karook54

:thumbup:Hey I like the idea of smashing pumpkins. I'm finishing up my 6 mo. diet and I hope to be banded in Oct. (if all goes well) I'm really excited but also nervous because it is so close. My 6 mo has went by fast. I had hope to do better with my weight loss before surgery but I have really struggled. Wish you all the very best.

I work for the board of education and have bc/bc of al peehip. How hard is it to get approved? Does it take a long time to get approval? I,m just starting out and talking to the ins. company is like talking to a tree. They never answer a question fully. I really don't know what to expect. Any info would be great. Thanks!!

I started my 6 mo. in March and now I don't stress so much about it because it's going by faster thsn I thought. I hope to be banded in Oct. Best of Luck!!!

If you have BCBS of Al PEEHIP, how hard was it to get approved and how long did it take? How many hoops did you have to jump through?

Hey! hope you all are doing great. Well, I went to my seminar Thurs. and I'm going for my first surgeon's visit this afternoon. What should I expect with my first visit? What's next after this? I'm learning all of this as I go. Thanks for any info.

This might be a silly question but will my insurance cover the 6 mo. supervised diet w/ my PCP. If yes do I just pay my co-pay? :confused2:

Thank you so much.

I have BC/BS of Al and mine doesn't say the prev. year either. It says 6 consecutive months in a one year period prior to predetermination. I thought surely my prev. attempts would work but my surgeon told me yesterday that they would want something within the last 12 mo. But you are right that all BC/BS policies are different. I hope yours will except your prev. attempts. Keep us posted. :biggrin:

Well I went to my first surgeon's appt. today and BC/BS requires the 6 mo. to be in the last 12 mo. ( which sucks!) So I'm having to start my diet this mo. and it will probably be Dec. before I have my surgery. I thought I would be more disapointed than I am, but I just look at it as one day at a time and the weight I will lose during my 6 mo. diet will be less I have to lose after my surgery. Hang in there and know you're not alone in the struggle. There are plenty of us just like you.

I too hope to use my Weight Watchers and Curves. The biggest thing with mine is my W.W. was 05-06 and Curves in 06. One person at my ins. co. said that should work and another told me it wouldn't because it had to be 6mo. of the prev. year. My PCP told me yes it should be used because it was an attempt in the last three years so I really don't know at this point.

Did your 6 mo. have to be in the year before you sumitted to ins. or could it be anytime during the last 3 years?

Thanks Lottie. I hope my weight loss history will be enough so I don't have to do a 6 mo diet. Did it take you a while to get approve by ins?

Hopefully someone can answer this for me. I have BCBS PEEHIP ins. Can my medical records be from both my PCP and my GYN?

My bmi at the lowest was 35.6 and i did ww from jan 05 thru jun 06. I lost 83 lbs but I seemed to stall and couldn't lose anymore. Now it's creeping back up. I hope I can get approved.

Thank you! that makes me feel so much better. I did weight watchers for16 mo. but I saw my pcp and gyn. Should I include Curves or does that matter?

I agree. I can't live any longer with my extra weight and I'm the only one who can change it .I've lost alot of weight before on my own but I can't keep it off. I need the lap band! I find it as a blessing that it is available for me to have. I know it won't be any easy road but I'm ready. I don't want to have knee replacements by the time I'm 50. I don't want to end up a diabetic. I want to have a long and healthy life with my husband, children ,and someday grandchildren and the only way to ensure that is to do my part by taking care of myself while I can. I'm a food addict but the love for myself and my family is far greater than any food I put in my body. So I'm READY!!!!

congrats on your weight loss! I can't hardly wait til I can say the same. I don't have a surgery date yet and I really just got started with the process. I've wanted to have the lap band surgery for a few months now. I did WW and lost 83lbs. but I have really struggled to keep it off. I have gained 60lbs. of it back. My PCP knew I was doing WW at the time but I only saw him 1-2 times during the diet. My last check up ( last July), he was concerned about my weight gain since he saw me last. I hope he will be supportive since he knows I have tried in the past to lose the weight. It seems the older I get the harder it is to lose it. ( I'm 34).I go for my seminar and surgeon appt. in 2 weeks.

Hey, I'm so glad to find this website!! I have read some of your replies and it has made me feel some more at ease with the lap band process. I have been really worried about my insurance. I have BC/BC PEEHIP and I see my doctor every year for a check-up. I tried Weight Watchers in 2005-2006 and l lost 83 lbs. But I have slowly gained 60lbs. back and I have tried to do the diet again but only lose 10 lbs. I think the lap-band is the answer to my lifelong struggle with weight loss. I'm just starting out with this and my seminar is 4/16. My dr. appt. is the next day. How long of a process should I expect? The surgeon's office said I should have a surgery date by the end of April. Does that sound right? I'm so anxious but yet worried this might be too out of reach for me. Any advice would be wonderful.

I'm using Dr Cottingham too. How long was your entire process from seminar til surgery?

Thank you for your warm welcomes. I have been on the website everyday since I found it and I'm learning things I needed to know. I have a question. If I was doing Weight Watchers and Curves for 1 1/2 years, would that apply as a 6 month attempt to lose weight and show disipline to benefit from the lap band? I hope it does but I'm already getting myself ready to hear the bad news to go 6 months. I won't see my surgeon til after the 16th but should I tlak to my PCP now or wait after I see the surgeon? :confused2: