celticdreamer

Hi Everyone, I'm so excited that I could just cry tears of joy. Tomorrow is my surgery date and I can't believe it's finally going to happen. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am. It's an hour away from here, which means I don't sleep much tonight. I don't think I would have been able to sleep anyway! I can't wait to lose my weight, find myself, and RECLAIM MY LIFE. :biggrin: -Theresa

Wow, I'm being banded on Friday too! Thanks, lizbuff, for the post. It's very assuring!

Hi everyone, I am having second thoughts about getting the lap band. My surgery's scheduled for May 9th, but I need to know this - at 347 lbs is the lap band going to really be enough to help me lose SO MUCH weight? I want to get down to 180, so that'd be 167 lbs to lose. Should I consider a more drastic option, like a gastric bypass? Thanks.

As far as psoriasis goes, losing weight can reduce swelling in the legs and this can often help a flare up go into remission. One of the main reasons I'm having this surgery is so that my legs stop swelling and the psoriasis clears up.

My surgery is scheduled for May 9th. I am in Connecticut.

I had the upper GI endoscopy done yesterday. That's where they put the scope down your throat and into your stomach. It was very easy. I remember the doctor putting the sedative into the IV, and next thing I knew, I woke up back in the room where I was before the procedure. Easy as pie. The only side effect for me is that I have a mild sore throat today, but that's pretty normal. I've been through this about 4 or 5 times (have a hiatal hernia and had an ulcer) and it's really no big deal whatsoever. Don't even worry about a thing.

I have Empire BCBS. My BMI is 49 and I have mild sleep apnea. I was approved about 15 days after the surgeon's office submitted the request. My co-pay for the surgery is $250, in addition to co-pays for the surgeon, nutritionist and therapist.

Oh wow! My good friend used Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana and LOVED him. Her results were wonderful. The hospital, she said, was clean and the staff was so much more attentive than in US hospitals. She said Dr. Ortiz even visited with her and her husband for 45 minutes after the surgery. She could not say enough nice things about him. I think you made a great choice!

OK, maybe I'm delusional, but I thought we were lap band candidates BECAUSE we haven't had much success either losing weight or keeping it off. Two pounds a week is 104 pounds in a year. If I could lose that and KEEP It off, I wouldn't NEED the lap band.

Congrats on your date! I just got my date on Friday, so I know how exciting it is to finally KNOW this is going to happen! My date is May 9th. I JUST CAN'T WAIT! Good luck to you, and keep us posted! -Theresa

I just got off the phone with my surgeon's office. My surgery is scheduled for Friday, May 9th. I am PSYCHED! I have to go for a pre-op class on April 23rd, an endoscopy, chest x-ray and bloodwork on April 24th, and a pre-surgical visit with the surgeon on May 1. I need to start the pre-op diet on May 2. 22 days until my surgery! I can't believe it's finally going to happen! WOOHOOOO Life is GOOD! -Theresa

Thanks everyone for the nice comments! I am looking forward to reclaiming my life, and the lap band is simply step 1. When I lose enough weight, I'm returning to theater, performing comedy improv and doing karate. I've spent too much time cooped up in the house, embarrassed to show myself in public. It's time to start LIVING again!

LOL I'm 41 and just got my surgery approved today. I don't know how old "IAmwithTheBand" is, but if he/she thinks 40 is old, he ought to think again. Can't wait until HE turns 40. But anyway, nothing could get me down today! I am on cloud nine!

I called Blue Cross today and they said that my surgery is definitely going to be approved! While there's more work for them to do before the pre-authorization is complete, I know now that this is GOING TO HAPPEN! I am PSYCHED!!!!!!! I will call them back tomorrow to see if everything is set, then I will call the surgeon's office to schedule an appointment. IT'S FINALLY BECOMING REAL.

Even without the six month diet, it sometimes takes awhile to get an insurance approval. My first visit with the surgeon's office was February 27th. I completed all the prerequisite nutritionist & therapist stuff, and the office submitted to my insurance for pre-approval on April 2nd. I have been waiting since, and each day feels more like a week. I wait for the phone to ring, and it hasn't yet. I also called my insurance company three times to check on the status and all they will tell me is that they have up to 30 days to do this. I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE. It's time for my life to start changing, RIGHT NOW. Anyway, it all varies, but I think you could do this in July if you do everything you need to do quickly and your insurance doesn't slow you down. -Theresa

David, Wow, the employees at that hospital acted VERY inappropriately! I can just imagine the embarrassment they caused you, treating you like some sort of freakshow. Small town or not, they should have treated you with the respect and dignity each patient deserves. Since your surgeon is the "go to" guy for lap band repairs, could his perspective be a bit skewed about the related risks? And since you have gone through such a difficult time, could it be that you are generally more focused on the negatives of lap band surgery? I know I sure would be. Personal experience forms our perspective. I am wondering - have you lost weight since getting your lap band? Or have you been so sick that the weight came off as a result of that? -Theresa

David, I'm sorry you've had such a hard time. Sounds awful for you. I think we're all aware of the risk we are taking. I'm not banded yet, but I would rather take the chance of something happening and have a tool to control my weight than to yoyo for the rest of my life. Personally speaking, I'm 41 years old and have lost a LOT of weight on Weight Watchers, only to have regained it plus more. I need something to help keep me in check because I cannot do this on my own. I'd be really interested in statistics. I'm not saying you're one, because everyone's situation is unique and important to that person and those who love them. I'm just saying that, while your post is appreciated and helps to ground us, that the published risks with the lap band are much less than with other forms of weight loss surgery. If you had had problems as the result of a gastric bypass, it might not be so reversible. I sincerely hope they can fix all of the problems the lap band has caused for you. I wish you all the best, and I hope you are happy and healthy when all is said and done. As for me, I appreciate the warning, but it isn't changing my mind. Regards, Theresa

Sorry to hear about your denial and I hope you will appeal. Vertical gastic banding is a different and more invasive procedure than the Lap Band. It involves some stomach stapling. My friend's wife had this done, so that's how I know. Best of luck to you!

I have severe psoriasis and am hypothyroid, both autoimmune disorders. My surgeon's office hasn't even commented on either. I wouldn't worry about it.

Applebottom, This might help... When I lost 114 lbs on Weight Watchers in 2002-2003, I actually found the nerve to do some acting! I did a LOT of community theater back then, and also did comedy improv like on Whose Line is it Anyway, live before an audience. I had so much more confidence then that I'm SURE I was funnier. You won't lose yourself. Your funniness will just be more concentrated because it'll be spread out over fewer pounds of you. hehe Seriously... who you are isn't going to change and you don't have to let go of the things you like about yourself. Embrace those things and use them to paint a new you! -Theresa

I think we all have our own issues, and mine is just the opposite of yours. I feel invisible now. So much so, that I don't get out as much as I used to when I was not so heavy. I believe that society prefers that larger people be invisible. It's pretty obvious when I go to Target and the plus size clothing section is tiny and crammed into the corner. Frankly, I'm SICK of being treated like a non-person and that is one of the many reasons I cannot WAIT for my lap band.

When I was on a Ketosis diet a few weeks ago, I got the same symptoms you are describing. I had headaches, dizziness, mental fogginess and general irritability. Someone replied to one of my posts saying that those are just symptoms of the body going into Ketosis and would most likely have disappeared within another day or two, had I been required to stay on that diet longer. I returned to eating normally and the symptoms disappeared. Hope this helps! -Theresa

Good morning, everyone! Well, I called my insurance company (Empire BCBS) on Monday and was told that preauthorization isn't required for WLS as long as I meet the requirements. I called my surgeon's office and informed them of this, and I was then told that my insurance DOES require preauthorization. My last appointments with the therapist & the nutritionist were March 29th. I have been waiting since then for a phone call from the surgeon's office, hoping like heck that they tell me I am approved. My BMI is a 50 and I have sleep apnea. I can't for the life of me imagine that I won't get approved. The waiting, though, is hard. Let's hope today's the day. I am SOOOOOOOO ready to do this! -Theresa

Marg, Please do yourself a favor and find Cigna's position statement on bariatric surgery on their website. If it doesn't say that you have to have had a BMI of 40 or greater for one year, please fight them. Cigna makes people do the six month diet thing. I wonder if that's in an effort to get BMI < 40 so they can deny coverage. Ah, guess not, as from what I've read, they tend to deny anyway. Good luck to you! -Theresa

I'm not-so-patiently waiting on approval from Empire BCBS. I called the insurance company yesterday and was told everything was submitted on 4/2 and the customer service rep thought the paperwork looked complete. Now I just have to find more patience! Congrats Brandy! Good luck to you!