brookepanda

I was told that BCBS doesn't require the 6 month supervised diet.

I am awaiting approval and still have yet to do my psych. eval. but that is set for the end of this month I have BCBS and asked about the supervised diet and was told it's not a requirement of BCBS.

Many congrats coming your way!

I've been looking at both the band and the sleeve.

I'm so torn.

I am so scared of re routing my insides to be honest.

I've been meaning to check out obesityhelp.com to look at people who have had it done.

So thank you for posting here and sharing your story.

I'm kind of there with you....

I keep getting people telling me that that gastric sleeve is better because of XYZ yadda yadda yadda.....

but you know what...I keep telling myself....that I chose the band because I don't want to reroute my insides!

AND...it's just a tool, I'm going to have to work at this....I'm going to have to be the one to change my life, I'm the one that's going to make this work. It will work, because I'm determined.

:party: I know you can do it too :tt1:

I asked this yesterday at my consultation because I too am a big fan of the swimming pool :biggrin:

And my surgeon said to wait 3 weeks to be safe, to make sure everything is healed up properly....

Well, it wasn't neraly as nerve racking as I thought it would be.

This was my first time meeting the surgeon, and he was very reassuring. I went to him because a friend of mine got the lap band from him back in March.

I asked him the list of questions I had and he gladly answered each one with out making me feel stupid for asking it :cool:

He said my insurance is usually very fast at getting approval, and scheduled my phys. eval for Monday and my meeting with the nutrionist for Tuesday!!!

He said from there he sends my paperwok off to the insurance company for approval which they have 30 days to approve or deny but he said his experience with our insurance is that they are very fast often times approving with in 24 hours, he said best case scenario they approve me by the end of next week and my surgery would be about 2 weeks after that!

holy crap....this is a lot to take in, in one day!

It's not only moving forward....it's moving at a fast pace!

Good luck Brooke!! Let us know how you make out!! :thumbup:

I sure will!

Thanks for the support! :redface:

I'm getting a little nervous!

My consultation is today... in just 5 short hours....

I'm bringing my Husband with me to the appt. so he can be in 'the know' on everything.

I'm glad he'll be there....

I had a really hard time falling asleep last night just thinking of this appointment today.

I'm so eager to find out all the details of getting approved, and all the pre op stuff I need to get out of the way...and see how long he thinks it will be before I get a date!

Wish me luck today :thumbup:

Congrats on getting your date!

Are you self pay or were you pre approved through your insurance?

I'm going be having a consult with Dr. Jossart he came highly reccommended by a friend I have here who was banded in march, and her mom was banded a year ago.

here is their website

Laparoscopic Associates - Weight-Loss Surgery San Francisco, Bariatric Surgery

I think my goal is going to be 130, I'm five feet nothing....and I just feel like if I could lose 100 pounds I'd be happy as a clam 130 is still considered overweight at my height :thumbup:

I wanted to add that I'm looking forward to fitting through a turnstyle with out turning sideways and hoping I'm not too big to fit through even that way!

dang those turnstyles!!!!

I can't wait to not be sweating like a pig ten minutes after I got out of the shower

I want to be able to fit in those white lawn chairs that everyone seems to have at their houses in their backyards

to be able to not buy plus size clothes

to wear cute clothes!

i can't wait to get a massage...i'm too self concious (sp)

i want to not have my stomach touch the steering wheel in the car

i can't wait to get a sassy new hair cut.

i want to not spill over into my husbands chair at the movies, or the airplane

Such great news!

I have yet to be banded...I have my consult coming up in July...

So far I've told my sister husband of course...and my mother just this past weekend....

she was so rude. Nothing new there.

I'm adopted.

Soooooo I'm the only fat person in my family....all the rest of my family are a bunch of twigs......

I tell my mom and the first thing out of her mouth was "well GOOD because you look like you're pregnant!" gee thanks mom.

She proceeded to tell me "you know I could be fat like you too but I'm not because I watch what I eat, and I take care of myself"

really???? So that'sssssssss how I get unfat!

Thanks for the tip!!!

needless to say....

I'm not telling anyone else.

I asked the same question of my surgery coordinator. She works it out as you should give yourself 100lbs for 5 feet of height, 5lbs for each additional inch of height (reduce 10% for small frame, add 10% for a large frame)

So if you are 5'8" and have a large frame (i.e. broad shoulders) your ideal weight should be 154lbs.

Make sense?

so because I'm five feet exactly I "should" weigh 100 pounds even?

I too have been wondering how people choose a final weight that is a goal to get to

Hello and welcome

I'm in the begining stages as well, I've got my consult on July 11th...I'm going to a doctor in San Francisco...I live in the north bay!

Hello...I'm in the north bay...Santa Rosa....I am seeing Dr. Jossart in San Francisco I go in for my consultation on July 11th.

Hello there, I'm in California too...also with Blue Cross I'm just starting my process, I go in for my consultation on July 11th. I too am hoping for a speedy hurdle free approval.

Hoping all goes well for you.

At the seminar, we received a packet of information and it included a list of psychologists that do the gastric surgery evaluations. One was $300 and another was $100, so it's good to check around. Someone asked if their personal psychologist could complete the evaluation, and the doctor said it should be fine but to check with their office.

I'm seeing a doctor in the Richmond, VA area.

ok thanks for the info!

my seminar is not until July 19th :sad_smile:

Sorry your husband is being less than supportive!

I would think he'd want you to get healthy so he could keep ya around longer :sad_smile:

I've not dealt with this....because my husband is very supportive....however I haven't told any of my family because I don't want to hear exactly what your husband is telling you.....

I am the only over weight person in my family.....nobody else knows what it's like...it's just me. It doesn't help the fact that I'm adopted, and that's probably why I'm the only person in the family with a weight issue...just that no one has my genes...

I really don't want to hear I'm taking the easy way out!

Thanks for all the info!

Can I ask....

did you take your cat in for professional pictures?

From what I've been reading on this site the documentation varies from insurance to insurance....

I myself am in the same boat as you as far as the documentation. I've done it all....though never had any of it documented...I have not however done weight watchers in a formal way....I did it by printing up the points info online and following it that way....so again...no documentation.

I personally searched for my exact insurance in the search box and found a lot of helpful things :sad_smile: As far as I can see my insurance doesn't require the documentation....but I can't be certain until I hear back from them after my consult.

Hi Brooke. I'm not too far ahead of you. I have my first physician appointment scheduled for next week. I've gotten a ton of information from this site. Welcome to LBT, and good luck!

Did you set up psych. eval on your own? I see it in your siggy that you've got lots of steps covered! More than I've got for sure.....

Where are you from?

Hi there!

My name is Brooke, and I'm I guess you'd say in the begining stages of getting banded. I have my first consult on July 11th. I'm hoping it's smooth sailing from there, but I can't be sure. I don't know what I need to do beforehand to get it done. I have blue cross blue shield ppo and I'm not sure of the steps (or rather hoops) they make you go through in order to be approved.

A little about me

I'm five feet exactly

and I currently weigh 236 pounds

I have a beautiful daughter who is 18 months old,

and a wonderful and very supportive husband of 5 years.

We reside in Northern California, and I'm seeing dr. Jossert in San Francisco.

I've found a lot of useful information on this site and thought I'd introduce myself and say hi to all of you :thumbup: