Hi, I was November, additional tests purshed me to Jan 26th

I'm still trying to get cleared from my pulmonary doctor. I've done everything else, and getting the insurance company approval was really easy. My husband had his lap band Nov. 6th and he's doing great. I'm trying to be careful and not eat anything much in front of him so he won't feel bad. He says it doesn't bother him, he's so into the new way of life. I came home yesterday to find him cooking something on the stove with red kidney beans that I was glad wasn't meant for me! He's now into walking and he's lost 17 lbs just since surgery. He'll be losing slower now, but 17 lbs lost is sure better than gaining! My doctor's are just trying to be careful, we're with the Scottsdale Bariatric Center and they have a very comprehensive program that walks you through this from pre-op to post-op with classed scheduled around your post-op and pre-op appointment so it's easier for you to attend. They have a fantastic success ratei with those that stay with their program. The process and endless medical tests to get cleared for surgery is getting very tiresome, but I need to do this so I just keep moving forward. I'm not at all nervous about the surgery since spending time on the bariatric floor with my husband. I just know you feel terrible on the day of surgery, but your so drugged and when your awake, up and walking. You don't really care about eating, but you would kill for some water, and your only able to have ice chips. That evening you have some sort of broth and jello. Trust me, you don't care! Then with someone coming into your room every 2 hours to take your vitals and check all the monitor's , you have a hard time actually resting. With Lap Band it's a 23 hour hospital stay unless there is some complication, which is pretty unusual. My husband never had to take any of his pain medication when he got home, he had lots of it in the hospital. You don't get any extra points for suffering right after surgery, so take the pain medication! It helps you rest which helps you to heal. So, I can't wait, let's get on with the program, I'm very motivated now watching my husband. Carole M Arizona Group

Woooohooo! Welcome to the January board Carole!! I to am having to do some tests to get cleared for surgery. My big hold up is the sleep study. I was really hoping to get it done in December...simply because hubby had a kidney stone removed so our out of pocket would be less. But since my sleep study is scheduled for Dec 3 it is highly unlikely, nurse said sometime in January. They will have to fit me to a cpap if I have sleep apnea...praying that I don't. Sooooo. I can certainly share your frustration. I was approved the next day and that was Oct 25 and I just got my appointments scheduled a couple of weeks ago. I go in next Monday for a psych eval and nutritional consult and then Tuesday I go in for a gall bladder ultrasound and then an echo cardio...because I was on phen-phen. Then the old sleep study on Dec 3. They couldn't get me in any earlier. I am just happy I was approved and am on my way. Besides I will have more leave if I wait till January Tell your hubby congrats on his surgery and on his lose...that is awesome for lap-band I hear. Anna

HI Anna, It's fun to hear from people all over the country! Wanted to tell you I have also got to do a sleep study this Sunday. I did one last year and the results of it somehow found it's way to the cardiac people (they don't miss much) and it calls for me to have another one to see if I also have sleep apnea. I hope not, those cpap machines I hear are not the most comfortable, but then again sleep agnea is nothing to fool around with. I'm pretty much at the tail end of things now, it's funny to hear you are just now doing the psych eval and nutrition consult. We had to do those in the very beginning. We've been on this path since September when they first got our approvals. I hear there is a great book on Amazon.com called "life after weight loss surgery", I'm getting it for my husband so he can get some variation into his diet. It's really only this bleak the first month while your healing the most. We don't know why he lost so much right away, it was probably a lot of water weight. But he's really doing great, thanks for the well wishes! CaroleM in Arizona

Hi Carole, I know this is a great site for meeting people all over the place. My docs nurse waited a month before she started to schedule my appointments...otherwise I would be right with you. Oh well I cannot wait to get my true date. I'm a little nervous about the psych eval...not knowing what to expect. Any advice? Anna

Anna, The worst part of the psych eval is the hours answering the written questions, that seemed to go on forever. We did that first, they get the score on that and make sure your not paranoid, or have any other mental illness that can be picked up in that test. Meeting with the doc himself was the easy part. He'll ask you why you decided to have the surgery, what you hope to gain from it, and what kind of ongoing exercise do you plan to do. Just be honest with him/her and you should do fine. You don't want to have answer's that contradict one another or they will think your confused! Good Luck. Carole