Newbie, just starting the process

[think'nthin 0]

Ok I have finally decided that I'm tired of being heavy, and all the dieting in the world on lasts so long. I have made my appt. with the Dr. Now what happens? What is living with the lap band like? Is it hard to get insurance approval?:help:

[make33 2]

Your surgeon's office should end up referring you to a seminar (hopefully), which should last 3 - 5 hours. At this seminar, you can ask all the questions you want about the band and what your possible future will be like.

There will be healthcare professionals there that can help you decide which surgery is right for you and the process you will have to go through.

Is the doctor you've chosen one that is accepted by your insurance company? The first thing I did was to see if (1) the insurance company would pay for the surgery and (2) which surgeons / Bariatric Centers are on their approved list.

Good luck to you...

[diane-south fla 0]

Congratulations! Can't say that I am much further along, having not yet been banded so I can't share any "what's it like" info. But I have gotten through all of the seminars, testing and have a surgery date set. First thing you need to do is call your insurance company and make sure they cover the surgery. I found that mine (BC/BS) covered the surgery without approval if done on an outpatient basis. However, my Dr. requires at least an overnight stay so I had to wait for approval. After your seminar - where they will answer all your questions - your will likely schedule an appt with the Dr. Then a whole series of testing to make sure you are good to have the surgery. The testing can take several weeks to get through depending on scheduling. Once done, your Dr. will do the submission to your insurance company for approval. Mine only took a few days. I was lucky, some wait a long time. Once approved you will get a surgery date set and probably another meeting with your Dr. several weeks before. You may or may not need a special diet for several weeks before surgery. Depends on the Dr. Hope this helps. This was my experience so far on the journey! Good luck with yours. Just keep going and put one foot in front of the other....makes it all easier to take if it seems overwhelming now. diane