Shamrockgirl60

Wow 550 questions, I sure hope I don't have that many or I also would runs screaming out of there. LOL Have my sleep lab appointment for March 10th, the day after my Birthday, and it's at a hotel which I think is pretty funny. Have to be there at 8:30 with my jammies, robe and slippers. I will also bring my own pillow that will help me fall asleep. March 20th is the big evaluation day. Good luck eveyone:biggrin2:

Well seems like most people from MA go to Beth Israel. I am going to Lahey Clinic. I haven't started my meetings yet. My PCP and I discussed this last week. He has agreed to the sugery if I qualify, I checked with my insurance and I do. So.....it's meetings, checking with my shrink she's cool and I see her next week anyway. I hope that the wait won't be too long. I am also having a sleep apnea study soon also. I have type II diabetes and wonder if anyone else has it. And how do you adjust the diet to it. If those Glucerna meals are good the liquid ones. I don't mind doing the liquid diet at all. Have any of you had problems with sagging skin. I have 100 pounds to loose. Anyone here who have gone to Lahey Clinic please e-mail me or just post here. Thanks Pati

Wow that is a short approval time, lucky you. Mine will be longer for sure with meetings etc. My BCBS covers me because I am type II. I wonder if pre type II counts. We were joking about some eating their way up to a BMI of 40 to get in without other pre-existing conditions. Sounds kind of dumb if you ask me.

What about adding extra protein with the protein powders you can buy at GNC, Add them to your drinks? Or oatmeal and such. How about baby food...like the meats? mix them with a drink they don't have much taste? Glad I like some mushy foods LOL Hope to be banded before July. OK what about swimming, anyone know what you do about that? We have a pool and spend 90% of the summer in and around it when it's very hot here, which isn't that often in New England, but we love it? How soon after surgery can you go in?

There was another story in the Boston Globe Heath pages today regarding Bypass and lap band as a "cure" for Type II diabetes. Second article in last month. They talked to doctors from Brigham and Womens in Boston and the Joslin Diabetes clinic. They feel this is the most promising thing now and thousands of people are eligible for it. Just got of the phone with hubbys HR they forced him into retirement last Friday, we will be covered but have to pay Cobra, which right now for BCBS is cheaper than us buying a policy and it goes for 18 months. So I don't have to worry about my hopefully upcoming surgery. Have my meeting in March for all day session and sleep clinic also. Wish everyone lots of luck.

I think our friends who are also overweight are either scared or jealous or both. They may want to do the same thing but are too scared to do it.I have a best friend who is more overweight than me, she's skeptical of the surgery. She has more medical problems than I do. I just got off the phone with my PCP's secretary "Inga" well I got a letter today saying that I need to go to Weight Watchers...HELLO!!!! I tried that a few times years ago. Lost and put on again, it's a cycle. I called her and she had no idea there was a Weight Surgery Clinic. I have never met her she's always in the "back room" at the hospital, but I would bet a million she's skinny LOL. I told her I wanted a letter from PCP to send to BC/BS saying I need this surgery. She checked the records and said. "Oh, your already signed up for this....I said sure but I need something to send BCBS letting them know I need this for my overall health. DUH!!!! she finally "got it" and said he would send a letter to me to forward to BCBS. Now how hard is that. Geez. LOL Oh I don't think there will be a problem with your insurance. The clinic people said it's one of the easiest to get permission from. Some don't even cover it no matter what.

Thanks now I understand it was such a brief explanation. I don't think I need this either. My BMI is 38.5 with Type II diabetes and some bone issues and Cholesterol. I think it's for people with very very high BMI's. I won't have this for sure now

Just came home from a hour and a half meeting with the Surgical Weight Loss team at Lahey Clinic. They do a swell job explaining things. Lots of tests and they decide if you are ready for it. Good back up care and 0 deaths for both Lap Band and Gastric Bypass. They are also testing a new device, called a "sleeve" they will do it if you want with no cost cause it's a trial, before I give the OK I'm going to check that out. It helps with the pre-op weight loss. Making my appointment for the all day check up and they will fast track my sleep study. It takes between 2 and 4 months. That's the average. They sent us all home with tons of reading material. I was glad I knew a lot from this site before I went. Good luck everyone Paty:smile2:

Hey good for you and your DH. If all it took was gaining 10 lbs. more I would do it too. To get approval. I am sure they figure out a lot of people do this. And the pre op diet gets you back to where you were at the start. The explanation for the pre op diet was that they need to have less fat in the abdominal area to do the surgery. Works for me LOL Good luck Pati

I would rather get stares when I am normal weight again, I get an occasional stare now, usually from very skinny young people, most of the time when you are overweight your invisible. That sucks also. Very interesting your getting dirty looks from the very overweight people. Seems there is jealousy and discrimination for everyone which is rather sad.

I know it's surgery before surgery, I have to hear all the particulars regarding this and talk so some of the participants in the test. As the laptop it's done through the bellybutton.

Congratulations erikadawn, you have taken the right steps. People tell me I'm "not that big" too. I carry mine in my boobs and stomach my arms and legs are not that fat. We are all doing it for ourselves, or families and mostly for our health, I wish others understood that. I do see some jealousy in people who are also heavy who are family and friends, they may not want you thin and beautiful, they want to keep you the way you are. My husband and daughter are very supportive. He said, oh my you will be the skinny girl I married...LOL, well I doubt if I will hit 110 ever but hey 130-140 will be fine with me. He loves me no matter what, but he has been concerned with my health. He's going to "diet" along with me which is good too. My father wasn't big but he had a gut and died at 62 from heart failure. My Mom died in 2005 at 77 from a lot of things, her weight about 300 lbs. diabetes and a bad heart. I do not want to repeat that pattern for sure. Quit smoking 2 years ago I did gain maybe 15 lbs but I did lose it. I admit I do eat to compensate for not smoking. I took up scrapbooking and photography to keep me busy. And a new and first granddaughter due in May will also keep me busy. I want to be around for her college graduation and marriage. Erikadawn you do what's right for you....and you will be happy take care and God Bless

Great information, I am pre-op and was on Metaformin, for a couple of years, they upped it in the summer and I got really sick, gave me what I call "projectile number II" really awful, Had to stay home and afraid to go out. It came on within a few seconds then bam. I was taken off it and on something else now Glyburide and it's working much better. My PCP thinks that I can reverse the Type II with the lap band and he's very supportive.

I am going to Lahey Clinic in Burlington, so far they are terrific, very informative and they have a 0% death rate for bypass and banding so that was helpful. I attended a introduction meeting and there are two doctors who do this, on of them got up and gave a terrific talk then took questions and answers for about a half an hour, he was kind and funny and very very respectful. Then we went over all the other crieria for the surgery with his nurse practitioner. She was great also. Have my all day consult on March 20th. They then chose to accept you into the program. I recommend them and the hospital highly. Hope this helps

Hey, I went to an introduction of the surgery this past Monday, I am 5'4" and weight 225 with BMI of 38. I felt like a lightweight and I know some of the larger men and women looked at me like I didn't belong there. But I do. I have TypeII diabetes, and joint problems and Sleep Apnea. If any of the nurses or other say anything I will most probably tell them politely that they are NOT me. Don't pass judgment. The staff seems to be very supportive. So I hope no problems with them.

The sleeve is something new and they are testing it. There is no cost to me. It's pre-op. To help lose the pre-op weight. They remove it before your lap band surgery. it's not a one or the other thing, so I will get all the details first and decide if I want it done. Thanks for the feed back. I have my date of March 20th for my all day consult and tests. Wish me luck that is the "biggie" when they decide if you are a candidate for surgery.

I had my first group meeting to introduce us to both the lap band and bypass surgery. Forgetaboutit on the the bypass. I prefer the lap band for sure. The doctor was very cool, funny without being judgmental and his assistant was great answering questions. There is a step by step program. First this intro meeting then an all day consult where they test you for everything including the shrink visit. They then evaluate you to make sure your a candidate for the surgery. If you pass and your insurance OK's it you continue with the next steps. Next you go to the group meeting for lap band patients so you can understand what they are doing and go through They then have you meet with a dietitian to play your pre op diet. They are doing a study on a "sleeve" procedure at no cost so I may do that. They schedule you for more tests including one for sleep disorders. After you lose the appropriate amount they schedule the surgery. So it's a long process I don't mind if I have a goal and I want to do it.

Mindy, thanks my insurance will pay for it. The hospital will pay for the experimental sleeve if I want it. It's something very new and in trials. They are using it for pre-op patients and it is removable. Have to get more data on it before I decide to use it. Love, Pati

Congratulations, I am new here. I like all the information, went to my first meeting for potential lap band patients at the hospital. They were very thorough in explaining things and gave me a big packet of stuff to read. I was able to as some intelligent questions LOL. The process at this clinic takes between 4 and 6 months. I can wait and will keep busy with stuff. And do everything they want me to do.

You can also buy protein powder at any Health food store. It's probably cheaper then buying from the doctor. Take his into the store and compare the prices.

Checking to see if my stuff works here.....the weight loss ticket

Thanks for the info. I can't wait for this to happen. Does it normally take 6 months? I hope my doctors can shorten that a bit because of my other problems.

Glad everything is going well for you all. I am nervous but excited. I know I can do it...with help from my family, they are very very supportive. I think hubby more than anyone else. So waiting till Feb 11th seems like a long way ahead...but it will go by fast. My regular shrink appt. is on the 5th and I'll talk to her about this I can hopefully have her do the evaluation. Shes really very nice like her a lot.

Hi interesting to hear all the stories from Ireland and the UK. I am in MA in the states. Had a lovely trip to Ireland (my 2nd) in Sept. despite my weight I was able to get around fine, walking a lot and climbing some interesting hills and rocks. But I hope if and when I go again in a few years I can really walk a lot and see much more of the lovely scenery and take pictures of "me" LOL. I did take a few on both my trips but mostly did the scenery. If I ever came into money I would surely buy a house over there. I loved Donegal and the town of Downing was lovely. I also loved Kinsale. My relatives come from a little town in Cork called "Dunmanway" They were McCarthys. Some are still there.

My doctor told me that because I have Type II Diabetes I will qualify even if I am slightly under the 100 lbs. Right now before I see the doctor for this I am eating like a freaking pig, figure that it won't hurt. LOL. Good luck my first group meeting at the hospital is 2/11/08