PalmBayTish72

#1. Surgery date? 2/23/2010 #2. State you live in? Florida #3. Doctor/Surgery Center? Dr. Domkowski, Sebastian River Hosptital #4. Insurance or self pay? Insurance (Thank God!) #5. Age and height 37 and I'm 5'6 #6. Current weight and goal weight? 266, goal is 160 #7. What was your deciding factor for having this surgery? I want to be healthier and a role model for my daughter. #7. Do you have the support of family and friends? Tons!! :smile2: #8. Concerns and questions? I am just really psyching myself up for the worst possible experience on the pre-op, so it won't seem so bad when I actually am on it! :thumbup:

I looked up the difference on a body building website and thought I'd share. According to what I am reading below, there really isn't a big difference, except the amount of money you are going to wind up paying for protien power: "The primary difference between isolate and concentrate is that the isolate is more pure. In other words, isolate contains more Protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% protein while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%. If you are lactose intolerant and you have problems with gas and bloating, then the isolate might be a better choice. But being more "pure" doesn’t necessarily mean tht whey isolate is better or will produce greater muscle growth. Whey protein concentrate is still an excellent source of protein. Besides, isolate does have disadvantages: For one, it is more expensive than concentrate. Isolate has also had some of the valuable immune-boosting protein subfractions such as alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins removed in the filtering process. In the long run, I don’t think it makes much difference whether you use concentrate or isolate. Nutrition companies will surely bicker back and forth forever over whose Protein powder is the best, but choosing your protein isn’t something you should lose sleep over." Source: Whey Protein Isolate Vs. Whey Protein Concentrate

Well without knowing anything about you, I have to ask if you were denied because your insurance does not cover it at all or is there certian qualifications that you did not meet in order to be covered. Your surgeon's office would be able to tell you the reasons for the denial. If it turns out that you insurance just does not cover it at all, no matter the case, you could then look into the self pay options. I know my dr. offered financing through a company called CareCredit which would allow you to make monthly payments. I suggest talking to the office staff at the surgeons office and speak with them about your options. They would be better able to advise you.

I am on cloud 9 right now...I just found out the BCBS of Florida approved me for the surgery with no 6 month waiting/dr. supervised diet requirement! Holy crap! I was expecting to have to pay out of pocket...They just saved me $13,500!!! I just had to share! :thumbup:

Best of luck to you! How was the pre-op diet for you? I am totally mentally psyching myself up for it and I still have 1 month to go before I start. BCBS of Florida approved me in 2 days. Shocked the hell out of me! Please keep us updated on your progress!

Honestly when it comes to these protien shakes, I'm taking the approach of, "Yeah, it's going to suck, but boo-freakin' hoo!" I've purchased my protien shake mix at wal mart for $15 and if it sucks it sucks, but let's face it, I've eaten what I wanted to for the last 20 years of my life. If I have to drink some craptacular tasting shakes for a week, so be it. I did this to myself and I KNOW I need to do what it takes to change things. If your doctor wants you to use that brand, I suggest following his recommendation and bite the bullet. It's all about perception and how you look at things. If you have negative thoughts, yeah, it probably will suck, but if you try and see all the positives, you can focus on the fact that you are doing what it takes to be healthy and just push through the pre-op nasty drinks. And I so don't mean to sound bitchy...

I think that your husband has classic signs of having his own insecurities and I would agree that he may feel a bit apprehensive about your transformation and feels that you may find someone else once you are thinner. That is actually quite a common concern. Is he overweight himself? Yes, his joke about "finding ways to keep you fat" sounded bad and it WAS bad. He might have been joking, but comments like that come from somewhere. If he is going to try and sabotage your efforts, conciously or subconciously, you NEED to address this with him now, rather than later. Honest and open communication is the key. You need to address this issue with him and explain to him how you feel that he is not being supportive and that you NEED that from him. Marriage is all about communication and he needs to realize that this is something you need and want to do for yourself. In the mean time, there are TONS of people who will be more than happy to support you. Have you thought about starting a blog where you can detail your journey and share your thoughts and feelings with others? I did that and have meet many wonderful, great people and reading THEIR blogs has helped me immensely!

Everyone's insurance plan is different, so I suggest you call your provider and ask them directly. In my circumstance, I have BCBS of Florida and although they do cover the lap Band procudeure, I do not know if they are going to require me to do the 6 months of supervised dr's weight loss prior to surgery. I met with my surgeon on 1/13, with the psychiatrist yesterday and the nutritionist today. Once the psychiatrist and nutritionist submit their notes to my surgeon, they will submit everything to the insurance company. We don't know if they are going to require the 6 months, but we are submitting all my records from Weight Watchers, and supporting documents of my gym membership to hopefully circumvent that requirement. If the insurance company says the 6 months are required, I will just self pay. I've spent over 15 years of my life trying to lose and keep off weight, I'm NOT waiting another 6 months. Plus, spending my own money will keep me much more accountable! :mad: I have a meeting with my surgeon on 2/24 so I should have my answer by then and will get my surgery date.

I was just curious to know your thoughts on telling people what you weigh/weighed prior to surgery? I ask because a little while I was writing in my blog and I posted my current weight. It's not something I HAD to do, but I wanted to be honest with myself and others. Call it a pre-emptive strike on my embarrasment. I know that once I get banded and I begin to lose weight, there will be the inevitable "How much weight have you lost?" question. I know that for one, I can't wait to be able to say, "Oh I've lost (insert number) pounds", but at the same time, I keep thinking that they're going to be doing some quick math in their heads trying to figure out how fat I was to begin with...and I have to admit, I get embarrased thinking about that. How do you or did you handle these situations? And I apologize if this really doesn't make much sense, but my mind has a lot going on and I'm just writing everything out today! :w00t:

I can totally relate. Waiting sucks...Big time! I have my psych eval today, nutrition appointment tomorrow and then I have to wait and see if I get insurance approval. If not, I'm self pay, so I have about 4 to 6 weeks to go before surgery. I'm trying to be good in my eating habits, but I am already going through the "food mourning" process, however, I have had some really awesome people remind me that I'm not saying goodbye forever to those foods necessacarily. I am just not going to be able to eat them as often and as much as I used to. But isn't that the point of us being banded? As for your friend and stresses, I can understand. I hate to sound unsympathetic and I'm not telling you to abandon your friend, but is it a healthy relationship for you? A person can only handle so much...Oprah once referred to it as having a "toxic friend". You can be supportive and a friend, but you CAN'T allow yourself to be the dumping ground for all of HER problems, especially when it causes an emotional strain on you. You can politely suggest she seek professional help and you can be a role model to her and maybe she will become motivated to change her life, but DON'T let her issues bring you down, especially when you are undergoing your own life changling experience. Just my 2 cents...

Hi everyone! I just wanted to take a few moments an introduce myself. I've met with my surgeon, have my psycharist consult tomorrow and the meeting with my nutritionist on Wed. I am so very terribly excited!!! This board has been an utter fountain of knowledge for me and I hope that everyone has a wonderful Banding experience. yes, this will be a hard journey, but the last 15 years of up and down weight loss has been emotionally hard as well, so I am up for the challenge! It's nice to meet you all...By the way, I'm a 37 year old mother of one here in Florida... :thumbup: Nice to meet you all!

I just posted a message out to everyone who is following me, encouraging them to take a look at your blog. There are some awesome people out there very eager to give you all the encouragement you need!!

I, too, just started a blog but I will not be banded for about 6 weeks. I wanted a way to get my thoughts out there, meet other people who had undergone the same feelings, thoughts and aspirations and WOW has it been helpful. The women I have met have truly inspired me, so I hope that at some point, once I have been banded, a newbie may find my blog as helpful as theirs have been for me!!

So, one thing I've read everywhere is that it is essential to completely chew your food, so you better prevent having food get stuck (which is not something I am looking forward to!) I also know that you're not supposed to drink before, during and after your meal as you don't want to help the food just slide through the band opening...thus defeating the purpose of the band. My question is that if you are really chewing up your food like you are supposed to, doesn't the food get sort of liquid anyway? I just can't fully grasp why the food doesn't just slide through with ease if it is all mushy. Additionally, let's say for kicks and giggles you were eating some grilled chicken (not too dry...mu husband makes it nice and juicy) and you had some sliced tomatoes. Wouldn't the moisture in the tomatoes make a difference in the consistency of the food in your new pouch allowing it to slide through too easily? I know you're not supposed to be drinking things like milkshakes and such that just glide on through, but I'm guessing that the masticated food winds up being sort of like the consistency of toothpaste and gradually squeezes through the restriction like toothpaste coming out of the tube? Am I totally off base here? Can anyone help me out? Thanks in advance!! :w00t:

I know this may sound like an odd question, so forgive me in my newness, but I was wondering if any of you find yourself or have found yourself in "mourning" over the things you know that you really won't get to have too often once you've been banded? I ask this because tomorrow my husband and I are going out to dinner at our favorite restaurant in Orlando, Roy's Hawaiian fusion. It's always a special treat for us to go there and dinner is not just a meal there, but a culinary experience. Sushi rolls so good you'd sell your soul for another, macadamia nut encrusted Mahi Mahi in lobster butter sauce and a chocolate souffle to die for. I'm about 6 weeks or so away from having surgery, so I can't help looking at this as a farewell dinner. I know I'll still be able to eat there once I'm banded, but not what I would normally choose. I just wondered if any of you have had these feelings and how you adjusted your thinking?

When I first brought the idea of getting the Lap Band up to my husband, I thought he would look at me like I had two heads. I know he loves me the way that I am, but I was still nervous. His first reaction was "Do you even qualify?" (God Bless his soul, but then once I began talking with him and really explaining all my reasons for wanting to do this he was super supportive. Yes, the idea of having surgery is a scary one for a lot of people, but it is a safe operation. When I could sense his hesitation at first about me going under the knife, I explained to him that it was comparable to the laproscopic surgery I had back in september for an ectopic pregnancy and my recovery would be very similar. Is you husband overweight, if I may ask? Sometimes it is hard when our spouses don't understand completely the struggle we go through with our weight. Many men just think that "Oh we can go to the gym and lose the weight by working out!". They don't realize that for a lot of women it's just not that simple. I spent the last year doing weight watchers and going to the gym. Losing weight in and of itself is a battle, but keeping it off is a continuing struggle that most of us have been unsuccessful with. I think that by talking with him, being honest and open and sharing your fears, your hopes and your dreams, the two of you will be able to move along together on your journey. Yes it is scary at times to think about being banded, but what scares me more is knowing that if I keep on going like I have been for the last 15 years of my life, I quite possible won't be around to enjoy my life with my daughter and my husband. I've been reading a lot of blogs from fellow posters and watching a lot of Youtube videos posted by people who have been banded and they are truly inspirational. They help to reinforce my decision and I know I am doing the right thing.

I just wanted to tell you that you look amazing. I came across your blog yesterday and read it from start to finish. I was addicted...and you inspired me to start my own blog detailing my own adventures (www.dreamsofskinnyhighheels.blogspot.com). I am about 6 weeks away from having surgery, so reading your blog (as well as this website) has helped me so much in seeing the bigger picture on what happens before and after banding. Thanks! And the photos are awesome....a little big, but still great!! -Tish

I just had my first appointment with my surgeon earlier this week and he asked me that same question. Since I've been overweight pretty much all of my adult life, I really had no benchmark of a particular goal. Sure it's easy to say, "I want to weigh 140 lbs" but for me, I know that is just not humanly possible. I don't want to set some idealistic, unrealistic goal, because then I feel like I would be too focused on feeling like I HAD to reach that milestone or I'd be a failure. I want to be a healthy, happy me. If that means me losing 75 lbs, I'd be happy and not feel like I failed for not losing 100. When I started college in 1990, the last time I remember really being happy with my weight, I weighed 155. To be that weight again would be nice, but honestly, just to weigh under 199 or under for the first time in 15 years would be enough to make me do the Happy Dance. :thumbup: