Maggie63

stephanie-i am glad you brought this questions up...i tell EVERYTHIING..it is just in my nature. for this, i have decided to just say "intestinal blockage" and wave off any other questions. be prepared for more questions though. my boss and i are "work" friends (we get along great and go to some of the same social events) when i told her today i had an appointment about my stomach issues she asked me many questions about which doctor i am using, will i have a lower GI, etc she is asking out of concern, not because she does not believe me, but i was caught off guard all the same (i am a terrible liar) i would rather tell the truth, but i know how people are...i do not need any more judgements!!

i am being banded 1 dec 05 and had a lot of stress thinking if i should tell or not. i have decided to tell my parents, my bro and sister (and spouses, but not their children except my adult niece) and 2 very close friends. about 3 years ago i went to an in house program called structure house to help me control my bad eating habits. i stayed a month and lost over 30 lbs...i felt great. a few months after that i volunteered to go to iraq to support the effort there. i was there 7 months and lost an additional 40 lbs (i looked great) i gained every lb back in the last year. the disapointment on my work "friends" faces is very clear....a few people have said "you used to look so healthy" meaning you are fat. another friend said "how long has it been since you were at that in house weight loss program" in other words...how could you have gained every lb back? i even have a friend that has had the gastric that tells me to just give up and get that because i will never be able to do it on my own. i have decided to keep this important thing to myself...later down the road i may tell (i am usually such an open book...and love that about myself)...just don't want to have to deal with the judgements!! this thread is great....thanks

i have health america and they origianlly told me they would not pay so i told my doc i would be self pay. a week ago i called the insurance company about another question, we talked about lap band and they said they WOULD pay (can you say confused)? i called my doc office to let them know. an hour later my doc office called me back and told me the representative i talked to was wrong, and health america would not pay. today, health america was in my office for an insurance fair and the woman told me they would "probably" pay...she is getting back to me. ahhhhh!! i will continue to talk to health america until i can get a straight answer out of them, i thought about going to Mexico...how much of a savings is it? i am paying 2000 to the doc and 10,000 to the hospital in Harrisburg, PA to the woman that had the horrible experience with doc H...PLEASE turn him in...you could be saving others pain and suffering....

Thanks Dr. Heikier. I have federal Health American HMO. They will not pay for my lapband scheduled for 1 Dec 05. I have already contacted Mr. Lindstrom through his website and plan on fighting Health Americans denial. This site is just wonderful!

I am new to this site. As a matter of fact, I am new to on line chatting completely. The first time I posted to this site I managed to post on a NJ thread that was just for chatting about family and friends. I had no idea. I finally found the place to start if you are a beginner!! I am 42 years old and I have struggled with weight all of my life. Since a small child I have been on a diet. I remember when I was going to Elementary School (maybe 4th grade) and my mom and dad put me on a diet and I brought just celery sticks in for lunch. All the other kids just kind of looked at me while they were eating their nutritious lunches. I felt like a freak. There were times when I was able to keep my weight under control...but that was mostly through starvation. I did Slim Fast throughout the 80's, and got on the Phen Phen wagon in the 90's. During those times I was only eating a bagel or a small salad once a day, but I was a size 10 so I felt good. When Phen Phen was taken off the market, I gained weight and have been very overweight ever since. I did lose a little over 70 lbs over a year ago (I work for the Navy as a civil servant and was asked to go to Iraq to support the effort there. I lost weight consistantly the whole time over there. I started gaining the moment I hit American soil September of last year). Afer much research, I have decided that the lap band is a tool that could help me be successful. I am a bulk eater....big portions at lunch and dinner. Dr. DiMarco (Harrisburg, PA) is my physician and he has made it very clear that this is not a cure all, but something that can assist me in being VERY successful with my weight loss. I have to be committed to my own success and I know that. I have been stopping by this site every couple of days and I it just so inspiring to me. In the beginning of my journey I was so afraid of failure again. After reading what you all have had to say, I feel so much more in control. You are a great support system and I hope you will be there for me as I will be for you. I made my appointment for my surgery today. It is 1 Dec 05. I am nervous and excited at the same time!! Any words of wisdom that you have would be SO inspirational for me. My doctor is not making me fast before, so I am most concerned about the first two weeks of nothing but liquids....were you hungry at all during that time? Looking forward to getting to know all of you!! Keep up the good work!!

i have health american hmo through the federal government. they would have been happy to pay for the gastric surgery, but will not pay for the lapband (or so they say). my surgery is scheduled for 1 Dec 2005. my plan is to pay myself using a new credit card i got where there is no interest till 2007. i will give up whatever i have to to pay it off before i get hit with interest charges. i think i can do it. i do plan on fighting the insurance company to pay. my primary care physician is supportive and i believe she will help me show i needed it. has anyone been successful getting health america hmo to pay?

thanks for all your support. i go through phases where i am so excited...then i start questioning my decision...why can't i do it myself? when i start to questions i pop on line and you all help me to stay on track. i am having my surgery in harrisburg, PA from The Weight Loss Clinics Dr. DiMarco. a friend of mine used him for gastric bypass surgery and just loved him. he is great...very curious and interested in what your issues are with food. some of the office staff is just TERRIBLE...very rude to the patients. i plan on talking to the doc about that. i have health america...they will pay for gastric for government employees, but won't pay a cent of the lapband...i will try to fight it but i am preparing to just pay myself. the doc gets 2000, the hospital gets 10,000...the first fill is included in the price..the rest are not...is this par for the course? thanks for your support...how do i put my weight, doctor, fills etc and the end of all my posts? thanks

Hello all. This is my first time posting on this site, well, as a matter of fact, ANY site. I am in the process of getting the lapband surgery and just wanted to get some advice from people who had been there. As a read through these threads I see people who have been very successful with this surgery. My biggest concern is getting the surgery and then still NOT losing the weight. I am sure I am not alone. Are you all content with the results of your surgery? How much time did you have to take off work? What do you think makes you successful when others have not been? Please let me know if these questions have been answered elsewhere on this site and I will go there to get answers. I do not know ANYONE who has had this surgery so I am thrilled that there is a forum to gets answers. Happy Belated Halloween.....