karmaandkismet

Went and saw my primary doctor today. All that worry was for nothing. She said I was an excellent candidate for the surgery and she would have her portion of the papers ready for me by Friday. I feel sooo relieved. My nutrition consult is tomorrow and my psych eval is next week. I'm on my way!:scared2:

elcee, so after he told you that, did you go find another doctor on your own or did your surgeon's team help you find another one?

I have an appointment with my pcp tomorrow so that I can get my letter of medical necessity. I'm nervous because I don't know what her views are on the lap band. If she's not on board with the idea then I'll be scrambling to find a new doctor who IS on board. She can be a little intimidating at times. I used to see just her PA but the PA got married and moved away. She has advertisements for a new type of liposuction in her office so you would think that she wouldn't be opposed to the lap band. Or at least I hope that's how it is.

I've wondered what the docs thought about doing phentermine while you do your three month supervised diet. I have BCBS of Ill. and even though I did WW last summer, I didn't check in with my doctor each month so I am anticipating having to do the three month supervised diet. The only other times I have been "successful" with weight loss is when I was on the phentermine because I wasn't hungry! I'm hoping that the band will truly help curb my appetite. I can keep myself busy and occupied but its hard to concentrate when you are constantly hungry. Yesterday I had a pb and banana sandwich and I was still hungry.

I'm so sorry to hear that! I didn't even realize that you could go into the surgery and come out and not be banded. I guess I thought that with all the hoops you have to jump through beforehand they would have it figured out if you need corrective surgeries or other interventions before you have the band. I'm glad that your surgeon had the sense to fix these things for you though.

I've been to a couple of seminars and pretty much have my paper chase part of things done. I have my nutrition consult next week and my psych eval the week after. And then we submit the paperwork. I've got some documented diet attempt history but don't know if that will count since I did it on my own through weight watchers. I'm anticipating that I'll be doing the 3 month supervised diet. I'm really ready to make this change and get my health back, my life back, and ME back. I'm open to being buddies with somebody who is in a similar place to me or a seasoned pro who can offer me words of encouragement. My email is babblefish1967@AOL.COM

I bought this little mini blender today at Target so I can take it to work and mix protein shakes while I'm there (I work 12 hour shifts). Its small enough that I can store in my locker. Even when I mix up crystal light (and btw, ocean spray makes a sugar free white cran peach that is awesome) I like to put it in the blender so it gets mixed up well. Even if my husband isn't totally on board, I've got my three month supervised diet to do and that may give him some time to come around. I've also got some really great supportive friends and my 14 year old son is my biggest support person of all!

I don't see many people talking about exercise in the threads. I was curious as to what different people were doing to increase their physical activity. I'm trying to find a tai chi class (I used to do it when I was in one of my "skinny phases) to start off with something not so hard on the joints. I noticed one of the gyms around here offers zumba classes and it looks really fun, but I'm afraid I would look like a beluga whale trying to give birth if I took the class. I know that being fat causes an endless cycle in the exercise battle. A lot of people feel too embarassed to show up at a gym and thus don't get a lot of exercise and then slowly pack on the pounds and so they don't go to the gym and around and around we go.

I'm feeling a little nervous today. I'm taking my husband to a seminar (this will be my second seminar. I took my son to the last one.) My husband was initially very opposed to me doing this. We had several fights about it. I finally told him that I needed to do this for me and it would mean a lot to me if I could have his support, but even if I didn't I was going to do it. He's warmed up a little but mostly we don't really talk about it. So, I'm nervous about what his reaction to the seminar will be. I'm also a little nervous about seeing my pcp next week. She's kinda mean (she used to have a PA that I always saw, but she quit and moved far, far away). I'm not sure what this doctor's take is on the lap band. The ironic thing is, over the years that I've been their patient, they never told me to lose weight. My orthopedic doctor told me it would be a good idea and my GI doctor told me to lose some weight, but the pcp never mentioned it.

I'm looking at a late August/early September date as well. I also have BCBS. I've been to one seminar already and going again tonight so my hubby (who isn't completely sold on this idea) can go too. I have my nutritionist appointment next week and the psych eval the week after that. I've been running around doing my paper chase and think I've got most everything that they'll want. I am anticiating that somewhere along the road somebody is going to want me to go to a cardiologist. In February i was in the ER for a severe headache and palpitations. They did an ekg and it reads "abnormal ekg. sinus tachycardia" (which means a fast heart rate). I was in pain at the time which explains the fast heart rate and nobody at that time had me follow up with cardiology. But I'm thinking the insurance company will probably demand it with those two little words sitting pretty on my report.

I have seen some videos of people getting fills. I am more worried about the fact that I am extremely ticklish more than I am pain from the fills. If my port ends up being in the center, I can deal with that, but if its off to the side...... once sombody touches me, I about come off the table with tickle fits.

remember that the advantage of the band is that it helps you KEEP the weight off.

does anybody know if there is a facebook group for bandsters?:thumbup:

I was originally and LPN and worked as one while I was getting my RN. During that time, I worked in a nursing home. While I know that the physical demands placed on the CNAs was VERY demanding, I don't remember having a whole lot of down time. It seemed as though by the time I got done with a med pass it was time for another one. Then there was checking the patency of NG tubes, digging out impactions, dealing with combative patients, doing peritoneal dialysis, and chasing down the alzheimer's patients who were trying to escape. I used to place little post it notes on my med cart and study as I pushed my cart down the hall. Being a hospital nurse is more physically demanding and quicker paced than when I worked in the nursing home. Everybody busts their butt (nurses and CNAs alike) where I work.

I was wondering how long people stayed out of work after the procedure. I'm an RN that works busy 12 hour shifts. I want to plan for the appropriate time off afterwards.

I'm actually cool with having to wait the three months. It gives my husband more time to warm up to all this and it gives me more time to earn more paid off for the surgery. I'm an RN that works busy 12 hour shifts and from what I understand, you're not supposed to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for about 4 weeks and its pretty ludicrous to think that I won't be lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds at work. It gives me time to plan for my future, start to make some of the changes that I'll have to do post op, and start taking better care of myself mentally as well as physically. I've kind of been thinking of it like its an engagement... a short one. Like you've got three months to plan your wedding. I've got three months to plan for my skinny future. When you look at it like that its kinda like "Oh crap! I've only got three months!":eek:

I've been told i have nice hair so I guess my grooming is in check. Oh! And here's one for you. I actually still laugh at this one. When I was still married to my ex husband he once told me that my best quality was that I was "non offensive smelling". lol.

Dawn1262...nyc?! I LOVE NY!

Hey there 2beskinny, What on earth is "normal grooming. obese" supposed to mean? That if you're obese you're not expected to groom? We have some similar stats and history. I have a bmi of 41 and the only times in my life I've been decently successful with weight loss is with prescription diet pills (including the whole phen-fen thing). I got within 15 pounds of an acceptable weight about 6 years ago with the diet pills, but over time they affected my blood pressure (not to mention that I was bouncing off the walls and couldn't sleep) and I couldn't take them now if I wanted to because now I have chronic hypertension. I went to my insurance's website and printed out the requirement page that physicians are supposed to go by for the guideline. It states that the BMI at the time of the application is the one that they consider for approval or disapproval of payment for the procedure. So, basically, even though you have documented lower weights in your history, its your current bmi they will go by. I did a diet last summer with weight watchers. I have my documented weights for every week but I wasn't technically "under a doctor's supervision" at the time so I'm thinking they are not going to count that. Plus I wasn't in a specific exercise regimen since I had just gone through knee surgery and was doing PT for my knee at the time. I'm anticipating that I'll be doing the three month supervised diet thing and I'm ok with that. It gives me more time to build up paid time off for when I have the surgery and it gives my hubby more time to adjust to all this since he was adamantly against it when I first told him. Let me know how your paper chase goes.

I'm still in the paperwork phase of things, but from the seminar I went to, I was also under the impression that the liquid diet was designed to shrink fat cells around the liver to gain easier access to the stomach for the banding. Think back to the things you know from past dieting experience...sometimes when you make a drastic change in your intake your body goes into "panic mode" and thinks you are trying to starve it so it holds on to every precious calorie you put in it, thus no weight loss. That might be what your experiencing. Once your body gets over the shock, you will probably start to lose some weight.

Nean4488, I see you started your diet on 1/26 and had your approval 4/16 which is actually 10 days shy of the 3 month mark, so that's why I wondered if they actually turn your paperwork in while you're on the diet since yours was approved so quickly. I don't mind the 3 month wait. It will actually give me time to earn more paid time off for the surgery so if I need longer (I've talked to a couple of nurses who work 12 hour shifts and they had to wait at least 2 weeks before going back to work) then I'll have it. We have our vacation planned for next month and have a wedding this summer as well, so having the surgery after that time period would actually be preferable.

I'm in the process of doing my "paper chase" and consults right now. I did weight watchers last summer for three months and even though I have documentation of my week to week weight loss at the time, it wasn't under a doctor's supervision so I know I will have to do the 3 month supervised diet before I have the surgery. My question is, when you do the 3 month supervised diet, do the insurance companies require that you complete the entire three months before they approve you, or do you get your approval while you are doing your three month diet and then they schedule your surgery for when your three months is completed?

My husband is sloooooooowly warming up to the idea. Actually, we don't talk about it very much which is an improvement from having screaming matches about it. I had to make the decision to move forward with this for ME. He could either support me or not. That is HIS choice and I can't make it for him just like the decision to have the band is MY choice and he can't make it for me. I think part of his issue is a projection type thing. He feels like he wouldn't want to do a liquid diet or he wouldn't want to give up certain foods and because he wouldn't want to do it, he doesn't want me to do it. I think he thinks he's going to lose an "eating buddy". He can be quite the enabler, bless his heart. I've noticed that since I've made the decision to do this, when we go out to eat he'll actually order appetizers now (he never did before) and he's more open to entertaining the idea of dessert (which he didn't do before). Almost like he's subconsciously saying "Look what you're going to be missing if you do this." He's got to deal with his own issues and he'll have to do that in his own way in his own time. I have to take care of Me before I can take care of anybody else.

One of the things that was mentioned in the seminar that I attended was that you're not supposed to drink any liquid for an hour after you eat so that the liquid doesn't push the food on through and thus defeat the purpose of the slow digestion of the food. I was wondering how people are doing with this? I don't drink a lot when I'm eating, but I do have a few sips with a meal. Its hard for me to imagine not drinking at all for a full hour. My other questions is how long people were out of work afterwards. I'm an RN who works 12 hour shifts. I've heard it takes about a week of recovery but when it comes time for my surgery, I want to make sure that I give myself enough time to heal before I go back to running up and down the hallways for 12 hours at a time.:redface:

So, how often do you have fills done? I know at my seminar they said you could only do liquids the rest of the day after a fill. Also, are the nerves that signal fullness in the upper part of the stomach? I know that you get the little pouch and it slowly empties into the rest of the stomach, but if the rest of the stomach has nothing in it, then what signals the satiated response?