Karon

Thanks so much Vicki, that helps a lot. I may have some weight notes from knee replacement surgery, if it comes to that. Perhaps my surgeon recorded those notes then. Yes, we have to be creative, don't we???? Best wishes on continued success with your weight loss. Hope that mine will begin as planned on 7/12. K

Hi Vicki: Can you speak more to the 5 years worth of dr. notes. That is where I am having a problem. I have been going to the doctor for years but for many of them I would refuse to be weighed. You ever heard of this before. When you said you got notes from the biopsy, how did that help and I suppose that was within the 5 year time-frame? What on there was helpful. were they looking specifically for your weight 5 years ago? K

Hello; I am being submitted for approval tomorrow and am concerned because I was told that Medicare requires among other things, 5 years worth of doctor notes with weight information. Like many overweight people, I didn't like to be weighed. So for my notes, I only have the last 3 years notes with weights and the first 2 years it says I refused to be weighed. Has anyone else run into this particular problem? I was told that some insurance companies will take pictures if the date of the pic is shown on the pic. I am hoping not to be denied, but was wondering that if they are a stickler for this information, what can I do. I cannot speak to the pre-cert department with United Health Care as they will only speak with the provider. Member services is just telling me to wait until the information is submitted and see if they contact my doctor for more information. I am really started to stress over this. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. K

I am in the pre-op stage with Dr. Fernandez also. My surgery is scheduled for 7/12/11. If you would like to talk, please add me as a friend and contact me. Thanks. Kay

I'm not a big cauliflower fan, but that sounds good. I think I'll try it. Thanks.

Hello, Perhaps we can stay in touch. Im 53 and am scheduled to be banded on 7/12. I am very excited about this also. There seem to be a wide variety of ages on this board. I'm sure you will hear from some of them soon. I have 2 artificial knees which makes certain exercises difficult for me as my knee replacements weren't totally successful. So I know what you mean about your back. Add me as a friend. Hope all works out well for you, sure it will. K

Hi, What did medicare tell you were their requirements? Just curious as I have an HMO Medicare program. i had to do a six months diet for one thing. I'm awaiting approval now. Don't stress over your weight, it will soon be a thing of the past. Are you just beginning your journey? My date is July 12. K

Oh, thanks Jennifer for the info on Walmart. I'll check and see if they are on my list. There are a whole slew of them. How long were you allowed to stay out of work according to the doctor? Thanks also for the kind words and support. I'm so happy. I already am beginning to feel like a new person. I think so much of this is mental. I feel like I have had the surgery and I am trying to eat right and do the right things. Make sure you take it easy at work, don't overdue it and as you said, if you need to leave early, then just do it. Your health is all you really have so don't mess it up. Losing on the liquid shake sounds good. That peanut butter idea also makes sense as that is also protein. Let me know how the first day goes. Oh, is that port area, open, do we have like a little hole in us for the fill. I guess you can see and feel it? K

Thanks Jack: Wow. I know about that diabetic retinopathy. My son is a type 1 diabetic who has had poor control since he was in his teens. He's 31 now and almost 4 years ago he lost his sight due to his diabetes. Diabetes is a really nasty disease that affects almost every organ in the body. It even affected his teeth and he has full dentures at his young age. So yea, I am awaiting the miracle as I do not want to have any of these types of problems the rest of my life. Thanks so much for sharing with me. Kay

Yes people can be very insensitive, competitive, jealous and the list goes on and on. It's hard not getting discouraged at times. But as the poster above me states "WE CAN DO IT". Go for it, don't let anyone's stupid comments interfere with your goals and desires.

Hi, I know about that six month diet. I ended up having to do it twice because I didn't lose any weight the first time. My doctor had told me it was just a formality so I didn't worry about it. But when I was done, the surgeon's office said, "Oh no, insurance will not approve you like this." So off I went to do it the right way this time and I lost 41 pounds. I was at my all time high of 344. Now weigh 303 as of the 19th. I guess we will be doing this together. My date is July 12th and I'm so excited. Best of luck to you. We can all do it. Kay

Well hello my new friends: Thanks for tuning in to my latest little update. I found out today that the insurance company wants 5 years worth of doctor notes to approve a person for surgery. I relocated here 3 1/2 years ago. So they need notes from my doctor's office in NJ. So I had to have the office email me authorization forms which I signed and faxed back to her and hopefully she then faxed them off to my 2 other doctors. So we have a date now. Not what I had hoped for, but she said the insurance has 30 days to make a decision. So my date has been scheduled for JULY 12, 2011. I am very excited about at least having a date. It is like really seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I am to begin my liquid -- shrink the liver regime on June 21. At that time, I can have two shakes a day along with protein items. The list is very specific, dry oatmeal, tuna, chicken, some fruit, salad, cabbage, low fat yogurt, etc. What I need to know from you guys is which protein shake really tastes the best. I am a chocolate person not vanilla, something in that line would work for me. Unjury is on the list along with quite a few others. Most were there except Muscle milk which she said I can't have until after I am banded. Oh, I also have to take another 90 minute nutrition class on June 6. I guess she will go into more specifics at that time. So things are moving along, of course just not as fast as I would like. I can't wait until I am saying "I get banded tomorrow.' And after that, I'll probably be crying, right??? But you know how we humans are, we are never satisfied. What has really encouraged me are all the stories and the wonderful people I have met on here who have take the time to read about me and offer encouragement. You really don't know how good that makes me feel. Because you know your time is your life and you have decided to give me some of your life. So for that, thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from more of you and do keep in touch and add me as a friend so I can follow your stories/blogs as well. Until later, Kay

Hi, Well I am not even banded yet, looking at June. But I would say you need to see a doctor and someone should certainly be following you with the band still in your stomach. Just my opinion. I'm sure some more experienced people will reply. Just hang in there. I'm curious why you have waited so long to find a doc, are you having insurance problems? Kay

hi Ready2 Thanks for posting the miracle of not having diabetes anymore. I am hoping and wishing and praying for the same results. Best of luck to you and continued success with the band--even though you are an old pro now K

Hi Dave: Thanks for responding. That is wonderful news to hear. Your brother has done well and I'm sure you will too. I think you have a realistic expectation to be off the meds in 9 months, if not sooner. 14 years is a long time to deal with diabetes. Did you have any problems as a result to being on meds so long? How about sexually? I ask because I know that diabetes can affect men and I was wondering if that would come back once you are off the medication, but perhaps you have been spared that ordeal. K

Hi Larry: WOW that's great news to hear about the diabetes. I too am hoping to be off the meds once I have lost some weight after I am banded. Thank you for sharing your info with me. Best of luck to you as you continue this journey. K

Hi Cathy: Thanks for the response and best wishes to you. I am so looking forward to getting off these meds. i know you are now a happy camper. I have heard many people say the surgery saved their lives. I believe that is true. K

Hey Jennifer1, I agree with you that we have to prioritize what is important to us. So it sounds like you financed your surgery yourself. That is highly commendable. I think that if that was my only option, I don't know if I could have done that. But who knows. I think that's great though. It is also so nice to see so many younger women having the surgery now while they can totally enjoy being thinner. I'm a little older, but not dead yet, But I wish these things had been available to me when I was in my 30's. It would have really saved my life in many, many ways. Best wishes to you and please stay in touch. Kay

Hello Charmaine, It's always nice to know that you can inspire others. Thanks for sharing that with me. I wish you well in your journey as well. With each other and God, we can do it and we'll all have a little 'black dress" real soon Kay

Thank you KayeKaye for the words of encouragement. I need all the support I can get. I appreciate your time in reading my blog and hope you will check in often to see my progress. Yes, I have been determined. God is good. Take care of yourself. I will stop by your site and check you out. Kay

Hello Everyone: My name is Kay and I'm getting banded in June. I joined this site yesterday and read all day. I began this process in 2004 when I was all scheduled to have a RNY Gastric Bypass and upon having the ultrasound, they found a mass near the area that the intestines would have to be rerouted. It turned out that instead of having my gastric bypass, I had a biopsy instead. I was so devastated. After that, there was not an option for me as the lap band was not covered by my insurance at that time. In the interim, I put on more weight and finally relocated to North Carolina in the fall of 2007. In, 2008 I found that there was a young doctor in my town of Winston Salem, named Dr. "Fuzz" Fernandez, who had a very good reputation and success rate. I sent for the materials and was a little put off because he required a psychological evaluation that would cost almost $700 and that had to be paid out of pocket and not through insurance. As I had just spent so much money moving to this area, I was again was disappointed as I didn't have this money to spare at the time. So I put the materials away and said I would get to it later. Later turned to almost 2 more years. In 2010, I had myself together again, was working and decided to go to the seminar which was required of everyone. I also found out that my insurance would now cover the lap band and I was excited, to say the least. It was similar to what I had learned in 2004 but there had been a lot of new developments with the lap band that I didn't know of at that time. They were getting good results with the band now. People were losing almost as much weight as with the gastric bypass. I went along very fast getting my blood work done, the psychological exam, meeting with the nutritionist and dietitian. Completed everything that was required of me and thought I was ready. This was about March of 2010. Then I was told that my insurance, United Health Care, required a 6 months doctor supervised diet. Another blow I thought. Oh well, I had to do it. Now my doctor told me that I didn't really have to lose weight but just participate. So that is what I did. I didn't lose any weight!!!! When the nutritionist got my doctor's 6 months notes, they didn't look good. It looked like I wasn't even trying to be in compliance. She told me that my insurance would never approve me. I was so down I don't know what I was going to do. Six months wasted! So, I went back to my doctor and said "hey look we have to do this again because I'm going to have this surgery." And we began again. So this time, I joined the YMCA and I purchased all low calorie foods for my dinners. I would eat cereal everyday for breakfast, have a piece of string cheese for a protein snack and the rest of my food was made up of fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly to me, I began losing weight. By the time the six months were up, I had lost 30 pounds. Everyone was happy, and you know I was smiling from ear-to-ear. So I called for an appointment with my surgeon. When I met with him on May 19, 2011, he said "you've done everything, you're all set for a date. We just have to call the insurance company to get the approval and you will have your surgery in June if you want." I was like that's fine with me. So June it is. I hope to hear from his Coordinator this week with the exact date. Oh and I had lost another 11 pounds since March. Down 41 pounds now. Yea!!!!! I can't believe that it is finally happening for me. I have had some support but people always say "oh you can do it yourself and I know someone who did this or that or the other."...and that can be discouraging at times to hear. Even yesterday someone tried to tell me about a Dr. Simeons diet using some type of drops... I wasn't trying to hear that. I have wanted this surgery for 7 years now and I'm going to have it! I believe that obesity is a disease and that one way to treat this disease is with this surgery. So that is my choice. I have tried all the other diets as I'm sure anyone reading this has. We know about the merrygoround rides up and down with the weight. One false hope after another. I believe I can do this. It is a life changing event, it will be different, it won't be easy, but I can do it--I know I can and especially with God's help. Anyway as for some beginning info, I currently weight 303 pounds and my goal is to weigh 180 as I am 5'6 inches tall and that weight looks very good on me. However, if I continue to lose that would be fine but I wouldn't want to be smaller than 150 pounds as I was skinny at that point in my life. I can't even imagine that. I currently wear a size 22 dress and between a 2X and 3X in tops and bottoms. My bottom is where I carry most of my weight so in dresses and skirts I can hide it fairly well, thus people saying I don't need this drastic a surgery. But the numbers are what is important not how i look in my clothes. And beyond that as for health issues I have diabetes since last year and have had high blood pressure for years. I'm told that by losing weight I will be able to possibly come off the diabetes meds and that my pressure should not require 3 different pills, if any, to control. So getting my health back is a priority for me at this time too. And finally, I never wanted to die a fat person and be seen in a coffin as "fat". That may seem like an odd thing to say, but that is how I have felt getting older. And by the way, I'm 53 years young So this is the beginning of my new life. Blogging is different for me and I will upload some photos as time goes by and keep you updated as to my process and progress. Thanks for reading. Kay

Thanks for posting this. I think you have done very well. Losing 107 in 10 months that is great. I would be thrilled if I could achieve those results. Do you exercise much? Has that been a vital factor in your weight loss? Just wondering. Kay

Thanks so much for the info. I am so happy for you. Your results are what I am hoping for as well. I have heard from my doctor that hopefully, my blood pressure as well as diabetes will go away once I drop this weight. It is one of my main reasons for wanting this surgery. People have not always understood. They think it's a vanity thing sometimes, but they don't understand as we do about all the meds we are taking and they all have side-effects. To be medication free or at least "reduced" would be a blessing, any vanity is purely a by product of this surgery. Thanks again for the helpful information. Kay

Thanks Lisa. I appreciate the response. Keep us posted on your progress. Kay

Hello, I too am from NC. I live in winston Salem and will be having my surgery at Baptist Hospital part of Wake Forest. Dr. Fuzz Fernandez. I am scheduled to have it in June, don't have the exact date. I have United Health Care.