. She looks like a refugee. She refuses to admit it is from the procedure and the fact she is malnourished. It's really sad. While reading this I realized that I can think of other people I know who MUST have had the band done. There is no way they could have lost the weight on their own at the rate they did. I have known them for years and know the issues and it all makes sense now. There is a few other things that are becoming clear too about their behavior too. I know that the change in my eating habits is going to send up a lot of red flags with family members I don't want to tell.

I HOPE I get to stay over night. Right now I am in the middle of summer vaca with my kids and they are making me a little crazy!!! :confused:

I did some calling around and got my psych eval moved up to this Tues (31st) from September 10th! The lady was laughing because I was so excited!! The more I investigate this, the more comfortable I become with it and can't wait!

Hi, I am in the beginning stages of researching and considering lapband surgery. I am attending a seminar tomorrow. What questions do you wish you would have asked before you had it done? I have gotten a lot of good information off of here. I know to ask how many sugeries have been done, rate of slippage and erosion, etc. But what else should I question? Things that didn't occur to you til after and odd things that come up now. Thanks and I can't believe the results on here either! I like the mix of good and not so good news on here too, really keeps it real and honest. Thanks.