Chris61

Congradulations on getting approved. MY wife and I were banded one week a part. We are both pleased with the results. Best thing we have ever done for ourselves in improving are life. Chris

I have UHC and my employeer covers the band and all the fills. You might want to check your company policy and see what it says. When I started with the company 5 years ago it was not covered. Sometime in 06 they changed the policy. I happen to be looking up something else and saw that it was covered. To us about 6 months to get everything in place. Went to the Doctor in July and both myself and the wife were banded in Sept. If you would like e-mail me your address and I will send you a letter that we had used to get approved. Chris

I would think you would be covered if you have everything in the file when they sent it in. You should know somthing within 30 days. We were approved in less than 30 days. Chris

The Hospitial charged 31,000 and was paid 11,000 our doctor charged 10,000 and paid about 2,600. They charge 1,000 for X-ray for band fill and get about 100.00 doctor charges about 500 a fill and gets about 100.00 I hope that this helps you out. Chris

Hi, It has been a while since I have posted anything and thought I would give you an update on what is happing. 9 months ago I was diganossed with sleep apena, and while talking with the doctor about types of treatment for sleep apena he said you could use a CPAP machine, dental device, surgery. He suggested that we first try the CPAP machine and if that did not work then we could try a dental device. So in August 07 I started to use the CPAP machine and then a month later I had weight loss surgery(lap band) and since my sleep study and surgery I have lost over 40 pounds. This has help me with my sleep apena and I have not been using the CPAP as much. I might get an hour or two a night. So in November of 07 while at the doctor we talk about getting a dental device, so he refered me to a dentist who deals in nothing but sleep apena. She took x-rays and reviewed my sleepstudy and results of using the cpap and felt that I would do well. In late February 08 I got a letter in the mail from the insurance company that they will pay for this dental device. The cost is about 2,000.00. So last week I went to the dentist and was fitted for the retainer. She took measurements and molds of my teeth. The device will take about 3 weeks to have made. I will get it just before Easter. The device is a version of the Herbst Retainer Appliance that would be used in orthodontics. This device has to bars one on each side and pushes the lower jaw out, so that you can keep the airway open. I will wear it only at night while sleeping. As soon as I get the device, and get some photos I will post them here. Is there anyone here that has used this type of dental device and how well did you do with it? Thanks for all the past and furture help. Chris

Congradulations on being an Aunt. Hope all is well with the new born being born early. Things are busy here. Go for a 6 month check up in a couple of weeks. Hard to beleive that it will be 6 months on March 19th. One of the best things the wife and I have done. Chirs

As far as I can tell I have tried a lot of things but will say that large bread items is bad for me. Also some lettuce causes problems. The biggest problem I have had is trying to make sure I eat real slow and not drink while eating. I really have a hard time when I go out to lunch with people from work. They eat so fast. I have slimed and pb a few times. Chris

A lot of the information they are looking for is so they can put a letter togehter for the insurance company to get approval. We had the same thing. However we made the letter from the PCP match the doctors list and approval was real easy. If you are self pay make sure to find out the cost of the clinic/Hops. and the doctors fees. You might be able to talk with the hosp about the cost etc. Also you will be able to ded it off your taxes after you meet the 7.5%agi on your taxes. Chris

My wife and I have the AP standard band. You need to check with the doctor as to what he uses. A lot of times they will not know until they get in and see what is best for you. Chris

Welcome to the group. My wife and I had UHC and were approved in less than 30 days. We had everything in place when we went to the doctor and it help to get approved quicker. Chris

If you have insurance I would call the them and see what requirements that they have. You might be surpised you have everything all ready for them. It might take you about 3-4 months to get everything together if you have gone from doctor to doctor. Once we meet the doctor it took us less than 3 months to get everything submitted, did his testing requirements and sent the paper work in. If you would like please send me your e-mail and I will send you an example letter that we used to get approval. Also another person who could help you with things is your OBGYN as well. The wife and I are very please with the band and enjoying are new life. Chris

My wife and I had Dr. Minkin at Des Pers and he is great. He also did his training at Depaul also. Chris

My wife and I are both very pleased with the band. We never would have been able to do it on are own. We would do it again. We would not want to do the other procedures because of all the problems that we have seen people have. We are almost 5 months out. Chris

My wife and I were banded a week apart. We are almost 5 months out now. It has been the best thing that both of us have done. I had told my wife that I was going to do this for me and if she wanted to join in she could do that. The rest is history. We did everything togehter in regrads to meeting the doctor, medical tests and follow up. My wife has been able to cut her meds in half and also has changed her insulin from2x day to 1x day now. My sleep apena has gone froma pressure settingof 12 to a 7. If you have any questions just ask away or e-mail me at vcw61@excite.com. Chris

Glad to hear you did well on the testing stuff. I hope that you can get the gallbladder issue taken care of. That would be great to have both done at the same time. I have a friend who just went through allt he galbladder stuff and it was not fun. I will agree with you about the RDH. We spoke to Dr. Mikin about that and told him the same issues. I would follow his list that he has given you. You will find out that he does make changes to it after the first week. I think he is so bussy that he has not taken the time to update his sheet. He lets people try things and see if it works or not. We did not have much of a problem coming up with things the first few weeks. All toll we have both together lost about 60 lbs. I do not weigh everyday etc. I do check everyonce in a while but would rather go by his scale as the offical. I have seen a differance in 10lbs on differant scales. It was about 4 weeks and were able to start back on things. I would suggest that you sit down with him and go over the list of foods he has and talk to him about what to expect etc. The nice thing for us was since we were a week apart I was able to adjust and her sister was a month after us so she knew what to expect. IF you have any more questions or need some more information e-mail me at VCW61@excite.com, and then I can forward it on to you. I have some information as to what to expect on fills and how they work. I find it after wards and has help me understand it more. I hope that this helps you out. You will do just fine with the loss. If you loose between 1-3 lbs a week you are doing just fine. You will loose a lot the first 3 weeks because of the liquid diets and with the surgery. I also would get some protien drinks for after surgery as you will not want to eat much the first week. Chris

Welcome to the group Jamie: Wish you all the luck. Make sure that X-ray signs the paper work when you go down for the GI after surgery. Also get your food order in so you can start liquids right away and not have to weight like my wife had to do. At least for me and my sister-in-law that was not the case because we were prepared for that. Good on getting approved. We had to do the stress test where we were on the tread mill and see how long we could last. I did real good expect for when the plug came out of the wall and shut the system down and the stuff was not sure what to do. If either of you have questions just ask away. Still getting adjusted to the third fill. It is the best one so far. Chris

Welcome Missourimom. My wife and I were banded in St. Louis by Dr. Minkin in Sept. 07 and we have both had three fills and I lost 33 pounds all together. If you have any questions just e-mail. Chris

I would use carnation instant Breakfast, I would also use ensure. Puree your eggs and meat and tunna stuff for portein. Chris

Have you talked with your doctor about this? IS he willing to try and sign up with them. Also have you talk with your company insurance broker to see if they can help you with this problem. UHC did not pay for are first to fills from the doctor it this went on for 3 months and I got the company involded and come to find out it all had to do with how UHC felt that since it was less than 90 days after surgery that it was covered under his surgery fee. Chris

Have you look at the insurance plan booklet to see if they allow this. We had UHC and then they mades changes about a year ago. If you would like e-mail me your address and I will forward you a letter that we used to get approved with. It took less than 30 days. You will have to get some records together but if you get all your medical records together and have the doc do the letter you should do fine. If you have any questions just ask. Chris

If you forward me your email address I will forward you a letter that my wife and I used for getting approval with UHC. We were approved within 30 days after the stuff was sent in. We got all are records together from all are doctors. It took a while to do that put it did work. We had problems with one doctor but went to her OBGYN and got the stuff and was approved. Chris

You will do just fine. The reason why they do the 6months is to see if you can do weight loss. I have a letter that you can use to help make the case for you. I would go and get all the weights from all your doctors including OBGYN and have them send the letters to the lapband doctor and then he can send them in. My wife had a problem with one doctor and we used here OBGYN and got here approved that way. If you e-mail me your address I will forward it to you. Also by the time you get everything together it will be six months. It took me 6 months to get it all together before I went to the doctor and then was approved within 60 days of seeing him. The rest is history. Chris

I have a letter that might help you out. This is something we used to get approved. I was tight on the edge of 39.8 and was approved. If you e-mail your address I will forward it to you and this might help you out also. Have you talk with your OBGYN and other doctors to have them do letters as well and show problems in regards to your weight? Chris

I saw your posts and was wondering why you did not have over 5 years of weights? Have you gone back to all your doctors and got your medical files from way back when. I happen to find some medical files because of work and put them into the letter and was approved. The doctors would be like OBGYN,Skin doctor, Orthopedic, etc. If you would like to see the letter e-mail me your address and I will forward it to you. Chris

I have UHC and my wife and I were approved within 30 days. What would you like to know. I can forward you an e-mail copy of the letter we used to get approved with. If you have any other questions just ask. Chris