go_big_girl

hey everyone i just registered on lapbandtalk.com today, therefore this is my first post! let me introduce myself: I am Tara, 22 years old, 5'5" and weighs 305lbs. I have JUST begun my journey, well actually I haven't even began it yet. Tomorrow is my first appointment with a weight loss doctor to start my 6 months of medically supervised weight loss. I am very excited about meeting my doctor and when I go tomorrow I am going to let him know that I am interested in the lap band surgery. I currently have a BMI of 50, and with my insurance you have to have a BMI of 40 or BMI of 35 + a comorbid disorder. Feasibly, I don't see me getting down from 305 to 240 (a 40 BMI) in six months. Does anybody else? So hopefully, after 6 months, I will still be eligble for the lapband. I've made a seminar date, though, already for the lapband procedure on June 18th. Wish me luck! And good luck to all those waiting your surgery and congrats to all of those who have already lost weight!

hey everyone! i, too, am starting my 6 month doctor supervised program. i went thursday, may 22, to get my measurements, weigh, and blood taken for the weight loss clinic. i go on friday, may 30, to actually sit down with the doctor, go over my lab results, and go over a program which will be good with my body makeup. i also am bringing up the lapband that day. we'll see how it goes :cursing:

thanks. i keep telling myself it's a bump in the road and God has a reason for everything, even though we may not see the reason off the bat.

oh no :blushing: i hope everything works out for you :thumbup: keep us updated

*happy dance*

i am definitely having the last meal syndrome.. so i went to my weight loss clinic consult today. it was my first appt seeing the weight doctor. i was weighed, and measured. 299.5lbs by their scale, 45 bust, 42 waist, 57 hips. yes, i am shaped like a pear, lol. but i got my blood taken and everything. so next friday i am going to talk with the actual doctor about my lab results and get my weight medication. i asked the nurse today about lapband, and she told me to weight to talk to the actual doctor on friday. anyway, today has very been emotional. i got fired today from my job. i am devastated because i loved my job. i am a special education teacher. so today i've done very badly and have totally eaten emotionally. i've eaten a cheese danish, a reese's cup, a hershey bar, 2 small bags of sour cream & onion chips, a medium bag of salt and vinegar chips, a foot long tuna fish sub, some milano Cookies, and COUNTLESS numbers of cups of grape soda. why do we eat emotionally? we know better!

haha sounds good to me :rolleyes2:

hey and welcome to the site! it's going to take me ATLEAST 6 months, not including any wait lists at my surgeon. with my insurance, i have to be on a doctor supervised weight loss plan for 6 months.

hey girl, congrats! i am in birmingham. i dont have a band date day, but i am looking forward to this journey! i hope everything goes for you great...

well that's good to know about the port. i dont mind needles or shots. i guess i just envisioned this thing like a g-tube where the port is on the outside of your stomach. i work with kids who have severe medical needs, so i just assumed that's what you meant. it's good to know it's not. :rolleyes2:

hey everybody! kathy, you're right - i am NOT in fear of being denied because I know my BMI will remain above a 40, EVEN after 6 months of weight loss. i was, in the beginning, confused about which BMI they go off of - the BMI BEFORE i started my 6 months or my BMI after I finished. I know now they go off my initial BMI. :rolleyes2: so i went to the doctor today, and they basically just went over my plan with me, but today was just a measurement/weighing/blood taking appt. By the scales at the doctor, I weigh 299.5, 45 bust, 42 waist, 57 hips. I go next friday to talk with the actual doctor and get my medicine, and my nurse told me that THAT is when i need to bring up lap-band.

thanks, i'll be sure to keep everybody updated - look for my post tomorrow :confused_smile:

congrats :confused_smile: how are u feeling?

it seems we are! i added u to my contacts/friends. :confused_smile: therefore we'll keep in touch! :tt1:

omg, are we the same person? b/c i got on the scale monday to find out that i am 305lbs. in august, i weighed 272. tomorrow i go for my first consultation with my weight loss doctor. so tomorrow starts my 6 month pre-op doctor supervised weight loss journey. so tonight i basically ate way more than i normally do b/c i know that i've got to start my 6 month weight loss journey. am i totally excited about the life changes that are coming? not at all right now - do i know that it's because i'm an emotional eater, and i live to eat? most definitely. we sound so similiar! keep me updated :confused_smile:

that's neat, so do they have syringes long enough to go through all my belly fat? i know that sounds disgusting...

no info in NYC, i'm in alabama.. but i hope you make the right decision for you hope you find the support on here you are looking for! good luck!

welcome to the site! i hope you find all the answers u need and enjoy the support and friendships you'll make along the way!

thanks girl! so how do they fill your band? by a syringe or do they cut you every single time?

yay, it looks good too!

well i definitely hope not. also with my insurance if you haave a BMI of 35 plus a co-morbid condition (pulmonary hypertension, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc.)... i am almost postive i have sleep apnea, so i'm also bringing up a sleep study tomorrow with my doctor. this way, i'll have that extra cush in case i don't meet requirements after weight loss.. idk. anyway.. does ur insurance have the comorbid condition clause? and if so, do u think u need to be checked for any of those conditions? let's be hopeful :tongue:

okay, me being a newbie.. WHAT IS A PORT? WHAT DOES IT DO, AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

go to www.tickerfactory.com and then you can choose the kind of ticker (weight loss) and then customize it. once you've customized it, it should give you a code that you copy & paste into your signature on here.

yes, my insurance company requires actually 3 years proof of having a BMI of 40. so i basically just called my primary care doctor and asked him to get all my records together for the past 3 years where my weight is apparent on my charts. it doesn't have to be a weight loss doctor or anything, it just has to be a doctor's chart proving my weight was atleast that of a 40BMI. Try your PCP, i think they have to keep records for atleast 5 years...

steve - i am VERY new to this process as well. i actually just signed up for this website today. but what i did FIRST was consult my insurance company about the requirements/criteria from them. i then worked from there. my insurance company requires u to be a BMI of 40 or above OR a 35 BMI with a comorbid condition, under a doctor supervised weight loss management program for 6 months, and doctor's documentation proving i've been at a BMI of 40 for atleast 3 years. So, once I got that information, I researched weight loss doctors. I am going to my first appt tomorrow, and that is when i'll let him know I'm interested in the Lap Band surgery. I've also gathered all the information from BC/BS to take to my doctor as well. then, i called the doctor i want to do my lapband and scheduled a seminar with them. presently, that's all i have done- but that's what i did to start my process. keep us updated!