lonestar5212

On the hypoglycemia issue, I am a diabetic that has hypoglycemia as well. I worried about how I would do also. I am so happy to see all the posts on this, because since I have been doing the supervised diet for insurance, and eating alot more protien and alot less carbs, I have had no issues with my hypoglycemia. And the nuts work for me as well. If I know I won't be eating anytime soon due to schedule, work, whatever, I eat some nuts and never have my blood sugar crash. I was just thinking about it yesterday. It was like, "hey, what happened to my crashing (shaky and sick to the stomach)." I am so glad, because I was really worried about what would happen post surgery with it. Thanks.

Congratulations and good luck to all those with their surgery dates!!!! How exciting! I have 6 more days on my supervised diet. My center says they will submit my paperwork to ins. co. next Mon. It is weird because I am afraid I will get denied, but then if I think about getting approved, I get very nervous also. Weird I guess. I am in Texas also. I live near Dallas.

I have the same envelope thing going on. And I have to have 10 pens at my desk at all times, and one has to be red.

Hello, everyone, I'm wondering what you all are doing for exercise. So far, I'm walking about a half hour with my dog every day. I have arthritis in my knees and that's about as much as I can do. I'm thinking of joining Curves and am wondering if any of you have tried it. I love to swim but forgot to ask my doctor when I can go back to it. Anyway, I really think I need to be doing something soon. Kathy Hey Kathy, I also have arthritis in my knees. I belonged to Curves for about 8 months, but it proved to be too much for my knees. Check with your orthopedic. Mine preferred that I use the eliptical and stationary bike. But we are all different, so check with your doctor, he knows what is best for you.

Unitygal - I am about your age, have diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholestorol, arthritis in my knees, lower back pain, etc. etc. etc. No matter what our age, everyone is entitled to have the best quality of life they can find for themselves. At 62, you could have 30 years left, so what do they mean "at your age!!!!" My mother lived to be 92 and my mother-in-law is still kicking with all her faculties at 95. And one of the reasons they both found longevity was because they took charge of their health and had whatever surgeries or medical care that would help them achieve optimal health. Obviously, it would have been nice if we did this earlier, but I say, let's go girls (and guys) and go out being the best we can be!!!!!!!!

Hi there! Let's get this thread going. I see you were banded in Oct. Congrats to you. How is it going? I finish my supervised diet for the insurance company in 21 days. The place I go said they will be submitting all my paperwork that same day. I am really having a hard time with this. I am so worried about approval, some days it really gets me down. I know everyone has been in this place and survived, so I don't mean to whine, but it is so hard. I'm in Texas, weather is beautiful.

SKCULPEPPER-I was so glad to read your post about the 3 month diet. I lost 7lbs. the first month, 3 the second month, but not sure I am doing so hot this last month. I have been worried about Aetna with regards to that, so I am happy to see they didn't hold it against you. Thanks for the post. I also have chosen to use Dr. Marsden. Can I ask you where Aetna approved you to have the surgery done? I don't see the surgery facility I have been attending on my list of in network, although Dr. Marsden certainly is on my list of in network surgeons. Good luck to you and keep us posted on how you do.

kimillionaire - I also have Aetna. I finish my 12 week supervised diet in 18 days. Lots of people have to do 6 months, so be very grateful for the 12 week requirement! The diet you choose is up to you and your doctor. Then you keep a food and exercise diary and check in to be weighed once a month. I also had to do a psyc eval., one visit to make sure I understood what I am getting into, and two appts. with a nutritionist (one in the beginning, and one next week). You also must provide 5 years of weight history. Records from a doctor's office, any office that documented your weight when you went in for the appt. You must also fall into their BMI requirements. I have tried to follow the criteria and complete everything they required. It remains to be seen if I will get approval. It seems very hard to predict what they will do. Paperwork to be submitted to them on Jan. 21st. Then the wait begins. Good luck to you on your journey, and I wish success to you are getting your approval.

I haven't been banded yet, but it made me mad also. ( I am finishing my supervised diet on Jan. 21st.) I think someone should contact the Today show and suggest that they do an indept segment on the Lapband with some of you. They could even invite a surgeon on to go over the procedure and explain why it is so insulting to call this "the easy way out." It just goes to show you how very far away we are from any real understanding of weight issues in this country. When they say they applaud these women for doing it "the old fashioned way," what they are doing is justifying the old attitude that "if we would all just put down that fork, then we wouldn't be fat." The damage that being overweight has done to me both physically and emotionally has brought me to the lapband. I want a real solution, and I want to stop the pain.

Buffetchick1 - I am an Aetna subscriber also. And still on my journey of satisfying Aetna. I finish on Jan. 21st and then we will see if I can get approval. There are so many differences in each person's coverage, that you need to ask specically what applies to the coverage that you have. For instance, some Aetna people have a six month supervised diet program and others have a 3 month. I have a 3 month required supervised diet program. I keep a food diary, show up once a month and everything is documented in detail about how I am doing. I had a psyc eval. and two nutritionist appts. to do. One at the beginning and one right near the end of the supervised diet. A 5 year weight history is pretty much standard for everyone. It means physician documented weight. Aetna did not require a sleep study, but I had one done anyway. I have diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a starting BMI of 41.6. I have lost a little weight on my supervised diet and my BMI is now 39. The time has really gone pretty fast for me because of the holidays. I just hope I can get approval and get my surgery sometime in Feb. Just can't be sure. It seems very unpredictable. Good luck to you on your journey.

Hi to everyone. Don't have the date yet, but hoping to be a February bandster as well. Good luck to everyone!!

I slept like a baby the first night of my sleep study. I go back for the 2nd visit on Jan. 3rd, hope I do as well. Not sure how excited I am to be getting that mask though. Good luck!!

I called member services way back when and they immediately faxed me the whole section of our benefits that applied to wls with all the criteria listed.

Hi JenniferZ- I am from Dallas area. I have Aetna POS II also. My stuff will be submitted Jan. 21, 08. I will let you know how it goes to give you a heads up with them. Just start working on fulfilling all their criteria, take one thing at a time, get it done, move to the next. Each step brings you closer to banding and your new life!

tmarie07 - Thanks for the info. I will do as you suggest, and call and check on everything and make sure it is moving along. I think Aetna will require me to use Baylor in Lewisville as well. Used it before for my daughter, and was basically pretty happy with it, except for this one nurse. Anyway, thanks for the pointers. And congrats on being banded, hope to join you soon!

Tomecia25 - I am in program at Hurst location and also plan to use Dr. Marsden. They are submitting my paperwork to insurance in about 4 more weeks. Do I wait to hear if I am approved then call Dr. Marsden office and let them know and schedule an appt. with him? Thanks.

Congratulations on approval!!!!! I have a question on the protocol. I have 4 more weeks of my supervised diet. AIGB will be submitting my paperwork at that time. If and when I get approval, do I then call Dr. Marsden's office myself to set the appt., or does AIGB do that?

I didn't know anything about sleep apnea, and initially declined to have a sleep study. Then I began reading posts on the forum and realized I better learn more about it. I then ran as fast as I could to the sleep lab for the test. I definitely have sleep apnea and go for my second appt. in a couple of weeks. I am so grateful for all the posts and candid talk on this forum. It educated me and now I will be protected going into surgery. You will be glad you got this checked out. Good luck!

I started the process back in Oct. I have completed all the doctor visit requirements, and am about to go for my third visit of supervised diet. I have Aetna, so I will be submitting in Jan. Have been looking forward to surgery so much, and then today, for some reason, I log on, read for about 30 minutes, then this feeling of being really scared hits me. Not of the surgery, but of what comes after. Seems very difficult from all the posts I have been reading, and I am just plain scared. I am not even sure of what exactly. It is surprising me because yesterday I had a really good talk with my daughter about the surgery. I talked about my health issues that will certainly be addressed by losing this weight and keeping it off. I was feeling so positive. What the heck is going on with my head?

Joyce1115 and kuchiegrl1 - Thank you guys for your responses. I have really thought about everything you said and you are so right. I am going to take time this evening to think about why I chose to have the lapband. The change it will help me to make in my life, is something I cannot walk away from. The thought of having real long-term success with dieting and exercise and the improvement that will make in my health, is not elective, it is mandatory. And I know, there will be difficult times, but like most positive things in your life, the benefits will outweigh the negatives. Thanks so much for your comments.

kkarryall - I have posted the exact same question in a few different places also. I think donholl1 is correct, no one really knows the answer. Insurance companies are all so different in how they look at this stuff. Mine clearly says that they look at my ability to follow a diet as proof that I will be able to adjust to life after the surgery. In fact it states "the appropriateness of obesity surgery in noncompliant patients should be questioned." So, it sounds like I better follow a diet and lose weight. Like you, I am worried about my BMI number going too low, then having them disqualify me on that basis. I just had to read and re-read the info. for qualifying my insurance company sent to me, and make the best decision for me under those guidelines. This is not easy, I know. Good luck and keep us posted.

I just did a sleep study last night and they told me I have spleep apnea. What does this mean to me as far as the surgery is concerned? Something to worry about?

Hi Poopsie - I am actually supposed to be told in two weeks, after the review of what the tech recorded during the night. However, he has been doing it for 10 years and said he can tell me positively that I have sleep apnea. One thing he told me was how low the oxygen level in my blood dipped during the night. It was very low. I woke up about 5 times during the night but went back to sleep right away. Yes, I snored. Yes, I felt that I had sleep apnea before I scheduled the study. I had quite a few of the symptoms. I think the good news is that after getting the lapband and losing weight, alot of people no longer seem to have an issue with sleep apnea. It is better to know so that if you do have it you can take care of it, first with the mask, then by losing the weight. Good luck to you.

Kacee Thanks for the response. I have to go back in two weeks for my CPAP machine. My paperwork for approval won't be submitted until Jan. 20th, so I think I will use it until then for sure. That is great there has been such a big improvement for you. I had heard that once I have the surgery and start losing weight, that the apnea will improve. I am happy to hear that it does actually happen. I also have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and now sleep apnea. I am glad I was tested, maybe it will help my cause of trying to get approved for the surgery. And congratulations on the great accomplishment of your weight loss!!

sgaul07 - I am exactly one month behind you. My last appt. is Jan. 20 and then they will submit to Aetna. I have my fingers crossed for all of us. Good luck and let us know. I am also a Texan (Flower Mound). skcwpepper - As you just read, I am waiting in Texas too!! Hang in there and good luck!!!