lonestar5212

I was very nervous before my surgery in March. When we pulled into the parking lot at the surgery center at 6AM on the morning of my surgery, I had thoughts of backing out, but I didn't. Once inside I was so busy getting ready for surgery that I wasn't nervous at all. It was no time at all that I was wheeled into the OR. Everything went fine and today I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity to change my life for the better. Good luck to you.

When I first started hanging around this site back in Oct. 07, I remember seeing people talking about onederland and not knowing what it was. Then I figured it out, but remember thinking "Wow, I wonder if I can ever get to "Onederland." First I had to get insurance approval, which I did and had the surgery on March 14, 2008. Well, today I reached Onederland!!! Yeah!!!! I am so thrilled and very retrospective at the same time. I have spent alot of time trying to work on the "why" of the weight gain over the years, so today I really feel like a different person. I am so happy to be at this point, feeling so good physically and mentally. So to all of you just beginning your journey, good luck and best wishes, you will be amazed at the wonderful life you are embarking upon.

Hi, I am in Flower Mound, moving to Argyle next month, but only 8 miles from where I currently live. I would love to have a local to chat with from time to time. Like this morning, I couldn't decide whether to go for a fill next Monday or to cancel. I posted and received great help in making my decision, but would be great to have a mentor to go to. In the meantime, I was banded in March, sort of new at this, but I would be happy to share and help with newbies in whatever way I can.

Sue, I remember reading alot of your posts. Catchy name I guess. Anyway, just wanted to say you have done an amazing job. Wow, what success you have had, congratulations. You are my hero! You are my new inspiration.

Yes, I was scared to death the night before my surgery, and the morning of my surgery. I had the surgery anyway. This is why I went ahead with it. I am 60 years old and now have blood pressure of 114/70, my bad knees are now climbing stairs and supporting my weight without pain, I have alot less back pain, my doctor has taken me off my diabetes medication because my A1C number is amazing, and I am so happy with my life, leaving my depression behind. Sometimes when we weigh the risks of something against the benefits, we make the best choice for ourselves. This was a personal choice and I am not trying to persuade anyone to get the surgery unless you have weighed all the factors with your doctor, I am giving you the facts of my case. Research, research, research, rely on medical advice only and make your decision.

I am scheduled for my 3rd fill on Monday and I am not sure I need one. Some of you out there further along than me, please help me decide. I am not having any issues with being hungry. I feel full most of the day. When I eat, I don't have room for much. Example, if I go out to eat and order an omelet, I can only eat about half of it and a few pieces of fruit. That would be an example of the largest meal I eat. I feel totally satisfied. I am losing about 2 lbs. every week. I am thinking about waiting awhile before I get the next fill since I seem to be at a good place. What do some of you veterans think?

Thanks so much for your responses. I called and cancelled the appt. and rescheduled a few weeks out. I don't see a doctor when I go in for just a fill appt., so I am not missing any care there. They weigh me and then a physicians assistant gives me the fill. I have a follow up appt. with the doctor in July. And I absolutely agree with the food measuring. I try to eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup per meal period, as recommended by my doctor. Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.

Surgery on 3-14-08, 1st fill of .2ccs on 4-24-08, and 2nd fill of 1.2 ccs on 5-24-08. I am hardly hungry during the day. Around 5:00 I get hungry. After eating, I am full easily and stay full for hours and hours. I have lost 41 pounds since 3-14, so I think I am okay at this pace. I have a fill scheduled for 6-25, but thinking about cancelling and waiting a little longer.

My experience was also a short process. I say a pysc my surgery center recommended, it was only one visit that lasted maybe 15-30 minutes. No written test. He said I was "an excellent candidate for this surgery" and said he would fax his report to my surgery center the next day. He did, they submitted my packet to ins. and I was approved. It all depends on the process you are using to work through all your criteria for ins. I went to a surgery center that all they do is help you meet the criteria that your particular ins. is requiring. It was a well organized machine.

Carrie - I am also in the Dallas area. I had my surgery in March. Anytime you want you can private message me and I will give you my phone number and you can call me. I spent alot of time on this forum before my surgery and it was very, very helpful to me. People are very willing to share. Just a quick word on the emotional stuff in my situation. I think I was so broken emotionally from be the "fat" person for so long and everything that society brings to you because of it, not to mention what you do to your own self-esteem by beating yourself up, that I felt I just wanted to feel better about myself so badly. I can tell you that my emotional well-being improved so greatly after surgery. I love the good feelings I have about myself so much. They are such new feelings. I never realized I could feel this good mentally and emotionally. And I still have quite a bit of weight to lose. So don't be afraid of the emotional and mental part of this, it is all good for me. Visit this site as often as you can and read, read, read, it really gives you strength and encouragement.

I have Aetna Pos II also. I printed out the criteria from their website. Went to the surgery center who monitored my diet and exercise for three months, turned in the required number of years of health history showing my weight, went to a dietician (only 2 visits), went for a pysc eval, which wasn't even required but I figured what the heck. It was one visit that lasted 10 minutes! I also went for the sleep apnea test. Wasn't required either. I have diabetes, but figured if I had two co-morbidities it would help my case. Submitted to ins. and was approved. It took them a whole month to get back to me with approval, but in the end it was worth the wait. Had the surgery and feel awesome. It was the best idea I ever had to get the lapband.

I guess I am a little confused. I have Aetna and lots of people have AEtna here in the forum and we were all approved for surgery. And in my company's policy with Aetna, it clearly says Lapband is covered. It took them a month to approve me, but others got approval in just a few days. During my process of waiting for approval Aetna even cut back it's criteria of needing a 5 year health history to just requiring a 2 year history as of June 8, 2008. I thought they were moving in the right direction and making it easier for those who came after me. I have Aetna Pos II. Perhaps the difference is in the type of policy or in the particular policy individual companies have with Aetna.

Yeah to everyone in onederland!!!! I can not wait to get there. I may be obsessing over it a bit. But, I will be there in 11 more pounds!! Everyone, keep up the great work and enjoy your new life!!

I am so very, very sorry for your loss. You painted a very sad picture of your experience and my heart is so sad for you and your family. I will say a prayer for you so that somehow you can get through this. This is what we hope never happens to anyone. Condolences to you, and God bless you.

JDUBO414 - OMG!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! I just came on yesterday to look and see if it had happened yet. I am so happy for you guys. You are doing so well since your surgery, I am sure your husband is so anxious to get his journey started too. Good luck. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I took some blouses out of my closet today that are just too big to wear now-yeah!!!!!!!!!! However, I found that I was having a hard time putting them in the box to take to Goodwill. I guess I can't believe I won't regain the weight like so many times before. Anyone else having a hard time getting rid of the "fat clothes"?

There were some really great stories on this thread regarding our old clothes. I finally got started purging the closet because I am moving in a couple months. Wanted my closet to look neat while trying to sell current home, and want to have lots of room in my new closet! Since I am just beginning my journey, I think I looked at the biggest size as the clothes that got me through when I was really feeling bad about myself. Maybe an emotional attachment there, but I finally did it. It is much easier now. In fact, I am having another purge session today, to get rid of the stuff I just couldn't part with the first time around, but after having tried to wear some of it, I realized I look smaller if I wear smaller clothes. So I am sold now.

Had surgery 3-14 and still felt some restriction from surgery on 4-14 when I went for lst fill. Didn't fill any different after 1st fill than I did before. Restriction was still okay. I am getting my 2nd fill on 5-22 and am hoping to go back to that 1/2 cup totally satisfied state. I am losing fine because I am working at it, but looking for help from the band with a little more restriction.

Aetna only required that I do the three month supervised diet and exercise. My surgery center did that for me. I was not required to see exercise phys., my PCP was not required to be involved other than supply my medical records from my visits with him , and I did not have to see a behavior modification specialist. It depends on what YOUR particular ins. critieria asks for. Even though we all have Aetna, we all have different policies. Know the criteria in yours.

Gill27UK - Yes, eat more. As it was explained to me, if you eat too little, your body thinks you are in starvation mode and hangs on to every ounce. Once I started eating more, the weight started coming off.

Way to go NeNe. Glad you are are the mend. I felt totally normal after that first week too. Keep up the good work!!

Welcome to bandland!!!! Just take it easy for a few days and you will be amazed at the progress you make. Your new life awaits!!!!

My surgery was march 14th and I was freakiing about the anesthesia. I told the anesthesioligist about it the night before surgery when he called, and he was happy to discuss it with me. It really put me at ease. Then when I got to the surgery center for my surgery, I was so busy signing papers, getting IV's, talking to the nurses, then the doctor, that I completely forgot to worry about anything. Once you are there, the wheels just go. Good luck, relax, you will be fine.

I went in for my first fill today and learned that my port is tilted sideways. They were able to put some pressure from the outside and turn it forward to do the fill. It was very fast and didn't hurt at all. I guess it will remain to be seen if I will have to have a correction done as time passes. I was disappointed that it was tilted. I thought that they had figured out how to keep it forward by now.

dogluvr - Glad to see you are doing well. I go for my first fill this Monday the 14th, but to be honest, I still am not really that hungry. Maybe once a day, late in the afternoon I feel a little, then I eat a little and that is that. Don't you just love how mentally you feel so good since surgery? I am so glad I did this. And for all you Aetna people waiting, your day will come soon. What I learned through my journey with Aetna was this, if you meet their criteria, then you will eventually be approved. There is no way to predict how fast you will get an answer. Some people in one day, and some people 30 days, and everything in between. Hang in there and good luck.