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Hi Guys! Okay so i am in the process of jumping through hoops and i am still early in the process. I just got more blood work done then i would like, but i just had a couple quick questions.... 1. I am 5'4 and 250lb, i have been overweight by entire life, but i was 200lb from about 17-19, then have varied between 215-245 until now (i am 22) does this seem to be enough of documented obesity? Obviously my BMI has fluctuated, but its not like i was ever thin..???? I have high cholesterol and, i have high levels of cortisol we are re-testing right now. I am also getting my thyroid tested but i doubt that will come back bad. I have to set the appointment for the sleep test and we will see. But i also have PCOS. I know this isnt caused by being obese, but could this still count as a co-morbidity since it is a DEFINITE contributing factor to my weight? 2. (more important!) So once i start this 6mo. supervised diet... i am a litle confused. I am not sure exactly what they want out of it. Do they want me to lose weight to show that i can? Or, do they want me to not lose weight and prove that me doing it on my own doesnt work? I mean truthfully i have lost 20-25lb in the past, but around the 30lb mark something happens and just start gaining again... i dont want this 6mo. to look like ive just been lazy my whole life yknow?????? ack! help!

hey guys So after much convincing, my family and friends are all behind me and excited and im starting the (long and tedious i suspect) journey of getting the lapband. Im going to a seminar at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, FL this Thursday, and im feeling a little lost.... I will (hopfully) be going through my insurance (Aetna) which i have already contacted and they have told me what i need to do in order to qualify. However what i am interested in, is what questions i should ask at the seminar, and also qhat questions i should ask the bariatric surgeon that i will inevitably be visiting soon.... I am having a full metabolic panel done Friday, so hopefully that will shed a bit of light on how my body is doing...its just that, with as much i read, i still feel really lost, like i dont know how to proceed... any direction on what to do next, and also what i should ask at this seminar would be really helpful! Thanks! Nicole:paranoid

Hey I have Atena PPO (With the option to switch over to United in March, or BCBS is January...) okay, couple things, any opinions on which of the 3 is going to be the easiest to work with??? I really dont want to spend the next year fighting with insurance companies...what im most concerned with is my BMI...so i have 3 questions... 1. I am 5'5 245, BMI 40. But within the last 5 years ive gained circa 40LB. I mean i was still very overweight at 205-210, but i wasnt considered "morbidly obese" yet <----oy! what a term! So im very nervous that they will say i dont qualify...so if it that you need to have 40+ for 5 years? or just be very overweight? 2. The other thing, im not entirely sure if what i have is a comorbity... Ive had documented high cholesterol since 2002, i have calcifications on my adrenal glands, back problems and such, but i dont have diabetes, and as far as i know i dont have sleep apnea. I am getting a full metabolic panel done Friday, and i guess i will know more then...but what exactly are they even looking for? 3. Because i have a lower BMI, what if you lose too much weight in the 6 month diet? I can initially lose 20-30lb, but it always comes back... can they deny you because you have lost too much weight? yikes!:faint:

Hey ya'll, i just wanted to put this out there... i sell beds and we have to do a ton of research on sleeping patterns so that we can help our customers. If you are a stomach sleeper, its probably because your bed isnt giving you the support you need, so you feel like sleeping on your stomache will take the pressure off of your back. I know for the ladies with larger breasts (like:rolleyes: myself) the reason i used to sleep on my tummy was because i was being suffocated by my own chest, lol. Its really hard carrying extra weight and trying to allign your spine correctly so you sleep well... from what i have seen, if its uncomfy to you to sleep on your back or side, then your probably sleeping on the wrong bed set. My personal fav is tempurpedic. i'll let you do the research on it, but its pretty awesome, and i sleep so much better now... lol not to sound like a commercial, i just wanted to put that out there.... good luck sleeping better

Hi Guys! long story short on me, im new here, im 5'5 243-5ish.... so according to the lapband website, my BMI is a 40, which means technically i would qualify. Im curious if thats the only test the doctors do, or if they test muscle mass? I am really interested in getting the surgery done, but i (read: my Jewish/Italian mother) am very concerned about a couple things, and i want to make sure that its the best course for me to take. (As my mother put it, she would rather spend the 12K on a tummy tuck and a breast lift AFTER i lose the weight on me, ratehr then on a surgery...never mind you in 22 years that hasnt worked.) While i am really interested, i could really use some helpful info from people who arent getting paid to answer in certain ways. 1. How much did the surgery cost you? I know this is supposed to vary between 12-25, but im curious after all is said and done what is costs you. 2. as i said before, im italian and jewish...so i need to know that i can atleast eat a little bit of those foods sometimes...ive already gone the eating disorder route, and i really dont feel like depriving myself anymore.... The lapband website says that people with a sweet tooth dont tend to do well with Lapbands, any opinions? 3. the port site....does this mean that you have an open tube somewhere on your body for the rest of your life???? i must be mistaken here somewhere... how does the port site work? how long does it need to be in your body, and is it buried beneath skin, or just poking out somehow? i cant imagine that being safe... 4. after all is said and done, was it worth all the BS???????? any help would really be great...my mom basically said that if i gave losing weight one more time a "big try" that if i didnt lose anything, she would help me. I dont think she really understands that 10lbs does not a new person make....oy! help! Thanks guys! Nicole:help:

Thanks so much for answering some of my questions! I met my therapist today who saw me all through the eating disorder, and she said that she totally supported me an thought it was a great idea. We are bringing my mom in to talk about it, so hopefully soon! I will see when the next seminar i can go to is, and how to get started from there. I am sure i will need to use insurance, so im nervous that that will be a very difficult process... I am glad that no one said they would not have done it had they had the opportunity....thats always comforting I wanted to stress that i wasn't saying that my mother didnt care, or was a bad mom or anything, i just think that she hasnt dealt with her own body issues, and so i guess she doesn't believe that i could have possibly dealt with mine....lord only knows! im sure i will have more questions, so hopefully you will all be around to answer Thanks! Nicole:ranger: