luigismama

I do find they are always really busy, but I know they're the best around. My suggestion would be to call your insurance company to see if you've been approved. If you haven't, that could be why PVS hasn't called you. If you have, you can call them and say- hey, my insurance approved this- what's the next step? I know the person in charge of insurance submittals was out on vacation for a week and SUPER backed up. Keep the faith, and keep advocating for your best health! Good luck- I'm waiting for my approval now, too.

Babs- how are you feeling? It must have been so scary to have to have emergency surgery. mtnihi- thanks for your feedback, too. I'm moving ahead with Dr. Fiallo, and I'm waiting for insurance approval. Keep your fingers crossed! Meg- how is your journey? Are you getting all your appts booked? Who did you choose for your dietician? I LOVED Kim at PVDietetics. emb- how are you doing? What stage are you on now? Are you feeling good? Crystal- Hi. I have no answer to your question about gall bladder surgery and pregnancy, but I wanted to say hi :cool2:

Hi Meg! The support groups are on Mondays twice a month. The next one is on April 21st. I think you can go, but you don't get credit for them. Maybe I'll see you there :tt1:

LOVE this!! No surgery date yet, but I already know I won't miss: - Being embarrassed to spend the night anywhere (friends, family, etc) because of my snoring - Getting those little pills on the inner thighs of pants from fabric rubbing together - Wearing a skirt without shorts underneath for fear of sweaty rash (or BodyGlide) - Feeling completely invisible in "regular" stores because there's no way I can fit in the clothes/shoes - Having a limited necklace/bracelet collection due to my fat neck/wrists - Only shopping at Lane Bryant! - Hearing from everyone that I have such a pretty face and a great sense of style - Not being able to wear a white shirt for fear of staining it with food the first time I wear it - Wearing baggy clothes to the gym- I want to wear tight tank tops and low rise pants! - Having to buy my bras at a specialty store because not even LB carries my size - Hearing one more time that fat bellydancers are sexy!! - Getting another diet suggestion from my stepmother - Being afraid to sit on a camp chair/picnic table/ patio chair for fear of it tipping/tearing/breaking - Making my husband take the middle seat so I can squish myself against the window to hide my size - Being afraid to go up to people and make friends - Finding excuses not to see friends and family I haven't seen in awhile so they can't see how fat I got

You know I was thinking after reading all your posts...my spine surgeon was absolutely amazing at what he did and had ZERO personality. If I had to do it again, I'd pick him again because he got me back to normal. Maybe Fiallo doesn't have the best bedside manner, but he's obviously VERY good at what he does. I guess I can get my support from the meetings, this forum, my family, and the awesome dietician and psychologist. :rolleyes2:

I'm not banded yet, but I've been working on mentally and physically preparing for it. I knit (it's hard to stuff your face when your hands are occupied!), I go to the gym, visit this forum and read inspiring posts, and I have aqua aerobics. I've bellydanced for years, but I haven't found a class I like where I moved. Try something you've always wanted to- this time is about YOU. Good luck!

Hi Dan! Congrats on your decision to get banded. It's hard work, but this is a great place with a lot of supportive people. I'm an MSU grad- go Spartans! :thumbup:

OMG, I feel the same way! I heard Dr. Haag's patients gushing about him and how easy he was to talk to and I was jealous. How are you feeling? Did the surgery go well?

Hi! I'm going through PVSA now- Dr. Fiallo. I'm not banded yet- still have psych eval, one more support group, and lots of paperwork to gather. Are you going through them too, or are you deciding?

I went to my PCP today to get referrals to the dietician and the surgeon. When I told the nurse why I was there, she winced when I said I was considering lap band surgery. She winced! She said, "Well, you're young. A really good diet and exercise program will probably work for you if you give it a good try." Huh. Isn't it funny that someone has just met me knows all about what's best for me. Here I was worrying about what my parents would say... The doctor was OK. She admitted she would rather see someone lose weight with diet and exercise than get surgery, but she would support whatever worked best for me. Well, gee, no one ever told me to try diet and exercise before! I'd rather lose weight that way too! Just think,all this time I should have just asked total strangers how to live my life and I would have been fine!:drool:

You guys are too freakin' funny! Between reading the stories of taking a 140 pound dump, a PCP that sounds like Bill Lumbergh from Office Space, and consulting a magic 8 ball for guidance, I am practically peeing in my pants! Thank goodness for healthy senses of humor, right?

This is your health and your life- call the psych guy and really do some soul searching. I'm sorry that woman was so condescending to you- she has no right to talk to you like that. If having a child is that important to you, then you need to go with your gut (literally and figuratively). You have to live with your decision at the end of it, and these people don't. I completely agree with you that GB scares me,and I'd much rather lose it slowly with the Lap Band. Have you tried posting under the pregnant with the band forum? Maybe some of those ladies can talk to you about their experiences. Good luck to you, and you're in my thoughts

Thanks, Nana and Hope! I know this is just the first or many comments like this I will hear on my journey. I'm choosing to vent and laugh about it! After all, it's not about them and their opinions and discomfort with my decision- it's about me taking back my health and becoming the woman I have always been (trapped in a large body). I thought I'd share because I know it's safe here and others have heard the same things from their doctors, family, friends, loved ones.

Good luck on your surgery Tuesday! I'll be be sending you good, healthy vibes all day:thumbup:

Hi from Western Mass! I have an appt with my PCP and a dietician next week and my surgeon at the end of the month. My husband is the only who knows so far, but I am going to tell a friend of mine tonight. In terms of what to tell your family, the best way that I've seen other people around here explain the band is that it is a tool. It's not magic, it's not a short-cut, and it's definitely NOT the easy way out. If you've dieted and exercised before, at some point you succumbed to your hunger (or didn't listen to it). This is where the band steps in. And remember this is about you, your life, and your health. When your family sees you happy and healthy, they will most likely loosen up. Good luck and keep in touch! What part of Mass are you in?

Staind- whatever you choose to do, you have support and a place to talk with people who feel like you do. Look at all the people who said you took the words right out of their mouths! And please don't feel like your age is a deterrent to the procedure- there are lots of young people here and many others who have said they wished they'd done it sooner. I spent my whole childhood, a good portion of my teens and all of my 20's being overweight (now MO). I want to start my 30's in a healthier place. Bozz- I could also relate to what you said- on paper a great life and everything you need to be happy. In fact, I don't feel fat on the inside. I'm often surprised when I see myself in the mirror or in pictures because the woman looking back at me doesn't match who I am inside. This weekend, I went with my husband's family to Boston to see his sister. There were 5 of us in the car, and I was never more acutely aware of my size until then. I was literally squished in the back with one butt cheek leaning on the door, one butt cheek that fell asleep, a leg that was twisted and also fell asleep, a seatbelt I couldn't even get on without choking myself, and my arm around my husband. That was a 90 minute trip...then we had to do it again a few hours later! When I think about it now I can laugh, but at the time I was humiliated.

You've done a very brave and wonderful thing for yourself. It must have been really challenging to have your DH take a full-body pic of you. Sometimes, it's those new views of ourselves that help us see how far we've let food run our lives. You may not have the band yet, but you've already lost 20 lbs! You're well on your way to becoming a healthier version of yourself, and we're all here to support each other through this. You may have actually FEEL things now instead of numbing them with food, but that payoff is worth it, right? When I read your post, it was like reading what I've been writing in my journal for years. Guess what? We're going to make it happen. We're young, and we have our whole lives ahead of us!

You might want to call your insurance yourself. Even if someone else has tricare, their plan could be totally different from yours. I called my insurance and asked exactly what they covered including all the things they required for approval. This is your journey and your body, so learn as much as you can!

My best friend told me over a month ago that she was having gastric bypass. She had been researching it for a year, she knew what she was getting herself into, and she wanted me to be excited for her. I tried. I really did. I asked questions because up until then I knew NOTHING about WLS. Apparently, I asked too many questions because she stopped talking to me for two weeks. When she finally did fess up, she said I was negative and making her decision all about me. Here's the thing...I love her and care about her. I was trying to find out more about WLS so I could support her through all the tough times she would face because that's who I am.I wanted to read about the women who lost their hair- how much did they lose? What was it like for them? What support did they find helpful from their friends and family? What kind of blender should she buy? What kinds of foods should I bring when I come to take care of her post-surgery? The irony is that in my research for her, I found this site and determined that LB is a good choice FOR ME! I didn't intend to be negative, and I never told her she was taking the easy way out. But reading all these posts over the last month, I realize I should have kept a lot of that to myself and worked through those feelings on my own. Now, we've patched things up for the most part, but she refuses to talk to me about her upcoming surgery, and I don't feel comfortable telling her my news because I'm afraid she'll think I made her decision about me again. It's sad that here is another major life change we could support each other in and my curiosity and her stubbornness ruined it! If you have a moment, give us an update and let us know how you're doing!

Hi Bee! Sorry to hear you had a delay in your surgery, but it sounds like things are back on track for you. I've been lurking on this site for a month, and I've learned so much from everyone here. I originally came to this site to research why my best friend decided to go with gastric bypass instead of lap-band. In my research, I discovered that lap-band sounded like a good option for me! I've been to a seminar, and I'm now awaiting a call from the surgeon's office for a consult. I'm hoping to get the surgery done by the end of May, so wish me luck! If someone doesn't answer you about the ticker, you can search for it and I know I've seen multiple posts about it. I'm not officially putting one up until I've done the consult! How long did you research this before you decided to do it?