Sooverit!

Hi Indigo and thank you for your thoughtful reply as well. A few months ago I was convinced I wanted to go to Mexico for surgery with Dr. Rumbaut and have the adventure as well. However, I started reading warnings from people here and it sort of made me chicken out and just spend the money on myself. From what I've read though, the care seems to be superior to here in the states. I tell ya Indigo I've been working on this for a year. I see folks that get covered and do it in a week. I think it's me though when we purchased our second home I became a Realtor and looked at houses for 3 years before I found this one and decided it was right. I guess I'm not the risk taker I always thought I was! Hope your photo shoot went well...I need to look on your site for your posting! I'm sure you nailed it! best to you,

[sIZE="4"]WOW Maria: I am sitting here with my mouth dropped open! $60,000!!! When I got through to NYU a woman there quoted me $8,000 for surgery $2,000 discount out of pocket) [/size]$1,700 for Anesthesia and $7,000 for hospital stay at NYU overnight. She did say though "now don't quote me because the regular person isn't here". When I went to the seminar with Dr. Ren she quoted said it will cost "around" $21,000. Not for anything but if we got a bill for $60,000 that could very well be grounds for divorce around here. My husband work on Wall Street and things are VERY shaky! I found money in CDs I could us for surgery but only around $20 grand not 60!! I WILL get their quote in writting. Life is unfair - A difference of 20 pounds has caused me to disqualify for insurance coverage. That is the reward I get for killing my self at the gym 3 times a week! Go figure!

Hi Michelle and eveyone: My name is Marg and I am pre banded also and at the financing stage. Dr. Fielding is top notch and I plan to have surgery with him. I wonder if he is aware of the state of his administration!! I've used to deal with a young woman named Johanna Rodriguez who was super woman and surgical coordinator. I think she got burnt out and left in May since then it's a joke. It's a shame because they have a sterling rep as docs but that can't be held up if they office is a mess. When I was trying to get something from them in June Walter at Obesity law . com called Dr. Fielding himself as he is a friend and the earth moved for one day. I'm thinking of forwarding this to him so he can make Dr. Fielding more aware. Would anyone here mind if I did that?

Hi Maria: Congratulations on getting banded! I am in the pre banded stage so I haven't been to a meeting yet but would like to although I think there is an type error on the site because it looks like they have two post banded meeting but no pre banded. It looks an erorr. Good luck tonight! Pls tell us how it went!

Whoooo! Congrats!!!!!!!!!

Hi Ms Little: I'm reading your post sitting here feeling very stuffed. Lately as I get older it doesn't take much to make me feel really stuffed and uncomfortable and it's not that I'm eating less and getting smaller it just takes so much less for to make me overweight! I will remember your words when I go to get my loan ugg.

Hey Spealex...Congratulations! on getting banded and starting off with a such great attitude! It's people like you that make me know this is a good choice. Keep up posted! Windy: I am hoping that after I'm banded I will be doing what you all are doing ? I am hoping that my family members will start to feel this way about food also. I am wondering if it rubs off on them. I have a 12 yr old daughter that eats too much and I wonder if my bad habits rubbed off on her. Or is it genetic as she has a huge appetite like her mom and is a not a petite girl. Time will tell I guess.

Hey Shrinkingmom thank you for your kind words...I was pretty shocked too ...that Geiss would turn down patients who are can't get insurance coverage. When I first called them they said if I don't have a 40 BMI I won't qualify when I called again the woman said they don't take people who aren't covered by insurance because they end up not being able to pay out of pocket if there are complications. Now Dr. Fielding and Ren ...leaders and pioneers in Lap band surgery practicing out of NYU Med Center in NYC are fine and will band anyone over 35 BMI and some lower in certain cases. I plan to go there after I got that email.

Now that I'm on a roll Restless Monkey....forgive me... :-)....I also have heavy incidence of Type II diabetes, heart disease, hi chol, morbid obesity in my family....Cigna is cold hearted!~!

Oh Thank you...I'm thinking of a loan now and thinking perhaps I'm worth it too. My twin sister died from morbid obesity related heart condition a few years ago but Cigna doesn't care. Thanks for the good wishes ...I'm thinking February...wish me luck on the loan now!

When ever I tried to GAIN weight to get to a 40BMI no matter how much I ate I'd lose>??? or stay the same grrr

"I'll be old later when I have time" Great Restless Monkey....congratulations on your excellent progress and great attitude:thumbup:

[Q. it is so hard to reprogram yourself from the clean your plate days..... but i know i can do it... Ha ha Ms. Trina I remember the "clean your plate" days well. Not only did my family tell me to clean my plate when I was young but to clean eveyone else's too! I was the skinny! one in my family so my mom would empty the other plates on to mine ...and I'd be a good daughter and finish all the food for her...so no waste!@ No waist now!

That's a cool answer Jack. The energy and the extra time spent on living life fully instead of always self indulging and in my case hiding must be embowering. Maybe without the food to comfort me i will get strong and be forced to finally accept life with all it's pimples and dimples.

I'm no doc for sure but I wouldn't be very worried now, if I understand correctly the body's organs regenerate completely after 7 years, of course that is if it's left to heal and it are healthy to start with. Haven't you had blood work? I feel like I've had every test there is prior to surgery. Ask your doc's office they can look it up on your chart. Best to you on your upcoming surgery!

I have to say I'm more than disappointed with Dr. Powers and Dr. Geiss. I am 15-20 pounds shy of a 40 BMI and they e-mailed me saying that I am not qualified for lap band surgery and what I need is nutritional counseling. Oh really..I could write a few books on nutrition as I eat very healthy almost all the time except I just eat too much. It seem they only take patients that are covered by insurance. Business must be good and that is what business is about I understand.

Like your candor Frustrated...I diddo that...and I'm getting the sense Indigo girl is not going to mind a bit. I did forget to ask you Indigo if you hired an image consultant or personal shopper, I know there's another word for what I'm think of ? I think I should do that instead of wasting money on clothes that don't look good on me or I just don't want to wear.

oops don't know how those words ended up at the end of my post there?:wink_smile:

Indigo, I just dropped of my very stylish 11 year old daughter and her friend. On the way home I started to think and get optimistic about getting the band and being able to have some wonderful staple outfits again. I like the idea of taking photos of the outfits too! I would put the photos on my closet and assign each outfit for each event work, stores, church etc. ...So my whole closet doesn't end up on my bed like it does sometimes. I hope to be banded in February and hopefully soon I will share photos with you! Thank you again for sharing and the inspiration. .clothes again about how great Good luck on Wednesday. You are to model material!

Thank you so much for your honesty Holli, may I ask you did you go to a addiction specialist? How do you find a good one?

I love clothes also Indigo especially when I was your size. I am just blown away by how an outfit can totally change the way a person looks. You really wear black and white well and I love all the sharp black and white outfits...very stylish and you look youthful and sharp. I know the over 50 models are in big demand now.

Sorry I'm posting so much....I just had to reply to DaiseyMay's post. WOw you really hit me in the gut...with your profound truth~ This is what I'm afraid of; that Loss... I will feel not be able to escape into food. Using food like a drug. I do have an addictive personality and I should get help for that probably even before getting banded? You are coping better every day though and that is great to hear. Thanks agian.

Gilli...I haven't had a Quarter Pounder since I was your age! I think I do eat healthy either chick or fish but just way too much and too often.

All your answers are so good..I'm still digesting ...your words ..I am still smiling at what you said RealMcCoy about now you're not eating for "sport"..lol. You hit the nail on the head that is what I do and once I start I can't really stop until it's all gone or I'm full ....which and the later never happens...especially in front of ...Big TV! Lately I do feel like why bother starting...I'm not really hungry until I start eating...I messed up my full & hunger signals years ago probably. I' know I will be withdrawing from the snacking tho and that scares me.

You can go on the web site not MyCigna just Cigna.com and look for Bariatric Surgery and they do state (at least in mine) what they require. When I last look they changed the requirement to proof of 2 years with a 40 BMI - I believe it used to be 1. Aren't they nice ...they are punishing us for not letting ourselves really go...I've exercised and worked not to get to a 40 BMI for all my life...darn them...all I need now is another 20 lbs and I'm a 40.,,,oh keep researching. I will eventually get a loan from Allergen makers of Lap band they have a 80 month payment plan if I don't get covered....keep me posted!