camille01

I really want to thank everyone for the encouragement and the hope that I can really go through this and I dont have to do it alone,now that I have really explained everything to my spouse he was kinda ok with it and he told me what ever I deside to do he will be here to walk beside me which ever way I go,that makes things so much easer to deal with and also having Friends like YOU all helps a bunch.....really it does,........Thanks camille01

Has any one had GHI and BCBS? I havn't went to any appt.yet but I have went to a siminar and got a lot of info and I called the dr. office and she had me to start a 6 month diet ,I am on my 2nd month with my supervised diet by the time I go to my office visit on the 10th of Janurary it will be my 3rd month and I also have my referal...the nurse made sure that I was ahead of myself in getting my stuff ready...

Hello My friend( 2minicano017)-I hope everything went ok with your surgery,I wish I could say if you need me I'll be there but of course I live in the Bronx I've been here for 7 yrs and still dont know my way around..silly ha...But I can mail whatever to you,Just holla let me know..so I know excitement has set in and the gym is running through your head,so when you are well enough what are you gonna do first,I guess it doesnt matter as long as you don't over due it..hey like I said before you take care of your self so you can be an inspiration to me ....ok..hey holla back let me know that you are ok...by the way keep the post comming because we love to hear from you..Netta

Laura71-When A drug user goes to rehab they have a fight on there hands to get off drugs,they get out and slide back into there old habits and reuse again,what you need to do is change your old habits so you don't slide back into it again,go a different route when you leave the house instead of driving by taco bell,and when you find yourself slipping back into old habits do something different,(when I tryed to quite smoking I bought a 2000 pc puzzle and that help me occupy my mind,)what I'm saying is find another friend to hang out with instead of Taco Bell and the other old friends that you had like Mcdonalds,don't forget they do sale salads and

Hello,I was reading your Blog and Notice a lot of different drinks on your page,you can look on line at GNC.com I know that GNC has a lot of the Protein Drinks on sale and you can get there rewards card for $10.00 and save 20-25% on your purchases the first week of the month,there you can pick and choose what you like to drink for your pre op-and post op. therereally good,they also have chewable vit and chewable Calcium on sale this time of the yr.

Hi Fay,you were saying that you were waiting for your insurance approval and had to do a 3 month diet progran that they require.What Insurance do you have that only requires 3 month weight mgt program? I have Ghi and Im not forsure what they require but I'm waiting on my 1st appt.let me know Please?

2minicano017 thanks for sharing,I have been waiting on my first visit at the doctors visit and boy oh boy you have to have a lot of paitents tha wait is terrable but the after results are going to pay for themself,,My moto is ---if its worth having its worth waiting for,(it's like rehab,once you make that first step you can't turn back you have to keep moving forward and every once in a while you slip off the wagon but you get up and dust your self off and get right back on...Like I said before thanks for sharing and keep up the good work,if you need a word of encouragement please email me because I know I'll need one too.....my email is on my page..Marnetta(aka-camielle01)

Thank you all so much....I started my journey in september when I went to my 1st siminar,I gave them my info and never got a call back but htat was ok,that let me know that the hospital didn't take my insurance,I even asked and was told-well we have a hospital in another county that accepts your insurance,thats ok I took it as a sign to keep trying and go to another siminar so I did,It was a hosiptal that a friend reffered me to,It was wonderful,the doctor that held the siminar left me speechless and that was unsual,I called the next day and was schedule for my first conceltation,,I am so happy I am just wondering where to go from here? I was told the I would have to go to a group meeting,I am hoping that I dont have to wait for that ,I'm gonna call ans see...thank you all for the help...I really mean that.

If you look at the lapband as rehab. we have a lot of people in rehab.see My (rehab)Journey is just beginning and I am gonna need someone to be my support,will you be there for me,it really helps to have someone to lean on when you need then,I am fighting a battle with my unemployment agency and they dont want to pay me what I worked for all year to collect when Im out of work,I had to explain about 5 yrs ago to my kids(I have 2 girls)about me not having a job and couldn't buy christmas for them and you know what my youngest told me,Mommy why do you cry about not buying christmas for us when you do for us all year long and you know what I really cryied then because my heart was touched so much, from then on my girls and I would go out and do little special things durring the year so when christmas came around there friends would say I'm getting a psp game this yr. what are you getting,you know what my little girl looks at her friend and says oh yeah I already got that,mom bought that for me when I made an A on my report card,---So dont worry what tomarrow will bring, if you read the bible please read Matt 6:33-36 and this will help you like it has helped me,and keep me in mind because I will really need some support when I get my lapband....dont forget ill look you up....

On the average,How long does one have to wait till everything is accepted through the insurance until they actually get scheduled for there surgery,I kinda guess as to the time limit but im not positive, I hate waiting it brings on unwanted pressure and causes me headache..I know waiting is a part of life and the saying is if its worth having its worth waiting for.......

the only other hard thing I did in my life was to stop smoking,,,when I did I call it my rehab: ,I went and bought myself a 3000 pc puzzle and kept my mind off of smoking and after a while when I would think about it I would get me something cold to drink and I would do my REHAB...work on the puzzle...or better yet you can write down everything you are eating or what you are doing to trigger the urge to eat and change the habits around:( get a peace of hard sugerless candy or a cup of sugar free fruit punch or Call a friend and talk your way through the urges.

Simplymechanged2011 Hello,I just wanted to let you know that Dr.Vemulapalli is wonderful,she answered all of my questions and left me looking for more questions to ask,she is good,I am still wondering with the gastric bypass and the lapband the way is was explained to us which one allows you to loose the weight and keep it off longer,I dont wont to regain none of my weight back,I really think I am gonna stay with the lapband tho...Did you hear that the FDA has lowered the BMI for the lapband surgery?I think that is good in some ways and in other it makes it easer for people to qualify for the surgery.....let me know what you think.

I went to my siminar on 12/2/2010 amd my question to the doctor that does the surgery was is the band created to last a life time or does it have to be replaced after 10yrs or so,she told my that the material it was made from is to last you for the rest of your life,its not like tires on a car that need to be replaced after 3 yrs or so,but your fill ins do have to be checked like you check the air in your tires,(1)once a month...I would make sure this is the procedure that you wont before doing it,,Ive looked at the gastric bypass as well,you have to have your regular check ups but you dont have the restrictions like the band but you do have to watch what you eat always for the rest of your life and you will have to take vitimans ,Iron,and calicum with vit.d... this is with all the surgerys....

I have a siminar at montefoire hospital tomarrow 12/2/10 and I was suggested to have her(Dr.V)to do my surgery.the young lady that suggester her for the surgery told me that she is wonderful and when you go for any type of surgery you need to be able to ask questions,I have done my research and Dr.Vermulapalli is one of the best doctors in the Bronx.I am so thankful that I found her,I will post on friday about the siminar and how everything went....I am so excited ...this is my 2nd siminar ..I still havn't heard back from the nurse that took my information the first time...so Im up for my 2nd...I just hope that everything works out I am so ready.....

I am attending my 2nd siminar on Dec 2nd and I have a good feeling about the doctor that is attending the siminar to answer questions from paitents that are going for the surgery,I checked out the info that my family doctor told me to look for,,,one of my friends went last year and had Gastric Bypass done,she has lost 85lbs and I am so proud of her,My question is to those who has had the surgery done already,how long is the recovery time and how soon before the surgery did you start buying the liquid diet products like the protein shakes and jello's,and also what types of vitiamins and calicum are you required to take?I have checked with GNC and the cashier says that they have a great line of products for people that has had the lapband surgery done...whare is the best place to buy the products?...I have already started buying my measuring cups and shakers for the protein drinks,you can but these at the .99cent stores...as you can see I have a long way to go and the rest of my life to get there.....I'm starting out at 262lbs at 66' tall....

Hi,I would have to agree with Debra G,I have a good friend that Joined weight watchers and when I mentioned to her that I wanted to be banded the first thing she said was "I lost weight through weight watchers you can do it the same way I did"see what everyone do not know is that we have already gone through our own personal struggles and they go through there's, you handle yours,your way and they handle there's there way,I'm sure if it was that easy for some of us to loose weight at weight watchers,we would have done it a long time ago,but me personally I need that little extra help and the band offeres it to me with out being judged....we all have our own struggles and if you can find that special person or even better a couple of none judgemental people who loves you and support you no matter what.WHY NOT GO FOR IT,I AM.... I feel I am doing what I need to do to better me,and no I am not trying to sound selfish,but when being judged you dont go judging others....you make the best out of a good thing because I love me....and I am doing this for me...

Hi mscarla123,I have found out telling your friends would be the wrong thing to do at this time,if you have 1 person that is going through every thing with you that is all you need,maybe a best friend or an significate other ,but when I told my family I was being judged and critisized for wanting to do something for myself,so if this is what you want to do I would say do it because you are doing it for you and you only not anyone else but once you start loosing weight and feeling good about your self then see who they talk about ....have fun with it and remember who you are doing this for....if you need a friend look me up because I am going through the same thing,,,and I need a friend as well...I am still in the siminar faze...waiting on insurance approval,,I would say go for it!!!!