Machele

Thanks for the information. I also found out Dr. Opie in Olathe has support groups that's open to anyone.

Magnolia, Check out the "March 2007" thread, there is a whole group of us being banded in March and we have a lively conversation going! Good luck in your banding!:clap2: Machele

Hi all, I am looking for a support group that meets in the Kansas City area. Several of the doctors here have support groups, but only for their patients. Can anyone help me out? Thanks!

Hi all, I have the same weight loss yo-yo story everyone else does here, but I am a healthy fat girl... I am 5'4" with a BMI of 47. I don't know what my "ideal" weight would be, since I have never been there. My goal is 150 pounds and maybe a size 12. I could shop in the normal clothes shops!! :clap2: I have been researching the lap-band for several months in the back of my mind, then I went to my first seminar in Nov. at my husband's insistance. I was denied from my insurance right off. I was told it was an exclusion from my employer and it would still be denied if I appealed it. So, I started looking for a way to self-pay. I am going to a doctor in Colorado that is priced almost as low as going to Mexico. My surgery date is March 16, which is the Friday before my Spring break, so I will have a week to recover as well. I have not told anyone at school that I am having this surgery. I have also chosen not to tell anyone in my family besides my husband. I feel my family would not be very supportive, since the last time I was seriously dieting, my mother made 2 pies and brought them to my house, then left the leftovers for me. :confused: There is a lot of criticim of my weight, but not a lot of understanding of the struggles I have gone through. I have my consultation with the dietician and the doctor on Feb. 19th and am supposed to start my pre-op diet on March 1st. I am excited, but also experiencing some hesitations as well. I think my main problems with eating is portion control and how quickly I eat. I am concerned about things getting stuck, even small things like asprins!:phanvan I have been reading everything I can get a hold of about the surgery and what to expect after surgery. The best book I have found is called "Lap-Band for Life". It has a lot of tips and suggestions and has answered a lot of my questions. Sorry about writing a book! I guess that's my story and I' stickin' to it!

Thanks for the info. I did not realize this was doctor specific. :embarassed: I am not sure who Gh0st is... Maybe I should start a thread for a KCK support group...

From the thread title, I was hoping to get information on a support group here in the KCK area. With some mentioning of things I am familiar with, I thought I was in the right place... maybe not! Maybe since the thread is so long, I missed that information! So, could someone tell me if you have meetings and if I could attend before I get my band. I have lots of questions, that I have tried researching on here, but have not had much success with...

I am new to this board, but have already gotten lots of information from it. I am from the kansas city area and have been researching the lap band for about 4 months. Currently, I am 44, 5'4" and 270 pound with a BMI of 47. I am self-pay because my employer has an exclusion on my insurance policy. Most of the docs in this area charge between $15 and $18 thousand for the surgery. So, I am going to have my done by Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver, Co. I have my phone consult on Feb. 19th and my surgery scheduled for March 16th. I am in the same spot as many others have been with all the yo-yo dieting, weight loss pills, weight watchers and so many other programs, there's not enough room here to list! I am really excited about finally making this change for myself. I have not been forth coming about this surgery to any of my co-workers or my family. My parents, who are both heavy as well, have never been very supportive in any of my weight loss endeavors. My husband understands why I want this and tries to be supportive. However, he has never had a weight problem and does not understand all the issues that come with the weight. I'm hoping to learn a lot more from everyone here to help me have a successful journey!

I live in the KC metro area as well. I talked to Dr. Malley's office about 2 weeks ago and their self-pay is $16,500. I have finally settled on a surgeon in the Denver area who only charges $9950 with 6 months of post-op care. SW flies direct from KCI to Denver for $125 round trip... In saving $7K, I figured that I could pay for some air fare...

I have scheduled my surgery in March with Dr. Gerald Kirshenbaum. Can anyone tell me anything about him? I actually live in Kansas and his self-pay price is worth it to fly out 2 or 3 times for the procedure. I was hoping that someone could tell me about him. Thanks!