marmac03

Had my second pre-surgery appointment on Friday and was so nervous because I was pretty certain that I had not lost ANY weight in the 4 weeks since the last time i had been there. I know the doc was looking for weight loss and all i could think about was how busy i had been and how i could have done so much better. The nurse calls me back and as we walk to the scale i start emptying my pockets and even take my sunglasses off of my head...because they weight so much you know! On to the scale i step and i can't even look down. The nurse smiles at me and at first i cannot tell if it is a sympathy smile or an encouraging smile....after years of being fat i tend to automatically see the sympathy/pity smile. I finally get the courage to look down and i've lost 7.5 pounds! HOLY CRAP! How? When? Where was I when that happened? SHOCK!! So into the room i go to talk to the doc and i have my fingers crossed that he doesn't tell me "see you in 4 weeks" again. Now the REAL shocker of the day. Doc has been VERY pro band since I first met him back in March. Today he tells me that he is just not seeing the weight loss results that he had hoped to see over the past year with banding. My heart just sank. In my mind i am wondering, what does that mean? does that mean you want me to have the more invasive surgery......just tell me, don't beat around the bush, tell me. So i ask, doc, do you think it would be more beneficial in the long term if i have the more invasive surgery or do you think that i can get to where i need/want to be with the band. his answer "you make that decision and let me know in two weeks so we can schedule the surgery". WHAT!!! I mean...WHAT?? :biggrin: So i come home and get back on this site and start REALLY looking at what people who have been banded have lost. And doc is right, there are a lot of people who are a year out and only down 40 pounds, but there are a lot of people who are one year out and down 80+ pounds. I think in the end it has to do with what you eat and the mentality that you maintain after surgery. if you eat the right things and do not test the waters to see what "bad" foods you can go back to, you will loose. I still think the band is the way I should go but now all the confidence that I had last week is just gone, completely gone. If anyone has any suggestions i would love to hear from you!

Had my second pre-surgery appointment on Friday and was so nervous because I was pretty certain that I had not lost ANY weight in the 4 weeks since the last time i had been there. I know the doc was looking for weight loss and all i could think about was how busy i had been and how i could have done so much better. The nurse calls me back and as we walk to the scale i start emptying my pockets and even take my sunglasses off of my head...because they weight so much you know! On to the scale i step and i can't even look down. The nurse smiles at me and at first i cannot tell if it is a sympathy smile or an encouraging smile....after years of being fat i tend to automatically see the sympathy/pity smile. I finally get the courage to look down and i've lost 7.5 pounds! HOLY CRAP! How? When? Where was I when that happened? SHOCK!! So into the room i go to talk to the doc and i have my fingers crossed that he doesn't tell me "see you in 4 weeks" again. Now the REAL shocker of the day. Doc has been VERY pro band since I first met him back in March. Today he tells me that he is just not seeing the weight loss results that he had hoped to see over the past year with banding. My heart just sank. In my mind i am wondering, what does that mean? does that mean you want me to have the more invasive surgery......just tell me, don't beat around the bush, tell me. So i ask, doc, do you think it would be more beneficial in the long term if i have the more invasive surgery or do you think that i can get to where i need/want to be with the band. his answer "you make that decision and let me know in two weeks so we can schedule the surgery". WHAT!!! I mean...WHAT?? So i come home and get back on this site and start REALLY looking at what people who have been banded have lost. And doc is right, there are a lot of people who are a year out and only down 40 pounds, but there are a lot of people who are one year out and down 80+ pounds. I think in the end it has to do with what you eat and the mentality that you maintain after surgery. if you eat the right things and do not test the waters to see what "bad" foods you can go back to, you will loose. I still think the band is the way I should go but now all the confidence that I had last week is just gone, completely gone. If anyone has any suggestions i would love to hear from you!

congrats!! post again soon so we can see how you are doing!

welcome! hopefully i am not far behind you! keep me posted as to how it all goes! i am thinking about ya!

30 pounds in 3 weeks! thats stellar! i can only hope to do as well!

you should be okay, it takes more than that generally for insurance to shoot you down. the psych eval is just a letter that gets submitted with a whole pile of other documents stating why you should have the surgery! I have my fingers crossed for you!

congrats! i know you will do great! You have made it this far!!

i have my next consultation appointment (my second) on 5/29. The surgeon that i have is very appointment oriented as he will see you and then say "come back in 4 weeks" and see where we are. I no longer want to wait another 4 weeks. I am scared to death that i am not going to be able to do the right thing post surgery as far as eating the proper foods and staying away from carbs, but at the same time I no longer want to look in the mirror and see what I see. I know that i cannot do this alone, if i could i would have done it already. i really do not want to break down in front of my surgeon next week but i honestly feel that if he tells me to follow-up again in 4 weeks i will have a complete break down. i feel so hopeless about the entire thing...and insurance isn't even to blame. :cursing:

i have my next consultation appointment (my second) on 5/29. The surgeon that i have is very appointment oriented as he will see you and then say "come back in 4 weeks" and see where we are. I no longer want to wait another 4 weeks. I am scared to death that i am not going to be able to do the right thing post surgery as far as eating the proper foods and staying away from carbs, but at the same time I no longer want to look in the mirror and see what I see. I know that i cannot do this alone, if i could i would have done it already. i really do not want to break down in front of my surgeon next week but i honestly feel that if he tells me to follow-up again in 4 weeks i will have a complete break down. i feel so hopeless about the entire thing...and insurance isn't even to blame. :smile2:

My husband is Army and Tricare will approve you if you are 100 pounds overweight and have a BMI over a certain amount without any other comorbid conditions. If you are 100 pounds overweight with comorbid conditions as long as the surgery is safe for you medically they should approve you without any problem at all.

OMG - now i am not so sure i want one!! We have a WII and Wii Fit is supposed to be my post surgery gift!! now i'm a little afraid!

i just went through it last week! it was not the most comfortable thing in the world thats for sure! i drank the fizzy shot and was also told to "not burp" and then the two techs sat there and talked about burping for the five minutes it took to drink the heavy barrium and move the table from standing to lying. i was seriously not sure that i could keep it all down! it went by quickly afterward and i am just glad it is done!

love the post!! gives me some hope! i fear being banded and not losing enough weight for it to make a difference. to know that people do drop a significant amount makes the fear a little less!

Hi everyone! My name is marianne and I am a complete newbie to lap band. I was authroized for bypass last year but we were sleighted to move due to military relocation so i cancelled my surgery date to wait until we arrived here in northern california. i was already scared of the entire procedure and really didn't think it would be wise to up and move half way across the country 4 weeks post op without a bariatrics center or even a pcp set up! So here I am, in northern ca and the doctor here is a total lap band guy! :thumbup: I had my group meeting and initial consult today and have to go back in 4 weeks with a food and exercise log as he uses this to determine if lap band will be succsesful or if actual bypass is the best choice. I am all for less invasive if it will work just as well! My only concerns are that on average people post bypass tend to lose anywhere from 80-130 pounds in the first year, it seems a lot slower and less with the band. Does anyone have any advice for me??

Thank you for the response!! I am nervous but excited all the same! I am scared to death to go through the surgery and only lose 20-30 pounds because for me that is just not enough. I would still be over 200 and i am only 5' 3". i think that is my biggest fear with lap is that some people have a great experience and lose everything they want to lose while others just cannot lose the weight even with the band. have you experienced any problems with the actual weight loss??

congrats! i will have my surgery date at the end of april!! i'm always around if you need someone to talk to/chat with/email etc! the only one who knows that i am doing this is my husband who is very supportive!! everyone needs somone going through the same thing to bounce ideas off of and just get things off of their chest!

thats amazing!! congrats!! keep us posted! i start my exercise routine tomorrow and while i am not looking forward to it i know that it is a MUST and that i will eventually learn to like it!