contrabanded

Hey all, I am in month 4 of 6 for the pre-op supervised diet before I can apply for surgery approval. With the way things are lining up, I will be approved (hopefully) sometime in December. However, I want to push my surgery date back to January for 2 reasons. 1) I will be able to switch to the low deductible high premium plan my work offers to hopefully make my money stretch a little further and 2) I'd rather start fresh with the new year and after the holidays. Only problem is I know you have to get re-approved for the lap band during a new calendar year even if you were already approved, so I have some questions: 1) How likely is it that I could be denied reapproval after the new calendar year starts? Is that a risk I should be careful taking? 2)I had to call my insurance rep the other day to figure out how much I will have to pay the psychologist I have to see and make sure he is in network. I started to ask the rep questions about the approval process and applying for surgery and she referred me to a "bariatric team" that Humana has. My fear is that if I call them and ask questions about the approval process before I submit the claim with the help of my doctors, that it will hurt my chances of getting approved instead of help. I would love if anyone has some thoughts or helpful information! Thanks guys!

I am sticking with the same insurance company, just intending to switch to the higher premium plan. I am prepared to pay for the surgery out of pocket if absolutely necessary, just trying to maximize my benefit. Guess its better to go through it now and see rather than being held up last minute due to red tape. Thanks guys!

Hey all, I am in month 4 of 6 for the pre-op supervised diet before I can apply for surgery approval. With the way things are lining up, I will be approved (hopefully) sometime in December. However, I want to push my surgery date back to January for 2 reasons. 1) I will be able to switch to the low deductible high premium plan my work offers to hopefully make my money stretch a little further and 2) I'd rather start fresh with the new year and after the holidays. Only problem is I know you have to get re-approved for the lap band during a new calendar year even if you were already approved, so I have some questions: 1) How likely is it that I could be denied reapproval after the new calendar year starts? Is that a risk I should be careful taking? 2)I had to call my insurance rep the other day to figure out how much I will have to pay the psychologist I have to see and make sure he is in network. I started to ask the rep questions about the approval process and applying for surgery and she referred me to a "bariatric team" that Humana has. My fear is that if I call them and ask questions about the approval process before I submit the claim with the help of my doctors, that it will hurt my chances of getting approved instead of help. I would love if anyone has some thoughts or helpful information! Thanks guys!

omg one more day for you! good luck!!

I just bought a pair of 26's at Torrid. I agree with bonnielynn07, you should try to find a cheaper place, especially since you're losing weight. Do they have a Dots or a Rainbow near you? I can usually find a pair of Dots jeans for 10-20 bucks instead of the 50 I just paid at Torrid. Don't get discouraged girl. One step at a time!

I can't wait to feel confident that the image I have of myself in my head is who I see when I look in the mirror and who everyone else sees! And to be healthy... and I have an inkling I will have one heck of a shopping habit--especially for boots and heels that I can't wear now because my feet are in too much pain. Also, to not have so much weight on my abdomen and feel comfortable driving without my belly rubbing up against the steering wheel (that's super embarrassing)... And I can't wait to discover more non-scale victories that I don't realize will be right now.

I started out doing research on Youtube. Look for names newtoy4kt, bandedwendy, abandarina and some others. These are good points of reference, especially for successes! From what I can tell on here, people are very helpful and knowledgeable so far. Have you introduced yourself in the introductions section?

I am also trying to get healthier with the help of the lap band for when I do decide to have children. I have already been informed it will be a struggle for me at my current weight and with PCOS and no ovulation. I have to take Metformin and those suckers are horse pills, plus they always make me feel so sick. :/

Hey guys! My name is Krystina and I am 23 years old. After several failed attempts to lose weight on my own and with the assistance of various diet and exercise programs, I decided in April to consult a surgeon about having lap band surgery. Per my insurance, I do have to do a physician supervised 6 month diet and exercise program, but that should be the only major hoop I have to jump through prior to getting approval for the surgery. I'm really excited to be joining this community and meeting some people who are going through similar struggles. People in my life either at work or in my personal life can be a little less than helpful a lot of times and it's seriously like they don't even stop to think about what they are saying before they spit out a bunch of word vomit. Anyway, I look forward to talking to you all soon! For anyone interested I am also going to start regularly documenting my experiences and progress on Youtube. The first couple of videos are already posted at:

JhonnieB--I feel that documenting on Youtube is extremely important for people who are not afraid to put their experiences out there, partly to hold yourself accountable and largely to help others considering weight loss surgery. Either way, your experience is serving as valuable information for others--an inspiration when you succeed and things to watch out for when you struggle. And since I personally don't have the support I need at home, I've already met some people sharing similar experiences that help! Let me know if you start a Youtube channel and I will be sure to follow it! And thanks to everyone who has responded! I didn't expect quite so much feedback! I look forward to learning everything I can through this website and your personal experiences! And I can't wait to see success stories!