Dawn

Julie - Did you email this to her? Very well written!!

I wonder how long it will take for Tricare to cover it now for those looking outside an MTF? That is great news!!!

You look FABLOUS!!!! Keep up the great work!

OMG That is too funny!! I too am looking at the 15th for mine and DH on the 29th! LOL We are in NY though!

I know a lot of MTFs that do WLS! I'm at West Point and getting it done at the MTF here and we just came here from Hawaii and I knew a few ladies that had WLS at Tripler. From what I have found out as for the sleeve goes only MTFs will do it but if you have to be referred out to a civilian then Tricare won't cover the sleeve but they will the Band. I have to say I'm very happy I'm at an MTF that has a WLS program and it's been SUPER easy! Met with everyone (psych, nutr, internal med, labs, etc) and am set for surgery all in 1 1/2 months!

I haven't been sleeved yet but I seriously don't know if I'll be able to say anything nice back if someone said that to me! LOL Shoot, since I started this process I've been trying to think about food different and really SEE the amounts I am eating. Tonight we went to a diner and I ordered an open face roast beef sandwich, OMG It was SO HUGE It came out on TWO Plates!! I couldn't believe that I really might have ate most of it before and even now I ate a lot more of it then I will after surgery I'm sure! I printed off the cards from an site and I'm going to ask my Doc to sign them!! It'll be interesting to eat out after surgery since DH is having surgery about 2 weeks after me! The whole family will be able to eat off one plate! YAY!!

Thanks! I sure hope things change! LOL I HATE yogurt right now! LOL

The one big thing I am super worried about is my eating and making sure I get enough in after surgery. I have MAJOR food issues! LOL I am the pickyest person I know and everyone I know will say the same thing! LOL I always say, I don't know how I got this big when I'm so pickey but I do know, because I like all the CRAP! LOL I don't eat fruit expect banana's every once in awhile Veggies I will eat are - corn, cauliflower, green beans, peas, carrots, lettuce I only like yellow cheese (cheddar, american) except parmesan(sp) (no cottage cheese or string cheese) I do like tuna but I don't "love it" The only fish I eat is breaded, fried flakey white fish I eat mostly beef and pork (not chops) LOVE potatos (not sweet) Oatmeal I will eat the maple and brown sugar but thats it I have found that I can do the protein shakes with milk (1%) from GNC - the cookies n cream is the only one I've tried thus far but I'm sure I will like the chocolate So as you can see, there isn't much for "good foods" that I eat and that is mostly what I see people listing as what they eat! I want this and NEED this surgery but I am scared that I will be that crazy % that doesn't "do good" because I have food issues!

I'm here now too! YAY! Looks like I'll be having surgery the week of the 15th! I can't believe how fast it is coming up! I just started the whole process on the 1st of Oct!!

These are my top 10 but most of them don't out "rank" each other, they are all pretty much my #1!!! LOL 1. To have a better chance at a Long, Healthly Life 2. To be In Love with MYSELF AGAIN! 3. To show my daughter how healthy a person should be instead of just telling her 4. To be able to walk up the flight of stairs without being winded 5. To enjoy my sex life again 6. To not have to take so many medications anymore 7. To not feel like I have to "hide" at my desk and get out and deal with people face to face more often 8. To be able to shop in ANY STORE not a plus size store or section 9. To prove to myself that I can do this, once and for all! 10. To only be dependant on food to continue living not to continue Feeling!

I am been doing research on the Band and found this site via LapBandTalk.com. It wasn't until I met with my surgeon that I really started to consider the sleeve instead. I've started doing some more research and I am now leaning more towards the sleeve then the band. Then today, I saw another post on LBT about how Tricare wouldn't cover the sleeve so I'm back to the unknown at this present time but if I can get approved then I do think the sleeve is the way I want to go! DH and I are both getting surgery done. He is retired Army (just recently, because of a medical board) so we have Tricare Prime and are being seen at an MTF. I have seen the surgeon, got my lab work done, chest x-rays and pulmanary test and on Wed. I have my psy consult and then the next week internal medicine. Things are moving right along at a very rapid speed (I LOVE the MTF here) and I am so ready for the surgery! DH starts everything this week on his process.

Mine was about 40 mins long and he asked questions about me growing up and if I understood what the surergy entails and said that was it, I was good to go!!

I just have to put my 2 cents in here! I LOVE BL! I have watched EVERY show since it started (usually with a bowl of ice cream :thumbdown: feeling sorry for myself, but not anymore!! LOL) I do NOT agree 100% with the show because I sure don't have 6+ hours to work out each day but the basic message is good. Eat right and exercise, MAKE the time for YOU! I think some of us just need that extra push, like WLS! As for Allie, she had her stomach stapled when she was 14. Her mother allowed it and the doctor told her it was going to "cure" her! Well we see how well that worked! I do not think that MOST 14 year olds are ready for this type of life altering surgery but I'm sure some are! She had the HIGHEST % of Body Fat then ANYONE else on the show (even the guys) That is sad! She is so young! Then when she got voted off and asked her mother to just do one little thing by getting rid of the chocolate in the house and her mom didn't, I felt really bad for her! I am glad she was able to turn to someone else for support though and she is loosing the weight!

My next appt. with my surgeon is on the 4th of Nov. so I am hoping at that point since I'll have all pre-op appointments done she'll give the go ahead and I'll get a date, hopefully also in Nov!!! We are traveling for Christmas the year (first time in MANY years!) and I would like to be a little more "able" by that point! LOL

Now having figured this all out that yes I do WANT the sleeve and not the band and that I shouldn't have any issues getting it done since I am being seen at an MTF I feel Really Good about all this!! Yes, I'm still nervous and a little scared but EXCITED to embark on this new journey, hopfully a journey to healthiness! LOL

I am going to an MTF so hopefully I won't have any issues!!! I have my psyc consult tomorrow and internal med on the 20th and meet with the surgeon again on the 4th of Nov. I am hoping that we might be able to get it done before Thanksgiving but we'll see! I have been reading through here and online about the sleeve and I can say that now I am sure, this is what I want! YAY!!

Good Luck Dave!! I can say this has been very helpful to myself! I was looking into the Band until my Doc said something about the sleeve and now I'm more inline for the sleeve but was worried because we are Tricare Prime (retired) as well but I am having Everything done at an MTF so hopefully they'll say yes!!

WOW, this is an eye opener for me! I've been researching the band and I met with the surgeon the other day and she talked a lot more about the sleeve and how it might benifit me and so forth so I was really considering changing but now since this I will double check everything. We are also Tricare Prime getting it done at an MTF. The surgeon didn't say anything about it not being covered, I would think they would know! Crazy! I am fine with getting the band but personally it is a little scary for me to have something inside my body and I'm a little worried about fills while moving around the world!

DH and I both had meetings with the nutritionist today and when I was in with her she kept saying she wasn't really saying yes or no to surgery but these are my options. Which is exactly what I do want, I want to explore all options before I decide (even though I've been on many "diets" and sure enough, the weight just comes back) but she didn't seem to really be against it. Then DH goes in for his meeting and he said he totally got the "feel" from her that she is against it for him. Which totally floors me about him. He is 6'2" and weighs 366 with a BMI of 47, high blood pressure, high cholestoral, joint pain and he is physically disabled and can not do much for exercise. He's had many doctors say he was a great candidate but he couldn't because he was still Active Duty at the time and once his medical board went through and he was retired (now he is) that he should do it then! She did recomend a support group that will meet in a few weeks for us to both go to and we are both keeping our appts with the surgeon so I guess we'll see what he says. Has anyone else come across someone in the "line" of people you must meet with who doesn't agree with this option?

Well I feel as if I can officially say I am on the path to a better lifestyle! I have decided that I do want WLS but now I must decide which one? LOL I met with my surgeon today, which she is TOTALLY AWESOME! I also spoke in depth with her nurse who has had WLS! I meet with Psychology next week, have my labs, chest x-rays and pulmonary function test next week as well! I am going to participate in a WLS support group in two weeks and also have to schedule an appt. for an EKG. Once this is all done my surgeon wants to do a Endoscopy before surgery. My surgeon was very neutral on describing the Realize Band and the Sleeve and now I must make my choice on which one I want! I don't know if all insurance works the same but we are Tricare Prime and I am having this done at an MTF so I am guessing that after all my appointments and I am "clear" to have surgery, that is when it will get referred to Tricare for approval?

Thank you Jack! I really appreciated your response and read it aloud to my husband as well!!

Retired (very recently) Army wife here! We have Tricare prime and will be going to MTF but we (husband and I are both trying to be banded) are just starting. My PCM put in a consult with both nutritionist and Surgery and already did my labs. I see the nutritionist on Wed the 29th and Surgery on Fri the 1st! Don't know what else is in store for us both glad to hear that a lot of you didn't have too many issues with Tricare!

I haven't been banded so I can't say for sure but I would think maybe taking an Iron Supplement and/or getting more iron in your diet might help!

My spouse and I are both looking at getting banded. We have a 6 year old daughter and I am a little concerned about what our home eating will be like. Should we spread out our surgeries from each other or do it closer together to really be able to support each other? What about meals times? Just make a single portion for our daughter? If anyone else has also gone through it with a spouse any advice will be greatly appreciated!