OnTheWay to Thin

Hi and welcome Hili. On your insurance it really depends on the insurance company and plan, there is a wide range of requirements depending on the company. Most agree that you need to be 100lbs above ideal weight, have a bmi of 40 or higher or 35 or higher if you have comorbidities. Some require a 6 mos medically supervised diet before they will approve you for surgery so check with them and get the medical policy and their exact requirements. I am really amazed my insurance did not require much and was able to approve me right away so my surgery is scheduled for 5/28. All in all I had to have the following: 100 lbs above weight 5 year history of being this obese Primary care doctor referral and agreement that I was a good surgery candidate and that he felt surgery would be beneficial. Psychiatric evaluation Nutritional Evaluation Blood Work EKG 2 appointments with the surgeons office one for pre screening and one for preop Attend informational seminar Hope this helps you to understand the process. Debbie

That would be true if it was not just happening when she bends, lays or looks down, blood sugar usually will affect you regardless of what you are doing. It is a nastly little problem that affects all of your senses, 100% of the time if it is too low.

That can be anything from low blood pressure to not getting enough nourishment. Check with your doctor better safe than sorry.

You could also try mixing your protien shake with yougurt and fruit, blend like a smoothie...

Great job, I know how hard that is! I am on my pre sugery diet and I swear the temptations are all around me... I went in the store tonight to get more low cal stuff and saw my favorite cookies that I have not seen in a store in at least 3 years... I walked by but it was hard!

So wow I have been lurking, talking a bit, on the site, going through the process, I expected it to take at least until June to do it all. Then bam I get a call this am that my surgery is approved for May, I have had my nutritional, I am doing my psych today, have my pre op next week... I could have surgery as early as the 14th or 21st of May. that is amazing to me, I guess I have really good insurance, it is about time I get something good for all the premiums I am paying. LOL. So I may be part of the May group, hello and good luck to you all.

I agree about not lying about it, but I just dont feel the need to share it with everyone either. I told my boss I had to have a small surgery and would be out for a few days, she did not ask what it was for. As for others, I am sure I will cross that bridge when I come to it but I dont want it talked about in advance so that is why I have said nothing so far.

Hi Susan I am having lap band on the 28th of May so I am there with you. I have everything done except the 10lbs they want me to lose before then. Good luck.

My date is confirmed, I have lap band surgery the 28th. It seems that each doctor is way different in what is required, I dont have a specific pre op diet, but do have to lose 10 lbs to shrink my liver and show my commitment. That I can do fairly easily, so no worries. After surgery I have 3 days of Clear liquids then can move to thick liquids for a week to 10 days then start slowly on soft foods. For preop I have had blood tests, EKG, Psych and Nutritional evaulation. I am fascinated by how different the requirements seem to be depending on your doctor/location.

Yes kind of excited and kind of scared. But I am doing the band not the sleeve, my insurance wont pay for a sleeve at least not right now. I am not too worried about what i wont eat in the future, just want to get this show on the road...

My date is confirmed for the 28th.

Oh dear I have my date now I am officially the 28th of May, and have to lose 10lbs by then. Which I will do but the first person who brings me brownies at work better run fast! LOL... I have a heavy coworker who started looking into this with me, she is ending up going for the gastric bypass because the doctor thinks it is best for her, but since we have been going through this I have been trying really hard to be concious of what I eat, but man she has been going like each meal is the last supper. I dont get that, but I guess I am glad I dont. Good luck to you.

People who dont have weight problems dont understand what it is like. That being said, I too am slightly afraid of Mexico and am glad I have insurance to pay for my procedure. I know they have had great results and many people on LBT are testimants to that. I just worry about follow up care and complications. Have you checked with your insurance to see if there is any possibility you can get payment for a procedure? Just do your homework and you will make the right decision. Your parents will not likely change their mind, which is made mostly of fear and love for you, but they will get used to it eventually.

Hi and welcome, I am in the process and have talked to doctors after doctor as well as LB site. Sorry but the carbonnated beverages pretty much go. I have heard of a few people who can have an occasional sip, but my doctors says no. I have been a diet pepsi addict all my life so I totally get it. I have cut down until I am finally off of the stuff and the funny thing is I feel better now. I used to drink 5-8 a day, went down to 2 then 1 then 1 every other day, then cold turkey. LOL. I have my preop appt today, so I am enjoying my last pepsi right now. Once you heal you will be able to drink Water without restriction in fact it is highly encouraged, you can add crystal light or something non carbonnated to give it a better flavor. During the healing period your water is restricted and you have to drink really slow, but that only lasts a couple of weeks. Then the other restriction is not drinking while eating or for anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour afterward. That has been hard for me but I have started before the surgery so feel I am ok now. Hope this helps.

Honey I know it is hard waiting, but you cant lose weight every single day. Weight loss is a long journey, regardless of the method you choose. You will have days and sometimes weeks where you are doing everything right and not losing, then all of a sudden you will drop a few pounds all at once. The main thing to do is to follow your diet and exercise guidelines, it is really pretty simple, if you consume less energy than you burn you will lose weight. So hang in there.

Right now just low fat, low calorie, I do my preop on Tuesday and at that time I will be given my next instructions. I am looking at a surgery date of either the 14th or 21st.

There is already a thread for May 09.

If you really feel the need to tell them a medical reason tell them you had your gall bladder removed or appendix. That will explain the soreness but wont garner a lot of questions. But really you should not have to explain, I dont want to tell coworkers because I dont want the food police watching everything I do and dont do. And I dont want the gossip that is sure to happen as people just dont have enough of their own business to mind, they have to talk about everyone else. Maybe once I clear bandster hell and start dropping I will feel different but for now just my immediate family, husband and 1 friend knows (who also has done this).

You look fantastic, makes me know I am doing the right thing having this procedure next month. I have lost more than 100lbs before, and what you are saying about not seeing the thinner person makes sense, it takes a while for your mind and perception of yourself to catch up to your weight loss. Keep pictures of before and after near you and close together, that really does help to reframe your personal perception of yourself. Again congrats, I hope I am as successful as you have been.

Correct gall bladder is on the right, but some people have pains in weird places. Wont hurt to check it out, but from what you are saying it sounds like you could be having gas pains too... have you tried gas x or something like it? Also, ice cream and coffee are both bad for different reasons, one sugar one acid. Both are not good for your stomach. Definately talk to your doctor, they need to rule out any serious issue and then can help you figure out what is causing it. Good luck.

I have not had my surgery yet, but in all the research I have done, you are normal, the period between surgery and sweet spot can be 6-12 weeks, so dont give up, stay the course, once you get the optimum fill level it will get easier. My doctor tells me dont even plan on losing weight before week 6 if you that is a bonus, if not you will once the fills are at the right spot.

Only you can make that decision. However depending on where you live the surgery can cost anywhere from 10-20K. If you are changing insurance with no breaks in coverage they cannot get you for new waiting periods because your coverage is continuous. Call the new insurance and tell them you are considering changing at open enrollment, ask them if they have a medical policy on WLS, if they do get a copy of it, this will give you all their requirements and will give you a head start on preparation. Good luck.

congrats! I wish you much success on your journey.

Hi I am so sorry you are having difficulty with insurance. The thing you need to do is call your insurance and ask if WLS is excluded. If it is you are kind of out of luck, if it is not excluded but covered if you meet certain criteria, then you need to ask them for a copy of their medical policy regarding WLS and take that to your doctor to see if you qualify with additional documentation. Good luck to you.

My girlfrriend had surg last year and could not be happier, she is the reason I am doing this. Look at the success stories side of LBT, there are far more good that bad experiences. There are complications that are possible with any surgery, but the key is following doctors orders and paying attention to what your body is telling you.