catho72

Aetna denied me the first time the dr's office sent for approval. They said because I didn't have any co-morbidities and my BMI went below 40, they wouldn't cover it. When they appealed the decision, it was approved.

I remember seeing Dr. Oz on Oprah talking about healthy poop. I recall him saying you want it to float because the fat is leaving your body, causing the poop to float. He also wants it to be s-shaped.

Try the Atkins shakes...I tried both the milk chocolate and strawberry today. While I can't say I enjoyed them, I was able to tolerate them. I'm trying the vanilla tomorrow. This was easier than I had thought. I'm sure the real hunger starts tomorrow!

Good luck! I'm getting banded on the 27th and I'll start my pre-op diet tomorrow (Tuesday).

Thank you for your responses! I am normally very open with details of my life but I don't want people thinking "she took the easy way out" (which we all know is a load of cr*p). I am doing this for my future health, so I won't develop health problems I was sure to encounter at the rate I was going. I told my parents, my sister-in-law (but not the rest of my in-laws), and several of my close friends and two ladies at my exercise place (one of which had GB). Many people have been commenting on my pre-op weight loss. I figure by telling people diet and exercise, it is telling the truth.

How do you answer when people ask, "What did you do to lose so much weight?" Do you tell them about the WLS or do you say diet and exercise? All of my good friends know that I'm having the surgery done but what about acquaintances? I'm not ashamed I'm having the surgery but I also don't want people I don't know very well (who aren't going through WLS) knowing the details.

Yay! Thanks for the expertise! I'm glad to hear my bowels won't be too affected. For me, that was the worst part of limited carbs.

Hi, I will be starting my 2 week pre-op diet on Tuesday. I am worried about constipation. When I went on the South Beach Diet (no carbs), I hated the constipation that accompanied it. Has anyone suffered from constipation while drinking the Protein shakes?

Aetna required me to be on the medically supervised diet for 3 months and I had to lose 10 lbs. When I started the diet, my BMI was 40.7. I asked the nurses in the office what happens if my BMI went below 40 since that is the threshold. They said as long as my BMI was 35+, not to worry. Well, I lost 14 lbs and Aetna said I no longer qualified since I didn't have any co-morbidities. When I talked to the nurse at Aetna, I told her I was having this surgery so I didn't develop high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. She told me they were only following the guidelines set for WLS. My doctor's office appealed the surgical denial stating I had followed their rules by loosing weight on the mandatory diet. They reversed their decision and I am now scheduled for surgery on 1/27.

Congrats! I am having my surgery on 1/27 and can only hope I feel as good as you 2 weeks post-op. :thumbs_up:

I was wondering what that armband was for. After checking out bodybugg.com, I want one! That looks awesome! :thumbup:

Thanks for all the replies! I enjoy hearing everyone's experiences. The recovery from my first c-section was much worse than the second and third ones. I'm hoping for the best but preparing myself for the same amount of pain/discomfort just in case. I'm getting nervous!

I was wondering if the recovery from lap-band surgery is similar as recovering from a c-section? I've had 3 c-sections (the last one was in 2003) and am having my lap-band surgery on 1/27. Has anyone had both surgeries? Are there any comparisons in terms of recovery? Which one had an easier recovery? Is the pain similar? Thanks!

Hello all! I am scheduled for surgery on January 27th at Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, IL. I can't wait! :confused: Good luck to everyone!