Very new, very excited!

[kiss-my-kitty 12]

Hi everyone! My name is Jenn, and I am very excited to be here. For years I have battling my weight, with little success. Despite watching what I eat, getting in physical activity what I can, even trying out alli for five months, I cannot seem to get out of the ten to fifteen pound range I am stuck in.

I am 5'6'', and I currently weigh 297 lbs. Thankfully, I have no health problems.

I have decided that the lap band is something I seriously want to do. I have thought about lap band off and on over the past two years, but since I did not have health insurance for part of that time, and was pregnant from Jan. 2004 - Oct. 2004 with my daughter, then breastfeeding for a year, then pregnant with my son from Nov. 2005 - July 2006, and then breastfeeding for fourteen months, it wasn't really an option.

But now... NOW is an option. NOW is the time. My husband and I are content with two children, and I had a tubal ligation after having my son to ensure that we do not have any more. My son stopped breastfeeding a month ago, and now that he is almost sixteen months old, I doubt that he'll go back to it.

And, best of all, we have health insurance coverage. GOOD coverage.

So far, I have made two steps, two good steps I think, towards the lap band surgery.

First, I called my insurance provider, Pennsylvania Capital Blue Cross PPO. I was told that provided that I meet the criteria of BMI, the procedure will be covered, barring my annual $1500 deductible and a 10& co-payment.

Second, I made an appointment to see my primary care physician to specifically discuss the lap band surgery.

So, where exactly do I go from here? I was seen regularly by a doctor for check-ups and minor illnesses and such from my childhood until I was eighteen. There was a break for about a year and a half while I was living on the other side of the state, but then we moved back, and I became pregnant with our daughter, so I had nine months of routine check-ups and weigh ins. Ditto for when I got pregnant with our son, exactly one year after having our daughter.

I do have to have my doctor submit a letter/call to my insurance to authorize the procedure. Do doctors generally do that without much fuss or squawking? I'm very excited about the lap band surgery, but I'm trying not to get too excited, because I have fears of running into a crappy doctor that won't want to authorize the surgery!

Lastly, the surgery itself does not make me too nervous, except the fear of going "under" for the anesthesia. I had a (necessary) c-section with my son, but obviously I was awake for it. However, I was very sick from the spinal and pain relief medications, and was half unconscious and vomiting for twelve hours after the surgery. So, I figure that if I can handle the kind of after-pain and discomforts I had with a c-section, which is pretty major surgery, what with being sliced open and all, I can surely handle the pain from a less invasive surgery with tiny little incisions!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings... thank you to anyone that reads this and responds!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hi everyone! My name is Jenn, and I am very excited to be here. For years I have battling my weight, with little success. Despite watching what I eat, getting in physical activity what I can, even trying out alli for five months, I cannot seem to get out of the ten to fifteen pound range I am stuck in.

I am 5'6'', and I currently weigh 297 lbs. Thankfully, I have no health problems.

I have decided that the lap band is something I seriously want to do. I have thought about lap band off and on over the past two years, but since I did not have health insurance for part of that time, and was pregnant from Jan. 2004 - Oct. 2004 with my daughter, then breastfeeding for a year, then pregnant with my son from Nov. 2005 - July 2006, and then breastfeeding for fourteen months, it wasn't really an option.

But now... NOW is an option. NOW is the time. My husband and I are content with two children, and I had a tubal ligation after having my son to ensure that we do not have any more. My son stopped breastfeeding a month ago, and now that he is almost sixteen months old, I doubt that he'll go back to it.

And, best of all, we have health insurance coverage. GOOD coverage.

So far, I have made two steps, two good steps I think, towards the lap band surgery.

First, I called my insurance provider, Pennsylvania Capital Blue Cross PPO. I was told that provided that I meet the criteria of BMI, the procedure will be covered, barring my annual $1500 deductible and a 10& co-payment.

Second, I made an appointment to see my primary care physician to specifically discuss the lap band surgery.

So, where exactly do I go from here? I was seen regularly by a doctor for check-ups and minor illnesses and such from my childhood until I was eighteen. There was a break for about a year and a half while I was living on the other side of the state, but then we moved back, and I became pregnant with our daughter, so I had nine months of routine check-ups and weigh ins. Ditto for when I got pregnant with our son, exactly one year after having our daughter.

I do have to have my doctor submit a letter/call to my insurance to authorize the procedure. Do doctors generally do that without much fuss or squawking? I'm very excited about the lap band surgery, but I'm trying not to get too excited, because I have fears of running into a crappy doctor that won't want to authorize the surgery!

Lastly, the surgery itself does not make me too nervous, except the fear of going "under" for the anesthesia. I had a (necessary) c-section with my son, but obviously I was awake for it. However, I was very sick from the spinal and pain relief medications, and was half unconscious and vomiting for twelve hours after the surgery. So, I figure that if I can handle the kind of after-pain and discomforts I had with a c-section, which is pretty major surgery, what with being sliced open and all, I can surely handle the pain from a less invasive surgery with tiny little incisions!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings... thank you to anyone that reads this and responds!

You know, it was just today that I read a study showing that Alli (sp?) caused a whopping weight loss of less than 6lbs. When we are mega overweight, what is 6lbs? That's a freak'en watermelon. Who can't eat one of those?

Banding is way cool. Seriously, it is. You can do this. Traditional diet and exercise don't cut it for most of us. Banding is verrrry verrrrry hard BUT it is the *kind* of hard WE can do. OUR population.

This will work. Give it a try.

[PaulaD 0]

Welcome! I can remember how excited I was when I decided to have lap band. My first step was attending an informational meeting put on by the hospital where I had the surgery. I received quite a bit on paperwork that needed to be filled out and returned. Like you, I contacted my insurance company to find out about coverage and got a referral from my primary care Dr. I then was required to attend 2 support meetings, meet with nutritionists and get a physc. evaluation. From start to finish was about 5 months.

I, too, use to get very sick coming out of surgery. That has all changed now! There are many things that now can be done so you can avoid getting sick. I had a patch behind my ear and something (sorry, not very medical) added to the medicine that put me under. No problems what so ever!

Good luck on your journey. This site is a wealth of information when you are walking down a very unfamiliar path. Good luck!!!

[LittleJ 0]

I have pretty much the same history as you. Done with children, no serious medical problems, I do have high bad cholestrol, been debating the lapband for awhile, and have been doing lots of research. I just found this forum yesterday and I really love this sight. Lots of great and valuable information.

I have done all the steps you have done. I did have my doctor visit to talk about the lapband. I figured since my bmi is 42 and I am 100 pds over weight and been battling weight loss for years, and I am about to be put on medicine for cholestrol, this was a great life choice. That did not go well with the doctor. She is not a supporter of the lapband. I was crushed and speechless. Does anyone know if your family doctors is the one that has to submitt to the insurance or can the bariatric doctor do it? I know that all doctors have their own view on procedures and what they think is right way and the wrong way. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[coolrn2000 2]

I wish you the best of luck. My only advice is, if you were sick and nauseated from your c-section anesthesia-- then this surgery will make you sick as well. I had dry heaves for several hours after my surgery and thank God my band did not slip.

Make sure you tell your Doc.

I know your surgery will be a while, but just keep that in mind.

You can do this !

[kiss-my-kitty 12]

Thank you for your welcome and input!

coolrn2000 - I worry about that. :/ I had my son in late July of 2006, and I believe it was the morphine that made me so sick. It took about twelve hours for it to work its way out of my system. But I will definitely mention my reaction to the meds and such to my doctor and surgeon.

I was wondering - is there any specific wording I should use when talking to the doctor? Anything I should mention? Is it common to be turned down by a doctor? I really worry about that.

The one big argument in my favor, aside from wanting to lose weight, of course, and no longer be morbidly obese, is that heart attack, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes are very prevalent in BOTH sides of my family, from my great-grandparents to my grandparents to my mother and father. Being morbidly obese only increases the risk and would make those conditions worse... which is why it's also very important to get this weight off, asap!

[kiss-my-kitty 12]

You know, it was just today that I read a study showing that Alli (sp?) caused a whopping weight loss of less than 6lbs. When we are mega overweight, what is 6lbs? That's a freak'en watermelon. Who can't eat one of those?

I believe it. After a five month stint on alli I believe I lost a sum total of, oh, let's see... eight pounds?

[HappyCamper 0]

Does anyone know if your family doctors is the one that has to submitt to the insurance or can the bariatric doctor do it? I know that all doctors have their own view on procedures and what they think is right way and the wrong way. Does anyone have any suggestions?

It all depends on what kind of insurance you have. I have United Healthcare Choice Plus. I didn't even tell my PCP that I was having lap-band surgery. I just went to the bariatric surgeon on my own. You need to check with your insurance company and first ask if lap-band surgery is covered, and second ask if you need a referral from your primary care physician.

[PATCHELTON 0]

I am new to this board, too, and going through the pre-op screening. I have Blue Choice Insurance(Maryland). The first thing I did was find out what was covered. When I learned that both Bypass and Lapband were covered, I then made an appointment with a bariatric team (St Agnes Hospital) that my sister used. She had gastric bypass and has lost around 100 pounds. My insurance required a referral for the surgeon consult (got that from my PCP--if yours is not supportive I would find anothe PCP, as they have to refer you, plus send records to the bariatric team--yours may not want to if he/she doesn't support the idea--mine, luckily does--she has been after me to lose weight). Blue Choice requires pre-authorization (different from a referral) for surgery, but the bariatric team in my case will take care of that. They also require a documented 6 month weight loss attempt by dieting, which is what I am doing now (ends middle of December). You can also have two documented 3 month attempts. My coworker went to a dietician, and did Weight Watcher's online, at the same time, for 3 months, and the insurance accepted it. The bariatric dietician told me she didn't care if I lost weight, but I shouldn't gain any more. So the diet is a joke, but you have to do it. I email my weight every two weeks to her. When this is done I get paperwork to take to my PCP for signoff, and then I believe the paperwork is submitted to the insurance. I had to pay for the dietician (only $35 for the 6 month diet) and the psych eval (she was out of network), but the surgical consult with referral was my usual specialist copay. I will likely have to pay for the consult on pre and post op eating ($150, same as the psych consult) but hopefully the bulk of the Lapband cost will be covered. My BMI is around 38-39, but I am around 100 pounds overweight, with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, GERD, knee arthritis, just about every co-morbidity but diabetes. I started this on my own (my sister never once tried to influence me) and am hoping to get approved sometime in January. I am 62 (anyone under 18 or over 60 is evaluated on a case by case basis) and have no designs on becoming a glamor queen by 70, but who knows? I joke about getting my bills paid off so I can save for my body contouring surgery. Stay tuned. The journey is just beginning.

[coolrn2000 2]

Hello,

No, I don't think you have to use any particular wording to let your surgeon or anesthesiologist about your history. They might just give you some antinausea medicine during surgery.

[divaofsongs 42]

Welcome Jenn and the best to you!

[Ginaki 0]

i was very scared about vomiting after surgery because this is always the case but ive been banded 3 weeks now and i woke up with no vomiting and havent vomitted yet, nor ever feel like vomiting.. let ur anaesthetist now and he will give u something to prevent nausea,, he gave me something......all the best good luck..

[transformer 1]

Welcome!

I was a self-payer so I can't help you with navigating the insurance maze. I just wanted to wish you well on your journey--I hope it works out for you!

I can say that I haven't regretted having the surgery for a minute! I feel very fortunate that the band has been a good solution to help me control my eating habits.

Good luck!