amey_idaho

Congratulations! I got my insurance approval today too. I still can't believe it's really real..I keep checking the Tricare site to make sure the Approval status hasn't changed LOL.

ummmm....how do i join the May social group? and how do i do a signature...i work with computers all day so if i just get pointed in the right direction then i should be able to figure it out and....how do i accept you as a friend? i'm so excited i got a friend request!

I just love how supportive everyone is on here! I'm off to figure out how to join the May bandsters.....YEA!!!

I use Calorie Counter on my Droid Eris and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! I really like the weight graph....something so satisfying about seeing that line get closer to the goal line. My favorite part is the scanner....scan a barcode and it loads it into your daily plan...no typing out all the names and nutrients. I let my son use it at the grocery store (he's 12) and it's really got him excited about reading labels and learning about what is good, ok, or bad to eat. The only thing I would change is maybe the colors. It's a black/white interface and I like a little more color, but I'm not complaining.

When I went to the LB education class last week we were told that we would be sent home with compression stockings and that we would need to wear them 20 out of 24 hours a day for 6 weeks! The stockings are knee-hi and white. I don't mind wearing them while I'm home, but I will be banded in May (most likely) and that's flip-flop weather. And I hate the feeling of stocking around the calves of my legs when I have pants on. And I'm worried about being over-heated with them on. So, did anyone else have to wear stockings after surgery and for how long? Were they uncomfortable or hot?

Good deal! I don't mind wearing them while I'm home but outside is a little much. I'm not telling anyone at work that I'm having the surgery so showing up with funky white stockings would raise eyebrows and start the rumor mill at full speed....especially since I'm a flip-flops in the middle of winter kind of girl. Just waiting for it to all be submitted to insurance and getting approved now. amey

I have Tricare Standard and would be interested what the criteria were for them to cover it. I'm a LONG ways off and I know things could change between now and then but I'm sure I'm going to need PS when I get to goal.

Mine is Diet Pepsi, and I miss it a lot! I'm not banded yet but trying to quit the pop. I'm doing pretty good, haven't had any for a few days and I'm down to maybe 1 or 2 a week and only if we go out for lunch and it comes with the meal...gotta get my money's worth LOL. And I'm following you on twitter now, I'm Amey_Idaho. I'm new to it so I don't tweet much but I enjoy following others until I get more comfortable. amey

Hi Everyone, I'm *hoping* for a May date, early-ish May :thumbup: if everything goes ok. I don't have to do a 6 mth diet, thank goodness! I have done my psych eval, surgeon appt and the 3 hr band education class. I have to do the seminar on Saturday (yea, I'm a little backwards LOL) then it will all be submitted to insurance, and supposedly they will approve in 72 hours...I meet all the requirements and supposedly I have one of the easier insurances. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! So, I hope to get to know you all better as we jump on this path to a healthier, happier, skinnier us. amey

I'm a little nervous tonight. Tomorrow I have a 2 hour appt with the psych for an evaluation and testing (MMPI). I'm a little nervous about the psych eval and the test. What is an MMPI test for? Has anyone else had to do this? I guess I'm nervous because there is a whole cemetery of skeletons in this closet. Ones that are in the past and I intend to leave them there. I have moved on with my life and am at a healthy place and that is where I intend to stay. Mostly it's all stuff I can laugh about now, but for someone that hasn't been there, done that I am afraid I could look like a dream college psych project. For starters, I have been married 5 times, yup 5, that's no typo. I am now married and have finally found what contentment feels like. I kissed a lot of frogs and have found my prince. I wouldn't change any of it (well maybe #3, he was a real brain fart LOL), everything I have been through has made me the confident, independent person that I am. I have been called abrasive and a bitch at times. It doesn't bother me, I don't sugar coat things, I am blunt and I will be brutally honest and I expect nothing less from those I choose as friends. I have made choices in my life that I still don't know how I managed to live through. I would never expect anyone else to understand or comprehend my reasons, they are my decisions to live with, and I am ok with that and know I have done the right thing for me and my family. Whether someone else thinks the same or not is their problem. EXCEPT the shrink, he literally holds my life in his hands and he has never met me, doesn't know me and I am exposing myself in front of him to be judge and jury to decide if I can have this surgery. I am really not looking forward to this!!! What was your experience with the psych eval? Any words of encouragement before I lay myself on the guillotine? amey

Thank you for your support and encouragement. The appt went well, not nearly as bad as I thought. Just waiting for the report to be done so it can all be submitted to Tricare.

I'm glad my post could help others with their surgeon appts. Adagray - great questions! I didn't see your post until after my appt was done but I plan on taking those questions to the seminar I have to attend on the 17th. The pre and post-op diet was covered in the 3 hour LB class. The class was great! We first met the main RN that will be taking care of patients when they get out of surgery. She went over the surgery, pain management, when we could go home, what to expect and when we would get an appt to talk about a fill (4 wks post-op). She emphasized that a fill was not guaranteed at that visit, that it would depend on how we we healing and other factors. Then we met the dietitian. That was my favorite part! We talked about Protein shakes and I told her I was having a really hard time finding any I could tolerate. I found one, the melon one from Bariatric Eating, that I could gag down and I didn't throw up. She said that nobody should have to gag down anything and that if I couldn't stomach the Protein Shakes they could tailor my diet to work for me. YEA!!!!! I was so relived I started to cry :smile2:. She went over the different stages of our diets, she is in the camp of eating your protein not drinking it unless there is no other choice. Then we met the physiologist. We talked about exercise expectations, motivation, fitting exercise into our schedules, and loose skin. Oh, and the clinic at the hospital that coordinates the surgery and where we go for fills has a support group and once a month they do a clothes swap - what an AWESOME idea!!! I am so excited to get started!! Just have to wait for the psych report to be done so it can all be submitted to Tricare. Waiting is truly the hardest part!

I have a 3 hours LB education class tomorrow, a 1 hour appt with the surgeon, Dr. Chamberlain in Idaho Falls, and a 2 hour psych appt (see my other thread Nervous about psych appt). I have been doing my research and reading the posts and blogs here and I have made my list of questions. Here is what I have: 1. How many lap band surgeries have you done? 2. What do you see as the cause for erosion, slipping and port flipping? How often do you see these and what is your treatment for each? 3. Do you attach the port with stiches or staples? What about the part of the stomach pulled up over the band? 4. Do you prefer the Lap Band or Realize Band? Do I have a choice? (I have decided I want the Lap Band) 5. Do you do the fills yourself or do you have an assistant that does them? If so can I meet this person or staff? 6. What does a Huber needle look like? 7. Do you have a 'default' port placement site? Can I make a suggestion for where I would prefer it placed or not placed? 8. If I have a hernia will you repair it at the time of surgery? If so how much extra will that cost me? 9. Would you please remove the skin tag under my left arm at the same time? 10. What days do you do surgery? I have deadlines I have to meet so I would prefer a Thursday. 11. How long will I be off work? If surgery on Thursday will I be ok to go back to work by Wednesday? 12. I am nervous about going home the same day, would it be possible to request an overnight stay? 13. What are the protein/carb requirement for Protein shakes? Do you recommend drinking them for only the post-op diet or for continued use after the full diet resumes? 14. What would you recommend as a weight goal for me? 15. Do you feel I am a good candidate for Lap Band surgery? If not, why and what alternative would you suggest? I don't want to make it feel like an interview but I feel these are important questions that I need/want answers to. What do you think? Am I leaving something out? Do I sound like I am badgering him?? amey

Mine was yesterday. It took about 2 hours, 1 hour talking to the shrink and 1 hour taking a test on a computer. I also have a family history that could make a great book LOL. I stayed clear of any family history....didn't volunteer and and anytime he came close I tried to steer the conversation back to the surgery. I think mine went pretty well. He said he thought I would be very happy with the surgery and that I seemed to have a good head on my shoulders. It sounds like your shrink was just rushed for time. And she's not charging you for the second session so that's a plus too! Good luck!

I hope maybe you are still out there. Dr Chamberlain will be doing my band too. Carolyn at New U is letting me work backwards through the requirements. So, I have all my health history done and my paperwork filled out. Wednesday I have the LB class, Psych Eval, and appt with Dr Chamberlain. Then I will go to the seminar on the 17th and then they will be able to submit to my insurance and schedule the surgery. What has your experience been like? The hospital? Pre-op/Post-op diet? Anything would be very appreciated! I'm so nervous and excited and nervous and excited....LOL amey

I am hoping someone can give me a couple suggestions. I don't like milk, never have. Can't drink it plain, it makes me gag....so gross! Have never been a big milk shake fan, or ice cream either. Can't stand chocolate milk! I can eat yogurt and sherbet ice cream, no problem. So....hubby bought some of the Protein powder from costco this weekend, chocolate and vanilla. The chocolate is NEVER going to work, even put Peanut Butter in it still couldn't do it (hubby drank that one). The vanilla wasn't much better but I put about a tablespoon of Tang in and and that made it a little better. But I know that's never going to fly with the nutritionist. I was able to drink about half of it before I started gagging on it. Incidentally I mixed them in the Magic Bullet with ice to make them a little frosty. I'm not required to drink the shakes yet, just trying to be proactive and find something that won't make me gag since I know thick milky stuff is an issue for me. Does anyone have an idea for a Protein Shake that is more icy/fruity than milky? amey

I haven't been banded *yet* but I refer to it as *Annie* which is short for Anaconda. Only my husband and my sister know I am doing this and I needed a code word for when we are around other family. My sister has 2 boa constrictors so she suggested the name and I have to admit I like it.

I use calorie counter on my droid. It has a massive data base with restaurants, store brand and name brand foods. It tracks my weight loss and goal on a graph. Tracks excersize and calories in/calories out. It also tracks protein, carbs, ww points, fat and a ton of other stuff u can customize to track for a daily goal. And u can compare days too. When I search for something it tells me what percentage of my daily calories it is and the full nutritional profile. And did I mention it has a scanner that makes grocery shopping a breeze? And it syncs with a web site that is awesome. Oh and did I mention its all free? I love this app!! Sorry for being so choppy. I'm typing on my phone cause hubbub and I r in Vegas

Accepted, but not approved.....yet :thumbup: I got the letter today from the hospital's New U program and in big letters it says: WELCOME TO NEW U I was so excited I was crying!! I was soooo worried that something in my med history would throw a red flag, but nope. I have to call tomorrow to set up all my pre-op appts. They are letting me work backwards sort of, since they only do seminars once a month and the one for this month is Saturday but hubby & I will be in Las Vegas. LV was planned months ago or seriously I'd cancel it to get things moving faster. So, I have to see the psych, nutritionist, and physical trainer and go to a 3 hour Lap Band education class. And I have to do the seminar before I can meet with the surgeon. And they won't submit to my ins before I meet with the surgeon. The next seminar isn't until April 17th. So, I'm hoping for a date mid May. I'm on my way!!! Thank you everyone for being so helpful and supportive :scared2:

Thank you! I am just waiting for the office to open so I can call to make my appointments. I had to read the letter again this morning just to make sure it wasn't all a dream LOL.

So I'm posting here because I have no idea how to blog. (Could somebody maybe help me with that?) I personally walked my 5 yr medical history from my PCP to the New U center on Thursday last week. I filled out my packet online (seriously, I do not remember how much I weighed when I was 10 yrs old). The nurse said she would go over my history and my packet and determine if I was a good candidate for surgery and I would know this week sometime. THIS WEEK SOMETIME?!?!??! I want to know now! :thumbup: (Patience is a virtue I'm working on, but not right now LOL) My BMI is definately high enough at 53. I have no diagnosed comorbidities. BUT...this is what I am worried about. About 8 yrs ago I was diagnosed with Barrett's Esophagus but I have taken Nexium since then and I quit smoking 2 years ago. And that's the other thing. When I went to personally pick up my records I couldn't resist reading some of it. And last at the end of August I went to the doctor to get a few days worth of Xanax - I was 2 wks away from my wedding, I was a nervous wreck and I didn't want to start smoking again. I just need something to calm me down for a week or so. And the stupid PA put that I was still smoking!! WTF??? I was not smoking!!! I went to the doctor because I DID NOT want to start smoking again! AND....a couple years ago I was going thru a pretty bad time, my now ex-husband was an ass and I wanted desperately to lose weight but he was NOT supportive and everytime I tried to bring something healthy in the house he teased me relentlesly about it and accused me of wanting to lose weight so I could leave him (he weighed almost 100 lbs more than me). So, I went to my doctor and wanted phentermine. And I got the bitch of the PA world. She told me that what I really needed was to go to a counselor to find out why I was eating my feelings, or just stop eating. And she asked if I had ever been molested. SERIOUSLY!!! I have never been molested, I don't really stress eat. I eat when I'm bored and I'm never full so when I do eat I eat enough for 3 people! Anyway the report she made said that I was 'not willing to change my diet or excercise' and that I just wanted a quick fix. She also put that I had tried to make myself throw up 'without success.' WHAT I SAID WAS when she asked me if I had ever made myself was...'I COULD NEVER DO THAT...I saw what it did to my mother and would never be able to that to myself' That really upset me that she twisted that. SO now I'm all freaked out that I could be denied because a few years ago a PA totally twisted what I said and put that on my chart. Granted, it does say several times how I am counting WW points but still can't seem to lose more than a few pounds and gain it back. I really just want to get this going. I am trying different shakes and trying to prepare myself mentally for how I will answer questions at work (not planning on telling anyone at work) and how I will handle dinners with my husband's family (all super skinny runners that freak out about the calories in a wine cooler...all while I'm eating 2nds on potato salad...none of them have ever worn a size bigger than a medium and that's when they were pregnant!) Anyway, I'm just really chomping at the bit (bad pun LOL) to find out about this approval. I feel better getting this all out. I'm sorry about this being long but I really just needed to get it all out in an environment where you would all understand....my husband just keeps telling me it will all work out and that he loves me and tells me how beautiful I am no matter what....he's AWESOME!!! goodnight....6:30 comes early

I just ordered a sample pack from unjury and I'm going to order a sample pack from BariatricEating too. They have a summer melon that looks like it might be ok. I also bought some almond milk at Walmart tonight. We also got some frozen berries and some peaches. The almond milk doesn't have any smell....so far so good. I plan on making a shake with it before I go to bed. I will let you all know how that works out. I think I will try the soy milk too. My boys had to have soy formula as babies and that stuff smelled horrible...I gagged when ever I made it. I hope the Silk mild might be different. New life, new way of eating, new food. :thumbup:

Neither - I had a hysterectomy when I was 32 (I am 39 now) and I take HRT and I wouldn't have it any other way. :blushing: BUT when I did have periods I tried but couldn't use tampons. My uterus was tilted backwards so tampons hurt and made me have cramps so bad I didn't want to move, I couldn't even sit down. I had to use them occasionally when I was away from home and started and didn't have another option. But I would get sick, have diarrhea, and nausea. I would make a b-line for home or a store! Incidentally, my husband thinks he really lucked out with me (we've only been married since September). But he's said how cool it is that I don't get PMS, don't have cramps, and can't use the excuse to not have sex because it's that TOM. All my sisters have had hysterectomies (my mom died of ovarian cancer when she was 43) and none of us regret it for the very reason that we don't have periods anymore!

OMG!! ROFLMAO!! Excuse me while I wipe the spewed Crystal Light off my screen :blushing: