New to the boards

Hi all! I just found the board, and have read the first few posts. I'm Kathy, and I live in NE Baltimore County. I'm just staring my WLS journey, and am hoping to have WLS (probably LapBand) with Dr. Von Rueden at GBMC this fall. I am scheduled for an information session on 7/18/07, but wi**** was tomorrow, LOL. I'm very ready to get this process started. I just changed jobs last fall, and my new insurance is through Aetna. I can't find any exclusions in my policy which would prohibit the surgery, so I am very hopeful that I will have an approval on my first try. I'm looking forward to getting to know people here, and learning a lot from those of you that are further into your journey.

Kathy, I too have Aetna insurance and was able to get approval on the first try, but it was a long process. Aetna required a 6 month medically supervised diet program. I found that to be daunting, so I waited several months before I commited to it. I am now 7 days post-op and down nearly 20 lbs. It was worth the wait. Good luck, Susan

Kathy, I don't have your insurance, but I had some problems that meant seeing a lot of different doctors, including, a heart specialist, a sleep disorder clinic, diabetic doctor, as well as some of the regular visits to the doctor and counselor. I would encourage you to take your time, practice the new skills that you will be implementing after you have the surgery (eating slower, taking smaller bites, chewing your food well, making healthier food choices and eating less). As by now, hopefully you have read that the more fat that you can get off your liver, the less risks you have of complications during the surgery. Plus, you will be much heathier after surgery if you take care of yourself now. I used my "waiting time", to make sure this is what I wanted to do. I researched doctors, until I knew that I had one of the best surgeons, and I joined this board, and read everything that I could read about the surgery. I talked to everyone I know and some that I didn't know about the surgery, and the affects that it had on them. The positive for me is that I learned a lot about the surgery, and about me. I am having surgery in 8 days, and I am not fearful at all. I am not nervous either. Don't get me wrong, I am not looking forward to having the surgery, but I am so looking forward to getting on with a healthier way of life. I feel better now, even, because I have been trying to live the healthier lifestyle and eating healthier! Imagine how I will feel when I start whacking the weight off! Anyway, I am rambling - I just wanted to encourage you to use the waiting time to start practicing. I bought the book Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies - and it was really helpful in explaining much of the information, and putting things in perspective for me. You might pick up a copy! I think I have read every chapter twice! Gesch

Hi Kathy, Welcome!!!! Good luck with your journey. Kelly