Where do I even start?

[CatLady0626 46]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum and I have so many questions about banding, I don't even know where to begin!

First off, I am a 24 year old, 5'8", 250 lb woman who has been overweight her entire life. I have always been self-conscious and have allowed my self-esteem issues to interfere with my life in many ways. I am happily married to a great, supportive man, but I still feel like something is missing: my self-confidence and confidence in my future health! I have gained and lost, gained and lost with many different diets, calorie counting, and exercise programs and after each attempt I usually end up heavier than when I started. This year alone I yo-yoed from 240 up and down several times and here I am around 250. Basically, I don't have any other major health problems (YET), but I am 100lbs over my "ideal" weight (even though BMI is 38).

My major question is: do I currently qualify for lap-band surgery? Does anyone have a similar story? What is the first step I should take in order to pursue this? I have done a lot of research about this surgery, and I do understand the commitment involved, and that is really why I feel this would be good for me: it is a commitment that I can't just give up on.

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated! Congrats to everyone who is meeting their goals with this surgery

-CatLady

[John_Yeti 0]

Hello,

I'm not sure what the qualifications really are, i think they vary from doctor to doctor. The first step is to find a local physician who performs the surgeries and they can tell you if you qualify or not.

If you do, they will most likely:

1. Make you go on a diet before to lose a certain amount of weight, to help with the surgery and also show you have the commitment.

2. Put you on a diet that will closely resemble your lifestyle after the surgery

3. Start your consultations with a Nutritionist and other Lapbanders.

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I did not have any major health issues. I only had high blood pressure. I was 470 lbs, and finally decided I needed to do something. I lost 60 lbs before surgery. Since then (2 years), i'm down to 325 lbs. It has been worth it!

There is a lot of emotional work as well as physical work along with the Lapband. Exercise is a must. Eating properly is a must, the only thing the lapband does is control your portions at a time.

Most people out there think this is a easy thing to do, and it instantly helps you lose... as if it's a fix. It's not a fix, it's a tool. This was the hardest thing for me to learn.

A lot of problems i have are my friends. They don't understand what i'm going through emotionally with the eating / food. They are always telling me i'm not going to gain weight if i have 1 piece of candy or other things, and they don't understand what i was going through before the surgery. So, I would defiantly find a friend or family member who listens.

Luckily my wife listens to me, and i am grateful how understanding she is with all my stuff.

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I guess I would start by talking with a physician you find. They can give you all kinds of literature & also tell you what you need to get started. Look for some books, i have a book about life after Gastric surgeries, and websites likes these help. Although, these websites have people who can scare someone... so don't think you will have the good/bad reactions to the band. Each of us have our own experience.

Good luck!

[bluejay26 0]

Hey there! According to the LapBand website, you qualify for LapBand if you have a BMI of at least 40, OR you have a BMI of 35 with at least one obesity-related health condition, OR you are at least 100 pounds overweight. Also, I've been hearing on the news recently that they're trying to lower the BMI requirement so that people that are less overweight will qualify for surgery. I think the easiest way to figure out if you qualify for the surgery would be to set up an appointment with a physician; he or she will know what the requirements are.

The first step that was required by my physician was to attend a LapBand seminar. I don't know if this is a requirement for everyone or if it was just my surgeon, but if there are seminars available to you, I definitely recommend that you attend one. I found the seminar to be very helpful and informative.

Next, I set up the initial consultation with my surgeon. I met with his physician assistant first and then with him. Basically it was just to get to know each other a little bit, discuss the surgery, make sure I knew what I was getting into.

Then there are the things that are required by the insurance company, which varies from company to company, as I understand it. For my insurance company(Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey) there is a 6 month diet you have to do before they will approve you for the surgery. I'm on month 5 right now, but we're going to send in my paperwork early because my surgeon heard they were approving some people earlier than 6 months. I also had to get a letter from my primary doctor saying that it would be good for me to get the surgery, I've been overweight for X amount of time, blah blah blah. Last week I had my psychological evaluation, which I was so freaked out about, but it was a piece of cake. Next week I'm meeting with a nutritionist to discuss the things that I'm eating now, the things I should be eating, the things I can and can't eat after surgery, etc. After I've done that we'll send my paperwork to BCBS and pray that they approve me quickly. Haha.

I think that, generally, those are the steps that need to be taken. I hope I haven't left anything out. Good luck on your journey! If you have any other questions or you just want a friend to talk to, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me! :]

[camille01 2]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum and I have so many questions about banding, I don't even know where to begin!

First off, I am a 24 year old, 5'8", 250 lb woman who has been overweight her entire life. I have always been self-conscious and have allowed my self-esteem issues to interfere with my life in many ways. I am happily married to a great, supportive man, but I still feel like something is missing: my self-confidence and confidence in my future health! I have gained and lost, gained and lost with many different diets, calorie counting, and exercise programs and after each attempt I usually end up heavier than when I started. This year alone I yo-yoed from 240 up and down several times and here I am around 250. Basically, I don't have any other major health problems (YET), but I am 100lbs over my "ideal" weight (even though BMI is 38).

My major question is: do I currently qualify for lap-band surgery? Does anyone have a similar story? What is the first step I should take in order to pursue this? I have done a lot of research about this surgery, and I do understand the commitment involved, and that is really why I feel this would be good for me: it is a commitment that I can't just give up on.

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated! Congrats to everyone who is meeting their goals with this surgery

-CatLady

hello catlady,I was just reading your Blog and in order for you to understand that will take place and the quilifacations go to www.lapband.com this is the information website,it wll answer all your questions,but besides looking up information on the surgery you can go to the lapband.com website and find a place near to your residents and schedule yourself for a informational siminar thats where you start at,once you go to the siminar and get the doctors info and call to get your first appointment then you will start your journey from there,they can then tell you if your insurance will pay for the surgery.....once you find this out every thing else falls into place from there.....good luck with everything .......camille01

[bwhitty 1]

I did a lot of research prior and had a cousin who's been banded a couple years. The first thing that I did was see what my insurance covered. If they weren't able to cover any I would have had to wait. Luckily they paid 80%, I wanted to make sure I met their requirements before I attended my first seminar. It truly is a journey of a lifetime and well worth it. Granted I have been banded only a month but I was totally on board the moment I signed the papers at the seminar. I'm excited for my future!

[CatLady0626 46]

Thank you all so much for your input! Looks like I will be looking for a physician in the near future and just go from there.