PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Just wondering if anyone has dealth with this private insurance company.. a friend is looking into it but has been unable to get anyone on the phone to ask whether they cover lap band, and if so what are the procedures.. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I have went to my pre-op today, and can't wait to start my journey

My PCP did an EKG yesterday and it came back abnormal. So, she's sending me to the cardiologist for a stress test and another ekg. Im hoping and praying that its nothing serious. Has anyone else had an abnormal EKG and still been banded?

Hi guys, i'm very excited getting banded tommorow, have been on a milk and yoghurt diet for a week and although it was hard, I know it will be worth it and did not feel it was a constant battle as with other 'diets'. Will keep you informered of my progress. Sam

Can anyone give me a good website to by my optifast shakes?

After having had two psychological evaluations, going for the second cardiology exam tomorrow, being denied each time I submitted letters and previous exams, I got a letter today saying I've been approved! I think I'm still in shock! But I'm excited, too! I am on my way to band land! Yay!!! Oh, yes, my birthday is this Sunday! Happy birthday to me!

Hi All, Well tomorrow is my banding day, Jan 16th. I can't wait to get it over with. I have been on a roller coaster since Aug. and am just over it. I have lost 10lbs. on my 1 week pre-op diet of 2 Slim Fast drinks and one Healthy Choice Meals a day. I cooked up several meals for my husband last night so he is taken care and I don't have to deal with cooking for a week. I know he can take care of himself but I just wanted to do it for him. My Surgeon usually wants his pts. to stay over night, but I am going home after surgery, I don't like hospitals and the noise!!! Wish me luck tomorrow, and thank you all for all the wonderful tips and ideas you have shared.

Hello Everyone, Making the decision to have surgery is a difficult one and weight loss surgery is no exception. There are so many questions and uncertaintanties. If you or know someone that is trying to make the decision about Lap-Band surgery, we would like to invite you to participate in a free online chat event with Dr. Daniel Jones, bariatric surgeon and Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. He is also an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. You can register for the event or sign in anonymously. This is a FREE online event. To sign up for an account, click “Edit Chat Account” on the right. To …

Currently I am a fulltime college student and a caregiver in the evenings. The lady I care for is very sweet and fairly easy to care for her. She is in 1st & somedays 2nd stage alzheimers. My worry is this.. Her daughter is quite the handful in this situation. I am very devoted to this family and try to be a very positive support to them. The daughter is very judgemental and critical.. very political.. My surgery is scheduled Feb 3rd and I have yet to peep a word about it to this woman. (my boss) My husband is disabled and I mentioned him getting the surgery and she balked.. Unfortunately, she just has a hard time understanding certain things and also…

Hi everyone!! I start my pre op diet on Friday, and my surgery is scheduled for Jam 16th. I am so worried about the liquid diet. I am allowed three shakes a day for two weeks and all the Water I can drink. I just know I am going to be starving. If I drink a slim fast shake (optima) I am starving 15 minutes later. I am just so scared I will cheat and my surgery will be postponed. Why does my surgeon have to have such a strict preop diet? If I was allowed even Soup broth I would feel so much more comfortable about this.

Hi everyone. regarding recovery time. I am being banded on 2/23 I am in my brothers wedding on 3/7 is this enough time for me to be back to myself and back on my feet to be in the wedding. I do not want to ruin their special day by not being able to perform my bridesmaid duties...Let me know what you think.

super excited....my docs office called around 4 and I have my seminar appointment next week and then my surgen consult the day after...the only thing is that they are an hour away on 2 dif days... cans someone tell me what to expect and how long for each of the appointments?:cursing::thumbup::cursing::thumbup:

Hi - I've only posted a few times, but I thought I'd post because I'm a bit shocked... I have been going thru my 6 mo. PCP visits, and finally finished them last week - got my file to the surgeon's office on Friday, and they said that it would take about 4 weeks to get a response... and that I should plan on a surgery date about 10 weeks out or so. Well, got a call from my insurance today - and they approved me already - not even 48 hours! Yikes! I have no idea what that means for my surgery date!!! I know it is all good, but I wasn't prepared for it to happen so quickly - maybe a sign that it is the right decision!

Hello All. First time posting and new member. I'm going through the 'process' of visiting the other doctors before my surgery date is scheduled, but I had a question. I'm a guy and I was wondering if other guys who have the band could reply as to whether or not they had a catheter during the band procedure. Dont ask me why, but I can handle almost anything but the thought of a catheter. Thanks!

Hi everyone. regarding recovery time. I am being banded on 2/23 I am in my brothers wedding on 3/7 is this enough time for me to be back to myself and back on my feet to be in the wedding. I do not want to ruin their special day by not being able to perform my bridesmaid duties...Let me know what you think.

Hi everyone I just got my surgery date of February 23rd. So excited. The hard part begins. I need to be on a liquid diet and lost about 25 pounds.They told me no solids just liquids and to do the Medifast Diet. They also said that GNC carries and equivalent to Medifast for less cost.Does anyone know the name of this product or what I should ask for when I go to GNC to purchase the liquid diet?Any help would be greatly appreicated.I am new here and so looking forward to getting to know everyone.Thanks for your help.

If anyone who has been through the procedure , or maybe if there is a nuse or two around? (I know I have seen a few nurses posting in other groups....) how far down are your incisions? The reason I ask is I am having surgery tomorrow and yesterday marked my TOM! I am wondering, logisitcally, how that will work during my surgery!! Any help would be most appreciated!!!!

Is it common for an obese person to have a fatty liver?

i went to a seminar last night and almost everyone started off wanting lap band but ended up going with by pass but i still want lap band but i wonder why so many changrd thier minds

I am having a hard time with other people saying that getting a band won't work, that all I need to do is eat right and exercise and that I am basically copping out by getting banded. Its hard not to worry that what they are saying is true. You hear horror stories of people who don't lose anything or gain everything back. I know too that a lot of the weight loss has to come from me anyway, that I have to train my head not to want to overeat all of the time, and I hope I am up to the challenge. Did any bandsters have to deal with this problem pre-surgery? What would you say to those other people now that you know more having been banded? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I'm getting banded on Monday 12/29. I'm happy and nervous. My doctor had his team working overtime to help me get the surgery before the end of the year when my insurance will change and I would then have a $1500 co-pay, with my current insurance I have no co-pay but they denied the surgery. I was ready to give up when my doctor's assistant called and said she was going to appeal it, but it was already 12/19. She called me on the 12/23 and told me she called the insurance company and they told her they have 30 days to respond to the appeal, she left it up to me to come in and do my final weigh in case they approved the surgery for 12/29. I told her I didn't think they wou…

Hi all, I was just wondering something. I am 415 lbs. Will I have to go on a diet and lose weight before the doc will do surgery? I haven't met him and have an appt. next month. I'm just kinda scared something will be wrong and I wont be able to have the surgery done. I'm just nervous i guess. Oh one more thing. I have heart palpitations and am on digoxin. Its not that bad but will that prevent me from having surgery?I have high blood pressure to.

they have set the day for the fat man exection. Just a week after the pre op test . With out eny notice. Or pre op diet. The exection of the fat man will be tomarrow. No last meal., coke, oatmeal cookies w/ raisins, ice cream,and the best steak. Has eneyone ever heard of the no warning ? I be dame the fat man did get pizza. With pep,mush.and jal. It was hot and cheese. So say a little prayer for the fat man's exection. fore tomarrow a man is reborn. With a new life and brighter future.

Has anyone had any kidney issues on the high protein diet? I had alot of nausea in the beginning and the nutritionist said it wa likely ketones and needed to be flushed, now I have a swollen ankle out of the blue. No trauma, just bizarre. My surgery is next week and I have so much to do, I guess I need to try and see my primary care Physician sometime. Any one else have these issues?

My surgery is sched for 1/20. I have my pre-op visit this Thursday. I was not told to go on a pre-op diet. I see many out there were. Were any other's not on pre-op diet. I have all my post op instructions re the clears x 48hrs, then full liquids x 2 weeks.. then soft diet...

I see that a lot of people are scheduled in January, but no one else on the same date as I am. Anyone? I'm getting very excited!

I was just banded yesterday and came hime from the hospital around 2pm. It's 8:30pm and I just threw up! I have only had little sips of Water and not even as much as they told me to take. I am also having bad pain and gas pain. I talked to my doctor and he told me to stick with ice chips and water (that's all I had!) He's not worried. Should I be?

Since deciding to have Lapband surgery and starting the process of appointments and pre-op weight loss, I've been having a great time doing research and reading lots on this message board and watching YouTube videos. I was so surprised to find that there is such an active weight loss surgery community there. I decided that it would be fun to start my own channel to document my weight loss journey. It'll keep me motivated and will also be so awesome to see my progress once I have surgery, lose weight and reach my goal. If anyone here would like to check it out, here's the link: YouTube - swish's Channel If anyone has their OWN channel, will you post the link? I th…

I am self pay, what happens if something goes wrong and I need emergency medical care will my regular insurance pay? Will I need thousands of dollars to get help. Has any one had to deal with these kind of issues.

I'm 31, 390lbs and 5'5". I know, very large. I'm not good at getting my point across, so I hope this post makes sense. I go this Wednesday for my 6th month weight in, a pre-op diet class, medical evaluation, dietician consult, physical activity evaluation and to schedule the surgery. I'm almost to the end of this part of my journey. It seems like I just started this! I haven't managed to loose anything (i suck) so I'm really second guessing myself about the surgery. If I can't loose anything while seeing a nutrisionalist for 6 months, can I really loose anything even with the band? My head is spinning right now, one day I want the band more than anything and I'm pumped! I…

I haven't posted in so long but I am now at the point where I really want to get this ball rolling. I used to have Kaiser So Cal insurance and switched to Aetna PPO 1/1/09. I did this in the hopes that I could get approval through insurance but I keep getting blocked. It seems that even though I have a BMI over 40 right now that isn't good enough and they want to see a two year history of BMI >40. I have been 35+ for over two years but that isn't good enough either. I haven't even tried to go through insurance cause I don't want to get declined. I just want the damn surgery! I have been going to Overeaters Anonymous in order to deal with the emotional issues as…

Is anyone else on a pre-op liquid diet composed entirely of Bariatric Advantage shakes? I am on day 4 of this diet and I have never had so much gas, not mention the stuff is foul. The only flavor I can even stomach is the Chocolate Mint, the mint seems to cover up the terrible aftertaste. Nothing, of course helps with the chalkiness. I will be asking my surgeon tomorrow about the Costco brand shakes as they seem to have similar nutrional characteristics. I'm being banded by Dr. Gonzalez in Dallas if anyone has any experience with him and couls share that would be great.

I know that this is what to do I want I want to get the lap band. I need to lose 146 lbs . I need to get health for me and my family. I am a military depended and I have tricare prime. I don’t really know my Dr because they just send me to who ever is working really. I am scared that when I ask for the referral she will say No to me. Has this happened to anyone else. How did you ask your DR ?

I am heading out now to begin the journey of the rest of my life. I slept very well last night and am ready for surgery! I am down ( haven't changed my ticker ) 16 lbs on my 2 week pre-op! Very motivating! If all goes well, I'll be back on-line Tuesday afternoon/evening, as I will be staying overnight in the hospital tonight! My surgery is at NYU with Dr. Ren.

Please - be honest - be brutal - be gross if you have to (anyone whose ever taken Alli knows what gross is). Why shouldn't I get this done? What aren't all of you telling me? I want to be as well informed as possible before I do this and I NEED to know! Help me help me.

Hi my very first post??? However I've been reading a lot of you guys things And have been so inspired so I have a couple of questions too Please if anyone has an ideal or a similar experience please post me back We have Cigna insurance and the lap band is a approvably procedure Just their requirements to me are a little vague?:tongue2: Jan 10 2008 was the first month, and went back February 10th next visit was April 22nd within a year time I had attended six visits I went to A Physicians weight management program for a minimum of six visits with 8 weeks in between visits Where he monitored my wt loss & gains took my BP..Temperature and heartrates prescribed…

Hi my name is Patti and I am want to do Lap band. I need to find a Dr. around Pendleton, Oregon as far as Portland who has reasonable prices and takes Blue Cross blue Sheild insurance. Can anyone help. With the insurance I might beable to do it sooner than later

OK, yesterday i did my EKG and they found TachyCardia (fast heart rate) and then Premature Ventricular Contractions. What is pathetic is I am 24. OK, so have any of your drs, seen this on you, and if so did they still go forward with surgery?? Im kinda scared to hear from my dr. Anyone else get other issues in their EKG?

I'm getting banded in Arlington, VA on January 22! I'm starting the Slim-Fast Thursday. Woo hooo!!! Judy

I'm on day two of the pre op liquid diet. If I made vegetable Soup, I couldn't blend the ingredients to be liquid, could I? I have a family and I'm scared to try cooking a meal for them because I dread the urge to take a bite. I've been making them quick and easy meals, but that's not exactly healthy. Anyone have suggestions for things that we can all eat? Thanks!

Hi so I was finally approved last month found out on Dec 12 and finally got a date this week that January 30th 2009 is the date. Was wondering if any others have this date as well? To help support each other threw this journey! Happy New Years to all- 2009 is my year to change and be healthier then ever...

I leave for the hospital in 15 minutes, my surgery is in two hours,everyone wish me luck please. :thumbs_up:

Hi, All! I am getting banded next Friday, Jan. 16th. My question is this, I started on pre-op diet today, only 650 calories aday and my stomach is on fire, what is going on? Has anyone else gone through this? Also was very anxious but now I am getting scared!!!! I remember the pain from my gall bladder surgery this past summer. Will the Lap Band pain be about the same?? I woke up in pain but they gave me a shot and that took care of it, got dressed and went home and took one pill that night and that was it for the pain meds for me, hope I am that lucky for Lap Band.

Yikes, this is something I am not at all familiar with....I've been constipated for 2 days :confused: I am on day 11 of my 14 day liquid diet. I am not terribly uncomfortable, but just wondering what will happen if I am still like this on surgery day? Any thoughts or recommendations? Anyone else have this happen?

I am so excited! I called the Dr office last Monday to make sure all the paperwork was in, they turned it into my insurance. The Dr office called me Thursday to set up the surgery as they got approval. I was not expecting to get banded until March. Still shocked, but very thankful! Any tips? I have me pre surgery appt Tuesday. I have not started any special pre op diet. I do not think that Dr requires one. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting through the next 2 weeks and immediately after? What is good to eat? Stuff like that? Thanks Tracey:teeth_smile:

I just received the news that my insurance approved my surgery. I will be banded Jan 27th. Yeah!!! I was really worried because I gained weight over the holidays (7lbs). My dietician said that I could have jepordized everything but I guess it was okay.

Hi There! My name is Jill. I am a 40-year-old mother of three from Southern California. I am an avid reader of this discussion board but have never posted. I am getting banded on January the 13th. I have been on a pre-op diet for 11 days now. My doctor recommended a full liquid Optifast diet (800 calories a day) but I have modified it to keep myself and my family sane. The first three days of the pure liquid diet was...well, pure misery. I had headaches and mood swings. My poor 14-year-old son was talking me out of quitting like I was some kind of drug addict. HaHa. So in an effort to help all the others that might be struggling here is what I have done to stay on an 8…

My surgery is Monday and I have the sniffles. I called the surgeons office but they are off this afternoon. I called the surgical nurse who called me on Monday but all I get is her voicemail. I called my GP but got voicemail. I'm pretty sure what I have will be gone by Monday but I don't know what to do. I'm on day 8 of the liquid diet and it is so hard to think that the surgery may be canceled. I'm not sure what I want from y'all. Maybe reassurance that everything will be okay if I have the surgery on schedule or not. Thanks for "listening" anyway, it felt good just to get it out.

I've been reading the forums for a few days now, and I've seen plenty of mention re: quitting smoking prior to the surgery via cold turkey, the patch, etc. but I have yet to see any mention of doing so with the electronic cigarette which is what I had intended to use. It delivers nicotine in the form of liquid vapor to my lungs removing carcenagens and other damaging agents that a typical cigarette would. It also produces a lower dose of nicotine in my blood stream than your typical patch. What I need to know is whether or not this would produce acceptable preop results for a surgeon like Dr. Ortiz compared to quitting with the patch or other sessation devices. I don't in…

Hey Y'all.... I went to my 2 hour class today to get all the details on the surgery and the before and after diets and whatnot. Here's how my doc's office outlines it: Replace one meal with a Protein shake and have two LITE meals. Consume your required 64oz of Water per day. Increase protein in diet and decrease carbohydrate intake. Choose lean protein sources and lots of vegetables. The purpose of this pre-operative diet is to decrease the size of your liver, which can be markedly enlarged due to excess fat accumulation. Sounds perfectly easy right - except that I'm so bad with portions and stuff - what exactly is a LITE meal? I kinda wish they had laid out …