Sun Rae

Wishing you the best! I get banded on 10/19. Yay! My surgeon doesn't fill at the time of surgery. I'll have my first fill at 6 wks. Keep us posted!:thumbup:

This is going to be a little lengthy, so I apologize, but I wanted to share my experience today… I’m getting banded on October 19th and I am super excited – especially after today! I had all 3 of my pre-op appointments today and each one was a great experience. I met with my nutritionist, my doctor and then had all of my lab work, chest x-ray & ECG at the hospital where I will have the surgery. There was a lot of information to take in, so I’m glad I have it all in writing. I’ve got a good bit of reading material for the weekend and I was also given a DVD with everything that we discussed today about what to expect the day of surgery and after surgery. I was also given a website with a user ID that has been set up for me so that I stay on track with what I am supposed to be doing each day (pre & post op). I really liked that! I even have a grocery shopping list for the first 6 weeks. I was also so relieved to find out that they go to great lengths to be sure that I don’t get sick after surgery. I have a pill that I am supposed to take the morning of my surgery, they will also give me a patch while I’m at the hospital, meds via IV, a prescription for a nausea medication and I will wear something home that looks like a “watch” that will help with nausea. They said that I can wear this band for as long as I need to and they will give me plenty of gel to go with it. They also gave me a prescription for pain meds and advised me to buy some Gas-X. I also liked the fact that there will not be any stitches that I can see. Everything will be inside and the incisions will be closed with that super glue stuff (don’t remember the proper name for it) and I will not even have to remove any dressing. It will disintegrate and I can shower the next day. My band will not be filled at the time of surgery – they said that the post op swelling along with the band just being there would give me a feeling of fullness until the fluid is added at 6 weeks. I was a little confused about this, as I have heard some people say that theirs had some fluid and then others have said theirs didn’t. My doctor said that fluid at the time of surgery would definitely make it difficult for me to keep anything down and that's the last thing that we want. He said that the first 6 weeks is for me to heal and then I’ll get my fill. There is so much more to tell, but I’ll cut it off here. Hope this helps someone. Good luck to everybody!

I'm so glad to hear that everyone is doing well. My date is October 19th and I keep telling myself "I've got this, I can do it, It will all be worth it". I had a hysterectomy 10 years ago and had an incision from one hip bone to the other. The pain in the beginning was terrible, but I found that moving around as much as possible made it better. When I was healed, I was wondering why I didn't do it 5 years earlier. I also fell on Christmas Eve 2 years ago and tore my hamstring and really messed up my knee - worst pain I've ever had. Had to have surgery to repair and that took some time to get over too. I know this is a totally different type of surgery, but I am trying to stay upbeat. Keep posting to let all of us upcoming bandsters know how ya'll are doing.:thumbup:

:thumbup: I'm so happy that everything went well for you. Keep us posted on your progress. I'm getting banded on October 19th. I am scared and excited - such an emotional rollercoaster.

I have Horizon BCBS of New Jersey and got my approval pretty quickly. I had to have proof of previous participation in a weight loss program such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc., and a psych evaluation. I was able to find an old Weight Watchers book from 2004 that had about 5 months of weights recorded in it. I thought they would really give me a hard time about that, but they approved it on the first try. My surgery date is set for October 19th! Good luck with everything!

I am being banded on Oct 19th and have also been worried about this. I keep trying to push this thought to the back of my mind and looked at this thread for several minutes before being brave enough to open it up and start reading. I feel so much better now that I have read it. Thanks everybody!

I am so excited for you and I wish you the best! My surgery date is October 19th. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

WOW, that's great! I can't wait to be able to do that. I have a whole list of (what some would call silly) things that I cannot wait to do. Shopping for regular clothes is at the top of my list. I also want to be able to cross my legs and board a plane without feeling like people are staring at me thinking "Oh God, please don't let her sit beside me"! lol

I know exactly how you feel. I had to give up my sweet tea, but I also loved my Mountain Dew. I gave up both about two months ago in anticipation of my surgery. I had a headache off and on and felt terrible for about 2 weeks. I now drink nothing other than water and I am really feeling so much better. The withdrawal symptoms will subside soon and you'll feel so much better. Hang in there!

Congratulations! I will be banded on 10/19, so it looks like we will be making this journey together! I am super excited! Good luck and God bless.:smile2:

Hi JT! I have Horizon BCBS and things have gone very smoothly for me. My surgery date is October 19th. I started with my primary care physican only because I didn't know where I was supposed to start. He told me that he thought the Band would be great for me and his office set up my first appt with my surgeon, Dr. John Bagnato, and they even checked with BCBS to be sure the procedure was covered before we started the whole process. Both my primary care physican and surgeon have been great and everyone that I have dealt with has been so supportive. Good luck!

I was wondering how long people are normally out of work after surgery... I have great benefits with my company as well. My surgery date is set for Tuesday, October 19th. They told me that I would probably feel well enough to go back to work the following Monday, so I'm gonna try it. If not, then I'll take a little longer. I will get my full pay, so I am really blessed. :smile2:

Thanks Scentsy! We will definitely make this journey together. Anybody else scheduled for October 19th?:smile2:

Hi everybody! My surgery date is October 19th. Can't wait!:smile2:

Hi Bunny! I have Horizon BCBS of New Jersey. The only things that I had to do was provide proof of previous participation in a weight loss program (I have gone to Weight Watchers off and on for several years), be evaluated by my surgeon and have a psychological evaluation. It was alot easier than I thought it would be. We submitted everything about a month ago and I received my approval letter last Friday. Good luck with yours. Let me know how it's going.

Congratulations! I received approval from my insurance company last Friday and I am scheduled for surgery on October 19th. I am so excited!

:smile2: I am excited beyond words! I received a letter in the mail last Friday from Blue Cross Blue Shield and my surgery has been approved. My surgery date is set for October 19th. I am so ready to begin this new journey in my life!

Hi AmyBethy. My provider is through my employer - BASF.

Hi AmyBethy! I am new too and awaiting approval from my insurance company. My insurance carrier is Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. I had to have a psych eval, proof that I had participated in some type of structured weight losss program such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. I also had a letter from my regular physician as well as one from the surgeon that will do the procedure - both recommending the procedure due to health problems that I have started having. My BMI is 50 and I am so ready to move forward. I will definitely let everyone know as soon as I hear something =)

Thanks so much for your reply, Dar! I live in S. Georgia, but work for a very large corp and our BCBS carrier is in NJ. So far, they have been so helpful and my Dr. is wonderful. I have had so much support from friends, family and my health care providers. I absolutely cannot wait! I just want to be able to do normal things again. I have a list of about 100 things that I started many weeks ago - some seem silly, but they are all important to me. I would love to hear your story. Can I find this on your profile? I'm brand new to the site, so please forgive me if I seem to ask silly questions.

Hi everybody! This is my first post. I've got about 125 lbs to loose and I am so ready to start this journey. I am awaiting approval from my insurance company. Last week I completed my psychological assessment, which is the last thing BCBS said they needed. Not sure how long the approval process takes, but I am ready to go tomorow if I could! I know all insurance companies are different, but does anyone have any experience with Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey?