Bullwinkle

Well, Hell. I didn't get on the treadmill yesterday AT ALL, as I had planned. In fact, I just sat on my butt most of the day, watching TV. I only did two loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, washed dishes and put them away, baked some bread for the family, and that's pretty much it. Wow. I'm a slug. I also didn't follow the liquid diet I was planning to do yesterday. Oh, well. Today is another day, and as soon as I take my vitamins and enter some foods into FitDay, I'm going to get my butt off of this chair and work on my sewing and do some more laundry. As soon as the hubby wakes up, I'll ask him to help me unfold the treadmill so that I can use it. I bought some more soups last night, so I'll try the liquid diet again today.

Well, Hell. I didn't get on the treadmill yesterday AT ALL, as I had planned. In fact, I just sat on my butt most of the day, watching TV. I only did two loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, washed dishes and put them away, baked some bread for the family, and that's pretty much it. Wow. I'm a slug. I also didn't follow the liquid diet I was planning to do yesterday. Oh, well. Today is another day, and as soon as I take my vitamins and enter some foods into FitDay, I'm going to get my butt off of this chair and work on my sewing and do some more laundry. As soon as the hubby wakes up, I'll ask him to help me unfold the treadmill so that I can use it. I bought some more soups last night, so I'll try the liquid diet again today.

....and it's probably because I slept well last night, and could sleep in this morning. I'm going to try to follow a liquid diet today and tomorrow -- not the Medifast stuff my surgeon will have me use just before surgery -- but I'll start with clear soups and beverages. Monday I'll use Kroger's generic version of SlimFast Shakes to replace two meals a day. I'm gonna try that for a week. Today's liquid diet may include some liquid Vodka-and-Diet-Coke clear beverages later this evening. Now it's time to hit the treadmill for 30 minutes.

....and it's probably because I slept well last night, and could sleep in this morning. :mad: I'm going to try to follow a liquid diet today and tomorrow -- not the Medifast stuff my surgeon will have me use just before surgery -- but I'll start with clear soups and beverages. Monday I'll use Kroger's generic version of SlimFast Shakes to replace two meals a day. I'm gonna try that for a week. Today's liquid diet may include some liquid Vodka-and-Diet-Coke clear beverages later this evening. Now it's time to hit the treadmill for 30 minutes.

need2bhealthy - while at my consult, I met with all four team members and the Insurance Coordinator told me tht I'd have no problem whatsoever being approved for this procedure with my husband's UHC coverage. She said that they are a DREAM to work with. Also, I was a bit nervous that UHC wouldn't cover me because I didn't think I had any of the co-morbidities everyone talks about. Well, I wsa wrong. I have high cholesterol -- managed by meds -- and asthma flare-ups -- managed with an inhaler -- and she told me that those ARE co-morbidities. In either case, my husband's UHC coverage doesn't demand that I have any of those, anyhow. Read on.... alcon - when I called my husband's UHC customer service, I asked if the lap band were a covered procedure, and he told me that is was. I asked if I could give him a specific code and, after sighing and acting like I was a bother, he looked up the code and said, "Yes, like I told you, it IS covered." I then asked what the criteria was for being covered and he said all I hafta have is a BMI greater than 35. I was surprised and stated such, and he again acted like I was being a pest and told me to have my surgeon's Insurance Coordinator contact them, and they'd get everything worked out. I, like you, hung up the phone feeling somewhat frustrated and felt as if I were being dismissed. So, since I won't be effective on hubby's insurance until 01-01-07 -- and since I've had every reassurance from both the surgeon's office and the insurance carrier that this will be a covered procedure, I'm going to try to quit worrying about it.

I'm just in a really pissy mood today, dammit. Hell Week** started today, and I'm just ready to go off on anyone. Just gimme a reason. Emailed the dietician today to ask if I could lose some weight without it affecting whether or not the freakin' insurance will cover my procedure. She said they'd take the weight and measurements they recorded for me when I was in the office the other day, and turn those into the insurance company. They damn well better, because I am going to try to give a liquid diet a fighting chance here starting this weekend, just to see how difficult it is, and I intend to lose weight between now and the surgery date. I don't care WHAT anyone else says...when my surgeon tells me that I hafta be on a liquid diet for 10 days before my procedure, I'm gonna By God be on that liquid diet. The NOIVE of some people saying, "Just do what you want -- eat what you want -- but don't tell your doctor." Man, that just tears it. Holy Mother of God.....this is SURGERY, for God's sake. DO what the SURGEON says, not what you WANNA do. Nothing like breaking the freakin' rules before you're even banded. Makes me wonder what will happen to those people AFTER being banded if they can't follow the rules BEFOREhand. I woke up at 3:00am this morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. Hubby was tossing and turning -- am CONVINCED the dolt has sleep apnea, but does he belive me? NOOOOOOOoooooooo -- so instead of laying there feeling the bed shaking every few moments because he's thrashing around like he's threshing wheat, I just said, "Oh, what the Hell," and got my arse outta the bed. So, it's 3:45am and I've already had two cups of coffee, so I'm wide awake. I took the opportunity to search some message boards for a "routine" liquid diet menu that folks follow, but couldn't find one before I had to go to work. It's now 9:08pm and I'm just dead to the world right now, so I think I'll give everyone in my life a break and go to bed, falling asleep to the sound of everyone heaving a huge sigh of relief. Hey......I KNOW how I can be during Hell Week, and it ain't pretty. I pity the fool who gets in my way. This, too, shall pass. **Hell Week = the week before my period starts. All bets are off during that week. I am NOT my normal self, so don't expect anything normal outta me.

I'm just in a really pissy mood today, dammit. Hell Week** started today, and I'm just ready to go off on anyone. Just gimme a reason. Emailed the dietician today to ask if I could lose some weight without it affecting whether or not the freakin' insurance will cover my procedure. She said they'd take the weight and measurements they recorded for me when I was in the office the other day, and turn those into the insurance company. They damn well better, because I am going to try to give a liquid diet a fighting chance here starting this weekend, just to see how difficult it is, and I intend to lose weight between now and the surgery date. I don't care WHAT anyone else says...when my surgeon tells me that I hafta be on a liquid diet for 10 days before my procedure, I'm gonna By God be on that liquid diet. The NOIVE of some people saying, "Just do what you want -- eat what you want -- but don't tell your doctor." Man, that just tears it. Holy Mother of God.....this is SURGERY, for God's sake. DO what the SURGEON says, not what you WANNA do. Nothing like breaking the freakin' rules before you're even banded. Makes me wonder what will happen to those people AFTER being banded if they can't follow the rules BEFOREhand. I woke up at 3:00am this morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. Hubby was tossing and turning -- am CONVINCED the dolt has sleep apnea, but does he belive me? NOOOOOOOoooooooo -- so instead of laying there feeling the bed shaking every few moments because he's thrashing around like he's threshing wheat, I just said, "Oh, what the Hell," and got my arse outta the bed. So, it's 3:45am and I've already had two cups of coffee, so I'm wide awake. I took the opportunity to search some message boards for a "routine" liquid diet menu that folks follow, but couldn't find one before I had to go to work. It's now 9:08pm and I'm just dead to the world right now, so I think I'll give everyone in my life a break and go to bed, falling asleep to the sound of everyone heaving a huge sigh of relief. Hey......I KNOW how I can be during Hell Week, and it ain't pretty. I pity the fool who gets in my way. This, too, shall pass. **Hell Week = the week before my period starts. All bets are off during that week. I am NOT my normal self, so don't expect anything normal outta me.

Oh, so I guess it's a YMMV thing (your mileage may vary). I, too, lost a lot of weight following Atkins (150+ pounds lost in 23 months), but I never experienced any hair loss. Again, I guess it just depends on the person. I meant to say that my surgeon as done over 1,500 bands. I left out a zero. You can read more about him here.

I don't agree with that statement in the least. Communication with the guy who is gonna have his hands and instruments inside of you is essential, in my books. This is SURGERY, folks. Your doctor will be performing that surgery on you. He KNOWS what he's talking about when he tells you to follow XYZ plan before surgery. My surgeon told me that I will be following a liquid diet pre-surgery to shrink the liver away from the stomach. The dietician told me that some people don't listen, eat whatever they like beforehand, and then when the doc gets in there, the liver is huge and he cannot get to the stomach area well enough to band it. If your doctor tells you that you CAN eat regular foods before surgery, do so. If your doctor tells you that you CAN'T eat regular foods before surgery, then don't. Just do what your doctor tells you. He knows what is best for YOU. My two cents..........

I emailed my surgeon, Dr. Curry, because I had read online about thinning hair and hair loss after being banded. He emailed me back and said he's never had a patient experience hair loss after being banded, and he's done WELL over 150 bands.

Been there, done that. All of it. Your scenario sounds just like mine did, except throw in mental, verbal, and physical abuse by my first husband, and poisoning the minds of my children against me. My advice to you is to get apart and stay apart. Please. Whatever it takes, do it. Go stay with friends, relatives, a women's shelter -- if you own part of the house get your lawyer to get his butt out -- whatever it takes. For your own sanity, you've gotta get apart. From everything I've read of your situation so far, your husband's outbursts will just get worse. Believe me. My two cents........

Hello there from Ohio, Michelle! Congratulations on the weight loss!

Congratulations, carol453, on having a surgery date! I'm kinda worried, too, about the pre-op diet. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I think it's wonderful that you have a great support group.

I had my first consult today, and it was wonderful. I've written more about it in my journal here. For those of you contemplating being banded, I think it's advisable to find a surgeon who has done many of these procedures. I found Dr. Curry, and I'm so glad that I did. I should have my surgery date around the third week in January. I'll post my date when I find out what it is. Wow. I'm so excited!! I'm thinking that I'll FINALLY stop the process of losing weight and then gaining it all back -- over and over and over again. This is gonna work for me just fine!

You hit the nail on the head. Hope. That's what I'm feeling. Every time I started a new diet I never felt hope, because in the back of my mind I thought I would eventually fail. This time is different.

Congratulations and good wishes coming your way! I can't wait to find out if I can have the surgery in mid-January.

Wow! Forty pounds is fabulous. Kudos.

LOL!!! :amen:

Do I understand your statement correctly? Are you saying that your husband is saying, "Well, since you're going to 'be that way', I'm going to go out with Mr. P and cohort as much as possilbe." Because, if so, that sounds like your hubby is levelling some sort of punishment on you since you won't "do as he says". That's just WRONG. Tell it to Mr. P yourself. Don't allow hubby to speak on your behalf. Let the chips fall where they may. Just my two cents..........

Well, here's what I think. Were I in your shoes, I would do as my conscience dictates, and would worry not one whit what anyone else thinks. Your hubby may want you to go "for him", but you've gotta do what's right "for you." That doesn't mean that you hafta speak up and voice your disapproval. It just means that you want no part in it. And it just means that you hafta do what's right for YOU. After all, you've gotta live with yourself.

Well, I finally met with Dr. Curry and his staff today, and my husband and I left feeling secure and thoroughly impressed. First, Charity checked me in and made sure all of my paperwork was in order, and she collected the co-pay. My husband was being a smart aleck (per usual) and she threatened to beat him up for me. I knew I'd like the girl from that moment on. Next, we met with Erin, the Clinical Dietician. She weighed me (ugh!) and took my measurements (double ugh!), and then spoke with us in the exam room. She has a lap band herself, and it was comforting to know that someone with personal lap band experience was extoling its virtues to me. After Erin, we met Tracy. Tracy is the Insurance Coordinator and she really set my mind at ease about insurance. She told me that UHC is a very good insurance with which to work, and she forsees no problem with approval (so far). Lisa came in next, and she's the Nurse Practitioner. Wow. Again, she went over every aspect of my medical and physical history, and answered a lot of questions I had (although, when I left, I thought of several more). And last, but certainly not least, Dr. Curry came in and showed us a brief presentation about the pros and cons of having a lap band, and he told me that I am an ideal candidate for the procedure. Whew! So, I went to work and spent a few moments on the phone with my insurance company getting pre-authorization for a psychiatric review with an in-network psychiatrist -- one of the ones listed on the referral paper given to me by Dr. Curry's office. I'll have my psyc review on Friday, 11-17-06, and 9:00am. The wheels are in motion, and if everything goes as planned, I should be banded around the third week in January! WOO HOO!!!!!

Well, I finally met with Dr. Curry and his staff today, and my husband and I left feeling secure and thoroughly impressed. First, Charity checked me in and made sure all of my paperwork was in order, and she collected the co-pay. My husband was being a smart aleck (per usual) and she threatened to beat him up for me. I knew I'd like the girl from that moment on. Next, we met with Erin, the Clinical Dietician. She weighed me (ugh!) and took my measurements (double ugh!), and then spoke with us in the exam room. She has a lap band herself, and it was comforting to know that someone with personal lap band experience was extoling its virtues to me. After Erin, we met Tracy. Tracy is the Insurance Coordinator and she really set my mind at ease about insurance. She told me that UHC is a very good insurance with which to work, and she forsees no problem with approval (so far). Lisa came in next, and she's the Nurse Practitioner. Wow. Again, she went over every aspect of my medical and physical history, and answered a lot of questions I had (although, when I left, I thought of several more). And last, but certainly not least, Dr. Curry came in and showed us a brief presentation about the pros and cons of having a lap band, and he told me that I am an ideal candidate for the procedure. Whew! So, I went to work and spent a few moments on the phone with my insurance company getting pre-authorization for a psychiatric review with an in-network psychiatrist -- one of the ones listed on the referral paper given to me by Dr. Curry's office. I'll have my psyc review on Friday, 11-17-06, and 9:00am. The wheels are in motion, and if everything goes as planned, I should be banded around the third week in January! WOO HOO!!!!!

Welcome, ~Pam~. I kinda feel silly saying that, since I'm a newbie here, myself. Welcome, nonetheless. What I've found helpful is #1) finding these boards, and #2) scouring these boards for information. I've also found quite a few lapband sites online, and I scour them for information as well -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to read everything I can so that I can make an informed decision. My first consult appointment is this morning at 11:00am. I'm excited. LEt us know how your journey goes.

Yeah, me, too. I guess we're all different. I'm a control freak in regard to my own choices -- in that I want them to be MY choices -- good or bad -- and not influenced by anyone else. That's why I'm not telling anyone -- except my husband -- that I am pursuing the band. If I were to be following a new diet, I wouldn't tell anyone, either. I don't want anyone thinking "I won't offer this to her because she CAN'T have it." I want that to be a choice for me. I'm glad that you are comfortable with your situation, however. I'm not putting you down for it in the least. Again, we're all different. My two cents.........

Well, look at it this way. In that twenty-five-year timespan -- guessing that you've spent money on supervised and non-supervised diet programs -- you've proably spent a ton of money -- perhaps even $10,000. Tell your family -- if you feel the need to rationalize to them -- that you can continue to spend another $10,000 over the next 25 years on fruitless attempts to get yourself to a healthy weight, or you can spend $17,000 now to ensure you'll get yourself to a healthy weight. I'm not saying that WLS will ensure your weight loss. I'm saying that if you're committed to WLS and all it entails for success for your situation, then this will probably be the last "ton of money" you'll spend towards that goal. Also, once you're comfortable with who you are -- in the skin you're in -- your quality of life will be better, thus making your family happier with you. But what really counts is how YOU feel. You've only got to answer to two people, IMHO -- you and your God. The rest of the lot can like it or lump it. Just my two cents........