Hey guys! I'm new and have A few questions

[Erin18 134]

I have an evaluation appt. on the 11th.

Exactly what do they do at those?

Do they take measurements?

All i can say is if i'm a good candidate i will be extremely scared,

i mean i'm scared to die when i get it or afterwards. thats all im scared about.

how do i get rid of that feeling?

but im really happy, i will be devistated if i cant get the surgery, my mom thinks i will be a good candidate for this surgery. yeah im 17 yet they have done 17 year olds. 18 in dec btw. so hey thanks (::thumbup:

[futureshrink 45]

Hi Erin,

Wow, it is such a big step isn't it? It is really scary, the idea of the surgery, what could go wrong, being thrown into the unknown. I was banded 4 days ago and I am 38 and was scared too. I think at some point you accept that the pros of having the surgery done outweigh the cons. That the mortality rate of the band is very low, but not entirely 100%. You are going to think this is really strange, but my friends and I played around with this from the get go. I have awesome friends and family. We took pictures of everything. We documented the gym and the scale and the day I made my 5% to even be eligible for the surgery. I took pictures at the hospital and at my appointments and I made someone go with me to EVERY appointment. I kept it real. We joked about it alot. I had my toes painted bright green with rhinestones a few weeks before the surgery and we joked that if I died during the surgery, I wanted to be memorable and I would forever be the girl with the green toes. You are young, you are healthy, the risks are low. The scary feeling doesn't go away, you just deal with it differently. Take pictures, have fun, it's a process.

Good luck!

Chris

[Erin18 134]

Awh =D

Thank You

I will try my best to keep possitive (:

[NanaDi 0]

The surgery is great and you can overcome your fears. I had mine on June 23 and drove 200 miles on June 27 with no difficulty. I am never hungry and have no trouble eating any food as long as I chew well. I am off all blood pressure medicine and my meds for diabetes have been reduced by 75%. Go for it!!

[MissBS 3]

NanaDi. Where did you have your surgery done? Just curious. It sounds like you are doing great!!! It is always nice to read a post from someone who is not having problems and seeing great results. It helps those of us who haven't been banded yet to feel better... well it does me anyway!!! Congratulations on the meds.... a goal for many of us!!

[AmberRenee84 0]

Hi, I'm Amber and i was banded 8/26/08- 6 days ago and I was TERRIFIED! I'm 24 and i was so affraid something was gonna go wrong and i would die but i realized after surgery that i was over reacting. Hey i want you to watch a video that i posted on youtube, the link is down below. I think it might help calm your fears.

[futureshrink 45]

Your video rocks!!!!!!!

[Erin18 134]

NanaDi.thanks! sounds wonderful, that's really awesome about your meds, =D

[Erin18 134]

AmberRenee84. thank you i will watch that video (:!

[NanaDi 0]

this is NanaDi. my surgery was at Bay Area Hospital with Dr. Griffin. in Corpus Christi. I slept over because I live alone. I had no problems. I did Clear Liquids for the first week. No problems, no hunger, no pain. At the end of the week I drove 200 miles by mysself- no trouble. It's been 2 months and I have lost 25 pounds. I have 25 more to get to my ideal weight range and 25 more to get to be a skinny girl! No more blood pressure pills and 75% reduction in diabetic medicine.

[Rachelbobachel 0]

Hi I am new as well i have an evaluation appt on wednesday. The only thing i am scared of is my insurance won't cover it. I really feel like this is the right step for me.

[Bino 44]

At my consultation they took a medical history and history of what I've done to lose weight. Then the doctor explained the entire procedure and what I could realistically expect and what was required of me. Then he set me up with a coordinator in his office to explain what I would need to do for insurance. Now that I've done all that, I'm just waiting on approval. I alternate between be excited and scared. It's a big step, but worth it to be healthy.

[KayVee 0]

Hi everyone,

I'm convinced this is what I want and I"m shopping around for the dr that is going to 'fit' me. AmberRenee, I loved your vlogs and will keep up with your progress. We're neighbors, girl! Where did you have your surgery done, who was your dr? I'm hoping the process will move quickly for me, but if it doesn't that is ok too, it took longer than a month to get this fat, it just might take some time to get prepared to start losing it all.

I look forward to reading about everyone's progress, including my own.

Keep up the positive attitudes!

Kathi

[NanaDi 0]

I made a hugh decision to go private pay for my surgery. My insurance didn't cover it because my BMI was too low(32) in spite of the complications of diabetes and high blood pressure. Even though it hurt my pocketbook, I think I made the right decision. I am 61 years old so my window of opportunity is narrow. I have lost 25 pounds and reduced all my medicines. I am so happy not to be constantly thinking of food.< /p>

[futureshrink 45]

Hi guys. I got really lucky. My insurance paid for everything. I have seen the struggles that some folks have with not having the money to cover this. But I also see a growing trend in insurance beginning to get a clue. It just frustrates me so much seeing that people's health is in the wringer and insurance is all about the numbers.

I am trying to talk my brother into doing the surgery and he is private pay. He is so hesitant to fork out that kind of money, but I keep reminding him it is just money...just do it!