juliansmom2003

Welcome! Congrats on having the support of your family--it's so important to have people in your corner with something as life altering as this (which is why I love this board so much). I hope you enjoy the seminar. Lots of luck to you on your journey!!!

Good luck, mamacita. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get quick approval. I am praying that my sleep apnea results come in soon--that's all I'm waiting for and my surgeon can submit too! It feels so surreal! Lots of luck! Keep us posted!

I agree with plain. That and LOTS of cardio!!!!

Congrats on your approval! I am hoping that I'm just around the corner in joining you in your happy dance :-)! Keep us posted on your surgery date!!!

shahsosweet, From my experience, my surgeon didn't determine what the ideal loss for me would be. When I got on the Tanita scale, it gives you an idea of what your weight may be, but they haven't set anything in stone for me. When I went to my behavioral therapy appt., she flat out asked me where I'd like to be (I'm currently 220 lbs, 5 ft 1 1/2 in) and I told her like 150 or 160 even though that is still considered overweight. She said she thought it was a healthy goal and her weight, even though ideal for her, is still listed as overweight. Who makes up the stinking criteria for overweight, obese, etc. anyway LOL I hope this helped somewhat. Sorry to ramble!

MyVinnie, Where were you in July when I was agonizing over spending $1,450 for this program? LOL So glad you found a better alternative that didn't cost you bucks! U of P is awesome--I work close to there and I've had friends that continually sing their praises!

Hi Belkita, I can't find the literature they gave me for that back in July. I do know that the doc heading up that group is Dr. Deibler. Dr. Goldstein has just started working with her as well, so that is an alternative to the New Beginnings program. I believe she is out of Lourdes. Sorry I don't have more info on her, as I just went with New Beginnings to move things along faster.

I am in the New Beginnings program and they have just announced that Dr Kipnis is actually relocating to North Jersey and they are referring his patients to other doctors. Dr Goldstein not only does New Beginnings (which is about 1400 out of pocket), but now works with another center that is a bit cheaper I think, but it's all relative I think. Hope this helps!

Wow, Vickie congrats on your decision and moving through your appointments to get them under your belt! I have been doing the same thing. My first appointment with the surgeon was actually on 7/23 and the only thing I have left to do is pulmonologist (tomorrow) and sleep apnea before they will send my charts over to the insurance company! I am super excited too! This board is a great resource for support and advice, so use all the tools that are available to you! Looking forward to sharing the journey with you :-)!

dbaby, don't be so hard on yourself. For most of us, establishing a healthy eating pattern is something that we're not used to, so it will take some time to adapt to the change in lifestyle. I hate to admit it, but journaling is really what helped me to track what I was eating, when, how to use my calories, etc. You will also find that you can treat yourself every now and then and still see good results. As a pp mentioned, water is key!! I can't stand just water, so I use those Crystal Light to go packs and just add it to my water bottle and YUM! It doesn't even taste like a diet-type drink and it's only 5 calories!!! These initial steps are hard and yes, we're going to fall down, cheat, and feel like we can't do it, but we just have to pick ourselves right back up and start over. You have a great support system in this board right here and people that will provide great advice and moral support. Believe in yourself and just keep going!!! We'll get there :-)!

OMG, congrats! That's awesome!!!! Lots of luck on Friday!

My doctor does outpatient, unless you have sleep apnea, which would require an overnight stay. I'm almost positive I have it, but won't know until I have my test in a couple of weeks.

Wow! Congrats, Greg. That is some fast approval!!! The 29th will be here before you know it!

Wow! I lucked out with my psych consult. Mine was an hour long and basically verifying that I was doing this for the right reasons, homelife, history of being overweight, confirming things I've tried to lose it, how I feel things will change after surgery, if I understand this isn't a "quick fix", stuff like that. Unfortunately, I have 5 one-hour nutrition classes to attend as part of my program. I've already been working on my diet prescription, so I'm sure they will be going through the ins and outs of how to eat, when to eat and why. Wow, I'm getting tired just thinking about this LOL Edited to say: Good luck on Wednesday!

Congratulations on your approval! I'm sure you must be over the moon excited! How wonderful!

Wow, Erin. You're moving right along! How are you feeling today?

I am just full of questions today... So, I met with the behavior therapist last week to get the psych clearance for surgery, and during the discussion, we talked about the daily dose of Zoloft I take. I have been on 50 mg of Zoloft per day for anxiety (and trust me, with my job/kids, I really need it LOL). She asked me if I had any trouble losing weight while taking it and no light bulbs came on, so I'm really not too sure. I have tried to wean in the past several times (all unsuccessful obviously). I am going to try to research this on the Web now, but everyone is so knowledgeable here. Is anyone (either pre-op or post-op) currently taking antidepressants? Have your docs told you that your weight loss will be slower due to taking it? I just want to be prepared if that is going to be a small obstacle to the weight loss.....

For the life of me, I can't figure out what this stands for.....

Glad it went well, Vickie. I too was surprised about the program fee I needed to pay (that insurance doesn't cover). It was $1,450!!!!! Thank GOD they took flex spending and payment plan! Like yours, it includes nutritionists, psych consult/clearance and support groups for pre, post and beyond the surgery. I've been there a few times already, so I guess it's true that you get what you pay for. I'm sure the counseling sessions would be worth it for you too. I guess the think it will deter people from going to the seminar for info if they tell people that upfront? It was like pulling teeth to get the $$$ before the seminar (had to pull the Nancy Drew skills :smile2:) Lots of luck to you on your journey!

Holy crap! What state are you in?!? That's some quick response from the insurance company. So glad to hear!!

Congrats on your approval!

Congrats to everyone on their insurance approvals! I'm sure it won't be long until I'm hearing about all of your successful surgeries :-)!

I have such a big mouth, I've pretty much told everyone. Moreso because I'm really excited, I just can't contain myself. Of course, everyone has their opinion on whether or not they want to share, and they should do what is most comfortable to them :-)

Thanks for letting us know how it went! It definitely does ease some of the nerves to hear good experiences like yours while a lot of us are in the waiting stage. Congrats on being banded and good luck continuing on your journey!!!

I have Keystone HealthPlan East (BC/BS of PA). It's a PPO plan and the requirements are the same as the Anthem one. My surgeon said that the approval process is pretty quick and easy with them (God I hope that's true!) As long as I do the 3-month pre-op plan with the nutritionist and behavioral therapist, I should be fine (so they say). I have heard different things from state to state about BC/BS, so maybe the requirements vary by state? Good luck and DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!