Goalwatcher

Congrats on your banding! Had you made the decision ahead of time to not tell people at work about your surgery? Have you examined how you're feeling when you think about whether you want to discuss it with them or not? I mean, are you fearful about their reaction, or are you ashamed or anything like that? I basically got my boss' support because we figured it would help me cut down on my sick days in the long run (and I do have a lot of them). :biggrin: I have no problem spouting off to the people at work about my potential WLS. However, I don't think I'll ever be able to tell anyone in my family. I guess I figure that if the people at work judge me about WLS it won't matter much, but if my family judges me harshly about WLS it would send me into a tizzy. How healthy is *that*?!? :smile:

Yeah...I think they're catching on to us! :biggrin: I finally talked to my husband about having surgery after contemplating it and hemming and hawing for two years. I told him how tired I was all the time, how much my back hurts from the weight of my front, how much my feet kill me and that $100 Dansko shoes are the only things I can wear now, etc. I think the last one was the clincher. :smile: But seriously, we're both on our second marriage so we have kept our finances separate from the beginning...and I pay for HIS insurance so he really doesn't have too much of a say in the matter. I think he knows that if I want something badly enough I'm going to get it with or without his blessing. I realize that may sound like I don't care about him. I really do. However, I think I realized that it's time I cared about myself just a little more.

If all of the incredibly sage advice above doesn't convince him, you could always tell him that one of the benefits of losing weight and feeling better about oneself is a possible increase in sexual activity. Would that get his attention? :biggrin:

I think that's going to be the worst part of the whole process -- waiting for the approval will have me on tenterhooks no doubt. How long has it been since they submitted your info?

Have you heard anything yet about the date, sil?

Alright, Allie...75 lbs lost in just about four months??? Or did you lose a bunch before being banded in June? I hope I can make my band work for me like that! Can you share some of your secrets? Pretty please? :biggrin: I'm a CT Surgical Group gal, too. At least I will be after I meet with my surgeon in December.

Well, at least I can say I'm not addicted to heroin...just cake. :tongue_smilie: I'm just starting on all my appointments. Haven't even met with the surgeon yet. I'm approaching the process confident that I KNOW I'm a good candidate for this surgery and that I WILL be approved. Good luck on your meeting in November!

I'm sure a lot of us have/had the same food issue(s). As a matter of fact, I went home full from work yesterday and proceeded to eat half a sleeve of Oreos with milk, then had Burger King for dinner. I just can't stop. I don't think I even want to eat this stuff. I've read that people who are addicted to food have the same chemical reaction (dopamine release?) in their brains as people who are addicted to drugs. It makes sense, right? You can do it, and so can I!!!

Sending good vibes your way! :smile: You must be so anxious and excited!!! Regarding the dietician visits...the girl at the office said that a lot of times insurance companies require 6, but they can usually push it through with 3. I'm prepared to wait until March for surgery. I work at the hospital where the surgery would be performed, so I don't have to pay any surgical or hospitalization co-pays. WOOHOO!!! :frown: I'm from West Hartford.

You've all been such a big help to me already! Reading all of the insurance approval stories has been such an eye opener for me, and has helped me to become more proactive regarding my pre-op process. I'm going to start a 3 month supervised diet with my PCP shortly. I've got an appointment with an orthopaedist next week to confirm that I have osteoarthritis in my knees. I've got my psych eval week after next. My dietician visits start next month (Nov, Dec, Jan). I already belong to Curves. My informational meeting is on 11/4. I have to attend two support group meetings, one in Nov and one in Dec. My first meeting with my surgeon, Dr. Papasavas, is 12/8. After that, I expect that all I'll need is bloodwork and a cardiology consult to complete everything and have it submitted for approval by the end of January. :frown: My current BMI is 41.5 and I've got high cholesterol and (almost certainly) osteoarthritis. That's all for now. Thanks so much for the wealth of information you've already given me...even your stories about gas. :smile: --Jen