Blund

Nothin' like a good flu to jump start the weight loss! I would be interested in anything that would deter hair loss too. Mine is also thin already. All I know is folic acid and protein. I'd like to know if there is anything else I can take prior to surgery. -Barb

I won't be banded until April or May, but have only told my DH and 1 good friend and am keeping it that way for now. I just got insurance approval, and told these 2 people to keep keeping it to themselves. Who knows how I'll feel as time goes by. I love Valstar's comback to her hygenist about the "old fashioned way of removing bullets..." Thats great! Something that occured to me too, was that many smokers get "medical help" to quit smoking....pills, the patch, etc. And you DONT HAVE TO SMOKE after you quit. But you DO have to keep eating! That said, I don't want to seem ashamed about the LB, but at this point I don't think my emotions are ready to share the information. This will most likely change as time goes by, and things calm down. :smile2:

Its where they put you to sleep and look down your throat into your stomach with a scope. I had one because my Dr thought I had a hiatal hernia, but it turned out to be gastritis. Don't want to attempt the actual name for the acronym!

I've only told my DH and 1 good friend so far, and that will probably be it unless I'm really pressed. The 1 good friend I told gave me the same old line you all got: "we could just try this together" blah blah blah. (She is overweight too.) And a few days later flippantly said something like "oh, that's probably how all of those people in LA and Hollywood stay thin, they all get surgery!" I just let that one float on by. She's not really UNsupportive, but sheeesh! My side of the family is spread out all over the country, and we don't really see each other or talk much. My in-laws are close by, and we see them about once a week or so. Not sure how I'll keep it from them, although they are getting forgetful!! :smile: He is a PhD and has to have his nose in everyone in the family's business. She is TOO thin, and frail, and makes negative comments about my dog and cat being fat!! And William Shatner too! Gimme a break!! The next breeze that blows by her will send her sailing off to who knows where! Sorry I'm ranting. I do worry about the day, if it comes, that I have to tell them. I certainly don't want them constantly asking me how I'm doing or watching me like a hawk. If it werent for this forum, I'd be nuts by now. DH is supportive and great, but not a big "talker" so you all are stuck with me here! Thanks everyone

I just pulled out my insurance paper, and mine cost around $1500.00. Of course your Dr has his own fee, then there is the medications, etc. But if this is a common procedure for the surgeon as part of pre-op testing, he should have a pretty accurate figure, you would think? Maybe ask the insurance biller person in the office.

I was wondering about this. My pre-op diet is not as strict as some; Protein shakes, green veggies, a small dinner, as much salad as I want. It is less food than I'm used to, but not as bad as some I've seen here. My BMI is 36. I know they want to shrink the liver, but is that the main purpose of the diet? Or are you sort of "cleaning out" your system? Or is it just a matter of losing a few lbs before surgery? I understand that it also prepares you somewhat for post-op eating. Seems strange to see such a wide variety of pre-op diet requirements. Maybe it has something to do with that person's BMI and/or liver enzimes test results?? Anyone have a clue?

Maybe Dr. Phil??!!!! :blushing:

All BC's are seperate with their own criteria. I have BC of California (but live in Michigan) and just got approved (in 5 days!) My policy didn't actually state requiring the 6 moth diet, but I had my old WW card from a year ago with a 9 month history which was sent in. I also typed up a history of my last 25 years' struggle with weight loss, and a letter as to why I want the surgery. I assume all of that went in to BC, but I don't know for sure. Maybe you could produce a written journal of some kind? Or a weigh-in history with WW or somewhere else if you tried that? It sounds like your policy requires a 'pre-service review" like mine. There is a seperate phone number (at least for me) to call them. They have been very nice to me so far. I wouldn't rely on the surgeon's office, you should check this out for yourself. Then you can ask questions about co-payments, etc. Good Luck.

All BC's are seperate with their own criteria. I have BC of California (but live in Michigan) and just got approved (in 5 days!) My policy didn't actually state requiring the 6 moth diet, but I had my old WW card from a year ago with a 9 month history which was sent in. I also typed up a history of my last 25 years' struggle with weight loss, and a letter as to why I want the surgery. I assume all of that went in to BC, but I don't know for sure. Maybe you could produce a written journal of some kind? Or a weigh-in history with WW or somewhere else if you tried that? It sounds like your policy requires a 'pre-service review" like mine. There is a seperate phone number (at least for me) to call them. They have been very nice to me so far. I wouldn't rely on the surgeon's office, you should check this out for yourself. Then you can ask questions about co-payments, etc. Good Luck.

Well said. My last (unsuccessful) stint with Weight Watchers, one of my personal goals was to feel hunger pangs. I eat for any reason other than actually feeling hungry! But when I did feel hungry, I would "self talk" positive things. I know it sounds cheezy, but it helped for a while. There are some great books on Amazon about dealing with the emotional issues with bariatric surgery/weight loss. I'm going to check them out and maybe buy one. Its such a personal issue for everyone, but I've gotten so much encouragement from this site. Good Luck

:lol:I'm so excited. I was worried they would not approve me because of my lower BMI (36) and my co-morbidities weren't really serious (yet). I expect to have my surgery in April. Maybe I can wear a nice swim suit by the end of summer!!! My goal is to see the sky between my thighs.....you know, when you stand and your feet actually go together, and there is space between your thighs???!! Its been a long time since I've been able to do that. Would make for an interesting ticker!!

Your DH did the right thing. Its nice to married to a MAN, not a "boy". The parents/in-laws are only hurting themselves behaving this way. If the gf had been in prison or something, I could see it...... Good luck

Wow. I'm lucky that my in-laws welcomed me into the family. Of course, they were beginning to wonder WHEN their son would get married!! (We were 33) But MY mom fits a lot of what your saying about yours. My big brother's wife got so much crap from my mom, and still gets a little. They've been together about 30 years now too! In the beginning it was so bad...Mom would not sit and eat dinner at the table with her! I'm serious! I was there! My sis in law finally stood up to her and Mom backed right down. Mom would make some comment, and Beca would say "what do you mean by that??!!" in a calm tone. We all liked her from the beginning so she didn't feel that isolated. My bro kinda hung out with her family more instead of ours. Who could blame him?? With my DH, my Mom had gotten much better. We dated a LONG time ago in high school, then after 13 years got back together. My parents were still in the "teen agers dating" thing and "he's not good enough." Anyway, I agree with Kat. Talk to the gf and let her know that you know your mom's behaving badly, not her. And once YOU get to know her better, you can help defend her and she'll be less stressed out about family gatherings. There is a poem that kind of covers this: A daughter's a daughter all of her life, A son's a son till he takes a wife. Your mom is going to have to get over it, hopefully sooner than later. Life is too short. Its hard to be in the middle, and its really up to your bro to stand up to your mom for his new future wife.

A big "me too" here on the yo yo dieting. And I have heard that it screws up your metabolism. Think about it...how could it NOT? I've lost and gained back enough weight to make 2 or 3 more people, and I'm tired of it. My kids are little, and I'm as big as I've ever been 5"8" & 240 lbs. My BMI is 35 or 36, so I'm REALLY hoping to get approved by my insurance. I have not had bad experiences with any of my current Drs though. Previous Drs have had simular attitudes and it does pi$$ you off! As more and more is learned about obesity, I think the younger generation of new Drs will be more sympathetic. Good luck!

Thanks for the support everyone! Its nice to have this forum to "vent" I'm going to call BC on Monday to see if they know anything.

NikkiD, I called BC a few weeks ago to ask how long the pre-service review took and they told me 5 days max. (REALLY??!!) When I told the surgeon's bariatric coordinator she made a face and looked like she didn't believe it either. I guess I feel confident, since I was told by 2 different BC people. And it IS BC of California. Maybe they have a big pre-service review dept since everyone and their brother wants cosmetic and/or WLS!!! lol ;D (I live back in Michigan now, but my DH still works for his CA company and thats why we have CA ins.) Lets hope its true!!

I'm not yet banded, but when I am, I plan to have small portions of food I can eat frozen ahead of time. How about checking out the recipes on the reciipes thread??

I did the sleep study too. Ended up having sleep apnea and getting the CPAP machine. Boy, do I sleep now! Good luck with your study.

I also love "regular people" cookbooks. Tried and true recipes. Angie, maybe you've already thought of this, but it would be really nice to have the nutritional values if possible. Oh, and be sure to COA for postage for those of us who buy one!!

UPdate.....I called BC (of California) to verify they received the fax from my surgeon on 3/3/08. He said they set up my file on 3/4 and I will have my answer by 3/11 !!! Whooooooooopeeeeeeeeeee! It feels better to have an actual date to look forward to.

:scared2:I'm a low BMI'er, so I'm worried about approval. My papers were fax'd on Monday, March 3rd. Another stage of waiting, over. I hate this!

TheOne2, the pureed food is for most temporary, as I understand it. I'm waiting for ins approval and have been learning about this since my seminar in August of 07. This is the best place to learn. On this forum. Do a search of Drs in your area who do bariatric surgery and they should be able to refer you to educational seminars. There are lots of books on Amazon too. Good Luck

I've read many threads about caffine not being allowed, but my nutritionist says coffee and tea are fine. At first, I guess you want to use your limited stoma space for the most nutritious foods, since liquids wash things through. Also, I've read about alcohol affecting banders faster and I wonder if this is true for caffine. I don't drink much soda at all, so giving it up isnt an issue for me. I have also read about people drinking "flat" soda OK.

TxChelsey, I just went to Amazon.com to look at the book you mentioned. From the excerpts it looks awesome! Once I am approved, I'm going to order it. There are also some recipe books and some have the nutritional values. If you want to check out the book, I had to look it up by the author's name "Cynthia Alexander"....don't know why the title wouldn't come up.

It does sound like a good idea for before or after the band!