Lisa B

Thanks Lana & Claudine. The job-related waterworks seem to be over - I'm so mad at myself for crying through about 97% of the manager/HR meeting. I felt so stupid. But as someone else said - well, at least you didn't start ranting and raving and throwing things! :wink_smile: Just got my time for surgery tomorrow, too - 5:45 check in and 7:00 surgery. In the a-freaking-m. Whahoo! :thumbup:

Waiting another 30 minutes to call for my surgery time tomorrow ... and worrying about the fact that I just found out yesterday afternoon that I've been reorg'd out of a job and have six weeks to find another position at MS or look elsewhere ... "Have a good surgery, now find another job!" Ugh.:wink_smile: Tomorrow will be great, tho, I know it!

Good luck fleminld! I like a nice early surgery time - the doctors haven't had the time to get behind yet, everyone is fresh and awake, you've only had to starve since midnight ... I have 25 more hours to go 'til I find out what time I'm scheduled for, and the time can't pass soon enough! Cheers, Lisa

You go girl! F*** them and their tiny brains. Cycling is the best.

Syntrax, not Syntax (I just spent a few minutes searching before coming up with that ). Contact page: SI03 Inc

Don't know about Anna, but MS Premera approved me in a bit less than two weeks. BMI of 40, no co-morbidities, I have done a weight-loss program via Premera a couple of years ago (lost 54 lbs., gained back 74 - arg). I didn't find it difficult at all. YMMV

Microsoft insurance is Premera, and it does cover lap band surgery, as well as gastric bypass. The requirement is similar to other insurers - a letter of medical necessity from your primary care physician, as well as proof of unsuccessful weight loss. Good luck to your husband.

Busy month! Lucky us! :crying:

SanDiego Susan - Can you take me off the July 24 list, please? My surgery has been bumped out to August 7. :crying: Thanks! Lisa

Haven't been banded yet, but I did have laproscopic surgery for a hysterectomy last year and the surgeon said something to me that made a lot of sense: your body just went through major trauma and knows something is wrong. The surgery signs may be small to you (a bunch of 1-2 inch incisions) but the body is coping with missing a major organ (for my Hx) or having a bunch of foreign objects placed inside. It's almost like your mind & body are making you depressed in an effort to get you to slow down and cope with all the changes you've wrought. Just a thought. And best wishes that things get better soon. I hope once you're able to move around more you'll start to feel more like your normal self. Cheers, Lisa

80s Chick, thanks for giving us a good cautionary tale. Chewing, chewing, chewing and stopping when I'm full, not when the plate is clean, is really hard, but I'm trying to train myself pre-band so post-band I've got some practice under my belt (er, band). I hope you're feeling better now and can hold on to this memory in a good way. Cheers, Lisa

Ditto on the "me too, me too." Lisa B, scheduled for August 7, Kirkland, WA. Now to move my name off the July Butterflies list, and resign myself to the longer wait (patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a ... ah hell with it ).

After some bs with insurance, I'm August now too. My date is Aug. 7 (was supposed to be July 24, grrr), and my dr. will be out-of-network at that point, but as someone said above, enough griping. I had my pre-op yesterday, gave three or four vials of blood, had an EKG, met with the doc's PA, I'm all set. My doctor doesn't really have a pre-op diet, but wants you to lose 10-15 lbs before surgery. I've lost 10 since the first visit so I guess the way to look at the bright side is now I have three weeks to lose another five! I live in Kirkland, WA, just east of Seattle. Work for Microsoft. Married for five years, together for 12. No kids, thank goodness, just a dog - easier to kennel a dog and go out at night - people tend to disapprove if you do that to a kid! K, enough prattle. Back to work (and surfing the boards). Lisa

Thanks, ladies, for the kind words. I managed to keep my "I'm PO'd" eating to two rows of rice crackers, but boy do I feel like camping out in front of the TV tonight with a glass of wine and a couple of slices of pizza! Ah well, tomorrow is another day. And I'll move myself over to the August banders thread.

My license not only has a weight that's a dream (let's call it that, ok, not a "lie" ), but I gave myself two inches in height, as well. I mean, come on, it's not like I drive barefoot! :eek: Lisa

Well f*ck. Had my preop consult today and my surgery date is now not until August 7. The nurse who told me it would be on July 24 didn't actually put me on the schedule, the doctor is on vacation the last week of the month, and only does surgeries on Thursdays. I'm so depressed. I've been doing the whole pre-op diet thing and have lost 9 lbs in the last 2-3 weeks; now I feel like saying screw it. To top it off, my doctor will be "out of network" as of July 31, so I'm afraid, even tho insurance has approved the surgery, that I'm not going to be fully covered. Serious drag here, folks.

I got approved yesterday, scheduled for PreOp on the 16th, and surgery (with luck!) on the 24th. What I want to know is what everyone discussed at their PreOp appointments. I'm alternating between joy and fright right now and need to read some LBT to calm my nerves. :thumbup: TIA, Lisa

You're definitely not the only one! Even tho I've lost 15 lbs. from my high last month, I think it's only about 7-8 since I had the consult, and I'm afraid they're going to say that's not enough (even tho I have another week and a half 'til surgery). And my surgeon works for a group that will no longer be a preferred provider as of August 1 ... and he's on vacation the last week of July ... and only does surgery on Thursdays ... and my surgery is the 24th (so far!). So yeah, I know exactly what you're going through. I'm soooo impatient, I want to get this part over with so I can start living the rest of my life with the band! It may be crazy but I keep thinking about "when I weigh 125 lbs I'll do XYZ ..." - mind you, that's just under 100 lbs from now, so I'm jumping the gun a bit. :embaressed_smile: Our minds are are enough to make us crazy, aren't they?!

Thanks to everyone for the responses! I have to get through Tuesday, then the appt. is first thing Wed. morning - all I need now is patience! :smile2: I'm working on a list of questions, and will be sure to use some of the ideas I've read here. Fortunately for me, no fake nails to worry about - mine are my own mismatched set. :confused_smile: Just patience, patience, patience, and high hopes that I can get the surgery on the 24th as initially scheduled. Fingers crossed (patiently :crying:), Lisa

Me three, or 42. :thumbup: I'm scheduled for July 24. Eeek! :redface:

Congrats!! I was approved yesterday too - wonderful feeling, isn't it? :thumbup: Frightening, yet joyous.

I've been lurking on the forums for a few weeks, learning lots, and now I finally feel like I can join in. I went for my consult today, set up appts. with the nutritionist and psychologist over the next two weeks, and the doctor's office (Kelly Clinch in Kirkland, WA) is pushing through my insurance approval so that I can beat the cut off date of August 1, when he and loads of other doctors suddenly become "out of network". So, fingers crossed that the approval happens poste-haste, and I get this party started. About me: I'm good at losing weight, bad at keeping it off. I lost 54 lbs. about 18 mos. ago but it came back on as soon as I got lazy and started eating the same amounts that my 6'3" husband does! I bike commute year round, make jewelry, and read books like they're going out of style. I can't wait to get started on this journey and have high hopes that it will turn into the "lifestyle" that the last weight loss effort was touted as being. Cheers!

Anna - I just found out I've been authorized for the surgery, and what they said (other than the correct insurance term is "not denied" - how positive of them ) is that I am authorized to have the surgery with this doctor anytime between July 10 and October 10. So it is covered anytime between those dates. I'd been calling Premera every day and today got the bright idea to call the MS Benefits person for help. Altho it sounds like the very sweet guy I talked to yesterday at Premera was the one who lit a fire - they wouldn't give him any answer yesterday, but he did badger them for me. And it worked, because I'm approved, I'm approved, I'm approved! Just have to get through MGX now ...

I got approved, I got approved!!! Actually, what I am is "not denied" - how goofy is that? Ah insurance companies, always so special.

Hi Anna - Yep, Microsoft. :thumbup: I hadn't heard Clinch would be gone for a week, but what the nurse (Moira?) did tell me that if Premera approved the surgery and they (Clinch's office) said they were going to do it in July, then even if the surgery didn't take place until August 10, it would be covered. I have my doubts on that one, however! Even when I asked Premera if followups with a surgeon who did some hip surgery on me would be covered, they said no. Probably depends which benefits person you get as to what answer you get on any given day! In general insurance = groan. :thumbup: Cheers, Lisa