ssflbelle

I went to see the NUT yesterday expecting to receive a diet for the next 6 months and she gave me nothing. I was so shocked after she had explained what the diet was I would have to follow after the surgery. I told her that wasn't until 2016 what was I to follow now. She said she doesn't do that, what did the DR say. I told her he said to keep with NS but it isn't working like it should. She said well that is what you want to show the insurance so you can have the sleeve. I was shocked!!! I thought the 6 month supervised diet was to help you change your way of eating and lose weight in preparation for the surgery.

I would love to know from those who have had this surgery and had to do a 6 month supervised diet if this is what happened to you as well or were you given a diet to follow. I realize a lot of you haven't been to the Dr yet so would love to hear what happens when you do see the Dr. Hopefully you will not be as shocked as I was.

Good luck for all those who are starting. I am also new. I went to see the WL Dr on June 17th and was told I had to do a 6 month supervised diet. I have been on NS since June of last year and only lost 44 pounds and have over 200 to lose. I told him I was very disappointed with such a small amount of weight lost. He said I would have seen the NUT but she was at a wedding so I would see her at a later date. He suggested I continue with NS. I went to see the NUT yesterday expecting to receive a diet for the next 6 months and she gave me nothing. I was so shocked after she had explained what the diet was I would have to follow after the surgery. I told her that wasn't until 2016 what was I to follow now. She said she doesn't do that, what did the DR say. I told her he said to keep with NS but it isn't working like it should. She said well that is what you want to show the insurance so you can have the sleeve. I was shocked!!! I thought the 6 month supervised diet was to help you change your way of eating and lose weight in preparation for the surgery.

I would love to know from those who have had this surgery and had to do a 6 month supervised diet if this is what happened to you as well or were you given a diet to follow. I realize a lot of you haven't been to the Dr yet so would love to hear what happens when you do see the Dr. Hopefully you will not be as shocked as I was.

I am just starting and I entered the wrong weight. I entered what I weighed at home and when I got to the Dr's office I was 3 pounds less. How do I change the starting weight?

I became a member here on June 14th and purchased the book at a discount from this site. It is a PDF book. I started to read it and when I closed the PDF it went back to the first page.

How do I get the PDF version to stay on the page I last read? Now Ih ave to search through the book and try an remember where I left off. A little frustrating but I am sure that is because I do not know how to use the PDF version.

There is lots of info, very well written and a lot of it I never saw any where else online.

I want to be able to also book mark certain sections so when I get my surgery in Jan I can refer back to the book. How do I do that? Thanks so much for writing it and any info you can give in regard to my reading it questions.

Not sure if PDF normally supports the features you've mentioned. I can give you the Nook or Kindle version free of charge and you just have to install the Nook or Kindle app on your computer and you'll have all the features you've mentioned.

That would be wonderful Alex, I really appreciate that you willing to do this. I have downloaded the kindle for pc on my laptop. What additional info do you need from me and should it be in a private email to you?

I became a member here on June 14th and purchased the book at a discount from this site. It is a PDF book. I started to read it and when I closed the PDF it went back to the first page.

How do I get the PDF version to stay on the page I last read? Now Ih ave to search through the book and try an remember where I left off. A little frustrating but I am sure that is because I do not know how to use the PDF version.

There is lots of info, very well written and a lot of it I never saw any where else online.

I want to be able to also book mark certain sections so when I get my surgery in Jan I can refer back to the book. How do I do that? Thanks so much for writing it and any info you can give in regard to my reading it questions.

ssfbelle where in Palm Beach County? I am in Palm Beach Gardens!

I am in The Lake Worth area near the County Airport on Lantana Road.

I don't know if I count but I'm across the way in Fort Myers. My surgeon is Dr. Thomas Bass and I should get my surgery date any day now.

Dr Bass use to be in South Florida as I went to see him in 2008 for the lapband. My insurance at that time wouldn't pay for the fills so I didn't go through the surgery. He was very nice and his staff was friendly but he was over an hour 1/2 away from my home. This new Dr is only 30 minutes away.

Hi Fellow Floridians

I am in Palm Beach County and just starting the journey with Dr Vaughan. I saw him last week and will be seeing the nutritionist on Monday. I have to jump through the 6 months supervised diet. Does this site have friendship requests? Sure could use some friends as I have no family.

I have been on MFP since 2012 trying to lose weight on my own. I started at 497 and have managed to get down to 355. I saw the Dr for my first consultation last week and on Monday I will be seeing the nutritionist for the 6 months supervised diet that the insurance is making me do. I didn't have any Dr supervision for the 142 pounds I have all ready lost. Stupid move on my part. I still have another 200 pounds to lose so I will be here for a long time. I have no family and all my friends are obese and I haven;t told them I a doing this. They would never understand. I sure could use all the support I can get both here and on MFP. On MFP my id is ssbeadlady

My profile says I have been here since 2008 as I tried for lapband back than but insurance denied me the surgery.

I also am just starting the 6 months supervised diet. I meet with my Nutritionist on Monday for the first time. I have no idea what to expect but hope some weight will come off during the next 6 months.

I tried to get the lapband in 2008 but was denied. Now I am back on the site again. This time trying for the sleeve I don't remember much about the site but am trying to learn my away around here again as I am hoping this will be a good resource for help and support. Being new to the site is there a way for invites to be sent to become friends.

Yes the one fill is a major concern of mine too after all this other crap with the denial of surgery and testing is taking care of I will be looking into how much the fills are and see if I can afford them. I have the WLS coordinator looking into everything as well as well as an insurance guru

(that is what she calls herself). SO hopefully if nothing else I will not have to pay for all the testing. The WLS office called my insurance before hand and told everything was fine and then when they got all the testing results and submitted the info to the insurance to get approval everything fell apart. Even the Coordinator agrees this insurance is under Medicare and if Medicare pays they should pay.

I really can't write much more about this as every time I do I get aggravated again and I can't do that as it affects my health. So this is the last I am writing until I hear good results. I will pray for you and hope all will pray for me that we get all these situations taken care of and quickly.

Well I also have United Health Care but it is through the Medicare advantage plan as I am disabled with numerous physical problems in addition to a BMI over 50+ I was denied and not only that they will not even pay for all the testing I had done. Before I even saw the WLS the consultant told me all I had to pay was $500.00. BS!!!!!!!!!!!! UHC stinks!~ I will be appealing, this is unbelievable that I would be denied with all the complications I have.

Congratulations. This Obesity Law firm you speak of, did you have to pay for the service? If so, would you mind emailing me privately and letting me know what the rates are. I have a Medicare advantage plan through United Health Care and I was told that whatever Medicare paid for the Advantage plans had to pay for. I was not only denied the lapband surgery but now they will not pay for all the testing I had.

:dita::biggrin::laugh:Yahooooo!!

The Obesity Law firm submitted an appeal to Cigna in August. I got approved last week!!!

My surgeon said I was their second patient the firm got approval for, even after the insurance company denied their appeal!!

I am scheduled for the surgery on October 7th. Can't wait to start the rest of my life as a healthier person (I'm on 11 medications including 2 meds for high blood pressure, an insulin pump and diabetes oral medications, reflux meds, plus c-pap machine that I hope I'll eventually leave behind).

Sooner

I heard they would pay for only one fill. But get this I have a Medicare advantage plan with UHC and they denied the lapband surgery and all the testing I had. I am going to appeal it but I have this strange feeling I am going to have to pay thousands of dollars for all the tests I had and I am disability and don't have that kind of money. What a shame they would rather me stay morbidly obese with all my complications than pay and help to get me well and back into society working.

Hi Nina, I was told at seminar that Medicare isn't paying the fills, is that right? I would appreciate your input, thanks a bunch.

Karen

Sorry you got denied I know how that feels as I just got denied today by MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN through SECURE HORIZONS through UNITED HEALTH CARE. MEDICARE approves lapband but an MEDICARE AVANTAGE PLAN doesn't this made no sense to me and I have been on the phone almost all day long with the various Insurances and the Drs. I still haven't heard back a thing. I have a BMI of over 50 with HBP, spinal stenosis, 2 bulging disc, 1 herniated disc and half of a right hip bone, can't walk without canes, must use a scooter for shopping and I get denied. I am so pissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They will NOT win I WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CM as the organizer of a meetup group I can start 3 more I believe for the price of the one. That ability is only good for 4 more months and it does take some time to get a meetup group established so if you are wanting to do this I would like to suggest that we get into and maybe plan this out. Email me privately if you wish.

Amanda C

As for the group, I might be interested in starting something up. There is a chance I might be able to get my church to donate some space once a week for this. If not, it might be a nominal fee. The way the support group seems to go at JFK is they come up with a topic, and start discussing it around the room, and the psych. comments on what people are saying. She is just a bit condescending for my taste. At the age of 41, I don't like to have my use of pronouns corrected in a public forum.

Thanks Mrs. Flipflop. I haven't had the surgery yet so that was with WW and Nutrisystem. It has taken me three years and a lot of won't power. I won't eat this or that. LOL I was able to get a Medicare advantage plan insurance in May and I am hoping they will pay for the surgery. I have finished all the evals and I am just waiting for a surgery date. I will be having a radio frequency neurotomy to my back on Sept 18th which hopefully will allow me to walk again without canes. If I hadn't lost the weight I did I never would have been able to have that procedure done. Once I am walking I hope shortly after that I have my lapband and get started with the rest of my weight loss journey.

ssfl- congrats on your weight loss!! You're doing amazingly!

I have had this rash off and on for years in my arm, breast and stomach folds. Each time I get it I use corn starch and in a day or two it is gone. If you use it after a shower be sure you are super dry as the corn starch will cake up and make a mess and not work like it should. During the summer I take a large swatch of soft T-shirt type fabric and place it in my belly fold and that also seems to help to prevent it from happening.

HI Cm

Congratulations on being banded. Dr Larson was the first Dr I had contact with in regard to lapband surgery but JFK at the time was not a Center of Excellence. Do you know have they become one yet? Since they were not at the time I was intereted back in May 2008 I had to go to Dr Bass in Hollywood. I am still waiting for my surgery date. What a shame that the psychologist your not crazy about is running the support group.

At one time I believe there was a group of people from another message board that tried to start up their own support group in Lake Worth but for some reason it broke apart.

As far as starting your own I suppose those of us in the county and near by counties can all get together as a group maybe with meetups.com. I haven't been to a support group yet so I am not sure what they are all about, but I wonder if there is information they give out that we in our own group wouldn't know about? If your interested in starting a meetups WLS group feel free to email me privately, I will be glad to help as I experience with meetsups. I belong to one in NC even though I live in Florida and I am sure the coordinator would be willing to provide help too.

Amanda C

I have an BMI of 59.6 and my Dr stated I was a good candidate for the lapband and he would do it. Which surgery does your Dr do more of the rou-en-y procedure or lapband. Sometimes I have heard that the Doctors don't want to follow up with all the fills that are needed with lapband patients. Many have lost 100's of pounds with lapband and I wouldn't let him tell you want he wants you to have. It is your decision and if he will not do lapband see if you can find another Dr who will. What do the rest of you think?

My Dr never gave me a test either. At the first meeting she said "so tell me about yourself" and as I did she asked questions. We have a few issues that need to be discussed and worked on so I will be seeing her a few more times.

Serenity55 do you use JAWS or Zoomtext to read the messages here. Perhaps the Dr could put the test onto a disc for you and you could use the JAWS and Zoomtext program to read the questions and you can type out the answers. Also some of the Libraries in our County have SARA a reading machine like a copy machine that will scan the questions and than read them to you. You can record SARA reading the questions and than answer on another tape. You might want to check if your Libraries have SARA. Just a few ideas other than having your best friend read them for you.

Amanda C

Hi all South Floridians

I saw Dr Bass in Hollywood on July 22nd and he oked me for the lapband but wanted me to have several evaluations and a Nutrition class. I had off 2 weeks from work and was able to get the blood work, Psychological evaluation and the Nutrition class done but have run into a snag with the Cardiac evaluation. Seems the Cardiac Dr didn't like the looks of my EKG and wants me to do a Thallium Stress Test. I am waiting to hear when that will be scheduled but I have the Dr follow up visit for Sept 9th. So I suppose the test will be done soon. The WL Surgeon didn't ask for a sleep apnea test but my pain Dr did. I will be having that done here at home this Friday. I never heard of an at home test but I sure do like that idea. So if any of you have that test coming up check into having it done at home. I hope the Thallium Stress Test will not prevent me from having the WLS. Did any of you have that test and then weren't approved for lapband? I'll keep you all posted when I know more.

Amanda C

Hi Everyone. The cardiac evaluation was the last thing I had to do but we have run into a problem. :thumbup: It seems that the Dr didn't like the looks of my EKG as it seems to show a problem he said "with the back of your heart and that you might have had a mild heart attack" What that means I don't know as I never felt like I had a heart attack. All my other evaluations were good but this one, so we have a bit of a set back.

The Dr wants me to have a Thallium Stress Test. From what I understand this is a test involving an injection of some sort that would simulate that I was exercising and after the injection I have to be put under a camera like machine for a few hours. Does anyone know what I am talking about or had this done to them? If the outcome isn't good would this prevent me from getting the Lapband surgery?

I don't know when this test will take place but he has me scheduled for Sept 9th as a follow up visit for after the test. Needless to say I am a bit concerned and upset. One good thing about the visit was that my Blood Pressure was 130/70. :smile2:So the BP pills are working. Any infor about this test beyond what I know would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Amanda C

Wow Froggie that is good news. That loss is through a diet program right? You have not been banded yet or have you? I kind of now the joy in seeing those smaller numbers of weight and BMI's

When I went Tuesday for my first consultation I discovered I am only 5' 4" not 5' 6" as I thought I was. So I had to redo my BMI. What a shock. 3 years ago at my highest weight my BMI was 85.3. So hard to believe that was even possible After following Nutrisystem and Weight Watchers and losing over 150 by BMI is now 58.5. Still need to lose another 200 pounds and I know the lapband will help me to do that.

Keep up the great work.

Amanda

So I never posted this but as of July 21st I was a 50+ BMIer instead of 60+. In april my BMI was 61.9 now it's 58.8

Welcome to the boards and the state of Florida. I am from Florida but not in your area and I am still going through the evaluation process. Check out the Florida state group here on this site, there may be people from your area and age. Florida Local Lap-Band Support - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

Also do a search on yahoo groups for Floridabandsters. They are located on the West coast of Florida. They email back and forth and support each other. They recently had a social fun meeting and I understand they post support meetings as well. Being on the East Coast I have never attended but I do email back and forth and they are a great group of supportive and friendly people. Hope to see you on both of the boards

Amanda C