BillieG

Congrats to all having the procedure tomorrow! Mine is Thursday the 9th! I was just approved this morning so I don't really have time to stress or worry. I am more excited than anything because I was worrying I wouldn't get approval because insurance was taking forever! Now I went and got the things I need for liquid week and my vitamins! I am ready!

My surgeon says she does not require a pre-op diet. They initially wanted me to cut calories a great deal so it wouldn't be such a shocker to me. I was concerned about the diet because it was coming down to the last minute! They told me to eat really light tomorrow (day before procedure) and nothing after midnight.

Wow! That is fast! Congrats! Did you already do a pre op diet?

Yesss I finally got official approval!!! My surgery is Thursday the 9th, not much time to get nervous!!!

I haven't had this procedure yet, but was told it is similar to having your tubes tied. When I had my tubes tied I remember my shoulder hurt for almost 3 weeks! I began thinking there was a serious problem because most people say a few days to a week. I tried everything you mentioned as well I had to take Ibprofin to help which of course they don't want us using a lot of with this procedure.

I hope someone has some useful information I can use myself because it is so painful. My date is moved from 2nd to the 9th!

I am pre-surgery, so I am definitely not an expert! But I did talk to the nutritionist about liquids. My concern is that I drink A LOT of Water and I love to chug it - can't help it! In the booklet they give us prior to surgery, it says to SIP liquids very slowly. Like only 2 oz every 15 minutes. Basically it should take an hour to drink 8 oz.

So I asked about this because I was concerned. She said that everyone is different but this is a guideline until you know how your body will react. Some people can drink a little more or a little faster but it is mostly important to slow down and take small sips.

Is it possible that you are swallowing too much at once or not waiting long enough between drinks? With the stomach being so small now, it can only hold so much liquid before it trickles through and too much may be forcing it back up?
Definitely talk to the nutritionist or dr about it though.

I think sometimes it is difficult for people to accept changes. If your family is like mine, eating is a celebration. When we get together we cook and we eat! Most older people see nothing wrong with a little "meat on the bones" and think all these weight loss ideas are pointless. I think several people fail to understand that it's more than looking good. We want to be healthy. I want to lessen the pain on my already arthritic knees... I want to avoid the borderline diabetes... and mostly I want to FEEL GOOD!!!!

I don't want to think of it as some people are haters. Like I keep my procedure no secret from anyone as when I am excited I can't keep my mouth shut! Most people say oh you aren't even big enough to consider surgery. I say, funny a team full of experts disagree! People can say things to hurt our feelings sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. I think it is important to stay focused and remember what YOU WANT in life. Think about it... how many times have we heard hurtful things about being overweight? I know there are many times I have felt uncomfortable or family members made comments that hurt my feelings. Either way, family will be family!

Good luck !

Hello Cheryl,

Do you have a pintrest or somewhere u post ur recipes? I never had tofu and would like to try different vegetarian meals. I eat meat and hopefully after my band I can still tolerate chicken and fish (at least). But I still want to try other Protein supplements to make sure I get enough daily intake while changing up my foods. Definitely don't want to eat the same things all the time.

I'm on pintrest at Madahooha28@gmail.com

meat has always been an issue for me and it really has nothing to do with emptying your band. Even without fills I can not eat meat mostly. If I do once in a while and it works then fine but honestly I don't miss it. Being a vegan is not as bad as you think. I have made some very good recipes like black bean burgers and black bean casserole and cooking tofu in other things. Although at times I would like a piece of meat it is not essential to live. I buy all vegan products such as Boca burgers which taste just like hamburger's and Boca ribs. These are all soy products that taste great and taste like meat. Try different options before you give up on your band. Like I said meat has never been an option for me even when I had no fills so getting unfilled may not be your problem to eat meat. You just may not be able to tolerate it.

That sounds awful!! I am "pre-surgery" planning to be banned any day now. I did a lot of research to hear the good and bad before I made this decision. I don't know if there is a difference but it seems that most people who have had the band around 10 or more years ago have these problems. A friend of mine also had it done in 2004 and she lost 100 lbs then started having similar problems like you are having. She thinks it is the type of band they used. Now the "realize" band is supposed to be much better? I don't know?

Anyhow, it sounds like u are going through hell and hey... this doesn't work for everyone. I would see a bariatric specialist first to get a final opinion and if things don't change get it removed! You definitely don't sound like it is helping you live a healthier lifestyle.

Good luck!

Ugh... this insurance company is frustrating me! Okay I had a surgery date of the 2nd which can't happen. They said the insurance company had a 15 business day time frame to respond which is TOMORROW!!! And obviously they won't be doing anything on New Years Day so I had to reschedule my surgery date to January 9.

My rep at UPMC said that there is no reason they would deny me but they take their sweet time for elective surgery. She even told the guy with the insurance company that it is really inconvenient to change the patient's surgery date when they have had the information for such a long time. Grr

On the up side, I am glad that they had something available next week. Hopefully I will get the final approval in the next day or so!

Hello folks! I'm 34 and my surgery date is January 2nd! I haven't gotten the final approval from the insurance company yet so I hope to get it real soon! All surgeons are different and I will learn more after the final approval but I think my doc has a special pre-op diet as well! So the insurance better come on i'm running out of time! LoL!

Okay so basically after you've had the band for a while you no longer require fills? I just wonder how you are doing well without the fills? I was thinking maybe you get used to eating such small portions and after a while you don't need fills?

I have not had a fill so I don't have much restriction and can eat anything I want. I limit my eating out to once a week at most and only on my "cheat day" when I allow myself up to 1000 extra calories. This day is usually Saturday or Sunday. I usually make a healthier meal selection like grilled chicken of some sort but I do enjoy the appetizer as well. My favorite is going out for mexican food and having chips and salsa.... I work hard all week staying focused on my goals and eating clean and my cheat day is great. This Saturday I plan to eat a bacon cheeseburger for a late lunch/early dinner. Haven't had one in months....we'll see how it goes! LOL

Whoa... I already have thin hair so I hope I do not go through this. making sure you get enough Protein is most important right? because I know they are big on eating the protein part of the meal first in case you get full and tracking how much you get, replacing the rest with shakes and such.

Hello All! Well I had that horrible upper GI this morning and I still feel sick! Bah! What horrible stuff!!!

I sure hope the insurance company hurries up because I already have a surgery date of January 2nd! I am excited but trying not to get too excited in case they deny me. Though the whole medical team says I'm like the perfect candidate and they don't see why I would get refused. Ya never know!

I'm still waiting and will post something when I find out!

Thanks all for the warm wishes and thoughts.

Hopefully it won't be that long of a wait! My surgery date is a month from today... so I hope to hear back soon! They did call me to tell me to go ahead and get the required chest xray, EKG, and upper GI prior to surgery. I have to make an appointment for the GI and will probably walk in for the other two tomorrow.

Me too... I was gonna go with Eid but he is leaving to another facility. My surgeon is Anita Courcoulas: date Jan 2 if everything is approved.

I am being banded at Magee, too! My date is Dec 2nd. Who is your surgeon? I have Dr. Hamad.

Oh, just saw you have Dr. M. Dr. Hamad is also doing the plication study, so I joined the study and had my research tests done today, a dexascan and a resting metabolic rate measurement.

Who banded you and messed it up? Oh my that is a scary thought...

I was just banded at Magee in 11/4 and they screwed it up so I was rebanded on 11/6. It was my worst nightmare but thankfully I am doing great now. Who is your surgeon?

Hey we are in the same ball game! I am also going to Magee's and my scheduled surgery date is January 2! I just finished my 6 month program now I am waiting for the final approval from the insurance company. How long did it take you to hear back from them?

For the diet, I talked about it with the nutritionist and basically all physicians are different. I think they should be contacting you soon about any blood work or tests you need prior to surgery. They should also tell you about a pre-op diet.

I'm scheduled to be banded on 12/26 at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. I started the process last year and backed out the first time. I have resolved some issues and I'm now moving forward. I'm out of my mind nervous but trying to think of all the positives. Last time I weighed in I was 265ish and my goal weight is 150. I read alot about pre-op diets and I havent been told about any pre-op diet. Is this normal??? I was kind of hoping I could eat xmas day, lol, but if not oh well.

Well I have completed my 6 months of nutritional evaluations, medical evaluations, and appointments! I am waiting to hear back for the final confirmation and if everything goes through, my surgery will be on January 2nd!

Excited with fingers crossed!

Okay I was previously asking about insurance approval... I have been trying to not really worry about something I have no control over. It seemed to me that the surgeon was stating if I had apnea it may improve my chances of getting approved? Well I had the sleep test done and was negative for sleep apnea. However, I was told that I have symptoms for narcolepsy (what!!). Crazy right? I have to go see a sleep specialists about it to find out what is going on. I am hoping there will be a positive out of this - that it will help me get approved easier! My scheduled surgery date is January 2nd. I have to do my psych/nutrition test and evaluation on the 21st of this month. My last nutrition appointment (6th one) is on the 26th. After that I just have to wait to hear back from the insurance company.

I love pumpkin too... I have the food network magazine and saw an idea for fall... It said to make oatmeal and add Tbsp of pumpkin puree and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Sounds good.

Yea, the surgeon did tell me that I have one of the better insurance companies so hopefully they aren't as picky. I think I would appeal one time and if I was refused twice I would be done with it maybe it's not meant to be. But I still appreciate the process and am learning how to improve my eating and exercise.

I didn't read all of the posts here, but I just wanted to say thank you (to the original poster) for sharing your story. I came to this site to hear the good and the bad so I know the risks. I have been doing a lot of research and am working with several health care professionals on my journey. I think personally for me that the good outweighs the bad, especially with all the problems I am beginning to have due to my obesity. I also work out several times a week, have an active job, and eat healthy foods. My issue is that I am always hungry and I over eat. I am trying to work on that now and think that the band will help me out tremendously. From what I have seen several people post, most errors are either because the patient did not follow rules or because he or she had a poor physician. There is always a risk with bariatric surgery, but I know the physician and facility I am attending are well known for bariatric surgeries. I still thank you for sharing because people who are considering the procedure need to hear it all and make sure it is right for them.

Thank you all for your kind words and support. It is as I figured, that there is not much I can do about the approval and to keep doing what I am doing. My BMI is 39.7, which is why I worried. I am JUST UNDER the 40 mark. I do have osteoarthritis in my knee, take blood pressure medication, I am hypoglycemic, and I am being tested for sleep apnea on Friday. I will just keep on doing what I can do and hope for the best. I am glad that "hazel" mentioned appealing, because I didn't know about this.

Has anyone gone through the months of pre-surgery only to be denied at the last minute? I stress about this because the surgeon told me after I complete the nutritional evaluations and tests they will submit all information to the insurance company to get the final clearance. I just wondered how often this happens, because I figured when I first sign up with my weight and health condition they would deny me in the beginning if I weren't a potential candidate. Thoughts? (My final tests are the end of November and my potential surgery date is January 2)

I am pre-surgery but from several of the posts I have read, most of the people said they were really hungry right after the band. You are not restricted at that point but must follow the crappy liquid/mush/puree diet. I am not looking forward to it, but I think it is an important part of the process for the band to work accurately and to prevent hurting yourself. good luck