Going to info seminar

staramorcita · April 16, 2005

I'm sooooo glad I bumped into this website. I'm going to my first lap band information seminar in NJ. I'm so ready. I've been trying desperately for so long to lose all this weight and I feel hopeless. I've 120 pds. to lose. My BMI is over 45. I have to admit I'm a quite terrified at the though of it and more terrified still that for some freaky reason I won't be qualified to get the surgery.

How long does it take to get everything scheduled? What happens first?

thanks for this board!!!!

Roxanne

slimmer sue · April 16, 2005

Hi starmorcita, I went to the doctor and visited with him about the procedure. I didn't have a high enoug BMI but have other health issues. He sent it into insurance and within 6 days I had Yes as an anwer. Then had to het a pre op physical and meet with a dietician.Im going to have my surgery April 21.So it all took only about 4 weeks. I'll keep you in touch . Good Luck!!

wanttobe110 · April 16, 2005

Hi Roxanne,

Welcome to LBT! Where in NJ are you? I am in near Sandy Hook. Who is your doctor? From info seminar to surgery, I'd say about two months (all depends on how quickly the insurance company moves). Who is your insurance company?

With my doctor, the order was: info seminar, meet with my primary care physician for blood work, meet with psychologist, meet with nutritionist, meet with surgeon and set a surgery date, wait for insurance approval, pre-admin testing about a week before surgery and then the surgery itself.

We have a lot in common- we're the same age, I had 108 pounds to lose and my BMI is about 47. I have no other health issues. Thank goodness for that.

I recommend reading about the befores and afters. Some good books I have personally found are Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding By Jessie Ahroni and The Success Habits of WLS Patients by Colleen Cook. Also, I have subscriptions to WLS Lifestyles magazine and Obestity Help magazine which I found invaluable.

Any other questions, feel free to post and I'll answer or send me a PM.

Alexandra · April 17, 2005

Hey Roxanne, another Jersey girl!! Welcome to LBT. I'm a bad person to answer the consultation-to-surgery question, because in my case it took almost a year. I had to fight my insurer to the bitter end, but I finally won. Proof that it can be done! Bless New Jersey's guaranteed right of third-party review.

Who is your surgeon? If the office you're going to is anything like my doctor's, you'll be handed a list of things to do once you leave the seminar. There's a bunch of testing to be done, some standard and maybe some specific for you depending on your health issues. Once you've had all the testing, which will probably include a psychological evaluation and nutritional counseling, the time frame could be as little as a couple of weeks.

So it's very hard to say at this point. We're glad you found us and look forward to cheering you on!

porclndoll · April 17, 2005

Star,

Im on my way to being banded. I have a surgery date of May 5th. I live in NJ...so we are in the same neck of the woods. From the day I had my seminar to the day I had a surgical date was about two months. I had to wait for my new insurance to kick in on March 1st.....sooo if you wanna be technical....go from that date and it was about a month to get all the pre surgical requirements done and to get a date! Not too shabby. I did it like this.....seminar, psych eval, blood work, nutricianal consult, upper gi, consult with gastroenterologist, consult with cardiologist, Endoscopy, meeting with surgeon (coming up on Monday), Presurg testing on May 3rd, SURGERY MAY 5TH. It all fell in place really really quick for me. Everything went very smoothly....and as far as insurance was concerned...GHI HMO ROCKED! They had an approval back within two days to my surgeons office! I can not wait to just be on the other side of this whole process. I am soo excited....I know its gonna be hard...but I am sooo sick of dealing with this weight and not being comfortable in my own body! The real me is tucked in here somewhere, and I am on a mission to get her out! (Watch out world!)

Im 32 yrs old...have a son with special needs, I am 100 pounds over weight, BMI of 42. And it is soooo past time for this to happen for me!

Good luck to you! Welcome to the board! This place is soooo helpful!

Talk to you soon