kaitlynmarie93

My shoe size was 8 before I was banded, after losing about 70 pounds, I now wear a 6 - 6.5

I've always been overweight and I have always dreamed of having a military career, this is one of the reasons I decide to have lap band surgery. I could never mange to lose wieght and keep off on my own. Now that I've been banded for slightly over a year, I'm doing good with my wieght loss, I still have a little ways to go but I'm geting there. I'll be eighteen soon, old enough to enlist. But I never knew that any form of wieght loss surgery was an automatic disqulifier for all branches of the military. I thaugh this would help me obtain my goal, but now I know I never achieve it because of this. I am having a hard time dealing with this. I've wanted for like ever, and don't know what to do now.

But I've been thinking about what if you had the band removed? I can see being disqualified with it , but it wouldn't make sense if they still rejected you if you got it removed. It's not like it disables you in sn some way afterwards. So I've been wondering how that works as well.

Thank you all for the replys, I really appreciate it. I have actually been thinking a job in law enforcemnt as well.

So as I have stated before I have tricare prime and was denied. We are currently working on my appeal and today I found out some bad/good news. It's bad news because I found out I have high cholesterol, it's good because it's concidered a comorbidity wich may help my case. I also have bad lower back pain that has been proved and documented to be frome my weight I have bad acid reflux discease and I have always been a hundred pounds or more over weight. We found out tricare required more information and a few other things. But does have more combordities help you get approved, I've heard it does but is this really true??? :laugh::confused::tt2:

I got my date, Nov. 12 it is. I go for my pre-registration on the 5th and later that day I go for my pre-op. I just can't believe my surgery date is so close I'm so nervous, yet excited. :Yawn:

Oh yea, and congrats to you both too and good luck.

I am from Jacksonville, Florida. I dont start my pre-op till the 5th, but I have already started dieting and eating lots of protein too and I have dropped about 7 pounds. I hope to lose a little more before surgery on my actual pre-op diet.

After being denied twrice, and the second letter making no sense at all, my mother talked to the people at the bariactric office. After reading through my letter of denial they called Tricare and found out my case was sent to an outside doctor who obviously had no clue what Tricare's requirements were. My surgeon actually talked to the head administrator of Tricare and finanlly got it approved. So now, seven months after it started, this is finally going to happen for me. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. I will soon be recieving my surgery date, and can not wait. :thumbdown: I will be banded by Dr. Robert Cywes in Jacksonville, Florida.

Does any one know how the lap band can affect these two disseaces? If you don't know what gastro pariesses(I probaly spelled it wrong) is, it's a digestion problem where the nerve that controlls digestion your stomach is dammaged. You digest food slower than you should so sometimes after you eat you end up vomitting a little because there's no room. I know having gastric bypass can make you get it if a certain part is cut. But does any one know if this could keep me form getting banded? And for any one who has or had GERD that got banded did it get better??? :tongue_smilie::confused::thumbup::confused::tt2::confused:

So after all this time, waiting thinking this will finally be it, I found out today that Tricare has denied my appeal. I was first denied due to lack of information, but this time we were able to get more documentation to send in and I even had a letter of medical neccesity from my pcp. The letter I got form Tricare stated that one of my reasons for being denied again is because its not a procedure covered by Tricare?! It also stated that I have no severe comorbities as of yet but they could arise in the future. The thing that I really dont get is that I'm only 5'1 and weigh 271 pounds. I am concidered small frame and in one part of my denial letter it even states that my health records show I have reached full statue so Im not going to get any taller either. I thought they approved you if you meet the 200% per Met Life table for height and weight??? Im so confuse, upset and I dont know what my other options are.:smile:

I see nothing wrong with "last meals", shoot if I get approved, its off to the China buffee for me. :smile2:

I honestly doubt they will do a drud test. But even if they do, marijuana only stays in your system for about a month so you should be fine.

So I was already denied the first time by tricare and the surgeons office found out their main concern is me getting pregnant in a year or so. They require me to go on birth controll and I am in the process of getting back on it. I have tricare prime and my question is do they usually denie people twice?We are working through the appealing process,and I am so scared of getting denied again, I really do need this surgery. :biggrin:

Yes my mom also spoke to tricare and they that's what they said, personally I think ti's because of how irresponsable alot of teenagers are but I don't know. But I meet all the requirements, so hopefully when we resumit everything I'll be approved.

My mom talked to the surgeons office today, and the one lady said they're pretty sure it wasn't my age why I was denied. She said they just need me to be on the pill, to make sure I don't end up getting pregnant in a year. I have an appointment on Monday to see about it, because I need the pill anyways to get my period. The surgeon also spoke to my mom and he said he feels pretty good about the whole thing and he thinks the appeal will work. Thank God this is such a relief for me. :thumbup: