aviva1979

Thank you all so much for the responses! I was so excited to get this scheduled that I called the office even though I was told they'd contact me. Only to be told i needed to wait until the official scheduler calls me which might not be until next week. Given vacations happening in their office, I suspect I won't get a date until July which means (at least for this June trip) I won't be traveling immediately after being banded, but I might be in the early days of the liquid diet. It does sound like the distraction of work could be helpful in that dept! In general I find the days I'm busier I am less hungry anyhow.

can you say more about how it makes your band unhappy?

Congrats! I got my approval on Friday after being declined once a week earlier w/ my ins co looking for some add'l paperwork. i was hoping to get my date scheduled right away, but it looks like it'll be at least a week before the scheduler calls me (vacation) and then my surgeon will be on vaca - so probably looking at a July date.

Hi All- Curious if anyone traveled (for work or otherwise) immediately before or after their surgery... I have been approved and this week expect to get my date scheduled. The challenge is I need to travel the last week in June for work. I'm starting to think it's unlikely I'll get a date before I travel - but I might need to be on the liquid diet while I'm traveling. has anyone done this? was it doable for you? i'll be busy with work, which I think will help - but i also will need to be "on" and high-energy during these days and I'm nervous i'll be tired and/or grumpy when living on Protein shakes alone. Would love any and all advice! I'm really torn between wanting the surgery as soon as possible and wondering if i need to pick a date that allows me to do my pre-surgery diet when I'm home. thanks!!

UPDATE: I JUST GOT APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!

I met with my PCP in Dec 2012 and she referred me to my surgeon who I first met for a consult on Jan 9th. I was just (today) approved for surgery. In between then and now I saw a nutritionist several times and a psychiatrist - both of whom had to clear me, and the surgical practice also required attending 3 monthly support group meetings. I also had to see my PCP for a letter supporting the surgery and to be cleared medically for surgery. My weight/BMI qualify me for surgery and I have no other co-morbity factors. Insurance is thru CIGNA. It was hard to come to the decision for surgery over 6 months ago and then still have the steps take a while, but all things considered I think I've had a fairly smooth process.

you can do it!

airplane seats for sure, and taking my toddler nephew on a carousel with little cars on it - and they wouldn't let him ride without me also sitting in the car. i didn't fit and everyone around the ride watched me struggle to get back out of this teensy car and move my nephew to a different vehicle with him crying loudly that he wanted the one we were in originally.

I'd been thinking about the band for a couple of years and this December asked my PCP about it and she supported my looking into this/potentially having it done and referred me to a local bariatric surgery practice and my first appt was in Jan. Since then I've seen the nutritionist, psychiatrist, and attended the support groups all required by this practice/my insurance to move forward. My initial insurance application was submit early May and we heard back they wanted a letter from my PCP supporting the procedure and a physical showing I was healthy enough for surgery - both of those things happened this week and my request was resubmit today. now i'm a ball of nerves and should hear back by late next week. my question for anyone who happens upon this: if i'm approved (please please please let me be approved) the surgical group thinks they could have me scheduled within 3 weeks (with 2 weeks for the liquid diet) - so that could potentially happen in June. I will be traveling for work a bit in June - has anyone done the liquid diet while on business travel? did you find it harder/easier than being in your own home? I will be having to interact with lots of people on pretty long days and i'm nervous i might be so hungry during this stint that i'll end up moody and not be able to the extroverted part of my job very well. thanks for reading!

congratulations - way to be!

I've had my initial meeting with my PCP who supported my decision to pursue the band, and she referred me to an area surgeon - and we had our consult this week. nice enough guy, really liked his nurse. anyhow - he thought the band would be great for me, and also mentioned the sleeve several times. at the end i asked him - just based on what he knows of me in an hour, which he'd recommend - and he said the sleeve. in part because he thinks it will help me meet my goals best, and partially because i travel regularly for work and this would eliminate any band challenges when i'm on the road. he also said that any complications with the sleeve tend to happen in the short term (like leaking) where band complications tend to happen in the longer term - and since i'm 33, there could be a chance in 5 years i'd experience some slipping or need to have it removed. how did y'all make the decision for band over sleeve? i went in thinking 100% band - but he does have me asking myself some questions about the sleeve i hadn't previously considered.

thanks, everyone! i just spoke with the office and apparently there's a packet of paperwork they need to send me that i'll fill out before they even see me for a consultation - even though my doctor referred me. a little strange, but i guess they want to make sure you generally qualify for this type of surgery before discussing it further.

I live in rural western MA. When searching for a surgeon on the lapband.com website there are options 40 miles north and south of me, which I'd be prepared to use. My PCP told me there's a doctor in my town now doing the procedure, but when I searched his name on the lapband site (and his practice) no registration came up. Has this happened for anyone else? Is it common for doctors to not be registered thru that website but still do great work?

yea, this is the most recent book on their website (which is what the rep on the phone told me to look at). It lists 12 months of weight management regulated by doctor with 3 months working with a nutritionist.

thanks, everyone! I went to meet with my PCP today and brought the book of requirements CIGNA sent me. she seemed supportive of the decision and at first glance i'll meet the BMI requirement (i'm at 45 with no co-morbidity, but for CIGNA, BMI is high enough that that's ok). there will be a bunch of tests, which i'm fine running around to get done. the big question will be about the 12 months of medically monitored weight management. i've been at this for years, but i'm not sure i have the kind of documentation they'll be looking for. I did see a nutritionist for a while thru the end of summer/start of fall, and that's part of CIGNA's requirement so we'll see what they say. Right now i'm feeling like the testing and appointments and processing are all things i'm comfortable taking some time. But if CIGNA wanted me to go through another year of medically monitored weight management, I might talk to the bank about a loan to self-pay. A lot of this is about my age and my desire to start a family - and to extend a year to do another year of (more structured) weight management and then the year that's recommended post-band before trying for a baby - I just don't want to put off starting a family another 2 years. Even if it means a loan to cover self-pay.

thanks, everyone! i went to see my PCP today and brought the book of requirements CIGNA sent me. waiting for a call back, but so far doctor is supportive.

thank you all so much for your responses!

Hi All, I'm new here - just found the site yesterday and did some intros, and there's one question i forgot to ask - i'm curious how long it generally takes btwn talking to your doctor the first time about exploring this option to actually having the surgery. i'm guessing the timelines vary. i just made an appt for this Weds to talk to my doctor about it. i've already spoken with my insurance to get the info they have on what would need to be true for this to be a medical necessity. just curious if this is something that might happen inside of a few months? or it is more likely to take 6-9 months or a year? also - what means of support do folks use who live rurally and can't attend a lap band specific weekly or monthly support group? mostly online? do you do something in-person still like WW? thanks so much!

good luck! you can do it!

Hi Everyone, I've been considering lap band for a couple of years now - more idly, and now more aggresively. I've had an up and down weight battle most of my life. My first 18 years of life were filled with sports, then I went to college and have had a sedentary life-style since then, and have gained about 120 lbs in the last 15 years. I've done food journaling, calorie-counting, been a gym rat, and spent a few years very into bellydance. At my healthiest pre-college I was around 175. My healthiest post-college days ranged from 230-245. 2 years ago I did another big push and lost 30lbs and ran my first 5k (i was 270 at my lowest there) - then in the last 2 years i've moved, changed jobs, gained 20 of it back - and this fall injured my knee gaining the last 10 back and probably a few more than that. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for the last 8 months with no success. I'm sure part of my fertility challenge is weight related. I'm now nervous that I would have a really hard time if I even got pregnant, and my #1 goal is to get to a place where I can be a healthy pregnant lady and healthy mom. I've already found the pregnancy group on this site and found it most helpful! I just made the call to my insurance company (Cigna) to see what their requirements are, and I have a msg out to the closest surgeon who does this (40 miles away), and will call my PCP on monday to make an appointment and go about the process to (hopefully) be deemed medically necessary. I am curious if anyone has info on what the cost might be like if for some reason I can't go through my insurance. At this point, I'd be willing to talk to my bank about a loan if that's what it takes. It's been very inspiring to read ppl's success stories on here, and equally reassuring to see the support this community gives members. I'm glad I found this site. It's helping make my decision a bit easier!

congratulations! Way to be!

I just wanted to thank everyone that posts in this forum. I've been 'back-burner' considering the lap band for a couple of years now, and after the last 24 month cycle of losing 30lbs, gaining it back - then hurting my knee and gaining more, all while my husband and I are trying to get pregnant - this forum really helped me gather a lot of information. I recently decided that we should hold off on actively trying to get pregnant until I can get healthier - I'm around 300lbs now and my weight plus my knee hurting (to the point that it makes exercise difficult, which only adds to the problem) I think it'd just be really hard on my body to get pregnant right now. Nevermind the fact that I've got some questions about my fertility at this weight (we've been trying for around 8 months). It sounds like there are lots of experiences out there with getting pregnant post-surgery (some waiting 12+ months, some happening sooner). I'll admit - I'm a little nervous about my age being a factor if I can get through all of the paperwork and have the surgery and then wait a full year post-surgery, but I'm feeling much better informed about possibilities after reading all of your threads. I've put in a request to speak with a surgeon nearish to me (I live in a rural area, so the closest is 40 mi away). Especially after the latest round of weight loss/gain, in a history of this cycle, i'm feeling much more confident in really exploring this option. Thanks again!