ladytonya

I know exactly what you mean! I have avoided scales like the plague for years now. Of course, finding a scale that will weigh me is a challenge so it wasn't hard to avoid them. The appointment I have is with a doctor that will operate on everyone. He supports the lap band and sounds great! Unfortunately, my appointment isn't until September 14. I'm counting down the days.... After I get all my info to them, I'm going to see if I can't get something faster or at least get on a cancellation list. Of course, my bet would be that he doesn't get many cancellations. At least I have a date for an appointment now! Thank God! Tonya

I was told that I would have to follow up once a month for a year with them, but was also told that sometimes Dr. B will work with people who live further away and do phone consults when it's been a while since surgery and things are going well. I was assuming she meant that I would be meeting with Dr. B once a month, but then I thought that was a little excessive for a surgeon. In my experience, surgeons don't usually like talking to people when they are conscious. They seem to prefer seeing you on the table! So, I guess if this monthly visit is for a nutritionist it probably would be better to make the trek to Concord since this nutritionist works with Dr. B. But what about the others? I just had a sleep study at our local sleep center in August and got my cpap in December. I've used up my deductible and a large portion of my yearly maximum doing this whole sleep study thing so I really hope that I don't have to repeat it! I can't afford it and there's not way insurance will pay for a second one less than a year after the first! I just went to my primary care doctor and had my yearly physical and a battery of blood tests. I know I was tested for many of the tests listed but not all of them. My TSH is regularly tested because of family history of thyroid disease. I don't recognize many of the tests that are listed so I doubt I've had them. I'm supposed to be getting my records faxed from my doctor's office sometime this week along with a letter from my PCP. I'm also going to pick up a copy of my sleep study and follow-up appointment notes. I have a month and a half before this appointment so I'm going to try to have everything done humanly possible before meeting with him. Any other suggestions of what I should do? Thanks for all the answers so far! You guys are great! and Angie, thanks for the invite, but I think your pool party is Aug. 5 and one of my oldest friends is getting married that day. I'm sure you will all have a blast!

I finally have an appointment! I made an appointment on Thursday for September 14 with the surgeon who's a little over 2 hours away. I can't keep hoping and praying to get down to this arbitrary weight that my local group requires. I am in Asheville, NC, and our local surgeons won't operate unless you are under 400 lbs. As I have posted before, I have struggled to try to reach this goal to no avail. I started in April, 2005, at 444. Got on the scale on July 12, 2006, and it hit 452. I have since found out that this scale is off by 5 pounds so I was really 447. Just got on that same scale earlier this evening and I was 442! Down 10 lbs in 10 days! Unfortunately, a lot of that might have to do with the fact that I have been sick for the past three days and have barely eaten anything, but I'll take it where I can get it! I'm kind of glad that I had the momentary freak-out of thinking that I had hit 450. For the past twenty years, it's always been in my head that as long as I don't weight over this or that weight or as long as I can still weigh this or that size. I have long since passed any of those weights and sizes and I have now finally decided that I can't keep on this path. It won't go on for another twenty years because I'll be dead by then! Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. Thanks for all the encouraging words on here! I'm so glad I found this section of the board! I was getting so discouraged reading about people who were starting at weights that I haven't seen since junior high!

Thanks for the great replies! My quandry with the surgeon is there is one office locally that is in-network. There are actually three surgeons but they all have the same 400 or less requirement. The closest in-network surgeon to me that does the band is two hours away. I know a lot of people travel for their surgery, even as far away as Mexico, but I just don't think that's something I want to do. I don't even want to go 2 hours away for my surgery, much less thousands of miles. I want access to the doctor who actually operated on me for fills and other post-op support. Of course none of this matters if my insurance company doesn't reconsider paying for the lap band. Right now, they'll pay for bypass but not banding. They're supposed to be reviewing their policies in August of this year, so I'm praying they add the band to what they'll cover. If that doesn't happen, it's all a moot point anyway and I don't know what I'll do. *crosses fingers* I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Awesome group! I have been reading these boards for a while but rarely if ever actually post. I have not been banded yet. I started my journey by attending an information session at our local bariatric center in April, 2005. At that time, I weighed 444. Well, the local surgeon who does bands won't do them if you're over 400. grrrrr. So I started getting paperwork together and went ahead and got referred to have a sleep study and started trying to lose weight. I am now using cpap for sleep apnea and have all most other paperwork in to the surgeon's office, but I still can't get to that stupid 400 lb. mark! 4/05 I was 444 and got down to 421 by 12/05. :clap2: Well, with the holidays and all by February I had gained most of it back. Now not only am I back up where I started, I am at 452. :faint: I am 5'9", btw. Anyway, I am back at it and trying to get in to see the surgeon for some direction. This is a great list! I've always been afraid to post my real weight on other boards because of how much I weigh. I need to lose 200 to get to where some people start. Totally depressing! But here, we're all starting as super fluffy! :biggrin1: Can't wait to learn more and get to know you guys!

Wow, thank you all for such a great welcome! You guys are great! I look forward to getting to know you and hopefully joining you in banded land soon. Thanks! Tonya (I'm too lazy to make a signature right now.) Asheville, NC

I'm Tonya. I just introduced myself in the May Chat thread, but I'll do it again here for posterity! I live in Leicester, a rural area about 20 minutes outside of Asheville. I grew up in Asheville and have lived here my whole life minus the 7 years I was in Chapel Hill for school. I am 36 and married for almost 6 years to my wonderful husband, Tim. Although we have been trying like crazy, we have no kids. My children are my three cats, Sammy, Scooter, and Sasha. I am not yet banded and my desire to still have children is my main motivation to go with the band for my WLS. I started my journey a little over a year ago but got discouraged by both my local doctor and the insurance fight that I know is ahead for me. My BCBS plan specifically says that there is an exclusion for weight loss management but NOT weight loss surgery for the treatment of obesity. I have been told by the surgeon's office that BCBS won't pay for the band, only RNY. I feel that the surgeon's office wants to push people towards having the RNY because it's easier on them. Less follow-up care I suppose, but whatever the reason it frustrates the heck out of me! I have been overweight my whole like. When I went away to college, I probably weighed ~250. When I came back to Asheville I was pushing 300 and gaining. At that time, I was interested in NAAFA and was all about the whole fat acceptance movement and trying to prove that I could be fat and healthy. Well, it is now 11 years later and I'm pushing 450. I fluctuate between 425 and 450 these days and I know that I have to do something. The surgeons in Asheville won't operate if you're over 400, and arbitrary number if I ever saw one but that's their rules. Anyway, I've been rambling for quite a while here and I need to get back to work! It would be great to hear from others who are a similar weight to me who have had the lap band successfully! I'm actually even thinking about going somewhere else besides here in Asheville to have it done, but the thought of driving two hours for a fill does not excite me. I dunno, losing the weight would be worth it in the long run. Glad to have found this board! Looking forward to hearing from others......... Tonya Asheville, NC

Hi there! My name is Tonya and I live in Asheville. It seems that most of the people on this board are in Charlotte. Are the any WNC people out there? Would like to find some to talk to! A little about me: I am not banded yet. I went to the info session at Mission Bariatric here in Asheville a little over a year ago. They have an arbitrary maximum weight that have to be under in order for them to do the surgery. I have tried and tried to get there, but with no support I just can't get there. :cry I am currently looking at other options. I have BCBS and have looked at the "Surgical Centers of Excellence". The closest one to me that does the lap band seems to be Concord or Charlotte, both of which are at least 2 hours away, and even with that I'm not sure if they'll pay for the lap band. Anyway, I'm glad I found this board! Talking to other people in NC who are banded is great! Tonya Asheville, NC