CathyFalb

I used Dr. Spivak and loved him. I live closer to Port Neches where Dr. Speigel's office is and was going to use him but his staff there also sucked. I think he had just started in Port Neches at the time and didn't have enough staff. I think it is different now. Dr. Speigel just opened his office in Houston. I went to Dr. Spivak and love him and his staff. Alos Dr. Spivak's before and after diet is much better.

My doctor's office told me I could go to Curves a week after surgery if I felt up to it. I waited about four weeks though just because. As far as the first time you eat solids, don't be surprised if you can eat just as before surgery. Most people don't have any restriction until they get fills.

I can guzzle! That's the one thing that goes down real easy.

Raggedy Ann and Ginny, I was just wondering about where you both live. I live in Lumberton and was going to use Dr. Spiegel but decided to go to Houston and use Dr. Spivak. I would love to meet other people from around here that are banded or plan to be banded. Do either of you know if there is a support group around here. If you would like to e-mail me my e-mail address is falbc@lit.edu. Now Reggedy Ann, What kind of insurance do you have and can you change it?

Most of my friends are skinny too. I have had very few fat friends growing up. My neighbor is one of those 5'7", auburn hair, 130 maybe and beautiful and thinks she is just sooooo fat. She just had twins in Feb. and only gained 35 pounds. Don't get me worng I love her to death but sometimes it gets on my nerves when she says she is just sooo fat.

Just for future reference, you should keep some Fenergan (sp?) suppositories in your fridge for when things like this happens. You should be able to get a script form your PCP. I hope you are feeling better now.

Call Inamed and get some info from them showing that the Lap-Band is not experimental. Unfortanatly the band is still kind of new and some insurances say that it is experimantal. Don at Inamed is great and will help you in any way that he can. Alot of insurances deny you and hope that you don't appeal. You may also want to consider Walter Lindstrom. He is a lawyer in California that has helped alot of people get their denial turned around. You can find him at www.obesitylaw.com. Don't give up though. If you have made a decision to be banded then don't go down without a fight. Good luck!

I'm glad your parents are willing to help you. I am a Financial Aid Specialist at a college and I can tell you that you would not be able to get enough student loans or plus loans in a semester to pay for your surgery. You would however be able to pay the note easier if you got loans each semester. I just don't know if it would be worth it to get student loans to pay another loan back and still have to make payment to the student loan. I think you should go with the arrangement with your parents. It sounds like you have wonderful parents. Good luck!

Yes it is normal for your phyc eval to take two hours. Also I will tell you the UHC is very good about covering the surgery as long as they don't have an exclusion in your insurance. Good luck!

You can call Inamed and get them to send you some documentation that shows that the band is not investigational or experimental. Alot of people have gotten this response from their insurance and some have had it over turned when they submit the documentation from Inamed. Also check with the insurance again because I was told this by my insurance last year on April 18th and they satrted paying for the band on April 20th. After that I just got denied for othre reasons. I'm with a new insurance now waiting for approval. Good luck!

That is awful. To think that he chose the Lap Band because it was less dangerous. I feel for his family.

I sent the paperwork to Dr. Spivak's office today for them to re-submit. I hope it works this time. If not I will switch insurance to one that I know will cover it.

I just noticed a post of yours and saw that you were from Bridge City. I live in Lumberton. I was going to use Dr. Speigel but switched to Dr. Spivak in Baytown. I'm getting ready to re-submit my claim. I was denied with Dr. Speigel. I liked him and all but I don;t think he was complying with my insurance. They were asking for additional information and weren't getting it. I have found out from the insurance what they need and have almost all of it to send in. Do you know of any local support groups around here? I'm supossed to go to one in Houston this Saturday but I'm sick right now and going to the doctor today. I will have to wait to see how I feel by the weekend. If you want to e-mail me sometimes you can. My e-mail address is falbc@lit.edu. That is my e-mail address at work. It's nice to see some local bandsters. I can't wait to join all the other bandsters.

Sheila, Do you have the option of GEHA? I have had alot of trouble with Mail Handlers. I just got denied on my final appeal with OPM. I have found out that I can re-submit and start all over again. I have an appt. with a new doctor in Sept. and I'm going to try it again. Hopefully I can get an answer before open enrollment which is in Nov. for my husband also. If they deny it again we will look at our options of either hiring a lawyer or switching to GEHA. I talked to GEHA and they sound easier to get approvals. I don't know anything about your case though. I had specific reason for getting denied by Mail Handlers. I can't really go into them right now because I work at a college and we are in registration right now so I have to go. If you want to e-mail me your e-mail adderess we can talk more after registration. My e-mail address is falbc@lit.edu.

I have Mail Handlers and I've been fighting with them since Jan. or Feb. I can't remember now it's been so long. I have my final appeal in with OPM. My Mail Handlers plan is federal so OPM is kind of like the State Insurance Boards for state insurance. Hopefully they will over turn Mail Handlers decision. If not I will just get a loan and self pay in Mexcio.

Congratulations on your weight lose so far. Keep up the good work.

Congratulations on getting banded. I can't wait to be on the losing side. Good luck on your new journey.:banana

I can pull up Spotlight Health and click on Morbid Obesity but when I try to click on Support Groups it tells me that the page can't be displayed. Has anyone else had this problem today?

Ok my picture is too large. Can you reduce it down for me?

I'm not sure how to put a picture on here. Can anyone help me?

Does anyone have GEHA or heard of it? Does it pay for the Lap Band?

On another message you said your friend got a reversal from Mail Handlers. Did OPM overturn her denial or did the insurance cover it? At first I was denied because they said the Lap Band was experimental and when I appealed it they said they would cover the Lap Band then but I didn't meet medical neccesity. Even though I have hypoglicemia, atrhritis, back pain, knee pain, shortness of breath and a BMI of 48.9. I did my first appeal in April so that was when they started covering the Lap Band. I've had nothing but trouble with Mail Handlers. This is bad but we only got Mail Handlers becaues they are supossed to cover Obesity Surgery. It doesn't matter though because I will have it. I will just self pay. I'm not going to let someone who doesn't even know me tell me what is best for me. I know I meet medical neccesity they are just a**holes.

Hello My name is Cathy and I have been posting on Spotlight Health for a few weeks now and learned so much more that I thought I knew. This new web site is AWESOME! I hope to be banded soon so I can enjoy my new life like most of the people here and at Spotlight Health.

I haven't been banded yet but I can answer this. Yes you can get pregnant after the band. Most doctors recommend that you wait at least 18 months after getting banded. There is a girl on Spotlight Health that got pregnant 2 months after being banded. I spoke with my OB/GYN about it and he said the reason you should wait is because after any WLS your body is in starvation mode for a while. Plus in my case my OB/GYN suggested getting about 100 lbs. off before I become pregnant. I have hypoglicema and by losing weight it could go away and lesson the chance of gestational diabeties. With the band if you have any fills in your band you can have it all taken out for your pregancy so you can eat more for the baby. I hope this answered your questions.

I'm still waiting on my last appeal with my insurance. If they deny it then I will go to Mexico and self pay. Lumberton is about 7 miles north of Beaumont if you know where that is. If not it is about an hour and a half south from Houston. It is a small town of only about 8,000 people. We really like it there. Good luck and I hope you get banded soon.