Lap2Fab

I have to say, I love my DH! Today he was offered a new job and accepted it! Yay for him! When I asked him if he had given notice, he said that he called his friend in HR and asked her about our health insurance. He is planning on giving a 2 week notice, but he's in sales, so they could just tell him to leave when he gives his notice. She told him if he waits until Monday, then we are covered through August but if he goes in tomorrow and they tell him to leave, our insurance ends this weekend! He looked into it because he knows how important my surgery is to me and didn't want me to worry about it or have to wait until he's on his new company's insurance! He has been through so much with me and my illnesses, and always is my rock!

I'm on day 2 and I was thinking the same thing this afternoon! I went back to read my preop diet and I thought I could only have 1 frozen meal with my shakes, but it turns out I can have 2! I wasn't getting enough food! I'm glad I caught that on day 2 and not day 14 or I would have been dragging! Your BMI is similiar to mine, maybe you are not getting enough... just a thought!

Glad to be part of the group! Surgery scheduled for 8/11! Can't wait to see the changes in all of us! Funny, I've been watching and reading for 6 months but didn't want to post anything until it became a reality. Now I'm on Lapbandtalk more than Facebook! I've decided not to tell anyone except my husband. It's not that I'm embarrassed about it, I just don't want comments or critics coming out of the woodwork and some of our family members are big time gossips! The world will know if any of them know! What about all of you? Who have you told or not told?

I'm approved...very thankful that they approved me! I hope your insurance makes it easy for you too! August 11th!!! Whoo hoo!!!

My BMI was 35.8 when it was submitted and I was so nervous that they would not approve it. I too have a laundry list of illnesses. I have not told anyone except my husband that I am having the surgery. I don't feel guilty about keeping it to myself, I think it's a personal choice. Hopefully the weight comes off slowly and I can just say that I'm doing my "small plate diet" (which is just using a salad plate and I lost 60 lbs in the past but gained it back...this time I won't!) I think my friends would be supportive, but I also don't want anyone telling me it was the wrong decision or telling me horror stories. I think it's a huge decision that I haven't taken lightly, I have taken 6 months to learn all that I can, and it's definitely not the easy way out.

I was worried too because my BMI wasn't 40, but as long as you have documented comorbidities, it should be fine! What we all have is a disease, it doesn't matter if your BMI is 50 or 35, it's just not healthy. We all just want to enjoy our lives! Let us know how it goes! It's a long process, but I can't even believe I'm on the pre-op diet!

I have Anthem BCBS, my paperwork was sent in on Wed. 7/21 and I received my approval letter dated Thurs 7/22 on 7/26! Very impressed with Anthem! I was told it could take weeks too but if they have all that they need, it's much quicker. I was so worried and it ended up being easier than I expected.

I was actually excited to start my PreOP diet, just knowing that surgery is around the corner. I went to BJs and stock piled shakes, popsicles, crystal light and Weight Watcher meals. At 5:00 at my son's baseball game, I realized I was starving! Before the game, I had made my WW meal (which was chicken broccoli alfredo), my 9 year old son saw it and grabbed a fork and ate 1/2 of it! No wonder I was so hungry, instead of a 300 calorie dinner, I only got about 150 calories! I'm going to have to figure out what he doesn't like and buy those! He's such a good eater, I'm going to have to be selfish with my meals!

I completely understand where you are coming from. I think it's a tool because you have to retrain yourself to do something else besides eat. If you are stressed, take a walk, chat online, read a book, ride a bike, go to the gym, spend time with friends...anything to replace going to the refrigerator and getting a snack. I think that's why the weight comes off slower, you have to do the work to see results. For many of us, we can lose some weight, but it's hard to keep it off. When I have lost 50 or 60 lbs in the past, I thought I was skinny and could just eat what everyone else was eating again. Wrong! Funny how we can work so hard to get it off and say it will never happen again, and then it does! I feel that surgery is what will help me not repeat those behaviors that got me to where I am today.

My journey to LAP-BAND® started long before I went to the first seminar. I have always been a little overweight and even after two kids, I lost weight. I would say that I suffered from anti-anorexia, I honestly looked in the mirror and didn't see what was being reflected back. I thought I looked good, and I thought I looked healthy. I was always shocked when I'd see a picture of myself on a night that I thought I looked good. UGH...was that really how others were seeing me? I think that I tried to ignore it, I had a great husband, two great kids, a great job and great friends. They all liked me, but I didn't like myself! I treated everyone else better than I treated myself and put them all first. In August 2005, I lost my mom to colon cancer. In 2006, at 35 years old, I got Lyme disease which damaged my heart (I needed a defibrillator impanted) and two years after that I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had to stop working at a career I loved because I was having issues with pain, fatigue, memory and concentration issues. It's been a long and winding road to say the least. I have been required to keep my weight down, I can not seem to lose weight and keep it off and I seem to just keep gaining. I've been hospitalized 3x this year because of my heart and my defibrillator. I am hoping that by losing the weight, I will become healthier and will have more energy for my husband and kids. I'm hoping it will also help with the pain and fatigue. I'm hoping that it will help my heart to recover from all that it has been put through. I just received my letter in the mail today with my approval for surgery, which will be on August 11th. I am so excited to take back control. The Journey - it's only just begun...

Called my Dr. office today to ask if I would receive a phone call or a letter in the mail from insurance. She said I'd likely receive a letter and since they sent it over on 7/21, she thought I may see something in the mail today. Really? With the weekend? I figured if it didn't come in the mail, I would call the insurance co like others had suggested. I just heard the mail guy and went running for my mail, right on top an envelope from Anthem! I was approved!!! :bolt: Yay Me! Looking forward to experiencing this with all of you...scheduled for August 11th!

I would have it all done at once too. A) recovery and :bolt: you never know if your insurance will need to change for some unforeseen reason. I have had 3 hospital stays this year, and thought that my lap band would be covered at 100% because I had already reached my out of pocket max. My insurance changed in June because of husband's job, and now I have to pay the co-pay and deductible and then reach the out of pocket max again! So frustrating...but thank god for insurance!

How long before you heard from the insurance?

I am scheduled for August 11th, as long as my insurance approves it. The paperwork was just submitted to the insurance last week, so I'm not sure how long it will take. I'm suppose to start my pre-op diet on Wednesday, I'm hoping that I will at least know by then! I've already been in the hospital 3x this year (heart problem), I'm not worried about the surgery, I'm just super excited to get this done with and lose the weight. I'm worried about being approved because my BMI is 35.8, but I have 3 co-morbidities. I'm hoping that they realize that this will help me get healthier and will save them money in the long run! Shell

I am in the same boat as you. My BMI is 35.8 and for the past 6 months I have not been able to lose a pound or two or I wouldn't qualify for the surgery. The office has a policy for patients to not gain any either, so I have had to hold steady. I have figured out the difference between my home scale and the Dr.s scale and plan my clothes accordingly! I have a heart condition and my weight can fluctuate on any given day by a few pounds because of Water. I am waiting on approval and my surgery is scheduled for August 11th. My Dr.s office schedules at the end of the surgeon meeting. I was told that once it's approved, I don't have to worry about going below the 35 and I do have to do the 2 week preoperative diet and they expect to see weight loss. If you don't, it may appear to them that you are not as likely to follow the plan afterwards, but the real reason is to shrink the liver and get your body ready for surgery. My information was sent to the insurance on Monday, so I'm hoping to hear that I'm approved next week! Let's hope! If not, I'll have to hold steady for a little bit longer! :biggrin: