angelic_1

Hi Matt! Welcome to our little group! Do you know the doctor/group that the PCP is referring you to? What is your insurance? Through my doctor, I was referred to Leport's office in Fountain Valley. Then I had to go to a 3 hour seminar in which I filled out a ton of forms including a pych test. They weighed me and discussed my desires and went over insurance stuff. I have Blue Cross of CA HMO, and was with St. Jude IPA. That IPA did not cover the band (even the BC did?!?) so I had to change IPAs, which means a new PCP. Then I had to meet the new PCP and get a new referral. Then I went through all the hoops, which vary depending on the insurance and IPA. I can go on more, but don't want to overwhelm you. Suffice it to say, I am super excited because my band date is May. I started my process mid-Dec, and had a lot of (in my opinion) needless delays. Please message me if you want more detail! Good luck!

Thanks Kamicola, that is true!!! Thanks for the supportive words...

Welcome all new May Flowers! I started my liquid diet today to shrink the liver, and boy!, is it difficult. But I heard that by day 4, I will be like, "Who needs food? This is great!" We will see if I feel that way... I scheduled some of my pre-op appts today. Friday I do bloodwork. Wednesday I see my PCP for medical clearance and an EKG. Then I will schedule my Upper GI. I am so excited! Only 13 days... BTW, I had something happen that I was hoping to avoid. I realized a couple of weeks ago that my 20 year reunion is in a couple of years, and I should look fantastic by then (I never thought that was possible). I did not go to my 10 year for various reason, one of which was my weight. I was hoping that no one from high school would see me looking this way :tt2: I was at The Coffee Bean ( I had to get in my last blended mocha for a long time!) and this hot guy says, "Angie?". Well, since high school I am known as Angela, just cause of work and such. So whenever someone calls me Angie, I know they are from my past or family. So I was like, "yeah?" And he goes, I am so and so. Remember? Well this guy had a crush on me in high school. And I liked him as a friend, but not more than. And now I'm thinking he's probably relieved that he didn't ever date me! The worst is, well besides that he is HOT, he still talks to a bunch of guys from high school so now they will all know that I am obese! It sucks!!! Oh well! What can I do but just keep on my path to better health!

I am two weeks until surgery!!! I am SOOOO excited, but also a little nervous. What if I still can't lose the weight? What a total failure I am if I have surgery and still end up fat?!? I finally told my thin sister. I was very nervous to tell her about it because I thought that she would be like, "just use willpower". She has made comments like that in the past... She was very supportive of my decision. Anyway, I am excited, but a little anxious, too. Don't get me wrong- not anxious enough to think that I am making a mistake. I know that I need to do this while I am still young (BTW, 35 is still young! ) and in relative good health.

Is anyone starting their protein diet to shrink the liver this week? My doctor merely suggested it, but from what I've heard, healing is easier if your liver is smaller? I believe I will be starting my liquid protein diet on Thursday- 10 days before surgery...

Hi Myra, Good for you for rededicating yourself to a healthier life. We all slip up and make mistakes, otherwise we would not be bandsters! I will be banded on May 6, and will try my best to stick with it. But I am sure I will slip at some point. The nice thing about this board is that we support each other. Good to hear from you...

Allison, you're going to do fine. The sleep study is tedious and you won't sleep a lot. Plan on sleeping tomorrow if you can. The psych is not bad. You'll take a personality test, which is long and lame, and the PhD will meet with you regarding any severe problems, i.e. clinical depression, psychosis. You don't strike me as suffering from some sort of malady of the mind. :thumbup: Good luck! And again, you'll do fine!!! And closer to getting your band!!!

Hey Allison! We also have the same weight goals (I just figured out how to display that info...)!

Dr. Francis at Fountain Valley (Orange County,CA) How about you?

I live in Yorba Linda. Where are you being banded?

Yeah! I finally have my surgery date- May 6! 3 weeks away! I am so excited...:huh2:

Hi everyone, I am praying that I will be banded in May with Dr. Francis in Orange County, CA. I, hopefully, will find out this week my surgery date. It is nice to have this support here for us. Do we have a name yet? i.e. May Flowers

And CONGRATS to you SV types (I'm assuming that if there's an NSV, there's also an SV)! :confused2:

Not only do I wish I have had my surgery (the office staff neglected to tell me that I had to do a sleep study that took forever to get approved-even longer than my LapBand approval-, scheduled, and results...), but you all are so great. I love reading about you all and you support each other so much. You are hilarious and touching. Best of luck to all of you! Maybe I will be lucky and get my surgery in April...

Am I the odd ball out that I don't like any of our choices?!?!? :puke: Hillary and Barack are too far left and irresponsible (I could list a plethora of reasons for each). John McCain is worse than all the things I don't like about Bush. Can we find somebody else? Looks like we're in for a heck of a four years no matter who is in office...

Well, I received my approval for the LapBand surgery, and I was so excited. I called surgeon to set up my surgery date, and the staff told me I needed a sleep study first because my chart shows that I have signs of sleep apnea. I said, "what the ....! Why didn't anyone tell me three months ago?!?" So, tomorrow I find out if my sleep study is approved. What I am wondering is if my sleep study shows that I have sleep apnea, then what, they don't do the surgery? What is the process? Does anyone know? Thanks for any help...

innertube, how'd your surgery go?

Well, my insurance approved the surgery!! Yeah!! But.... when I called the surgeon's office, the staff told me that I need to do a sleep study first. I am very irritated about this because I would have done this months ago had I known. Anybody else get this kind of junk? This also means that I may not be a Shrinking Shamrock :thumbdown: I do not know when I will be able to do the sleep study, and how long out the surgeries are being scheduled. I am disappointed.

Yeah, I like the color, too!

That is cute. How do I use it?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Shrinking Shamrocks!!!!

What about Lucky Leprechauns?

Heck, I might anger some people, but I think 7 kids is too much for ANYONE, any age, married or single. Kids need attention, love, discipline, and guidance. I have two kids and my DH and I struggle to do as well as we should by them... Granted, one has autism and both have a lot of energy (more than most kids). But even still, wait until you have to schlep to birthday parties, dance, soccer, baseball, church activities, etc... You get my point.

Oh, and my sister's maid of honor had short hair, and she looked lovely in the wedding! She did an "up-do" with a decorative bobby pin. It was great!

I like your hair in the last picture...