PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I'm trying to come up with some tricks and strategies that might keep me on track once I have my surgery. So far, I'm making a list of all of the things that I hate or have had done to me because I'm fat so that I don't go back. Also, I'm thinking about buying a goal dress. I've always wanted to look good in a spaghetti strap dress! Any other tricks that have helped you?

Hi, I have my first appt with the orientation I already have my referral so my surgery date is about 6 months out. Now I'm suppose to lose my 10% or more so I'm figuring 30lbs I haven't lost 30lbs at one time in what seems like forever i"m good at the 10lbs then gain. Any ideas?:thumbup:

hi my name is china, i was wondering if anyone has a south beach diet book that they are no longer need. as my dr. requires you to do the south beach diet. and i dont want to buy one and im only gonna use it for a short time. if so please let me know :smile2: thank you

Hey everyone! First, I hope that all of you are all doing well! Now, down to business... I have been reading several books over the last week in regards to AGB surgies. Currently, I am reading Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Band by Robert W. Sewell and Linda Rohrbough. Now, they started talking about Hiatal Hernias, and frankly I don't think I can go another month until my surgery without knowing if I have one or not. In the book they talk about how if the hernia is oolarge, they may not be able to perform the surgery. I have put a call out to my doctor, but wanted to see if any of you have had that complication? I would just hate to get on the table, to only wak…

Hello to all, I finished my 6 month supervised diet last Friday and my paperwork was submitted on Tuesday to BCBS of MN. Yesterday I received a phone call from my doctor's office saying that I was approved! Yes I did it. Surgery is now scheduled for 8/21. I can't wait.

Hi. I'm a NICU nurse, getting banded 9/29. Doc said I could have surgery wed, and go btw mon. Just curious any other RNs, or other healthcare professionals, how long did you take off work? Already feel like crap, overwieght and tired, I'm excited about the surgery, but wondering if I should take a couple weeks or so off. Aren't you pretty weak, being on a liquid diet? Thanks for the help!

I just found out there is a seminar this Tuesday night and i am excited I want to find out EVERYTHING since I am starting all this! My hubby is going with me he's being very supportive about all this so I am happy! I think he just wants back the hot wife he married but I will take what i can get! haha For those of you that have been to the seminar was it helpful? My insurance doesn't require it but hey it's free

So, I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes about a year ago which I have just recently needed to treat with meds. I am taking Glucophage now. How many of you are completely off meds? Or have had them reduced? I have been really worried about my glucose levels recently and I am looking forward to changing that!

So I learned that my insurance company will not pay for lapband. Very disappointing but not all that surprising. Chances are that I will be waiting a long time before I can get this procedure now but there is a glimmer of light that I might have some people come forward to help me with this. They are asking me about Mexico. I have an aunt who went to Mexico for hers and she has done very well. Is there anyone else around here who has gone to Mexico for their surgery and if so can you give me some particulars? Things I need to find out is the name of the surgeons, locations, pricing, and your experience. I have been quoted $7,500 for surgery in Cancun. That included two …

Well, all my stuff was submitted to my insurance on June 23.....or was it?... I waited and waited and waited. My insurance is guarenteed (sp?) to respond within 21 days. At 31 days there was still no word sooooo, my surgeon's nurse phoned the insurance company and they claim to have no record of my info. My nurse resubmitted a week ago and then called to confirm. Now I wait again..................................:thumbup:

I am not being banded until 9/23 but have started to ease myself into the 2 week pre-op diet because I have always had a problem with low blood pressure. In fact, one time at the doctors the nurse kept switching bp cuffs because she could not get my pressure. Obviously I had one, I was sitting there talking to her! Anyway, sure enough, today is my 5th day on my pseudo-diet (not even the real thing yet) and out I went. The problem occurs primarily in the am. I have passed out before if I did not eat breakfast and had a late lunch. What should I do? I go see the nutritionist again on 9/16 and see my surgeon on 9/8. Should I just mention this to both. I actually hav…

i feel nautious...is this normal? like...borderline "time to throw up" and i haven't had anything in the last few hours. i had my 3 "meals" of liquid today. granted...they grossed me out, but i got them down. why am i sick now? :wink2: i drank Water because my head hurts and now i feel like getting rid of all of it. (throw it up). this is my 1st DAY lol. i just wanna cry. LOL. i feel so gross.:crying:

Not sure if this is right place to post...I read (or saw) somewhere that the band is about 20-25 years old. What is the longevity of the band? How long have you had the band and does it ever need to be replaced due to "wear and tear?" Any answers to this would be appreciated from fellow bandsters :smile2:

Hi what do you guys think about this. I am starting my new job in less than 2 weeks. I am going to be a self pay for my surgery so as soon as I get my first check I can start the process. My question is how bad would it be to ask be let go 45 min early for a doc appointment about 2 months after I start? It will be the one appointment that I need to get off early for...all the others I can go after work. I want to get the ball going as soon as my financing goes through but I'm worried about making a bad impression at work...Starting Jan 9 I will have thursday-saturday off but I want to start this process now so by then I can have my surgery on a thursday and hopefully b…

Ok tomorrow is the last day of my old life, and I will be starting a new one, my anxiety level is really up there. Did anyone out there feel the anxiety that passes after this surgery?? I know that this will be the best thing for me and my family, but I guess I am just nervous about the whole surgery thing. I would appreciate anyone's advise on how to work through this. Thanks, Andrea

My husband is the one that is getting the band done. I am the one that does all the asking and so forth. He is going this Saturday, Aug. 30 for his first psych visit. The dr said that it will take about 2 hours for his test then he will come back for an interview. What should we expect in regards to the test? Any help?:thumbup:

Hello all, I will be finishing up my last 6-month appointment tomorrow with my PMD. I have not lost ANY weight. I haven't really tried either :cursing: Each month on a MONDAY I say - okay...i'm going to watch what I eat today...and I do...on that MONDAY and then off I go on my own way eating whatever I want. I have gained 2 pounds in this six months. I attribute this to quitting smoking, although I only quit for a week. I am re-starting chantix MONDAY. I have met with my surgeon and have decided on Realize Band...but now am wondering if I shouldn't go with a gastric bypass because of my "diet history." I have used diet pills and have lost 25 to 30 pounds in t…

I got a call yesterday scheduling my first dietician appointment on 09/09/08. I got a call today to schedule my first consultation with the surgeon on 10/1/08. However, I also have to see a Pulmonary Doctor because I snore. They need to make sure I don't have sleep apnia, of course that doctor is booked until November :smile2: So, that is making my process longer. Has anyone else have to see a Pulmonary doctor? What happens.

Im so excited the time is almost here getting my band on mon the 25th 730am is my surgery time im so scared and yet so excited im doing my preop diet now been doing it since the 10th and am down 15 lbs i feel great but ......... I did happen to cheat alittle yesterday and today nothing big but im hopeing he will still be able to do it i had a few peanuts yesterday and a bit of chicken breast not even a whole 1 but 1 bite do you think i blew it omg i hope not i was just a little hungary any suggestions?

I live in california and I have blue shield ppo.. The doctor i am seeing has a fee for the first year of 3500.00 this is for meeting with office staff refills etc. what other costs will there be?

My second lap band surgery is tomorrow at 7AM! My doctor tried to place the band on 8/11 and couldn't because my liver was too fatty, but I've lost another 15.5 pounds since then and he is very pleased and sure there won't be a problem this time. I am a teeny bit nervous about it but I have done well on his diet and mostlly am just anxious and excited to get the band tomorrow Anyone else getting their band tomorrow?

Ok... so tomorrow is my surgery... 10am and i'm SOOOO excited, but at the same time having some fears... so i hadn't even heard of this until i got on this site, but i've seen several people that have had there surgery postponed due to a "fatty liver" and i'm totally scared that i'm going to go in tomorrow and thats going to be me. I've lost 11lbs on my preop and not gonna lie i cheated the 2nd day but have been super strict on it since. Does any one know how many people this actually happenes to, and are they people that just do not follow there diet hardly at all or could it happen to anyone? I continue to look on the bright side and hope and pray that this doesn't ha…

Tomorrow I will be 6 weeks post-op and went for my first fill this afternoon. Before seeing the surgeon I saw my nutritionist who said to ask the doctor to go conservative on the fill. When I told him what she said and why he said 'Ah, we are going for it' and placed 2 c.c. in my band. I was surprised that I didn't feel a thing. He placed a small pillow on the table so that when I layed back that it would elevated my stomach. He told me to cross my arms over my chest and then act like I was going to do a sit up and hold that position. He then poked my belly area to find my port (which was directly under my port incision) and did the fill. I didn't feel a needle poke, pinc…

Okay so all my stuff was submitted to the insurance exactly one week ago and i was told it would take 6 weeks to a month to get approved. So to my surprise i got a call today saying they got the approval and they have scheduled my surgery for Thursday!!!! I can't believe this has happened so fast it has taken less than a month from the first time i walked into the doctors office until now this is crazy. When i first went to the doctor they told me i would have to wait six months to do a presurgery diet so the insurance would approve it but i begged them to submit what i had and they did and it went through i am going crazy i was not ready for this. Any last minute tips …

I am not on the great white way to weightloss yet but am deeply considering the surgery. I have called my insurance who said they would cover 100 percent of the surgery. So my next step is a consultation and what scares me about this is will the doctor reject me. I have been a dancer all my life and in my prime i was dancing jazz tap ballet and many other things about 10 to 12 hours a week and still went from 280 to 325 in four months and never lost it ever in four years do you think theyll say im not right.

Had initial consult with nurse coordinator at surgeon's office. She stated she didn't think Aetna would approve me since bmi has only been 40 this yr and no serious comorbidities. Last couple yrs bmi has been between 38-39. My cholesterol is borderline high and I have knee tendonitis weight is a contributing factor. Nurse didn't want me to waste any out of pocket money in case Aetna disapproves. So should I not try getting lapband approval or ignore her advice

I'm always hot! Especially at night I'm constantly waking up to turn my pillow or move positions because I put off SO much heat! Will this go away when I get my band and lose some weight?

Okay so I have been searching through this site for weeks and decided to go ahead and make an appt. Well, I went today for my appointment and it was SO exciting!!! I called my insurance company before going and they said they would cover my surgery as long as I had a BMI of 40 or more and that my dr sent in a predetermination letter! So my doctor did all that today! My only concern is now is that I am SO excited about all this...what if I do not get approved?!?! I know many of yall have faced this and have been denied! My insurance in Blue Cross Blue Shield Empire! If I am denied, I will definetly fight for it! I just wanted to VENT!!! It is just so scary to t…

Hi everyone, I have a problem that is making me miserable and I would love to hear from anyone who is going through what I am or has experienced it! Here's the scoop: I am one week away from my initial consultation, my psych evaluation is complete, insurance is approved, primary doctor has given it a "thumbs up", and I am gaining weight like a crazy lady! Did this happen to any of you??? I don't know if its nerves or what, but I keep gaining more weight. I feel completely out of control and I can't wait to get the band to stop the insanity! Please tell me this is somewhat normal. I am not trying to do the "I won't ever be able to eat this again, so I will shove it …

Just a question...I am scheduled for surgery tomorrow afternoon at 2:45. I have to drink a bottle of magnesium citrate sometime today. I was wondering if it would be too late to drink it about 8 or 9 pm tonight? :confused2: I am a night owl and will probably be up until 12 or 1 so I am not really worried about it keeping me up all night but it might. I doubt I will actually sleep much tonight anyway... Any of you all that have already had to drink this, I would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks in advance

hey guys for those of you who have or haven't done this yet...what do you or have you or will you add to your shakes to give them better flavor? if you have preferences. :eek: i picked up 2 weeks worth today and the woman said that some ppl add .. uhh? mint? lol. and something else to the vanilla. any tips would be awesome, i start on monday. eeeeeek. :cool2:

I went to the seminar August 13th, mailed in my application on the 14th. I called on Thursday the 21st and was told that the Surgeon's Office Assistant was on vacation and would be back on 25th and I should hear from the surgeon's office this week. So, I called again today, because I am a pain, and left a message and about 3 hours later.... The dietician called me to make an appointment! WoOOOHoooo. I have already seen my PCP and she approved all the services and my Insurance...what a joke, all they want is my PCP to say that I need it and an approval letter of medical necessity by the surgeon!:cursing: Let's just hope it is a easy as it seems!:huh2:

Hello all... any tips for the soon to be newbie??

ok, so today is the day!!! its 12:33am and of course... i cant sleep. i am so very nervous. im being optomistic about it all- its just nerve raking... ya know?!? anyways... exactly 12 hours from now is my surgery time!!! everybody pray for me and i will chat when i return. im gonna try to go to bed now... haha yeah right!!!

I've read some of the threads about loosing weight before surgery "getting rid of the fat on the liver'??? does anyone know if you qualify for the lap band if you have Hep C? i know they require blood tests - how about biopsy's? i haven't seen anything about quitting smoking either? i have come up with some other questions... 1. what is this "programs that insurance doesn't cover? gym membershiip and such? 2. why do you have to loose 10% of your body weight before surgery? at my weight that would be 35 or more pounds. 3. Pre Op liquid Diet? is this something the doc prescribes? what does it consist of? or do you just blend everything in a blender? 4. have any o…

I am on my 2nd day of the Optifast diet. I can have 4 Optifast drinks, 2 bars and sugar free Jello and thats it! I am already sick of Jello, help! I wish I could have something as simple as a salad, or lean cuisine or something low fat- anything but Jello LOL! I know its going to be worth it in the end. I get banded on August 20th and I am so excited to start this new beginning. I am really missing my food, and just thinking of not going out to dinner this weekend has killed me. I actually think I am slightly depressed by this. Yesterday was hard, today was a bit easier. I am hoping it will only get better over the next 1o days!!!! Please tell me this gets easier and food…

I am going to my 3rd month dr. visit this week and I can't seem to stick with the low fat diet I promised my dr. I would do. So far I have not lost any weight. Is this going to hurt my chances of getting approved or do they only look at the fact that I have gone 6 times in a row? I am always a late bloomer and I can probably lose some weight the last month if I really tried. This is a bad outlook, but right now I cannot seem to stick with it.:crying: Thanks. Dana

My cousin and I found out that the closest hospital and surgeon for the lapband is about 20 min from our house! So we went to the seminar and support group, we are waiting to hear back from the surgeon's office. I saw my doctor and got my referrals. However, when my cousin went to see her doctor to get referrals he told her he refuses to give her a referral to Southern Maine Medical Center of Excellence because he has had patients with complications from that hospital after having that surgery. He told her that he will only give her a referral to Tufts Hospital in Boston! That is 2 hours away! Granted the surgeons there may be more experienced and they may also have bette…

i've done oodles and oodles of research on this whole LB thing, and i've gotten every single answer i could possibly get - except for the out-of-pocket cost of this whole procedure if you're not filing an insurance claim. my insurance won't cover it, and i've accepted that. my husband is willing to help me get the band anyways - bless him! but i have no idea how much this is going to cost me??? does anyone in the same boat as i am have any feedback? i just want to know what the procedure costs on average, not including the fills. i already know those are between $50-$200 without insurance. thanks a bunch :wink2:

My doctor did not put me on a pre-op diet. My only orders were that I had to quit birth control and start taking a B-complex vitamin. I have pre-op on Thursday at the hospital and I'm wondering if it may be a problem if I've gained 5-8lbs since my first consultation on 7/16. Anyone know???:smile2:

Ok I have not been banded yet but I am planning on being banded in Decemeber or Jan. I have to wait because I am starting a new job in a few weeks and I won't be able to get financing till have a few pay check stubbs to prove my income and I also have to go through about 6 weeks of testing before they will band me, and I also cannot miss any work for the first 90 days so I have to work appointments in my schedule. My question is would it hurt to try and lose a bit of weight before the actually the surgery not including the pre-op liquid diet? I currently weigh 247.8, which is the highest I have ever weighed!! I have been bouncing around from 223-246 for the past 3 years…

OK SO TODAY I WAS SO SUPPOSE TO HAVE MY BAND PLACED SURGERY WAS SUPPOSE TO BE AT 730 GO TO THE HOSPITAL GOT WEIGHED FOUND OUT I HAD LOST 15 LBS SINCE STARTING MY PREOP DIET ON THE 10 HAD BLOOD WORK DONE GOT MY IV GOWN AND ALL PREPED FOR SURGERY AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDENT DO MY SURGERY TODAY BECAUSE MY POTTASUMM WAS WAY TO LOW FROM DOING MY PREOP DIET AND TAKING MY HZT AND DOING MY BOWEL PREP NOW I HAVE TO WAIT INTIL WED...... IM GLAD THEY CAUGHT IT BEFORE I WENT INTO SURGERY BUT IM STILL VERY DEPRESSED I SHOULD ALREADY HAVE MY BAND AND BE RECUPERATING IN MY ROOM RIGHT NOW MY DOC TOLD ME TO STAY ON MY LIQUID DIET BUT IM JUST SO UPSET I HAVE ATE A FEW CHEETOS AND A PEI…

Ok well I finally got someone at my insurance that actually knows what they are talking about and got some answers! There is no way we could self pay and didn't want to get my hopes up at all if they weren't gonna cover anything! They will cover 100% (except the $25 office visit copays) but the first thing I have to do it get medical documentation that I need the surgery either 100 lbs. overweight (which I am) or be more than half your body weigh (I am close but not quite) and if I have some other problem medicaly caused by the obesity (I have hypertension from my last pregancy that hasn't gone away so I HOPE that will work) I am actualy getting semi excited! I know I s…

I don't know if it's something lacking with the doctors, nutrutionists, the pre-op meetings...they don't seem to be sharing enough appropriate information....BEFORE surgery. Something is missing for sooo many woman. They are not getting all the information they need to be sucessful. They are not told that a band is a tool, not a miracle cure. This does not mean, eat whatever you want, whenever you want, after surgery & the band will magically stop you. It means, you must follow your outcare instructions to the T. You absolutely do not want to risk stretching your pouch or causing it to slip, due to the mentally that: if I can eat it, it is fine. It isn't fine…

I've been to the education seminar. My hubby is taking me tomorrow. I'm not sure what happens and what even to ask. Any pearls from any of you would be helpful. My insurance will not pay....so guess it will be my dime.....well many of them actually. Once you have the surgery is it easy to not eat? "What is so different that you can stop yourself from pigging out? Is it a conscious thing that you are really aware of what you eat or are not supposed to eat? I'm such a foodie. Our whole social life revoles around entertaining and wine and cooking. How do you do it? CJ

Since I signed up for the surgery the beginning of August for September 18th, I have been having the last supper...I can't tell you how much I'm waiting for this surgery...I've put on 6 lbs and I havent' started the pre-op yet. Let's get some feedback...how long did your last supper last...what did you eat for your last supper....and the ultimate, how much weight did you put on because of it. And let's be fair..."The Last Supper" is up until pre-op diet.

In my book I got from my Dr. they say "avoid chewing gum" Why is that? Are they afraid you are going to swallow it? I like chewing gum LOL

I just found out that my surgeon has only done 22 gastric bandings because insurance has only recently started to pay for them. Should I be concerned? His training has been solely in laproscopic surgeries and they have not had to remove any bands or had any problems with banded patients so far.

Hey everyone! I decided that I want to have lap band surgery and am in the process of finding a surgeon. I live in WV and am thinking about Dr.Eric Pinnar in VA, has anyone had him? What pre-op procedures were needed?

I have to start my 10 day clear liquid diet on aug 30th..I need pointers!! Im goin to have jello cyrstal light chicken beef and veggie broth but does any1 recommend slim fast for protein?? I dont know what else to have for protein!! Please help me