I am so disappointed. Let me start from the beginning . . . . .

August 2007 I am refered to a bariatric clinic that performs lap banding. After a barrage of appointments and tests I am told that I am a good candidate but unless I have insurance or $12,000 they cannot help me. The Dr. tells me to go back to my GP and have him refer me to a local hospital to get put on their waiting list.

December 2007 Through a friend of a friend and an awesome God connection, I was referred to a surgeon who does lap banding on the public health care system. (turns out he also works for that private place I went to in August that specialises in lap banding! Small world!) The office told me that I have to wait three months for my appointment.

March 2008 I have my initial appointment and I am belittled and treated like a stupid fat person. I am given a book and told "Go home and read this and come back in 2 months if you still want to procede"

May 2008 I have my second appointment and am treated much better. He puts me on a waiting list and tells me that the wait can be up to 4 years for the op. He then tells me to make an appointment for May 2009 to follow up and says "If you haven't already had the operation by then."

December 2009 I get some blood work back (from another Dr.) that has some issues with it. I call the surgeon to ask if I can be moved up to more urgent because of it. The surgeon calls me back in January and moves me to a new category for the waiting list. I am told that this new category is an urgent one where it will get done in the next 3 months. I am extremely excited

March 5th 2009: I call the hospital to check up on where I am on the waiting list as I am expecting it to get done this month and I have to arrange leave from work etc. They tell me that the surgeon is on long-service-leave and won't be back until the end of April or May.

I am so disappointed. That will be over 12 months that I have been waiting to get this done. I want it so bad I can taste it. I have been working so hard to lose weight so that the surgery will be easier on my body. I am excercising, doing optislim and have lost 12.5 kilos (27.5 pounds) in preparation!

I know it will be worth that wait though.

And there are more people ahead of me when he gets back in a couple of months. So I might be looking at June which is why I am so disappointed.

so will the procedure be free? or is there out of pocket costs? i am willing to wait. i have public aid and i cant find a dr who takes it for the lap band

Hi Tiffany, I do not know where you live as far as getting public aid. Here in Australia we are blessed to have a public health care system. We do not pay anything for operations. If I wanted to get it done sooner, I could have gotten private health insurance and it would have been done after a year of waiting. But I cannot afford private health insurance so I am on the waiting list for public health care.

i live in chicago and i found a place that accepts the public aid and just so happens my best friend works at the hospital. well i got the number from her and made an appointment for the informational and have a date set for may 19. after making the appointment i found someone on lapband talk that went to the same informational on march 19th and she told me that if all goes well she will have the procedure done by august. she will have a one on one consultation in april and several other appointments with nutritionist and other dr's so i am so hoprful that my situation will be the same.