maxi2010

Hi Jodi. I also found my info session extremely helpful. It went through the different types of weight loss surgeries and gave important facts about LAP-BAND® surgery. They brought in an actual LAP-BAND® and passed it around the room for all to see and touch. Best of all, the doctor giving the talk had a LAP-BAND® operation back in 1999 and was a living example of someone who lives with it for years and loves it. He showed his before and after pictures and, boy, what a difference! LOL They also had patients come up who had LAP-BAND® surgeries with their before and after pictures. They told their stories and then stayed to answer questions from the audience. Because the people answering the questions all had lap bands and all thought they were great, the audience had tons and tons of questions. I stayed to listen to all the questions and answers. It was definitely worth while. You cannot get the same information simply from surfing the web or reading a book. By the way, the doctor who gave the info session is now my surgeon. I am having my operation this Friday, 9/17. You made the right decision to be banded!:thumbup:

Hi Tyler. I also want to add my congratulations that you are decided to take control of your own destiny and not let your weight dictate your life. It took me a while to make a decision to have this surgery. I went to my first info session where I met my soon to be surgeon back in November 2008. It took me about 6 more months to decide this is what I wanted and then to start the 6 month diet. I have BCBS of NY so they probably have a similar program. You have made the right decision to have lapband surgery. We are all in this together!!! My surgery date is 9/17 - this coming Friday! :thumbup::thumbup::tongue2::thumbup:

Hi HighloJack. Did you figure out how to get the ticker yet? Don't feel bad because I had the same problem. I was able to create the ticker but then I could not figure out how to get it in my signature. I had to get instructions from this LBT forum to figure it out. A member was nice enough to post instructions and I kept these step by step instructions. Just let me know if you want me to provide you them. My directions are a little different than the ones above and, best of all, worked for me! It is difficult to figure out the LBT forum! LOL :smile: Maxi

Hi Lillyegg. I heard both our MDs are the best! I'm so glad I found NYU. I choose my MD because I went to his seminar and he was so great. Maybe if I went to Dr. Ren's seminar I would have chosen her! LOL Is that how you chose Dr. Ren? I agree about the pre-op diet. It's a definite killer. I still have until Thursday to get through my hunger and gas. You're almost over the diet! The 13th is right away! You'll be banded this Monday! I'll pray for you and I'll also look for you in the office. You are right - we may run into each other. I definitely could use support to get through this so I would like to keep in touch. Max

Congratulations. My surgery date is 9/17.

Hi JLR. It is perfectly understandable and appropriate to be nervous when your surgery is early tomorrow morning. But you'll be banded sooner rather than later, which is really great! I hope I get an early surgery time next Friday on 9/17! You're so lucky. Best of luck crossing over to bandland.:thumbup: Keep in touch so we know how everything went. Maxi:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Hi Girlbanded. My surgery date is 9/17, right near your date. Best of luck to you!

Mytrice - your apple pie recipe sounds delicious! However, I cannot have it until after my surgery! I have a very strict diet per my doctor! I cannot have any fruits or fruit juice and almost nothing but Protein shakes and Water. I so want to eat other things. But I've been good. Maxi

This is so cool that so many of us are all going to be banded around the same time. My surgery date is 9/17/10 and I go for my pre-op test and meet with anesthesia tomorrow! Only 8 days left - tomorrow! Maxi :blushing:

Hi. Go to tickerfactory.com. I went to the site and it's free. You have to register so you can edit your ticker. I'm new to the site but the tickers have fascinated me, too. I just cannot decide which one I want. There are many choices. I'll probably get one soon. :blushing:

Hi LB. Don't be discouraged. Most insurance plans require a 6 month supervised weight loss program. I have Empire and they require it if your BMI is between 35 and 40, which mine is. I had kept detail records from Weight Watchers that spanned more than 1 year but my insurance would not accept it. I started this whole process almost 2 years ago when I went to an information session at NYU on 11/25/08 to learn about the surgery. I started the 6 month supervised weight loss program about 6 months later after deciding this was something I really wanted. The 6-month supervised diet was completed by December 2009 and turned in to the surgeon's office. They told me what to do next. I went to see a psychologist associated with the NYU weight loss program in January 2010. I met with an RN on 3/2/10 to check my BMI and had a visit with the nutritionist and surgeon on 3/9/10. My insurance originally denied my surgery even though I have 2 co-morbidities. On 4/2/10 I ruptured my posterior tibial tendon, which was contributed by a fallen foot arch and my weight. The surgeon office did a 1:1 medical appeal, bringing in my foot condition, which required surgery. The appeal took over a month but was overturned in May 2010. However, I had to wait to schedule my lap-band surgery because I first needed foot surgery. I had foot surgery in June 2010. I could not walk for a while after my surgery and had to wait for my foot to heal. My lap-band®®® surgery date is 9/17/10. I don't think too many people have had to go through as much as I have for this surgery. Please don't give up and stick with whatever is expected of you by your insurance and doctor. Read your insurance policy very carefully and do everything they require. Make sure you fall inside whatever you need to be covered. Appeal if you have to. Sometime they just deny that you are covered for what seems to be no reason, like with me. My policy indicated I should have been covered due to my 2 co-morbidities but Empire said I needed to have 1 more. They wanted me to have a sleep study. They would have forced me to do a sleep study if I had not hurt my ankle. I would have done the sleep study if it was necessary but, as it turned out, it was not required since they got their 3rd co-morbitiy with my foot surgery. If you stick with whatever you are required to do by your insurance and you push to get insurance approval after they deny, there is a good chance you will win. It is worth the try! Either way, this surgery will be a life saver for me and probably for you, too, so I don't think we have much choice. My surgery date is next Friday and I cannot wait. I need to get healthy again. Think about how much healthier you will be once you begin to lose weight from the surgery. The surgery is not a panacea but at least it gives you hope. :blushing:

Hi everyone. I've been on the pre-op diet since Friday, 9/3. It has been 5 1/2 days since I had solid food. I am definitely getting sick of the Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes but have stuck with it. I had been told by my nutritionist to make sure I got in at least 50 grams of Protein each day. I've been keeping a food diary and I have gotten in between 60 and 74 grams of protein a day. My total daily calories have ranged from between 780 to 960 calories per day, not very much. I have found I need to add vegetables to my diet to stop me from getting really hungry. I cooked tomatoes, onions, celery and garlic and put them in a low fat chicken broth. I seasoned it a bit and it was not only tasty but seems to satisfy me longer than the shakes. I can only have 2 cups maximum of the vegetable Soup so I try to ration it when I know I'll be hungry. Boy, if I'm not losing weight, I will be very upset. I'm hardly eating anything. Tomorrow is my pre-op visit where I'll have my bloods taken, get a chest x-ray and EKG. I'll also meet my anesthesiologist. I had to complete a nutrition quiz which I will have to turn in tomorrow during this pre-op visit. I'm sure I'll meet with a nurse who will go over what will be expected for me both pre-op and post-op. It's getting exciting! My 9/17 lap-band® surgery is only 9 days away!

Hi Amy. Congratulations on your 9/20/10 surgery date. My surgery date is 9/17/10, the Friday before your Monday date. We'll be banded around the same weekend! I've started my 2-week pre-op diet. I am on Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar) shakes up to 6/day. Have you started your pre-op diet? Mine is really strict. My surgery is at NYU in NYC with Dr. George Fielding. I'm nervous but excited at the same time.

Hi. My surgery date is 9/17/10 and I'm currently downing Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes. The shakes do make you gassy but seem to hold me between 2 1/2 and 3 hours at a time. I would not cheat on your diet. You can definitely do this for 2 weeks. With the added milk, you get 150 calories. CIB no sugar adds extra Fiber and carbs to hold you a little longer. I seem to be able to handle the food, although my stomach growls like you wouldn't believe! I also started to take lactase pills before each CIB shake because I seem to be lactose intolerant - not good when you have to down so many shakes that are milk based - I eat between 5 & 6 shakes / day. Best of luck with your surgery date.

If you live near NYC, NYU accepts payment plans. But try to appeal your insurance. I was denied by my insurance and NYU office did a medical appeal and got it over turned. There may still be hope that insurance will pay! Maxi2010

Hi Mandyrae. Thanks so much for your advice. I didn't know Carnation Instant Breakfast caused so much gas. Yes, I am excited that I'll be banded in just 1 and 1/2 weeks after a really really long wait. But you'll be banded a week before me - 9/10! Let me know how it goes. Best of luck with your surgery!

Hi. I've been fat all my life and finally decided that diets alone don't work for me. I'll be banded on 9/17/10 in New York. I started my pre-op diet last Friday. It consists of 5-6 diet Protein shakes per day and 6-8 glass of Water. I can also have HerbOx, diet drinks, diet Jello and no sugar ice pop (up to 30 calories per day) so I have less choice in food than a lot of bander posts indicate. I chose to have the Carnation Instant Breakfast No Sugar variety pack because I like the variety it offers. I've been mixing the packs in 8 oz of fat free milk. Sometimes I add crushed ice and sometimes I shake it up so it is very well blended. I like variety. However, during day one I noticed I have lactose intolerance which has made drinking these shakes difficult. I get very bloated with a lot of gas and intestinal pain. I purchased pills for lactose intolerance the next day and now take them religiously before every shake. it seems to have helped most of my problems. I no longer have the intestinal pain but I still seem to get a lot of gas from these shakes. Does anyone else have problems with excess gas from the Protein Shakes they take? Am I the only one that has to take so many protein shakes per day? What did you do to relief the gas?

I am a September 2010 Bandster although I am still pre-op. My surgery date for LAP-BAND®® surgery is 9/17/2010. I'm scheduled for the surgery at NYU. My surgeon is George Fielding. Best of luck in getting your insurance approval for the LAP-BAND® procedure. My insurance originally denied my procedure but my doctor's office did a medical appeal and the denial was overturned. I've now been approved for the LAP-BAND® procedure.