officegirlblues

Hey, Tom! I have never seen Dr. Snow, but I do know several people that he performed bypass on. As far as doctors in Mobile and the lap band go... there are a few that are now performing them, but they are relatively new to the procedure. When I say relatively new, I think it is safe to say they have only within the past year started performing the surgery. Dr. Avara at South Mississippi Surgical Weightloss Center has been doing the lap band for a few years and has had great success with it. He does seminars in Mobile, also. I've been to his and have been to his office, which really is just across the state line and it takes no time at all to get there. Also, his prices are somewhat cheaper than the ones in Mobile from the information I've collected. Dr. Caylor in Foley also does the procedure and has for about 3-4 years but charges more than any of the others. I know, personally, that when I have mine done, I want a dr that has done this surgery ALOT! I'd love to hear what information you've collected on the procedure. Do you have BCBS of AL? I was told recently that they are supposed to start covering this surgery soon... Don't know how accurate that is but we can always hope! Send me a PM if you want to chat. I don't run across too many Mobilians on here! Thanks, Hope

I am addicted to Nora Roberts.... whether she is writing as herself or J.D. Robb! The "In Death" series is awesome! I'm waiting on pins and needles for the next book to come out. Just can't get enough of Eve and Roarke! I have also been reading Christine Feehan. Her "Dark" series about the Carpathians is amazing. Takes you to a whole other world! I tend to like stuff that is not "everyday" stuff... heck, I can have normal stuff on my own! I like books that take me to another place. There is nothing better than getting lost in a book.

http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/obesity_what2.shtml Maybe some people don't consider it a disease, true, but the IRS does: On April 2, 2002, the IRS announced a new policy (IRS Ruling 202-19) stating that "Obesity is medically accepted to be a disease in its own right." For taxpayers, this means that treatment specifically for obesity can now be claimed as a medical deduction..." This website also has a lot of information on how to get involved in helping to make insurance companies pay for the surgery. Maybe if we all banded (no pun intended! HAHA!) together we could make big advances then people wouldn't have to loan themselves to death to pay for good health. :clap2:

Misltoe, I completely understand what you are going through. When I first started this journey almost 4 years ago everyone in my family was absolutely 100% against it. I let them talk me out of following up after my first consultation, which btw my ex-husband (hubby at the time) was completely against. I've gone through all the programs... I've done all the diets... and I finally have decided I have cried all the tears I am going to cry over being fat and feeling like the most disgusting creature on the face of this earth. Obesity is a disease. Plain and simple. But, people that don't suffer from it don't understand that not only is it a physical disease, it is a mental disease. If you had cancer wouldn't they want you to try every procedure available to help cure you? Even if those procedures could harm healthy parts of your body? This is no different in my opinion. My insurance doesn't cover the procedure, either. But, at this point, I don't care. I will work an extra job or find some way to pay for the loan that I will have to get. I am a single mother and my children and I live with my mom... this surgery may mean living there for a few more years, but at least I will be LIVING. I've not really lived in a long time... I get by daily and do what I have to do, but I don't feel alive. I feel ashamed. That is one thing that insurance companies don't understand. Obesity is a disease, yes, but it is not a disease that we can hide. We wear it like a big neon sign because we have no choice. People with other diseases can hide them if they choose to. A woman with breast cancer can buy prosthesis to hide surgery or a wig to hide hair loss from treatment... a person with diabetes doesn't have to advertise to the world that they have diabetes... but an obese person has no where to hide. It proceeds us into a room. Before people even see our faces, they see our bodies. You can't hide 100 extra lbs. behind a size 12 to "appear" normal to everyone. It won't fit. It is the first thing someone sees when we walk up and the last thing they see when we go away and it is something that we live with every day and every insurance company that doesn't cover it is simply depriving us of the right to TRY to have a normal life. Please don't get me wrong, I am in no way belittling cancer or diabetes and I don't mean to offend anyone who might be suffering.. I have both prominently in my family... which is all the more reason to get myself healthy. My point is, we have the opportunity to help ourselves with this surgery and I think we have a responsibility to ourselves and our families to do that. Maybe you should get them to go to a lap band seminar with you. I know once my mother finally sat down and read the information she totally changed her mind. You do need their support... no... actually, you DESERVE their support. The more sure you are, the less unsure they will be. And, once they see you loosing weight, they will be so excited for you. I don't think anyone should let someone talk them INTO surgery, much less out of it. In the end, no matter how difficult the decision is, you've got to do what you feel in your heart is best for you. Everything else will take care of itself. Good Luck! Hope

Hey Kelly! Welcome! We have a pretty small group of Alabamians on here but we are all willing to chat, I think. Unfortunately, I'm not banded yet, but I'm hoping it will happen very soon and would love to hear all about your experience. I've never heard of Dr. Black. How was your experience with him? Gosh, 12 lbs already! You go girl! Hope to talk to you soon... Hope:)

That is great Tami! :clap2: I know this surgery is the best option for me so I'm trying to hold out... or figure out a way to finance it. But, I'm a single mom and I'm going to have to buy a house in the not so distant future, so I don't know that I can take the added expense of a lapband payment AND a house note. My kids and I live with my mom right now, so it will just be too much. I think I remember hearing about that case as well. I also talked to one lady that has BCBS of AL and they paid for her's but, come to find out, she works for a very large company and it was written into their plan at the corporate office. One of the big paper mills. Only large companies like that can really afford to have it added. I know our premiums are going up at the company I work for and believe me, they are not adding to the coverage! I've thought about consulting one of the Obesity Lawyers and I may end up doing just that. If they think they can get it approved, that is. I've jumped through all the hoops already! It just amazes me how narrow sighted BCBS of AL is on this issue... I wonder if they have done a study on the dollars they pay out every year on diabetes and high blood pressure, etc. and compared it to what they would save if they helped people actually recover from those diseases by loosing the weight and keeping it off?! An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure! I'm glad the surgery worked out for you. Keep being an inspiration to us all! Thanks, Hope

Right. Several of the other states' BCBS covers the surgery. But, as usual, Alabama is behind the times. I keep hoping one day soon I will hear that they do. I've been waiting for 3 years to have this surgery. I just don't see any way I can self pay.... :cry

Any of you Alabama Bandsters had any luck with getting BCBS of AL to cover your surgery yet? If not, has anyone heard an update on when/if they will cover it any time soon?:nervous Thanks! Hope

You know, I'm sort of going through the same thing you are Melodee. I'm not banded... yet... and I'm not sure that I'm actually going to get banded. At the moment, it is a monetary issue more than an issue of not wanting to be. I'm a single mom and at this point it is like... let's see.... am I going to provide my children with a home and food or am I going to be skinny.... :cry I think we all know which decision I have to make on that one. IF my insurance covers the band or I can figure out a way to do it, I most definitely will get the band. I want it desperately. I get on here every day (almost) and I read the posts and I see all the pros and cons and I still think, after I log off, that the band is for me. My family is even starting to come around. I've been trying to get banded for over 4 years now. At first, they were completely against it. But, as they see my weight go up and my health go down they are more supportive. My friends say I'm obsessed with it, but really, I'm just more repulsed by myself when I look in the mirror. I'm ready for the life change and I'm ready to stop wanting to be invisible. If you are not at the point that you just absolutely are unhappy with yourself, don't do it. What a shame to do it and then not have results because you are not committed to making it work... and I'm sure you have to be committed to the band. Otherwise, it will be as effective as buying that new dress you just have to have because you know every time you open your closet it will inspire you to get skinny and wear it. Unfortunately, inspiration is not necessairly the greatest drug for weightloss for most of people. I've done it on my own before. I went from a size 22 to a size 8 five years ago. I kept it off for two years. I am now a size 22 again. I know I can do it again, I just want that tool to help me keep it where it should be. It is not fun to compare my size 8 blue jeans to my size 22. Falling on your face is never fun, but doing it so publically as with your health and appearance is even less fun. :faint: Having rambled on forever already (sorry about that everyone), I will say this. When I do get the band, I don't know that I will do a lot of participating in forums and groups. While I have gathered vital and important information in making my decision, this IS a scary place sometimes. And having been a part of this group and others, I think it is safe to say that people that have negative things to say are a lot of the time more vocal than people that don't. I am a firm believer in the premise that if you surround yourself with negative things, negative results are more likely to happen. And while there is SO much positive to this forum, I don't want to risk somebody mucking up my karma, you know? Not to mention that I'm sure I will be so happy with my new skinny me that I won't have time to sit here in front of this computer while life passes me by. :clap2: So, in a nut shell... I won't regret the band when I get it... even if I have complications and I have to adjust to my new lifestyle... but the band was also my own idea. I've noticed that the things I have regretted most in my life are things that I did at the prompting of others. Be sure. Be completely sure. And if you do get it... be positive. Be positive that it will work for you. Just go into it with the firm faith that this tool is going to help you achieve your best you. Good luck to you and I have to say a big thank you to all of those on here that put their personal lives on display so people like us can make up our minds to follow you back to 1derland. :gluck: Hope

Hey everyone. I have BCBS of Alabama and they do NOT cover the band. They will cover gastric bypass any time but not the band. I know. Doesn't make sense to me either. I've been trying for over 3 years to get the band and the doctors here won't even file it anymore. I've had one actual denial and I've seen a couple of different doctors and they all say there is no point in filing. BCBS of AL considers this surgery investigational. I've written to the State Insurance Board and basically what they said was that each BCBS is different. Alabama chooses not to cover it for whatever reason and there is not a whole lot that can be done about it. All of the states around Alabama cover it so we're hoping maybe it will trickle down to Alabama eventually. Unless you have a kind of self-insured BC plan for a very large company you are just out of luck. Frankly, I'm getting tired of waiting and am considering just going ahead and having the bypass done. Congratulations to everyone that has had it approved.I think its great and I am so happy for you! :clap2: Hope

I contacted a lawyer early on and there are a few that are more than willing to help, I just can't afford the price! :phanvan I would go ahead and self pay if I could afford it, but that's not an option at the moment, either, so I guess I will just have to be patient.

That's great pplqueen! Lord I wish we were all that lucky. I've heard it is easy for people on BCBS in other states. Maybe Alabama will follow suit SOON. With Florida and Georgia covering, you'd think they'd have to, but unfortunately they don't feel that way. Alabama BCBS still considers the procedure "investigational".

I know what you mean about BCBS. I hate it but it is my only option. I'm not sure what state you are in but Alabama will not cover it, period. Have you checked back with your doctor? From what I read, and I could be reading it wrong, it is not specifically saying that lap band is not covered at all.. it is saying that it is not covered for you because you haven't met the criteria. Check and make sure that your doctor had deemed it medically necessary. The statement received from my insurance was different than yours. If your doctor does not say it is medically necessary then you have no chance. And, in talking to several doctors and nurses in our area, once it is approved you will still have to meet certain criteria, like diet history, etc. When you go back, just make sure that the dr's office is using all the correct terminology and covering all the bases with BCBS. Good Luck!