Starting the process

courtney2001 · July 18, 2008

Hello everyone! Just wanted to post something to introduce myself. I am 29 years old and live in Houston TX. I have finally made the decision to start the process to have Lap Band surgery. I have really enjoyed this forum it has helped me get my nerve up. I don't have a surgery date yet and I am scheduled for a consultation. It is going to be such a huge lifestyle change but I am ready!

I am about 6 feet tall and about 120 lbs over weight right now. Its crazy how quickly it can spiral out of control. I don't have any health problems as of yet and I would like to keep it that way. I have always been very active. I work 2 jobs and go to school and in the last year my weight has started slowing me down and I don't like it!! :thumbdown:

So after many months of talking myself into it and then out of it I have decided to go for it! I am still trying to decide who I want to tell and who I think will be supportive and not try to convince me not to do it.

I'm nervous about the insurance coverage the most. I think with BCBS TX I will have to have a supervised diet for 6 months and I am so ready to start the process now!! But I know in the long run 6 months is nothing.

I'm am very excited about my decision and any advice/comments are greatly appreciated. :rolleyes:

losingjusme · July 18, 2008

hi Courtney - welcome to LBT. good luck! :thumbdown:

GramaLisa · July 18, 2008

Hi Courtney,

I am two months into the journey myself. If you are not sure of what your insurance will cover, call them and call them and keep calling them until you get answers. The surgeon's office called yesterday to set up my first consultation. The PA tried to tell me that my insurance, BCBS FEP PPO in CA, will have me do a 6 months supervised diet. I called my insurance company this morning and they no such diet is indicated. Maybe the doctor wants it done and not the insurance company? Also by calling my insurance company I found out that the first doctor I went to was doing NOTHING to get the process started. I found a doctor and hospital much closer to home. Three weeks after the seminar I got the call for my first consult. Before they even called for the consultation I called them and said I was going to my PCP and what should I do to get the process started. They said to talk to my PCP and let him know I was seeking Lap Band surgery and to have him send in a referral. They also said to get a gall bladder ultrasound done an Upper GI. I had the gall bladder done last week, the Upper GI done this week, and last night I had a sleep study done because the ins. company wanted that done. I called the psychologist and asked her to fax over the psyche eval and she did that. I called the nutritionist too, but she said she could not fax over that report because the first doctor "owns it." It amazes me how much "legwork" I have to do myself but the doctors are so slow and I think I have speeded up the process by making all those calls and getting things done. I am just a wee bit impatient. LOL Good luck with your journey. I hope everything turns out well for you. Lisa

lafrogura · July 18, 2008

Hi. i'm 4 days post -op. i have bcbs of tx. my insurance said they required a 6 month physician supervised diet, which i did not have and was still approved in 4 days. I did have weight watchers weigh-in stickers from 6 straight months and i had my gyno and surgeon write a letter. that was all that was sent in for pre-determintation and i was still approved and very quickly. i did have a bmi of 67 with no co-morbidities. good luck!

nursenky9 · July 19, 2008

Hi Courtney, I have Highmark BCBS they received my info on 7/7. I received a call today saying they could not make the doc on one of my supervised wt loss programs. The BCBS I have requires a 6 mo cumulative within the last 2 yrs. So I am hoping I get approved soon. Good luck to you. ET