acissej

I haven't been around lately because i'm right in the middle of a move. My fiance and I are moving into our first house and there is a lot to take care of. Anywhoo...the insurance miracle worker over at Barix called Wednesday to let me know that my insurance will cover my surgery if I am able to provide a 5 year weight history and a psych evaluation. I found a doctor that will do the psych eval (scheduled for 4/4). At first I was a little worried about the 5 year weight history because this is the first job that i've had where I have benefits. I took the view that unless I was bleeding out of the eyes I wasn't going to the doctor because I couldn't afford to pay for the visit out of pocket. The woman that I spoke with (I think that her name is Michelle) said that any kind of record of my weight would be acceptable and that's when I remember that all through college I went for my yearly faithfully because the exam and pills were free through a state program. I faxed over a release form for my medical records at school and as soon as I get those and complete my psych evaluation we can schedule my surgery! I'm sooooo relieved and happy that it's coming along this well. I quit smoking about 3 weeks ago and i'm doing well with that as well! I'm happy that something is finally going my way for once!:clap2:

I haven't been around lately because i'm right in the middle of a move. My fiance and I are moving into our first house and there is a lot to take care of. Anywhoo...the insurance miracle worker over at Barix called Wednesday to let me know that my insurance will cover my surgery if I am able to provide a 5 year weight history and a psych evaluation. I found a doctor that will do the psych eval (scheduled for 4/4). At first I was a little worried about the 5 year weight history because this is the first job that i've had where I have benefits. I took the view that unless I was bleeding out of the eyes I wasn't going to the doctor because I couldn't afford to pay for the visit out of pocket. The woman that I spoke with (I think that her name is Michelle) said that any kind of record of my weight would be acceptable and that's when I remember that all through college I went for my yearly faithfully because the exam and pills were free through a state program. I faxed over a release form for my medical records at school and as soon as I get those and complete my psych evaluation we can schedule my surgery! I'm sooooo relieved and happy that it's coming along this well. I quit smoking about 3 weeks ago and i'm doing well with that as well! I'm happy that something is finally going my way for once!:clap2:

My doctor told me no alcohol for 6 months post-op (I think that it has more to do with becoming sick from drinking too much bc throwing up increases the chance of a band slipping).

Thanks ladies! I'll make sure to keep you updated with any progress.

So yes, I went to my seminar and got all of my paperwork done. I thought that I had hit a lucky streak when I realized that I had a shrink appointment the following Wednesday. I figured that i'd just have my psych eval with my normal psychiatrist but when I went to the appointment and asked him to do it he said that the clinic doesn't allow their doctors to do them! I don't know if he was being lazy or what but I want to move forward with the process and I want to do it as soon as possible. I was really disappointed with the whole thing. Anyway...I decided to keep pushing ahead and I tried to find a doctor that specializes in working with bariatric patients but the list of providers that my insurance has doesn't list specialties. I called Barix and they said that the only referrals that they have are for doctors who don't take insurance. This message board is choc-full of info and I was hoping that one of you may be able to point me in the right direction. If you liked the doctor that you saw for your psych eval please let me know! I live out near Princeton but I am willing to travel anywhere in NJ (within reason). Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated! Jessica :help:

I was an average size at birth. I jokingly blame my Aunt for getting the ball rolling. According to my Mom, my Aunt used to babysit me and she thought that I had 'chicken legs' and used to overfeed me. I was overweight all through elementary school (my nickname was 'Miss Piggy') and by 5th grade I was a little over 100lbs. High School was the same and I bounced between 14 and 18 even though I participated in sports. When I went to college I lost about 20lbs due to a lack of edible food. From there i was in the low 200's and now things are just out of control and i'm at 267! Hopefully my insurance will go through and i'll be on my way to a healthier life.

My advise to you is that you shouldn't be discouraged by your family. I think of it this way, you are doing this for yourself, not them. You want to live a healthy life and improve yourself and if they cannot understand this than that's a shame. I know that a good support system is one of the keys to being successful, so if you can't get the support you need from them make sure that you find it with friends or other family members. I hope that everything is going well with you post-op. Stay stong...you can do it!

Okay this is my first entry...bare with me here So yes, yesterday I went to an informational seminar at the Barix Clinic in Langhorne, PA. I was proud of myself for getting my tush out of bed at the ungodly hour of 6:30 so that I could shower and battle rush hour traffic to get there by 9am. I live about 25 minutes away from the clinic. Right now i'm right on the NJ/PA border but i'll be moving 1.5 hours to the east this month. Despite busting my ass on a sneaky piece of ice on the way to my car, I prevailed (although my knee is killing me)! Anyway I got there and signed in and filled out some paperwork and we were called into the conference room promptly at 9. Dr. Boe was very informative and he made sure that he ansered all of our questions. After the seminar I met with a nutritionist and then I met with Dr. Boe to discuss the surgery. I have my psych eval next wednesday and i'm looking forward to hearing from the office with regard to my insurance coverage. I am hopeful that all will go well, but I don't want to speak too soon! I'm excited that i've started the ball in motion. Hopefully this excitement will extend to the 10lbs that I have to lose prior to surgery. It shouldn't be too much of a problem though.

Okay this is my first entry...bare with me here :confused: So yes, yesterday I went to an informational seminar at the Barix Clinic in Langhorne, PA. I was proud of myself for getting my tush out of bed at the ungodly hour of 6:30 so that I could shower and battle rush hour traffic to get there by 9am. I live about 25 minutes away from the clinic. Right now i'm right on the NJ/PA border but i'll be moving 1.5 hours to the east this month. Despite busting my ass on a sneaky piece of ice on the way to my car, I prevailed (although my knee is killing me)! Anyway I got there and signed in and filled out some paperwork and we were called into the conference room promptly at 9. Dr. Boe was very informative and he made sure that he ansered all of our questions. After the seminar I met with a nutritionist and then I met with Dr. Boe to discuss the surgery. I have my psych eval next wednesday and i'm looking forward to hearing from the office with regard to my insurance coverage. I am hopeful that all will go well, but I don't want to speak too soon! I'm excited that i've started the ball in motion. Hopefully this excitement will extend to the 10lbs that I have to lose prior to surgery. It shouldn't be too much of a problem though.

Thanks for the pointers! I am going to talk with my PCP tomorrow so I can get a referral and talk about how I can stop smoking. I am attending a seminar 2/21 at the Barix Clinic in PA and afterward I am having a consultation with a surgeon. In preparation for my appointment tomorrow I am making an outline of sorts. I get very nervous when talking to people that I don't know, so I think that making a list of all of the reasons why I should get banded is a good option. I also want to run a list of familial health problems by my mother. Right off of the bat I know that a few of my aunts (as well as my mom) have Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems among other things. The bottom line is that i'm 25 years old and I feel like a pile of hot garbage! There is no reason that I have muscle and joint pain if i'm on my feet too long, or heartburn every day. The thing that really freaks me out the most is waking up in the middle of the night because my arms are asleep. I'm ready to make a change for the better and there is no better time than now.

Hello All! This is my first post so please be gentle :confused: After receiving a Christmas card from my cousin out in Colorado (who looked AMAZING!!!) I called her to find out what she did to drop all that weight. She told me that she had done gastric bypass 9 months ago, and she's down about 125lbs. I'm so happy for her! I have been researching bypass as well as banding for the past few years and hearing about her success has motivated me to persue the surgery. I have an appointment on Wednesday to get a referral so I can go to the consultation at the Barix Clinic. I've read a lot about both proceedures and i've decided on the band for various reasons. Does anyone have any helpful tips for someone just starting the process? Anyone go to Barix or know someone who has gone there?