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So I've had my lapband surgery on Jan 26th. On the 13th I went in and got my first fill of 3cc. I started out at 292 and 285 pre surgery. Total as of yesterday I lost 22lbs since I started this whole process. Everyone that has been posting and commenting really inspire and motivate me. It's like having my own little pep squad. I know there are people that are farther along in this journey and I can't wait to be where they are. I'm only 26 and I have my whole life ahead of me and so much to look forward to. Thank you everyone for the inspiring words and stories.

oh sweetie.... im so sorry. Really wish i could help. You know i would. But you made a good point.... why will it take a week when they should have all that together already? That looks like a RED flag to me on your doctors office part.

How is everyone! I love my new life and body!

If you suffer from acid reflux and you are willing to go with the gastric sleeve plication, you may be able to have your surgery covered by insurance. The sleeve plication is a procedure based on the Nissen fundoplication which is used to treat acid reflux. My sister was unsure of having the band but was interested in plication as a stand alone WLS procedure. While plication on it's own isn't usually covered by insurance, the Nissen fundoplication is covered so her doctor will give her both at the same time and it will be covered by her insurance. While plication as a WLS is relatively new it does show some promise, especially since one of the side effects of the fundoplication was weight loss. Plication is also being preformed with lap bands so far the majority of us that have had the band with plication done are happy with the results. If you do decide to consider the plication be aware that not all doctors will bill it as a treatment for acid reflux, the doctor that my sister is using is in Miami so you may need to travel. One important benefit is if you do go this way, you won't have to jump through the usual insurance hoops and can pretty much have the surgery right away. Another option you may have is to see if you have a hernia, if you do you could have the surgery to repair the hernia and then self pay to have the band put in which could save you thousands over paying for the band surgery on its own

For me, it was the severity of the procedures. I was hesitant enough about WLS, but removing part of my organs was just too much for me. Also, since I'm self-pay, I was FREAKED out complications because my insurance would not cover any complications. Lapband was far less risky, IMHO, and therefore, less of a risk financially. I've been infertile for four years and would like to get pregnant one day, and the fact that you can remove all the liquid from the band and have a normal size stomach again appealed to me in terms of nutritionally providing for a child if I was pregnant. It's different strokes for different folks. I think Gastric Bypass is a fine procedure and is a better fit for some people. I think Lapband was the right fit for me. The best advice I can give is research, research, research! Good luck!

I'm sorry this has happened to you. I have BCBS, too, and struggled trying to understand my benefits. I my started this process in July 2009 and was denied the first time in December 2009 because my "documentation of physician supervised weight loss efforts did not demonstrate that attempt was made over a sufficient period of time." My policy required documentation for two years. My medical records showed far more than a two year history of weight loss efforts, so I called my insurance company to get clarification concerning exactly what I needed to do to be approved; it was difficult to get a clear answer. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very nice, but I could tell she became annoyed by all of my questions. I finally asked to speak with her supervisor because the answers I had received were vague at best. I almost gave up. However, in February 2010, I started regular visits at my doctor's office. During each visit, we specifically discussed in detail my weight loss efforts. The two year time period actually passed by more quickly than I thought it would. My final visit was on February 13, 2012. The insurance company received my paperwork on February 15; I was approved on February 17 and received my approval letter on February 21. Interestingly, when I first started the process in 2009, a 35 BMI with a co-morbidity was required, but the medical policy was revised in September 2011 and required a 30 BMI with a co-morbidity. Be persistent and hopefully, you will receive your approval soon.

I was banded on the 15th of February and am down 10lbs since surgery. I have my first follow up and fill on march 22nd so have a ways to go still. Starting to feel better each day

Well...this is definitely NOT the first time I have heard that! Let's see, since I have scheduled my lap band surgery I have had folks exclaim, "but you are NOT THAT big?!"...or "jeeze, just go on a diet"...or "but YOU don't need it!" (this last one typically comes from folks that are bigger than me). *sigh*...deep breath...OK, it took me a minute to think about whether or NOT I should even reply. I mean, come on! I am ashamed that I am unable to diet and KEEP the weight off. I feel like a total failure. Sure, I can diet and I will lose some weight, but then my willpower cracks, I get hungry...and the rest is a history of up and down. If my weight is down, I feel great about myself...but if my weight is up...forget it, I am miserable - God forbid I run into someone I haven't seen in awhile, I just feel like a pile of failure. Trust me I have tried EVERYTHING! (here is a quick sampling) * I am a lifetime member of Jenny Craig (bought my membership when I was 21, I just turned 38 yesterday) * Starvation * Sensa (that stuff is disgusting, makes me extremely jittery) * 7-day miracle diet (not what it sounds like, it is a diet where you eat every 2 hours, very low calorie, and quite balanced, however, like I said, VERY low calorie) * Atkins diet * Stopped eating dinner (for years...because doctor recommended this in order to lose weight) * Diet pills (worked great, until you stop taking them...but I was basically high all the time) * Lots of exercise (I was teaching aerobics twice a day...lost weight, but I wasn't able to spend the time I needed to spend with my daughter, she was 3 at the time) * Cabbage Soup diet * Diabetic Diet * Weight Watchers * Ali (gross) * Relicore So I have made the decision to get the lap band. I am only about 40 lbs away from my goal weight. But I am tired of never reaching my goal. I am tired of never having enough willpower to succeed. I decided on the lap band because of the way it acts like a tool to help you achieve your weight loss goal and most of all maintain it! Yes, I can make the decision to eat only 800 or so calories a day without a lap band...but I already know the outcome if I were to take this on without the lap band. I am choosing to be proactive. I am choosing prevention over reaction. Why would I want to put this off until I am diabetic, or have high cholesterol? Why would I wait until I destroy my knees? I don't think I SHOULD have to wait. I don't think that SOME people are more "deserving" of the lap band than others. It is a personal decision. I think it is quite thoughtless and flippant to say to someone in my position that since I only want to lose 40 or so LBS that I should just go on a diet. Trust me when I say, I WISH, I really, really WISH it were that easy!

Ah yes...he IS a crackhead. That OTHER crackhead in the practice...Dr C also gave me a ration of sh*t for a 6 lb loss in a month. This was back in January when I had to get an unfill. He harassed me about the unfill AND he harassed me about not losing enough. I lost really fast right after being banded and after losing the first 70 lbs the loss slowed considerably. I still thought that 6 lbs in a month was great but Dr C thought it wasn't right. And yeah...I had *quite* an altercation with their so called "nutritionist" over the 800 calories a day thing. They can BITE ME!!! I said to that tiny chick "don't you think it's a lot to expect a 300 pound woman to eat 800 calories?" And she just looked at me like *I* was the idiot......