new_journey4me

I have Cigna and it is covered by insurance -90%. I had to do a 6 month nutritional program and provide weight history. That was required by Cigna. Plus I did all the other requirments as well. I'm nervous now about getting approved - but I haven't heard Cigna denying too many people.

My parents freaked at first, I won't lie, it was ugly. But once we all calmed down (a few days later), I sat down with them and showed them the information on the surgery. I even had my surgeon give me an informative DVD that I watched with my parents. It helped alot and when they realized it wasn't embrassive or permanent it made them feel much better. Any parent who loves their child will worry, but I know that deep down they will support you as well. Good luck!

For some reason today I'm having some MAJOR anxiety about my upcoming surgery. I finally finish ALL my requirments that I had to endure in these past 9 months. I think it's all becoming reality now and it's just really hitting me hard that my life is going to change (for the better) in the next month or so. I've done so much research and have started to prepare myself, but it's still a crazy feeling to know that it's finally coming. I think I'm also very nervous about getting approval from my insurance company, I think that's whats bothering me the most - the not knowing part. I don't see why I won't get approved, I have a BMI of 46 and I weight 273 @ 5'3". Plus I have polysistic ovary syndrom. And the company I work for is ALL about Health and Fitness. And it's a VERY VERY BIG company I work for. So I'm hoping that helps as well... Sorry I'm going on and on, but it just feels better to talk about it on this site. At least I have people who really understand where I'm coming from. I'll keep everyone posted as of Wednesday when I'm done with everything and all my paper work gets submitted. Thanks for listening!

Thank you so much for the support! I'm so ready for this to happen. I think I'm just really anxous as well...this has been a LONG process and I just can't wait to start my journey!! I'm sure that everthing will turn out just fine. Positive thinking!! I'll keep you posted as to when I'm approved!! Wahoo!!

Hi there! I need quit ASAP myself!!! I'm hoping to be banded in May and my surgeon told me to quit. I've begun reading this book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" By Alan Carr. It came highly recommended! My best friend read the book almost 3 years ago and as soon as she read the last page of the book - she hasn't smoked since! I'll keep you posted as how I do when I try to finish the book tomorrow on my day off. Hoping that it works just as well for me. Good luck to you!!

Hello - I had to do the 6 month review with a nutritionist as well. I'm finally done one week from today!! Wahoo!! I started this whole process in August '09 and I thought it was going to take FOREVER to get here, but actually time flew right on by! As os next week my stuff will be submitted to my insurance company - keeping my fingers crossed that I will be approved - and I'm hoping to be banded in May sometime! So excited and anxious! These past 9 months have been very educational - I did so much research I was even schooling my nutrititionist. She was impressed on how much I knew. Hang in there - 6 months will be over before you know it!!

HAHAHA!! OPPS!! I meant 2.5 yrs she hasn't touched a smoke.

I don't have any pre-op diet, just 3 weeks post-op of liquid diet. I could use my vacation time, but why bother when I pay into my short term medical. Plus I rather us my vacation time for fun things! LOL. I'm going to Disney in a month ( I was hoping to already have been banded-no dice.) So one more trip where I get to be fat and uncomfortable! Oh well - I know that good things are to come right after I get back! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!

No pre-op diet here either....3 weeks of liquid after surgery will be long enough!

It'll all be worth it in the end. I started this whole process in August and I FINALLY have my last nurtionist appt on April 14!! I thought it was going to take forever - but it really hasn't! Yes there were days when I was annoyed and I just wanted it to be all over, but in these months of preperation, it has helped me greatly. I have been able to research and get my mind in the right place. Good luck, hope it all works out for you!

I started reading a book that came highly recommended "Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Alan Carr. My best friend read it 3 years ago and as soon as she finished the book she hasn't smoked since. I've heard it works for others as well. It tells you to smoke as you read, I'm finding the book very interesting so far. The author was a smoker himself so it's coming from a smokers point of view. Just thought I'd pass that along. Good luck!

Hi anglov - good luck with your surgery! I hope that all goes well. I can't imagine having to pay for this on my own, if that were the case, I wouldn't be doing it. I'm lucky my insurance covers 90% - even though they have put me thru the ringer. And they may still even deny me, which I find totally unfair. But here's hoping that they don't. I'm hoping to have my surgery in the end of May, I don't see why not. All my stuff should be submitted to insurance by April 19. *HOPING* Like you, I'm trying to get everything ready as well. My biggest challenge at the moment is quitting smoking. Everything I'm ready for! Just need to get my stuff ready for my 3 weeks of liquid diet. Still trying to find a Protein drink I like. Which ones did you seem to like? I will be taking 15 days off. I get 12 weeks short term, but I'm just going to take the time off thru out my liquid diet. Don't really want to be on a liquid diet while at work. Plus the bathroom isn't very close. LOL. Good luck with everything!! Keep us posted!!

Hello Jalivia, I understand what you are going thru, it's definitely not easy - AT ALL. I have gained thru out my 6 months due to the fact that I have polycystic ovarian syndrom, I can't loose for nothing! Oh well, that's why I'm getting the band. I just hope insurance doesn't deny me because I gained, but my OBGYN is going to write a letter of recomendation for me as well, so I'm hoping that will help. Good luck with everything!! We'll all be banded soon enough and starting our journey!

*DEEP BREATH* I'm right there with you...I have questioned this whole journey and myself EVERYDAY since August. And in the end I get the same conclusion - I NEED TO DO THIS! And I can't wait for my journey to begin. I think it will be the best thing for me!!! I have the support of my fiance, my friends and my family...it took sometime for my parents to come around, but now they understand and support my decision. But the only person I'm aiming to please, is myself. Without me being happy there would no reason to do this. People are either going to be with me or against me and I can't control what they think. So I try not to let any negativity about this come between me and my goal. There are definitely days and nights that I find myself off in some other world, stepping outside of myself and taking a good look in at who I am and who I will become. I always dreamed of be healthy, happy and skinny. Skinny was never part of my vocab. Even when I was a tri-sport athlete I was never under 190. I'm hoping this will help change all that... Am I scared? Absolutely! I don't want to fail at another weight loss program. And I don't want to let myself down again. Am I excited? HELL YA!! I can't wait for everything to be finalized and get on with it all. Can't wait to be banded and start my "new" life!! All in all I'm very positive about the decisions I have made in order for me to improve myself and my life. I'm 80% EXCITED, 10% ANXIOUS, and 10% SCARED!! But I'm ready!!! Bring it on!!! :confused:)

I was told no coffee as well. I almost had a heart attack. I work very early in the morning and I work long days - not too happy about this one! I understand the soda and everything else, but I just understand the whole coffee thing? Ho-hum....I think I will need to talk to muy surgeon about this one.

Thank you Carrin! I'm going to try and finish the book Thursday. I have the day off and I'm just going to sit home and read read read. I really don't even want to smoke anymore, never mind just for the surgery. Hopefully it will work, seems to have worked for millions! I'l keep you posted!! :confused:)

I'm about to have surgery in May and I've been reading this book called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Alan Carr. It came highly recommended, a great friend of mine read it 2.5 hrs ago and has never touched a smoke since. She swears by it. The book seems pretty good so far, I'll let ya know how I feel after I read it all the way thru.

I too have had to endure a 6 month program, which seemed like it was going to take forever. But I'm finally on my last visit on April 14, which will be my pre-op visit. They will go over everything that I will need to know - well they've been doing that, but this will an hour or longer. I'm really really starting to get anxious...and nervous. But mostly excited! When I started all this is August, I thought it was going to take forever to get here, but time flies right on by. Even with waiting an extra few months in the mix...I should have been banded by now, but the first nutritionist they sent me too, kept canceling so I lost 2 months. But that's ok, I got over it. The only thing that stinks is that I'm going to Disney in May and I figured I'd be banded and pretty much good to go...so that's a bummer. So I'm hoping that I will hear something by the end of April and will be having surgery as soon as I come back from vacation in May... so the rest of this month and all of April it's time to really start focusing on what lies ahead for me. My biggest thing is quitting smoking...hasn't been easy. Other then that I'll have no problem with giving up diet soda and whatever else, my head is in the right place. Good luck everyone - it'll be here before you know it!

Hi Rhonda, thanks for the best wishes...to you as well. It's going to change our lives in such a postive way! Really starting to get antsy! LOL I just want my last nurtitionist appt here and get the show on the road. But it will be here before I know it. Good luck to you! Keep in touch and let me know when you are going in and I will keep in touch as well. Best of luck!! )

Hi Rhonda, it has been a VERY long process. I should have already been banded, but the nutritionist they recommended me to kept canceling on me. So I lost almost 3 months. Wasn't to happy about that at all!! But it is what it is...so hopefully by next month I will have my approval and date! I have to wait till the end of my beucase, I thought I would have been banded already, my fiance and booked a trip to Dinsey in May, so now I have to wait till after that. Unfortunately. :cursing:(

I'm a quitter - found out the hard way long ago and never tried again. My fiance is cool with it :cursing:)

Im hoping to have my surgery in May as well. I will be done with my 6 month nutrition program in the beginning of April and all my requirments have been done...long ago. It's been a LONG process, I just can't wait for the approval and date!!

I will be taking off 3 weeks. I don't want to be here at work, where I work with all men, and be on a liquid diet and have no bathroom anywhere near me. I get 12 weeks short term leave so I'm going to use as much as I can. My boss and supervisor told me to take as long as I need. Which is awesome! I agree with Kaype, my life is going to dramatically change with one surgery. I'm already an emotional person, I don't need to be sitting at my desk crying and freak out the guys I work with. LOL. I also work 11 hr days so I don't think I'd be ready to sit here that long within a week.

I'm not required a pre-op diet. One more visit to the nutritionist at the beginning of April and my stuff will be ready to be submitted to CIGNA. It has been a VERY LONG road. Won't have surgery till the end of May...have a trip planned at the beginning of May so I will have to wait. Whats another month after going thru all this since August 2009?

I too have PCOS and this is pretty much the for the lapband surgery, obviously for the weight loss as well. I have met the man of my dreams and we are getting married in Nov 2011 and we have discussed having kids. I'm just hoping that I can get my PCOS under control and be able to have kids a few years down the road. I'll be 30 in a few weeks and I can't wait to start a new decade and a new me! Good luck ladies.