When I had mine, the person told me right then that I qualified. I guess every hospital and insurance company are different. I went to my first meeting Oct., 2011 and didn't get the band until July, 2012 because of the hospital being taken over by a larger one. But the wait was worth it. Just remember the weight took longer than a week/month/year to get on the body.

Good luck with your new journey.

Hi there -- I hated the waiting, too, but now it seems like it went by in a flash. Time can be so weird! I started the process in June and had to attend a mandatory info session to get the ball rolling -- only they didn't have another one until August 6th. So that was a big delay and then all the appointments -- program coord, nutritionist and psych eval, then finally I got to meet the surgeon and was given a surgery date, November 5th. All in all a five-month process. One thing I'm really glad about is that I used the time to step up my exercise routine so once banded I had that to fall into right away -- and the band really changed my attitude and ability to work out. Long walks, etc. So that's good. And I got a therapist, too, and started journalling a lot -- just to get at those eating patterns and food issues to be sure I was as ready as possible. You sound very ready and I wish you the very best -- it will all happen and you'll be on the other side before you know it!