Enchanted

Great advice, IndigoGirl. I have been known to go one step further and cover whatever I don't want to have with liquid soap before tossing it in the trash. All gone!

Whew..you do have a lot going on! Best of luck to you, Shamrock.

I go back to my surgeon's office two days before surgery for a final weigh-in. I am up 2-3 pounds from One Last Meal Syndrome (it turned into a weekend of .. gross behavior). I'm sure I'll be fine and will be able to have surgery. Only mentioning it here because some do require a final weight check. They told us at seminar that if you gain weight, you won't have your surgery. But some blabbermouth stood up and said, "That's not true....my friend gained five pounds and she still had her surgery." The nurse replied, "I think one or two may have slipped by me." Oops

My doc has something like 1400 surgeries. The practice has had one death (not sure what happened). I'm not sure what I would consider the magic number of surgeries. I made my decision based on what I'd heard around town, my PCP's opinion, proximity to home and (most importantly?) the professionalism of the office. What I look for.... * Well-organized office * Staff can answer most questions very quickly * Phone calls returned promptly * Helpfulness with insurance * Low staff turnover (speaks volumes about the doc -- at least in my world) I've only met with the surgeon once and won't see him again until the day of surgery. I trust that he is skilled. He seems kind (secondary, but still important to me). Good luck, SanDiego. I know this is frustrating for you because of your other experience.

World of Warcraft! Which server? LOL Off-topic! Off-topic!! For the original poster.....welcome!

Opinions on the surgery have changed over the last few years. Perhaps your PCP has reconsidered. Otherwise, there are probably lots of docs in the area who are more "fat friendly." I went to my PCP first -- asked if she thought I would be a good candidate. She asked me if I had a surgeon in mind, confirmed that I made a good choice -- but in the long-term, I don't think it matters too much if you go to the seminar first. Whichever is more convenient for you.

Oooh ooh! Another April 30!! I was starting to think I was the only one!

What DisneyFreak says in her post above mine is absolutely true. I did come away with the same feeling that perhaps you want to "help" too much. I know that may not seem possible . . . but if she does go with the band, it is going to be totally up to her to be successful with it. Perhaps show her your posts and our responses and use that as a way to further communication between you? Counseling helpful? Invaluable, I say! Obesity is more than just about loving food. There are deep emotional issues connected with food. What started her overeating? What will replace food once the band is in place? Take a look at some of the threads here -- so many people mourning the loss of food, being confused about their feelings. Our bodies are machines in that if we eat too much, we will gain weight. But, ah...if it were only so simple, none of us would be overweight, hm?

Welcome, Marzipan. Sounds like you're on the right track. Keep us posted on your progress.

Welcome, Bobbie. It sounds like you meet the requirements of most insurance companies. However, some carriers don't cover any weightloss surgeries...so, your first call should be to your insurance company and ask if they cover lapband surgery. Then, you'll want to ask them for a run down of their requirements. Because you have diabetes and high blood pressure, you have a better chance of getting approved. It took me six months from my first seminar until the time that I got scheduled for my surgery (April 30!!), but it could have gone a lot faster if my travel schedule for work would have been different. Good luck to you! Things will be much more clear for you after you make that phone call to your insurance company

Welcome, Paty! I tried the unjury (unsweetened). It was ok. I'm not really expecting any of them to be delicious I'd suggest going to your local healthfood store and buying some samples of several different shakes that meet your doc's requirements.

Are these small companies? I always thought that group plans have to cover pre-existing conditions. It's crazy if that's not right -- I mean, my diabetes would not be covered? Yikes. I could be wrong. Sometimes, I'm a little too optimistic

Welcome Drew The seminar was required by my surgeon, not by my insurance company. YMMV, of course. Even if it's not required, it's good to go. You'll get a good idea of what you can expect from your doc -- and what they expect of you. Like you, I'd done a lot of research and pretty much knew what to expect, but every doctor is different and you'll need the seminar to learn about some of those differences. Best of luck to you!

Stinky :tongue_smilie: I have Anthem BC/BS and have been approved -- so they do have policies that cover the procedure. My husband's employer offers several plans from which employees can choose. Can your current policy be upgraded? It would be more expensive and you may have to wait until open enrollment (usually at the beginning of each year), but it would definitely be less expensive than self-pay. (Just make sure it's covered before you switch.) As someone else mentioned, buying a separate policy may also be a viable option. Again, expensive and they may require a six month (or more) supervised diet before considering it. All of those things aside, you seem to be asking, "Am I worth it?" I say we each are. But if you aren't at the point where you can tell yourself that, consider this: you have a family. They are counting on you to be around for a long long time. The healthier you are, the better able you will be to take care of them. Best of luck to you.

I heartily agree with this. In most cases, the psych evaluation that most of us went through for clearance really is just to make sure that you have the capacity to follow instructions and that you are not crazy-crazy. There are lots of us (myself included) who have issues that need to be addressed BEFORE we have our surgery. In other words, treat the underlying cause for obesity either before or during the treatment of symptoms. I think it is crucial to success.

I was a chubby baby and kid. In my baby book, it asks the question.... Mom's First Words: She's so cute! Dad's First Words: She's so big! I was eight pounds at birth. Always teased for being fat, but when I look back at pictures of myself in elementary school, I was just a little overweight. In high school, I started gaining. Then, I got married (for the first time) at just 18. cRaZy! Gained a bit more, had a baby, gained a bit more. I realllllly gained during my second marriage. I swear, we ate like teenagers whose parents were away for the weekend. I think I started gaining weight for one reason...and kept eating because it was familiar and I didn't know what else to do to get that filled up feeling. I am so ready for my surgery next week! :tongue_smilie:

I can't stand artificial sweeteners -- and I can't tolerate them either. I read an article -- cannot remember where, sorry -- that a certain percentage of the population tastes artificial sweeteners differently -- bitterly. I am definitely in that percentage. The other thing with artificial sweeteners is that they definitely impact my blood glucose levels. I know Splenda doesn't want it to, but it does. I don't know if I'm alone in this, I've not read enough about it. I like plain Water, but sometimes want a little flavor. I found this product at my local grocery store. True Lemon® And it is omg good. Tastes just like fresh lemon / lime. (I've not tried the orange, but plan to.) I know this is way off-topic, but thought someone might find it useful. To the original poster, can you lose weight without drinking water? Sure, but water does a body good.

Sounds like you're already doing better. If this continues, just remember that you don't have to feel this way. I have occasionally been on antidepressants. If you take them through a rough period, it doesn't mean you have to take them forever. (Just need to make sure you come off the right way.) But...it does sound like you're doing better. Working out will definitely help, too. Take care of and be patient with yourself. (And hope that your partner is, too!) :tongue_smilie:

Once (just once), I weighed 199 pounds and it was an odd odd feeling. I was some where between Lane Bryant and "normal" clothes -- I couldn't find anything that fit just right. I was getting tooooo many compliments. It was all just a bit too much -- too many changes too quickly. I didn't stay 199 for long :tongue_smilie: All of this to say -- while it may seem strange that you're having those feelings, I don't think it's altogether uncommon. Hang in there.

April 30 for me! 9 more days!! I'm so excited.

Hope you're continuing to feel good, Tyme.

Keep us posted on your recovery!

Good to know. Thank you for replying, Tiny.

Does anyone know the stats (or know where I could find them?) for flipped ports? I'd never read or heard anything about them until I came here three weeks ago. I'd like to get some idea of how often they occur. Thank you in advance...

Metformin gave me serious diarrhea. When I complained to my PCP, she switched me to Byetta (10mcg, twice/day). After I'm banded, the surgeon is switching me to insulin -- which I've never taken. The concern with staying on Byetta is that my blood glucose levels could drop too low. I'm usually in the 90s after a carbolicious meal.