Pre-OP lead up.

On November 13th I had the lap band placed.   This is something that we have been working with insurance to cover for almost a year.   We start in January and did a full physical.  We then started the process with a surgical center.   We had checked with our insurance and they said that one of the doctors, at the surgical center, was covered.  

We did the initial consults, then did the full doctors work up with nutritionist, trainer, physiologist (who passed me, she must be more crazy then me!).  But, when the bills started to come in they were all denied because insurance said they were not covered.   After talking with the HR rep at Kiloforce's work they were able to found that only one doctor in our area was covered, and it wasn't the one they previously told us was.   On top of that, insurance was going to require 6 months of doctor monitored monthly weight loss visits in order to approve anything. 

Fast forward to October and I finally finish all the doctor visits.   But, since I was already borderline weight, if I lost any weight (even 5 pounds) my BMI will no longer qualify for insurance to cover anything, it was a practice in doing what they recommended but not losing any weight.   That made it a long hard 6 months for me.   Also, insurance still denied paying 3 of the monthly visits, which they required.   Even with HR helping fight these ones they are still trying to come at us for almost $450, just for doctor checkups.

We finally get all the hoops jumped through and then it is just turn in all in and see if insurance says "yes".   They said that usually insurance answers in 1-2 weeks but they have 30 days.   So our insurance of course waits till the last second (3 1/2 weeks) to answer.

Finally, on October 30th they call and say it is approved and insurance will pay 80%.  We set a surgery date and away we go.

I started the pre-op diet 3 days later.    It all happened really quickly from this point on.   The day I started my pre-op diet I weighed 235 pounds at 5' 4".   I have been fluctuating between my highest weights of 235-239 all year.  Never lower and never higher.

I actually didn't find the pre-op diet that bad.  My surgeon had me drink a HIGH protein shake for breakfast and lunch then a lean cuisine for dinner, making sure to max out at 1,000 calories.  I went to Costco and got the Premier Protein power shakes in chocolate and vanilla.   I ended up only barely able to tolerate the vanilla ones and thought that was a bad purchase but the chocolate ones were awesome.  (Erlop and Spincycle wouldn't even drink the vanilla ones and they eat just about everything.  They are like goats.)

I think it was easy for me because I knew it was only 10 days and it was important.  Plus the lean cuisine made it so that I could still eat some pasta (my obsession).