jennay5180

SO...I had my Nutritionist appointment last night. They told me that this appointment would be an hour long. I got there about 15 minutes early....but couldn't find where it was located in the hospital. I was directed to the basement....but it was nowhere to be found. Then, I called the number given and she told me to come back upstairs and in actuality, was right down the hallway from where I had spoken to the first person. Haha...Oh, well. I got to her office, paid my $10 co-pay, and she was like, "Oh, I need you to fill out these forms". "Oh, you mean these?" I had all of the forms prefilled....so she was like, "OK! :w00t: hahah" So, then she kept asking me if I knew this and that...and I felt like I know all of this so well, that I could repeat it to her. Long story short, I got out of my appointment at 5:07 - I had gotten in a little early, so in total, it probably lasted about 20 minutes. hahaha... Anyway, although the 2nd part is down, I feel a little bit at a standstill. I'm sure others have felt this way....but I can't start losing weight yet b/c I am right at the point where my insurance will fully cover my surgery. If I lose more than 1.6 of my BMI, I am under the 40 BMI that is required. I feel like this is almost counter-productive. I cannot start to modify my diet to be more like the one that I will be eating when I have the surgery, or I might risk losing a few pounds (which I inevitably gain back anyway), to have gone through this whole thing for the insurance to deny me. Anyway....I'm just counting down the months until this dream is a reality! :thumbup:

That's so exciting!! I'll definitely let you know how the nutritionist appointment goes.....I hear the first one is an hour, but I'm not sure how many more I need to go to after that first one. Gosh....I just want August to come! :w00t:

SO jealous! I can't wait to be blogging this great news too!!! :w00t: I can't wait to see how well you do!!

What is FMLA?

SO...I wanted to write this down somewhere in case I forgot..... Start date of the icanchange program: 02.03.10 Completion date will be 08.03.10 My 1st call to health coach: 02.03.10 My 2nd call to health coach: 02.17.10 My 3rd call to health coach: 03.15.10 My 4th call to health coach: 04.07.10 ***The booklet has been completed ***Sleep study was completed on 04.06.10....now I'm just awaiting the results of the study. The technician said that she didn't think that there were enough "events" to be considered for CPAP; however, she said that she is not certified to read the study. ***I have my first nutrition appointment on 04.20.10. I am excited that this is becoming more and more real. :thumbup: Anyway, I just wanted to have this written down so that I wouldn't forget if I needed it at any time.... Have a great day!! ~Jen

SO...I wanted to write this down somewhere in case I forgot..... Start date of the icanchange program: 02.03.10 Completion date will be 08.03.10 My 1st call to health coach: 02.03.10 My 2nd call to health coach: 02.17.10 My 3rd call to health coach: 03.15.10 My 4th call to health coach: 04.07.10 ***The booklet has been completed ***Sleep study was completed on 04.06.10....now I'm just awaiting the results of the study. The technician said that she didn't think that there were enough "events" to be considered for CPAP; however, she said that she is not certified to read the study. ***I have my first nutrition appointment on 04.20.10. I am excited that this is becoming more and more real. :thumbup: Anyway, I just wanted to have this written down so that I wouldn't forget if I needed it at any time.... Have a great day!! ~Jen

That is great! You are going to do awesome!!!! :thumbup:

SO....I had my first appointment with the surgeon today. It was basically just going over everything we had gone over at the seminar that I attended a few weeks back, just in a little more detail. The receptionist gave me a whole bunch of paperwork that needs to be filled out. She told me that the nutritionist would be calling me to schedule an appointment (first of two) within the week....and on my ride home, the receptionist from their office called to schedule that appointment. I will meet with the nutritionist on Wednesday, April 7th. She also said that the sleep lab would be contacting me within a couple weeks to schedule that appointment as well. As I am not going to be through the icanchange program until the end of August, I am not in a super rush to get all of this done....although it will be a great feeling when it has been completed! The doctor said that about 2 weeks before my program ends, I have to give him a call and he will send in the paperwork for approval. He said that in some cases, he has done the surgery a day after approval! It feels real now....I'm in the process....and there is no turning back now! I can't wait.....I keep dreaming of the day that I am thin and happy. It's funny....I went skiing with my boyfriend a few weeks ago....and all that I could think of was was this: "This will be the last time that I will be skiing fat and out of breath!" Every time I do something, I think the same thing...."This will be the last time that I (insert activity here) as a fat girl!" If you want it bad enough, right? For now, I'll continue to dream of being thin.... I'll keep you posted as something else happens....

SO....I had my first appointment with the surgeon today. It was basically just going over everything we had gone over at the seminar that I attended a few weeks back, just in a little more detail. The receptionist gave me a whole bunch of paperwork that needs to be filled out. She told me that the nutritionist would be calling me to schedule an appointment (first of two) within the week....and on my ride home, the receptionist from their office called to schedule that appointment. I will meet with the nutritionist on Wednesday, April 7th. She also said that the sleep lab would be contacting me within a couple weeks to schedule that appointment as well. As I am not going to be through the icanchange program until the end of August, I am not in a super rush to get all of this done....although it will be a great feeling when it has been completed! The doctor said that about 2 weeks before my program ends, I have to give him a call and he will send in the paperwork for approval. He said that in some cases, he has done the surgery a day after approval! It feels real now....I'm in the process....and there is no turning back now! I can't wait.....I keep dreaming of the day that I am thin and happy. It's funny....I went skiing with my boyfriend a few weeks ago....and all that I could think of was was this: "This will be the last time that I will be skiing fat and out of breath!" Every time I do something, I think the same thing...."This will be the last time that I (insert activity here) as a fat girl!" If you want it bad enough, right? For now, I'll continue to dream of being thin.... I'll keep you posted as something else happens....

I know exactly how you feel! I'm in the process of my six month supervised diet for my insurance. I'm about 2 months in....so I've still got a few months to go....but I love when the doors just keep opening for this to actually happen! I dream about the days when I'll be thin!

Last night, I went to my first seminar. I really feel like this is where I am supposed to be. The two doctors (a father/son duo) were so friendly and made you feel so comfortable. They were so encouraging and made me feel like this was the absolutely best decision I could have made! I have done so much research, so I didn't really hear anything that I hadn't heard before. It was nice to meet them though. I made my first appointment with the Doctor who would be performing the surgery - on Monday, March 8th. I am so excited to meet them one on one and just really get the ball rolling. Even better than the fantastic seminar that I attended last night, I finally told my boyfriend what I have been planning. I was nervous about telling him b/c I wasn't sure how he would respond. I wasn't sure if he would be upset that I was going to have surgery....or to me, even worse, would have been to hear, "YES! You need to.....you fat cow!" I know he would never say that to me....but I always have a very active imagination....and I know I wouldn't be able to handle that response! Anyway, his response brought me to tears! He was absolutely SO sweet! He told me that he would be there for me either way. If I wanted to go through with the surgery, he would be there....for anything that I needed. If I didn't want to have the surgery, he would be there for me then too. He said that he just wants me to be happy. I told him that I DO want the surgery and that being thin WOULD make me happy. He said that then he would be supportive of that. He is so sweet! :smile: Anyway, that's my update for a while....until I have my first meeting with the dr. I'll let you know how that goes! :tongue_smilie::smile2::w00t:

Last night, I went to my first seminar. I really feel like this is where I am supposed to be. The two doctors (a father/son duo) were so friendly and made you feel so comfortable. They were so encouraging and made me feel like this was the absolutely best decision I could have made! I have done so much research, so I didn't really hear anything that I hadn't heard before. It was nice to meet them though. I made my first appointment with the Doctor who would be performing the surgery - on Monday, March 8th. I am so excited to meet them one on one and just really get the ball rolling. Even better than the fantastic seminar that I attended last night, I finally told my boyfriend what I have been planning. I was nervous about telling him b/c I wasn't sure how he would respond. I wasn't sure if he would be upset that I was going to have surgery....or to me, even worse, would have been to hear, "YES! You need to.....you fat cow!" I know he would never say that to me....but I always have a very active imagination....and I know I wouldn't be able to handle that response! Anyway, his response brought me to tears! He was absolutely SO sweet! He told me that he would be there for me either way. If I wanted to go through with the surgery, he would be there....for anything that I needed. If I didn't want to have the surgery, he would be there for me then too. He said that he just wants me to be happy. I told him that I DO want the surgery and that being thin WOULD make me happy. He said that then he would be supportive of that. He is so sweet! :scared2: Anyway, that's my update for a while....until I have my first meeting with the dr. I'll let you know how that goes! :thumbup::smile2::thumbdown:

Wow! Great job!! You look awesome!!! :smile2: How many lb's have you lost? How long have you been banded? OH, goshhh...I can't wait!!!!!

I haven't been on here too long...so I'm not sure what kind of pain you are talking about. Is it that gas pain in the shoulder that I have heard about? Or does your actual stomach hurt? Ughhh...now I'm getting nervous! I suck with pain!! :smile2: Have you been on the scale yet? Can you tell if you have lost anything yet?

OK...I just got the call today from my "Health Coach" that I have been officially accepted into the 6 month program "iCanChange" through my health insurance!!! :bored: I feel like this is the first step in what I know will be a long journey. I have to have 8 phone calls within the 6 months that I am in this program. I can't lose more than 5 lbs or else I am under the 40 bmi...and will automatically not be eligible to have this surgery paid for by my insurance. SOOO...needless to say, I'm a little nervous/irritated b/c it doesn't make sense to me! I have to make 2 behavior changes and stick with them. We determined that I would 1) drink more water (Often times I forget to drink water....and it's not like I replace it with anything different....I just don't drink anything!) 2) I will get rid of the 1-2 sodas/week that I am currently drinking. I have read on several blogs about not being able to drink anything carbonated. I'm fine with this....just wondering why not? What happens if you do? Awesome news too! When she asked if I had picked out a surgeon, I had told her that I hadn't formally picked one out; however, I am scheduled to go to an informational session next Tuesday at the Norwood Weight Loss Center (MA). I told her that I was considering Dr. Adam Glasgow for a surgeon. She was like, "Ohhhh, my gosh!! That is SO great!! Adam and Arthur are a father/son team and they are amazing! You are going to love them!! Everyone raves about them!!" Needless to say, this gave me a real boost of confidence about making this choice. I am so excited to finally not be the fat girl! I wish I had just started the journey several years ago.... Anyway, I'll keep you posted with any updates that I get! I'll probably post something next week after the information session as well! Have a great day!!!

OK...I just got the call today from my "Health Coach" that I have been officially accepted into the 6 month program "iCanChange" through my health insurance!!! :smile2: I feel like this is the first step in what I know will be a long journey. I have to have 8 phone calls within the 6 months that I am in this program. I can't lose more than 5 lbs or else I am under the 40 bmi...and will automatically not be eligible to have this surgery paid for by my insurance. SOOO...needless to say, I'm a little nervous/irritated b/c it doesn't make sense to me! I have to make 2 behavior changes and stick with them. We determined that I would 1) drink more water (Often times I forget to drink water....and it's not like I replace it with anything different....I just don't drink anything!) 2) I will get rid of the 1-2 sodas/week that I am currently drinking. I have read on several blogs about not being able to drink anything carbonated. I'm fine with this....just wondering why not? What happens if you do? Awesome news too! When she asked if I had picked out a surgeon, I had told her that I hadn't formally picked one out; however, I am scheduled to go to an informational session next Tuesday at the Norwood Weight Loss Center (MA). I told her that I was considering Dr. Adam Glasgow for a surgeon. She was like, "Ohhhh, my gosh!! That is SO great!! Adam and Arthur are a father/son team and they are amazing! You are going to love them!! Everyone raves about them!!" Needless to say, this gave me a real boost of confidence about making this choice. I am so excited to finally not be the fat girl! I wish I had just started the journey several years ago.... Anyway, I'll keep you posted with any updates that I get! I'll probably post something next week after the information session as well! Have a great day!!!

In your 2nd Day - Healing post, you mentioned that you had a sore throat. What was that from? How has your hunger been? Are you hungry? I am still in the research phase....I like seeing all of these posts (sometimes....some scare the crap out of me! hahaha...)

SO...I have unofficially begun the journey. I have taken steps to prove that I am serious about getting thin and being healthy. OK....so over the weekend, I did a lot of research on different doctors in the area who specialize in LAP-BAND®. In fact, I found a Weight Loss facility pretty near my house that ONLY does LAP-BAND® surgeries. I called my insurance first thing Monday morning and found out that indeed the LAP-BAND® surgery is covered, provided you fall into the "Medically Necessary" category (which I do, as I have a BMI of 41). I have to enroll in a program called iCanChange through Tufts Health Plan. I have to have my Primary Care Physician write a letter and be accepted into the program. SO...I then called my DR. and left a message to have her call me back. I am going to ask her to write a letter that will get me into this program. It is a 6 month program where you speak with a nutritionist on a weekly basis...so pretty much the 6 month diet. THEN....after 6 months, I can either re-register for the program or get the LAP-BAND®. However, it is possible that you could be denied. I'm a little bit bummed....b/c even if you are enrolled in the program, it isn't a guarantee that you'll even be qualified to get the surgery through insurance. I REALLY wanted to get the ball rolling faster than 6 months out from whenever I get enrolled....let's just say in a couple of weeks....so that was a bit of a downer for me.....BUT....I'm just going to believe that everything will work out. I also have enrolled for a free seminar at the place that I was speaking of at the beginning of my post. It is on February 9th at 7pm. I am really excited to meet my "future" surgeon! (PS...I'm thinking positively! :thumbup: hahaha)... Anyway, that's all of the news that I have for now. I'll keep everyone posted if anything else changes. Have a great night!!

SO...I have unofficially begun the journey. I have taken steps to prove that I am serious about getting thin and being healthy. OK....so over the weekend, I did a lot of research on different doctors in the area who specialize in LAP-BAND®. In fact, I found a Weight Loss facility pretty near my house that ONLY does LAP-BAND® surgeries. I called my insurance first thing Monday morning and found out that indeed the LAP-BAND® surgery is covered, provided you fall into the "Medically Necessary" category (which I do, as I have a BMI of 41). I have to enroll in a program called iCanChange through Tufts Health Plan. I have to have my Primary Care Physician write a letter and be accepted into the program. SO...I then called my DR. and left a message to have her call me back. I am going to ask her to write a letter that will get me into this program. It is a 6 month program where you speak with a nutritionist on a weekly basis...so pretty much the 6 month diet. THEN....after 6 months, I can either re-register for the program or get the LAP-BAND®. However, it is possible that you could be denied. I'm a little bit bummed....b/c even if you are enrolled in the program, it isn't a guarantee that you'll even be qualified to get the surgery through insurance. I REALLY wanted to get the ball rolling faster than 6 months out from whenever I get enrolled....let's just say in a couple of weeks....so that was a bit of a downer for me.....BUT....I'm just going to believe that everything will work out. I also have enrolled for a free seminar at the place that I was speaking of at the beginning of my post. It is on February 9th at 7pm. I am really excited to meet my "future" surgeon! (PS...I'm thinking positively! :thumbup: hahaha)... Anyway, that's all of the news that I have for now. I'll keep everyone posted if anything else changes. Have a great night!!

OK....so over the weekend, I did a lot of research on different doctors in the area who specialize in LapBand. In fact, I found a Weight Loss facility pretty near my house that ONLY does Lap Band surgeries. I called my insurance first thing Monday morning and found out that indeed the LapBand surgery is covered, provided you fall into the "Medically Necessary" category (which I do, as I have a BMI of 41). I have to enroll in a program called iCanChange through Tufts Health Plan. I have to have my Primary Care Physician write a letter and be accepted into the program. SO...I then called my DR. and left a message to have her call me back. I am going to ask her to write a letter that will get me into this program. It is a 6 month program where you speak with a nutritionist on a weekly basis...so pretty much the 6 month diet you were speaking of. THEN....after 6 months, I can either re-register for the program or get the LapBand. However, it is possible that you could be denied. I'm a little bit bummed....b/c even if you are enrolled in the program, it isn't a guarantee that you'll even be qualified to get the surgery through insurance. I REALLY wanted to get the ball rolling faster than 6 months out from whenever I get enrolled....let's just say in a couple of weeks....so that was a bit of a downer for me.....BUT....I'm just going to believe that everything will work out. I also have enrolled for a free seminar at the place that I was speaking of at the beginning of my post. It is on February 9th at 7pm. I am really excited to meet my "future" surgeon! :scared2: (PS...I'm thinking positively! :thumbup: hahaha)... Anyway, that's all of the news that I have for now. I'll keep everyone posted if anything else changes. :thumbup: Have a great night!!

Hi There... I am a 29 year old (ooohhh...almost 30! eek! :biggrin: haha...) who needs a change...and is really, really considering being banded. I'm not entirely sure how to go abou it...do I speak with my Primary Care physician first? Or do I have to research some surgeons who do the Lap Band? Anyone have any ideas in the Boston, MA area? I have seen lots of blogs with people's pics...which is super inspiring...and I hope to have this in the near future. What is the time line from when you decide to go ahead with the surgery to when you actually get it done? Any help would be fantastic!! ~Jen