Doxie

Good luck and speedy recovery to all being banded today. We'll be waiting for updates.

There are 2 reviews about her on obesityhelp dot com. Both are positive. I'm being banded by Dr Fisher who is in the same practice with her. I've had a wonderful experience with the CSSA so far.

2 more days for me....I'm on Tues too. I'm excited and ready to get on with this journey. I did really well over the holiday, even with having guests and eating out. For breakfast yesterday, I had my protein shake before we went and just enjoyed the company with a cup of decaf coffee (brought my own fat free half and half).

I tried the fruit punch, grape and apple melon ones. The only one I would buy again is the grape. The other 2 had some funky aftertaste. I like the idea of adding a tasteless protein to something else if I get tired of shake type drinks.

I finally got my surgery date: Dec 2 10 more days! Yeah!! I thought I'd type up my timeline: July 11 – appt with PCM to ask for referral for Lap Band surgery Aug 25 – attended seminar, required before I could see the surgeon Sept 25 - appt with Dr Fisher Oct 9 and 16 – nutrition classes Oct 8 – psychological consult Oct 17 - called surgeon's coordinator to let her know all was done, had to contact the psychologist to have him resend his report to her. Oct 27 - coordinator called to say she submitted to Tricare. I checked with Tricare online daily and called a couple of times, by Fri the 31st, called to let coord. know they still didn't have it. Didn't hear back from her until Nov 6 and she called to say she sent it again. Fri Nov 7 finally saw the approval on Tricare so I called to let her know. Nov 10 – call from surgeon’s office to schedule review appt Nov 14 – review appt with Dr Fisher and schedule surgery date - DEC 2 Nov 22 – start 10 day pre-op diet I've eased myself into the 10 day diet by having protein shakes for breakfast this past week and a couple of lunches. Hubby and I went to a nice steak house for our last dinner last night. He leaves for Iraq in 2 weeks so this was our last opportunity to have a dinner date since I'll be on liquids those last few days he'll be home. I do get to eat one small meal a day on my pre-op diet so I'll get to have a little dinner on Turkey day. A couple of people have said things like, you'll miss the holiday goodies but it's just food and will always be available later...the important thing is spending time with loved ones.

I finally got my surgery date: Dec 2 10 more days! Yeah!! I thought I'd type up my timeline: July 11 – appt with PCM to ask for referral for Lap Band surgery Aug 25 – attended seminar, required before I could see the surgeon Sept 25 - appt with Dr Fisher Oct 9 and 16 – nutrition classes Oct 8 – psychological consult Oct 17 - called surgeon's coordinator to let her know all was done, had to contact the psychologist to have him resend his report to her. Oct 27 - coordinator called to say she submitted to Tricare. I checked with Tricare online daily and called a couple of times, by Fri the 31st, called to let coord. know they still didn't have it. Didn't hear back from her until Nov 6 and she called to say she sent it again. Fri Nov 7 finally saw the approval on Tricare so I called to let her know. Nov 10 – call from surgeon’s office to schedule review appt Nov 14 – review appt with Dr Fisher and schedule surgery date - DEC 2 Nov 22 – start 10 day pre-op diet I've eased myself into the 10 day diet by having protein shakes for breakfast this past week and a couple of lunches. Hubby and I went to a nice steak house for our last dinner last night. He leaves for Iraq in 2 weeks so this was our last opportunity to have a dinner date since I'll be on liquids those last few days he'll be home. I do get to eat one small meal a day on my pre-op diet so I'll get to have a little dinner on Turkey day. A couple of people have said things like, you'll miss the holiday goodies but it's just food and will always be available later...the important thing is spending time with loved ones.

Hello fellow December bandsters. I got my date today, I will be banded on the 2nd. I'll start my 10 day pre-op diet next Sat. I'll be able to have a very small thanksgiving dinner but I'm ok with that. I love to cook for others and I'll have lots of time for visiting with family. My hubby leaves for Iraq the week after my banding, I was so hoping to have it done before he leaves for his peace of mind so all is good. Teresa

I just got my date today, I'll be banded on the 2nd too.

Hi all, glad to find this area. We've been in the Army almost 21 years now: 88-91 Heilbronn, Germany 91-95 Fort Richardson, Anchorage, AK 95-98 Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO (DH did a year in Korea 97-98) 98-02 Fort Lewis, Tacoma, WA 02-06 Heidelberg, Germany 06-07 Lubbock, TX (DS and I came home early due to my dad's cancer/death) 07-present Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO To the person who asked about Ft Lewis, this is just my experience and yours would probably be different.....It is beautiful there and loads of fresh seafood but you couldn't pay me to go back. I had seasonal hayfever until I lived there. I now have year round allergies and moderate persistant asthma and can no longer eat fresh apples, peaches, pears, cherries, etc and almonds or hazelnuts....I can have them cooked or processed but not raw....it's related to the allergy to birch pollen. Anyway, if you don't have allergies or if you do, just be aware....there is a reason that WA is called the evergreen state. Something always growing, even the mold. Oh, and one of the biggest reasons I can't lose weight is that the daily medications for the asthma and allergies contain corti-steroids. The drs tell me that it's such a mild dose that it couldn't possibly affect my weight but I find it funny that since 2000 (when I was diagnosed and started taking these meds) I can't lose weight and now have more medical problems because of the weight.

This is what Tricare requires: TRICARE covers gastric bypass, gastric stapling and gastroplasty to include vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band surgery) is covered only when the beneficiary meets one of the following conditions: Is 100 pounds over ideal weight for height and bone structure and has one of these associated conditions: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome, hypothalamic disorders or severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints Is 200 percent or more over ideal weight for height and bone structure Has had intestinal bypass or other surgery for obesity and because of complications, requires another surgery (takedown) I don't know where she got her information. My surgeon requires the nutrition and psych eval but not a 6 mth diet and the other things are general pre-op requirements....hope this helps. http://tricare.mil/mybenefit/jsp/Medical/IsItCovered.do?kw=Gastric+Bypass&x=12&y=15

I asked the surgeon if I could get my nutrition and psych consults done on post and he was fine with it. I had an appt with my PCM to get prescriptions refilled and just asked him to put in the psych referral for me. Within a couple of days I had the approval from Triwest to see a network psychologist. The name they gave me was booked until Nov so I just started calling and got another one in network and got my appt a couple of days later. All I had to do was call Triwest and tell them the new name of the dr and they changed the referral. If I had used the Nut and psyc that the surgeons office works with I would have had to shell out about $750 and then try and see if it was covered. I didn't have that money to put out so I was glad my surgeon was so agreeable.

Kristina, What kind of pre-op diet and such did you have to do with Dr. Fisher? I have a call in to Jody to see what kind of time line I should expect now that she has all my info to submit to Tricare.

I'm glad to hear such a rave review of Dr Fisher. I don't have a date yet, just finished all the prep work and waiting for the office to submit for final insurance approval. I haven't been to a support group meeting yet.

Welcome, I am in the Springs as well and working with Dr Fisher. I am waiting for my psych consult referral so I can schedule that and I will be going to the nutritionist the 9th and the 16th then just have to wait for the ins. approval. I was nervous about asking my PCM for the approval but he had no problem giving me the referral. Good luck.

Hello from Colorado, I am currently in the process of getting banded. I've gotten the referral from my PCM, done the seminar and had my consultation with the surgeon. I have my nutrition classes scheduled and just have to make an appt for the psych eval. I hope I don't have to get another referral for that. I have Tricare and was referred to a non-military practice. My surgeon is ok with me getting the nutrition and psych eval done at the military hospital so that will save me some $$$$. I've been thinking about the lap-band for almost 2 years since I saw what success my sister-in-law had. I had to wait until Tricare started covering it. I've been lurking here for a few months and joined awhile back. Thought it was time I popped in and said Hi!

I heard from the surgeons coordinator yesterday and got the date for my orientation. The next available date isn't until Aug 25th. I will check back with the lady who does the class next week (she out until next Wed.) and let her know that if she has any cancellations to call me. I was watching "Big Medicine" tonight and they were showing the before and after pics of a lady that had plastic surgery after she lost all her weight. Hubby made a face and some noises and I just looked at him. He got mad and said, "I'm not going to tell you again that I don't see you that way and I'm not going to discuss it again." I tried to talk to him and say that I understand but he has to understand that when he makes comments about large people or saggy skin, that it bothers me. How do I know that deep down he isn't disgusted by me? So I said, "let me get this straight...I can't say anything to you about how this bothers me when you do that but I'm supposed to understand and it's ok for you to do it even though I've told you it bothers me?" Then he accused me of twisting what he said. Son was upstairs and piped in saying "Dad, that is what you said" and was promptly told to butt out. So I sat here quiet for awhile and that bothers him and he starts bugging me for being pouty. I wasn't being pouty but what could I say? Then he starts walking up the stairs to go to bed and brings it up again and just as I start to reply, he cuts me off and then acknowledges he cut me off but kept on talking and then finished walking up the stairs to bed. And he wonders why I rarely feel like making love. Agh!!! :thumbup: I don't even want to go to bed now but I have to get up at the butt crack of dawn so I have to.

I heard from the surgeons coordinator yesterday and got the date for my orientation. The next available date isn't until Aug 25th. I will check back with the lady who does the class next week (she out until next Wed.) and let her know that if she has any cancellations to call me. I was watching "Big Medicine" tonight and they were showing the before and after pics of a lady that had plastic surgery after she lost all her weight. Hubby made a face and some noises and I just looked at him. He got mad and said, "I'm not going to tell you again that I don't see you that way and I'm not going to discuss it again." I tried to talk to him and say that I understand but he has to understand that when he makes comments about large people or saggy skin, that it bothers me. How do I know that deep down he isn't disgusted by me? So I said, "let me get this straight...I can't say anything to you about how this bothers me when you do that but I'm supposed to understand and it's ok for you to do it even though I've told you it bothers me?" Then he accused me of twisting what he said. Son was upstairs and piped in saying "Dad, that is what you said" and was promptly told to butt out. So I sat here quiet for awhile and that bothers him and he starts bugging me for being pouty. I wasn't being pouty but what could I say? Then he starts walking up the stairs to go to bed and brings it up again and just as I start to reply, he cuts me off and then acknowledges he cut me off but kept on talking and then finished walking up the stairs to bed. And he wonders why I rarely feel like making love. Agh!!! :smile2: I don't even want to go to bed now but I have to get up at the butt crack of dawn so I have to.

I was going to wait until I got home from work to check the TriWest website for my referral status but I couldn't wait. I checked on my first break and then again at lunch. Nothing there yet. I had pretty much resigned myself that it wouldn't be until tomorrow. I checked again when I got home and the page took forever to load. I wasn't even paying attention and looked down and saw that the page wasn't blank as it had been earlier. What? It was actually in there and said APPROVED. I stared for just a minute, too shocked to move. I seriously was surprised to see that it was approved already, I was just hoping to see that it was in there pending. Wow! I'm excited and I don't know...a little apprehensive? I immediately called the surgeons office. The lady that answered was super nice and told me I'd have to talk to another lady and I'd have to go to orientation and then get a consultation. I left a voice mail for them to get back with me. Hope it doesn't take too long. :thumbup:

I was going to wait until I got home from work to check the TriWest website for my referral status but I couldn't wait. I checked on my first break and then again at lunch. Nothing there yet. I had pretty much resigned myself that it wouldn't be until tomorrow. I checked again when I got home and the page took forever to load. I wasn't even paying attention and looked down and saw that the page wasn't blank as it had been earlier. What? It was actually in there and said APPROVED. I stared for just a minute, too shocked to move. I seriously was surprised to see that it was approved already, I was just hoping to see that it was in there pending. Wow! I'm excited and I don't know...a little apprehensive? I immediately called the surgeons office. The lady that answered was super nice and told me I'd have to talk to another lady and I'd have to go to orientation and then get a consultation. I left a voice mail for them to get back with me. Hope it doesn't take too long. :smile2:

I'm just starting the process too. I went to my PCM last Fri and he put in the referral and it was online today (Mon), approved for an office visit with a local surgeon. Woo hoo! I'm just waiting for the coordinator to call me back with the time for an orientation and then to schedule the consultation.

I took the first step on my lap band journey today. I went to see my PCM and asked for a referral for the procedure. Now the waiting for the approval begins.

I took the first step on my lap band journey today. I went to see my PCM and asked for a referral for the procedure. Now the waiting for the approval begins.