PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

:wub:HI EVERYONE I DID IT I AM AT MONTH 6:lol:..I GO FOR MY LAST SUPERVISIVED VISIT ON SEPTEMBER 17TH :frown: AND ON THAT SAME DAY I HAVE MY NUTRITION EVALUTAION. I REALLY CANT WAIT TO POST TO TELL EVERYONE THAT I HAVE A DATE. MAYBE ILL GET A DATE IN OCTOBER PRAYIN MY INSURANCE DOESNT JERK ME AROUND:cursing::biggrin::frown: HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL WITH THERE JOURNEY:thumbup::sad: TTYL:wub:

Hello my name is Elizabeth and i am getting banded on June 12th in Evansville Indiana by Dr. Haughn. I havent really had the best eperience with him so far and was just wondering if anyone else has delt with him before? thanks:huh2:

Alright! :thumbdown: We went to our family dr today so my dh could get refills on his meds. (blood pressure, etc). To our surprise he knew my dh's surgeon, actually went to med school with him. Family dr asked when we planning on doing the banding - we told him, hoping for end of October. He went ahead and did some blood work, an EKG, and a chest xray. Now we are just waiting for the insurance to come through. We left the dr's office excited. Dh said, "This is really happening! :cursing:

I am about at my last resort, which would be the lapband, but I want to make sure I'm making the right decision. I exercise regularly, but can't get my appetite down, and don't seem to have the will power to not eat something I shouldn't very often. I am 5'10" and weigh 245. My BMI is 35 according to the formulas, but my personal trainer says it's actually 40. I am frustrated because nothing seems to work. Have any of you tried Alli to stop your appetite? If so, did it work? Did it have any bad side effects? Thanks for your input! :redface:

I need to have my thyroid rechecked, but I have a hard time getting to the doctor before work. Does anyone know if this is a test that requires fasting, or can it be done anytime? If I could go after work, that would be great. I can't call the doctor during work to find out. I'm a teacher and I have meetings during my planning time for the next several days. By the time I get back into town (work out of town) his office is closed. Thanks in advance for help with this question.

Hello, can anyone tell me their situation of whether they had to pay the remaining balance before surgery or do they let you make payments just like any other hospital bill. I think I will be left owing approximately 700 dollars...and just need to know whether I will need that before the surgery can happen. I have actually asked this question to the lady who bills the insurance company at the surgery center..but she didn't know. I know everyone's situation is different...but looking for the majority here to give me a better idea. Thanks in advance!

my husband is on some what of a pre opt diet. He is only suppose to have 3 carbs for breakfast. I wasn't there to ask about having eggs. Do any of you have any suggestions for breakfast? What are you eating?

Does any1 kno some good protein shakes that they would recommend? Thanx

I'm leaving for my consult in 15 minutes. What should I expect?

Ok today was the last hoop jump for me. (I think) I had a whole list of things to do. I had to see a psych dr, have a sleep study, get OK from primary dr, 6 months of supervised diet ( I only have 2 more visits to go). Type out a two year diet history. Obtained medical records for the past 4 years to prove I didnt gain the weight over night. Lots of blood work, started CPAP machine. Last but not least I had to see a cardiologist, have a stress test and echo done and he gave me my final approval for surgery! I feel like a 300 pound weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am so excited. I am ready to be done with all of the pre work up for pre op. November here I come!

UPDATE: The samples have been claimed.

I don't even have a surgery date yet, but they've taken the weight they are going to submit to ins, so I can start trying to lose now. I probably won't lose much, but I've heard you can drop 10-20lbs in the 2 week pre op diet alone. I think I'm going to set a goal of 20lbs pre op weight loss. My surgery will most likely be in a month, maybe/hopefully a tiny bit less. Sound unrealistic?

It just occurred to me that if I ended up getting banded I have a toddler that needs picked up now and then... she isn't extremely big on being held but I will need to lift her into and out of the crib... in the evening at bedtime DH could do it but in the am and before and after naps I'd have to. She can crawl up into her own booster seat so that helps, and if she wants in my lap when I'm sitting in the living room she will climb up there... but there are still times like nap, oh and diaper changes, where I'd need to lift her...

Hi! I don't think my doctor requires it, but does anyone know what they are looking for when they do a colonoscopy? I understand the upper-GI. Thanks, Anne

I just got a call from Dr. Van Wagner's office and I am scheduled for a consult at 3:30 tomorrow! eeek! :blushing::thumbup::cry_smile: Lots of mixed emotions. I discussed my arthritis and that I do have concerns about the band bc of that and she said she would flag my chart for the dr to talk to me about both the RNY and the band. I may go with the RNY after talking to him but I just wanted to let everyone know here who has helped me the last few days that I am making a step forward... wish me luck! The lady with the office did say that my insurance UHC will be easy to deal with since I do actually have a bmi of 40 (gained weight since the seminar, sounds awful b…

I'm sure I will find out all these answers on 9/30 when I get to go to the siminar. however, just wondering... I'm trying to learn as much as I can and I have read a lot here but now Im confussed. I've seen some say they have to do a 6 month diet first and some say they didn't? My BMI is under 40 but above 35 and my insurance says if it is over 35 and you have medical issues it would cover it. I get worried that if I have to do a diet for 6 months and I go under 35 BMI will they not cover me or if I dont lose during th 6 months then what? I know I will lean about this but what is the Q-ball? I know everyone is different but I thought I had read that you can't …

Good morning Bandsters! My first dietician meeting is tomorrow. I was wondering what I can expect to learn from this appointment and about how long is the first appointment? :thumbup:

:thumbup: Hello all, Got a call on Friday, they changed my appointment for the heart test from Monday to Friday, jeez I hate having to wait and on top of that my surgery is on Monday the 15th, so if you ask me they are cutting it close. Anyway just letting you know, Hugs Bobbie

:party: Hey everyone! I started the six month diet recently and am kinda confused - should I lose weight? Or not? I mean... I know the insurance requires it to get approved (and that is what I want - approval), but if I can lose weight with the physician supervised diet, isn't that kind of uhhhh counterintuitive? I am waiting on my referral to a dietician, but need some advice in the meantime. I want to do whatever it takes to get approved through insurance!!!!

I am at the beginning stages here and haven't had a consultation yet (went to a seminar the other night and going to one Tuesday) so I am concerned my meds might rule me out for some reason. I have arthritis and take 5mg prednisone daily, and take anywhere from 400-800mg ibuprofen daily. I have tried to get lower on the pred and right now it's not happening. I really believe I could go w/o the ibuprofen if I had some weight off of me but all bets are off when it comes to prednisone. :lovechoc: I know I'd probably need to avoid ibuprofen before surgery but my ? is can it and pred be taken once banded?

where is everyone getting the high protein shakes??:thumbup: I have looked and cant seem to find any with high enough protein

After my c-sections, I remember that lying down was fine, and standing up was somewhat painful but ok, but GETTING UP from lying down into a standing position was the killer. Is it like this after getting banded? Or were you able to get yourself up and out of bed? Thanks.

Hi all, Well, I am going to see another doctor, because something was just telling me something was not right about the doctor I was going to use. Anyway, I have to go this doc's seminar on Tuesday. MOst of the paperwork I will need is on his web site, including the some of the questionnaire for the psych eval. I looked over it and haven't printed it out, but I was alarmed at how much I fell into being depressed. I have wondered about this for a while, but I guess I didn't want to accept it. So, I am afraid if I do this, they will not operate on me if it shows I am depressed. So, if any of you can shed some light, I would be really grateful. I really want to g…

I have thought about WLS for several years, I have been overweight as far back as I can remember. The last time I saw a number on the scale under 200 was in 2001 or so, and even before that I was still overweight. I am now 260, and my bmi is 39.5. I have tried it all, Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, Eat to Live, vegan eating... nothing works long term and I just can't keep the weight off at all. I just have no real stop mechanism and overeat constantly. :shades_smile: I kept hearing about the lapband a lot recently (someone my mom knows had it done and we ran into her a week or two ago, heard about it on Dr. Radio, etc) and it made me again look into info on the web.…

I'm looking for those of you out there that used Obesity Law or even just a lawyer period to fight an insurance denial. What was your experience like? How fast or slow was the process? What were the costs? Any other helpful details you're willing to share. I have BSBC of IL PPO. And they have denied me because the dr's notes are not detailed enough. Never mind the fact I have enough medical history as proof that I need and would really benefit from surgery. I've been in this process since late December/January. Enough is enough already!:thumbup: Again any input is greatly appreciated. ~Nikki

Yay I was cleared for surgery and its on Sept 18th!!! I've started my pre-op diet, but I have a question. My pre-op diet consists of only 4 and a half cans of slim fast a day (thats what the doctor told me). Thats only 800 calories!!! I'm having a really hard time not being hungry and craving other foods. Am I allowed to eat anything else, this is rough? Anybody have any tips? When he told me about the pre-op diet and what was required I responded with "If I could just have 4 cans of slim fast a day for 2 weeks, do you think I would be getting this surgery in the first place?" He just chuckled. Good luck to all the pre-op dieters out there! HeavyK

Hi everyone! OK, so I have been approved for a consultation with a surgeon in Oakland, CA. The surgery (if approved) will be possibly in November. I've already jumped through several hoops for my insurance company which is HealthNet &Hills Physicians is the Med. Grp. Anyway, before I actually have an appointment with the Surgeon I've gotta go to a mandatory informational meeting and fill out all kinds of paper work then lose 10% of my body weight. Now I currently weigh 286 lbs. So I'm gonna have to lose 28 lbs before Nov. OMG I have trouble loosing 5 lbs and keeping it off. They said they'd include the weight I lost with the nutritionist (one of the hoops) but I onl…

Ok, I'm fairly new to all of this. I love this place. I've learned more on this web site than anywhere. I began this journey in Dec. of 07. I've done my pulmonary. check, my heart check and my psyc. check and have approval from Ins. I'm waiting for the Dr office to get the pulm. ok which is just a fax away. Then I will get my surgery date. I've been researching lapband A LOT! What I don't understand is after people have the surgery there talking about keeping track of calories and eating healthy (I get the health part), but don't you think if I could count calories and stuff I wouldn't need the surgery. I mean I still hear people saying how hungry they are. THATS H…

For those of you who have had to go on a 2 week or 3 week pre-op diet, how much did you lose? Did you follow it strictly and was your doctor happy with the results?

I just started my pre-op diet yesterday and was down 5.5 pounds this morning. Now, I know that a lot of that was most likely Water as I was in the bathroom ALOT but I still can't help but be thrilled! Woohoo! Day 2 has been easy, too. The Protein shakes are not bad when adding different flavors to them. I also took a nap this afternoon and woke up famished. That is one of the hardest times for me. For some reason I need food in a big way after a hard nap. Anyway, I went in and fixed a Protein shake quickly before I had time to notice any other food in the kitchen and got it down. Took the hunger right away. 2 days down. GOBS to go! :lovechoc:

I do have coverage with my UHC insurance but when I called they said you had to have a BMI over 40. Will they cover it since I have a BMI of 39 and sleep apnea? Is there a "waiting poriod"? My primary care physician is a naturopath and a MD and she may not be thrilled with my choice to pursue lap band... so how would this factor in? She won't deny that I'm overweight and having trouble losing it but I'm afraid she's not going to like me wanting to get banded. I see her later this month.

Well we finally had our second psych eval this morning. The dr almost didn't approve my husband because the hospital that he is going to is 2 1/2 hours away. The dr was insistant that my husband find a regular psych dr. Neither one of us are too fond of psychs. Has anyone else come across this? I am looking for a support group in our area (Morris, IL). The dr did approve him though. For that, I am thankful.:shades_smile:

My surgery is in two weeks and I haven't gotten a satisfactory answer from my surgeon on dealing with the lapband with my sensitive gag reflex (sorry to be gross). About once or twice a month I throw up just from brushing my teeth -- and NOT vigorously either. Doc said "Just be careful," but I already am. What I don't understand is what happens if your stomach below the band wants to vomit? What happens when people get the flu, for example?

Hi everyone - I'm scheduled for surgery on 9/11. Should I be avoiding asprin, ibuprophen, etc? I have a cold and have been taking both. I don't remember my doctor saying anything about this, and there isn't any info in the paperwork I have. Thanks in advance for any advice!

I had my pre-op appointment the other day. It was my second one of the year. It went well, but there was one question I can’t seem to answer. Do I want to be opened up if they can’t do it laprscopically? The first time I went in it was an adamant no. I didn’t want the scarring, I didn’t have the time saved up for the amount of recovery time required for an open surgery. This time the time element remains the same, but this time I’m not so sure that they can do it. I’ve already been to the table only to be sent home cut in and un-banded. I’m not sure if I can go through this again. I don’t know what to do. I’ve thought about it to the point that I’ve …

Ok this is more exciting as crazy as it may seem than many if not all first dates I ever had before I got married. So this date is the date with the rest of my life. Hopefully a start of a beautiful new relationship with me, food and well food. I am so excited. I have no reservations or fears.. as of right now. I only told my husband the date. As it turns out my parents to my surprise are less than thrilled about my decision. This is the first time in my life I have not sought approval from my parents. It only took me 33yrs to obtain this feeling. So anyhow. I decided that I am not telling anyone in my family the date so they dont worry. I will just tell them when i…

I am staying at my parents for a while and have the mattress on the floor. Will this be awful after surgery? I am worried about the getting up part. My surgery is on Sept 30th, should I hurry up and get a bed before then?

I am new at all of this. Really dont have a clue. I have been approved for a loan that will be there for 6mo. If I am just now starting will I have my surgery before the 6mo is up? Will you please tell me what happens from start to finish?

fading a little bit. I'm sure this is quite a shock to my body to be eating so healthy the past 8 days and not to mention barely any carbs. Monday and Tuesday will be liquids only(Surgery 10th)so I can't imagine how that will feel if I'm already fading. I'm drinking plenty of Water, eating on plan, so it's just the shock probably.

Finally after 3 years of thinking of getting banded, and then started looking into it, I found out that i needed 6 months of weight loss history for blue cross blue shiled. I was 2 weeks shy of this, and needed to do 6 months all over again. So to make a long story short, after 9 months, I finally have my date of 10/10 to be banded. My question is this, should I start reducing my food, prior to being banded?

Okay... I had surgery yesterday and when I lay down and get up I have this stabbing pain at the port site. It worries me and it's harder to get up and walk since that's what my doctor said I had to do frequently. Did this happen to anyone else?

Anyone going to Dr Snyder's seminar tonight? I would love a buddy! Lisa

I used Diet V8 Splash berry Blend. I poured it into those little popcicle makers you get from tupperware. I think Wal-Mart sells a brand of their own. It takes 1/4 cup juice. Then freeze in the freezer. Calories: 2.5 Fat: 0 Carbs: < 1 Protein: 0 (but I am going to try to add a bit of vanilla Protein powder to it and see what happens.) Had a regular one without Protein Powder today and it was awesome!

I have browsed the posts but don't see anyone posting about a pre-surgery diet required by Dr. Burpee. The communication with that office seems minimal and I have a problem getting through and getting answers which is frustrating but I am told that Dr. Burpee is excellent so I hang with it. I wish someone kept closer touch. I have had all my consultations accept for photos I think and I hope a last visit with Dr. Burpee prior to surgery. My concern is that Sonja called and said they are scheduling for September 16 and I have not been told anything about a pre-op diet. I don't know if Dr. Burpee requires that or not? Even if he does not, I would like to go liquid…

I'm being banded on Tues. yeah....with the realize band. I was just wondering if anyone could give me an idea of what to expect directly after recovery, and how you first felt?? Thanks

hello again i know some of you have had to travel hours to see a doctor and i hate to sound like i'm whinning but........... my doctor wants me to go further from home to see a particular doctor. she said he's the best. but there is a whole clinic at AtlantiCare with everything you need right there. with support groups and seminars and the dietitions - everything. i know i could insist on going to the place closer to home for the surgery but i was also wondering if i did go the the far away doctor if i could do everything else at the this clinic close to home. has anyone had an experience like this? i just hate to drive 50 or 60 miles when i can drive 10.

I see a lot of you have neat weight tickers and information signatures I was wondering if someone could help me do this?

Only 6 more days until I get banded! I am SOOOOO excited! :smile2: I am SO ready for this! I registered at the hospital today and I couldnt stop smiling! Of course i'm nervous, and even a little scared...but nothings going to stop me from doing this! Words cant describe how excited I am to say goodbye to these size 22 jeans i'm in and this 2x shirt! I cant wait for the day I will be able to shop in the same stores with my sister ( who is a size 6 )!!! YAY FOR ME! LOL! ONLY 6 MORE DAYS!!!:tt2:

Hi everyone! I finally feel like the process has begun! I was first scheduled for my seminar with the surgeon in April, but I kind of had cold feet and cancelled. I made another appt and it was tonite. It was interesting, but I must admit I really didn't learn anything new since I have been visiting this great site for some time now! I turned in all necessary paperwork and should get a call from the office in a week or two. I have known for a long time that this was the way to go for me, now I'm just more anxious than ever. I want to thank all of you for the wonderful advice and knowledge that I have gotten to get me to this point. Let the journey begin!!

I am being banded on 9/23. I have so many people telling me not to do it that it just won't work. I know it does not work for some people but there must be reasons why. Does anyone out there know what causes failure? There are so many success stories on here and I want to do everything in my power to make sure I am a success story. I think I also might be worrying because when it comes to health issues, I always seem to be on the losing side of things. I had a heart condition and when they tested me for it they said only 2% of the people that get tested have it. I was in the 2%. I got pregnant with my daughter using birth control. I guess I was that 1% or 2% also…