skep

I'm glad you got up with Walter. I was very impressed. I'm also impressed with Duke. Fast and efficient. I am a bit disappointed with the weight loss. I did great on the liquid diet but have slowed since I can eat soft food. I get my first fill on the 3/30. I'm also starting to chart my food intake on The Daily Plate. That is a very helpful thing for me to do. It helps keep me focused on what I'm eating.

I was banded on 2/19. So far I'm down 20 pounds. I am having difficulty not drinking when I eat. It feels so unnatural. I was losing weight pretty quickly on the liquid diet but after starting soft food, I'm finding it much harder. I don't think I've lost anything in the last week. The other problem I am having is that I am starving. A deep gnawing, stomach growling hunger. I get my first fill on 3/30 and I hope that the hunger will be less.

I think that Gary Viscio died last year. I had difficulty with my first doctor in getting insurance approval. I contacted Walter LIndstrom and found out that there is a program through Allergan that will pay the legal fees but the request has to come through the doctor. My doctor's office staff just flat refused tocooperate. I ended up going to Duke Weight Loss Center and was banded on 2/19/09 and the insurance paid everything. I found Walter to be very responsive and supportive.I would definitely recommend Lindstrom. If the insurance complany pays the bill, what can you lose. maybe the weight?

I got to the hospital at 9:00, surgery at 10:30. Sometime in there I saw the doctor and asked if I could go home and he said I could. Later while recovering, a nurse had told him that I had sleep apnea and had no one at home to take care of me. He called me a non-compliant patient. I did have someone at home and really wanted to go knowing I would be much more comfortable at home. He never rescinded the discharge so I spent the day with a wonderful nurse, got home at 6. Later when talking with the sleep doctor, I asked why I should have to spend the night if I had apnea. He told me that apnea patients were more likely to crash. I asked what that meant and he said:"Oh, stop breathing." I am glad I didn't crash and if I had it to do again, I would probably spend the night.

I just figured out why I was having so much back pain. I was wearing a pair of sweat pants. The elastic band went right over the port and incision. When I moved the waist band down, away from the incision, the pain pretty much went away. I didn't connect that the incision on the front would cause pain in the back between the shoulder blades. Duh! I am still following the liquid diet. Conventional wisdom says I should be losing weight but I seem to be stuck. I see the doctor on Thursday so maybe getting to mushies, I will at least feel as though I'm eating.

I was banded on 2/19. I fell really well except I have started to have back pains again. Could I be having gas pains this late? Also, my doctor has me on liquid until Thursday but with 40 to 60 grams of protein. I'm actually kind of getting used to it but I have also stopped losing weight like I was at the beginning. That's a bit frustrating since I am following the orders as best I can. I don't have a knot where the port is, I have an indention. REally weird.

I found this thread yesterday and did a long post which now I can't find? I was banded on 2/19 at Duke. The doctor wants me, and everyone in the program including gastric bypass, to stay on a modified liquid diet for 3 weeks and to stay out of work for 3 weeks. I am doing my best with the liquid diet. Friday, I thought I was absolutely starving but then the hunger went away? I did not make it past one week out of work. I am a sped teacher and I just couldn't leave those kids, okay my TA, for three weeks. Also, I feel great and have a ton of energy and no pain whatsoever. Including pre diet I have lost about 20 pounds!

I don't know how I missed this! I was banded on 2/19. I have been reading some of the posts and the difference in approaches is amazing. My doctor wants me on a modified liquid diet and not working until March 12. I am supposed to drink 2 oz. of protein shake on the hour and 2 oz. of clear liquid every 15 minutes. I am starving!!!! With all liquids, it is my understanding there is no restriction. aLso, I have already started back to work. I feel great! There is no soreness, energy loss, or pain, I am amazed. I have lost 10 pounds so far but I don't know how long I can stay on all liquids without giving in solid food, or even something mushie for that matter. Whatever, I am determined to do what the doctor says. After reading some of the posts though, I may try to call tomorrow to see what I can do about the nagging hunger pains:drool:

I was banded on 2/19 also ( I think that was your day?) It is my birthday present to myself. My birthday is tomorrow. I will be on a modified liquid diet for two more weeks and to be honest, I am starving! I go back to work tomorrow so I just hope that will keep my mind off food.

I'm in the same boat. I have bad knees but it's not my knees that are hurting, it's this weird muscle aches. I almost backed out of the surgery when the doctor said that I would never be able to take naproxen again. I figured that I would figure out something for the pain. I also figured when I dropped some weight, my knees would not hurt as badly and maybe I would go ahead and have the knee replacement I have been putting off.

I have not told many people because I don't think it's any of their business plus a friend had bypass surgery in September, was very open about it, and got a lot of grief. I'm not real concerned about what others think but I don't want to have my energy sucked by negative thoughts and statements. In the past when something like this happens, I.e. information that concerns me becomes gossip fodder. I have found that if I just don't say anything to anyone, keep to myself for awhile, and do nothing to add to the gossip whether positive or negative, it stops. If it doesn't, thin I do believe that legal action should be taken.

This my first day post op. Thanks for the gas-x suggestion. I feel as though I could burp all night but then I can't. thanks for letting me know day 3 is the worst. Maybe then I won't panic.

I was banded yesterday and I feel your pain! Or rather mine. I thought I was prepared but was surprised how much getting up and down hurts. I am trying to breathe deeply but that hurts too. :tt2::crying: I just keep thinking about how great I will look in a bathing suit this summer.

I went to the seminar for Duke in May and decided that I didn't want to wait for the long time before I could be seen. It was a big mistake. I went to Dr. Enochs in Raleigh. I went to his seminar in June and made an appointment for July, my decision, could have seen him sooner. after I saw him in July, after many phone calls, difficult staff to deal with, insurance rejection, etc., I made an appointment with Duke. I called late November, Saw the dr. 12/22, had insurance approval 12/30, and am having surgery on Thursday, 2/19. Going to Duke first would have saved me 6 months and $500.

right there with you girl friend I am 5"'8" and wore a 38JJ bra. When I got breast reduction (insurance covered) I wore a size 12. Then I really started packing on the weight. I thought maybe the higher powers were punishing me for defacing my "temple."

I started with Dr. Enoch of Cary and had a bad experience. I had to call several times to get the insurance specialist to send in my paper work. It was denied but I had already decided to get Walter Lindstrum of obesityhelp to help with the denial. He told me about a program through Allergan which would pay his legal but that had to be initiated by the doctor. Not only was the insurance specialist in Dr. Enochs office incredibly rude and condescending to me, when Mr. Lindstrum called to give the office information about the program, she was rude and unprofessional with him as well. I was totally frustrated and decided that I could not work with a doctor where I was treated with such disrespect. So, I went to Duke weight Loss and Dr. Dana Portenier. What a difference! I had my first appointment on 12/22/08 and was approved by the insurance company by 1/5/09. Surgery is scheduled for 2/6/09.

I was in the same boat. I went to one doctor and was denied because I didn't have any comorbidities and my BMI was not high enough. I had some real problems with this doctor's office so I changed to another doctor. In the interim, I ate everything I could get my hands on, to the point I couldn't eat any more. I drank a huge drink before going ... and my BMI was close, 39.5. I guess that was close enough because I was approved within 24 hours. I now have a date for 2/6/09!

There is a phone number but I just emailed him. It is obesitylaw.com. Walter was very efficient. I got a response to the initial email within a week. He has followed through in a quick and professional manner with me. Too bad that my doctor is not as professional. I guess I don't understand why his office will not cooperate since he is the one who ultimately wins, along with me of course. I'm in North Carolina. I don't think it really matters where you live.

I am kind of in the same boat. I was denied by BCBS of NC. I have a BMI of 39 with severe joint pain. I was denied because I did not have 4 out of 5 year history and no comorbidities. The joint damage did not count. I was under 35 BMI for two years because I was in a weight loss program that included phentermine and lost about 20 pounds which I put on as soon as the program ended. I have contacted Obesitylaw and found that Allergan has a program that will pay for attorney's fees if there is reason to believe that the attorney will be successful in appealing the denial. Unfortunatly, my doctor will NOT cooperate and since it is initiated out the doctors office, I have to pay the attorney fees. My question is, if I change doctors can I start all over with the insurance or do I have to follow through on an appeal? To be honest, I think the insurance specialist at the doctors office does not want a lawyer involved because she did such a lousy job. I have an appointment at duke Weight Loss on christmas eve. Just wondering. also, if I were you, you might want to contact Obesity Law and see if they can be of assistance.

I personally have had difficulties with Dr. Enochs insurance specialist. Not only was she very unhelpful, I believe that she may have contributed to the insurance denial. She not only misspelled the names of some medication I was on, she abbreviated a year long, invesitigation drug study with dr. supervision and monthly dietician appointments to Physician's Weight Loss. I contacted Obesity Law who, based on just a brief note, think that the appeal can be won but need an appeals application that only the doctor can request. I called Angelica on Monday and again on Thursday. I have yet to hear from her or anyone is the office. As it stands now, I will eat the $400 fee that Dr. Enochs charged and will be switching to Duke and another $250 fee. duke takes longer but had I gone with them initially, I believe Iwould have the surgery by now. I have a personal bias against incompetence. I wish I had more patience but I have futzed away precious months having faith in Angelica, only to be seriously disappointed. BTW, because of the year long diet, I lost below the 35 threshold. That gives me 3 out of five, 4 out 6 and in January 5 out of 7 but not the 4 out 5 the insurance requires. She also told me she would get additional documentation from various sources but did not. I even had to go to my own PCP to get lab work that he had done to expedite the process. Not happy in NC.

I paid my money to Dr. Enochs, have seen the counselor, dietician, etc. but have not been pleased at all with the staff. I was wondering if I have too high an expectation. A friend of mine had gastric bypass surgery last week by Dr. Enochs and her experience has been a very different one. She is very pleased. I had my initial consultation in August. At that time, the insurance specialist flat told me I wouldn't qualify. I asked her if there was any recourse and she said, "yeah, self pay." Since then I have been pursuing getting documentation from various sources to support my claim on my own. After not hearing ANYthing for a month, I called. I was told that they had faxed a request to my doctor for labs but he had not responded. My question is why the request was dropped. I waited another 2 weeks and had not heard from them and called and was told that they had refaxed it and not gotten a response. I still question why my PD was not called or no one called me. I called my PD, got the lab results, faxed them to Dr. Enochs myself. After another 2 weeks, I called yesterday and was asked if I was ready to have the information submitted. I thought that it was their job to get the information together and tell ME 1) what would help with the insurance and 2) when the information was ready to be sent. I do not have a good feeling about getting the insurance to accept my claim because I do not think that the information will be presented in a way that is beneficial to me. JMO I regret ever putting the time and money into Dr. Enochs and wish now I had just gone to Duke.

I have had my initial appointment with Dr. Enochs. I've just had a bit of a communication problem with the insurance specialist. The psych was really supportive, the dietitian was efficient. After a month, I called to find out that much of the information that needed to be gotten from other resources had not been done, i.e. labs from my doctor and hospital records. I just had the feeling that she was not going to be very helpful. JMO

OMG! that is terrible. I am so sorry to hear it. Do you know what happened?

I think she was in a big hurry. I am thinking about the Viscio Law firm. I want to get this approved the first time and not have to worry about appeals and such. The worst that could happen is I will have to gain up to the 40 BMI and stay there for a year. That seems really stupid to me but then I'm not an insurance co.

I have gone to the seminar for Lapband and had my dr. appointment today. My PCP is totally supportive. Unfortunately, the Lapband dr. does not think my insurance will cover the surgery. I have NC State Employees insurance and FEP BC/BS. The problem is that my BMI was above 35 for three of the last 5 years and the insurance requires a BMI above 35 for 4 of the last 5 years. They may reconsider if I have a co-morbidity such as diabetes or high blood pressure. The problem is that the only problem I have is my knees which are really bad. Apparently BC/BS does not consider this a co-morbidity. Any suggestions? I really want this surgery and have tried everything to lose weight which is why my BMI was low for two years! apparenatly, this doesn't matter:crying: Is there hope?