flexible

I understand that Medicare can pay for Gastric Bypass? Does anyone have knowledge of whether it will pay for lapbanding?

Has anyone gone to John Hopkins in Baltimore for Lapbanding? Thanks

Thanks. I called John Hopkins Obestity Surgery program recently. When I told them I was interested in consulting about lapband they referred me to Dr. Schweitzer's website - http://www.smallscar.com I emailed them today. Thanks for the warning about how long it will take to get an appointment. Is the 6 month diet required by your insurance carrier or Dr. Schweitzer?

I went to the lab where I had the lab tests my surgeon wanted my Primary Care doctor to order. Some results are still pending. But GLUCOSE = 242 when normal is listed as 65-105. It's probably been 5 years since I had it tested. I recall years ago being told I needed to be careful because of family history, etc. I stopped at a pharmacy to ask the pharmacist to verify that GLU stood for glucose. When I showed her the labs she asked if I was on medications. I sensed that the level is at the medication stage. Thus more reason to get the weight down. Is this really, really hight?

I called the Diabetes Nurse Educator at the hospital where the lab was drawn and asked for a referral to a local doctor. I met an internal medical doctor today. His staff did a A1c test that should indicate my average blood glucose for the past 2-3 months. I'll have those results next Wednesday. A lot of my other lab numbers were well within normal. I spent all day yesterday reading books on Diabetes. I'm figuring by Wednesday I'll be told I'm either pre-diabetic or that I've crossed the line to diabetes. I'm wondering if I can control my glucose if I'll be able to drop weight without surgery. A few people have indicated that 'untreated diabetes' could have been interfering with my weight loss attempts.

Yes, it was a FASTING test!

I've been to doctors in California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Florida etc. When I had excellent insurance no problem. But many of the doctors I went to while I had excellent insurance will not accept Medicare. They have decided to officially not be a 'medicare provider.' I have found that doctors on the East Coast and MidWest are much more willing to accept Medicare. There are some excellent doctors that will accept it but you are more likely to find them in areas where it is less expensive to practice. Good Luck.

This is my first post. I am housesitting for someone who told me she had Gastric Bypass Surgery. She showed me her before and after pictures. I went to see her surgeon. I was favorably impress with her surgeon. I began the discussion saying that from what I've read online, it seems like lapbanding would be a good choice. He seemed adamant against it. He said it is an easier surgery and he has done it in the past. (He has been doing weight loss surgery for 15 years.) If I remember correctly he said it only had a 50% success rate. That many lapbanded patients don't eat correctly afterwards. And they get lots of adjustments. That the band costs about 5K and it makes more sense to go with gastric bypass. I am 5 feet 4 inches and weigh 235-240. I was just under 200 until I moved to the Seattle area in 1999. I lived in Southern California before that and swam outside a lot and roller bladed or biked along the beach. I didn't get as much exercise in the Seattle area. I travel a lot as a researcher. While overseas this year I stayed at some hostels and to my horror realized I snore quite loudly. I have been told this is a result of being this obese. If I am understanding correctly, lapbanding requires less 'follow up' visits. For gastric bypass this surgeon requires the patient to attend his pre-op support group, a pre-op class at the hospital, 2 more pre-op appointments, then 2 nights in the hospital for the surgery, then visits once a week for 3 weeks, once a month for 3 months, then every 3 months for 3 years, then annually. All the 'follow up' care needs to be paid in full before the surgery. Given my family history of obesity, strokes, diabetes, etc - I'm 99% sure I want to follow through with at least lapbanding. I'm only 75% sure that gastric bypass would be the better alternative. I'm thinking of 'settling down' in the Las Vegas area because condos/apartments might still be reasonably priced and I can swim outdoors year round. I figure subletting a Las Vegas place would be easier when I later travel. Any advice on how to move forward would be appreciated.

After you are lapbanded is the main reason you eat less is because you don't get hungry? Or is it because if you eat too much you'll throw it up. Maybe it's late and my mind isn't that clear. But I'm trying to understand if you have to deal with cravings after being banded. Also when I'm PMS I eat about 1 1/2 times normal. Will I still feel hungrier before my cycle after banding?

Does anyone have advice on medicare supplements for people under 65? Everytime I've tried to research it I get frustrated because some companies say they don't sell medicare supplement to people on SS Disability. Others only sell in certain states. Also any thoughts on which of the new Part D makes more sense? THANKS

When I lived in Southern California I went to a doctor that I believe is an internist and asthma/allergy specialist. I could barely walk from my bed to the bathroom without resting. I had just lost my job but COBRA'd excellent insurance. My insurance spent about 60K that year and a half. The doctor ordered an enormous amount of labs and test. All the regular blood work, plus a test on my serotonin level, dopamine level, Spect scans of my brain, Brain MRI, Knee MRI, sleep study etc etc. When I later moved to the Seattle area, I had the doctor in Southern California teleconference with my new doctor. In the conversation the doctor in Southern California mentioned he was selling over 500K of nutritional supplements a year. Other doctors I have gone to since look down on doctors who sell nutrional supplements. A relative who is an endicronogist also said it is a conflict of interest. Since I am going to need pre-op tests and nutritional consulting it seems convenient to go back to the doctor in Southern California. He won't accept Medicare which I have now. But most of the labs would probably be covered anyways. What are other people's experiences with doctors that sell nutritional supplements?

I was in Ohio in September. I'd been to Ohio many times before but not in September. Apparently 'ragweed allergies' are prevalent in the MidWest. It might be called 'seasonal allergies.' When I was in grade school weight was not a problem. I would nearly faint when our school would be inside an unairconditioned church in Florida. About 15 minutes before the end of the services I had to walk out. My friends thought it was a prank. But the nuns probably knew it was breathing issues. I rarely recall breathing out of both nostrils at the same time. When I took a yoga class in 1997, the yoga instructor asked why I wasn't breathing out of both nostrils. When I told her I rarely did, she told me to tell my doctor. That led to the septoplasty to open the breathing. I felt like a new person when I woke. I've heard the 'polyps' can grow back in the sinuses and the sinus surgery can need to be done. Not sure if I understand that right. I went to a ENT in Ohio this September. He explained that these are separate and distinct problems: 1) allergies to things like ragweed 2) sinus problems 3) sleep apnea I can't remember all of what he said right now, but it crystalized that I had lumped the problems and their solutions together before. I had thorough allergy testing done in 1997 in Southern California but since I moved away and have been traveling frequently, he suggested I wait until I know where I'll settle before getting allergy tested again. He ordered a CT Scan of the sinuses. The nurse read the report to me. I'm waiting to get a copy mailed to me. You are right that sleep apnea is frequently associated with obesity. Anyways, I wrote all this so you might research sinus issues or breathing issues.

I've pretty much decided Lapbanding will be my choice. The surgeon I met has a support group of gastric bypass patients. Are the procedures so different that there is little of any value to attend? Or is nutrition post-op similar? And maybe I could learn a little about that. p.s. to seahawksimms. I have a timeshare with a nice property in Puerta Vallarta. But I've hesitated to go because of my weight. Do you go there regularly? And do you go back for fills?

Hi Codamom, Can you tell us the name of the surgeon and facility in Mexico? If you don't want to post it publicly can you email me? THANKS

Are sleep studies a standard requirement for lapbanding? Or is it because you have sleep apnea. I had a sleep study in 1997 which showed I had 'restless legs syndrome.' This was shortly before I had a septoplasty to open my breathing. The neurologist who evaluated the sleep study suggested I have chin liposuction at the same time as the excess fat in the chin could be adding to my problems. So I had that. When I was in the Mid West recently during ragweed allergy season I went to a ENT. He ordered a CT Scan of my sinuses. The nurse later read that report on the phone and gave me the impression it didn't indicate sinus surgery. One of my concerns about all the testing and labs before lapbanding is the 'co-pay' costs and time to get everything done. Were other people on this forum required to do a sleep study? Or only if you snore etc?

Thanks for both of your replies. I can understand that the surgeon I met would be prejudiced to his preferred operation. I think the problems he encountered were with patients that weren't as committed to post -op requirements. The surgeon did mention requirements such as a comprehensive/medical/cardiac evaluation by a primary care physician or internist that includes at minimum: Chest X-Ray EKG CBC, Chem 25, ferritin, Iron, TSH, H.Pylori Screen B12 level Cardiac Stress Test (done by PCP or Cardiologist) Are similar tests required from lapbanding surgeons? If so, maybe I should go ahead and have them done and have copy of the results when I meet with a lapbanding surgeon? I did have extensive labs and tests done from 1996-1998 when I had excellent insurance. And I've had two surgeries: septoplasty and liposuction. So I am familiar with the hospital wanting some lab work done within a day or so before an operation.