BansterNYC

I was scheduled to have surgery with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, Mexico, this week! All surgeries for the week are now canceled due to the fires raging in Southern, California. Apparently some of the staff had to evacuate their homes, and the San Diego Airport may shut down preventing patients for flying in (and out!) My surgery is postponed 1 week, and I was bummed about that, however the real tragedy is what the Souther California residents are dealing with!

Brian P Jacob, MD Director of the Baricenter, Laparoscopic Surgical Center of New York 1010 5th Avenue, NY, NY 10028 tele = 212-879-6677 Baricenter at The Laparoscopic Surgical Center of New York

I take Metamucil fiber pills, purchased from DrugStore.com (link here) Buy Metamucil Psyllium Fiber Capsules Online at drugstore.com I have no idea if I will be able to swallow them after I am banded this week. Some people write that pills are fine, and others need to crush them. Actually, my nutritionist recommended I NOT have too much fiber in my post-op diet. Not sure why -- I'll ask her.

My surgery is this week (Thursday). 12 days before surgery, my doc had me start a diet to lose 5% of my weight (10 lbs). I had a Protein shake for Breakfast and lunch. Then 1 lean Cuisine meal under 300 calories for dinner. The weight fell right off. I am allowed 2 Fiber pills a day for hunger pains. I am hungry, but know it's worth it to ensure a safer surgery. For the Protein shakes I have used 1 scoop of Isopure protein powder with 12 oz. fat-free milk. You can get it at GNC. This is also the protein powder that my nutritionist recommends post-surgery.

My nutritionist recommended ISOPURE -- you can get it at GNC. It's actually 50g of protein, NO carbs, and 200 calories per serving. The main flavors are chocolate, vanilla, and strawberries & cream. Mix with milk.

Add me! Surgery set for October 25.

You should be all set. Just CALL CIGNA every other day to "check" on the status of your case. Tell them you are checking on procedure code: 43770 (that's the medical code for Lap-Band) that ins companies use. If you get a "blah" answer -- then hang up and call again to speak with a better agent. If no luck, ask to speak to a supervisor.

My surgery is $8500 in Mexico.

I have CIGNA, but was denied by them 3 times, and thus I am now scheduled to for surgery in Mexico this week. My BMI is 36 and I don't have co-mobities that CIGNA recognizes. (I do have asthma and arthritis in hips and knees.) First denial took over 30 days after I called and bugged them about the 30 day time frame. The next denial took 15 days after I submitted additional info, and then final denial took 15 days. They say I am "too healthy" to have the surgery. CIGNA will likely ask for you to show documentation that your BMI has been 40+ for the past 5 years. It would be a good idea to contact all doctors (even OB/GYN) and get copies of your medical records to prove your weight history. Also, CIGNA is SUPER STRICT about the doctor supervised diet. It has to run for at least 6 months, and you MUST visit the doctor every 30 days to document your progress. Commercial programs such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig don't count as supervised programs. You doc meeds to diagnose you with "Morbid Obesity" (not just Obesity) and put you on a diet plan. You will then need to submit all those doc records of the diet plan. Good luck!

I was denied 3 times by CIGNA, and now I am scheduled for surgery in Mexico. My BMi is 36 and I don't have co-mobities that CIGNA recognizes. (I do have asthma and arthritis in hips and knees.) First denial took over 30 days after I called and bugged them about the 30 day time frame. The next denial took 15 days after I submitted additional info, and then final denial took 15 days. They say I am "too healthy" to have the surgery. I am scheduled to have the surgery in Mexico this week.

Brandy - here's what I understand about BCBS in general -- but yes, it does vary by program. To qualify for BCBS to cover it you must have: 1. A BMI of 40 or over. 2. Documentation of over 40 BMI for the past 5 years 3. 6-month doc supervised diet where you visit the doc at least every month, and they will ask for doc notes to prove this. If you're BMI is between 35-40, respond here and I'll give you those details.

Hi - I am new to these boards and scheduled to have my surgery next week. Here's my question: Are there different size bands for different size people? I'm 5'1" and 190lbs. Would I be fitted with a different band than, say, a 6'5" 450 lbs? Do all bands hold the same amount of cc Fluid? Thanks in advance.