Shamrockgirl60

I got my approval today...YEA!!!!!!!!! Went through the 3 meetings with flying colors. It really wasn't bad. They are all so nice at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. I have to lose 12-15 lbs. low fat low carb diet. After 6 lbs. I make appointment with my surgeon. I have to addend 4 meetings in May. One per week. So by June 1st. I figure I will have that appointment. Then the surgery sometime after that. So the 2-4 month will be just about right. I am so excited. Can't wait.

That doctor reminds me of my first pcp who kept saying "We must quit smoking", "We must lose weight" yada, yada, yada over the 2 years I had her. She was maybe 5'3" and 100 soaking wet. One time I said "WE????" and she got po'd LOL. She was condescending and very snippy. I ditched her for a new doctor who is a guy, very cool thrilled when I quit smoking 2 years ago. He's all for this surgery and wrote a letter to the Weight loss center at our clinic. So get another doctor. ASAP...... And when you get nice and slim to your liking take a picture and mail it to her LOL

Becca, love your you tube blog you look great......keep it up. Your an inspiration to this 60 year old. Looking forward to seeing "less" of you. but more of you on the blog.

Great story, I wonder if that phys. asst. had a weight problem????? I would have turned and stuck my tongue out at her and did a nener nener LOL. But behind the doctors back heh heh She was just jealous I bet.

My BMI was 38 and I had type II diabetes. Because of my sleeping habits and telling my primary care doctor I suspected a problem with sleep apnea with my heavy snoring and being tired all the time. So I have the test, I have severe sleep apnea and last week had the second test with the cpac mask on and they adjusted it to 10 to prevent the sleep apnea...the numbers go from 0 to 14. So a 10 is quite bad. Good luck

I think you have to have a realistic approach to this, you must change your eating habits completely. You can still be fat with the band, eating ice cream and cake and sweets can mess it up, they don't make you sick that much with the band like heavy carbs do. Also you will not completely change your life as in getting super thin like 110 or so. But healthy and in a good weight for your age and height. Be happy in a size 12 or 14 and not disappointed your not a size "0". A positive attitude going into the meetings and asking questions helps a lot. Good luck. It did help that I have Type II diabetes and now sleep apnea that It's for my physical health and not just a whim.

Wow thanks for all the encouragement, It went terrific. I am pretty certain I am accepted. I am scheduled for appointmentt with the surgeon when I lose 6 lbs. They want me to lose 12. I have 4 meetings with the behavioral group. The shrink was great, nice guy and only a few questions I almost laughed at. He is going to consult my regular shrink and therapist who think this is a great idea. I also gave them the letter from my primary care doctor requesting it. They will take care of all the insurance stuff and said they never have a problem with BCBS when there are other problems. Like my Type II Diabetes and my sleep Apnea. So looks like sometime in June or July I will get a date. The nutritionist was also very nice and I met the nurse practitioner before at a few meetings I have been to. I am thrilled. Just hope that no one changes their mind during their meeting this afternoon. xxxxx fingers crossed LOL Thanks for the support

I have a new date for the lap band evaluation at Lahey Clinic. I was scheduled for March but my insurance got screwed up. And bumped to June, I got a call on Friday, they had a cancellation and would I like to come in on April 8th, hey I was thrilled to get it so soon. I am scared to death that they won't approve. I had my sleep tests and I have severe sleep apnea now. I went back last week (another cancellation I took advantage of) and had the night with the "mask" I felt like freaking darth vader LOL. But it worked. I will get my own set up in a few weeks. So.....I will bring in all my paper work and hope and pray they select me as a candidate. My primary care doctor says I am. And he's requesting it. Cross your fingers and toes and anything else you can cross LOL...that it goes well. Don't think I will sleep too well tonight. And I will bring a book to read between appointments.

The title of this thread pretty much tells the story. When my husband was offered early retirement in Feb. he accepted. Got a nice package including the company paying for most of the next 3 months of our BCBS policy. Which was March, April and May, after May, we would then send the full Cobra payment to them and they would pay for 18 more months. Well some IDIOT canceled our insurance as of March 1st. I have my sleep study done, and hubby had appointments. the hospital didn't mention this till the day before my lap band "big day" and I went in and they refused to see me. I went ballistic....pulled a real nutty with financial. They wouldn't accept the paper work that said we were insured. They called BCBS and they even had canceled us. Well needless to say we finally got it all fixed and back on the books. But I had to reschedule my appointment for the nurse, shrink and dietitian for my approval till MAY. I am not a happy camper. This sets me back at least 2-3 months. I won't et my surgery till the late summer or early fall. Remember everyone check your insurance this can happen to anyone now that so many people are retiring and losing their jobs. :thumbup::cursing::tongue::cursing::cursing:

My hospital says one day and overnighter. But I think they then go into the other factors such as Type II Diabetes may delay the healing by a day or so. They may see a bit overly cautious, but better that then not I say. I went for my sleep study last night what a thrill. So many wires and such hard to sleep but the nurse said I was a champion snorer, up there with the men in volume LOL. May have to go another night when they hook me up with the mask. Won't know the details of if I have sleep apnea till they look over all the data. Good luck all.

:smile:Good luck. I am going for my sleep study on March 10th and then my all day evaluation on March 20.

I haven't had the surgery yet still going through the prelims. I did "feel" one when I went to a meeting with pre and post op patients. It felt like something under the skin but not bad. The person said it doesn't hurt and you really can't feel it. So I guess it depends on everyone different. The more weight you loose the more it can be felt from the outside. Hope that helps.

Blund the waiting is killing me also. LOL. I just had a cyst removed from y left breast. I have had them for years being overweight. From the oil glands backing up. I hope when I lose the weight and they get smaller it will not happen that often. This one was the worst it just kept coming back over and over again. Then they finally decided to take it out. Right now have what appears to be a knife wound. It will get stitched up next week after the antibiotics take the infection away. I went to a meeting the other night. It went well. Can't wait for the total approval of the doctors at the clinic. It's an all day thing. Keeping fingers crossed it goes well for me and for everyone. take care

:biggrin2:Thanks so much for the list. I will print it and put it in my wallet for shopping and on my fridge. Still probably have a few months before my surgery to go through all the testing. I am impatient to get started. Went to a pre and post op meeting at Lahey Clinic the other night and was happy to meet people who have had the lap band and are pleased with their weight loss and outcome. It did a lot to bolster my feelings on this. I can't wait.

Scott, good talking to you at Lahey on Tues. I enjoyed the meeting and got a lot of good information. You look terrific. I noticed everyone who has been banded looked great. Can't wait for the day I can cross my legs like a lady LOL. I have to attend 4 classes can you give me an idea what those are like? Are they different from the group meetings? Thanks.

Hi, got the OK from BCBS, they said with a letter from the surgeon it would be OK. So tomorrow night is a group meeting for lap band patients. Have to go to 4 of them I think. I have minor surgery at 2:00 in the afternoon so I will stick around for the meeting later that evening. Hubby is quite supportive. I don't think he thinks I will leave him. He's the big strong overweight but it doesn't make him look fat, he's 6'4". Full head of hair and he's always been handsome. When he doesn't forget to put his teeth in LOL. I want this for ME not anyone else. Good luck everyong

From Pati here in Boston, congratulations Coco. I still have a long way to go here. More meetings and the whole hospital oking it. Just got off the phone with my insurance company. So that's going well. Hubby was given the boot last week on the job, take retirement package now or it's bye bye in June with no package. He took it. LOL They are paying most of the insurance costs for the next 3 months, they we have something called COBRA that bills us after that. Not as expensive as paying private insurance, and it goes for 18 months. So that's a help. He's too young at 62 for retirement so we hope that we can survive for the next year or so. Now don't take this the wrong way, when I was in Ireland this past Sept. I didn't notice an obesity problem, most of the really heavy people (like me) seemed to be the tourists. Is this something new the past 10 or 20 years since the economy has boomed there? Or too many McConalds there? I found the native food very good and healthy. I just stayed away from the fish and chips, since I hate most fish. I did see lots of salmon to eat. My roomie ate it every night. I stuck with chicken or veggie meals. It could be those big Irish breakfasts they served. I adored them. LOL Just wondering Pati

I was told it takes up to 3 or 4 months to get through everything. Had my Orientation meeting early this month. End of Month my first group meeting with people who have had the lap band. Then March 10th I have a sleep clinic overnighter. March 20th I have my all day meeting with the works. Including shrink. They then decide if I am a candidate for it. I don't have a choice. They make the decision. If rejected I'll go to Winchester LOL But my PCP has OK'd this and letter sent to BCBS with his recommendation. Good luck, it seems like forever but it will come up fast.

Hi, I am going through the pre-op stuff at Lahey. How did you like it? Who was your Doctor? Was the shrink thing a bit odd or OK LOL> Overall what was your experience like? Thanks I live in Wilmington Pati

Wow 550 questions, I sure hope I don't have that many or I also would runs screaming out of there. LOL Have my sleep lab appointment for March 10th, the day after my Birthday, and it's at a hotel which I think is pretty funny. Have to be there at 8:30 with my jammies, robe and slippers. I will also bring my own pillow that will help me fall asleep. March 20th is the big evaluation day. Good luck eveyone:biggrin2:

Wow that is a short approval time, lucky you. Mine will be longer for sure with meetings etc. My BCBS covers me because I am type II. I wonder if pre type II counts. We were joking about some eating their way up to a BMI of 40 to get in without other pre-existing conditions. Sounds kind of dumb if you ask me.

What about adding extra protein with the protein powders you can buy at GNC, Add them to your drinks? Or oatmeal and such. How about baby food...like the meats? mix them with a drink they don't have much taste? Glad I like some mushy foods LOL Hope to be banded before July. OK what about swimming, anyone know what you do about that? We have a pool and spend 90% of the summer in and around it when it's very hot here, which isn't that often in New England, but we love it? How soon after surgery can you go in?

There was another story in the Boston Globe Heath pages today regarding Bypass and lap band as a "cure" for Type II diabetes. Second article in last month. They talked to doctors from Brigham and Womens in Boston and the Joslin Diabetes clinic. They feel this is the most promising thing now and thousands of people are eligible for it. Just got of the phone with hubbys HR they forced him into retirement last Friday, we will be covered but have to pay Cobra, which right now for BCBS is cheaper than us buying a policy and it goes for 18 months. So I don't have to worry about my hopefully upcoming surgery. Have my meeting in March for all day session and sleep clinic also. Wish everyone lots of luck.

I think our friends who are also overweight are either scared or jealous or both. They may want to do the same thing but are too scared to do it.I have a best friend who is more overweight than me, she's skeptical of the surgery. She has more medical problems than I do. I just got off the phone with my PCP's secretary "Inga" well I got a letter today saying that I need to go to Weight Watchers...HELLO!!!! I tried that a few times years ago. Lost and put on again, it's a cycle. I called her and she had no idea there was a Weight Surgery Clinic. I have never met her she's always in the "back room" at the hospital, but I would bet a million she's skinny LOL. I told her I wanted a letter from PCP to send to BC/BS saying I need this surgery. She checked the records and said. "Oh, your already signed up for this....I said sure but I need something to send BCBS letting them know I need this for my overall health. DUH!!!! she finally "got it" and said he would send a letter to me to forward to BCBS. Now how hard is that. Geez. LOL Oh I don't think there will be a problem with your insurance. The clinic people said it's one of the easiest to get permission from. Some don't even cover it no matter what.

Thanks now I understand it was such a brief explanation. I don't think I need this either. My BMI is 38.5 with Type II diabetes and some bone issues and Cholesterol. I think it's for people with very very high BMI's. I won't have this for sure now