munger

Thanks - I know that it is the right thing to do first.

I have been sad all day - but I know that doing this other surgery is more important right now. I am going to do sit ups like crazy before the surgery - so that my muscles will heal quickly. I fought with the insurance for 8 months - and when I finialy get so close - I have to stop and take another route. It will happen I just have to wait a little longer. Thanks for the prayers.

Hi, and Bye! My surgery date has been post poned. I have been having female problems and have to cancel my surgery for the 16 of Mar so I can have a hysterectomy on the 23 of March. My only fear is that I will not be recovered enough to have my lap band by the 14th of May. I think I am as sad as I have ever been. My husband finally said that he is good with the surgery and now Ihave to wait for 6- 8 weeks. I wish you all success and I will pray for all of you. Just remember this is your second chance to do things right - do it well!

Do you think that we will need make overs or will the weight lose be slow enough so we don't have the extra skin. The exersize is supose to reduce the layer of fat - which is what make the skin sag - or at least that is what i read!

I did start a diet - mainly I am afraid of the cravings. I know this is my second and last chance to do the right thing with my body - and I can not wait! I do crave salty crunch things - big chip and dip fan!!! I hope I lose a little wait before - it will make me feel better. Good luck and keep losing!

I get my band on the 16th and yes I am excited too. I did go ahead and start a "diet" and I am feeling better about cravings - I am using the EAS protien shakes for breakfast and lunch and salads for dinner with a small protion of meat. I am not a soda junky - but man I love my coffee in the moring and my wine in the evenings normally have two glasses of each - so I will cut down to one next week - so none wont be so bad!

How are you doing on the liquid diet - my dr said ne doesn't want me to be on a liquid diet until after surgery?!?!?! I think I should and have bought some shakes and am going to drink two a day with a small dinner meal - i think i need to get my brain around liquids BEFORE surgery. Do you think the liquid diet is helping with cravings?

All I can say is stay on it call back - call back and oh call back. make sure they know you are there and don't let them forget about you!

I don't know the time yet - I go in for my pre op on thursday, 19 Feb. I will have to spend the night in Tucson on the 15 of Mar - we live about 2 hours away. I am hoping for an early time - just so I don't miss my coffee so much! I hope I am one of those people who do well after surgery - I am a teacher and I having surgery the first day of my spring break - so I will have a whole week to get use to the band and get back on my feet. Why is you surgery so late in the day?

I am on the 16th too ! Good luck - I am still so excited I cant stand it. After fighting with Tricare for a year - I am afraid to go on the protien diet - just incase they change their mind. I think I have gained 5 pounds after I got approved.

Not the day - but the year long struggle ! It took me a year to get approve - I am so glad the fight is over and the weight lose will begin!

You don't want to know - it is when you first appeal does not work they send the next one into a black hole they call the TMA - something Management Activity. The one for TriWest in in Aurora Co - and they basicly have as long as they want to "deal" with your paper work mine took from Aug 17th until Jan 14th - they do not have a 1-800#, they do not have a fax, they are simply a bunch of lawyers and their groopies that really hate passing out money. I will remind everyone if dealing with Tricare - make sure your bone/ body frame is stated, your weight according to MetLife NOT YOUR BMI, and any co-morb are documented with meds!!! Good luck!

I am a chip and dip junky! I love them more than - well &^&%& I made myself a promise. I will eat a bag of chips every week until my surgery - and I will not eat a chip for a whole year. I tried hypnosis last year - and I am going to do that again - Ithink I get a "brain" craving for chips - and that is truely all I can think of ! The hypnosis worked - for about 7 months! and then just like all other "diets" it stopped. I knwo that I have to watch what I eat after the surgery - I know it is not just another diet - but you know - I am not realy sure what is going to happen - how well will I do - will I be able to - - - I really don't know. It's not a diet - it is a life - no - body changing thing - that I have truly no idea how I will do with it. It is new and I know that some people do really well with it and other people don't seem to be able to control themselves and the end up throwing up all the time and ()*& up their band. I wish us all luck! I wish us all the fortitude to pull it off!

I know this may sound funny - however - have you stopped to think how disappointed you get every time you lose weight - just to gain it back. My husband really hurts everytime I go through this! He hates to see me be so upset when I do gain my weight back - because I get so bummed! I really do not think it is the wls that concerns them it is that we hurt evertime we fail!

Thanks - I just thought I had pissed them off and they would not update my stuff. I worked with the rudest lady at the TMA - Bridget - she lied - she would not return my phone calls. And the people here at Ft Huachuca - know nothing! I am glad I got approved - mainly so I do not have to deal with them anymore!!!

I am doing to have mine on the 16th - a day later. I can't wait!

You know I agree. I love my husband and I know that he loves me. Sometimes I think he loves me more than I love him. He worries about me and only wants the best for me. I believe that this wls scares the hell out of him - will I be dissapointed AGAIN, will i be healthy, will their be mistakes when go under. He is a big strong man - but even he can not be sure of the out come - we are playing the odds - I am willing to bet on this eventhough nothing else has worked - I read all the success stories - he still has major doubts. I know he loves me no matter what - and I know I don't love me being this big - it is not the me inside that I don't like - it is the me that i see in the mirror - the me that can't keep up on a family walk - the me that cant bend over with out having re flux ..... I cant wait to be able to keep up with my teenages on a walk, and keep up with my husband when we )(&*^*&^%R

I believe you are on your own - I was. I submitted an appeal twice - I wasn't really sure what Iwas doing - tricare nor the dr helped. I believe that you must: Document your weight - your weight must be 100 pounds over the MetLife table - look it up and make sure send them a copy so they know you know you are 100 pounds over the weight limit. Document your height - agian it must match up with the MetLife table. I had know idea that it was as simple as having your dr say you were a small, medium or large frame. But it has to be in there stated by a dr. Document any co-morbs: I had high blood pressure and high chyolesteral - but I was not taking meds. I went to the clinic every day for a week and had my blood pressure and weight monitor and documented - they fluctuate so much and I wanted them to know I knew that! Then my dr wrot the average for the week - which was of course high! Document your meds - My paperwork stated that one reason I was denied was that I was not "actively" being treated for my co-morbs. So I made sure that my perscriptions were up to date. I quess that is all you can do. I wrote a letter stating how my life was being impacted by my excess weight - and how my family life was also affected. I am not sure that workedd - but I was approved after I did all this. Of course they took the total amount of time, I wrote my congressman (really a woman) and my senator - who just happens to be on the Tricare panel! So to make a long story short after 6 months and two appeals - I got approved! I wish you luck - I think we all need a little.

My husband laughed when I asked about the wine - he is happy now because he sees a real up side to my wls - he has a designated driver!

I haven't been banded yet - but I did have my gaulbladder removed the same way this will happen. They blow you abdominal up with air - then you might have air pockets left in you - THAT HURTS! My husband gave me little tiny shots that helped reduce those air bubbles. I think everyone scars differently. I have three very small scars from that - you can hardly tell they are there. My dr now says he is going to cut on those same scars - so I won't get any extra!

I have a question - can you drink wine? I really like to have a glass or two of wine in the evening - especially Friday nights! I know a lot of people say no beer (which I don't like anyway) but is it the bubbles or the alcohal?

I husband is supportive. He started a diet with me and we are exercising together for the first time in 15 years! However, my girlfriend's husband fought her all the way - she did it anyway. I think he was afraid that she would stop be "HER"! She loves to cook and pamper him - she still loves to cook and pamper him. It has been almost a year - and he is just now thinking it is a good thing. They run together - go to dinner and "DATE". The surgery has been a good thing for both of them.

I love chips and dip - salsa and mission tortilla chips - but you know what? if I can lose weight - truely loose weight forever - I will gladly give up the chips. I have dieted for the past 20 years - after a month or so it doesn't work and I go back to my chips. After March 16th I don't think i will want another chip - that will be ok

Hi, I got a letter from the TMA - colorado - I am triwest. So I am approved - do I also have to wait to have a new letter on the web site saying that I am approved? I booked the surgery!! My dr. said I am approved and I am scheduled for March 16th. That is more than 21 days. So I should be good right?

Hi, I have high blood pressure - it was not being treated so they said I could not count it - I went straight to the clinic and go put on meds! I also have High cholesteral - same thing - back to the clinic! I was borderline on my weight 0ne day I was underweight the next I was 101 pounds over weight. So I went to the doctors office and had them weight me and take my average weight - I did that for a week. I had to have them measure my bones to make sure I was a medium frame - or I would not have qualified! I have lower back problems - but I am not sure if that had anything to do with their dession. I know if I were you I would document everything!! I would write a letter and tell how the extra weight affects you life and your family.Tricare does not go by BMI it simply does the weight charts. I would double check everthing - then I would fax it and as soon as I could I would call an make sure that they know you know that you qualify - be the squeaky wheel!! Good luck.