Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story

Hi I am from Houston and I need to find a PCP who supports weight loss surgery. My doctor now is in Pasadena and he is completely against surgery for weight loss. My husband is against it too, so I really need someone to see professionally who is supportive and thinks it is a good idea. I know my husband will come around, but I don't need the doctor reinforcing his idea that surgery is a bad idea. I live on the East side of Houston. Channelview, Pasadena, Baytown, or Houston area suggestions for a PCP will be greatly appreciated. Please help

I was banded Oct. 8th and it was done by Dr. Scott Pennington:rolleyes2: the surgery went well and I was home that night. a little discomfort but not much. I was to have the gastric bypass first but in the end opted for the band. SO much happier with the band.:girl_hug: I have lost a total of 38 LBs in 3 months. I really was glad to find the forum. I has really answered loads of questions and echoed many thoughts. So thank you, keep encouraging. Mommie of two

I had my last appt. of my supervised diet today. Yeah for that!! However, I was told that the nutritionist did not fax over a report from my visits with her, nor did they have the fax from the sleep study lab of my second visit with them. Therefore, they could not submit to insurance until they received those. I called the nutritionist and the sleep study lab as soon as I left to fax those missing items over. They both said they had already done so, but would do again. Therefore, I left without even knowing exactly when they are submitting. I told them I will call in a day or so to make sure they have submitted so I can keep track of when Aetna receives it s…

Hi I am Shannon from San Diego, CA. I am just beginning my journey here in the banded world. I have done some initial investigating and have my first PCP appt on Tues to talk about this option and all my medical problems that have come about because of my weight. I had my second child in May of 06 and topped the scales at 300lbs when I delivered. Due to breastfeeding, I went down to about 240. I ahven been b/fing for about 10 mos now and am back up near 300. My BMI is about 41-43, I have HBP, a foot problem, back problems, bd knees, bulging leg veins, and the list goes on. I have Pacificare HMO. I am looking forward to learning about how to better my life and l…

I have recently completed all preop requirements and now waiting second visit to MD. My surgeon of choice is Dr James Harris who is relatively new to the lap band procedure. I'm wondering if there are any of his patients or people who were banded in Wilmington, NC on this site.:girl_hug: I have plenty of questions, and now searching for clues...

Hello everyone. My name is Jennifer and I am a complete and total newbie at this. I've just now started thinking about Lap Band and it all seems kinda daunting. I don't even know where to begin, so any advice would be appreciated. Here is a little info about myself: Height: 5' 5" Weight: ~290 lbs BMI: ~47.4 Insurance: Aetna Choice POS II (Open Access) From what I have read so far it sounds like Aetna is going to be a pain in the butt. ~Jennifer

i was banded last tuesday (1/15). the recovery is going pretty well, although it's pretty uncomfortable to bend over. the post-op liquid diet is a bit better than the pre-op version! i'd like to learn more about 'bandster hell'. did you have it? how did you deal with it? toni o

hi, i've come to the end of my rope, i'll be 50 next february and have been fat since i would say the 2nd grade. for the last 10-15 years as i've gotten older, several health concerns have arisen. as doctor's been telling us for years. i've been hospitalized at least 3 times for congestive heart failure and the last time 3 years ago, after a weight gain of over 100 pounds, they found out i had severe sleep apnea. while in the hospital, lasiks was intravenous given to me and with a low salt, low calorie diet, i was able to lose over 100 pounds. back to the sleep apnea, the hospitals tried the c-pap machine, but i wasn't able to withstand the air forces, so for my bene…

I am so excited. Aetna approved me on 12/21/07 and my Doctor gave me a surgery date today. It is 2/6/08. I am to start my two week pre-op liquid diet soon and cannot wait to get started. I am so ready for this. A little worried about the Gas pains but will wait to see what happens. Is there anything I can do to try to prevent the Gas pains before the surgery?

Hello, Two more sleeps and I officially become a 'Bander'. I'm on the downhill slope of my all liquid diet since 1/13. I will be having surgery Tuesday, Dr. Marc Erikson is performing my procedure. Glad to be here! I'm mostly lurking and reading. My last weigh in was 12/27 and I was 354.6. Here's to a new me!

Hi everyone. I am new here and I have not been banded yet. I joined as part of my research into making the final decision. I trust that the information I will get here will be very good knowledge. I hope along the way I am able to make a few friends as well. I am married, 3 grown sons and 2 grandsons. I would very much like to be around when my grandsons graduate high school around the year 2020. I would be over 65 then. My family has a short life span (into our mid to late 70's) so I am very determined to keep healthy for this reason. Right now I am anything but. This is the main reason I am considering this surgery. Chell

Hello Everyone. My name is Barbara and after much reseach and soul searching I have decided to have lap band surgery. My insurance does not pay for weight loss surgery so I am taking a loan out on my 401K. I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember and after making this decision and getting the loan approved, I can breathe a sigh of relief. It's like I see a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. No one who is not overweight or has never been overweightcould ever relate. I hope to have surgery on Feb 20th. There are many appointments still needed. But now it doesen't really matter how long it takes to complete the appointments. I look forward to sharin…

I have United and just had paperwork submitted a few days ago and was wondering how long it took others to get approval. I am so excited and nervous at the same time and find myself being a little impatient Still waiting on insurance approval 250 lbs

Hello ALL, I have been researching this for a while. I hope to get all things in order next month. From the looks of it everyone one seems to be happy with their decision, I hope to be on the losing side as well. Thanks!

Well, This is day 5 since I had surgery... and I feel great! Alittle sore, but 7 lbs lighter already. I have been home enjoying some quiet time and getting to know the new diet one on one, before going back to work next week. So, this is the start to a new me in the new year. Im ready to begin enjoying it all again!:biggrin:

Well I just finished my online application for the lap band a few minutes ago. Now the waiting begins. I am very excited and I hope that I can have the procedure. The lady said my insurance company is good and I had already checked and they pay 100% after $100 deductable is met. I have been researching and know this is what I need and want. She told me that I will need a phych evaluation, nutrictional evaluation and something else but I forgot. Well wish me luck...... Bobbye:rolleyes2:

Hello everyone, I saw my pcp yesterday and he is going to refer me for bariatric surgery! I am so happy and so ready for my journey. Let's hope all the other pieces fall into place. I'll keep you posted. Chaos:thumbup:

Hi all, My name is Joyce and I'm from Kentucky. I 've been working on getting the Lap Band done for over a year and I think I will finally get approved maybe next week. Wish me luck.I'm so glad I have found this site. Joyce

:biggrin:Just got my insurance approval! Next appt 2-5-08. Then will be scheduled! So excited!!!!

Hi to all lapband newbies and my lap band buddies. I just had surgery on Thursday January 18th. I went to the Barix Clinic in Langhorne, PA. My surgeon was Dr. Brian Boe and he did a great job. My first night was a little tough as I am not good with painkillers like vicodin or morphine and the nausea I got from them was almost worse than the surgery. I spent most of the first day fighting off the nausea and trying not to get sick but after the medication wore off, it was more bearable. I have to be honest. I guess everyone has their pain thresh holds but this is more uncomfortable than I thought. I am used to pain and have a high pain tolerance (i.e. has 10 lb 7 oz…

Hello! I am a "newly banded" woman. My surgery was done in Covington, Louisiana by Dr. James Redmond, on January 2, 2008. After losing weight for 20 years :wink: , I finally decided to do something about it! I am both excited and nervous. I've done very well, returning to work on January 7th. I'm glad that I found this forum, so I'll have friends to help me through this.

Hello. I found this looking for risks on the lapband surgery in google, came up with this site lol. I am glad I found it as I hear all the great testimonies. I been overweight all my life, well not when I was born, but you get the picture I have no insurance whatsoever, have to save my own money. Have over 6000 saved and hope to be able to have 4000 more by the end of the year, assuming Christmas will go easy on me I thought about going to Mexico to get mine done, would mean I have almost as much as needed, but. I worry about finding someone who will do follow up with me, and if something goes wrong with it, no one will want to touch me unless I am dying or …

Hi! I'm scheduled to see my primary physician on Friday to get this party started. Since I have no other comorbidities as I understand them, I've been actively trying to gain the last 10 lbs to achieve the 40.0 BMI insurance requires. (Not so tough with the holidays, I assure you!) Is that twisted or what???

I am getting banded in Detroit MI on Jan 29 and am really getting excited. One thing that bothered me is that someone told me they take the band out in a year. Is this true, I hope not. Thanks I will be visiting here a lot

I just got banded last week! My surgery date was 1/10/08. So far, I feel icky and really want to eat something-I am on a 3 week post op liquid diet. I am surviving though. I do feel better each day-just not the 100% I'd hoped I'd be at by now. I won't weigh until next Fri. but I know I've lost already-I can feel it and others have commented. I just started having cramps in my calves-suggestions? I take a high quality liquid multi twice a day, Calcium, b complex, Vitamin c-what else can I do? I drink lots of Water and broth. I was banded by Dr. Scott Steinberg who I love! I followed the first and second part of the Fast Track Detox Diet before surgery and Dr. Steinbe…

I just wanted to know others experience (if any) with Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Basic?????

Hi, After years of trying every diet under the sun as I'm sure all of us have at one time or another I've decided to finally have the lapband surgery. I'm just starting as luck would have it I decided Wednesday they had a class overview at Kaiser you have to attend on Friday. I signed up for their 14 week go every thing class which starts this saturday. Get my weigh in and I have to lose 10% of that. They said it usually takes 6-12 months to go through everything and it really depends just how focused you are on it. And I'm focused! A little about me I live in northern california with my husband and two dogs, I'm 31 and have about 120lbs to lose. ~J

I know this is a dumb question but how do you join a group on this web site? I got banded one week ago and I wanted to join the new years knockouts and I can not figure it out:( Is it just me??

Just curious, based on your own experience, from the time you got your consults completed and paperwork sent in...how long did it take to hear back from your insurance company? I saw that someone was approved in 2 days but I understand that is definitely not the norm.

Hello Everyone My name is Mia and I am in London, England. I haven't had a good look around yet, but the majority of people seem to be American - so I look to my American cousins for support! This is a really good site, as I have had answers to so many questions already! I am 31 years old, and got banded in September 07 and the first fill (don't know how much!) was in November. I was 233lbs to start, 209lbs now and hope to be 130 as soon as possible. I took the decision to get banded for my health (possible PCOS and diabetes) and in order to try for a family. How did I get fat? I was always a chubby child, but I lost a lot of weight in my 20s and was almost slim …

Hi Everyone, I am new to this site. Had my band surgery 2-13-06 by Dr. Kelly Francis in Fountain Valley, CA., and am now down 103 pounds. It has been a fairly easy journey until this Christmas when I fell off the wagon. ( All those Christmas cookies)! I am now back at it and want to lose another 50 pounds. Good Luck to all Barbara

I am freakin' out. They took forever to submit it to insurance and in 2 days I got approved! WOW! (I am just excited, not bragging) I have an appointment on Tuesday to meet with the Dr. and my wonderful husband thinks I will be getting surgery the first part of FEB! OMG What do I do next?

I am trying to get banded in Jan 2008, but doctors are not helping by following thru. I live in eastern Nebraska, and feel strange about letting people know that i am getting it done. i have only told a few close friends. Any support would be great. Kristin PS how do you get that ticker factory thingy on here?

Hi everyone, I am hoping to be banded by Dr Baxter on the Sunshine Coast and was wondering if anyone has had any experiences with him? Has anyone been a low BMI patient? Also, since i dont live on the sunny coast i will have to fly there for surgery. I have read that you wont get your first fill for around 4 - 6 weeks after op. I wont be able to stay on holidays that long (oh god i wish i could) so is there any chance that the first fill could be done areound 1 week after? Sorry for the million questions guys, i have so many! hmmmmm.... i have forgotten the rest. I will just have to bombard you guys later. Thanks m:)

I am new to this site and just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Penny. I had my Lap-Band surgery 11/28. My pre-surgical weight was 240lbs. I am 5'6". I lost 15lbs prior to my first fill which was yesterday. Everything is going perfectly at this point. I am satisfied with the variety of foods I can have. I am very motivated to maximize this opportunity and use this tool (lap band) to make the most of my efforts. I do toning exercises in the morning and cardio over my lunch hour. I have two children ages 1yr and 7yrs. I am a single mother working full time so it is not easy to make the time but I do it because I know I need to. My physician is Dr. Mich…

Curious about when everyone weighs themselves on the scale. Do you weigh in 1st thing in the morning or at night? And on a personal note do you weigh while dressed? I know when I have dieted in the past I would alway weigh naked because I didn't want to see the extra lbs associated with clothes and shoes.

:confused:Scheduled to have surgery in 1 week. Any suggestions?

Hello, I am new to this website. I haven't had the surgery done yet but I am very interested. I have started the process by having a consultation with the surgery center. I think I have chosen a surgeon, Dr. George Lynch with Baptist Hospital in Nashville, TN. If anyone has had experiences with him please let me know. I think I am going to hold off one more month before I start getting the approval from the insurance. I have recently sold my home and am in the process of moving. I don't want to add doctor appointments in the busy schedule mix right now. I am currently 280 lbs with a goal weight of 145. I need to lose 135lbs. I really hope that this will help…

Hello all!!!! I'm a first time LBT user but I had my surgery 11/20/06. I started out at 425.5 lbs and am currently down to 260.6 as of this morning !!! :biggrin2: I've lost 164.9 lbs and still have some to go. My surgery was performed by Dr. Wanda Kaniewski in Lenexa, KS and was flawless. I'm not the best bandster and don't make the best choices all the time but I work hard at the gym and have made major lifestyle changes. Anyway..just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. Have a great day!!!

Well I looked up my plan (while I am still waiting to hear officially from my HR dept at work on if my Lap Band Surgery would be covered or not) but this is a VERY small protion of what I found? What do you think?? Medically necessary or medical necessity means the extent of services required to diagnose or treat a bodily injury or sickness which is known to be safe and effective by the majority of qualified practitioners who are licensed to diagnose or treat that bodily injury or sickness. Such services must be: 1. Performed in the least costly setting required by your condition; 2. Not provided primarily for the convenience of the patient or the qualified practit…

Hey everyone... I'm new... I am counting the days until my surgery on Jan 29th. I'm out here in Lansing, but I'm going to a surgeon named Tomita in Owosso. So far, so good. I picked my surgeon out because of his good rep in the area. I'm on my liquid diet now, and hating it. My mouth tastes like broth weather I'm drinking it or now. Anyone have anything to cut the taste? My nurse said it's normal... I'm trying to chew gum to kill it. Oh well, it's worth it. I would love some tips on good protein powders and sugar free stuff, for afterwards. Can't wait for my surgery... it's been a long road to get it approved. Nice to meet you all! Michelle in Michigan

I only have 10 days to go before I get my band. I am getting real excited and can't wait to get it done. one of the quotes I read in the forum was "I eat to live not live to eat" I don't remember who posted it but I agree with it

Hi all, This is my 4th day out from surgery and have been looking for weeks for a support forum. I'm so glad to have found you. I'm a 44, wife of 20 years this july, and mother or two teenagers aged 17 and 15. I've been a memeber of Weight Watchers of 2 years and didn't lose or gain anything. I finally decided to have the lap band surgery and now here I am. During my clearance I had to take a food allergy test and it was confirmed that I am very allergic to cow milk and chicken eggs. The hardest obstical I have found is that western society is milk based. So now i am learning to to eat soy. Fran Telese

Hi everyone! Sarah here, I am from North Carolina in the Charlotte area and am just getting started on this journey. I have spoken with the surgeon that I have chosen and am going to my seminar on 1/28 - I am also waiting for my patient information packet in the mail right now (waiting rather impatiently though). I am in the process of trying to quit smoking right now - I had 3 days with no cigarette until yesterday when I experienced a set-back, but I am back on track now and counting. I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself... thank you all for sharing your stories here, they have been VERY inspirational!!! Look forward to reading more...

Hello Im new and I decided to get the lap bad asap. I will be paying 100% so I decided to go to monterrey Mexico. I will probably going to get a loan, but I'm scared because I dont know anybody that has get a loan with "X" company. Any experience? Thank you And also, I would like to know about Dr. Zapata, Dr. Eduardo Lozano, Dr. Rodriguez, and Dr. De la Garza (all from Monterrey)

Hi Everybody, I'm Anngie ,I live in Alberta and I am 35 yrs old. I've been lurking around forums for a few months now and finally decide to jump in and say hello. The info here is great and so is the support you give each other. Been fighting with my weight since my early 20's. I was diagnosed with PCOS with insulin resistance last spring. My Dr said at this point WLS was probably my last option. Really happy to learn about the Lap Band, gastric bypas was to scary for me. Not banded yet still reserching DR. any good references for doc's in Mexico?? I look forward to chating with you all and learning from you experiences.

Since I have been lurking here for about a month, I have finally decided to come out of the closet! I am so inspired by all of the stories of success and especially by the support that you give each other to overcome any stumbling blocks. I will consider myself very lucky if I become a member of this forum. After reading and researching for months, Lap Band surgery is definately something that I want to do; but I have to first win the battle with my employer and United Health Care. I work for a huge company (largest telecom company in the United States) and my benefits center tells me that UHC does not cover weight loss surgery. But UHC tells me that they just admini…

Hi all! My name's Bradley (a girl...hehehe...everyone confuses that!) I just attended the seminar with Dr. Minkin in St. Louis Missouri and am scheduled for my pre op consultation on Feburary 4th. I'm really excited about the possiblity but I know I have a long road ahead of me, with insurance issues. I just had a couple of quick questions for you lapbanders. My biggest question, is how long do you stay full after eating? My problem has always been, being hungry! I can eat healthy, workout, do everything that I'm supposed to do, but I'm always HUNGRY! so that inevitably undoes all my hardwork in the gym. I loose weight but gain it all back because I can't every have th…

I know this might be a stupid question, but I just got my band done 6 days ago Jan.11 08 and I keep reading things that people are talking about having PB's. Can anyone explain what that means and how to control that problem?

Well, very excited had surgery on Tues. Jan. 15th. Today is second day. Feeling okay, not great! My stomach is grumbling something terrible. Wondered if any one else might have experienced this. I am drinking enough fluids, I feel like. Nothing taste good at all yet. I hope I feel a little better tomorrow. The pain is not bad from the incisions, just the tummy rumbling.:tt1: