Thanks to this board I went to my first doctors visit with as much info as
he was expecting to give me then I started asking questions and he was
wondering who I'd been talking to. It was amazing being that informed
beforehand. they say knowledge is power and this board has really empowered me.

I just wanted to share...

I stopped by my surgeon's office today because I was at the hospital anyway (having and EGD) to see if the insurance approval had come through yet. AND YES!!!! The dr.'s assistant had just recieved it a short time before.

What a sigh of relief. Eventhough I had my date I was still holding my breath on the the insurance approval.

Yippee Yippee.

You lucky dog! I'd sure like to see insurance pick up even SOME of the tab! My husband would too. It's money well spent though!

Good luck!

***SIGH*** We heard that huge sigh of relief. Woohoo!! :clap2:

Marci,
I'm feeling the pain of insurance coverage, or shall I say lack of, because I'm self pay also. But it will be money well spent.
I look at it this way. I'm 35 years old, in 2 weeks, and I've never really spent any money on myself. I'm one of those who buys everything for others. Even working in retail, I buy loads of things for family, but never myself. So if you take the $16,000 I'm spending, and divide it by the 35 years, it equals $457 dollars. I think I'm worth that. I believe I've spent way more than that just on x-mas presents in a year.

Lynette, Thanks! I've had no trouble justifiying the expense...I'm the one wearing clothes that were only bought on sale or at a thrift shop while the rest of them wear off-the-rack stuff. I believe it's a typical trait of the over-weight! I'd just like my insurance (who I just found out is INCREASING their premiums) to cover ANYTHING for weight loss/management...right now I can't even talk to a dr. about weight loss and have the visit covered. It's asinine!

What are you all doing to prepare yourselves, mentally or physically, for the surgery? Anybody starting to exercise or cut calories (for those not already on liquid diets) or are you "living it up" before the surgery?

My surgery date is 07/11/07, sounds like a pretty lucky date to me. I start my pre-op diet on 06/28. I've been eating pretty lousy lately, but I just bought some atkins and slim fast drinks, I'll start having those for breakfast and see how it goes. I'm also 95% weaned off cokes.

Getting off soda is my first goal. I'm stocking up on crystal light to help with the switch. Then I'm going to try cutting down on carbs. I start my liquid diet on the 18th and having done a strictly liquid diet for 9 months before, needless to say I am not excited about the shakes...Oh well, bottoms up.

I know some folks are worried that I'm in the "last supper" mode, but really I'm not...I'm just enjoying some things that I won't be able to eat anymore or for at least a while (soda - diet of course, steak, asperagus, celery, etc.) I start my pre-op diet of low-carb high-protein on June 30 (10 days before surgery). I know some docs prefer a liquid diet...the idea is to just lose some weight right before surgery to shrink the liver. My doc has told me that he's gone in to do the surgery and the liver was too large so he aborted the procedure...I will NOT be that patient! (Apparently, she ate a LOT of crap - french fries - for her "diet" - which might explain her obesity.) Anyway, I'm not afraid of a new diet or new food...this is the tool that will keep me on a new program!

Mentally, I'm using this site for support. I have a good family, but no one really talks to me about it. Of course that may all change after the surgery and they see the difference, but you never know.

I have a shopping list for when I get to Denver...things are WAY too expensive here. So along with my pre-op appointment I'll be hitting some health food stores too. I shop a lot on-line too, but I'm going to talk to the Nutritionist on Monday and I'll get some input from her before I go spending any more money.

As for activity...summer is good for me (you know, Land of the Midnight Sun? It's true, sun and daylight until 1am). I'm usually up and moving and stay that way all day. I go biking with the kids, yard work, house cleaning, gardening, and soon I'll be raising chickens...I'd say I'm active enough right now. I know I should do some more stomach stuff...I know it will help with healing, I've just been a wus about it.

Felicia - GREAT to have you! Keep in touch and have fun getting ready.

hey all,

hope everyone is doing well. i'm actually getting banded in the end of june but i've found i've more in common reading your posts than june's post so i'm going to come join you guys here aswell (hope you dont mind)
a little about me i've always been around the 190lb mark and i can never keep the weight off hence me trying the band.
i am a self pay. as in dublin (ireland) no insurance covers bands or bypass. i have a wonderful little girl Annafrancesca she's 14months and i am doing this as much for her as for myself.
anyway i'd best stop typing or i'll be here for ever i wish everyone the best of luck on the road to their new lives.
Denisa (dini for short)

Marcy,
I know my insurance wouldn't pay for the consultation, but they did pick up the tab for the upper GI since they put "Gerd" on the file instead of pre op for bariatric surgery. I was suprised to know they won't pay for any of the hospital either. I can understand the surgeon fees, but the hospital bill is something I think they should pay part of because if it was any other circumstance, it would be a covered visit.

Cherybomb,
I don't have a pre op diet:clap2:, but I don't feel like I'm over doing it, except the last few days since I've quit smoking. I've been sucking on way too much hard candy. At least it's Fat Free. I've also bought a lot off my shopping list, and I've planned my last dinner out for a while on the Saturday before surgery. As far as excercise, I've taking a few walks here and there with my DH and son, but that's it.

Felicia,
I hear your on the slim fast shakes, but I actually freeze mine and eat them like slush. They are very good this way, plus it takes you much longer to eat it, rather than dring it so you actually get full from it. Try it some time. It tastes great in the summer especially when it's hot out. I love the Cappuccino delight Optima shake. YUMMY:hungry:.

Dini,
Welcome. I was a June Bandster also, but my date got pushed back to July 2. I still stop in there to see how everyone is doing since they've started the banding. My original date was the day after yours, but the surgeon was going to be out of town, so I had to reschedule. I wish I could of moved it up , but I couldn't because my store has inventory on the 24 and 25 of June and I can't miss it. They wanted me to come in on June 18, and I so wanted to because my birthday is the 17. But no, I couldn't. So welcome. You will now be our fist bander, so you'll have to let us all know what it is like.

Lynette

hey Lynette & everyone else
Thanks for having me on board!!! that is a shame about your date being push back. mine was originally for 13 dec 06!! due to me being self pay i didn't want to get into debt so i decided to wait till i could pay altogether. i've decided to tell no-one apart from my mother and partner Adam.
I promise you i will keep you so posted that you'll tell me to get off of the tread!!! i was not puton any pre diet i wish i was so i've decided to cut down carbs eat slower and no soft drinks. i've to be careful cos i was told not to lose any weight or they wont do it as i'll fall under the guide lines. but if i do loose a little extra i'll just tell them i shorter in height than i taught!!!!!!!!!
hope to hear from all of you
bye for now x

Hey Dini:
First off, welcome to the Lucky # 7's! I love your "Irish luck to all" in your signature--it's perfect for this thread. I'm sure everyone here appreciates the well wishes as surgery dates are getting closer and closer.

In your above post, you said that you were self pay, but that you can't lose any weight without risking them not doing your surgery. I was wonderring...if it's out of your pocket, are they really serious that you have to be at a certain weight or they'll cancel your surgery? It's amazing to me that even with you coming up with the money--they still put limitations on your weight. We're self pay too (DH's surgery is 7/18) and it would annoy me to have to meet a weight criteria when we're paying for the "elective" surgery!

Ah well. Just wonderring, I guess. Anyway, take care!

-Lili

hey Lili. great to hear from you. hope your well.
i know its terrible! i've to pay and they can still tell me no. its to do with my BMI. i was told by my GP that thy wil not do the opp if my BMI is under 35 but when i went for my consulation they said i was ok cos my BMI was 33 but no less.
i am getting this band even if it means i've to put it on myself!!!!!
when is your date have you been told if you'll be on a pre-diet.
if you dont mind me asking what is the cost in the states to get it done...