dontgoggilme

so... after the all frustration of my doc's office not submitting the referral request fast enough for me... i logged onto the website today and checked to see (for the millionth time it felt like) if it had been submitted. i was expecting to see nothing there but omg. there it was! the referral pending approval. i was like yay. finally submitted. thinking i had to wait the full three days to find out if they approved it or not i didn't think about it again for the rest of the day. then i decided to check again tonight (something just told me to give it a look see). and omg again! it was approved. APPROVED!!!! I AM GETTING BANDED!!!! FOR SURE!!!! i bet my doc's office doesn't even know yet since it didn't actually go through til after they were closed. i can't wait to talk to them on monday and get scheduled for all my pre ops and set my band date!!!! they were saying the last week in feb. but i wanna push it out til the first or second week in march. so i'm gonna be a march bandster! woohoo!!!!:thumbup::thumbup:

i like this idea of naming my band. i'm not yet banded and will wait til after to choose a name. i want to see what kind of "personality" my band has first. lol

wow! ya'll sure gave some awesome responses. every single one of them was so helpful in different ways. i just found out earlier tonight by checking my insurance provider's online site (thank you lord for the internet) that my surgery got the final approval. i'm so excited and hope that no matter what relationship changes might happen, that everything turns out ok in the long run! =)

hey all. i'm getting banded in early march and this is something i've been thinking about and am worried about. i have a friend who had lapband done over a year ago and our relationship has changed since she had it done. it's not like it's bad or anything now but just different. we can't shop together anymore since she's regular sized and i'm plus sized. her attitudes towards larger people have changed, too. it's just kinda wierd. so now i'm concerned about the relationships i have with my sister (she is plus sized) and some friends (who are also plus sized) and how it will change things with us. i'm also worried and wondering how it's affected people's marriages. my husband is supportive but he's worried i'm going to leave him after i lose the weight. i kinda take offense to that statement because to me it's almost like saying i'm not attractive enough to get anyone else right now as a big girl but once i'm thinner i will be. does that make sense to ya'll? can anyone share about thier experience and if it's changed their marriage, friendships, or other relationships?

a friend of mine who is over a year out says she can't eat any bread or pasta at all. not even tiny bits. i'm sad about this becuase i love bread and pasta (mac and cheese!!!) but know that losing those (if i have to) will be well worth it. guess i'll just have to relish in them before my pre op diet. lol

i'm so glad someone started this thread. this is something i have been debating about for a while. we own a scale now but i only get it on it very rarely. too depressing. i was thinking about getting rid of it after the surgery but wasn't sure. normally when i am trying to lose weight i get obsessive and weigh daily and didn't want to go through that with the band and possibly get disappointed if i'm not losing as much each day as i'd prefer. but i thin i will keep the scale but only weigh once a week like another bander mentioned. =)

i thought it was a kinda jacked up idea for a movie when i first saw the trailer and figured it would probably be offensive to some. i chose to see it later anyway just to see and it was entertaining although i think some parts were going overboard with the whole "fat thing".

ok... so i had my consultation on jan. 25 and the doc said my surgery would probably be scheduled for the last week in feb. i was like "yay! great!". when i spoke with the insurance lady at my doc's office she said it might take a week for her to submit the paperwork to get the referral for the procedure (i'm tricare prime) but that after it was submitted tricare gives an answer (approved or denied) in three days or less and went on about how it's a pretty quick thing with tricare when someone meets all the criteria like i do. so i was sooo excited. well, i been checking my tricare referral status everday since that appt on jan. 25 and the doc's office still has not even submitted the referral for review. i'm like wtf? it's been 9 days!!! she said a week at most. 7 days! the longer it takes to get the ball rolling the further out the surgery date will have to be as i have to have the pre ops done and do a two week liquid diet. a friend of mine who was banded a year ago by the same doc (she is also tricare prime) says to be patient and that they are busier now than when she got hers which is why it's taking longer for me than it did for her, but i'm sooo ready to get banded and get the ball rolling on the before surgery stuff. i find myself getting angry with the doc's office for not turning the stuff in fast enough. has anyone else had this problem? i was thinking of waiting til friday to see if they have done it by then and if not then i'll prolly be fuming by then and wanna call and gripe them out. but i know i can't do the latter but still. has anyone else had similar issues or similar frustrations?

see, i would prefer to get the walmart shakes, too. i mean, i've already tried those and they weren't great but were doable. the money is also a concern for me since we are living off one income right now. at first my doc's nurse said that other brands besides BA would be ok but now they are saying only BA. they also give you these comparison sheets trying to show how BA is actually cheaper than walmart, but i did the math and there's no way that's possible. i'm gonna look into the inspire stuff that betty mentioned and just think about things and figure out what i wanna do. i think i might do the BA a little but then use something else, too, so it's not as expensive. i dunno. maybe i'll talk to my doc again and see what he thinks. i would think that as long as i'm getting the protein i need then it should be ok.

when i was asking my doc about this he said that he sees no need to stop taking it before unless i have known clotting issues which i don't. so he said it should be fine. i guess it just depends on the doctor and what their policies are. he also told me that since it's so small there won't be any issues with it fitting through the opening of my pouch afterwards.

this is exactly what i needed to hear. you are sooo right. i did do this to myself and now i'm gonna do what i gotta do to make positive changes regardless of how it tastes or how cheap i am. lol

i love that foxy mammas idea!!!!

i see that folks have signatures on their posts of like "feb's funky bandits" or "december delights" or whatever.what are these groups and how do you get into one? lol:confused:

hello everyone! so i am pretty sure that i, too, will be a feb. bandster. i am waiting on insurance approval of the procedure but my doc says i should get approved easy and he says my surgery will prolly be the last week of feb. here's my info: #1. Surgery date? PROB THE LAST WEEK IN FEB. #2. State you live in? LOUISIANA - THE BIG BOOT! #3. Doctor/Surgery Center? DR. WILLIAM NORWOOD #4. Insurance or self pay? INSURANCE - TRICARE PRIME #5. Age and height 28 YEARS OLD AND 5 FT 3 IN #6. Current weight and goal weight? CURRENT IS 232.5 - DOC SAYS GOAL IS AROUND 130 WOW! #7. What was your deciding factor for having this surgery? BEING UNCOMFORTABLE EVERYDAY AND REALIZING IT'S DUE TO MY WEIGHT (I WAS IN DENIAL), NEVER BEING ABLE TO FIND CLOTHES THAT FIT AND LOOK DECENT WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE AT PLUS SIZE STORES, GETTING TIRED OF GETTING WINDED DOING SIMPLE THINGS LIKE WALKING TO MY CAR FROM THE WALMART OR TRYING TO PUT MY SHOES ON... AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON #7. Do you have the support of family and friends? YES #8. Concerns and questions? I'M NERVOUS AS HECK BUT KNOW I'M MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION. .......................and anything else you would like to add! I REALLY HOPE THAT I CAN STILL EAT A TASTE OF MAC AND CHEESE EVERY NOW AND THEN. I LOVE MAC AND CHEESE AND SURE WILL MISS IT! IT'S WORTH IT THOUGH!!!! I'D RATHER BE THINNER AND HEALTHIER THAN HAVE ALL THE MAC AND CHEESE I COULD EAT! LOL

i'm so sorry to hear about those who have unsupportive husbands or no one to support them at all. i have a supportive friend who had the lapband last year and my sister is real supportive, too. my husband says he is supportive but sometimes i wonder just how supportive he is cuz he makes comments and stuff that contradict being supportive. i agree with those who mentioned support groups affiliated with your surgeon or hospital. those would probably be a good place to start. and here at lbt... well, it's great here. i wish that i could be a rock for anyone who needs one. maybe we could start a thread of matching "pen pals" for folks who want a kind of "partner/friend" through this journey. it would be on a more personal level than just posting threads and comments. =)

i asked my doc about stuck food cuz that's a big worry of mine. he told me that he prefers to have another doctor (a specialist who's title i don't remember) go in and retrieve the stuck food rather than let fluid out of the band. he said it's like doing scope down the throat and they just grab the food and pull it out. he said this one lady swallowed an olive one time and it had to be retrieved.

hey ya'll. so i'm getting ready to start my pre op diet soon and my doc only wants me to drink protein shakes made by bariatric advantage. you have to order them online and they are pretty pricey ($40 for one tub/24 servings with shipping). i'm worried that i'm going to put out all this money on them and then hate them. the doc office doesn't have any samples for me to try either. has anyone tried these? are they horrible or ok? i was thinking about getting chocolate (the only flavor that sounds good to me) and unflavored cuz they said i could mix the unflavored with other things like tea and broth. any thoughts would be great. thanks.

after reading this post, i freaked out and asked my doctor about it. thank goodness he told me i can still take my bc both before and after the surgery! sigh of relief!!!!

i can't offer you any advice on what to say or not to say to your doc as i haven't even been there yet myself (my consult is on 1/25). i also can't relate to the medical issues you have. what i can say though, is that you are not alone in worrying that you will be told "no". i'm so freaked about the dr saying i'm not a good candidate or something similiar and dashing all my dreams. i wonder if this is a fear a lot of folks have before their appts? guess we will find out as more folks post. keeping my fingers crossed for you and for me.

omg. i am overeating, too. i have an appt with my surgeon on the 25th and will probably be banded by the end of february. i know that that doesn't mean i'm done with food forever or anything like that but i just find myself wanting to eat more as i know i will be on liquids for a whole month (two weeks before and two weeks after) then mushies for two weeks after that and then after that never be able to eat a full plate like i used to. i can feel my clothes getting tighter and tighter but refuse to buy new ones since i'm going to be banded and losing soon anyway. i keep reminding myself not to eat so much and that i will eat again just in smaller healthier portions. on the upside, i have been weaning myself off cokes and drinking much more water. at least i'm doing something right! lol

i'm so sorry to hear that your referral was denied by your pcm. my pcm said that once you hit the bmi of 40 or more, there's no meeting other requirements... that they automatically let you go for a consultation. mine didn't even want to read my weight loss medical history or anything since my bmi is 40. you might try doing a pcm change and then asking the new pcm for a referral. if your bmi is over40 then no, that is not "too healthy" and your pcm is wrong in my opinion. you could also try filing a complaint with patient advocacy, too, if you want. i mean, the pcm is supposed to at least try to give you the referral and then it's up to tricare to approve or deny. and i am pretty sure you'd get approved since your bmi is over 40 and meets the tricare requirements. but good luck with it. =)

yesterday i had an appt with my pcm (i'm tricare prime) asking for referral to go see dr. norwood (wls surgeon). today the referral got approved and dr. norwood's office called and scheduled my consultation! yay! i am going on jan 25 and dr. norwood said i could be banded as early as three weeks from that date. i'm soooo ready and can't wait!!!! :tt1::thumbup:

you look awesome! good work!

i can totally see a difference, too! you're doing great!!!!

but do any of you who already have the band feel like your desire to have sex has diminished? i have a friend who has the band and she lost all desire shortly after the surgery. i've also watched a few youtube vids by banders who say they have lost the desire, too. me and my husband are both worried about this. lol