MsPiccolo

Sleep apnea can be a very severe disease. Be very glad it was found and that you will be getting treatment through a cpap. Sleep apnea is not a disease that only effect obese people, it also affect those who have been thin their entire life. Losing weight can help and in some cases eliminate sleep apnea but not always. Find a mask that works for you and use your treatment every night. It will save your life...add lapband to that and WOW...you're ready for a long healthy life. For more info on sleep apnea try www.cpaptalk.com • CPAP and Sleep Apnea Community

You need to do this surgery for ONLY yourself. If you decided to go through with it or not, it should be for yourself and no one else. I have been the "heavy set girl" my whole adult life and know how it feels to be referred to that way. I also have those people in my life who say, you're just fine the way you are. You need to look at your reasons for wanting to do the surgery, then make a decision and go with it. Hang in there!

Ok...I called my insurance and asked for an in-network doctor. They ASKED ME what kind of doctor performed lapband. I asked them to look up bariatric and they said that wasn't one of their options. So now what? Do you I look for all in-network surgeons and then call each one? Do you call all gastroenterologist? I'm sooo lost right now.

I went to a seminar this week with Dr. Billy in Thousand Oaks, CA. After the seminar I was very happy and confident with him. After calling him insurance, they said he's not in-network and would no pay for him to do the surgery. They said it WOULD be covered if I used an in-network doctor. I can't find any under bariatric when doing a search for doctors on my insurance company's website. What kind of doctor am I looking for???

I still need to call UHC to see if it will be covered with our plan. So far according to my benefits package it says that it will cover surgical treatment if morbidly obese. I honestly didn't know I was morbidly obese until recently which was a hard reality to face but hopefully that will help in getting the surgery approved. I had my annual physical last month and went in with many complaints but the biggest was that I'm always tired no matter how much sleep I get. I did a sleep study and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. The reality of having to sleep with a mask connected to a machine for the rest of my life hit hard and I'm hoping that weight loss will be enough to get rid of my sleep apnea. I'm also having feet problems now, so much that I can't exercise. Other than that, I have great blood pressure and cholesterol. Now that I've started to look into having the surgery, the fear of it not being covered by insurance has me holding my breath. Hang in there and keep us posted!

Hi Melisa - I just went to an info seminar last night in Thousand Oaks, CA with Dr. Billy which was a huge first step. I also have United HealthCare PPO so I would be interested to hear how it goes with getting approval. I'm 5'3, 244 so my BMI is OVER 40.

Thanks Laurinda & Losinjusme. Looks like this is a great place to get support while going through this process.

Hi Everyone! What a great website. I have been researching Lapband for a while now off and on. I have recently been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and will be getting my CPAP machine soon. It was recommended I lose weight which may help and maybe even mean no CPAP machine. I'm 38 years old and have battled my weight since puberty. I have done so many diets and gone up and down with my weight and am so tired of not liking what I see in the mirror everyday. I'm also have major issues with feet and ankles and also have found that I have the marker for heart disease. I'm ready to do something for myself and lapband looks like it may be the right tool for me. Does anyone have any experience with Dr. Billy Helmuth in Ventura, CA? Also has anyone dealt with UnitedHealthCare? Thanks.