michiganer

Ya. It definitely helped to push me towards getting the surgery so I guess everything happens for a reason. The plane was full except for first class and one aisle seat in coach. As I followed her towards the front and the aisle seat, I saw that the guy sitting in the middle seat was bigger than me. I was thinking 'crap, we are going to be squished together like sardines'. The loud flight attendant must have seen the two of us and had mercy on me. Maybe she felt bad for letting the whole plane know I couldn't sit in the emergency aisle. She pointed to a seat in first class and said 'if you want you can sit there'. So it actually kind of worked out. The seat was much bigger and the arm rests weren't digging into my sides.:heh:

Oh man, I am worried about a trip I am taking on Friday. I have had to ask for an extender a few times and it is humiliating! One time I was on a full flight in the emergency exit row, the flight attendant came over to me and quite loudly let me know that I could not sit in the emergency exit aisle because people might trip over the extender if we had an emergency. I wanted to crawl under a rock and die! Well, at least I know that this is the last time I will have to ask for an extender. Once my insurance approves me (hopefully in the next 3-4 weeks) I don't have any flights planned until Thanksgiving. Hopefully by then I will fit without asking!

Hey Edd, Just wondered how your first day of liquids only went. I hope it was easy for you! You sound alot like me with the nervousness and all so I will be wondering how you do. Hang in there! Trisha :clap2:

Thanks Edd! I saw your post on the Central Florida Bandsters thread. I'm just outside of Orlando. I'm still waiting on some paperwork before I will know if I am approved by Cigna. I'm not even approved and I am nervous too! Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted on your progress! Trisha

Man, I can really relate to the fear that you have. I am waiting on insurance to give me approval and I have started to have some doubts. I am still going to go forward but I am already mourning food and I'm not even banded! Mentally I know that the control food has over me is not normal. But I have lived this way my entire life and the idea of changing forever scares me! I honestly know in my head that my life is going to be so freakin awesome once I am banded. Now I just need to get my emotions and years of bad food habits to agree with my head!

I just read a thread in another forum about someone's experience with a very painful PB or 'productive burp'. Now I am seriously scared! I am not banded yet but I am in the process of becoming banded. I have heard of PB's and thought it was a non-painful burp that had food with it. The way this person described it, it is the most painful experience they had ever had and they would rather die than go through it again. They said that they felt misled by the doctors and a few people agreed. So is it true? Is PBing really some awful, slime filled, horribly painful experience? Is there slime involved? And what is a 'golf-ball'? I am really worried now! I hate throwing up and I am not looking forward to excruciating pain. Please someone, reassure me that PBing is not that bad! :help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help::help:

Thank you all for your responses. I would never consider not getting the surgery because of PBing, it just made me a little worried. I did see what she ate and it didn't sound like a good idea. But I am not banded so I wouldn't know yet what wouldn't go down. As you all said, its a learning experience. At least I can learn a little before I am banded and maybe I won't make those same mistakes. Once I am banded, my plan is to follow instructions to the tee. I don't want to jeopardize everything and risk losing the band. Thank you all again for your support. One more question, have any of you used meat tenderizer if food gets stuck? My dietitian told me people use it but for some reason it sounds like a bad idea. If it is tenderizing the food, it seems like it might be tenderizing my stomach too...

You know, I need some encouragement in that department too. I am waiting on approval from my insurance and have been worried about the throwing up. It is probably the only negative thing I can think about the band. Some people say its not bad, some say it is horrible. I could really use a little reassurance. Please, anyone that has PB'd, give us a little encouragement about it. Thanks!

You know, Jack is right. I guess I could take a little pain compared to the pain I will feel the rest of my life if I never get the band. It just bummed me out a little. I can withstand throwing up but I am afraid of the idea of doubling over in pain an hoping to die. I want to get a handle on what a PB is to people and what a "golf ball"' is. I am assuming a golf ball is when your pouch is stretched and uncomfortable? BTW, here is the thread I am referring to. Please read it and you will know why I am now a little scared. Thanks! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/pb-worse-experience-my-life-15400/

I just turned 26 and I hope to be banded very soon. I have thought about it since I was around 20. I wish I had just done it then. I think alot of people think that because we are in our 20's, we haven't had enough years to try all the diets. I have been overweight since I was about 11 and I started dieting by the time I was 13. I think 13 years of yo-yo dieting is enough. I have told my doctors and close friends that I have decided to get banded while still young so I can live a long, happy life. I have read too many posts of people my mother's age whose only regret is not doing it sooner. I refuse to live this unhappy life any longer. My weight has prevented me from ever having a partner, from job opportunities and many other things. I want a fair shot at life and I am doing it while I am young enough to enjoy it!

I have Cigna HMO. It seems like some people get approved right away and some people have to hire lawyers to get approval. I'm scared. Reall scared. I am putting a lot of hope into this and I know I will be totally devastated with a denial.:cry

Stevee-I thought about the same thing if I get approved. I know I can't afford a big chunk of cash to pay the fees. I thought to myself, shit, will I not be able to get the surgery then? Hell no! I decided I will either take out a small loan or put it on a credit card. After all Stevee, they can't reposess our bands right? What, are they gonna rip them out of our bellies becase we can't pay the bill? No! So that is what I am going to do. I don't want to wait if they approve me. Approvals are rare enough without me trying to get it more than once. Another suggestion would be to sell some stuff on ebay. I always to that when times get tight. DON'T LET ANYTHING STOP YOU! Good luck! *Trisha*

I was thinking the same thing. The rules are that I am supposed to get a letter from my PCP but I think my endo should suffice. I think the insurance coordinator will agree too.

Oh man! Hang in there crazyace! I feel for you! I think you are just going to have to be blunt and let everyone know you are stressing and have no time to be a tour guide! You need to relax and save your energy! Keep your chin up!

Nothing yet but I haven't submitted my paperwork. I have everything I need but I noticed a few typos in the letters that my nutritionist sent me. She sent a letter every month detailing what we went over in our sessions. But I turned 26 in the middle and she never changed my age in the letters. Also, she dated all of the letters on the day I had my appointments. My very first appointment with her was on January 29th. My last appointment was scheduled for July 23rd. I realized that July 23rd would not make for an entire 6 month program so I changed my last appointment to July 31st. I had heard that if the program is not exactly 6 months, people were getting denied. So the last letter she sent me had the original appointment date on it of July 23rd. I spoke with her Friday and she said she will make the changes and send the revised letters out Monday. So its back to waiting for now I was a little upset by one of my doctors last week. It is my primary care doctor. He hasn't really seen me much in the last 5 years but I did go to him to ask him for a letter of medical necessity. He said he would write one. I didn't give him any examples because he said he has written them before. Big mistake. I got the letter and it was almost like he was trying to convince the insurance company NOT to approve the surgery. The whole letter was basically his opinion and not facts about my medical history. He said things like "Trisha has tried many diets but has failed because either lack of determination or not seeing results fast enough" and "this invasive surgery is Trisha's path of choice". Totally inflammatory words! I was so pissed and disappointed!! I also asked my endocrinologist to write me a letter of medical necessity. He has seen me regularly for the past 5 years and he knows that I have hypothyroidism, polycycstic ovaries and pre-diabetes. he is the best doctor I have ever had! I got his letter Friday and it was the most awesome, heart-felt, informative letter! He phrased everything in such a professional manner, using proper medical terminology. He told about how I have struggled over the years and how my conditions hinder my weight loss. He fully recommended the surgery. He definitely made it sound like this is life or death for me. Everything was right on! I thanked God so much for that! I also had another semi-bad thing happen to me yesterday. To give a brief background, I am very close to my best friend. We have know each other since 6th grade and we are as close as sisters. I am pretty close with her family too. I told her that I didn't want to say anything about my surgery to anyone until I was ready. I told her I don't even know if I ever want to tell. She has been very supportive and completely understands. We are also roommates and we can't afford to live apart. She just got a pretty big job offer that would force us to live apart. I was freaking out because I can't really afford to live on my own and I don't really have any family here in Florida I could live with. Eventually, I would move with her but I need to stay at my job right now because of the insurance. I was really scared about how I would live on my income alone. She told me not to worry because I could live with her mom. I didn't want to because I don't want to be a moocher even though I feel like a part of her family. Her mom was insisting and kept asking why I just didn't quit my job and move with my friend now. I decided that I would tell her mom about why I am waiting. I explained the surgery and told her about my reasons etc. Her reaction was just what I am afraid of in other people. She kind of looked at me like I was an alien and said things like "Why don't you just eat less food"? and "If you exercised and ate right wouldn't you lose weight"? I hated it. I felt like I had to defend myself. I basically told her I have medical conditions, my doctor is behind me and it is a personal decision I made for myself. I honestly don't think her mom was trying to be mean, I think she considers me one of her kids and she doesn't really like the idea of surgery. My best friend defended me which was nice. Nonetheless, it just reminds me that I need to keep this under wraps to certain people. Whew! I didn't mean to write so much but I guess more has been going on than I thought. After I get the paperwork together and submit it, I will keep you all updated.

Hi Darr, I basically flucuated up and down 5lbs the whole 6 months. To be really honest, I had already decided before I went through the diet program that I would try to stay the same weight. I didn't want my insurace company to deny me because I lost a few pounds. I know that even if I had lost a good amount of weight, eventually I would fall off the wagon and be back where I started. Its the story of my life. I have all of my paperwork to submit except for some letters from the nutritionist. She said she is mailing them to me Monday so hopefully I will be submitting it all to my insurace company by the middle of next week. Then it will be a nail-biting two weeks while I wait for the verdict. Please pray that they will approve me! *Trisha*

Hi everyone! My name is Trisha. I am 26 years old and I weigh about 330lbs. That makes my BMI between 54 and 55. I am using insurance and I had to go through all of these hoops to even get to the point where I can get an answer from them. I just finished my 6-month diet program and next week I am taking all of my paperwork to the insurance coordinator at the facility where I hope to have my surgery. I should know within 2 weeks if I am approved. Everyone keep their fingers crossed! Thanks to the person that started this board! It makes me feel good to know there are other people out there with some serious weight to lose. *Trisha*

Ok, I am almost ready to submit all my paperwork. Yay! I am waiting on one doctor's letter and they said it was mailed to me yesterday. Once I get that it is GAME ON!

I completely understand you! I have been overweight since probably the 3rd grade too. I just turned 26 and am tired of shopping at big people stores. I can't even remember ever being able to wear clothes my friends were wearing. I look at people and say 'I'm gonna have that style or dress like her'. It will be so weird to go to 'regular' people stores. I can't wait to go to Old Navy or something and pay like 19.99 for jeans instead of 49.99 like at Lane Bryant! I got a job that has benefits that will cover the surgery. I just finished my 6-month diet program a week ago and got my psychological eval done. Only waiting on a letter of medical necessity from my doc and I can send in all this stuff to be approved! I will be checking this thread to check in with my fellow Gay bandsters! Everyone please pray and wish me luck that my insurance company will approve me! Trisha

I just wanted to join this thread and say its awesome. I had no idea there was a GLBT thread on here! I guess I haven't been paying attention! Well, my name is Trisha and I live near Orlando, FL. I am 26 years old, 5'5 325lbs. I have hypothyroidism, polycycstic ovaries and insulin resistance. I call them 'the big three'. All three of them help me gain weight. Don't get me wrong, I am very responsible because poor eating habits/lack of excercise etc but it really sucks to have your own body working against you! I have done tons of diets my years. As soon as I hit puberty, I started gaining. I have been working on getting my insurance company Cigna to pay for my lap-band. I just completed my 6-month diet program (WHO-HOO!), have been cleared by the psychologist (and people told me I was nuts!), got 5 years of weight histories and am simply waiting on a letter of medical necessity from my doc. I will be hitting these boards a lot for support so please pray for me and wish me good luck when I fax all this crap to Cigna for approval!

Yup. I have been to the seminar twice and will probably go again. Thanks for the encouragement. I plan to have all my ducks in a row so they can't deny me! I will continue to update as my situation progresses...

Just another update. Went to my nutritionist for the final appointment of my 6-month diet program. She said she will send me all of the documents I need plus a letter recomending the surgery. I still have not gotten the letters of medical necessity from my PCP or endo. I have called them about it a few times. My PCP said they sent it out last week. When I called today, I found out they had a really old address. Like 5 years old. I gave them my new address and they will send it again. My endo is proving to be more difficult. I saw him at least a month ago and keep getting the runaround. He is an awesome doctor so I think he gets busy and forgets. I am on his nurse like white on rice though so I am sure she will eventually make him do it. I went to my psych eval last week and am also waiting for his documents. So for now, I am playing the waiting game again. I go away for a 2 week vacation starting August 24th. Please pray that I will have everything together and will know if I am approved by then...

Hi Marg. My name is Trisha. I have not gotten a date yet. I have one more nutritionist appt next Monday and I go for my Psych eval tomorrow. My PCP and my endocronologist are supposed to be sending me letters of medical necessity but neith has arrived yet. I am praying that by next Monday, I will have them. Once I do and I go to the nutritionist for the last time, I have to give all of my documentation to the insurance coordinator at the facility where I want my surgery. She will submit everything all at once. She said within 2 weeks of submission, I will know if I am approved. So for now, its still a waiting game. Pray that my doctors hurry and send my letters to me. I want to go to the insurance coordinator right after my nutritionist appt and get this ball rolling! Fourtunatley (or unfourtunately) my BMI is over 50. I am 5'5 anbd weigh about 325lbs. I have insulin resistance, polycyctic ovaries and hypothyroidism. I am only 26 years old and decided I want the next 26 years to be full of life and not this half-life I am living now. I want to be confident and healthy. As soon as I have more info on my journey, I will post. I will pray that you find a good surgeon and that Cigna approves you. Good luck! Trisha

Thanks again! I appreciate all of your advice. I just picked up 5 years of weight records so I will fax those too as an extra measure. I need to schedule a psyc eval still. So I should fax the psych eval, the letter, the 5 years of weights and the nutritionist 6-month diet program all together right? I guess I need to make the copies and give them to US Bariatrics and they can fax them with their paperwork so it is all together. I really hope and pray that Cigna goes easy on me. I have gotten this far and they will not discourage me with technicalities. I will call and call and call until I get what is needed. Thanks again! And thanks for the prayers!

Hi! Yes, I have been to two of his meetings. I don't mind paying some out of pocket as long as Cigna pays the rest! I have spoken to Amanda alot and she has given me alot of advice on how to get Cigna to approve me. You see, Cigna is stuck on this Dr. Jawad in Ocala. He has an after-care center in Orlando and they think he does the surgery there too. I am trying to get them to realize that he is actually outside of the zone for me. I would have to drive 2 hours to get to him. Amanda has had some good suggestions on how to get Cigna to approve me for US Bariatrics. I am praying they will because I like Dr. Kim and they are only about 30 minutes from my house. I am glad to hear all of the other docs there should take my insurance. Thanks for the note!