Cherylita

Sherry, that is exactly the attitude that is needed! I know things will work out for you. Anything at all, as far as records is concerned, is what they are looking for. From what I understand they basically want to make sure this isn't something that happened in the last couple of years. The fact that you have records from further than 5yrs should be helpful as well. When I wrote my letter I started with the facts. I gave them my weight or lack there of because it was hard finding a scale that went up that high. I described joint pains and different struggles and different methods of weightloss I had tried. Just be as honest as possible. I started this process weighing 404lbs. As of today I weigh 369. I attribute the most recent 8 to the band since I just go it Wednesday and lost 8lbs between then and today. Don't ever be disappointed in what you haven't done. Be positive in what you are going to do. This point is where we learn patience. Having time to think this decision through is good. Whatever decision you come to is going to be the right one for you. Just believe in that. Best of Luck Cheryl

thanks TQ. I had actually just left a message for the Nurse Pract at the Drs office. I am pretty sure it's nothing but just some passing mess but like I said I tend to worry. thanks for the advice :wink_smile:, Cheryl

Hey y'all I was just banded on Wed, NYEve. I have been using the spirometer (sp) and met the goal they set for me. Last night I noticed a little crackling in my chest and this morning it was there also. No fever, nausea, chills, nothing like that. just the crackling. But because the hospital put the thought of pneumonia in my head, I am stuck on that thought. Has anyone ever heard of someone getting pneumonia 5days after surgery? It might sounds kinda dumb, but I tend to worry about the small things. :wink_smile: Thanks, Cheryl

Hi Sherry! I have United Healthcare and had to provide the 5yr history. Although I have always been obese I have never really had to go to the Dr. So I ended up having to write a letter asking them to authorize my surgery. That may be something you might want to start composing--just in case. I explained my history and added some technical information but the majority was me being personal and putting it all out there. I didn't talk to them on a Dr-patient level but on an emotional, human level. I got approved the first time. But, if you aren't willing to jump through hurdles and fight for a healthier you then you probably wouldn't be thinking about this major change. Don't let the fear stop you from fighting for your life. Because ultimately, that's what this is a battle for a healthier you. It isn't that easy. So the question is to you. Are you really ready to make a change and go through the process for better or worse? Please don't take this as rude. I am just being real. Cheryl

Thank y'all for all the well wishes! Sugar, my recovery is coming along as planned. Today is 5days post op. I am still on the liquid phase and doing well so far. I do get tempted to step ahead and try something mushy, but I know that's the old me just wanting food because it's available. As far as physical things, I still have a little pain, but it feels like when you take a deep breath and there's a sharp catch like an air pocket in your lung. believe me it is NOTHING compared to the couple of days after surgery. sneezing and coughing only cause mild discomfort. I start back to work tomorrow and today, I am back to doing dishes and stuff (although it's at a much slower pace). Basically I am really trying not to over do it. I will keep ya posted. Feel free to ask anything. Cheryl

Well New year's Eve came and went and by NYDay I was banded. I stayed overnight due to insurance requirements and left by 10am. The surgery was, uneventful, thank God. I was actually worried about my liver being to fatty because I didn't exactly follow the pre-op atkins diet my Dr put me on. But he actually said I had a skinny liver with no fat. my mom said I said...there really is a skinny person inside trying to get out. lol. I was still under anesthesia. She said it cracked her up. I remember all the preop stuff and about an hr after I got there they gave me something in my IV and I told my hubby I loved him and the next thing I remember I was waking up. I was in pain right below my chest. Couldn't take in deep breaths and coughing??...forgetaboutit! It hurt like hell! but today is day 4. I am down 8lbs and the pain has subsided. I am not walking for any long amounts of time, just around the house and stuff. I figure at the end of week 2 I will be feeling better. my brother is an exercise freak so he is just waiting to get me in the gym! I told him, he will have to take it easy on me for a bit because..uhhh, this body aint used to workin out...let alone workin out hard! lol. So I will keep ya updated on that. As far the post op diet. My instructions said I could have clear liquids, creamy soups(strained), protein drinks, etc. For the protein I am using slimfast optima for now (my walmart is small and doesn't carry much selection). I mixed it with skim milk and some coffee and ice. It was suprisingly good! I am also taking 1flinstone vitamin a day. I got the complete that has Biotin that helps with hair growth. I thinks I am doing well so far.

Well New year's Eve came and went and by NYDay I was banded. I stayed overnight due to insurance requirements and left by 10am. The surgery was, uneventful, thank God. I was actually worried about my liver being to fatty because I didn't exactly follow the pre-op atkins diet my Dr put me on. But he actually said I had a skinny liver with no fat. my mom said I said...there really is a skinny person inside trying to get out. lol. I was still under anesthesia. She said it cracked her up. I remember all the preop stuff and about an hr after I got there they gave me something in my IV and I told my hubby I loved him and the next thing I remember I was waking up. I was in pain right below my chest. Couldn't take in deep breaths and coughing??...forgetaboutit! It hurt like hell! but today is day 4. I am down 8lbs and the pain has subsided. I am not walking for any long amounts of time, just around the house and stuff. I figure at the end of week 2 I will be feeling better. my brother is an exercise freak so he is just waiting to get me in the gym! I told him, he will have to take it easy on me for a bit because..uhhh, this body aint used to workin out...let alone workin out hard! lol. So I will keep ya updated on that. As far the post op diet. My instructions said I could have clear liquids, creamy soups(strained), protein drinks, etc. For the protein I am using slimfast optima for now (my walmart is small and doesn't carry much selection). I mixed it with skim milk and some coffee and ice. It was suprisingly good! I am also taking 1flinstone vitamin a day. I got the complete that has Biotin that helps with hair growth. I thinks I am doing well so far.

This is good information! I was just banded on Wednesday so I want to make sure I get any nutritional info available. Also I wondered about something because I have heard that some people start to lose their hair. I wondered if getting vitamins with Biotin or a vitamin for hair, nail and skin health was a good choice. Any ideas? Cheryl

Mine is on NYE too!! At first I was scared of something going wrong but felt this is what I need to do. My thought became "if something should happen at least I was trying to improve myself and my health". But now I am not so much nervous about that as I am about my liver still being too fatty. My pre-op is a modified Atkins diet. But I can't help thinking after 35years of being obese what difference can 2wks really make. So we shall see. I also found out today that my insurance(UHC) plan requires an overnight stay. Which I guess is good but at the same time I wanted to at least ring in the new year at home. But hey at least I'll finally be keeping that resolution I have been making for the last few years to lose weight! LOL! anywhooo...GOOD LUCK TO US ALL AND CONGRATS ON MAKING THIS DECISION! I'll be praying for y'all. Cheryl

Hiya, I haven't been banded yet (scheduled for NYEve) but when I went for my preop visit with Dr Marsden he said some of his patients pour their diet soda over ice and let it sit for a couple of minutes. He said he doesn't have a problem with this of course no drinking through straws. He also suggested a glass of wine a week actually helps with weight loss. He didn't say become a whino LOL!! but he did say that is something he has learned along the way. He has done thousands of LapBands and I have yet to find someone who found any disappointment with him. but he did mention something interesting maybe you guys can help out....He said alot of his patients have a problem digesting lettuce. Other leafy greens are okay but lettuce gives them a problem. any opinions? I love reading these forums, I have learned so much. But sometimes things have to be taken with a grain of salt. Where my Dr says those things are okay, another Dr may disagree altogether. Anywho, that's my 2cents Cheryl

WOW! So sorry you had to go through that. Thanks for sharing because these are good things to know about and be aware of. I am scheduled to be banded on 12/31. But I had a question. you said the sour stomach and diarrhea was caused from what again? If you weren't able to eat what was souring your tummy? This way I know different things that may happen with the band. thanks, Cheryl

Well, after all this time of waiting, I am finally scheduled! The longest part was trying to get my weight history from the last 5yrs. Fortunately I was never a sickly person but then that means that I don't have history from anything within the last 5yrs either...well, except for 2007 and this year. So, I had to write a letter to my insurance company instead. Luckily I was blessed with a little bit of writing skills. I had been 2nd guessing my decision because I kept thinking..ya know if it's just eating small portions and exercise, well, hell I can do that on my own! I don't need this surgery-LapBand is the easy way out. So this mentality took over in about June-when I stopped my pre-lapband work ups-So I tried it. I watched what I ate and exercised a little. It was going great for about ohhhhh...3days. Then I decided I don't need to diet, I am fine being me! Then my husband asked me to go to the waterpark with him. I made up some lame excuse about not feeling well and he went with his family and without me. I stayed home and cried. What have I let myself become? I didn't go out anymore. We hadn't been on a date in forever. I am so paranoid that people are watching me wondering how much I weigh or what I am going to eat. My hubby thinks I am beautiful but I look at myself and all I see is my double chins, big arms and huge stomach. My hubby and I sat down and talked about it all. My weight, my health, our relationship and our future. After he has seen me struggle through the ups and downs of dieting he finally said that he wants me to be with him for a long time and to do that, I need to be healthy. My OB/GYN also said she wouldn't even talk to us about having kids because I am too overweight. This time when I considered surgery, I looked at this with a different mindset and realized this is NOT the 'easy' way out. I had tried to lose weight on my own and I am good for a couple of days and at most a couple of weeks, but I needed help. I needed something that would make me learn to eat properly and watch my portion sizes. I needed a guide. So, I decided to proceed with the process. Alot of it fell into place and moved right along and alot of factors played into my decision to go ahead with the surgery. When I had to write the letter, I prayed. I believe in prayer and that God answers prayer. Some people choose to believe different things, but I believe in God. The day I mailed off the letter I told God it is all in his hands. I asked that he would help me accept the response, whatever it was. A few weeks later I received the authorization and am scheduled for Surgery on Dec 31st. New Year, New Me! I know this was God's helping hand. I know that this is going to help me to control that which I am not strong enough to. I have read about being 'stuck' and pbing, erosion, slippage, people who the band didn't work for or who didn't work with the band. I have read it all and then some. But if I let myself keep believing that I can change on my own, I am just fooling myself and ruining my future. I am 35 and weigh 365lbs all because I keep telling myself...I can change whenever I want. If I could...don't you think I would have by now? Maybe there are those people out there who can lose the weight on their own and keep it off, but I am not one of those people. I need help and this is how I am going to get it. I have read about people being scared of death during surgery or because of surgery. I am no different. But I would rather die trying to help myself than to die because I never tried. Well thats my story for now. I will let ya know how surgery went. If you are reading this and thinking about the band. Make sure you weigh all your options, be ready to work hard on your lifestyle change and have a good support system (family, friends, spouse, anyone you chose). This isn't just another diet you can give up on if you want -this is surgery, expensive and invasive-you've already done the yo-yo dieting or you wouldn't be here reading blogs and researching lapband. Just be confident in your decision and trust yourself. Good luck on your journey Cheryl

Well, after all this time of waiting, I am finally scheduled! The longest part was trying to get my weight history from the last 5yrs. Fortunately I was never a sickly person but then that means that I don't have history from anything within the last 5yrs either...well, except for 2007 and this year. So, I had to write a letter to my insurance company instead. Luckily I was blessed with a little bit of writing skills. I had been 2nd guessing my decision because I kept thinking..ya know if it's just eating small portions and exercise, well, hell I can do that on my own! I don't need this surgery-LapBand is the easy way out. So this mentality took over in about June-when I stopped my pre-lapband work ups-So I tried it. I watched what I ate and exercised a little. It was going great for about ohhhhh...3days. Then I decided I don't need to diet, I am fine being me! Then my husband asked me to go to the waterpark with him. I made up some lame excuse about not feeling well and he went with his family and without me. I stayed home and cried. What have I let myself become? I didn't go out anymore. We hadn't been on a date in forever. I am so paranoid that people are watching me wondering how much I weigh or what I am going to eat. My hubby thinks I am beautiful but I look at myself and all I see is my double chins, big arms and huge stomach. My hubby and I sat down and talked about it all. My weight, my health, our relationship and our future. After he has seen me struggle through the ups and downs of dieting he finally said that he wants me to be with him for a long time and to do that, I need to be healthy. My OB/GYN also said she wouldn't even talk to us about having kids because I am too overweight. This time when I considered surgery, I looked at this with a different mindset and realized this is NOT the 'easy' way out. I had tried to lose weight on my own and I am good for a couple of days and at most a couple of weeks, but I needed help. I needed something that would make me learn to eat properly and watch my portion sizes. I needed a guide. So, I decided to proceed with the process. Alot of it fell into place and moved right along and alot of factors played into my decision to go ahead with the surgery. When I had to write the letter, I prayed. I believe in prayer and that God answers prayer. Some people choose to believe different things, but I believe in God. The day I mailed off the letter I told God it is all in his hands. I asked that he would help me accept the response, whatever it was. A few weeks later I received the authorization and am scheduled for Surgery on Dec 31st. New Year, New Me! I know this was God's helping hand. I know that this is going to help me to control that which I am not strong enough to. I have read about being 'stuck' and pbing, erosion, slippage, people who the band didn't work for or who didn't work with the band. I have read it all and then some. But if I let myself keep believing that I can change on my own, I am just fooling myself and ruining my future. I am 35 and weigh 365lbs all because I keep telling myself...I can change whenever I want. If I could...don't you think I would have by now? Maybe there are those people out there who can lose the weight on their own and keep it off, but I am not one of those people. I need help and this is how I am going to get it. I have read about people being scared of death during surgery or because of surgery. I am no different. But I would rather die trying to help myself than to die because I never tried. Well thats my story for now. I will let ya know how surgery went. If you are reading this and thinking about the band. Make sure you weigh all your options, be ready to work hard on your lifestyle change and have a good support system (family, friends, spouse, anyone you chose). This isn't just another diet you can give up on if you want -this is surgery, expensive and invasive-you've already done the yo-yo dieting or you wouldn't be here reading blogs and researching lapband. Just be confident in your decision and trust yourself. Good luck on your journey Cheryl

Girl I can relate to sleeping on flimsy cots. We went to a Girl Scout campout and the cots they had were old OLD military cots with springs. I barely sat down and it sank in so far my knees where at my chest! Needless to say, I decided to put the 2inch mattress on the floor and bunked there for the night. I thank God that he helped me with my decision to get the lapband. My surgery is in about 2 1/2 wks and I am getting nervous that all the sudden my insurance company is gonna say...oh nevermind we made a mistake you can't have the surgery. I have to keep thinking positively and thinking about how great it's gonna be being healthy and able to get out and live!! So it's all about staying strong and keeping the faith. Good luck you will do GREAT!! Cheryl

YEA!! :thumbup:Mine is on the 31st as well. But luckily I don't have to start the preop Atkins diet until 2wks prior. I asked if I should start now, but was told no start the 17th. I know things are going to be great for you! Good Luck Cheryl

Hi Deb, I'm Cheryl and have been going through the approval process since May. It shouldn't have taken that long, but I chickened out and stopped everything. When I decided to get back into it was about September. Had it not been for my lack of 5 yr medical history it would have moved faster. All of that history is to let you know that sometimes this process is slow, but if you stick to it you will achieve your goals. My surgery was finally approved and I am scheduled for New Year's Eve! I last year I weighed 406lbs. I tried everything and even subway like Jared--didn't work--lol..also was on a medically supervised diet and lost about 23lbs in about a month. I couldn't afford it after that so I just kept trying to monitor my portions and all in all I lost about 36lbs. So it took me a year to lose 36lbs. So I know something about struggling. So thats some of my background. If u have any questions or just want someone to talk to, I'm here. cheryl

shout? That was pretty great! I would be shouting too!! I would love to read the article as well! WAY TO GO!!!

No maybe about it! You are a fighter girl!! You're doing great!

What if all these things are just inside your head? What if you are going to do better than you said? You live for sugar, but it's time to live for you, Easier said than done, yeah, I know that's true. But nothing in life worth having is ever easy to get, So just keep fighting, reaching for that goal, don't give up just yet. You are worth fighting for so put on the gloves and get ready to fight because you will defeat this cookie monster and win this battle for life! okay so I know I am no poet, but I think you get the gist, so now I am ending this bad rhyming and all I am saying is DON'T QUIT! Your friend, Cheryl

Hi Diamondette, I am also in the process of getting banded. I have had everything except the sleep study, psych and nut visits but they are going to be next wed. From what I have gathered, the sleep study is just as Michele said. The NP (nurse practitioner) told me if a person has a neck measuring larger than 20inches (I think) they are concerned with the how the anesthesia will affect them. Also, as far as the pre-surgery diet..I don't know what the specific foods are but it is done to help shrink your liver so it is easier to work around it in surgery. Capsules...again, this is just info I have gathered...I am pretty sure you can no longer have pills, capsules or large "horse" pills. You would need to speak w/ur Dr about liquid, crushable or dissolvable meds. Even stuff like aspirin and tylenol would need to be the liquid kind, if you need them. Anywho, I have learned alot on this board and the obesityhelp.com boards. Hope this helped and Good Luck on your journey Cheryl

Good for you that you didn't get that cookie!! SCORE ONE FOR YOU!! I know you can do it! As for me and my progress, well my Dr says I have an ulcer so I am trying to heal it before I go back to True Results. From what I read, that is one of the reasons they won't do it! But I am not giving up! My Dr is good and she gave me a Prevpac which is supposed to get rid of the bacteria that causes it. So I am hopeful and praying that it is gone by the end of the antibiotics! Thanks for the support. I am glad ur following my progress this way I don't slip up too much! haha! But as of right now, all my tests are good and I am just waiting to see what happens with the ulcer. Damn the stress!! lol.. Say no the the Cookie Monster even though he is all blue and cute and stuff! hehe Cherylita

Heya Debbie! I see the cookie monster is calling you. You know it likes to do that. Tempt you, make you believe you can't do without it. But guess what? You can. Please I am not some skinny girl talking about "oh just exercise and watch ur calories" I am 361lbs so I know about food calling me. But sometimes you have to step up and take responsibility for the addiction. What is it they say..the first step is admitting you have a problem? Well you have done that. Now to find out how to deal with it. Find yourself a therapist or nutrionist who will work with you to overcome your addiction. Know that just like any other addiction..when the "high" is gone, you are still left with the problem that originally caused you to turn to your "cookie". Sure it may sound funny, but for the longest time, my comfort food was Little Debbie pinwheels (I think they are called). Chocolatey cake rolled with creme and covered in chocolate. I would make sure to have 2 boxes each time I went grocery shopping. I would even hide them when family or friends came over because I didn't want to share with anyone. I was like Golem from Lord of The Rings..."My Precious" LOL! but I am serious! So what happened? One day I decided this isn't right! Why do I let food tell me what to do? I would sit at work thinking about what I was going to eat that evening. It made me happy, excited even. As if I were going to some cool place or do something special. But no, all I was going to do was go home and eat. It's hard to turn food away. It's a fight I lose alot. But I do win small battles. Remember when I said I weighed 361? Well almost a year ago, I weight 408. Sure it isn't super fast weightloss but hey, it's 10% of the 50-60% I need to lose. So it's a start. I am hoping that learning to curb my appetite will help me should I be approved for the band. I have my fears just like you...Will I fail, Will I be one of those that want the band out now?! But my greater fear is will I be here in a couple of years if I go on living in this size body.... BTW, Every now and then I do have a cookie. But it's only 1 or 2 a month! Remember it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. Hope this helps. Cheryl

Yea!! I am so glad to see you actively pursuing this! You are doing great and I hope you get approved!! That's what it takes chica, push, push, push and eventually it will all fall your way. Great Job and so happy to hear this!! Cheryl

Thank y'all for your responses. I am hoping for the best. I took some more tests yesterday to determine if I will just need iron or if it is the ulcer bleeding causing the anemia. Damn the good Mexican food!! LOL!! But I am keeping positive and keeping up with my appointments I will know more on my next appt in 2 wks. Thanks again!! Cheryl :smile: