cbreeden28

Glad to hear everyone doing so well. I get banded Monday morning. I can't wait. I'm so excited to get this part past me and start my journey. I hope my recovery goes just as well as all of you. I have really been second guessing myself about this the past couple days, but I think it's just nerves and jitters. I'm going to ignore them and press on.... Anyone else have second thoughts this close to surgery??

This time next week I will be banded. I'm scheduled for next Monday morning (10/10). Really excited!!

Glad to see I'm not the only one struggling with this pre-op diet. I'm on day 5 and it's starting to get a little easier. The first few days were torture!! I'm scheduled for Oct. 10th. I go Monday for my pre-op testing. I'm so excited!!!

I'm on day 5 of 14 and it's starting to get a little easier (thank goodness!!). Two days ago, I was soooo hungry, I cheated and ate about 1/2 cup of sauerkraut and 1/2 cup of chopped kale. It was so good. I miss cruncy food. I also had a slice of cheese that evening. My thinking was the cheese was Protein and the veggies wouldn't affect my liver. Do you think this will be okay? The rest of my diet is Protein shakes, yogurt, broths, and SF pudding/jello. Hunger can make people do crazy things. Last night, I didn't need anything additional. I was satisfied with my yogurt and cream of wheat. 10 more days till surgery!!!

I'm on day 4 of my 2 week liquid diet and it's getting easier. The first 2 days, I thought I would die. I guess your body adjusts to the lower calories and carbs. I actually feel really good. Especially when I stepped on the scales this morning. I'm down 5 pounds since Monday!!! It seems it impossible, but I weighed 3 times and each time was the same number. That really helps keep me motivated. I have 11 more days to go till surgery!!!

My dietician gave me an all inclusive list of what I could have these next two weeks. The list includes broth, certain Soups, SF pudding, SF applesauce, nonfat greek yogurt, cream of wheat, 1% milk, and Protein powder. So far, I'm doing good. I am still tracking my food on myfitnesspal.com to make sure I'm eating enough protein. My ? is, my calorie count is usually under 1,000 and my carbs range between 90 and 100. Is this ideal? They told me protein intake should be between 100 and 120g per day, which I'm doing, but I worry about eating too many carbs. Also, should I make sure to eat closer to 1200 calories a day? I'm starving by the end of the day, but I'm not sure what else to eat without affecting my carbs. I only use 1% milk. I can't stand soy, almond, or any other fake milk. I also eat plain greek yogurt and add splenda and Protein Powder to it. Any ideas?

We went to Red Lobster and I had crab legs, shrimp, mashed potatoes, and a salad. It was wonderful. We also stopped for ice cream on the way home. I tried to not think of it as my last meal. I will be able to eat those things again, just in smaller doses. I'm on day 2 of my pre-op diet and evenings are the worst for me. Cooking for my family and then having cream of wheat with greek yogurt for my dinner. But, I know it will be worth it.

Hey KBaum, we have the same surgery date. I just started my 2 week liquid diet today. So far, it's not too bad. I'm not overly hungry....yet. Good luck to you!!

Hi everyone!! I'm scheduled for surgery on Oct. 10th. I start my 2 wk liquid diet on Monday. I'm really nervous and excited too. I know it will be a rough couple weeks, but I made it this far.... My diet will consist of Protein shakes, greek yogurt, 1% milk, campbells Soup at hand (non-cream based Soups only), sugar free pudding and Jello, and sugar free applesauce. My Protein drinks of choice will be unjury, Muscle Milk light, and Nestle Carnation sugar free Breakfast w/ additional Protein powder added. I will also be adding unflavored protein powder to my soups. The hardest part will be cooking for my husband everyday and then having to settle for yogurt or soup for my dinner. I will have my pre-op testing (EKG, lab work, etc) on Oct. 3. I live in Harrisonburg, VA and am currently 295lbs and 5'4". Good luck to all the October bandsters!!!!!

You will do great. I have been put to sleep one time when I got my wisdom teeth taken out. I was also very nervous. But the whole process was very easy and relaxing. The time between them starting my IV and waking up in recovery seemed like a few seconds. I was completely unaware of the time that had passed. In my experience, I woke up very cold and crying. I'm not sure why I was crying. I wasn't in pain or anything. They said that it's just a side effect of the anesthesia for some people. Within a couple minutes I was okay. You will do great. I'm more nervous about the days following the surgery. Learning how to eat and being able to do things (like chase after my 20 month old!!)

After working on this process for over a year, I got insurance approval and a surgery date this morning. I will be banded October 10th. I'm very excited and nervous!! I can't believe it's really happening. Good luck to everyone!! My 2 week liquid diet starts Sept. 26th.

I'm not a very patient person and waiting on insurance approval is awful. Everything was submitted on 8/10 and today I contacted my surgeon's office and they said as of 8/23, it was still "pending". Really, how hard is it to say yes or no?? My surgeon's assistant said they usually respond in 2 weeks, but they can take as long as 4. The wait is driving me bonkers. What has been everyone elses experience when it took a while hearing back from insurance. Was it a good sign?

Thanks for everyone's stories. This makes me feel much better about the surgery. I'm currently waiting on insurance approval. I'm hoping to get my surgery in September.

I haven't. My insurance is BCBS of Illinois. My paperwork was submitted 8/10/11 and I have yet to hear back which has me really nervous. I'm afraid since it's taking so long that I will be denied. I've already been denied once for not having a long enough doctor supervised diet. They had changed the requirement in the middle of my process and I had to start all over. I'm patiently waiting to hear something either from my insurance or my surgeon.

No, I don't think they will. The 3 or 6 month diet required does not affect your eligibility. They will always go by the weight you recorded at your first visit. However, they do want to see that you are committed to a healthier lifestyle and to weight loss. I would really try not to gain a lot of weight during your supervised diet.

Wow that is pretty fast. I had my nutrition appt first. It was kind of a waste of time. All they did was tell me what I already know. Eat more lean Protein, fruits, and veggies. They did go over portion size and what it will be post surgery. My wellness visit was also quick. It was done at the hospital and they just test your endurance and how your body responds to physical activity. My psych eval took FOREVER. I had to go to the office 3 times. The first was just to talk with the guy about the surgery (basically it was like therapy). Then, the next visit I had to complete a questionaire on the computer. It took about 20-30 minutes. Then I had to come back a 3rd time to read the results and go over his findings. After everything is done and you have submitted it to the surgeon's office, they will send it to your insurance for approval. This can take from 2-4 weeks. Some are fast, some are slow. Once you get this, if approved, they will schedule your surgery date (depending on the surgeon, you may have some sort of pre-op diet). If denied, they will go back and redo your paperwork and try again. It all depends on the insurance after your part is done. Good luck!!

Here is my experience: June 4, 2010--attended seminar Had to complete several forms and mail them to the surgeon's office About 2 weeks later, I got a phone call to set up an appt with the navigator June 29, 2010--first visit Went through all their requirements for surger (nutrition, psych eval, and wellness eval). Talked about my insurance and what they require (6 month supervised diet) Talked about out of pocket costs and what insurance would cover (they call the insurance before this appt to get all the info for you Discussed the band and how it would require diet changes Went over pre-op and post-op diets Basically a more in-depth discussion of what was said during the seminar more tailored to you specifically I had to partake in a commercial weight loss program (WW, Jenny, LA weight loss) as an insurance requirement so I started that immediately after leaving the visit and started my 6 month doctor supervised diet. I actually went to see my family doctor also to note in my chart that I was doing this and start the 6 months. It took about 2 months to get all the other appts. taken care of. Once I finished with the 6 months, I submitted my weight sheets to the bariatric office and I'm currently waiting on approval from my insurance (I have been denied once and we are re-submitting)**fingers crossed** So, your first visit will be similar to the seminar, but they should provide you with more detail of what your insurance will cover and what the costs will be.

I'm currently waiting on approval from insurance for my surgery. I'm hoping for a September date. My doc requires a 2 week pre-op diet, so I'm sure it won't be August. My question is to anyone who went throught with the surgery and had a toddler to care for. My son is 20 months old and I still pick him up for most things. My husband works nights so it's just me at home getting him in the tub and in the crib. How long did it take you to recover enough that you could lift your toddler and do normal things. I have an office job, so my plan is to have the surgery on Thursday and go back to work Monday. I do have parents who can watch him for me, but I just don't want to be away from him for that long. Any advice or experience with this is appreciated. That is one of my biggest fears about getting the band. I'm the main caregiver for my son and he depends on me everyday. He weighs about 23 pounds.

I started my lap-band journey back in June 2010, but had to start over in April because I was unable to lose the needed weight to qualify for surgery. My hospital has a max BMI of 50 for band patients. I was at 52. All I needed to lose was like 15 pounds, but I couldn't do it. So, of course I forgot about everything and wound up gaining another 18 pounds. I decided in April I couldn't keep going like this. So, I went back to the doctor and we started the process over. My insurance requires 3 months supervised dieting. I started this at the end of April. I have since lost the 18 pounds I had gained. I'm now working again on those 15 pounds needed for surgery. It is SOOO hard. I'm using Myfitnesspal.com to track calories and exercise, but it seems I'm always over or close to my limit on the weekends. Weekends are my weakness. And why does food at restaurants have to be so high in calories. My husband took me out to lunch Saturday as a treat and I ordered light....so I thought. I got home to log my food and my meal was over 1500 calories!! So crazy. It totally ruined my day and I felt terrible. The next day I just went back to my healthy eating, but it still seemed like I completely ruined everything with that meal. In 2 weeks, I go to my last weigh in for the 3 month diet, but I know I won't be at my goal. My doctor said that I will lose some on the pre-op diet, but I would still like to be really close to my goal before booking surgery. Hopefully, I will be able to lose the needed weight while waiting on insurance approval. I'm shooting to get banded late August/early September. My problem is I love the taste of food. Even if I'm full, I will want more because it tastes so good. This is why I have continued gaining weight my whole life. It's a vicious cycle that I want to end. I hope the LapBand will help me do that. I can't wait to start my journey, but I'm really struggling with trying to get to that point. Anyone else have to lose weight prior to surgery and struggle with it?

I just got a message from my physician's assistant that my insurance company, just 2 weeks ago, changed their policy from a 3 month doctor supervised diet to a 6 month. I'm so angry. My 3 month diet was done last summer, but it took some time to get everything else done and now, I have to start the supervised dieting all over again so I can have 6 months in a row. That means, I probably won't get approval until September. That is if I can get in to the doctor's in April. I'm so mad. Why do insurances policies constantly change? The assistant is going to try and fight it since I started this process last year, but they told her that they aren't grandfathering anyone in who had already started the process. There is plenty of proof in my chart about my history of weight problems and that I've tried every diet known to man. Why do they need 6 months of dieting in order to approve my surgery. It's such a pain in the butt!!! :angry:

Hi all!! I've been a member here since June 2010, but I have struggled with losing the pre-op weight needed in order to get banded. I'm giving it another shot now. I need to lose get down to 290 before I can get it done and I'm currently 315. I have been big my whole life and I have always thought about the things I would do once the weight came off. I'm so excited to think they may finally happen. Here is my list: 1. Put on my shoes and socks without having to sit on a couch with my leg rested up on a cushion. (I can't prop my foot up on my knee anymore). 2. Buy cute shorts and skirts and not worry about my fat thighs. 3. Buy cute knee boots to wear with skirts (I can't wear boots because my calves are too big) 4. Not have to constantly stretch my shirts before putting them on in order to hide the rolls 5. To be more comfortable when being intimate with my husband. 6. Be able to get on the floor and play with my son 7. Be able to get in and out of our boat with out assistance. 8. Wear my seatbelt in any car without worrying about by belly pushing the shoulder belt into my neck 9. Be able to buy clotes in any store I go to 10. BE ABLE TO WEAR CUTE MATERNITY CLOTHES WITH MY NEXT PREGNANCY (This is a biggy for me because I always looked forward to wearing those cute maternity shirts with the sayings on them, but with my son, I couldn't find any that would fit me. Even maternity clothes were too tight on me 11. Be able to wear and look good in a bikini 12. Go to a doctors office and not dread getting weighed and getting the lecture from the doc about my weight. 13. Go on future cruises and vacations and not worry about looking like a whale. I probably could go on, but I will stop there.

Hi all!! I have been looking into the Lap Band surgery since June 2010. I attended the seminar and immediately filled out all the paperwork and mailed it in. I set up an appt with the bariatric naviagtor at the end of June. She informed me that my insurance required a 3 month supervised diet plan and documentation. I started weight watchers online the next day (a 3 month subscription). I did the 3 month's worth of dieting and weighing in with my doctor. However, my hospital was only approved to Lap Band those with a BMI of 47 or under. I was 53. I tried losing the weight over the next couple months, but couldn't get under their max. I had kind of given up on it when the physician's assistant called me earlier this month and wanted to know my status. I told her I was still interested, but couldn't lose the needed weight to qualify. I had already gone through all the pre-requisites (dietician meeting, psych eval, exercise consult), but couldn't lose the needed weight to qualify. She informed me that they upped their limit to 50 and wanted me to come in and talk with her. Long story short, I'm trying again to get this surgery done. I had an upper GI last Tuesday to check for a hernia and am currently waiting on insurance approval. I have lost 7 pounds since starting this process about 2 weeks ago. I'm hoping to hear something soon from my insurance. It's like torture waiting on that approval. Does anyone have any ideas on how I will find out. Should I call my insurance or my surgeon's office or what? The assistant said it typically takes 2 weeks for an answer, but then I hear about people getting approved within a day. I'm trying to focus on my diet and losing the required wait, but if I got the approval, it would make me even more motivated.

I have my first official meeting (since the free seminar) on June 30th. I have to meet with a dietician, psychologist, and fitness person before I get approved. Then, I will have to see if insurance will approve me. I was told they require a 3 month doctor supervised diet before approving me. That stinks.:thumbup: I'm hoping to be banded before the end of summer. I'm really looking forward to dropping this weight. I've never been skinny before in my life and I want to know what it feels like!!!:Banane20:

I attended one of the free seminars on LapBand surgery at my local hospital and they went through all the requirements you must meet to be eligible for surgery. The minimum BMI, age, etc. Nothing was said about the BMI being too high. I filled out the health survey and mailed it back. I received a phone call to set up my appointment to discuss my surgery. They informed me that my BMI is too high for them to perform the surgery. They are only allowed to band up to a 47 and I'm 55. I was so angry that nothing about this had been mentioned before. I really don't want to travel to get my surgery done. They suggested I try dieting and lose 35 pounds prior to the surgery. Yeah, right. It's not that easy. I could eat healthy for weeks and my weight would stay the same. Has anyone else encountered this problem??:party::Banane20::thumbup: