talkalot1981

I had my mental health evaluation today. It was ok. She said she would go over her notes and send the result to my PCM. I answered all the questions honestly. What I want to know is, Can the psychologist stop you from getting the band? They asked me how much I knew about the changes I will have to go through and about the sugery. She asked me about portions, what I can and can't eat. She asked me all kind of stuff. Thank Goodness I found this website because almost everything I learned was from here. I just hope everything goes good. I just have to keep my fingers crossed........ Jennifer

I had my mental health evaluation today. It was ok. She said she would go over her notes and send the result to my PCM. I answered all the questions honestly. What I want to know is, Can the psychologist stop you from getting the band? They asked me how much I knew about the changes I will have to go through and about the sugery. She asked me about portions, what I can and can't eat. She asked me all kind of stuff. Thank Goodness I found this website because almost everything I learned was from here. I just hope everything goes good. I just have to keep my fingers crossed........ Jennifer

My doc wanted me to quit smoking because it effects the healing process. He said nothing about it effecting the anesthesia. I have been put under anesthesia before and they didn't even ask me if I smoked, so I guess it wasn't a big deal. I actually decided to quit before I found out my surgeon wanted me to be 2 months smoke free. Only a week but I did quit on my own. The only reason I would say not to tell the surgeon is because esioulpy is wanting to be banded by the end of May. She can't if she has to be smoke free for 2 months. Some surgeons don't even require you 2 be smoke free.

If you don't smoke regulary I would suggest not even telling your surgeon. The only reason I say this is because my surgeon requires me to be smoke free for 2 months before I can get anything started. I am not telling you to be deceitful but you if you don't smoke as much then it shouldn't be hard for you to stop. If he says you have to be smoke free I would just stop all together until after surgery. I quit smoking Apr. 6th. I have to take a nictein test to prove that I haven't smoked. Even though nicotein only stays in your system for 48 hours. I am just way to happy now and don't plan on starting again. Jennifer

I had my mental health evaluation today. It was ok. She said she would go over her notes and send the result to my PCM. I answered all the questions honestly. What I want to know is, Can the psychologist stop you from getting the band? Can they be like "She didn't know enough about the band or stuff like that. They asked me how much I knew about the changes I will have to go through and about the sugery. She asked me about portions, what I can and can't eat. She asked me all kind of stuff. Thank Goodness I found this website because almost everything I learned was from here. I just hope everything goes good. I just have to keep my fingers crossed........ Jennifer

I am not sure how things are done in Germany but Tricare should all be the same. We also have tricare and I am going through the process now. I have all my testing done and now I am just waiting until June 6th. I have to be smoke free for 2 months before I can see the surgeon. That was the surgeons policy not Tricare. I am pretty sure it isn't much different over there as it is here. You can always call Tricare and ask them. Sorry I probably wan't much help... Jennifer

I am not banded yet but hope to be by my birthday. July 24th. If only I had not been a smoker then I wouldn't have to wait 2 months. Ohh BTW, I am Jennifer also LOL

I haven't been banded yet but I know how you feel. About the guilty part. My husband, kids and I went to cold stone for some icecream. Of course my kids got a kids size. Well my husband ordered a "Gotta Have it" size. (Large) well I ordered the same thing. He looked at me all wierd and said "are you sure you want that size" I could have choked him. I know he wasn't tryint to be mean cause the 10 years we have been together he has never made any comment about my weight. EVER So for him to say this really pissed me off. He knew it made me mad so of course he tried to make things better. I just don't understand. Was it ok for him to order that size because he is not over weight? That is what pisses me off at some people. You see a skinny person eating ice cream or what ever and it is ok. You see a fat person eating the same thing and they get bad looks or those little snickers. Sorry just had to vent. Jennifer Don't feel bad for eating ice cream. If you eat the whole half gallon at a time them you might want to feel bad. LOL

I am not sure how many people have seen this, but I came across it on youtube... YouTube - Lap Band Surgery

i had to stop smoking in order to get the band. It had been 3 weeks. Only have to wait a month and 1 week left, then I can schedule appt with my surgeon. I don't plan on starting back but I also didn't plan to start back after I quit while I was pregant. BOTH times. This time I am hoping it will be easier since my DH stopped as well. I actually talked myself into thinking that just because I cut down to 5-6 cigs aday wasn't really smoking since i used to smoke more than a pack a day. All I can do now is just take it day by day. Just having my kids happy for me not smoking is enough not to start again.

I smoked for almost 11 years. I started my process with getting banded in March. I was devistated to find out I had to quit smoking for 2 months before the surgeon would even let me go to his siminar.:thumbup: I was told I couldn't even use nicotine gum or patches. I actually have to take a nicotine test. :smile: Well Apr.6th was my last smoke and I won't go back. I sucessfully stopped smoking with both of my pregnancies. Why I started back I will never know. june 6th I can make as appt for the siminar and I can't wait.:thumbup: I do still miss smoking and do crave it but I will not let smoking interfer with my health anymore.

I have one comorbity. Hypertention. I also have depression/anxiety but my insurance(TriCare) doesn't consider those as a comorbity. I have heard Tricare denying people just for being under 3 or 4 lbs. I think I would just die if that happened to me. My surgeon's office won't even put me in as a patient until I as smoke free for 2 months. So I can't have them record my weight. I had to quit cold turkey because I have to take a nicotien test at the siminar. I can't chew gum or use patches. It hasn't really been as hard as I thought it would be. I looked on line and the high end of my BMI is 136 so I guess I need to make sure I gain 6 lbs before I go to weigh in. Thanks Jennifer

What weight is the one they go by? I mean, is it my weight from my PCM, dietician or when I go see the surgeon? I have to do a seminar before I even get to see the surgeon. I have to wait 1 1/2 more months because I have to be smoke free for 2 months. I haven't picked one up in 2 weeks.:rolleyes2: Well I am at the lower end of the scale(so I have been told 5'4" 230) Well I thought I would gain weight from not smoking, but I have actually lost 3 lbs. I can't lose anymore because I am affraid I won't weigh enough. I might do the bra thing but poor me isn't well endowed up there and I am affraid the stuff would fall out. My luck right in front of the important people. LOL That would be bad...LOL I have to keep a food and excersise log. I feel bad cause I am actually lying about how much excersise cause I don't really wanna lose weight until I do my first weigh in.

I haven't been banded yet but I have been trying to invent(lol) mushies. Well last night I made something my kids call Strawberry Suprise. in Magic bullet 8-10 frozen strawberries 1 of the pudding cups fatfree vanilla 3 tablespoons of reduced fat cream cheese a little bit of 1% milk (I didn't measure it) blend until smooth. My husband decided it wasn't sweet enough so in his I just added a tablespoon of splenda. It is really good. I had to sneak the splenda in my husbands cause he doesn't like it. But of course he didn't know it was in there. LOL you could probably add some type of protien powder but I am not banded YET.......

The only I can say about the excersising is just becareful. I am no therapist but the same thing happened to my cousin. She lost about 55 lbs from just excersise and diet. I was very proud of her cause she really worked hard. She replaced her addiction to food to addiction with excersise. Now she has become serevery depressed and is having body issues. She still thinks she is fat and is having problems with not eating anything with fat. She has started going to see a theropist. She is starting to get it under control. All I say is just becareful. When she was starting her journey I am sure she didn't think she was excersising to much either. I am not saying don't excersise cause that is what got us fat in the first place.... but just do it in moderation. You look great by the way and I can't wait to be banded..... Keep up the good work....

usually they use your weight before it all starts. My moms nutritionist messed up her papers. She has to do a 6 month pre-op diet and her nutritionist says she has been doing the program for 3 months but it is recorded in her insurance as 4 1/2 months. She is a little upset. The nutritionist didn't have a scale to weigh her. So the first 3 times she went in they didn't record her weight loss. So that month and a half don't even count. You would they should have had a scale that would weigh her. It is a nutritonist/dietition(sp) clinic. Anyway, long story short they should use youe weight before you start the diet.

Thanks for letting me know. My insurance will only let me use Dr. Todd. Not sure why but if I want to switch I might have to pay things out of pocket. I know he has a COD(code of excellence) I guess that might be the reason they referred me to him. I didn't do much research on surgeons because I knew my insurance would referr one to me. I was supposed to have several to choose from but I guess there are slim pickens here in Alaska. Thanks Jennifer

I am in Anchorage as well. I haven't had my band yet but am in the process of doing so. My insurance(Tricare) has referred me to Doctor Todd on Debar. Has anyone else used him as their doc? Thanks Jennifer

Hello, I am in Anchorage. I am hoping to be banded in July.. I am going to Doctor Todd.I have to get this 2 month smoke free thing done first before I can continue on my journey.:sneaky: Jennifer

I am not sure how your doc does it but I have 2 be smoke free for 2 months before I can even have a consult with him. I know it has been a struggle and I have only been smoke free for 9 days. I still wanna smoke really bad. But the thought of being told I can't have the surgery has made me not even wanna look behind the counter at a gas station. LOL I have to have nicotine tests and everything. I will NOT risk it. Jennifer

My doc told me I can't even come in for a consult until I quit smoking for 2 months. It really upset me because I couldn't even start my process with getting the lap band. The only positive with the docs rule is that I actually have to quit smoking or I WON'T get to have surgery. If I fail that blood test then, I have to wait another 2 months. I don't want to fail myself, so I quit COLD turkey April 6th and haven't had one since then. I will gladly throw 10 years of smoking out the window so I can get my surgery. But I also do know how hard it has been. I think I have gained weight from quitting. LOL Good thing I quit to have WLS....LOL Good luck with quitting. I know how hard it has been.... I just pray everyday I don't give in to my urges... Jennifer

These are the tests my surgeons office requires. Did anyone else have to do so many? Also I have my nutrition classes schedueled. I have to do 4. One a week. Did anyone else have to so many classes? I am actually kind of glad I have all these tests only because I have to wait 2 months. It will make the time go by faster. My doc requires 2 months smoke free first. 9 days and counting...... woohoo Preoperative Workup Our preoperative workup is extensive, consisting of a CXR, EKG, abdominal ultrasound, UGI, CBC, CMP, Free T3, TSH, AM Cortisol (or dexamethasone suppression test), H. pylori IgG, PT/PTT, Tox Screen, PFT’s/ABG, Dietary Consultation, Psychological Evaluation. EGD may be ordered for long standing GERD or for abnormalities seen on UGI. PSG may be ordered for OSA symptoms. Pulmonology and Cardiac consultations may be ordered as indicated. We do consider patients for Echocardiograms if they have a history of 60 days of more of Phen-Fen use, and usually discuss this with the primary care provider. You may wish to start referring patients for the above studies prior to their first appointment with us, but bear in mind that they may incur a significant amount of unnecessary expense should they later not be found to be a candidate for WLS.

woohoo Good for you. I hope all continues to go well for you. I can't wait to get banded. Congrats, Jennifer

I just wanted to let everyone know that I did talk to the surgeon's office yesterday. Well I still have to be 2 months smoke free. I was really freaking out about it all weekend but decided I would rather wait the 2 months then not have it at all. The nurses suggested I get all my test and everything done ahead of time so I won't have to wait on them later. I still have not smoked and I plan never to start it again. I quit COLD turkey when I was pregnant with both of my children, I still to this day, don't realize why I started again. I am glad to say my hubby is on board with quitting smoking with me. I just hope we can stick with it forever. Jennifer

Well I think I literally cried my eyes out. I finally got my referral approved Tuesday to go see an off post surgeon. Wednesday, they faxed all my paperwork to the surgeons office. I called today to make my first consult appointment. Till then everything had gone ok. Well I was talking to the receptionist(sp?) and she gave me a date for the siminar. Everything still OK. Until she asked me if I drank or smoked. Well I don't drink. but Monday I decided that if I was going to change my life and be healthy, I also need to quit smoking. So I did. Cold Turkey. It has been hard as HECK. but I did it. Well when I told her proudly that I quit smoking Monday, she was like... "OHH I am so sorry to tell you that our Doc office has a policy that you have to be smoke free for 2 months, before we can proceed to do anything." I said, "I can't even go to the siminar or have a consult." She was like no. So she said they were going to reject my referral. I was heart broken. I just broke down and cried while she was on the phone. I could hardly even caught my breath. She tried to reasure me that after the 2 months she would help everything go through as quick as possible. I just couldn't quit crying. I told her thanks and hung up as soon as I could. I really wanted to throw my phone. I was actually driving and had to park on the side of the road so I could get control of my self. I drove home as fast as I could. I came running in the house crying and my hubby really freaked out thinking something REALLY bad happened. I flopped on the couch and just cried. He did try to tell me everything would be fine, but I just felt so disappointed in myself. At first I blamed my PCM for not telling me this surgeon required this, because I first saw him about the LB exactly 2 months ago. NOW I was going to have to wait another 2 months. But then I quickly realized that it was all my fault for smoking in the first place. Well I remembered I left my phone in the truck so I went and got it. I had a missed call. It was from the surgeon's office. They left a voice mail saying they decided not to throw out my referral and to call them Monday. So, I am still a little depressed about the whole thing because I don't know what they will tell my monday. If they still can't help, I am going to see if TriWest can refer me to another surgeon. I just felt so defeated. Anyway, just wanted to tell someone my ordeal and there is no one here in Alaska I know that would actually understand. Thanks for listening....LOL Jennifer