Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
BariatricPal

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Join BariatricPal free

  • Ask your own questions
  • Reply and follow topics
  • Message other members
  • No cost, no spam
Create free account

RiahRiah

LAP-BAND Patients

  • Joined

  • Last visited

View Profile Find content

Blog Entries posted by RiahRiah

  1. wOOhOO

    · RiahRiah · 08/01/2010 14:49

    It's been quite a while.. but it doesnt feel like that long. I have been through my six month diet with my PCP .. which my last appt was at the begning of july. This wasn't so bad. The worst part of the 6 months had nothing to do with the diet it was acutally the psych eval... I knew my dad was bipolar.. but never thought I was myself. I went to the first psychiatrist and she okayed me for surgery but wanted me to seek a second opinion about a mood disorder :thumbup:. So trying to decide on a psychiatrist in town who was covered by CIGNA was a nightmare.. I had decided to try on doctor and she never even returned my calls to set up an appointment... so she was out. When I finally found my psychiatrist I went in for yet another evaluation and at the end he looks at me and says "you probably already know what I am going to say...." I almost starting crying right there. I guess it was always in the back of my mind that something wasn't "quite right" about my moods and some of my behaviors, and with a family history of bipolar disorder I can't say that it was totally out of my mind. I am now bieing treated for bipolar disorder and I feel better than I have in YEARS. Its amazing, I didn't ever think that I didn't feel normal but man oh man do I feel better now. :closedeyes:.
    So, my surgeon's office needed my new psych dr to fax over med notes or a letter saying I'm being treated just in case CIGNA questioned everything since the other psych said I needed a second opinion. That was a pain in the butt! It took a week just to get them to fax over paperwork... ughh. Finally they were able to submit everything to CIGNA on 7.14.10 and on Monday I was anxious - the lady at my surgeon's office told me it would take 2-7 days to hear from CIGNA. Called on Monday and Cigna said APPROVED . I called the office right away and let them know and the lady called CIGNA to get the auth number, called me right back and said "how about august 2nd" I was so excited.. called my husband right up.. and OF COURSE, he couldn't get off then soo had to schedule for August 30th. Which is ok b/c that gives me some more time before surgery to prepare myself and my family. Now I can't keep myself from obsessing over surgery... I am constantly on the web looking everything up. Checking out different protein powders in the stores.. looking over and over my post op diets. I have never had any surgery before.. so I must say I am really nervous about surgery. I have no idea what to expect. Even though I have read and read about it.. I know that I will be a bundle of nerves on that glorious Monday. My pre-op appointment is 8.11.10 I really hope that hubby can get off to go with me, other wise I will be all by my lonesome.
     
    This has already been the most empowering and incredible experience I have had. In the past I went through so many let downs after let downs, dealing with PCOS, infertility etc. Now I am filled with hope and so excited. I am going to actually get to be the person I see in my head AND... I may even get to be a Mommy...

  2. First Appointment Down

    · RiahRiah · 01/11/2010 01:55

    I had my first appointment with my surgeon last week on 1/6/10. It was really simple and I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be. I pretty much just sat and chatted with my surgeon for a little while and they got my height and weight. Then their coordinator came in and explained what my insurance company requires and what I need to do next. Now a few days later my nerves are setting in. I have set my appointment for my PCP and the nutritionist and then the psych consult. The psych consult makes me supper nervous. I have had issues with depression in the past and last year had an incident where I was hospitalized over night. I am doing much better now but I always wonder what other people will think. When I was in the hospital I was evaluated and they let me go home and said I didn't need to see a psychiatrist or therapist. I know that the psych consult is not to keep me from having surgery but to make sure that I am prepared for it. My doctor said the main thing that they will be checking on is my support system and how I plan on dealing with everything, and a year ago I was having issues dealing with my infertility. Since then though my marriage and my relationship with my family has greatly changed I am more open about my feelings and my husband has been better about talking with me and making sure I get my feelings out. I am saying A LOT of prayers and I know that God will make sure that whatever is best for me will happen.

  3. How will my family deal?

    · RiahRiah · 01/02/2010 01:20

    Ok so I am still super excited about my first appointment next week. I am so ready to get this show on the road to a new me. I know that I will feel so much better and be a lot happier. I have been thinking the last couple of days because it seems like this is always in the back of my mind. How is my husband going to cope with my diets etc. I doubt he will be jumping on the diet band wagon. But I can't see myself still cooking regular meals for him and eating differently myself. I told him today that he will have to come into the kitchen with me to watch how I cook his faves so that he can do it on his own. LOL. Don't really see that happening either. He is supportive of my efforts I am sure we will figure it all out when the time comes. He will have to indulge himself elsewhere. :biggrin:
  4. I went to a seminar at the begining of November where they went over different types of bariatric surgeries and what they offered. At the end of the seminar we were all given questinaires and self stamped envelopes to return them in. We were told that after thinking about everything if we were still interested to mail in the form and we would be contacted. I got a call yesterday while at work from the office and the lady told me that both of the doctor's had reviewed my information and from what they read they thought I may be a good candidate for surgery. So far I am filled with so much hope. I have been over weight my entire life. I am at my highest weight now. I have thought about different weight loss surgeries for years but wasn't sure it would be right for me. In late October I had my annual physical with my PCP and she mentioned LAP-BAND® to me- she refered me to the seminar. It was an answered prayer that my PCP brought up the surgery. I remember when I was a teenager my mother and I went to the doctor and I sat there crying because I wanted so much to loose weight and didn't know what to do. Mom and I had read so many diet books, I was active I swam competitively and played softball and was still overweight. The doctor then simply replied "I can't prescribe you a miracle drug" she sent me to a nutritionist who put me on a diet- I followed that diet and ate everything she told me to and ended up gaining weight. I still exercised at the gym but would always put any weight I lost back on. After meeting my husband in 2004 I put on some weight. After getting married in August of 06 I went to the doctor because we wanted to try to have children. I was diagnosed with PCOS the hope was that with metformin I would start having regular periods and may be able to conceive. I took my temperature, charted for a while. My PCP ended up sending me to a fertility specialist. The fertility specialist sent me to a nutritionist, and perscribed medications for months. The fertility treatment didn't work and neither did the diet. I was so stressed out that I decided to give everything a rest for a while. I was constantly told that if I lost weight I should be able to jump start my cycles and get pregnant on my own. But whenever I tried to loose weight it came back. I am hoping that the ball is now rolling in the right direction. and I finally have the hope that a healthier thinner mommy me is in my future.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.