Mert

Sounds like you're losing about two pounds/week. That is excellent progress. I am not going to be talked into the RNY either. It is just not my preference. I am excited for you. Thank you for sharing your progress with me. I have hope!!

Way to go PhotoNut. I hope I acheive such outstanding results so quickly. I hope you'll share some more of your good habits with me. I am developing my post op game plan and would appreciate the advice you can offer me on this!! My downfall is highly refined carbs.

Thank you for all the support and encouraging words. I did see Dr. Robert, NewSho, and I have decided to go ahead with him. I will be his third lap band patient. He has been skillfully performing surgeries for 30 years. He will be assisted by Dr. Garth and another surgeon who has had over 500 lap band surgeries. I feel like I am in good hands and am enthused about how the Weight Management Center at Methodist treats the whole person as I need a lot of support pre and post op and help with the psychological aspect of recovery from this MO. I am excited to hear about others who have lost 100 plus lbs. Thank you for sharing this info with me.

I am starting at BMI 49, but I feel like I qualify here since I have 150 lbs to lose. I am hoping to get my surgery before Thanksgiving '06. I feel my health rapidly deteriorating. I have focused on getting insurance approval this summer and miraculously got it earlier this month w/o supervised documented 12 month weight loss. I have been skinny before and would love to be again. I ran across a good verse today... Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 My hope has been deferred so many times at failed weight loss attempts and my heart is so sick that I am peeling it off the floor! I am planning and creating a vision and when my desires for weight loss are met I am going to feast on life. yoo hoo. The band is part of the plan. Getting psychological, behavioral and diet help are part of the plan. Long walks in the park are too. I feel blessed to be able to get another chance. My broken heart will be healing right along with the rest of me. I feel fortunate to have support from y'all right here 24/7.

Best of luck to you Casb37. I lifted you up in prayer, that you get the procedure you need to help restore your body to health. Please let me know how it is going with you.

Hello J, I love the dress and the shoes. You looked great in your new outfit. I have a talented seamstress mom too. Aren't moms great!!

I like the ideas, NancyRN.

My advice to anybody who is just starting out is to keep a notebook and document what you do everyday in it (towards getting this procedure done), ie: date, time, name of person you talked to, what they said, your ideas, phone and fax numbers, addresses, who you requested medical records from, and any other details. Because the insurance battle is very involved and there is no way to remember what all you have done, this is just an idea....to help keep organized and not confused....

Y'all have both done wonderfully at losing. I hope I am as successful. I am much more confident about the lap band choice and patient reviews tell me that Drs. Davis and Davis are a great father-son surgical team. I don't think there will be any regrets going with them. For me the support/psychological and diet help they provide will be a big part of my recovery from morbid obesity. I couldn't get my experience question answered today but I believe Garth Davis has good experience and both have exc. surgical skill and I couldn't ask for a better hospital. Happy today w/ the way things are progressing :clap2: I'm probably looking at about Thanksgiving or Christmas for surgery date. I hope.

Thanks for the encouraging words, Jack and Gayle. I forgot to ask the Dr. how many lap bands he has performed!! I was so busy doing the crawfish out of RNY topics! I will call his office tomorrow and ask. His son is in my insurance network too, I'll ask about his experience too. Gracias, very important question I forgot to ask!!:faint:

Poodles, That is a good one! I'm driving in to Houston today to see the surgeon!! woo hoo :nervous very nervous....

1-800-grandma

I had been wanting wls for years and first my insurance didn't cover it, then they did but only the RNY. I was way too afraid of the RNY, so I put it off and out of my mind. Then the last week of school there were some parents decorating the gym for a dance. One of my co-workers introduced me to a lady who had had it. She was still heavy, but so enthused about it. I hadn't heard of the "new band" surgery. I did the research and found out how much less drastic it is and decided I had to have it. that was at the end of May. Now, in mid-July I am approved and going in to see the surgeon tomorrow. I dedicated my time off this summer to research and insurance approval and am so glad I did. I am looking forward to this so much. I miss being normal sized!!!! Look out size 12 here I come..... :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

wow what an ordeal. I got my letter today. I has a long disclaimer in it , but I called to clarify and I guess that is about as good as it gets for acceptance letters from BCBS. I know what you mean about it becoming an obsession. It seems I have been working on this day and night all summer!! I don't know how you waited a whole year. I was about to go stir-crazy before I got the call from BCBS and I still may before I get banded.

I'd let the parents know if the students will be having a quiz on Thursdays or vocabulary due on Wednesays, etc. Are you sharing class room rules and consequences? I don't know that I would let the students or the parents know it was my first year in the classroom until the last day of school. A couple of my favorite websites are enchantedlearning.com and edhelper.com.

Hello Marc, I too am a pre-bandster. I traded the bottle for the fork as well and am now mo. What I plan to do about this self-destructive streak is try to get in touch with why I am this way and tackle it. In other words, get some counseling help. We know that coming out of denial and accepting that we have a problem is a big step. hoo-ray for taking that step. Please stay in touch and let me know how you are doing. This is another chance at living a good life and I sure don't want to blow it. At this ripe old age of 49 I don't see lots more opportunities beating down the door. You can do it! and so can I! I am thankful for this chance to get out of this mo body-o-mine. this is going to be a wonderful journey...... I am thinking that things are gonna be great.

Thanks for starting this thread. I was wondering about losing 100# or more with lap band and if I would have to go the RNY route to shed 150#. Thiis is inspirational indeed.

They should not put that on a little girl. I think your approach with her is the right one.

Wow Only a week! That is great news. Thanks for the info. Yes I am very excited that I was approved by insurance and can get it done right here in Houston. I was on my way to Monterrey otherwise. I just could not wait a year. I go to see my surgeon on Tues....I hope we can get this done quickly. It would still be nice to get it done before school starts!!

My PCP is very nice and supportive of WLS, his name is Jerry Simmons and he is on Hwy 36 in Needville (south of Richmond-Rosenburg on 59). His number is 979-793-7111. Good luck.

thanks for sharing your photos, I enjoyed them.

Thank you for the valuable info. I am not yet banded, just got approved by insurance. :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Dolphin Dreams, I am starting a new job this year. Now I am approved and am wondering, since I don't have time to get this done and recuperate this summer... how long will I need to take off, in your opinion, from the classroom? I realize this is a guess. I am 49, strong, and have a BMI of 49. I know the surgery is more important than the job, since the job can be replaced. So while I have the approval I want to get it done ASAP. Some doctor's offices give me the impression that I can practically jump off the table and get right back in the swing of things. Thanks for listening.

thank you, Jesus!! I have now been approved by BCBS of TX TRS Activecare. The nice lady who I had been corresponding with at BCBS called yesterday. I have an appt. with the surgeon on the 18th. I feel so lucky. Thank you for listening to me while I waited impatiently for approval.

nancyRN, I am impressed that you kept your cool with that ****head. How infuriating. Way to go!