karebare714

I am a receptionist at a cardiologist. No lifting but up and down all day.

is your surgery scheduled yet?

My surgeon only operates on Thursdays. Will I be able to go back to work the following Monday. I don't have much time off work. How long have you all taken off?

I am going to Dr Osolfka at St Mary's Hospital. They faxed in my paperwork today to the insurance co. I have BCBS if Minn and they said usually 7 to 10 days for decision. Anyone one else banded at St Marys in Louisville?

:omg_smile: I have BCBS of Minnisota. I went to PCP 03/03/08, 04/17/08, 07/02/08, 07/31/08, 08/28/08, 09/10/08. Thats 6 times in 6 months but not once a month. I changed my mind in May and didn't change it back til the end of June. It was too late then to get in during June. Thats why I have two July dates. Hopefully they will count 07/02/08 as June sort of. May is just missing. Do you think they will deny me. It is being submitted Friday to insurance. My surgeons office said ins takes 4 to 6 weeks to get approval. That seems way longer than anyone on here says. Any of you have experience with missed apts during 6 month diet or with BCBS Minnisota? :scared2:

Louisville KY Dr olsofka at st marys hospital...They said that once I get the approval in the mail that I will be scheduled for surgery two weeks later.

When did they submit your paperwork? Did you really know the next day?

My surgeons office is submitting the paperwork to the insurance company on friday. I have BCBS of Minnasota. The office said that it will take 4 to 6 weeks to get an answer. Is that about how long it has taken for the rest of you. It seems like a long time. Just curious if that is an accurate estamate. Thanks for any info. Karen

I was diagnised with polycystic ovarian disorder when I was 18. I am extremly hairy and know that it affects my moods but didn't know that it also makes it harder to lose weight. They said at that time that I had a total of over 200 cysts on my ovaries and that I prob couldn't have kids. I have a 6 yr old daughter. It took 2 yrs to get pregnant, but I did, if it takes two yrs to lose the weight I will do it. My dr thought I had ovarian cancer back then, so when he told me it was polycystic I was estatic. I don't have all the pain in my lower stomach that I used to. Thanks for all the support.

Thank you both so much. I needed to know that others have this prob, and there is acually a term for it. I know he loves me and I need to start working on my self esteem. It seems to be getting worse. Since I have been going through the 6 month diet I haven't lost but 5 lbs. I do good for a week or so then I start thinking that I will never be able to enjoy my foods again and I start to binge and gain it back. My husband has lost 45lbs and I have lost 5, this makes me angry at him and I know that this is stupid. I am really angry at myself. I have some problems that I need to work on. I am very lucky to have him. We were high school sweethearts and have been together almost 11 yrs. He must be thinking I am loosing it. I have had mood swings like crazy latley. This 6 month wait is just too long. Getting this surgery is all I can think about. I hope I can go back to being my old self once I have a date. I go to the nutritionist Tuesday and to my last dr apt for the 6 month Wednesday, I have already seen the psychiatrist. So I am hoping for 4 to 6 weeks. Wish me luck. I will try to stop ranting now. Thanks

This is totally disgusting and something that I have never asked anyone in my life. I am 27 yrs old and over 300 lbs. My husband was only with two other women b4 me and each only once, so he doesn't have much comparison (not that I would dare ask). I am having lapband next month (hopfully), and expect to lose lots and lots of weight! My vagina is very fatty (gross I know), especially right above it. I can't even beleive that I am telling all of you this. I want to know if any of you had this problem before the surgery and did it shrink with the rest of your body. You can't exactly exercise that body part now can you. If any of you have had this problem please tell me so I can quit feeling so weird. Thanks

I have heard that there is a living with lapband book (or something like that) book. I can't find anything like it at the bookstores. Have any of you heard of a lapband book?

My mom is in her sixties and is going for lapband. Has anyone had this done at that age? If so, did you have much success and were there any probs?

My mom was one of the first few in US to be banded. It was 2001 and she did not know a lot about it and there wasn't any sites like this for her. She had the band in for about a year or so. She lost 60 lbs in the first 4 or 5 months. She couldn't keep anything down at all. One of her fills was on a friday evening and the surgeon didn't check to see if she could hold down liquids before he sent her home. On the way home she started having to spit out the window because she couldn't even swallow her own saliva. She immediatly called the office and the dr said not to eat or drink anything over the weekend and he would take some out on monday. She explained that she couldn't even swallow and he said it would do her good not to eat for a few days. She vomited constantly. She finally figured out that chips, cakes and ice cream went down easily and basically survived on those. After a year or so she had almost gained everything back and had the band taken out. She gave up when she couldn't find the answers and support that she needed. I am now about to have the surgery and am informing her of everything that she needed to suceed. She would like to have it again and is going through her 6 month pcp visits, but doesn't think ins will pay. She has Passport advantage primary and her secondary is medicaid. Has anyone ever had ins pay for a second banding or even had it done twice? She had medicare the first time around. Thanks

Can I please have a copy of that? karebare714@insightbb.com

What type of ins do you have? I have BCBS of Minnisota. When did you find out that they require that? I haven't heard that about mine. I hope its not the same for mine because I am over 300lbs and that would be a lot to lose so quickly. Thanks for all you info. Karen

I am going through the process with olsofka now. I met him for my first appt the other day. I like him a lot and he did a hurnia surgery on my husband last year. I finish my 6 mon dr visits next month and have my psych and diet evals scheduled on 9-05-08. Hoping to be banded in october. Does this sound realistic to you? Have have you done over the last year? Karen

Thank you so much for all your advise. I seem to worry constantly about this because I want it so bad. I;m sure all will end well if I stay on top of things.

I was wondering, as long as I go 6 times during the 6 months, am I OK? I went the end of April, end of June. I'm set up for end of July. Then I was planning end of August, end of Sept, and end of Oct. Do you think they will accept this. It was about 2 months between my first and second visit. Or do you think that I even need that end of Oct visit?

My dr hasn't seen me exactly once a month. He said every 6 or 8 wks was enough. Is this true. What my insurance sent me just says 6 months of supervised weight loss, not so many times. I really don't want this to stop me from being approved. Do you know how strict they are on this. If I go 4 times during the six month period is this good enough?

Is it of minnasota?

I have BCBS MN and am going through my 6 month diet. I haven't lost but a couple of lbs so far. My BMI is right at 50. Does anyone know what their requirements are? Do I have to lose a certain percentage or do they deny or approve alot? Just curious about your experienced with them. Thanks for any info! Karen

I just recently heard that ins doesn't like to pay for lap band if BMI is over 50. Does anyone have any first hand experience with that? I have BCBS of Minnisota. I am half way through my 6 month period and my BMI is a liitle over 50. I know I can drop it under but that is just another worry for me. Hope some of you have some info for me. Thanks:confused2:

It seems like your process went really quick except the 6 month diet. Did you lose any during your diet? If so how much? I am 3 months through my diet and really haven't lost much. I am have been looking at it as though it is just a hoop I must jump through. My bmi is about 50. I know I have to start trying harder. I am at 314 and my PCP said he would like me to be under 300 for my surgery. I know I can do that pretty easy, I just have to focus.

Did you get approved? I have the same ins and am going through the 6 month drs period. Did you have to go through this ?