New here from California!

[VwGirl916 0]

Hi everyone! Have been checking out the board for a while now and finally decided to sign up. My name is Heather and I am from good old California. I have been interested in getting the lapband done for about two months now since doing some of my own internet research. Only problem is I have no idea where to even start, so I am hoping to get a little info here from some experienced lapbandsters on here.

I had a weight problem when I was a teenager and through some tough work finally got down to a size that I felt happy about. I got pregnant with my daughter when I was 20 and have again been heavy ever since. 7 years is way too long to keep telling people im still carrying my "pregnancy weight". I have tried for 2 years now to watch my diet and work out on a regular basis, but it has not worked for me what so ever. So here I am, looking for a change. Again I am not sure where to start. I work for the State and have Kaiser for medical coverage. Would I need to tell my regular doctor about my interest in getting the lapband done? Or can I take my insurance coverage to another doctor that specializes in weight loss surg?

Sorry if those have been asked a million times, but thanks for answering!

Looking forward to talking to everyone! :nervous

[ANXIOUS2LOSE 0]

Hey Heather,

I went to lapband.com and found a certified doc in my area. I didn't have to go to my regualr doc and get a referal with BC/BS. Two of my co-workers also recommended the doctor I found @ lapband.com, which confirmed my choice. When you go for your consult they will let you know whether the procedure is covered by your insurance and also let you know the steps you need to take if they do it.

[*susan* 1,709]

Yep, like the other poster said, I recommend going to inamed's website as well, Welcome to LAP-BAND.com . They have all kinds of valuable information for you there, as well as a listing of surgeons in your area. I would recommend starting out by going to some of their seminars, getting more information and finding one that is a good fit for you.

Welcome to LBT and let us know if we can help you in any way.

[juliegeraci 7]

I think Kaiser has a program that once approved you go through their program. I think it is either 6 or 12 months. You have to lose 10% of your weight before they will do the surgery. Go into your doctor and find out more. That is where I would start. Good luck.

[Iluvharleys 15]

Welcome to LBT! I ask my Doctor who he recommended and he told me. My surgeon required a referral so I was already set up.

Good Luck!

[Vicki J 0]

Welcome fellow Kaiser member. I have just started my journey but I can tell you what it's been like so far. The first thing I had to do is get my PCP to refer me to Kaiser's Bariactric Surgery Center. My daughter is also doing this and her doctor needed a little convencing but finally referred her. We then received an appointment for an orientation. My daughter and I will be attending our orientation on June 5th. From the time we were referred to the time we saw our appointment on the KP website was about 3 weeks to a month. We received a letter saying that we needed to have a chest x-ray, EKG and labs done before we came to orientation. If you have had a chest x-ray or an EKG within the last 6 months, you don't need to redo them. If you have had a stress test, you will need to get an EKG because they cannot access the scans at the Bariactric Surgery Unit.

A fellow Kaiser member just did her orientation last night and reports that we will need to loose some weight. It is based on where your weight is on your body (i.e. carried more in your legs or belly, etc.) as to how much you will need to loose. You will need to show that you are attempting to loose weight and follow their instructions. It was also stressed that you will need to be sure to attend ALL of your appointments and their lifestyle classes until your surgery. She felt that surgery should be within 3 months for her (guessing) and that falls in with what the coordinator down there told me. The coordinator said it's usually between 3 to 6 months from beginning to surgery. I have heard that some of the people had started receiving appointment cards for their next appointments even before they actually got to orientation. Some hadn't. But it sounds like things clip along.

I have heard that Southern California people go to Long Beach and being in Northern California I will be going to San Francisco.

So, I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you want to. I will be more than willing to share my information. Once again welcome aboard.