Nooshie

Hey, me too! October 15!:scared2:

My surgery date is 10/15...and I got my "packet" yesterday on what I need to do, etc. So my liquid diet will start on October 1....but it's not terrible: skim milk or soy milk; low fat cream soups (i.e. healthy choice); fruit juice without pulp, V9, sugar free pudding, dannon lit & fit, sugar free popsicles and protine supplement (any flavor 170 calories with 30+ grams of protein).....staying within 1000 calories and minimum 70 grams of protein.

Just a quick note to say thanks for doing this...very cool to see who's doing what, when. Okay, so my date is October 15. I haven't received my packet from the doctor's office that tells me about the two week liquid diet or what I need for the pre-op exam with my primary care...that's on the 8th, so I've got to call them tomorrow. I can't wait.

Just got my date! October 15!! I'm so excited. It'll be here before we know it!

Hi Everyone, I'm on month 2 of my 6-month supervised pre-op diet (required by Aetna HMO). My insurance required that I see a nutritionist which I did a week or so ago. She went through my food journals, asked lifestyle questions. So we started talking about lapband...since she understood that I was there to fulfill the pre-op requirement. I was telling her that I had done everything to lose weight without long term success. My biggest fear, I shared, was that I might be kind of like an Air Fern....where I didn't require food or Water...and that even after I got banded I would not lose weight. So she suggested metabolic testing to find out what was going on. My insurance didn't cover the $85 test, but after years of wondering I wanted to go find out. The test is done by breathing into a tube for ten minutes. You fast for 3 hours, no caffeine...and breathe. And good news! I found out that just without exerting any energy, my body would burn 1800 daily just to survive. I was totally shocked because I was expecting it to be about 800 calories since the scale never moves down. Anyways, that was the good news, and the nutritionist that was doing the test made some suggestions. She said to eat 6 mini meals a day, rather than the three adding a little Protein in there every couple of hours to keep the metabolism up. AND...she suggested two 5-minute bursts of cardio a day...once in the morning and one in the evening. Five minutes. Even I can squeeze that in. I can't do the sprinting, jumping or stairs that she suggested (because of my knees) but I can dance around waiving my arms. So I checked out the exercise channel on On Demand and found a "Back 2 Bollywood" workout. (I just love those bollywood movies). So it's been a few days and I'm dancing around....packing my mini meals, and saving 1/2 my dinner for the next day's lunch. My next appointment with my PCP is next week.

I totally hear you! That's what I was told through my life of dieting...and in fact, Dr. Quilici, my surgeon-to-be said the same thing. But I'm not banded yet. The idea was this....I had been listening to a weight loss podcast...somewhat of a hypnotherapy thing, wherein the hypnotist said that we should only eat when we're hungry. That hunger was a good thing because it was about hearing our body saying we needed fuel. So I started trying that. And I realized that I wasn't hungry. So here i'd pack my yogurt or oatmeal to eat when I got to work...and i'd stop and think, "it's here, but am i hungry?" I wasn't...so I wouldn't eat. and i'd wait and soon it would become lunchtime...and i'd have food to eat, but i still wasn't hungry. OKAY...now you have to know, just because I wasn't hungry doesn't mean I didn't want to eat. Big difference...I totally wanted to eat...and could eat. Just was trying to figure out what was going on with the body. And that's when I made my Air Fern observation...that maybe I didn't NEED food. But that's not the case. So the nutritionist said that everyone has the mechanism of listening to the body for hunger cues, but very few will actually listen to it...and it's been desensitized. So we started talking about early man, hunters and gatherers...and how way back then you'd eat a little bit...and move on to the next site to find a little more you would get to eat...etc. That was the theory behind the mini meals. Small amounts throughout the day. :::Shrug:: who knows. But let me ask you this. I read about the Protein shakes/drinks that people have after being banded. Are those taking the place of your meal? or is it in between. If it's in between, then it's somewhat like a snack, right? Since it's calorie/vitamin dense?

Almost 6 years ago, I had to undergo a total hysterectomy - tubes, ovaries, the works! Since then, my already slow metabolism has come to a crawl. I wanted to ask if there are any of you out there who have been banded, post hysterectomy, and are losing well with the band? If so, how's it working for you? Comparitively, are there any weight loss differences? I have such a hard time getting any diet to work -- was wondering how it's going for you all. Nooshie

Thank you to both of you for posting and answering my question. Y'know how it is? I've tried so many things with no success and I know my metabolism has slowed wayyyy down....so I'm fearing failure even with the lapband. I know everyone is different. I just really hope and pray that "I" can use this as a tool and make it work!!! You're both an inspiration to me!

I've got Aetna HMO. At first I thought they wouldn't approve it, but all I had to do was ask my primary care doc. She had her office person contact my insurance...and they got a referal for me to see the surgeon. Went to do that. As it turns out I do have to document 6 months on a supervised weight loss program. Checked in this month as "month 1". Still haven't gotten the referral for the nutritionist which is supposed to be part of it, but doc's office says it was approved and is still pending. There's got to be someone else you can talk to.

Well, today was may first month of the six month supervised weight loss period. I am really disappointed. I guess I was hoping that my doctor would take it seriously and try to help me prepare for this. She basically came in, asked how I was. Said, "Okay, basically you have to come in once a month. I'll ask you how you are and if you're trying to lose weight. We document it and we're done." I asked about the nutritionist. She said we'd find out if my insurance covered it. If not, I'll have to pay out of pocket -- and we're going to find out if I need to meet with the nutritionist monthly or will one time do. That was pretty much it. I asked her..."Do you have a diet for me to follow?" (I mean I waited 45 minutes for her to come in). Her reply.."Well, most of my patients do something like weight watchers. Have you done weight watchers?" When I said yes, many times. She said, "okay, then you know it." That was it. :::shrug::: It was disappointing. And it's not like I was expecting my doctor to even give me anything new as far as diets go. I don't know what I was expecting. Is it that they view WLS as a last resort, so they think it doesn't matter? I left there feeling really down. I really want to make the most of these six months. Learn the most I can, try as hard as I can to get myself ready. Anyways...I felt like venting. Thanks for listening.

Thank you Restless for writing me. You are absolutely right and I really needed to read your post. What was I expecting! Exactly. I do need to take charge...and I will. Do I have uncertainty about the lapband? Well, sure. I've gotten so much info off this site, from my surgeon's office, etc. I really do want to get my life in control. And I think the lapband will be the tool I need to help me with this. I think I've got the emotion tho...for how I felt at the Dr.'s office. I just felt like she looked at me and the chart and just determined that there was no point in telling me anything...that I was like a "lost cause", y'know? But whatever. Onward upward!! Thank you again for responding. I really needed that. Have a great day!

I agree with you. Those that have taken time to get to know me, are fine with me. But the other day, I was standing on a corner in downtown L.A. waiting for the light to turn, and some guy just came up to me and said, "You're really not doing anything to help the obesity epidemic!" Now what was that about? I was so taken aback by his comment....I just said, "excuse me?" because he caught me off guard. And he just walked away. The light changed and my bus came and that was that. But it made me really think about it. To me, I'm so much more than my body, but I guess to those that don't know me...they see only that. But so what? What gives him the right to be mean? Nothing. There was nothing I could do but to pray for him...that God give him compassion and have mercy on him. ::Shrug::

By day I'm a commercial property insurance broker. By night/weekends: I make jewelry for my online shop and boutiques: www.pomgranateandeye.etsy.com Before that, I was a teacher.

I agree that it's not the best situation. I agree that she's whack for doing this...but I am disturbed by all the rage people have about it. Not here, per se, but all over. Yesterday I was listening to the radio at work and they were talking about how we should "tune in on monday and we'll give you the dirt about the mother..." We really don't need to know the dirt...how, what, when.. I emailed the DJ ad he wrote back saying that it's not malicious, but that people are "curious". She's had the babies...whatever is done is done. Thankfully, all survived. God be with them. Whether they get a house built for them, or continue as they are...whether there is a father or not...or whether they get a TV show....I mean, it's not going to be easy. And I feel sorry for the kids. Just my opinion.

I have Aetna HMO and have to go through the 6 month diet. I will meet with my pcp tomorrow and will ask if the 6month visits are covered. Thank you for posting because I didn't even think to ask. I'll let you know what I find out.

Hi Everyone. I'm in So Cal and just starting my journey. Went to see my PCP about med problems, (weight, arthritis in the knees, swelling in my feet) and I asked her about lapband surgery, which she said was a good option. I had gone to an informational seminar a few weeks prior. Anyways, I've got Aetna HMO which doesn't cover lap band, but my doctor said that she could write a letter to the insurance company for me. About a week later, I got a referral to go see Dr. Quilici in Burbank. My consult is on Monday, January 19. I really really want this to happen. I'm just in limbo right now because I'm not sure if my insurance will cover it (but I'm hoping they will because they did approve the consult). Have any of you had a similar situation with HMO? So I'm really happy to be here. I've learned so much just by reading your posts. I've struggled with my weight for my entire life. I need to deal with this once and for all. Nooshie

My feet get very swollen and puffy, and no diuretics help. The doctor said it is from the excess weight. It's hard to find shoes that fit well...or fit at all. And those first few steps in the morning when getting up out of bed are painful in the heel. Then everything sort of adjusts....save for the puffiness which is every present. Any ideas on swollen feet that don't respond to de-puffing? :w00t:

I totally know what you mean. Before I went to visit Dr. Quilici, I had to go to my GI doctor for another issue. So at the end of the appointment I asked him what he thought of lapband..and immediately he said, "why don't you just get a bypass?" In my head I had already talked myself into getting the lapband and researched it and everything. I left his office feeling so ...what's the word...like, maybe I'm not making the right decision for me. Conflicted. So I went home and logged onto this site and read more about both. Then when I had my appointment at Dr. Q's office, y'know the meeting with Julie? Well, she was explaining the whole procedure...both bypass and lapband. After having the bypass procedure explained....I knew I didn't want to go there. It's just too much cutting for me. Cutting, disconnecting, connecting. And this is not to say it's not right for someone else...it just isn't for me. And the explanation that bypass people lose 90-100% of their excess weight...which banders are at 70-80%....I can live with that. If I lost 70% of my excess weight....even 60%...need I say more? (I haven't been at 60% of my excess weight in many years) But looking at what some of the members on here are doing....sounds like something I could do. I too am afraid of failure. I had some success with WW years ago...but after having to have to total hysterectomy 5 years ago, nothing that used to work before is working now. I have the metabolism of a bar of soap. So yep, I too am afraid that I'm going to go through this and not make it. But all that is negativity....and I'm going to vow with this to be positive. YES WE CAN. :w00t: Right? I'm going for the bypass.

This post is so encouraging. I am just starting this journey and I have Fred Flintstone feet!! They're puffy and wide :w00t:. Maybe someday.... there may be hope for my feet as well!

Yeah, I had heard that. So when I went in and was talking to Dr. McVay, I told her right out, "I've heard that Dr. Quilici pushes bypass." She laughed and said, "We don't "push" anything, though he does suggest." Then she continued on saying that there were studies done that showed bypass patients lose 90-100% of their excess weight but banders were 70-80%. But, she did say that the success is entirely up to the patient. And that if lapband felt right for me, then that's what I should have. I thought she was pretty nice. I did get the bypass push "vibe" from Rosalie though.