JazzyMom17

I'm still existing in a sparkling effervesence of *APPROVED*....I tried to call my skinny mom and sister last night and they were both busy with different things, so I didn't have the lapband talk with them. And I'm glad I didn't last night....I was just TOO excited. My husband was depressed about something, so all my glee just kindof bounced off of him. But, I DID tell my daughter (she's 6) and it was prob'ly bad judgement b/c she will doubtless leak the word out to my ex (her dad) and prob'ly my skinny in-laws. But last night was worth it. We were both just jumping up and down celebrating, because "when I get skinny I can wear beautiful dresses again!!!" I can't tell you how many Sunday's when we're getting ready for church she has asked, "Mommy are you wearing a dress today? How bout that beautiful one in your closet???" But I always end up putting on the black pants and some dark colored top on. So here's... to wearing a flouncy, colorful, sundress with regular width platform high-heeled sandals... to wearing crisp white pants without wondering how bad it looks. to having sex again---really good sex without feeling self-conscious and wanting to cover myself up... to going golfing with my husband in a cute little golf-skort and sleevless top... to letting go of this feeling of defeat and shrowding...and really being ALIVE and VIBRANT in my life... to taking LOTS of pictures and never hiding from the camera again... to actually looking forward to the events at work and the weddings in the summer... to feeling attractive and confident again... to feeling "in control" of my self.... to getting to the point where life is more than food---dieting, dieting, dieting, losing, gaining, calories in, calories out, eating too much... to FREEDOM from "weight".

I'm still existing in a sparkling effervesence of *APPROVED*....I tried to call my skinny mom and sister last night and they were both busy with different things, so I didn't have the lapband talk with them. And I'm glad I didn't last night....I was just TOO excited. My husband was depressed about something, so all my glee just kindof bounced off of him. But, I DID tell my daughter (she's 6) and it was prob'ly bad judgement b/c she will doubtless leak the word out to my ex (her dad) and prob'ly my skinny in-laws. But last night was worth it. We were both just jumping up and down celebrating, because "when I get skinny I can wear beautiful dresses again!!!" I can't tell you how many Sunday's when we're getting ready for church she has asked, "Mommy are you wearing a dress today? How bout that beautiful one in your closet???" But I always end up putting on the black pants and some dark colored top on. So here's... to wearing a flouncy, colorful, sundress with regular width platform high-heeled sandals... to wearing crisp white pants without wondering how bad it looks. to having sex again---really good sex without feeling self-conscious and wanting to cover myself up... to going golfing with my husband in a cute little golf-skort and sleevless top... to letting go of this feeling of defeat and shrowding...and really being ALIVE and VIBRANT in my life... to taking LOTS of pictures and never hiding from the camera again... to actually looking forward to the events at work and the weddings in the summer... to feeling attractive and confident again... to feeling "in control" of my self.... to getting to the point where life is more than food---dieting, dieting, dieting, losing, gaining, calories in, calories out, eating too much... to FREEDOM from "weight".

There is NO font big enough to show how COMPLETELY excited I am right now!!!! WOW!!!!!! I only have 15 minutes to write, so I'll make this quick, but am beside myself with HOPE and crazy GLEE!!! I went to PCP this morning---and asked her about Lap-Band. She talked about the risks, the chance of having digestive problems, more risks...etc. I have NEVER had a doctor, look up my BMI and give me cause for concern. But today she did...and she gave me a scrip for BP meds. I was excited about that and called the insurance coordinator before I was even out the door to tell her that I've got ANOTHER comorbidity!!! WOO-HOO!!! And she said, that she already had tried to call me to say that the insurance came back APPROVED!!!!! I screamed on the phone! Poor lady, but she was fine with it. It is prob'ly one of the best jobs in the world to call and tell people that. So, now I tentatively put my date down as June 17th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY that THIS time I will be able to do this. To know that I won't blow all my good effort and excercise on a bad meal! These things are priceless and out of my realm of explaination!!! YES!!!!!! Tonight I call my skinny mother and skinny sister. I've told my two sisters who are also overweight and they completely understand. I don't want to put the burden on them to support this without my other sister and mom. But no way in hell will I tell my inlaws!!! But before I call, I'm going to get out my low-rider khaki GAP goal pants and hang them on the wall.

I have been scouring all the sites and googling everything I can to find the WHY of the post op diet. I understand everything except the sugar free stuff. Why sugar free jello instead of regular jello? I'm not a big proponent of LOW-CARB diets, and think that sweeteners are prob'ly worse for us all in the long run than sugar....I understand we don't want all our calories from sugar and should limit sugar...but 400 calories a day would be HELL!!! I'm thinking in the back of my mind that I will come out of the other side (POST-OP diet) with a keen awareness of my own body healing, but also a balance of eating healthily. I can completely understand clear liquid diets until your tummy heals---but if you TOLERATE more then I'm not able to find a medical reason NOT to. I've looked at post-op for stomach cancer patients..etc. You and I are on the low BMI side, and I'm not sure about you, but for ME...I want to lose the weight gradually and healthily--not feeling emaciated and anorexic. MY BAND DATE IS JUNE 17TH!!! WOOOO-HOO!!!

There is NO font big enough to show how COMPLETELY excited I am right now!!!! WOW!!!!!! I only have 15 minutes to write, so I'll make this quick, but am beside myself with HOPE and crazy GLEE!!! I went to PCP this morning---and asked her about Lap-Band. She talked about the risks, the chance of having digestive problems, more risks...etc. I have NEVER had a doctor, look up my BMI and give me cause for concern. But today she did...and she gave me a scrip for BP meds. I was excited about that and called the insurance coordinator before I was even out the door to tell her that I've got ANOTHER comorbidity!!! WOO-HOO!!! And she said, that she already had tried to call me to say that the insurance came back APPROVED!!!!! I screamed on the phone! Poor lady, but she was fine with it. It is prob'ly one of the best jobs in the world to call and tell people that. So, now I tentatively put my date down as June 17th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY that THIS time I will be able to do this. To know that I won't blow all my good effort and excercise on a bad meal! These things are priceless and out of my realm of explaination!!! YES!!!!!! Tonight I call my skinny mother and skinny sister. I've told my two sisters who are also overweight and they completely understand. I don't want to put the burden on them to support this without my other sister and mom. But no way in hell will I tell my inlaws!!! But before I call, I'm going to get out my low-rider khaki GAP goal pants and hang them on the wall.

I have Anthem BCBS COVA CARE thru the state of VA. That is EXACTLY what my insurance coordinator did for me. Took a detailed list of all the diets that I have tried and all the co-morbidities that I have and the dr. will sign off on the letter and she has already submitted it for approval. I am kinda panicked, b/c I fully expected to have to do everything everyone else on here has had to do. Six-month supervised diet...etc...etc. NOTICE I am STILL WAITING TO HEAR ANYTHING and going insane!!!

Ok....I'm Dying (!!) from not hearing from my insurance yet. I'm almost 100% that they will say a big DENIED!, because the nurse didn't send anything in with the letter she wrote to them explaining Hypertension (controlled by meds), High Cholesterol (controlled by meds) and Sleep Apnea, and the weight she put down for me. So, I KNOW they will be requiring more proof...SURELY---but this is ANTHEM BCBS COVACARE---the nurse acted like this was a "shoe in" insurance. SO MAYBE hope against hope that they would approve it, but in the back of my mind, I KNOW I"ll have to do more and prove more that I am worthy of the lapband. I"ve done a REALLY good job of bloating up this last ten pounds so fast and it's great to be able to eat whattever I want, but the looming FAMILY VACATION, my newphew on my skinny in-law side is having a dreaded pool-party for his bday. AND I want to have a baby before I'm 35!!!!! It would be absolutely PERFECT if they would approve me and I could get it done, skip bandster hell and go right to the sweet-spot, lose 50 pounds, then get pregnant and be down to goal a year after I have the baby. If they come back and say six months of weight-watchers or something....I'm not sure what to do! I think I'll go ahead and try to get the last weight-watcher's attempt a couple years ago ON PAPER, and then start it up again. The worst case is that they approve me and I can cancel it. But then I'll be stressing about what to put down there as eating. I really don't want to lose anything right now. I'm right on the wire!!

Ok....I'm Dying (!!) from not hearing from my insurance yet. I'm almost 100% that they will say a big DENIED!, because the nurse didn't send anything in with the letter she wrote to them explaining Hypertension (controlled by meds), High Cholesterol (controlled by meds) and Sleep Apnea, and the weight she put down for me. So, I KNOW they will be requiring more proof...SURELY---but this is ANTHEM BCBS COVACARE---the nurse acted like this was a "shoe in" insurance. SO MAYBE hope against hope that they would approve it, but in the back of my mind, I KNOW I"ll have to do more and prove more that I am worthy of the lapband. I"ve done a REALLY good job of bloating up this last ten pounds so fast and it's great to be able to eat whattever I want, but the looming FAMILY VACATION, my newphew on my skinny in-law side is having a dreaded pool-party for his bday. AND I want to have a baby before I'm 35!!!!! It would be absolutely PERFECT if they would approve me and I could get it done, skip bandster hell and go right to the sweet-spot, lose 50 pounds, then get pregnant and be down to goal a year after I have the baby. If they come back and say six months of weight-watchers or something....I'm not sure what to do! I think I'll go ahead and try to get the last weight-watcher's attempt a couple years ago ON PAPER, and then start it up again. The worst case is that they approve me and I can cancel it. But then I'll be stressing about what to put down there as eating. I really don't want to lose anything right now. I'm right on the wire!!

LOP!! Ten pounds is ten pounds! Celebrate it!

I have been dying laughing about the picture on the bottom!!!! I've been WONDERING how it is going!!! I know exactly about how it is having skinny In-Laws!!! And I can JUST hear what mine would say about having surgery. My MIL is hyperthyroid---so she orders appetizers to dessert everytime we go anywhere and always comments about her own "fatness"....she is MAYBE scraping 125. I'm telling you! Being queasy from the Swine Flu is your best excuse right now!! DON'T tell anyone! Stay strong!! :wink:)

Thanks SO much for all the detail!!! I'm reading every word! I know YOU will tell it like it is!! :wink:) Good luck with everything this week!! Do you feel any difference yet with restriction??

So, I had the consultation with Dr. Pinnar yesterday!! All went REALLY REALLY well. He thought I would be a "good candidate". I spoke with the insurance coordinator, as well, and she was so encouraging. She will be submitting to the insurance TODAY for approval. I am HOPING and PRAYING that everything goes well and gets approved!!!! I will be on pins and needles until I hear!! Half of me thinks that I will get denied and have to appeal---which I am getting myself informed about all of that right now. Dr. Pinnar says that this band isn't the "magic bullet" and that I will still have to be in the driver's seat in the car...it won't go anywhere unless I drive. But, with all my past failures under my belt---I know how I am. Exercise is never the issue with me--I LOVE to work out--if I can find a tool to counter appetite and assist in dietary control...then that is 90% of the battle for me. If this band does its' job, then I'm good for the rest! I ate dinner last night and was looking at my plate wondering---how much my meal would be different if I get the band. Then watched Biggest Loser last night and the girls put on their "goal" clothes and it was like a DING DING DING!!! bell going off in my mind about MY goal clothes that I have been debating throwing out for the past ten years. Those low-rider GAP khaki pants (size 6) that I LOVED to wear. I got this urge to ressurect them and hang on the closet door---but I can't get too obsessive compulsive about this stuff yet UNTIL I get approved!!! I was telling the Doctor about my past attempts...and it was kindof a wake-up call to me that I have really never had success in a healthy way...so doing this is a step in the right direction. Not taking ECA stacks that will cause me a stroke or something. I really really really really really hope the insurance approves this!!!!!!!!!!

So, I had the consultation with Dr. Pinnar yesterday!! All went REALLY REALLY well. He thought I would be a "good candidate". I spoke with the insurance coordinator, as well, and she was so encouraging. She will be submitting to the insurance TODAY for approval. I am HOPING and PRAYING that everything goes well and gets approved!!!! I will be on pins and needles until I hear!! Half of me thinks that I will get denied and have to appeal---which I am getting myself informed about all of that right now. Dr. Pinnar says that this band isn't the "magic bullet" and that I will still have to be in the driver's seat in the car...it won't go anywhere unless I drive. But, with all my past failures under my belt---I know how I am. Exercise is never the issue with me--I LOVE to work out--if I can find a tool to counter appetite and assist in dietary control...then that is 90% of the battle for me. If this band does its' job, then I'm good for the rest! I ate dinner last night and was looking at my plate wondering---how much my meal would be different if I get the band. Then watched Biggest Loser last night and the girls put on their "goal" clothes and it was like a DING DING DING!!! bell going off in my mind about MY goal clothes that I have been debating throwing out for the past ten years. Those low-rider GAP khaki pants (size 6) that I LOVED to wear. I got this urge to ressurect them and hang on the closet door---but I can't get too obsessive compulsive about this stuff yet UNTIL I get approved!!! I was telling the Doctor about my past attempts...and it was kindof a wake-up call to me that I have really never had success in a healthy way...so doing this is a step in the right direction. Not taking ECA stacks that will cause me a stroke or something. I really really really really really hope the insurance approves this!!!!!!!!!!

BG!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! That's GREAT!!! I feel the same way right now!!!!

Thanks everybody for your comments!! The seminar was great..I asked tons of questions. What I learned that I didn't know from this forum (which has been SUCH a great resource!!): Getting pregnant and adjusting the band..etc after becoming pregnant should not be a complication whatsoever. Doctor said that there have been ALOT of happily pregnant people in the last two years especially. This is SO exciting to me to think of being pregnant WITHOUT the extreme high blood pressure and other weight-related problems with my first baby!!! This usually RESOLVES GERD as opposed to complications with GERD. Hypoglycemia (self-diagnosed allert---shaky, emotionally-frazzeled and dizzy feeling if go without food for too long)...can be cured with a little bit of carbs on the pre-and post-surgery diet without causing harm (they require 1 week of liquid protein-shake diet limiting carbs to 50/day. AAAAUUGGH! I've NEVER been able to sustain 50/day....and that makes me nervous--but doctor said--no big deal, if I get shakey have some carbs. Whew! So, I have my appt with Sleep DR today....just the talking one. I am looking forward to that. Have had HORRIBLE insomnia lately and feel like my blood pressure has gone thru the roof, since I have begun eating WHATEVER and not monitoring my sodium intake. If it is really high then I may not need the Sleep Apnea diagnosis, although I think I do have that. THEN, I called my surgeon's office this morning and they can get me in TOMORROW for my consulation!! Woo-Hoo!!! THIS part is going very fast at least--I'm scared about getting approved thru insurance!! Please, please, Lord!! Hubby is going with me tomorrow. He is being supportive of me!

Thanks everybody for your comments!! The seminar was great..I asked tons of questions. What I learned that I didn't know from this forum (which has been SUCH a great resource!!): Getting pregnant and adjusting the band..etc after becoming pregnant should not be a complication whatsoever. Doctor said that there have been ALOT of happily pregnant people in the last two years especially. This is SO exciting to me to think of being pregnant WITHOUT the extreme high blood pressure and other weight-related problems with my first baby!!! This usually RESOLVES GERD as opposed to complications with GERD. Hypoglycemia (self-diagnosed allert---shaky, emotionally-frazzeled and dizzy feeling if go without food for too long)...can be cured with a little bit of carbs on the pre-and post-surgery diet without causing harm (they require 1 week of liquid protein-shake diet limiting carbs to 50/day. AAAAUUGGH! I've NEVER been able to sustain 50/day....and that makes me nervous--but doctor said--no big deal, if I get shakey have some carbs. Whew! So, I have my appt with Sleep DR today....just the talking one. I am looking forward to that. Have had HORRIBLE insomnia lately and feel like my blood pressure has gone thru the roof, since I have begun eating WHATEVER and not monitoring my sodium intake. If it is really high then I may not need the Sleep Apnea diagnosis, although I think I do have that. THEN, I called my surgeon's office this morning and they can get me in TOMORROW for my consulation!! Woo-Hoo!!! THIS part is going very fast at least--I'm scared about getting approved thru insurance!! Please, please, Lord!! Hubby is going with me tomorrow. He is being supportive of me!

I am just starting my journey to get banded. My first seminar is tomorrow morning, my appt with Sleep Doctor is Monday and my appointment with Primary Care Physician is May 7th. I am boarderline 35BMI so I have been eating everything in sight to gain a few pounds before I see the PCP. This is my first appointment with her (physical) and I've never met her before--was without PCP for this whole time. I am curious as far as what do I say to her. Any ideas? I have been writing thoughts as to my "whys" and "reasons" for doing this and my weight history. I plan to use that in talking to her, but if you all have any ideas...please let me know.

So, tomorrow I go for the Lap-Band seminar in Reston, VA at the hospital. I am borderline 35 BMI, so I have basically allowed myself to eat whatever to try to gain a few before my appointment with PCP on May 7th. Monday is my appointment with the Sleep doctor to get a diagnosis for sleep apnea, which I am pretty sure that I have. The only one I've told about my interest in the band is my husband. Haven't got up the nerve to tell anyone in my family (and definitely not his) or my friends yet. Can't wait to be skinny and have shoulders again!!