chubbola

kay- good luck with your surgery! how exciting for you-we'll all be praying for you and waiting to hear from you when you are back on LBT! can't wait to hear how it went!

thanks for the inspiration, woodys! as a smoker, i can hardly even stand the smell myself-so i think it'll be great once i can actually quit! i've been a horrible smoker-blowing the smoke away from me, waving my hand around to keep it off of me-but i know i still stink! i'll make it-i have a goal of getting the band, and nothing is going to stop me-not even a big fat smoke!!!!! it'll be worth it-i know it!!!!!

i went to my seminar and my doc wants me smoke free for 3 months prior to surgery!!! omg-just when i think i'm fat enough---take away my cigarettes!!! so....here goes nothing! wish me luck!

hi shesha~ did you inquire about UW madison's self pay program? i was just at their seminar and they offer a lapband with a year of follow up care for $19,000-fills and visits included! just wondering how much you're paying in denver!

hello! thank you for your prayers! how exciting for you, too! i went to my seminar and am now even more ready to get this going! my surgeon impressed me with his knowledge which is a good thing! although i didn't learn much (due to my excessive reading about the band...ugh!) it was still nice to meet the bariatric team 1:1 and chat a bit! hope you hear from your PCP soon! hopefully wisconsin will have two less 'fatties' next year!!! btw...what insurance company do you have? i have BCBS Wi...

Hello everyone! I am a newly 'obsessed bander wannabe'!! I have been overweight my entire life with no long term success from dieting. I have had the same insurance carrier for 5 years, of course they would rather pay for my hospital stay and medications for any future heart attacks than to flip the bill for any weight loss surgery. Fortunately, in January, we are getting different insurance which covers 'up to 20,000' for weight loss surgery! After losing all hope, there is now light at the end of the tunnel! I start my journey on December 11th-going to the informational seminar. I'm sooooooooo incredibly excited to start this journey, but of course I'm just a 'titch' scared! I called the center that I would like to have my surgery and asked them If I could start with the seminars and meetings before my new insurance kicks in...I'm terrified that my new insurance will say something like 'sorry-you started surgery consultation before jan. 1st, so too bad so sad'....So I'm kinda on my little journey secretly! My family and closest friends know about this, and they are so supportive, but I'm glad I found this site so I can talk to you all! Basically, I want to be healthy for myself, my children, and my career (nursing)...not to mention I want to look like a hottie!!!!! Hope to hear from you!

:biggrin1: WELL, I WENT TO MY SEMINAR! HOW AWESOME! I HAD A GREAT TIME, AND I NOW HAVE IT CEMENTED IN MY HEAD THAT I'M A DEFINATE BANDSTER INSTEAD OF A RNY'ER!!! I'M SO EXCITED-------CAN'T WAIT TILL JANUARY WHEN MY NEW INSURANCE KICKS IN! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

oh goodness! i, too am having that same problem right now! i've told my mom and boss, but haven't breathed a word to my best friend! i just know how she feels about it, cuz a few of our friends have had the RNY and she talks doesn't have any good things to say about it. i've decided that i will tell her a week or so before my surgery, because then i won't have to listen to her try to talk me out of it for longer than that! this is why i've chosen to keep it to a couple of close friends/family...good luck on your journey!

good luck to you on your surgery! i'm also just starting my journey, but have yet to really 'start' it! i have my seminar monday, so i guess that's when i can actually post some exciting news! how long did it take you to get from seminar date to surgery date? what did BCBS have for prerequisities? i have BCBS of wisconsin, and am hoping i don't have to do anything that will take forever to get my band! talk to you soon!

LOL! i had to get involved in this one, since my last memory of crossing my legs was probably in about third grade! i obviously have no idea... but it's fun to think about it! someday......i'll cross these bad boys and my legs won't fall asleep trying!!!! have a great evenng, ladies!!!!!

thanks to you all for your support! alicia521----actually, i do have unity insurance through dec 31st-we're just switching to BCBS jan 1st-believe it or not, it's a lot cheaper than unity! my husband always has the choice to switch insurances every january...little did i know that there was light at the end of the tunnel when i saw that BCBS pays for the surgery up to 20,000---where unity does not! it was meant to be (hopefully)!!!! now i just have to convince them that i need it! (duh)!!! have a great day!

hi shesha! i'll most likely be going to uw madison for my surgery, and i have my first seminar next monday! i will ask how much fills run at their clinic! i'll get back to you! have a great day!

so glad to hear from you! thanks for your story! i wonder who your friend had for a surgeon in madison. i'm going to be seeing dr. gould at the uw bariatric center-i'm so excited to meet the whole team! i too would like to get my surgery done either on spring break or summer vacation (i am in school to be a RN and am also working full time) because i don't/can't miss any school! thank you for your inspiration, and i'm hoping to hear from you again! thanks a ton (no pun intented)!

hello! just wondering if any of you have blue cross blue shield 'anthem' insurance? i start this plan on 1/1/07, and in the fine print on the back of my insurance sheet, it says 'weight loss surgery for qualified candidates up to $20,000...i'm also scared to call them and ask them about it, since i don't 'officially' have them as a provider for another 4 weeks! any ideas??? thanks!

kari- hi! i am starting my journey at uw clinic also! how long from seminar to surgery date did you have to wait? was the 6 mos wait due to your insurance? which insurance carrier do you have? the more i wait, the more anxious i am! hope to hear back from ya!

aha! i knew someone was out there!! lol!! i'm going to my seminar in madison a week from monday--dr. gould and his team at UW seem to be my best bet. how are you feeling? i see you've lost a ton of weight! good for you! i have been bouncing back and forth between 240 and 290 for the last three years-just can't get the weight off, much less keep it off! i'm just hoping that with the lapband i can actually feel FULL without gorging myself with cosmic brownies and pizza!!! i know it's not a cure-all, but it's a darned good start!!! thanks for posting-hope to hear back from you! have a great day!

wow-hate to change the subject, but good luck with your surgery, ITSUPTOME!!!!!! hope everything goes well!

i'm new to LBT too! i have my first seminar on 12/11/06. my new insurance doesn't start up till 1/1/07, so i am trying to go to the seminar and follow up meeting before then-i know they want to take time for us to think about our decision to go ahead with this, but DUH---how long have we researched it before even calling them! i get frustrated thinking about having to wait for months to start my new journey, but i hear a lot about this 'patience' thing! good luck with your seminar meeting!

Thanks! That clears it up-I've noticed on here that there are a lot of people with the 10cc band. Good luck with your surgery! How exciting!