RantingDev

Hi, guys. I'm sure there's a question about this somewhere in the forum, but my connection is being slow and I can't find it. How much does the LB surgery cost? Unfortunately, I'm going to be paying for it all myself because I don't have private health cover. Is any of it covered under Medicare under any circumstances?

Thanks, everyone. Is there an insurance policy that has a shorter waiting period? I'm feeling like Fanny_Adams was, in that I really don't want to wait a year. I've been feeling absolutely worthless for a while now, and I'm not sure how much more of it I can take.

Hello all. When I went to my GP about a year ago, she presented me with the idea of getting the lap band. At that particular point in time, it was not an option for me. I still felt that getting it was like admitting that I had failed somehow. (So silly!) Obviously, I now see the error of my ways and am researching getting it done. Anyway, my husband seems to remember her saying that if the GP prescribes the procedure, it will be covered (or partially covered) under the Australian Medicare (free healthcare) system. Is this true? I'd love to get some advice from any Aussie members. Thanks!

So how much did it all end up costing (if you don't mind me asking)?

Hi, everyone. My name is Devon, and I am an American woman currently living in Melbourne, Australia, with my wonderful Aussie husband. I have my weekly weigh-in tomorrow morning, but I weighed in last Monday morning at 298.4 lbs. I've been overweight since middle school. When I was a kid, I was a ballet dancer and quite fit. Once I hit middle school, everything started to slowly change. My self-esteem became non-existent due to bullying, and I eventually quit ballet. By the end of high school, I had gone from a size 12 to a size 16. Since I graduated in 2001, I have gone up to a size 26. I've tried so many different weight loss methods including Weight Watchers (which actually made me gain weight for some reason) and Opti-fast. Nothing has helped for more than the first 10 lbs, and then it all just stops. I know a lot of my problem has to do with my PCOS and Insulin Resistance (which I suspect I've had for years but was diagnosed with last year). It seems like no matter how much/little I eat or how much/little I exercise, nothing works. I'm stuck. I'm still in the VERY early stages of researching the Lap Band as an acceptable option for me, but I'm already keen. Of all the things to inspire me, I watched an older episode of Oprah with this girl that went over to Mexico and got to done when she was 13. Even as early as a year ago, it wouldn't have been an option for me. But for some reason when I watched her and listened to her words, it just sort of clicked that this IS a viable option. It no longer feels like a failure to me, y'know? And with all of the "failures" I've had at this, it might be the only way. Anyway...that's my story and why I'm here. I'm looking forward to getting lots of information and (hopefully) advice from here. I'm glad I found a forum dedicated specifically to this procedure. Aside from the official website for it, I haven't found much information on it or patient success stories. I'm going to go to one of those seminars soon and then go from there. Thanks!

I'm in Melbourne too! Tecoma to be exact (out near Belgrave). I haven't had the lap band done yet, but I'm very, very seriously considering it. I'm still in the research stage of it.