excarolinagirl

I enjoyed revisiting this thread. Aivey - congrats on your weight loss. I'm trying to decide between the gastric band and the sleeve. I had to start over on the pre-op insurance requirements because it had been more than one year. RRose - good luck with your decision/journey. Dee:smile2:

I have Cigna and was told they cover the VSG surgery for weight loss. My surgeon's office said they did not cover it until recently. I would call your benefits department or Cigna directly. Good luck.

You're an inspiration! Congrats on your success!

Great ideas - I will bookmark these for menu planning. I'm enjoying this site very much after finding it on LBT.

I enjoyed reading your story. Good luck with this exciting new phase of your life.

Maybe you have an allergy to the protein shake - are they soy based?

DeeDee, Thanks for much for sharing your story. I will post an update next week after I meet with my surgeon. Best regards, Dee

WASA's reply/quote deserves a sticky. I don't see this as an option on this board.

Yesterday was a wake up call. I had been having right upper quadrant pain. One episode last month sent me to the ER from work as the medical dept thought I was having a heart attack. I had a gallbladder ultrasound and Hyda Scan on 11/30 and just found out the results yesterday. My gallbladder is shot (only functioning at 5%) and I have "fatty infiltration of the liver." I've been looking at gastric surgeries over the past two years including gastric banding, gastric bypass and now VSG. I was sort of on the fence thinking I could still do this on my own. However, this has brought me back to looking at gastric WLS. I am meeting with my surgeon re) the gallbladder on Mon. 12/14. He is also my gastric surgeon referral. I met with him last year about gastric surgery options. I want to ask him if the VSG could be done at the same time as the gallbladder surgery. He is pretty conservative so if it isn't a good idea, he will let me know. Question: has anyone had the gallbladder surgery first and then VSG or other gastric WLS? Thanks for listening. Dee :crying:

See my post from 9/21/08. I suspect it's a temporary side effect from general anesthesia. Good luck. Dee

Aivey, If you don't mind my asking, were you banded with a LapBand or Realize gastric band? Thanks. Dee:smile:

Amy, You and I had exchanged notes last summer. I am in Kingsport and have not had LB surgery yet but hope to resume my pre-surgery process this summer. Please keep me posted on your progress. Good luck with your surgery. I'm excited for you! Best regards, Dee:thumbup:

I'm going to crank up my LB process again: talk with my GP on Mon., call the bariatric surgeon's office next week and see what my new insurance company requires. (My company changed insurance carriers in Jan.) I am nervous for several reasons one of which is my employer had layoffs (300 people) in April so I don't want to be out of work for more than 2 weeks max. Will update next week after I get more info.

I'm going to crank up my LB process again: talk with my GP on Mon., call the bariatric surgeon's office next week and see what my new insurance company requires. (My company changed insurance carriers in Jan.) I am nervous for several reasons one of which is my employer had layoffs (300 people) in April so I don't want to be out of work for more than 2 weeks max. Will update next week after I get more info.

I haven't posted since November. Still having neck and back pain. My job/employer is talking about layoffs or pay cuts so this is not the year to have surgery. I haven't been to a support group since December. I need to get on a program, not sure where to go. I did manage to lose 10 pounds in November due to a stomach virus and maintained that loss through the holidays, etc. My birthday is in May and I would like to be 10 pounds thinner, and down to 200 pounds by Labor Day. Those are my goals. :wink_smile:

I haven't posted since November. Still having neck and back pain. My job/employer is talking about layoffs or pay cuts so this is not the year to have surgery. I haven't been to a support group since December. I need to get on a program, not sure where to go. I did manage to lose 10 pounds in November due to a stomach virus and maintained that loss through the holidays, etc. My birthday is in May and I would like to be 10 pounds thinner, and down to 200 pounds by Labor Day. Those are my goals. :confused:

I'm very happy with Dr. Kapplan in Kingsport. His colleague, Dr. Kramer is also very well-respected. As far as recovery LB surgery, I would ask the doctor. (I'm still trying to decide between LB and gastric bypass, so of course the recover time for me would also depend on the surgery. And I don't have a job that requires heavy lifting so that would also make a difference.) Good luck to you. Dee

A gift certificate to a local restaurant for your surgeon and spouse would be thoughtful. Or a gift certificate to a day spa. Or if you know they have a favorite charity, you could make a gift in honor of your surgeon. Dee

I've decided to research GBS. I'm scheduled to attend a class in November. I want to compare both procedures. Also, I have a family history of RA and other autoimmune disease (like lupus) and worry about a lapband triggering autoimmune disease?

I've decided to research GBS. I'm scheduled to attend a class in November. I want to compare both procedures. Also, I have a family history of RA and other autoimmune disease (like lupus) and worry about a lapband triggering autoimmune disease?

Best wishes to you! This site is a good resource. Dee

I am also on the 6-month diet required by my insurance company. And I'm also hearing similar comments like "you could just keep going and lose all the weight." from people who have known me all my life and know my struggles with my weight. I'm relying on the support of a few good friends and family members and this forum. Good luck to you. Dee

I've read on this site and in talking with others who have gone through this surgery that walking is very important. That will help expel the gas and prevent any blood clots. Good luck! Dee

I should have said 6 months diet required by insurance. I realize the "pre-op" diet is usually liquid-based. Dee

Hi, I just discovered this forum. I "joined" LBT last month which is also when I started my 6-month diet required by insurance. I currently have BCBS of TN but my company will change to Cigna in Jan. I'm working through my other pre-op requirements including WLS class (done), nut class and psych eval (to be scheduled). Anyway, I was glad to see this forum. I've been craving carbs for the past couple of days but I think it's the change in season (for me that seems to be at trigger). Hope to hear from others who have gone through this process. Dee