Kellster

Hey everyone! It's been awhile since I've been on, just plugging away. Since 2009 finally rolled around now I have my new insurance and have gotten fired up again. I had my consultation with Dr. Martin this morning and I am so excited! I went to his seminar after a good friend highly recommended his practice for bariatric surgery. I totally dig him and have heard some great stories so far. I'm gettin all my tests scheduled ASAP and am going to try to finish everything long before my 6 month diet is done. Just have to Celebrate and say hooray! The light is at the end of the tunnel and I finally see it! And of course, if anyone has been banded by Dr. Martin, I'd love to hear stories/advice. Oh, I'm going for outpatient surgery since I live like 3 miles from the hospital and (thankfully) have few health issues despite being super morbidly obese... :thumbup:

When will the 2009 monthly support groups be created? My roomie and I are targeting April 2009 and want to get some support but there aren't any 2009 groups yet. Advice anyone?

Ha! Talk about something to look forward to after banding! I have pretty vivid/realistic/weird dreams now and sleep like a log - I can't wait until after I'm banded and see if my dreams get weirder! I bet it's from your weight loss helping you sleep better. A deeper sleep with more time in REM is supposed to be better for you - so rejoice in your crazy dreams and write them down - they sure make for good stories! Congrats on your banding!

:rolleyes2: So I went out last night and had a rip-roaring good time, I just love Halloween and dressing up! I was a pirate, which I've been for the past few years (what can I say - it's a fun costume and it fits). And when I was out laughing and dancing and having fun I stopped for a moment and thought - "Whoa!!! This will be my last fat Halloween!!" Of course I shared with my friends and we all celebrated. Next year at this time I will have been banded for about six months and will be rockin along in my new healthy body. Ahhhhhh, I can't wait! No more having to go to a special store or website just to find a costume that fits me. No more figuring out how I can cover my problem spots while still enhancing the good spots. And honestly - I can't wait for all the positive attention! Oh and all of the different costumes that are possible! Anyway - just had to share. Your Halloween stories and experiences are welcome here!

You will probably have to do some sort of pre-op regimen that your surgeon requires, which may include a supervised dietician program, psych consult, upper GI, etc. PPO is easier in the sense that you don't have to get a referral before you see a specialist like you do with an HMO. But with the PPO you have that higher out-of-pocket deductible. I have Blue Shield HMO right now and have started the process with my PCP even though I'll be switching to Aetna PPO at the new year (not my choice - thanks to my work). It's been a challenge figuring out if Aetna will work with what I'm doing now but I think I will be ok - it's actually finally a good thing that I'm so heavy. My best advice is call your insurance company, ask them all the questions you have, bug the crap out of them, document it all, and really get the info on what you need to do. Every insurance plan is different. Good luck!!!

In my opinion, Lap-Band is better for long-term results, specifically because you can adjust it after the surgery. Bypass is a one-time deal and your digestive tract is forever changed. Bypass works based on the premise that your body will not be absorbing the calories (and essential nutrients). LB works by restricting the size of your stomach - but you can still absorb nutrients and calories naturally. Granted, with LB and any other WLS you have to stick to the guidelines, follow your recommended nutrition intake, and change your lifestyle to be healthier. You can gain the weight back with any surgery you choose if you don't follow the rules. For me, the winning factors that led me to choose LB are: *FAR less invasive/risky procedure - LB has a much lower morbidity rate *Faster recovery - I can be back to work in the next day or two *Maintains the integrity of my natural digestive tract - less risk of malnutrition and pregnancy is not limited *Somewhat slower weight loss = healthier, with hopefully less loose skin *Potentially can be reversed if there are complications in the future *Can be adjusted to make the band tighter or looser (Bypass can not be adjusted and rarely can be reversed - if you "eat through" your Bypass it is hard to go back) I recommend reading up on this website and reading books and finding out everything you can to make your decision. It all comes down to what you want and what is right for you. Good luck!!

Hey all - I know Aetna is super strict about everything, gotta love ins companies, right? My question is - for the comorbidities, does your doctor have to diagnose and treat you for them? My roomie has Kaiser now and a low BMI and both of us will have Aetna in 2009 and Kaiser, well.... they are shady and basically haven't officially diagnosed her with high BP or pre-diabetes. Does she have a chance at approval if she doesn't have the official diagnosis?

I'm still not banded yet but have started taking Biotin which is supposed to help with skin and hair - hopefully it will help with loose skin and protect my fine hair! I also plan on making sure I get all the Protein and Vitamins I need. I recently went to a symposium by the doctor who will likely be my surgeon and I asked about the loose skin issue. He said that they only thing they have seen that helps with loose skin is exercise. He said that the patients of his that have a good exercise regime including weight lifting have far less loose skin than those who lose weight just by the band restriction alone. Good thing I love the gym!! :cool2:

After going to a different OA meeting that I liked a lot better, I think OA is a good place for me to address the mental/emotional side of how I got to be overweight. My roomie has been going and it has been helping her a lot. While I told the other group that I was planning on getting banded, I think I'll keep it to myself for awhile. It does seem like it is an outside issue, just as the other people don't talk about what exactly their food plan is, I don't necessarily need to talk about my plan specifically until I feel it's right. Now I just need to keep going to the meeting!

Thank you for the info, I feel like I'm on the right path! I have another detailed question for you - my roommate is BMI<40 and will be trying for approval through Aetna. When you proved how long you've been overweight, did it matter how much you were overweight? She's been overweight a while but not necessarily at this BMI (I think she's at 38 or 39 now). She'll be switching to my PCP soon so I'll tell her about the peer-to-peer conversation and hopefully that will help her. *sigh* Gotta love the obstacle course of ins approval!

I definitely feel your frustration with how long it will take! I'm on month 2 of my six-month diet and am getting anxious. Plus my roommate is also getting banded and I might have to wait for her when we set our surgery date, we want to do it on the same day. I'm a good case for insurance approval, I have a BMI of 51 and am healthy besides being insanely overweight. She has a lower BMI and has Kaiser ins right now so faces a few more challenges to get approval. I just want this dang surgery NOW but I think the waiting is good for me so I know I took the time to do the research and am committed no matter what! Just keep on truckin' - we'll get there eventually!!

Congrats on approval! I will have Aetna after the 1st of the year and am trying for approval through them. What did you do to make sure you were approved? Any tips are appreciated, the world of insurance is confusing and frustrating!! TIA!

Hi Shoshana! What have you struggled with during your band journey? It's always good to find out what people go through - either positive or negative - and it helps us who haven't been banded yet make a fully informed decision. And best of luck in your continued weight loss!

Waitin on the world to change. And waitin on insurance approval!!! I'm done with two dietician appts on my six month supervised diet as I progress on the road to approval from Aetna PPO. It's frustrating as hell waiting six months but I know it will be worth it. I'm just tired of being this overweight and can already picture myself in a healthier body. I've told some old friends of mine and they asked me if I would change, be more arrogant, be slutty, etc. I said "Well my personality won't change, that's hard to do, but I imagine I will torture the men for a good amount of time." Why not, right? I'm grateful for the support I have from my friends and family and online here. It makes a world of difference!! I'm also frustrated for my roommate who is also on the LB path, but she is a lower BMI and has insurance challenges and just seems to be faced with more obstacles. However, we've committed to doing this together so together we can overcome anything!! "Luckily," I am heavy enough to not have to worry too much about insurance approval, I just need to follow the guidelines and I should be approved no sweat - pun intended. I haven't been on here in a while and just wanted to say HI and let you all know where I'm at. That is, if you're keeping track. This site has been tremendously helpful in my decision to do LB and showing me the good, the bad, the ugly and all the side effects of LB. And I still can't wait!! Planning on having my surgery at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena with Dr. Martin - anyone have any experiences with that?

Ok so I've been slowly learning the LB lingo, and I consider myself a decently smart girl, but what the heck does "DH" mean? I've seen it in reference to a husband, but I can't for the LIFE of me figure out what it means. :party: 1st - please help end my confusion! 2nd - any other random LB lingo you know of, please feel free to let me know. I have a long journey ahead of me and want to be in the know while I'm traveling... Plus it'll probably help some other newbies! :thumbup:

:party: Hey everyone! I started the six month diet recently and am kinda confused - should I lose weight? Or not? I mean... I know the insurance requires it to get approved (and that is what I want - approval), but if I can lose weight with the physician supervised diet, isn't that kind of uhhhh counterintuitive? I am waiting on my referral to a dietician, but need some advice in the meantime. I want to do whatever it takes to get approved through insurance!!!!

Oi! This is so true! Work toilet paper is so CHEAP! And my ultimate pet peeve is when the cleaning folk come and leave the half-used rolls on top of the dispenser. Now my cleaning crew at work are great, they keep everything spic and span and I always tell them thank you - but that one thing just drives me NUTS! Why put a half-used roll on top? Just leave it in there and replace it when it eventually actually runs out. We have two rolls in the dispenser and the backup roll never gets used, it's totally pointless. Even funnier - my parents use totally cheapo t.p. and I complain about it every time I am over there. I use twice or three times as much as I would if it were good t.p. so it's not even saving money! Ah and now to go use some of the good stuff!!

What insurance do you two have? I currently have Blue Shield HMO but have to switch to Aetna PPO in 2009 for work. My BMI is 50.5 right now so I won't have a problem with the BMI requirements. I'm committed to do whatever it takes to get insurance coverage and want to make sure I do it right!!

Right on, congrats that you have made it this far! I wish the best to you with your band and in fighting alcoholism.

Hey all - has anyone had surgery at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena? My doctor is in the Physicians Associates medical group and they work with Huntington, which is right down the street and would be a lot easier in regard to upkeep and support groups. I was considering Cedars-Sinai but it's not exactly close... My doctor was excited that I was considering LB and told me she has had some patients who did LB and had tremendous success. Anyway - just looking for experiences/advice/information.

I think we all just have to remember - there are going to be potential complications with any surgery. ANY surgery. We could talk about C-sections gone bad, or screwed up laparascopic knee surgery. Or people who die on the table due to anesthesia complications. There are always risks with any type of surgery. It's good to know the pros, and even better to know the cons, that's why this forum is here - for us to learn the good, bad, ugly, amazing, results of this life-changing surgery, and decide for ourselves if it is something we choose. For me - a lifetime of being morbidly obese, the complications both mental and physical that arise from that disease, and the societal judgements from being obese far outweigh (pun intended) the risks associated with LB. LAPBANDFREE - I'm sorry you had the complications you did, and I'm happy for you that you were successful in losing weight after the band. I'm glad you posted your opinion, because if anything - it gives people something to ponder and discuss with their own surgeons.

One of my oldest friends that I've had for 14 years is starting to be a negative Nancy (sorry for you nice ladies with that name). She is actually bigger than I am and was there when our friend mentioned LB. I decided it was for me, ran with it, and have done a ton of research and gotten the ball rolling for me. My friend is so angry and against the surgery and almost doesn't even want to hear about it. I know she has issues/concerns with money, family support, change, the unknown, and just hasn't tried everything to lose weight like I have so she's not at her rock bottom. I get that. However, she is one of my best friends and I need my friends to understand what I am going through. My family and friends have all been absolutely supportive except for her. So when telling one of our mutual friends about it, I could feel the resentment and anger coming from my bigger friend and so I called her out and said "You know, I understand you don't want to do this, I totally respect you for that and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise, but I need to talk about it with my friends and have you guys understand what is going on with me and what will be happening to my body, so you are going to hear about this a lot more in the coming months. So please, you don't have to do this yourself, but understand that it's what I have chosen to do." She shut up pretty quick but I can still feel the resentment and anger, and I know it will just increase more and more as I lose weight and look great and she is left as the only big girl in our group of friends. The extent to which people go to prevent change and ensure their "control" of their own unhappiness in life never fails to surprise me. All I can do is live my life to the best of my abilities, support and love her through her idiosyncrasies, and encourage her to be her very best self - whatever that means to her. Ok I'm getting off my soap box now. Hugs to all of you ladies with jealous friends.