Jessica1977

If you do what Enchanted suggested I think you will have a very good chance of approval. I was denied when all my paperwork was submitted, but appealed and got the additional info they requested and then was approved a few days later. I also went into the lap band journey not knowing if I would be approved either, so just try to stay positive! Good luck!

I am so sorry to hear that. I am sure that everything will come back just fine! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers! Try to stay positive and keep us posted. :thumbup:

Men love for women to make the first move and to be the one in control. He would also be pleasantly suprised if you woke him up in the middle of the night or in the morning to initiate sex! Another good one is to blindfold him so that he has no clue whats coming next! :thumbup: Good luck!

My doctor is Dr. Van Wagner in St. Louis. I wasn't self pay, so I can't be positive, but I believe that his price is right at $12,000. Also, I know that it's cheaper if you opt for the surgery center instead of the hospital. My experience with him has been excellent. Here is his website if your interested in checking into him: www.hoab.org Good luck on your journey!

Congrats and good luck on your journey!

Mmmm, sounds so good! I will be trying this, thanks for sharing!

I also took Phentermine years ago, it worked well for me too..but the end result was not worth it, I gained everything back and then some! Phentermine is commonly referred to as the legal meth amphetamine. My Primary physician that recommended the lap band is totally against Phentermine, so he prescribed me Meridia in the past, which is more of a long term weight loss drug and not to mention very expensive. I lost quite a bit but again ended up gaining it all back again when I quit taking it, because I fell right back into my old eating pattern. You don't really get any energy from it, it just tricks your brain into thinking you are not hungry.

Young - My time of the month conveniently came the night before my surgery. They had me wear a hosptial gown and just had me put a pad between my legs. What you get to wear just depends on what your doctor prefers.

Yeah, I have had the same exact problem, could only get to LBT by clicking the link in my favorites.

It took Cigna about 2 weeks to approve me. Good luck on your journey! :biggrin:

My insurance company told me that they do not look at the amount of weight lost. What they do look at is your compliance & dedication on whether you have kept every appointment and done everything that was requested for approval through them. In fact, I lost very little during my 6 month physician supervised diet and I was approved. Good luck on your journey!

My Doc doesn't fill during surgery to allow for swelling. I got my first fill at about 4-5 weeks post op. I have read on LBT that some Doc's do fill during surgery, so I think it's just Doctor's preference on whether they will fill you at surgery or not.

Anyone remember Garbage Pail Kids? Oh and the TV show Alf? I think I may still have my Alf stuffed animal packed away in a box somewhere! LOL

Glad to hear your feeling better!

Flutterpril - Where in Missouri are you from?

I totally agree with food commercials comment...I think they really do brain wash you!..Now that have been banded for 3 1/2 months they don't phase me much anymore. Every once in a while I do find myself wanting to eat like i used to, but it just isn't possible anymore, which is a good thing. My hardest thing is that my husband loves his sweets, but he is lucky because he is 6'5 and 210lbs. So sometimes the temptation is there for me to grab junk to snack on, but so far I have done really good! I am glad that you are doing well after your surgery. I was really sore around my port site too, it was really hard to get out of bed. It took me about 2-3 weeks to not cringe when I would forget and use my abdominal muscles.

Ann - Thanks so much! If I can do it anyone can! Its so nice to meet everyone! Congrats and good luck to all!

I have also been checking the 30's thread on and off and haven't seen much activity. I am so glad to finally see some! So anyway, :tongue_smilie: It's nice to meet you all! My name is Jessica and I was banded on 1/14/08, and so far I'm down 50 lbs! Congrats & good luck to everyone!

Have you had a fill yet? If so, maybe you are too tight and need a slight unfill..I'm not sure, it's the first thing that came to mind and is just a guess. Hope you feel better!

You will definately still be able to go out to eat, go to bbq's etc... You will just be doing it a little differently after the band, meaning you will be eating less and healthier. You learn along the way what kinds of different foods you can tolerate and those you can't. So far I can still eat pretty much everything I did before as long as I chew, chew, chew! Your life won't stop after banding, it will just be getting re-started! And you are right one of the hardest things is admitting you cant do it on your own..So you have already taken a very important step!!

Sassy - I used to feel the same way about myself that you do. And I have to tell you that getting the band was one of the best things I have ever done, and has definately given me my life back. One of the things I had to do before surgery was a 7 day clear liquid diet, and that by far was the hardest part of my journey. My first 2 days were really rough because eating was more of a habit for me, i felt so lost without food. Food was my drug, and suddenly I was without it. I was having a hard time accepting that food wasn't priority, not to mention I hadn't felt my stomach growl in years, and it took 3 days or so for it to finally start growling. (FYI - Not all doctors require the liquid diet before surgery.) That was pretty much the extent of my emotional feelings with food. I wish you the best of luck, this site is the one of the best ways to prepare yourself and research banding. It has helped me tremendously over the last 3 months! Good luck, keep us posted!

My first fill was 4 cc's. :biggrin:

My son was 12 months at my time of surgery and he loves to climb, so after surgery I just had him climb up on the couch when he wanted me to hold him, so that it was easier to be at his level. It made lifting him a lot easier.