This is my first post on this site but I have read many of your comments on this site and I am so thankful to have found this site and my new fellow banisters friends. Anyway, I am scheduled for my surgery on Dec 22,2011. I am really excited and nervous at the same time. I started my low carb diet on Monday. I'm actually doing pretty well on it and have lost 4 pounds already. Thanks for your support !!!

who was your insurance with? what did you have to go through to get approved?

I have blue cross blue shield of Alabama. I had to go through 8 months of monthly weigh ins with my doctor, labwork to include liver enzymes and h. Pylori test to make sure you don't have a bacteria that causes ulcers in your stomach, sleep study to make sure i didnt have sleep apnea, physical therapy evaluation to see if I can exercise, psychological consult just to make sure I'm not crazy or if there is some underlying reason that I am obese, diet class, and I had to show them my last 3 year weights. Oh, if you are over 40 you have to have your pap and mammo up to date and if you are over 50 you have to have a colonoscopy. Thank goodness i'm not over 50. My Lapband office did all the insurance approval for the lapband procedure.

Hope this helps. Good luck

What a Christmas present! After the operation (Which is the easy part) the real fun begins. If you've done your

research and picked a experienced surgeon and hospital, you'll have an easy time of things. Hopefully you went to a good

seminar and have the advice of a good dietitian so you'll know what vitamins and foods to get for your recovery.

It sounds like you've got a good start on things, just keep going the way you're going and things should work well

for you. If you need any help, please let us know.

My surgery is December 23rd!!! Good luck to you. I am nervous too...