Jennywren93

and I am in the process of doing my 6 mo supervised diet, here in Nashville, TN. We have a great group of drs here, but they advised I find a dr up there to do surgery, etc. :bolt: Anyone have any ideas of the area, where the closest dr is, and contact info for the office? I know we are about 45 min south of cincinatti (sp?), but don't want to have to go that far, because then I have to come home that far! lol kwim? I will go to cinci if I have to, though.

We are very excited about our move, but I am upset it is derailing my "dreams of being thinner" at the moment, I really need some info and help! lol

TIA

Jenny

I know that my current office said they have a dr that works with them to do the pre-stuff (like 6 mo supervised diet, etc) if your dr won't work with you. You may call and ask them if they have anyone like that?

Yes, I, after 11 years, am getting a job. rofl I went yesterday and got hired to work for an insurance co called Liberty Mutual, and one of the benies is I get BC/BS health insurance. not sure what division. Anyway, I figure this has to be better insurance than what dh has (his sux) and was wondering, how long does it take to get approved? Is it just a couple weeks across the bc/bs board? If so, OMG I am really thrilled about working there! lol

Any help? info?

I am in the 6 mo "dr diet" period so I am still waiting for my band, but I am not telling ANYONE right now, and maybe not after for a while, about it. My family is very.......judgemental....about my weight, and when I told them I was going on pills for depression they chastised me and I went off them for 3 mo until I almost had a nervous breakdown! Telling them I am getting this surgery would surely get a similar response. Heck! I'm not even telling them I am looking currently for a full time job to go back to work after being a SAHM for 11 yrs. "Well, it's about time! it will be great for you! You will be so much happier" I can hear it now! and as far as surgery, I probably wouldn't lose fast enough, etc.

When I came up with food allergies 7 yrs ago it was such an inconvienience to my mother that we quit having meals over there - or going over there much at all- because "I just don't know how to feed you anymore" and I would prolly get the same thing again with the surgery. From my parents and sis I get the "you are so much prettier when your face is thinner" and just recently I cut my hair short short and my sister told me I needed more hair at my neck to "balance out all....this....." as she pointed to my shoulders, chin and chest. So, no, they are not getting told about my surgery. And as I lose and get near my sister's weight, I can imagine what I will hear..... nope...not gonna listen to them. when i got into the 180's (my lowest in recent years) my dad sure did love and praise me more..... i hate that. I want to be told I am beautiful because I am their daughter, not because I am thinner. I know you know what I mean.

OMG I'm sorry, this got waylaid! lol guess I need to journal some feelings, huh? lol Yeah, i have issues with my family and my weight.:tt2:

I am one of those who have to do the 6 mo diet before insurance will even look at me, I have looked all over this site, tried to post a couple times for support and people kinda just snub their noses like I don't need support! But guess what, this time is just as frustrating/hard/scary/difficult as just before being banded and post op! We should have an area that we can discuss our issues too!

I got my paperwork, and my dr's pre-op diet is 1 week of 2 meals liquid, dinner is a lean cuisine type thing, with Water and chicken broth, etc in between, then the week before is all liquid. 20 g Protein for each liquid meal. he even has me back to eating by week 2 post op!

Each dr is different, but to be safe, why not give his office a call and ask?

thanks Cinderella! My dr told me to be on a 2000 or less calorie diet, and to try to walk 30 min a day. Well, I did 2 days this week and had a fibromyalgia flare on friday where I slept basically the ENTIRE day. I'm pretty good on the eating well thing (I know, doesn't make sense) because I have had food allergies for years, so my diet is pretty clean. What I am using this 6 mo for is to learn how to eat differently. My paperwork I have gotten shows I need to eat Protein first, then veggies, then fruit (or carb) and my dr put me on the south beach diet (or low carb), so I need to work on that, and I am working on slowing down my eating- chewing better- and upping my exercise.

thanks for your well wishes

Anyone wanna be my buddy on the 6 mo "dr supervised diet" program countdown? LOL Gotta love insurance. this is my first month, so I have a way to go. I also have to get my house in order/organized/freezer meals ready for a month at least for my family . I have 3 girls- ages 12, 10 and 8 and a dh, so I need to know that they will be able to handle my responsiblilities while I am down (it hasn't happened in the past), so that means I need to make a schedule or routine for THEM to help out (which they are loathe to do right now).

So, I am looking for anyone who is starting this 6 mo battle of the insurance (LOL) who is looking for support as well (like me) and then beyond.....with either our surgery or more insurance battles! Sign up under here with me and let me get to know you!

my insurance requires the 6 mo dr supervised diet, and I just got my pcp on board last week, so this is the start of my journey. I was wondering if there was a special place on this board for people like us.... looking for support for the long 6 mos ahead! lol Well, if not, I guess we can just keep this thread moving and we can all keep eachother company?

Oh hun, good luck. I understand your concerns and I was physically ill before I went to my seminar, and didn't even realize I was going to "start my chart" that night! lol I was more worried about driving in downtown Nashville, and getting there and back, being the fattest in the room, etc, etc. Now, all my fears were unfounded and I felt immensly better after, so, relax now! I had my seminar about 3 weeks ago. My biggest hurdle (and I did go over it in flying colors!) was contacting/talking to/convincing my PCP that I needed this surgery. He agreed and I began my 6 month diet last week! yay! Breathe, you will be fine, and you will be approved!

I am giving random thoughts, since I am not banded yet but.....

1. you may be close to your ideal weight- do a look in the mirror, go shopping for some new clothes and see where you REALLY are, etc. Heck! 34 is amazing for a man's pant size!

2. I learned this a long time ago and it really has stuck with me....protein with EVERY meal- even if it is just 2 oz of cheese, chicken, etc. along with some green veggies. (didn't you say your Calcium was down?) I have been dairy allergic for years, and a couple months ago my calcium was tested, and it was near the high end of the range. I eat TONS of green veggies (very high in calcium), along with other high calcium foods (google a list). the list I just got from the nutritionist says 60 g of Protein a day, so I would aim for higher than that if you are a man!

3. I would say your portions look good, but you might try to add a small snack once or twice a day to get a couple more calories (being a guy you need a bit more). people have found eating more calories for a few days, then going back to regular meals will fool the body out of starvation mode and get you back to losing weight.

just my 2 cents

I've gotten my pre/post op diet (yesterday) and was just reading over it to answer your question. No where does he even mention coffee- all he says is no sweet tea (empty calories). Will write this down as a question! thanks!

Hi! I am going through the Baptist Metabolic Surgery Center, their phone # is 615-284-2400. they seem like a great group (I am going to go to dr mcdowell. He's really nice) and they have support groups that meet at their offices. I think the lap band one meets the second tuesday of every month. call and talk to amy and see if they do fills too.

Hope the info helps!

Well, I went. And it went well. At first he thought I was "going from one extreme to the other" but I assured him quickly that I have thoughroughly done my research and have been thinking about this for quite a long time, that I just hadn't discussed it with him. He said there's dangers with any surgery, I said I knew, and the one thing I liked about it is that it IS reversable if something medically happens that it needs to be removed. Went over my weights I had written down, then over my bmi from the last few months, and my weight from the last 2 weeks,, and he saw the trend of me slowly creeping up. We then discussed things I hadn't told him about- my shoulder, stronger periods, my knee hurting, etc, and he said it is all related to weight, and wrote it down. I think what made him agree with me finally was when I told him I just can't fill up, that it seems I dont have that switch to tell me "hey, you're full, stop eating". I told him I can eat my dh under the table! His eyebrows went up and he started writing again. lol So, he decided this would be a good step for me, he asked if I wanted to try drugs, and I said I really take too many already and just don't feel like taking more, and he agreed that they can be difficult and make you jittery.

So, he wrote down on my first sheet that I am to do a "south beach kinda diet with more protein" and walk 30-40 min every day and wii fit. He seems pretty positive about me doing this. He said it may take a while with the insurance. He had a guy trying to do this for 1.5 yrs, on 12 meds, tons of co-morbidities, and finally got it. He lost 150 lbs and is off of all meds! I sure hope my insurance is nicer than his!

and I am very nervous! he didn't know I was going to check out the lap band surgery, so I am expecting some very big resistance from him. Pray I am wrong! I have put together (from my wii fit) my bmi history by week from 5/26- today and my weight history from 7/22-today. The weight history shows a 2 ish lb loss, but from 5/26, the bmi has gone up 1 point +. I also wrote down things I have been keeping from him (I am not one to complain or call over every little thing), and my weightloss history/diet history from 19 through now.

My dh was trying to give me questions the dr is going to ask me, like how much do I exercise, do I track my calorie intake, etc. and it finally hit me: it's not about losing weight. I have already done that many times. What this surgery is about is giving me a tool to keep the weightloss permanant. I feel I have a "bottomless pit" of a stomach, and have always said that if I had a smaller stomach I could lose weight, so this is the solution to that issue!

any other words of advice I could say to the dr to convince him?

Thanks for your thoughful reply, I dropped off the paperwork yesterday at my pcp and they called today to have me make an appt to talk to him about it. I go in next thursday. Will let you all know how it goes. I am not a whiney butt, so I have held back a lot of stuff over the years (like I have fibro, but my right shoulder hurts more in the joint and the left doesnt at all, and my left knee has started hurting off and on a few mo ago) So, this may be a real eye opener for him! lol Dr. M is awesome and more "holisitic" than just shoving pills down you every chance he gets, but he believes in the power of pills too. If that makes sense? He has actually been on TLC in a show about when things get left behind inside patients during surgeries- he helped a man from the brink of death survive!

As far as insurance goes- I think what we have is we have to pay 100% up to $4000 (family) and then 90/10- well, we are already up to only $1600 left I think.......oh but crap...this will be next year, so not sure what it will be....dh will have to think about it when signing up for insurance next year. hmmmmmmmm Insurance did say I have to be on a 6 mo physician supervised diet, and the nurse said then it will take about 1 mo for the predetermination letter to be approved, so 7 mo from now is march.

I say if you feel like doing it, go for it! I think 6 weeks is stretching it a bit. My husband would have died if he had to wait 6 weeks!

I told my husband it was prolly 6 weeks since you can get back to "normal activities" then (haven't even scheduled it yet), and he about died! lol I will let him know the "good news" that you all say 2 weeks of "gentleness". lol:thumbup::wink2:

did anyone eat more before they went in for their first weigh in for the 6 mo diet? I am waiting on my dr to "approve" me (he didn't know I was wanting lap band, took the paperwork to him today and dropped it off chicken-like) and I am also waiting on the paperwork from the lap band dr for the 6 mo check ins for the insurance co. Right now my BMI is 41.44 (thanks wii fit!), but I am wondering if I should try to gain a couple (or more! lol) pounds before I go for my first weigh-in with my dr in case I lose too much while over the 6 mo? How much did you lose during the 6 mo? Should I just not try too hard with my eating and just exercise some? any advice is appreciated!

Well, I took the paperwork today. I was out and about, so my hair and makeup were done! :wink2: I put the letter from the dr to my pcp and the request for files and a hand written letter on top for him. I said I was wanting the lap band surgery for slow, safe, permanant weight loss, that I had done the research and thought long about this and would really appreciate it if we could continue our association through this journey. I haven't heard back yet. Will let you know.

Just wonder. Should I try to gain a couple pounds before I go in for my first weigh in (I have to do a 6 mo dr supervised diet for my insurance) so that my bmi is a bit higher, so that when I lose it will still be above 35 (I am currently at 41 bmi, thinking 5 lbs a mo, 30 lbs will get me to 37 bmi maybe... will that knock me out of the running for my surgery?)

and I am sooooo nervous! You know, the "we need a letter of recommendation, and files" paperwork. What makes me nervous is that I didn't talk to him about this before going to the seminar, and the last time I talked to him about anything- gastric- was years ago (didn't know about the lap band) and he was against it. So, I am going to handwrite a note I am wanting the lap band, hope he just calls to discuss it and I don't have to go in to discuss it, and hope he ok's it. I will let you all know how it goes. Just posting this so I have to be accountable and not procrastinate and not do it AGAIN today! I have to be on a 6 mo dr supervised diet, need to get it going.

Well, dr's office called today (had my seminar last night) they talked to my insurance and yes it is covered, BUT.... I have to have a letter of recommendation from my pcp (I'm not sure he will give it), a 6 mo dr followed diet, psych eval, nutrition eval and 3 yr hist of weight (1 wt from each year). Then they will send a predetermination letter and that takes about 30 days to hear back from.

At least I know going in what I need. I am cool with that. So it takes me 7 mo prep.... in 5 yrs i am still going to weigh less than I do right now, right? So what does 7 more mo matter?

Hey everyone! I went for my seminar last night, and Amy called today to tell my my insurance will cover it ...BUT..... I have to have a 6 mo dr supervised diet, psych eval, nutrition eal and 3 yr hist of weight (1 wt for each of the last 3 yrs showing a bmi of 35+), and a letter of recommendation from my dr.

Not much of that was a surprise, what is worrying me is the letter of recommendation from my dr. The last time I asked about gastric bypass he said no. I haven't talked to him about the lap band, but worried he will tell me no again. Amy said that if he does, they have a dr there that can become my pcp for my 6 mo diet, etc. I LOVE my dr, he has been amazing helping me with my fibromyalgia, but less than helpful with my weight. My whole family goes to him, so I will still have to see him, I just don't know what to do if he says no.

well, I met dr mcdowell last night, I really liked him! I'm nervous about having to get a letter from my PCP- he doesn't know yet and he is very conservative so I don't know if he will say yes. I guess I need to call my pcp and see if i have to go in or if I can just drop off the paperwork. going to do that now.

well, I went to my seminar last night with dr Mcdowell at baptist. I was hoping to get him, and I did. he is really nice, but says he prefers gastric for himself because he is impatient. I am not, so i think lap band will be fine for me.

I am nervous about one thing. I went to this seminar unbeknownst to my PCP. A few years ago I talked to him about gastric (lap wasn't available, or I dind't know about it then) and he said NO! So, I don't know how he will feel about me getting the lap. I need to get a letter of recommendation from him and I am nervous about it. Do i need to make a special appt with him, or can I just take it in to him, or just fax it to him? LOL I really want to take the chicken way out. lol Any advice? Amy said she would call my insurance today to see what my pay would be, etc, and dr said he puts all his patients on a diet as well....so I see this will be a process. That's ok, I am just worried it will take forever for me to lose weight, as I have been fighting just to keep my weight even or gain little- I have gained about 7 lbs in the last 2 mo fighting.

Thanks Lapbandfan! I am excited/nervous about the seminar tomorrow, but dh is ready to support me and take care of the kids while I go! now to get other ducks in a row (like organizing house so family can keep it semi clean while I am down! lol)