GramaLisa

Hi, I like the book that a nutritionist recommended. It's called "Lap-Band For Life, The Complete Patient Guide to Success with the Lap-Band." The author is Ariel Ortiz Lagardiere. I ordered this book plus another from Amazon. com. I can't find the second book right, I think my grandkids ditched it somewhere! Lisa

Hi, I have BCBS FEP PPO in California. The surgeon's office said I would probably have to do the 6 months supervised diet thing but when I called the insurance company they said "it is not indicated." So now I am wondering, who should I believe, the surgeon's office or the insurance company? I sure hope the ins. company is right! :thumbup: The surgeon's office also said my out-of-pocket costs would be in the neighborhood of $4500.00. Did anyone else have this high of out of pocket costs? Next month when I have my first consultation I have to fork over 200 bucks also. Is this normal? Thanks for any and all help! Lisa

Hi, I have BCBS FEP PPO in CA. They are going to cover my surgery but not really well. The surgeon's office called this week to set up my first appt. I will have to pay 200 bucks the first visit and a grand total of 4500 bucks for the surgery. That's coverage, but not GOOD coverage! LOL! They did cover my gall bladder ultrasound 100%. I am waiting to see what type of co-pays I am going to be stuck with for the Upper GI and sleep study I had this week. I will probably end up paying some of those costs. My BMI is 37.2. I have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, degenerative disk disease with joint facet arthritis, arthritis in my right hip, and don't forget my "constant companion," GERD. This should be more than enough co-morb's to qualify me. The more co-morb's you can find with a low BMI, the better. Lisa :scared2:

Hi PS, I believe with your BMI you should qualify with or without comorbidities. In my case of a BMI of 37 I have to have comorbidities. With my insurance, BCBS FEP PPO, a person qualifies with a BMI of 40, or 35-39, with comorbidities. I attended a seminar first. Then when I had my regular doctor's appointment I told my doctor of my plans to seek out the Lap Band. He agreed with me and helped me with the tests the surgeon requires. I called the surgeon's office before I even had an appointment with him. I explained that I had attended a seminar, sent in a huge packet of paperwork, and had an appointment with my PCP. I asked them what should I tell my doctor and they said I would need an Upper GI, done, gall bladder ultrasound, done, and to have my doctor write a letter of referral and fax it over to them, done! My insurance requires a sleep study so I had my PCP send me over for that, also done. So next month when I see the surgeon for the first time I should have everything done except for the nutrition eval. I actually started with a jerk of a doctor who didn't do much of anything for me except start a phone call eval with the psychologist. I asked the psychologist if she could fax over the results and she said she would. I work for a school district so I am hoping that with most of the tests out of the way I can schedule my surgery over fall break. I work with an autistic child and it's better for both of us if she doesn't have too much time with a sub. She can be Hell on Earth when I take one measly day off of work. LOL!!! I hope I have helped you some. Lisa

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

I had my Upper GI yesterday. Boy oh boy do I wish I had done the endoscopy instead! The liquid chalk wasn't too bad going down and the xrays only took about five minutes. It's the chalk coming back out that's the problem. I had a belly ache all yesterday. I drank lots of water as suggested but that chalk sat in my gut like a painful bowling ball. Today it's been nothing but gas and going to the bathroom. I am so glad I am on summer vacation from work because my co-workers wouldn't be enjoying my constant gas and going to the bathroom. I aide an autistic child on a school bus and there's certainly no bathroom on a bus. Sorry if this is TMI. Lisa

Hi, I am a long time smoker and I know I need to quit, not just for the surgery but for a healthier life. Does anyone know if Chantix interacts with other medications? I am interested in trying the Chantix if it's that good. The last time I tried the patches they stung my arms like crazy! Thanks, Lisa

Hello, I am too late to help you with your appt but I wanted to share my experience with you. I sought out the Lap Band before I saw my PCP. I went to two different seminars, the first guy was a jerk whom I later found out was not complying with my ins. company. The second doctor is much closer to home and is a Lap Band patient himself. His seminar was pretty good. I joined this website and read it every single day, sometimes more than once a day. I bought the book "Lap-Band For Life" and read it. So when I went in to see my PCP I expected a fight with him. He started off by saying although my cholesterol level was very good the standards had changed and he wanted to increase my dose of Lipitor. I said I have something better, how about Lap Band surgery? I showed him my seminar stuff and my book and said even though my BMI is 37.2 I am 15 pounds away from the morbidly obese line. I was SHOCKED when my doctor said YES!!! I about fell over from the shock! I told him that I had not yet had my consultation with my surgeon but that I had called the office and they suggested I get started on an Upper GI and gall bladder exam. I already know that my ins. company demands a sleep study as well. I know that because the bozo I went to first wouldn't send me on one. I saw my doctor on Monday morning. By Wednesday morning I had my gall bladder ultrasound in his office, had my sleep study, a scheduled my Upper GI. Next Wed. morning I have the Upper GI done and Thursday night I have my sleep study. I am a bit nervous about staying the night in a doctor's office but it should be fine. The rooms are very cozy and comfy looking. One thing I forgot to mention is that the surgeon's office asked if my PCP could send a referral letter to them. I think once the surgeon starts receiving faxes with my test results they will see that I am motivated and hopefully a good candidate and they will call sooner rather than later for my first consultation. His seminars are very full, standing room only, so I have to be patient and wait my turn. I don't have the BMI of 40 that would automatically qualify me for surgery but I have GERD, my constant companion, I have degenerative disk disease in my spine along with the arthritis that likes to go with it, arthritis in my right hip, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and possibly a hiatal hernia and sleep apnea. I can't wait to be banded and get on with my life, slimmer and healthier! Lisa

Good luck, Brooke! I hope everything went OK at your appt. I am a bit envious of you. I went to my seminar on June 24 and I am STILL waiting to be called for my first consultation. I am a bit impatient! Lisa

Call if if it makes you feel better about what's going on. The first surgeon I went to held a little five minute seminar, spoke to each of us in a room individually, and had us fill out tons of paperwork.They called me at home and asked more questions. Then they had a nutritionist and a psychologist each call me at home for the eval's. Before I was done with the eval's my ins. company sent me a letter stating they couldn't make an approval based on what the doctor had sent them. They said they needed more info. I called the surgeon's office and when I got the runaround I called my ins. company. They told me that the surgeon wasn't a Preferred Provider for my PPO and that the doctor was not responding to more letters asking for info that they had sent. That made me change my mind right there and then. I told the ins. company I would be seeking another doctor. I found one a lot closer to home and in my PPO network. The seminar was tons better and I liked the doctor. The first guy seemed like an arrogant **shole. The first guy was supposed to submit a copy of a sleep study by TOMORROW! He NEVER had me schedule one! With the second surgeon I called to see what was up. They said to be patient and they would call me for the first consultation. They said in the meantime I could see my PCP and have him send in a referral letter (done), have my gall bladder ultrasound (done this morning), and have an Upper GI and sleep study done (both next week) Am I glad I called and "pestered" my ins company??? Heck yes!!! :smile: Lisa

Hi everyone, My surgeon's office told me today that I should ask my PCP for a referral letter stating that I am OK to have the lap band surgery, plus an upper GI and gallbladder ultrasound. The gallbladder ultrasound is not much, I've had those before, it's the upper GI I am concerned about. Please if anyone has had one done, let me know what it consists of!!! Even the yucky parts, LOL!!!! thanks, Grama Lisa

I choose the lap band as my tool for weight loss. There are six women who I work with that have had gastric bypass. One has gained back every ounce she lost. She grazes all day long! Another co-worker is still slim and trim after 8 years but she now suffers osteoporosis and low iron. She has to have iron transfusions once a week for at least a month. She says her body does not absorb vitamins and nutrients at all. Another co-worker who suffered from malabsorption of vitamins and nutrients passed out while driving her school bus. Thank God she had no children on board! This happened because of the side-effects of her bypass surgery. She broke several bones and injured her back in the accident. She will probably never return to work as a bus driver. She is still out on disability and the accident occured two years ago! She broke so many bones because of osteoporosis. I was told this could happen to any bus driver who has had gastric bypass. Yes the choice is up the individual. You should choose what you feel suits you best. I choose the lap band as my tool of choice. Lisa :thumbup:

Hi, I haven't been banded yet but I do take fiber supplements because my PCP advised me to start taking them. He says that the extra fiber is not so much for regularity but for helping to remove cholesterol from my body. Sometimes I take Fiber Choice plus calcium but the tablets are huge! Two large tablets provide 4 grams of fiber and 500 mg calcium. Since I have finally started taking calcium pills and vitamins on a regular basis I switched to taking Benefiber powder. It's completely taste-free and I can drink it with only a small amount of water or put in in my Crystal Light or coffee. You can even put it in food if you like. Two teapspoons provide 3 grams fiber. I take it 2-3 times during the day instead of taking a whole lot at once. Metamucil does OK but you have to drink a lot of liquid with it and it is rather thick. Hope this helps! Lisa

Hi again Everyone, I think I will try to relax and just enjoy the "show" of chalky stuff filling my insides. It doesn't sound near as bad as I thought it would be. Thanks again! Lisa

Hi, I was getting nowhere with my first surgeon. He wasn't responding to phone calls or to the insurance inquiries. Last night I went to a seminar in San Bernardino, CA. I really liked the seminar and they offer much more than the first doctor. The doctor's name is Douglas Krahn. Has anyone used him, and if so, did you like him and your lap band experience? Thanks! Lisa :tt1:

Congratulations!!! Lisa :sad_smile:

The poem was great!!! :thumbup:

Hi Wendy, I am a smoker too, I know I know, terrible habit. I haven't had surgery yet or even gotten a surgery date, but I will have to stop smoking too. Hang in there and keep up the good work! I bet after your surgery you won't even feel like smoking. Lisa

Hi everyone, I have really enjoyed reading all the posts;they are very informative. My problem is that I don't feel like the surgeon's office is doing much to keep me informed of what I have to do pre-op and what is going on with my insurance. I responded to the WLS flyer I got in the mail. I called and they asked a lot of questions and made me an appt. to see the surgeon. Somehow they forgot to mention that it was also a seminar and a lot of people would be there. We had the mini-seminar and they we were placed in rooms until the surgeon came in to speak to us individually. First of all my BMI is 37 but I have several co-morbidities--GERD, high cholesterol, high triglerides, degenerative disk disease, arthritis, etc. No high BP or diabetes. The surgeon said I would probably not be approved but they would try. That was May 17. On May 23 Julian who works for the surgeon called and we spoke, again, tons of medical questions that I had already answered. He said a nutritionist and psychologist would call for interviews. He seemed to think that I would be approved by my ins., BCBS FED PPO. Julian said that after the two eval's they would send in a packet ro my ins. requesting the surgery. May 23 the psychologist called. She said I raised no red flags that would exclude me from surgery. (I live more than 100 miles from West Hills, where the surgery center is) May 29 the nutritionist called and we spoke. She recommended some books which I have bought and read. She sent a packet of dieting tips for before and after. After the two calls I called my ins. company. They said they cover the surgery for sure but they couldn't tell me much in the way of ANYTHING. They didn't know about BMIs, co-morb's, exclusions, etc. So then on June 3 I received a letter from my ins. Apparently Julian had already asked for approval prior to the two evals. They asked for the two evals to be submitted, a copy of a sleep study, the doctor's pricing and the name of the facility. A copy was sent to the doctor as well. I called Julian for an update on June 16. He said he would get back with me. Two days later and I am still waiting. I feel like I am getting the bum's rush! I have no idea of what is going on, do I have to do a sleep study and where, am I getting the surgery and when, etc. Should I keep calling Julian and press him for details? Should I sit and wait??? I really need some advice! Thanks, Lisa :cursing:

Hi again and thanks for the advice. I listened to you guys and my instincts and called my insurance company. Boy did I find out a lot today! First of all the surgeon is NOT on the PPO list which would mean more out of pocket costs for me. Secondly, I found out from the insurance company that the surgeon's office is not responding to their pleas for more information. I went to the BSBC website for my area and I have found a hospital much closer to home that is on the list and provides bariatric surgery. I am calling RIGHT NOW for the first available seminar. BTW, the surgeon I was going to use is Joseph Naim in the West Hills area of CA. It's over 100 miles from my home. The new place I am contacting is in San Bernardino, and to us High Desert people, that's just a "drive down the hill."

Thanks so much for all the replies, I enjoyed reading them. I think I am going to start by calling the ins. company today and see what they have to say. Maybe I will have to schedule the sleep study on my own. I am going to keep in mind that if I don't get answers I can live with from my surgeon then I will shop around for a surgeon who can provide the answers. Thanks again! Lisa

I haven't been banded yet but I do believe something is not right with your band. Pain usually means trouble and it should be looked into. Perhaps it has slipped or there is something else wrong with it?

Gosh I am glad to hear that I am not the only person having dreams. Mine was a bit different though. I started my WL journey a month ago and I am frustrated at the lack of information from my surgeon's office. I dreamed they called and said I was not approved because my BMI is only 37, plus several co-morb's. In the dream I told them I was going to gain the 15 pounds or so necessary to make my BMI go up to 40 and I would be calling them back when I was heavier! I guess I won't rest until I hear yes or no. :cursing:

Gosh, how embarrassing! Sorry, but I laughed my *ss off while reading your post. If I EVER get to my lap band surgery I will keep your post in mind. If I get the surgery and I feel gassy I will be sure to go sit on the pot and blast off in the bathroom. Lisa:tt2:

Hi, I have Blue Shield Blue Cross Fed PPO in CA. With my insurance they automatically approve anyone who has a BMI of 40 or higher, without comorbities. One good thing about my ins. here is that they don't require the 6 months of supervised dieting. My BMI is 37 and I have comorbities. I am just waiting to hear if I am approved or not. Lisa